by L. T. Marie
“You don’t have to tell me that. I heard you walking the floors all night. Like my granddaddy used to say, if you got a bull stepping on your chest, best have a friend get him off before he crushes you.”
Jay laughed. She loved Shiloh’s use of idioms even though half the time she didn’t understand what the hell she was trying to tell her. “You’re granddad sounds about as crazy as you.”
“You’re damn tootin’.” Shiloh winked at Jay. “Oh look! It’s Jeannine.”
Shiloh waved frantically at a stunning six-foot brunette as Jay took another sip of her beer. “Have I met her?”
“Don’t think so. I work with her at the airline. Don’t hightail it until I get back, you hear? I’ll never find you in this crowd.”
Shiloh disappeared in the direction of the handmade jewelry stand positioned directly in front of the town’s oldest grocery store. With Shiloh gone, she was at a loss of what to do. Deciding another beer was the best solution, she stood to go stand in the obscenely long line when she spotted Coal already in line, her arms filled with packages.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Coal asked in surprise.
Jay could barely keep her eyes off of Coal who looked edible in a pair of denim shorts, a snug pink tank top that highlighted two perky breasts, and a pair of white sneakers. She looked younger than Jay remembered and didn’t seem pissed, only welcoming, which, after last night, she took as a good sign. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“I always come to the annual street fair. It’s the perfect time to buy supplies for my horses. I get them there.” Coal pointed to the local feed and fuel store, which was one of the only stores that supplied food and accessories for horses in the area. “Besides, the food is great and the beer is even better. I was about to get a beer and a hotdog. Would you like to join me?”
“I would. But you see, I came with a friend and seemed to have lost her.” She glanced around for Shiloh, but didn’t see her anywhere among the throes of people pushing their way down the blocked off two-way street.
“It’s no problem if you need to go.”
“No, I’m cool. And let me get that.” She pulled the last twenty from her wallet to pay the vendor for two hotdogs and beers. The vendor gave her three dollars change, and she shoved the money back into her wallet refusing to think about how she’d be able to afford lunch for the next few days. She was now officially broke until payday, but having the chance to hang out with Coal was worth a few missed meals. As she stared at Coal dressed in designer clothes, her hands filled with bags from the trendy shops that lined Main Street, it was a harsh reminder that they lived in two very different worlds. Until recently, she’d never questioned her modest upbringing. Maybe because she’d come from a family where pride stemmed from a hard day’s work. Building and creating new from old gave her a purpose. She’d always been proud of who she was. But the more she hung around Coal and saw how the other half lived, the more she realized that pride alone would never be enough to measure up in Coal’s world.
“That’s sweet of you. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. How about we eat and walk? There’s some great shops just down the street.”
“Perfect plan.”
She wasn’t going to question why all appeared to be forgiven after the way she’d acted last night. Once she’d dropped Coal off at her home, she’d spent the rest of her night thinking about her own rash behavior. She’d freaked when she ran into Judge Parker. Then, to make things worse, she found out Coal’s father was also a judge. But not just any judge. One of the most powerful judges in all of California. When she’d arrived home, she thought about calling Coal. Telling her that she was sorry for the way she’d acted. But what was she going to say? She couldn’t tell Coal about what her own dad’s actions had almost cost her. It was bad enough she was still paying off the attorneys and the second mortgage on her aunt’s home. That was something she’d never told anyone, even Dino. No, she couldn’t risk it or her job, not that she didn’t think Coal wouldn’t fire her anyway come Monday morning for nothing more than being a jerk. So instead, she’d paced all night long, hoping that Coal could forgive and forget. From Coal’s reaction to her today, maybe that was exactly what happened. Or so she hoped. “So, what did you get for your horses?”
“A new saddle. This one actually.” Coal pointed to the window of the local feed store. “I liked the chestnut color compared to the medium brown. What do you think?”
“I think it’s beautiful. Love the rose detail along the edges. What else did you get?”
“I only came for the saddle but then slipped into shopping mode and bought a new harness, a lead, and a bunch of other stuff. You know how it is.”
“Sure.” Not really, but I can play along. “Where is it all?”
“I couldn’t carry all that stuff, silly. It’s being shipped to my house.”
“Oh, right.”
She’d always felt a little foolish talking about subjects she couldn’t relate to, and she knew zero about horses. Appearing uneducated in any way bothered her, especially since all she had to show for her twenty-seven years was a high school diploma. She remembered her dad calling her an idiot when she blew her only chance at a college education, an education she’d sacrificed to save his ass. Even though she didn’t have a choice at the time and knew in her gut that she’d made the right decision, his words had cut deep. As the unwanted memories crept back in, she didn’t realize Coal was trying to get her attention until she felt Coal link her fingers through hers.
“Hey, you look lost in thought. Want to talk about it?”
Jay squeezed back, liking the way Coal’s smaller hand felt wrapped up in her own. The touch grounded her, and she felt it everywhere that mattered. “I was thinking I don’t know much about horses. Want to share some tips of the trade?”
