by Sarah Markel
Pausing the video one last time, Kelly once again turned to face the family. Looking at them all expectantly, she waited to see if anyone else would notice what she had. Waiting patiently, she noticed Lee's eyes light up when realization hit. “Oh wow, that's crazy.” He said out loud with a smile. Nodding, Kelly placed her finger to her lips so he wouldn't ruin it. When everyone turned their attention to Lee, the young man shrugged and sat back with his hands folded behind his head. For the next several minutes, Kelly watched as it dawned on the rest of the adults, except for Alex, what Kelly was showing them. When she noticed everyone staring at her, Alex blushed. “What? What am I missing?” She asked as she let out an exasperated sigh. “Nothing,” Steve said. “Just fate.” Growling at the man, Alex stood and went to Kelly. Placing her hands on her hips, she demanded "Alright, how did you know what would happen?” Before Kelly could answer, Alex whipped her head around to glare at her family as everyone snickered. “Zip it or I'll bury you all where no one will find you.” She said menacingly. Laughing, Kelly placed her hands on Alex's hips and said "Honey, look at the screen. I mean really look at it.” She added when the woman started to protest. Huffing out a breath, Alex turned and stared at the screen. After several minutes, she slowly turned her head and looked at Kelly with shock. Nodding, Kelly laughed out loud and the rest of the family cheered and clapped. Turning, Alex hugged Kelly as the woman pressed play. The video resumed with an image of the black haired girl with her back to the camera and the name K. Taylor clearly printed on the back of her jersey.
Chapter 50
"Thank you again Angie, you have no idea what this means to me.” Kelly said as she hugged her friend Friday morning. Alex and Kelly had dropped the kids off with Angie and Steve and were just getting ready to leave. “No problem, Kelly. You two deserve some time away.” Angie replied after they broke the embrace. The last week had flown by quickly. After leaving Serenity Manor on Sunday evening, the two women had spent the next four days of their vacation with the kids. They had gone ice skating, sledding, snowmobiling, and built snowmen. Kelly had bonded well with both children over the last several months, and the thought of leaving them for a whole weekend with six hours of distance between them was driving her crazy. “Babe, we really need to hit the road.” Alex said, gently trying to coax Kelly toward the door. Groaning, Kelly followed reluctantly. “Honey, I feel terrible leaving them for so long.” She whined as the pair buckled themselves into the car. “Babe, they’ll be fine. It’s not like they’re with strangers and Angie and Steve will take very good care of them.” Alex said, patting the woman’s knee. With a resigned sigh, Kelly asked “So where are we going for this mysterious weekend?” Alex turned and smiled at her, “It’s a surprise, babe. I can’t tell you.” She said, turning her attention back to the road.
For the next six hours, Kelly tried not to worry about the kids. Instead she occupied her mind by talking with Alex about the previous weekend and watching the scenery out the window. Oregon really is a beautiful place, she thought as she observed the snow-capped trees in the distance. When Alex turned onto a narrow gravel road, Kelly asked “Are we almost there, Honey? I really need to pee.” Chuckling, Alex nodded and pointed out her window towards the summit of a nearby mountain. Leaning over Alex’s lap to look out her window, Kelly realized their destination. “You’re taking me into the mountains in the winter?” she asked incredulously. With a laugh, Alex nodded “Don’t worry babe you’ll be fine, I promise.” As the pair made their way slowly up the mountain, Kelly stared out at the skiers and snowboarders traversing the mountain side. After another hour on the bumpy, slippery mountain road, Alex finally pulled through a set of gates. The sign above the gate read Snowy Owl Lodge. Pulling into a parking space near the front door, Alex turned to Kelly and smiled “Every year, I bring the kids up here to ski after Christmas. This year, I wanted to introduce you to the place by myself.” Returning the smile, Kelly leaned in and kissed the woman softly, “As long as they have a bathroom.” she said with a chuckle.
