One Step At A Time

by Brenda Adcock

  Unexpectedly, Dani asked, “Why don’t you and Sal go with us? It’ll be a blast!”

  “Yeah, probably a shotgun blast,” Maddie mumbled under her breath.

  “If we catch enough fish we can fry them over a fire. Nothing beats fish cooked outside over a fire, right Sal?” Dani said as Sal joined Flo at the front door.

  “What about the other girls?” Sal asked.

  “They can heat up the leftovers from last night,” Flo said. “That your daddy’s truck?”

  “Yeah, I haven’t driven it in a while, but it fired right up. The only minor problem is that you and Sal will have to follow us in your car. There isn’t enough room for all of us in the cab. Is that a problem?” Dani asked.

  “Not for us,” Flo said. She looked at Maddie and asked, “Is that a problem for you, James?”

  “Nope. The more the merrier,” Maddie muttered, pulling her toboggan out of her jacket pocket and onto her head.

  Dani laughed. “It’s not that cold out, Maddie.”

  “Colder than you think,” Maddie said, trying to avoid the icy look in Flo’s glare.

  “Give us a few minutes to change and get everythin’ loaded,” Sal said.

  Dani reached out and took Maddie’s hand to lead her to her truck. “The heater still works pretty good,” she said as they stepped off the porch. Maddie noticed Flo’s stare shift down to their hands for a moment before she went inside to help Sal.

  “I have a confession,” Maddie said as she settled into the cab of Dani’s truck.

  “What’s that?” Dani smiled, starting the old truck and flipping on the heater.

  “I’ve...uh...never really been fishin’ in my entire life,” Maddie admitted, a little embarrassed at her confession.

  “Not even when you were a kid?” Dani asked, looking amazed. “Who hasn’t ever been fishing?”

  “I haven’t, okay!” Maddie snapped. “I grew up on a farm, but all we had was a stock pond. It wasn’t a way we entertained ourselves. Too much real work to do with the land and animals,” she said sullenly. “Besides, I’ve never been the outdoorsy type.”

  Dani patted her on the thigh and said, “Don’t worry about it, Maddie. We’ll get you set up. Then all you’ll have to do is sit and wait for something to try to steal your bait. For me, it’s just a chance to relax away from work,” she smiled.

  Thirty minutes later, they located a secluded spot on an inlet on the bank of the small lake and unloaded their equipment. Dani spotted a fallen tree that was partially sticking above the water. She handed Maddie a rod and reel and picked up a small cooler. She threaded her arm through Maddie’s and pulled her toward the semi-submerged tree. Sal and Flo carried a couple of folding chairs to a small pier someone had constructed off the shoreline and began preparing their rods and reels.

  Dani stopped near the downed tree and said, “This is a good spot.”

  “Why?” Maddie asked.

  “Because the fish like feeding around the rotting branches of a tree like this one. The only problem might be throwing your line too close and getting it tangled in the branches,” Dani explained. “Get a worm out of the cooler and put it on your hook.”

  “What?” Maddie exclaimed, making a face.

  Dani laughed. “They don’t bite, silly,” she said. “But they wiggle a lot.”

  “It’s a slimy fuckin’ worm,” Mattie grumbled.

  “Yeah, but fish really like them, especially if they’re a little lively,” Dani grinned, watching Maddie slowly poke a finger into the worm container and make a face when a worm wiggled past her finger to get away.

  “They don’t seem all that crazy about bein’ a meal for the fish,” Maddie commented.

  Dani took the container from Maddie, reached in, and grabbed a worm. “Just have to let ’em know who’s boss,” she said as she began attaching her worm to her hook. “Now you bait your hook,” she grinned, “unless you want me to do it for you.”

  “I got it,” Maddie huffed. While Maddie worked the worm onto her hook, Dani placed her hand on Maddie’s back and rubbed it with her thumb, lending encouragement. After a brief instruction about how to cast her line, the two women sat on the exposed tree trunk. From time to time, a breeze blew in off the water and Dani shivered a little, scooting slightly closer to Maddie’s body. Eventually Maddie slid her arm around Dani’s waist to share her body heat.

  “LOOK AT THAT,” Flo fumed. “She can’t keep her damn hands off Dani. I’m gonna go over there and break that shit up,” she added, setting her rod down.

