"She left a note saying she was going to your house, Mrs. Evans," she said slowly. "Oh, I hope I didn't cause any trouble by calling you."
Even though Catherine had consumed quite a few drinks her quick mind honed in on a critical point. "Why didn't you call Jamie on her cell phone, Cassie?" she asked suspiciously. "That's always the best way to reach her."
"Oh, that's right. Silly me," she said absently. "I just call her so rarely that I forgot about her cell phone. I certainly hope I haven't caused you any alarm, Mrs. Evans."
"Actually you have, Cassie," she said rather sharply. "I'll call Jamie to make sure she's all right. And then, of course, I'll ask her to call you back. Are you at home?"
"Um…yes, I'm at home, but it's really not necessary, Mrs. Evans."
"Nonsense. If it was important enough for you to have to call here, it's important enough for Jamie to return your call. Goodnight, Cassie."
Catherine slumped back into her chair and tried to gather her thoughts. She didn't want to get involved in any adolescent squabbles between her daughter and Cassie, but there was a glimmer of a chance that Jamie had been on her way home and had gotten into an accident. So she hit the speed dial and waited for six rings before her daughter's happy sounding voice answered. To her own surprise, she immediately hung up. She sat in her chair and stared at the receiver that she still held in her small hand and considered her actions. She realized that she didn't have any interest in checking up on Jamie; she had just wanted to know that she was safe. Once she was assured of that, she really had nothing to say. Although I suppose Cassie will be waiting for a return call from Jamie, she thought absently. A sly smile curled up the corner of her mouth as she rose to pour herself another Scotch. Let her wait!
As the last of the relatives left the house, Rory bade everyone goodbye. Brendan had offered to take him to the airport in the morning, so he decided to sleep at his brother's apartment and allow Ryan to use his room for the night. Jamie gave him a big hug and a kiss and quietly promised to watch over Ryan in his absence. She left the rest of the family to say their goodbyes and went downstairs to get ready for bed.
20 minutes later Ryan came down, red eyed and a little glum. "Are you all sad that Rory's leaving?" Jamie asked as she wrapped her arms around her.
Ryan just nodded, her lips pursed together tightly.
"You poor little thing," she soothed as she led her to the loveseat for a little comfort. Jamie sat back in the corner against the cushions and urged her lover to rest her head in her lap. Running her fingers lightly through her hair, she gave her the physical comfort that she obviously needed. She didn't think there was much to actually talk about since it was clear that Ryan just had a hard time being away from any member of her family for a significant time period. She thought about her own family and realized that she often couldn't remember if her mother was even in the country; and her father traveled so often for business that it wasn't odd for him to be away for weeks at a time when she was a child. She reflected that she and Jack had planned on being apart for a whole year while he clerked for a federal judge, and was struck with the realization that things would be very different with Ryan. There's no way in the world I'd let her be away from me for a whole year, she thought with amazement. Why didn't it seem odd to me at the time? I thought it was perfectly natural to see my fiancé only on weekends and to plan to have him be gone for a year. God, I can hardly stand to be apart from Ryan overnight!
As if she read her thoughts Ryan murmured, "Don't wanna go upstairs," in her adorable little five-year-old voice.
"I know, Sweetie," she soothed. "I don't want you to go either, but we're still close. I'll just be downstairs if you get lonely."
Ryan struggled to her feet and went into the bath to get ready for bed. Jamie heard her muttering to herself the whole way, and she was once again charmed by her companion's complete vulnerability with her. When Ryan came out, Jamie offered to take her to bed and tuck her in. She accepted with a dropped chin and a shy little grin that peeked out via her sparkling blue eyes. On the way upstairs they stopped in Martin's room for their goodnight kisses. He gave Jamie a curious glance while he hugged his daughter, and she mouthed that she'd stop in on her way back down.
The next stop was Conor's room. He was just leaving the bathroom that he and Rory shared, and he likewise gave both women a hug and a kiss. He looked very tired, and as soon as he entered his room the lights went out. Jamie led Ryan into Rory's bed and sat on the edge ruffling her hair through her fingers. "I love you, Ryan," she said softly as she leaned over for a tender kiss.