“Sure, if you’re really interested,” Coal said warily, as if she knew there was more to Jay’s statement than she’d let on. “Horses need shelter for one. The ranch I work at part-time, which is only a few miles from here, has over fifty horses to board then at home we have our own barn so we don’t have to pay for housing. Of course there’s the upkeep, because between the new horseshoes you need every six weeks and the hay to feed them, it can run around six hundred or more a month per horse. That doesn’t include vet bills of course, but that’s really inexpensive unless they get sick.”
“Do they get sick a lot?”
“Not really. But it does happen.”
Jay seemed to consider this. “And you said you work at a ranch a few miles from here?”
“Yeah. Right now it’s more of a part-time gig until I get things in order.”
“How long have you worked there?”
“Only about a month,” Coal said sadly. “When my grandfather died, he left it to me.”
“Hey.” Jay squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry if I brought up bad memories.”
“You didn’t,” Coal said, her voice rough with a mixture of pain and what sounded a lot like regret. “I guess I’m still not used to the idea of him being gone.”
“I understand,” Jay said. When her mom had walked out on the both of them when she was young, it had taken her years to get over the pain of that loss. Coal’s situation was a bit different though. When someone died, there was never that lingering hope that they’d return. Some holes just couldn’t be filled. “Question. Where do you find the time to run a ranch? Even part-time.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, most days I see you working with the horses at home, and I can tell when I come to work the next day that you’ve done small projects on your home after we’ve left for the day. When do you have time to run a ranch that has fifty horses?”
This time when Coal smiled, the light that emanated from her seemed to come from her soul. “Amazing with your busy schedule you can keep such close tabs on me.”
“Well…I…” She laughed. “Okay, you got me. But I can tell you love what you do.
I’ve seen you with your horses. I bet training and having them listen to you so well is rewarding.”
“Thank you,” Coal said and blushed. “But I guess it’s no more rewarding than what you do. You get to build things from scratch. Create new things from old. I love your work. It’s extraordinary.”
How could one compliment from Coal make the weight she had been carrying on her shoulders feel a hundred pounds lighter? “Thanks, but I’ve seen the work you’ve done when we’re not around. And I’ve seen you handle Dax. You’re pretty great yourself.”
“I’m surprised you remembered his name.”
“I don’t forget the important things,” Jay said quietly. She still hadn’t let go of Coal’s hand, but she was more focused on the pulse point in Coal’s neck pounding wildly beneath her skin. She wondered what it would be like to put her mouth there. When she licked her bottom lip, Coal’s sapphire eyes darkened.
“And what do you consider important?” Coal asked a little breathlessly.
“Since you asked.” Jay stepped closer leaving only an inch separating them. “I find dark eyes amazingly sexy—”
“Jay, there you are,” Shiloh said. As if coming out of a trance, Jay turned to find Shiloh staring curiously at the both of them. “Sweetie, I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I found a painting that would look great in our apartment. Come look at it with me.”
“Hey, Shiloh.”
Coal quickly let go of her hand and took a step back. Coal’s face became unreadable, that once hot gaze now cold and questioning.
“Can you give me a second?” Jay asked.
“Surely.” Shiloh threw her arm around Jay’s shoulders and smiled at Coal. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“It’s okay. Let me introduce you to Coal Davis. Coal, this is Shiloh. She’s my—”
“I should go,” Coal said abruptly.
“You sure?” Jay asked. What’s with the sudden change of heart? “We planned on spending the day here, and it’s no problem if you’d like to join us.”
“I really have to get home. Thanks for the hotdog and beer. It was nice meeting you, Shiloh.”
“Who was that?” Shiloh asked once Coal was out of earshot. “She’s hotter than a fire cracker on the Fourth of July.”
“No one.” As Jay watched Coal disappear into the crowd she was left with that all too familiar sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “You ready to go?”
“Ooh, that tone says she’s definitely someone. And by the way you were staring at her backside, this is newsworthy. Come on, spill. Inquiring minds want to know.”
“Leave it alone, Shi,” Jay warned her. “Let’s get out of here. I think I’ve had enough fun for one day.”
*
The large grandfather clock chimed four a.m. when Coal threw the paintbrush onto the plastic covered floor and admired her handiwork. She had arrived home late in the afternoon and hadn’t stopped working as she tried everything to banish the images of the tall blonde hanging all over Jay.
Words like sweetie and our apartment had kept her mind occupied and fueled her body into an all-night painting spree. She had to put her anger to good use, so why not use it to her advantage?
After Jay had dropped her off the previous evening, she’d felt empty and out of sorts. Whatever bond they’d tried to form as they watched the fireworks rain down around them had faded along with the colors as soon as they began talking about her family. Then she’d run into Jay at the festival, and things seemed normal between them. She’d thought she’d imagined the barriers that had been thrown up the night before and was excited that Jay had wanted to spend more time with her. One minute, she’d been falling headfirst into Jay’s soft gaze, the next a model-like blonde appeared and casually threw her arm around Jay’s shoulders as if she’d done it a thousand times. No wonder Jay had been acting as twitchy as a thoroughbred locked in a starting gate when they’d first run into each other yesterday. This most likely explained Jay’s abrupt departure the night before and the reason she’d appeared so concerned when she couldn’t find her friend that morning. If she thought she had any chance at competing for Jay’s affection, it was lost the moment she met the beautiful Shiloh.