  Sal’s hand stopped her. “They ain’t doin’ nothin’, Flo. Maddie ain’t dumb enough to do anythin’ with you starin’ at her...unless she’s got a death wish or somethin’.”

  “I can’t just sit here and do nothin’, Sal. It’s like watching a snake slither up to its next victim,” Flo argued.

  “I told ya that takin’ her in was a bad idea, sweetie,” Sal said. “Now look where givin’ her a second chance got you.”

  “I’ll find a chance to talk to Dani if you find a way to get Maddie off somewhere,” Flo smiled.

  DANI GLANCED AT Maddie and noticed she looked cold and bored. Maybe the fishing trip wasn’t the best idea after all. She’d hoped she and Maddie would be alone to talk and get to know each other better. Looking out over the calm water, Dani asked, “Where’s your bobber?”

  “What?” Maddie responded. “Must’ve dozed off. Sorry.”

  “Where’s your bobber?” Dani repeated.

  “I don’t even know what a fuckin’ bobber is,” Maddie answered irritably.

  “It’s that red-and-white plastic thing on your line. If it jerks or disappears, it lets you know you caught a fish,” Dani explained excitedly, standing up. “Pull your line in, Maddie.”

  “How?” Maddie asked.

  “Get up and I’ll help you,” Dani said.

  Standing next to Maddie, Dani wrapped her arm around Maddie’s waist and pointed to the handle of Maddie’s reel. Maddie nodded and began reeling something in until a large, wriggling fish appeared above the water.

  “Bring the fish closer and grab it,” Dani instructed.

  “Why?” Maddie asked.

  “Unless you’re planning to cook it on that line, you have to get your fish off the hook,” Dani explained.

  “Nuh-uh,” Maddie said, shaking her head. “I already had to touch a disgustin’ worm, but I ain’t touchin’ a damn fish too.”

  “You big baby,” Dani teased, slapping Maddie’s arm playfully before wrapping a hand around the fish and removing the hook from its mouth.

  While celebrating Maddie’s first fish, Dani had leaned her rod and reel against the tree trunk to assist Maddie. Suddenly, her tackle fell over and was being dragged into the water. While Dani held Maddie’s catch, she pointed at her steadily disappearing rod and reel. “Grab my rod and reel, Maddie,” she yelled.

  “Shit!” Maddie said, dropping her rod and reel on the bank, jumping to the edge of the water and wading in to grab the rod before it disappeared. She backed up, but tripped over a submerged root. Now soaking wet from head-to-toe, Maddie finally got her feet beneath her and continued backing up until the bank became steeper and her feet slipped out from under her. But Maddie held on to the rod stubbornly and reeled Dana’s fish to shore, lifting the rod to bring the fish out of the water and swinging it around for Dani to remove from the line. Dani tossed Maddie’s catch farther up the bank and wiped her hands down the sides of her jeans before reaching out to remove hers.

  At the end of the great fish fight, Dani smiled and Maddie laughed as Dani offered her a hand up. Dani rubbed a hand over her butt to brush off some of the mud from her fall, squeezing her butt cheek firmly.

  “Sorry. Just couldn’t pass up that little opportunity,” Dani said with a smile. “Hope you brought a change of clothes.”

  “I did. You gonna volunteer to help me undress now, too?” Maddie grinned, waggling her eyebrows. Mad
die laughed at Dani’s sudden blush.

  Despite the blatant innuendo, it was probably the first time Dani had seen a genuine smile on Maddie’s face that didn’t look either predatory or lecherous. Even though Maddie hadn’t been thrilled with the fishing idea, she was having a good time.

  “We’ve got our dinner!” Dani hollered. “How’re y’all doin’?”

  “Just waitin’ on Flo,” Sal called back. “Apparently she ain’t holdin’ her mouth right. Hey, Maddie! Let’s clean our fish and get a fire goin’ while we wait on slowpoke here,” she added, patting Flo on the back and leaning down for a quick kiss. Flo shoved her away, half-heartedly, and cast her line into the water again, a little farther out.

  “I’ll go up and see if I can help Flo while you change and you and Sal do your thing, okay?” Dani said, patting Maddie lightly on the abdomen. “You okay with taking our fish up there to clean them? Hopefully, we won’t be long. The sun’s going down and it could get colder later.”