"I love you too, Jamie," she said sadly. As Jamie got up to leave she turned for one last look and felt her heart nearly break at the wide-eyed, childlike expression on her lover's face. She blew her a kiss and started to close the door but Ryan instructed, "Leave it open, please. I want Duffy to be able to come in and cuddle."
On the way back downstairs Jamie stopped in Martin's room and quietly closed the door to be able to speak without her keen-eared lover noticing. "What's with the Princess?" he asked with a furrowed brow.
"She's very sad that Rory's leaving," she confided. "She seems quite fragile tonight, and I think she needs some comforting."
"But you're honoring my rule about not sleeping together, correct?"
"Of course, Martin. We wouldn't dream of going against your wishes."
"Well, you know, Jamie," he said as he slid an arm around her shoulders, "the rule was designed solely to maintain family harmony. But the only member of the family who would notice is Conor. If you could manage to be a bit stealthy there's no reason for him to find out."
"So you really wouldn't mind?" she asked excitedly.
"How can I put this delicately?" he mused. "I feel uncomfortable having my children acting like married people before they're willing to make a public commitment. But it sounds like you're asking to give Siobhán some comfort rather than…"
"Absolutely, Martin," she said as her blush rivaled his. "Besides, given Ryan's mental age tonight, the last thing on her mind is…" she said with a wink.
After another good night kiss she crept up the stairs, being careful to avoid the third step that had a definite squeak to it. Quietly entering the room, she slowly closed the door as she heard Ryan give a start. "It's me, Honey," she whispered.
Ryan quickly sat up and gazed at her with a puzzled look. "What…" she began, but Jamie quickly silenced her with a gentle kiss as she slid into the full sized bed.
"Your father said we could sleep together as long as all we did was sleep," she teased as she snuggled up next to her.
"You asked?" Ryan's expression was so amazed that Jamie had to laugh.
"No, no, Honey, I just said you needed some comfort tonight. He actually made the suggestion. He loves you very much, Ryan, and we wants you to feel better."
Ryan sniffled a little at the thought of Jamie and her father trying to find a way to care for her. Jamie scooted up on the bed and drew Ryan in close so that her dark head rested against her soft breasts. Ryan sighed so deeply it was nearly comical, but she immediately nestled snugly against Jamie's tender embrace, so that there wasn't a millimeter of space between them. Moments after settling down, her deep, even breathing lulled Jamie into a sweet, dream-filled slumber.
She woke long before the sunrise, but it took her a moment to get her bearings. The feel of Ryan's body against hers was still unfamiliar, and it took her a second for her brain to get the message that she wasn't wrapped around Jack; but when she allowed her senses to really open up, there wasn't a doubt in her mind who shared her bed. The first thing that caught her attention was the alluring aroma that emanated from Ryan's body. The scent was almost indescribable, but she was sure she could pick it out given a thousand choices. There was something just so Ryan-like about the scent; it was sweet and spicy, complex and simple, sexy and innocent.
But even without her scent, the way Ryan's body felt was so different from Jack's that it continually sur
prised her that she could mistake one for the other. Where Jack was hard and strong, Ryan was soft and supple. He carried much of his weight in his broad shoulders and chest, and the dense muscles felt heavy and oppressive when he lay against her. But Ryan's softness just molded against her so perfectly that she felt more like a comfortable extension than a separate person.
Jack was an athlete too, and his breathing pattern was very similar to Ryan's. They each drew long, slow, deep breaths with a surprisingly long pause between each one. As she tilted her head just enough to rest her ear against Ryan's chest, she noticed that their heartbeats were also similar: steady, slow and strong. Even though Jamie had enjoyed resting her head on Jack's chest, the sensation of doing so to Ryan was a much richer one. Lying on Ryan's chest was like being enveloped in a warm maternal embrace. There was something so soft and warm and reassuring about hearing that strong heartbeat and having those amazingly supple breasts just inches from her face that nearly made Jamie swoon with pleasure.