When they walked through the front doors of the lodge, Alex pointed Kelly to the restroom and went to check them in. “Good Afternoon! Welcome to Snowy Owl Lodge.” Said the enthusiastic young woman behind the desk. “Hi. Alexis Walker checking in for the Snow Owl cabin.” Alex said politely. Hearing Alex’s name, the lodge manager made his way over. “Hi Alex! It’s good to see you again. Where are the munchkins?” he asked, shaking the woman’s hand. Smiling at the man, she shook her head. “They’re with their aunt and uncle this year.” Handing the young woman her credit card, Alex noticed that she was checking her out. Feeling a little uncomfortable, she added “I brought my girlfriend up this time. I’m hoping that when we leave she won’t be my girlfriend anymore. With any luck, she’ll be my fiancée.” The manager leaned over and hugged her excitedly. “Oh wow, that would be wonderful! I’m glad to hear you found someone that makes you happy.” He said with a smile. When Kelly made her way to the desk, Alex wrapped her arms around the woman’s waist. “Eric, this is my girlfriend Kelly. Babe, this is Eric. He’s the manager here at the lodge.” she introduced. Kelly smiled and shook the man’s hand. Once the pair had finished checking in, they headed back to the car. “That lady at the desk sure was making eyes at you.” Kelly said, jealousy making her tone harsher than she intended. Looking at her curiously, Alex opened the passenger door to let her in. When she had gotten in the car, Alex turned to Kelly. “Are you mad at me for something?” she asked. Shaking her head, Kelly replied “What? No I’m not mad at you. I just got a little jealous seeing someone else checking you out.” Relieved, Alex started the car and drove the fifteen minutes up to their cabin.
“Oh, wow. This place is beautiful!” Kelly exclaimed once they were inside. “You like it?” Alex asked with a smile. Nodding, Kelly wandered off to explore. While Kelly looked around the large cabin, Alex went out to get their bags. After she had brought in the last of their luggage, she went to the refrigerator and pulled out the complimentary wine. Pouring two glasses, she offered one to Kelly. “Honey, this place is wonderful.” Kelly said, taking the offered glass. “So, what do you want to do with the rest of our day?” Alex asked as the two sat on the sofa. Tucking her legs underneath her, Kelly asked “I don’t know. What kind of things can we do?” Smiling, Alex turned to face her lover. “Well, there’s a hot tub on the back deck, we could relax in there.” Nodding, Kelly sipped her wine. The two sat in comfortable silence for several minutes before Kelly’s stomach rumbled loudly. Laughing Alex checked the time on her phone. “How about I go down to the lodge and get us dinner first?” she offered. “Sounds good.” Kelly replied. While Alex was gone, Kelly stretched out on the couch to relax.
“Babe? Dinner’s here.” Alex said, rubbing the outside of Kelly’s thigh. Opening her eyes slowly, Kelly smiled and stretched. “Sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” She said with a yawn. Sitting up, she asked “So, what’s on the menu for tonight?” Standing up, Alex took the insulated bag into the kitchen area. “My dear lady, tonight we shall feast like royalty. Only the most sophisticated of foods will pass through your perfect lips this evening.” Alex said with an over-dramatic flair. Snorting, Kelly laid her hand over her growling stomach “Well my dearest Alex, bring on the feast.” Smiling, Alex told her to close her eyes. When she did, Alex brought out two plates and set them on the coffee table. “Okay babe. You can open them.” She said, taking the seat beside Kelly. When she opened her eyes, Kelly let out a laugh “The most sophisticated foods, eh?” she asked, leaning in to kiss Alex on the cheek. Feigning outrage, Alex replied “How dare you scoff at the meal I slaved all day over!” Shaking her head, Kelly patted Alex’s thigh. “Thank you, Love.” She said, “It looks delicious.” Happily, the two women tucked into their food in silence. Once they finished, Kelly stood and took care of the clean-up. After she tossed the remnants of the meal in the trash can, she sat back down and asked “What kind of burger was that, honey? It was delicious. The meat was so tender
and juicy and cooked perfectly.” With a mischievous smile, Alex leaned back on the couch and pulled Kelly to sit between her legs. With Kelly’s back tucked against her chest, Alex replied “Are you sure you want to know?” With a nod, she pulled Alex’s hand up and clasped it to her chest. Remembering their dinner at Le Poisson Mignon, Alex chuckled and explained “They’re called Savannah Burgers. The tender, juicy meat you liked so much was buffalo.” Surging upright, Kelly whipped her head around to face Alex with a look of pure, unadulterated shock. “You’re kidding.” She stated incredulously. Laughing at the look on Kelly’s face, Alex shook her head “I’m serious.” she replied. Unsure what to do with the information, Kelly leaned back against Alex and said nothing.