  “Yeah, I think I can handle that,” Maddie said. “But I’ll let Sal clean the fish.”

  Dani noticed Maddie’s face had returned to its usual demeanor. She leaned in and dropped a light kiss on her cheek. “Thanks, Maddie.”

  “No problem,” Maddie muttered as she picked up the stringer holding their two fish and wandered up the bank to where Sal was setting up a table.

  “Round up some rocks and make a circle over there for our fire while I gut these fish,” Sal directed, but without her usual rancor. “Unless you wanna clean the fish.”

  “Pass,” Maddie said, making a face. “But I’m gonna get on some clean clothes first.”

  “Bet today isn’t quite what you expected, is it?” Sal commented as Maddie started to walk away.

  “What do you and Flo think I expected, to drag Dani out here alone in the fuckin’ middle of nowhere and rape her ass? I’m not a fuckin’ animal!” Maddie seethed angrily, shoving Sal backward.

  More quickly than Maddie thought possible, Sal grabbed her arm and held it while she swept Maddie’s legs from under her. Maddie landed on her back, but before she could jump up to strike back, Sal pointed a finger at her. “Calm the fuck down,” Sal spat. “Flo just don’t want Dani to get hurt.”

  “I got it, okay?” Maddie said, staring up at Sal. Sal stuck a hand out to help Maddie up.

  Maddie grabbed the hand and pulled her body off the ground with no indication she would attempt anything. “I don’t want any more trouble than I already have, so tell Flo if she wants me out of the house, just say so. I’m tired of bein’ watched all the time with y’all waitin’ for me to do somethin’ you think is wrong,” Maddie said, brushing leaves and other debris from her wet clothes. She stomped away to change clothes. A few minutes later, she returned and began moving rocks around the fire pit someone had already started. Then she headed off to gather wood.

  DANI SAT IN Sal’s folding chair and threw her line into the water. “Not having much luck, huh?” she said.

  “I can share Sal’s if I have to,” Flo shrugged.

  Following a few minutes of silence, Dani looked over at her friend. “What’s wrong, Flo? You and Sal have a disagreement about something?”

  “Nope. We’re fine,” Flo answered curtly.

  “Well, something’s wrong and I’ll just keep nagging at you until you spill it,” Dani said with a mischievous smile. “You know I will,” she teased.

  Flo shifted her body to look at Dani. “I’m just not sure it’s smart for you to be spendin’ time with Maddie. Sal don’t trust her and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  Dani shrugged. “I like her, Flo. I enjoy spending time with her. Can’t help it,” she sighed. “When we’ve been alone, she’s never done anything inappropriate.”

  Flo’s eyes widened. “When have you been alone with her?”

  “I invited her to dinner at my place last night and, honestly, although I don’t care, I thought we might be alone today. She did me a favor, so just call it repaying a debt.”

  “What favor?”

  “It’s personal, Flo, and I’m not prepared to discuss it. Just give her a break, okay? For me.” Dani had no sooner finished speaking when something jerked at her line. She traded rods with Flo and laughed, “It’s your dinner, so bring it in. Then we can start cooking.”

  Flo plopped her fish on the worktable in front of Sal. It was the largest one. “Damn, baby! You must be starvin’!” Sal said with a smile.

  Dani wandered off to help Maddie collect firewood. She sneaked up behind Maddie and threw her arms around the unsuspecting woman’s upper body, trapping her arms against her sides. Maddie brought her arms up to break the hold and spun around with an arm cocked back, her eyes wild, ready to deliver a blow to her attacker, but stopped short of hitting Dani.

  “Ya shouldn’t sneak up on people like that,” She reached out and ran a shaking hand down Dani’s arm. “I coulda hurt ya,” she said softly.

  “But you didn’t,” Dani grinned.

  ONCE EVERYTHING WAS packed up and they were ready to return home, Dani hesitated to fall in right behind Sal and Flo. She drove well below the speed limit and let Sal get far ahead of them so she and Maddie could have a chance to talk during the drive. But Maddie didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk.

  “Did you enjoy your first fishing trip?” Dani asked.