Jamie knew that she had only slept for about five hours, but it felt so wonderful to have Ryan wrapped around her that she actually hated to go back to sleep. There was something so unspeakably delicious about feeling her warm body caressing her that her overwhelming urge was to remain awake and luxuriate in the sensation. Ultimately, the warmth and the comfort that flowed from their tender connection pulled her back down into slumber despite her best efforts to remain alert.
For the next two hours they repeated the cycle over and over again. One would awaken and change position to make their connection even more air-tight. The other would quickly wake, and they would spend a few minutes in a deeply sensual dance, moving slowly and tenderly against each other until sleep reclaimed them. Neither had any inclination to actually break the spell, but when Ryan heard Conor start the shower she finally spoke the first words of the day. "I hate to say it, but you should probably go back downstairs. Once Conor's out of the shower, it'll be hard to sneak away."
"Mmmm," Jamie's deep morning voice rumbled. "Don't wanna leave."
"I don't want to either," Ryan sighed as she let Jamie's kisses weaken her determination.
After ten minutes of increasingly sensual touching, she realized that they were much more able to comply with her father's wishes when they were actually asleep. "I've got to get up," she mumbled as she pried herself away from her frisky lover. "Way, way too tempting." She sat on the edge of the bed and shook her head quickly to order her thoughts. "You can stay in bed for a while, I'll go have breakfast with Conor and Da."
"No, no," Jamie insisted. "If you get up, I can get up." She started to struggle to her feet, but she was still so tired that she leaned heavily against Ryan as soon as she was vertical.
"Honey, go back to sleep," Ryan insisted. "There's no rush."
"But I want to be with you," she mumbled into the fabric that covered Ryan's chest. "I like you."
A very amused chuckle greeted that remark. "I like you too," Ryan agreed. "But you still can go back to sleep."
"Uh-uh," she insisted as she shook her fair head.
Ryan started to back out of the room, but Jamie clung to her like a drowning woman. Her hands were clasped firmly around Ryan's neck, and she let herself be dragged along as Ryan continued to move. "Jamie," she soothed. "Your bed is calling you…"
"Uh-uh," she said again. "Only your mouth calls to me." With that she tightened her grip and plastered herself against Ryan's body. They were now in the upstairs hallway, just outside of Rory's room. Ryan stumbled a little and was stopped abruptly by the railing. Giving in to the warm, sensuous kiss, she sat on the railing and enjoyed Jamie's mouth for several seconds. They were so involved that they almost didn't hear the muffled thump and sharp gasp that echoed up from the living room. Ryan tore her mouth away and looked over her shoulder to see her father gathering up the laundry that he had been carrying. She turned and gave her partner a dramatic eyebrow lift as she calmly drawled, "Morning, Da."
"Ahh, good morning girls. I didn't see you up there," he said nervously, not making eye contact. "Ready for some breakfast?" He was busily trying to refold the neat piles he had been carrying, but it was obvious that he was flustered at seeing them in the rather passionate embrace.
"Sure," Ryan said smoothly. "Be right down."
Jamie's hands had dropped to her sides as soon as they saw Martin, and she now gave Ryan a very guilty look. Her partner just pushed her gently into the bedroom and said, "I think that made him a little uncomfortable. Let me go smooth things over, okay?"
"Oh, Honey, I'm sorry I did that." Jamie looked terribly contrite, but Ryan was having none of it.
"Nonsense. We were doing nothing wrong, Hon. He's just got to get used to it. It's an adjustment for him too."
"You sure?" Jamie asked, obviously hoping to be reassured.
"Positive. Now will you go back to bed?"
"Yep," Jamie agreed as she hopped back in. "I'm staying in bed until he goes to work!"
Ryan strolled into the kitchen and grabbed a piece of crisp bacon that her father had just prepared. She placed a kiss on his cheek and climbed aboard a tall stool, staring at him thoughtfully the whole time. Martin was concentrating on his cooking as though it was terribly mesmerizing, but he looked up quickly when Ryan asked, "Want to talk about it?"
"It?" he said absently, trying to avoid this particular talk.
"Um hmm," his daughter replied. "The big 'it' that's making that pancake batter so utterly fascinating."