“Is the water ready, honey?” Kelly asked a while later as she poked her head out the back door. Nodding, Alex hurried back inside to change. The temperature outside had dropped to only thirty-seven degrees since the sun went down, and the two women were eager to soak in the Jacuzzi tub. After she had changed into a basic blank tank suit, Alex went out and got in the tub. A few moments later she heard the sliding door of the cabin open and she turned around to look at her lover. When she caught sight of Kelly, Alex sat there with her mouth hanging open. Although Alex was familiar with every inch of Kelly's body, in all the months they had been together, she had never seen the woman in a bathing suit. The pale blue bikini top fit snugly over the woman's ample breasts while the bottoms hugged her curves flatteringly. Stepping into the hot water, Kelly blushed at Alex's stare. “What?” She asked shyly. “Nothing baby. You just confirmed what I already knew. You are breathtakingly gorgeous, and I am extremely lucky to have you.” Alex replied, still staring at the woman's form. “Thank you.” Kelly whispered, slightly embarrassed by Alex's compliment. Reaching her hand out to her lover, Alex pulled Kelly close and wrapped her arms around the woman's waist. Together the pair let themselves relax in the water for almost an hour. “Babe, are you cold?” Alex asked, noticing that Kelly had cuddled closer. Shaking her head no, Kelly slowly slid her hand up Alex's thigh. “Actually, I'm quite hot. For you.” The woman whispered, her eyes locked on Alex's. Shuddering with arousal, Alex stood quickly and pulled Kelly up against her. “Inside.” She breathed. Nodding, Kelly stepped out of the Jacuzzi and quickly but carefully made her way inside the cabin with Alex right on her heels. Once inside, Alex again pulled Kelly to her and pressed their lips together in a passionate kiss. When their lips parted, Kelly inclined her head toward the bedroom with a smile in her eyes. Without saying a word, Alex took her hand and led her down the hall.
Chapter 51
The next morning, Alex did her best to crawl back into bed behind Kelly without waking her up. After a night spent ringing in the New Year with passion, Alex had woken early and carefully slipped out of bed to go down to the lodge. When she arrived, she met with Eric and made all of the necessary arrangements for her proposal. Eric agreed to have the band play the same song the two had first danced to, and to have the dessert waiter help with the presentation of the ring. When they had everything set, she headed back to the cabin in the hopes of finding Kelly still asleep. Quietly, Alex had let herself back inside and slipped out of her heavy clothes before sliding back into bed. “Oh shit!” Kelly gasped when Alex accidentally touched the woman's warm stomach with her ice cold hands. Yanking her hand away, Alex murmured an apology. “Sorry, babe. I wasn't covered up and I got cold.” She lied. Spooning back against her, Kelly mumbled sleepily and went back to sleep. Thankful that the woman had not been awake enough to realize her deceit, Alex let herself drift off again until the alarm went off.
“Nope. I can't do this.” Kelly said, a slight twinge of fear in her voice. She was standing at the top of the practice hill on a pair of skis while Alex and the ski instructor encouraged her to let go. “No. I changed my mind. I can't do it.” She repeated pleadingly as she begged Alex for help with her eyes. “Tell you what, babe. I will help you down the hill, but only if you promise to ski down instead of walking.” Alex offered, quietly amused by Kelly's resistance to slide down a three foot hill. Despite the protests of the instructor, Alex stood next to Kelly and strapped herself into her snowboard. When the woman agreed, Alex took her hand and did a little hop to get herself going. Alex laughed as they started going slowly down the small hill, Kelly screaming in terror the whole way down. Ten seconds later when they reached the flat area at the bottom of the hill, Alex turned her board slightly and brought them to a stop. Looking at Kelly, she laughed harder when she saw that Kelly's eyes were clamped shut. “Babe, we're at the bottom, you can stop screaming and open your eyes.” She said, taking Kelly into her arms. When she opened her eyes, Kelly pulled away from Alex and quickly rid herself of the skis. “Okay. There. I did it and now I'm done.” She stated with a shaky voice. Looking at Kelly with genuine concern, Alex asked "Baby, are you really that scared?” When she received a nod and noticed that Kelly was shaking like a leaf, Alex felt horrible. You dick! She said she was scared and you just had to make her do it anyway. Way to go asshole now she'll never say yes. Alex chastised herself. “I'm so sorry sweetheart. I didn't realize you were being serious, I thought you were just being dramatic.” She apologized. Guiding the woman slowly, Alex led her off the mountain and back to the cabin.