Christ, even her name screams sexy.
Originally, she thought Jay’s sudden need to return home on the Fourth had to do with finding out her father was a judge. Throughout her life, her dad’s occupation had made or broken many friendships. They either wanted to be a part of her world because of her dad’s powerful position or they were scared to death of him so they kept their distance. Most of the time, she couldn’t care less how people reacted. If they didn’t want to be her friend for whatever reason, so be it. But with Jay, it had just hurt.
To think that in a few months her father would be responsible for one of the biggest decisions in California State history that would thrust him into an even more powerful political position. His vote, along with six others, would decide sometime in the spring of 2008 whether gay marriage should be legal in the state of California. It would be a landmark decision, one that could change her life and the lives of thousands of others. That political clout would be needed if he did decide to run for political office. The Conservative Party would give him whatever he required to win at that point, be it endorsements or money. He’d be unstoppable, and she feared even more demanding where she was concerned.
When all the heavy thoughts became too much, she retreated to her room and quickly fell sound asleep. As if in a dream, she heard a soothing voice calling out to her. She struggled to open her eyes as the smoky rich scent of fresh chopped wood guided her gently back from sleep. A feather-light touch softly stroked her face. She groaned as an overwhelming heaviness awakened her body. Unconsciously, she reached out toward the voice and laced her fingers behind a sturdy neck. If this was a dream, she had no plans of opening her eyes anytime soon. She tugged gently but insistently, and yielding lips met her own. She melted into their velvety softness. Heard the answering groan as those lips gave in to her demands. The brush of another’s tongue against her own jolted her from sleep. As her vision swam into focus and consciousness returned, she realized the lips she was kissing belonged to none other than Jay.
“Jay?” She was lying in Jay’s arms, her head resting in the crook of Jay’s arm. This couldn’t be real, she thought. She reached out to touch Jay’s flushed face, feeling the warmth underneath her fingertips.
“I’m sorry.” Jay tried to move away, but Coal refused to release her.
“I think I should be the one to apologize,” Coal whispered softly.
“No need. I saw you in here sprawled on the floor and was worried you had passed out again. Are you all right?”
“I am. I guess I was exhausted from working late into the night.”
Slowly, Jay pulled away. Coal wanted to protest, pull her back into her arms. But the more awareness returned, the more she remembered why she had worked her body until sleep claimed her.
“I can tell. The painting looks great.” Jay moved to her feet. “I should…uh…get back to work.”
“Of course,” Coal said. She wondered if she’d been able to hide her disappointment as Jay retreated into the adjoining room. She quickly changed her clothes and headed down to the barn to start her morning chores. She needed to do something, anything to forget how it felt to taste Jay’s lips. To feel her tongue brushing over hers. She had dreamed of kissing Jay a thousand times since they’d met, but her dreams were nothing compared to the experience. Jay was tender, sweet. God, she was amazing, and if that kiss lasted any longer, she would have forgotten that Jay had someone else in her life. She would have forgotten all her family issues and would have succumbed to those lips and begged Jay to take her. Luckily, Jay had made some excuse about getting back to work, which helped her get her head on straight and allowed the throbbing between her legs to taper to a slow ache. She ignored the constant ringing of the phone in her pocket. She wanted to be left alone, but when her mother ap
peared in the doorway, she realized she wasn’t going to get her wish.
“Why are you ignoring my calls?” her mother asked. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s perfect, Mom.” Yeah, perfect! I finally get to kiss Jay, and she has a girlfriend waiting for her at home. She picked up a shovel and began cleaning Dax’s stall, not getting very far when her mother walked through the barn door and pulled the shovel away from her.
“Honey, you know I hate it when you lie to me. How about you tell me what’s got you all wound up today.”
“I told you. I’m fine…everything’s…fine.” Or it was until I kissed her!
“Oh well, that’s convincing.”
“Mom, I can’t do this now.”
“Is it because of the news this morning, honey?”
“What news?” Since her house had been under construction not to mention she worked sixteen plus hours a day, she didn’t have access to television, and she didn’t like searching the Net for information on her phone. She had no idea what her mom was talking about, and even if she had, she didn’t think anything could distract her from the kiss she and Jay had shared. She figured telling her mother that was definitely out of the question.
“The gay marriage issue. Every news channel is talking about it.”
“What about it?”
“The issue is going to the State Supreme Court. If they rule in favor of it, gay people will be able to get married here in California.”
Coal felt like a trapped dog being coaxed out of a corner with a bone. Of course her mother was aware that she was a lesbian, that fact was hard to ignore after the way her family had accidentally stumbled upon her secret. But they’d never really had a heart-to-heart about the sensitive topic, and due to her father soon becoming a key player in the state’s decision, she’d play the safe card for now until the time came to ante up. “Am I missing something here?”