He uttered a small, nervous laugh as he turned to face her. "I hate to be so transparent," he grumbled.
"It's okay, Da," she said reassuringly. "This has got to be hard for you. It's completely understandable."
He smiled at her with a look of utter relief on his handsome face. "Is it really, Darlin'? I've been worried that maybe I'm not as open minded as I like to think I am."
That admission took Ryan aback, and she blinked slowly as she tried to comprehend exactly what he meant. "Do you think it bothers you because I'm with a woman?" she asked slowly, as she tried to keep the hurt from her voice.
He looked very uncomfortable as he pursed his lips and said, "I…I'm not sure, Siobhán. I've just had a bit of a hard time adjusting…I…I'm not sure."
Conor's heavy tread echoed through the dining room, and father and daughter paused as he entered the kitchen. Taking one look at their faces and sensing the tension in the room, he turned on his heel and marched right back out. Martin smiled at his son's retreating form and said, "The lad has an aversion to serious talks, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, he's the smart one," Ryan grumbled, now wishing she had not brought the topic up at all.
Seeing that he had upset his daughter, Martin wiped his hands and pulled up another stool right next to hers. He sat down and waited until she made eye contact to say, "I'm sure this is temporary, Sweetheart. But you might have to have a little patience with your old father."
Ryan gave him a small smile and nodded her head. "I can be patient," she said. "I just don't understand why it would bother you. It certainly isn't a surprise that I'm a lesbian."
"No, of course it isn't," he agreed. "I've known that you were…you know…with women…for years now, but Tracy was the only woman you've ever brought home."
"Did it bother you to think of Tracy and me…together?"
He blushed a little as he conceded, "Yes, it did a bit."
"I could have reassured you on that one, Da, we didn't have sex!"
"You didn't?" he asked, slightly stunned. "Why not?"
"For the same reason I haven't had sex with Jamie," she explained. "I was trying to find out if Tracy was right for me, and I wanted to concentrate on building a relationship before I muddled the issue with my raging hormones." She looked at him with a very serious expression as she related, "About five years ago, you told me that sex was much more special if you waited for the person that you loved. I obviously didn't heed your advice then, but I'm giving it a go now. I'll let you know how it wo
rks out," she said with a charming grin.
"So how do I get over feeling odd about you two?" he asked plaintively.
"I don't know," she said honestly. "I guess we just see how it goes."
Jamie snuck her head into the room and asked, "Is this a private conversation, or can I join in?"
Ryan opened her arms as she gave her a wide smile. Jamie walked over and snuggled into her embrace as she sat on the tiny edge of the stool that Ryan vacated for her. "You're welcome to join us," she said as she rested her chin on Jamie's shoulder.
"I was just telling Siobhán how happy I am that she's found you Jamie. You're the best addition to the family that I could ever dream of," he said as he bent to kiss her cheek. As he stood, he gave his daughter a reassuring smile and a kiss.
Jamie blushed a bit at the praise and turned her head to Ryan as she said, "That's one of the nicest morning greetings I've had in a long while."
"They're only going to get better," Ryan's deep voice burred against the back of her neck, sending a good-morning shiver down her spine.
After breakfast Jamie decided to go to church to see her grandfather, but Ryan couldn't spare the time. She grabbed a liter of water and went downstairs with Duffy to get to work. She was completely amazed to feel a soft kiss on her neck after what seemed to be just minutes later, but Jamie assured her that it was nearly noon. Pulling her lover onto her lap, they spent a few minutes kissing before Ryan patted her butt and sent her on her way. After changing into khaki shorts and a sky blue tank top, Jamie went upstairs to make lunch, coming back a few minutes later with two sandwiches and one happy dog. They spent a few minutes sharing their lunch while Jamie related the message of the sermon and gained a promise that they could spend some time with her grandfather after finals. After their meal was finished Jamie said, "When I was upstairs with your father, he acted just like he always does. How did your talk go this morning?"
"It went okay," Ryan said, thinking about the whole exchange. "But he is a little uncomfortable with us. I think he needs some time to let the change sink in."
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