After they had shed their snow gear, both women sat together on the couch until Kelly was able to calm herself. “Are you alright now?” Alex asked when she noticed Kelly had stopped shaking. Nodding, Kelly turned to face her. “Honey, I'm really sorry if my behavior embarrassed you.” She said, head hung in shame. Using her finger to tip Kelly's chin up, Alex smiled. “Baby, you didn't embarrass me. In fact you don't even owe me an apology. Come on, when have you seen me care what other people think?” With a chuckle, Kelly nodded and placed her lips gently on Alex's. “We should probably go get dressed. It's almost five and we have reservations at the lodge at six.” Alex said, trying to hide her nerves. She had managed to get through the whole day without worrying about tonight, but now that her question was looming closer, Alex started to worry that Kelly might turn her down. When Kelly stood, Alex asked "Did you bring the new dress you bought?” With a smirk, Kelly nodded and made her way down the hall. Fifteen minutes later, Alex heard Kelly come out of the bathroom and close the bedroom door. “Just make it through dinner.” She told herself out loud as she headed in to take her shower.
After putting the finishing touches on her eyes and fastening the clasp on the thin gold butterfly shaped necklace that she wore under her shirt, Alex took one last look in the full length mirror. For the occasion, she had chosen a black tailored pantsuit with a white silk button down shirt and a thin black and white pin-striped necktie. She had paired it with short heeled black ankle boots and the tear-drop diamond earrings her mother had loaned her when she had explained her plan to the woman. “Here we go.” She said under her breath, after making sure she was ready. When she walked into the living room, Alex stopped and stared. Kelly was standing by the sliding glass door, looking out at something across the way. Taking a moment to admire the woman, Alex said nothing. She enjoyed the peaceful stance of the woman she loved. Kelly had chosen a red silk dress that fell to mid-calf and had a long slit up the left thigh. While the dress clung flatteringly to the woman's frame, Alex's eyes were drawn to her breasts. The dress was a strapless number with the top dipping slightly to show off her fantastic cleavage. Hanging just above the valley between her breasts was the diamond and gold necklace Alex had bought her for Christmas. Letting her eyes wander, Alex noticed that the dress had been matched with a pair of crimson stiletto heels and the thin, hand knitted black wrap that Zane had bought for her. While Kelly normally left her hair down to cascade freely down her back, tonight she had pulled it back into a French Braid that hung over her right shoulder. Sighing loudly, Alex thought to herself, God please let her say yes. Startled by Alex's sigh, Kelly turned and smiled. “Wow, Honey. You look beautiful.” She said, making Alex blush. Making her way over to Kell
y, Alex kissed her carefully so she didn't smudge their lipstick. “You look stunning, my Love.” She whispered in Kelly's ear. After gathering their coats, the two women headed off to the lodge.
“Well now, look at the two of you.” Eric cooed when the women entered the lobby. Looking each of them over thoroughly, the man added "If I wasn't married, I would definitely be trying to convert you both.” With a laugh, Alex replied "Don't let your wife hear that.” Offering each woman an arm, Eric laughed. As the man walked them through the dining room, Kelly felt a little self-conscious. When he let the pair go, Eric held each woman's chair for them. “His wife? He's straight?” Kelly asked with surprise. Nodding, Alex replied "As an arrow. His wife used to work at Serenity Home. She's a wonderfully kind woman. I see her every now and then at Willow brook picking up their kids. Their little boy is in Dej's class and their daughter is a year behind Zane.” She added. “Good evening, ladies. My name is Kenneth and I will be your waiter tonight.” A tall, muscular young man in a black and white uniform said. Handing each woman a menu, he promised to return momentarily. Perusing the offerings, Kelly asked "What do you recommend, honey?” Alex smirked at the woman and replied "Are you sure you want my opinion?” Kelly suddenly remembered their meal the previous night and amended "What do you recommend that doesn't contain buffalo?” Snorting as she took a sip of her water, Alex replied "Honestly, I would recommend the Seafood Risotto or the Pan-seared Scallop Alfredo.” With a smile and a nod, Kelly closed her menu and waited until Kenneth returned. When he did, the man set a wine bucket next to the table and offered each of them a glass of Chardonnay. “Are you ladies ready to order?” He asked, replacing the bottle in the bucket. After taking their order, the young man smiled and promised to return shortly.