  “Yeah. Thanks for invitin’ me,” Maddie answered as she continued staring out the side window.

  “What did you enjoy the most?” Dani tried again.

  Maddie thought for a minute before answering. “Sounds stupid, but I really liked the quiet, only interrupted by the steady rhythm of the little waves as they ran to the shore. It was peaceful and calmin’. Reminded me of walkin’ on the beach in California. The waves were bigger, but just as steady. Almost like the heartbeat of the ocean, y’know.”

  Dani pursed her lips and nodded. “I’ve never thought about it that way, but you’re right. The heartbeat of the ocean, huh? That would make a great song,” she said.

  “It would,” Maddie agreed. “Maybe some day someone will write it.”

  “You could,” Dani smiled at her.

  “Packie could, but I’m not much of a songwriter. I just sang ’em,” Maddie said.

  During their brief conversation, Dani turned off the main road and brought the truck to a stop, switching the lights off. She took Maddie’s hand and entwined their fingers. “I’ve been wanting to do this all afternoon,” she sighed.

  “Do what?” a confused Maddie asked.

  “This,” Dani breathed as she moved closer to Maddie and pressed her lips against Maddie’s.

  Maddie deepened the kiss eagerly, her body moving against Dani’s. She lifted Dani up to straddle her thighs as Dani’s hands found their way into Maddie’s hair. Maddie was breathing hard as her tongue made its way into Dani’s mouth. Dani groaned when Maddie found her breast and arched against her to increase their contact. Unexpectedly, Maddie pushed away, worked to catch her breath, and said, “We should stop.”

  “Why?” Dani grinned and moved to kiss Maddie again. “I’m not sixteen anymore.”

  Dani stared at her as Maddie moved her off her lap.

  “Because...because...” Maddie tried, looking around. “We should...uh...get back to Flo’s. She’ll be worried about where you are,” Maddie said, refusing to look at Dani.

  “Flo’s my friend, not my mother,” Dani responded, running her fingernails up the inside of Maddie’s thigh.

  “Please stop...don’t,” Maddie forced herself to say as tears began shimmering in her eyes.

  Dani felt more frustrated than she had the night before. She didn’t understand why Maddie had first seemed so passionate, then suddenly become so distant. It was hard for her not to lash out at Maddie’s rejection again. She forced herself to turn the key in the ignition and back out of the secluded area. “Okay. Home it is then,” she managed.

  Chapter Eight


  SABREENA DOUGLAS WATCHED the comings and goings at Oscar’s Auto Repair from behind a tinted porthole window in an old blue-over-blue cargo van parked in the public parking lot across the street from the shop. She never believed Maddie had the guts to fight her without Aggie standing behind her and Bree would like nothing more than to get even. The month before her release, she was handed an anonymous, typed note by another inmate she barely knew, telling her where Maddie James was living and where she worked. She pulled the note from her coat pocket as she watched Maddie arrive at the shop and reread it with great interest.

  After waiting all day, dreaming of the things she would do to that cunt, Sabreena watched her pull down the last bay door after the other workers left. Certain Maddie was alone in the cinderblock building, Bree stepped out of the van and sauntered casually down the small alley to the back door of the shop. One of the men with her jimmied the door open and they slipped inside.

  “WHAT’D YOU FORGET this time?” Maddie laughed, pulling her head from under the hood of a vehicle and wiping her hands on a shop towel. The smile fell from her face when she saw Sabreena Douglas, followed by three thick-necked men, move into the light. It had been over a year since Maddie had seen Bree Douglas and she hadn’t planned to ever see her again. Maddie, with Aggie’s help, had fought back against Bree and her prison trafficking ring and even though Maddie suffered numerous cuts and bruises and survived being shanked, she never became one of Bree’s bitches following the shower incident after her arrival at Sand Ridge. Bree looked a little rougher around the edges than Maddie remembered, but she was pleased to still see the scars she put on Bree’s face.

  “What the fuck do you want?” Maddie demanded.

  Bree shrugged. “Just thought I’d see how you was doin’ out in the free world.”

  “Well, you saw, so leave.”

  “Or what? You gonna beat me up again?” Bree laughed. “You cost me a fortune,” she said. “You owe me for refusin’ to put your goods out there.”