Gwen drew away and breathed deeply, inhaling Andi’s scent into herself.
“Now that was worth waiting for.”
Andi let her head drop lightly against Gwen’s shoulder. Her legs were weak. She tried to steady her breathing as her heart threatened to pound out of her chest. She hadn’t meant for this to happen. But now that Gwen had kissed her, she couldn’t stop herself from wanting more. And if one kiss could do this to her, she knew she would be in real trouble if she allowed anything more to happen between them.
“You need to go home and rest,” Andi said pushing lightly against Gwen’s shoulders and taking a step back. She could feel Gwen’s hands slide down her back and around her sides, further igniting the ache low in her center.
Gwen groaned. “Yeah, I guess I should go. You must be exhausted.” She took Andi’s hand and squeezed. “I’ll see you soon.”
Andi only nodded. She had no idea what she was doing. But she knew she would be seeing Gwen again, and she couldn’t wait.
*
Andi fell asleep almost at the instant her head hit the pillow. She was warm, and her body felt light from the lingering feel of Gwen holding her in her arms, her soft lips claiming her mouth. The light in the room was dim when she woke. She brushed the back of her hand across her face and turned to see the clock.
She stared at the glowing numbers in disbelief. It was six o’clock in the morning. She turned to study the light growing faintly through her windows. It couldn’t be morning. She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept so long, or so soundly. She smiled, pushing back into her pillow. There had been no haunting dreams, no paralyzing fear. She had simply slept, content and peaceful.
Thoughts of Gwen drifted lazily into her mind. The sudden rush of heat between her thighs made her moan. She pressed her hand between her legs and rolled over, laughing. I can’t believe what this woman does to me. Reluctantly, she threw back the covers and headed for the shower.
She hardly noticed her surroundings on her bike ride to work. The air that brushed against her face was refreshing and she found a persistent smile pressing at the corners of her mouth. Her steps felt light as she walked across the wooden floor into the shop and tossed her bag on her desk in her office.
The sound of the bell above the door made her look up.
Mrs. Peterson was ambling through the door, pulling a not-so-willing basset hound behind her. “Come on, Churchill, you stubborn old cuss.”
Reluctantly the dog followed her inside.
“Hello, Mrs. Peterson. What can I do for you and Churchill today?”
“We just stopped by to see if you had a fresh batch of those banana treats Churchill likes so much. He ran out yesterday, and he’s been refusing to do anything but chew my garden shoes all morning.”
Andi laughed as she looked down to see the hole that had been chewed in the side of Mrs. Peterson’s shoe. Two of her toes were sticking out the side, showing chipped red nail polish.
“You’re in luck, Churchill. I just baked a batch yesterday. I’ll just go back and scoop out a bag.”
As Andi turned to go to the back room, she could hear Mrs. Peterson scuttling along behind her.
“You know,” Mrs. Peterson started, “I noticed a strange car at your place yesterday. I thought about calling the police, but before I could get back to the house, it left. Was everything all right?”
Andi knew Mrs. Peterson was just snooping for information. Norris was a small town and everyone knew everyone’s business, usually because of Mrs. Peterson’s keen observation and determination to be the first to ferret out the news. But Andi knew her intentions were harmless and she was amused by the old woman’s antics. “Yes, everything is fine. That was just a new friend of mine stopping by for a visit.”
“Hmm. Haven’t seen that car around here before, looked like out of town plates to me.”
“That’s right,” Andi replied vaguely. She was enjoying making Mrs. Peterson work for the information.
“Awful short visit for someone to come all that way.”
“Not really. Her name is Gwen Palmer—she moved to Norris a few weeks ago.”
“Oh, I thought I heard the boys at the diner saying something about a stranger in town. Guess that’s her. Didn’t she buy the old Harman place?”
“Yep. That would be her.”
Andi finished tying up the bag of treats and offered one to Churchill. “Here you go, Churchill, one peanut-butter-banana biscotti.”
He snuffled her hand for a moment before taking the crunchy biscuit into his mouth. His big droopy eyes peered up at her thankfully as he smacked his floppy jowls and chewed.
“Looks like that did the trick. Good as new,” Andi said, smiling to Mrs. Peterson.
“Can’t say the same about my shoe,” grumbled Mrs. Peterson, wiggling her toes.
Andi laughed.
“Where’d you say this new girl’s from?”
Andi could see Mrs. Peterson wasn’t quite satisfied with her fishing expedition just yet. “I’m not sure, but I bet you’ll find out soon enough.”
“Fine, you don’t want to talk about it.”
“I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunity to talk to her yourself, or maybe the boys at the diner already have the scoop.”
Mrs. Peterson eyed her for a moment before responding. “Well, the church usually sends out a welcoming committee to visit new residents. Perhaps I’ll volunteer. I don’t see why you don’t want to talk about her though.”
Mrs. Peterson brought one of the treats up to her nose and sniffed it before giving it to the dog. “It’s about time you had a visitor. You’d think you were as old as me, the way you stay shut up in that house all the time.”
Mrs. Peterson changed the direction of the conversation so quickly Andi was caught off guard. Andi put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. “If I didn’t know better, Mrs. Peterson, I’d think you’re worried about me.”
“Well, I suppose I am. And I’m not the only one, you know. We all love the way you look after everyone and take care of things in town. But you’re still young. You need to be with people your own age from time to time. It would be good for you.”
Andi was shocked by the caring and warmth. She hadn’t expected this from Mrs. Peterson.
“Thank you.” Andi laid a hand gently on Mrs. Peterson’s arm. She was touched by the sincerity and caring and knew it was a rare showing for the usually gruff old woman. Andi realized in that moment that she hadn’t been living as isolated a life as she’d thought. She cared about the people of this town, and they were showing her they cared for her too. Perhaps the only walls she had built had been in her own mind. She smiled, realizing Gwen wasn’t the only one who had found a way into her heart.
The old gray eyes peered at her as if looking into her soul. “All right then, let’s go, Churchill.” Mrs. Peterson tugged on the leash, encouraging the stubborn old dog to cooperate. He lumbered out the door ahead of her, his tail swaying contentedly.
Andi smiled as she watched the old pair amble down the sidewalk. She thought about what Mrs. Peterson had said about Gwen, about Andi spending time with people her own age. How about that? If she didn’t know better, she’d say Mrs. Peterson was trying to fix her up.
Chapter Twelve
Gwen sat in her office, mindlessly petting Zeek’s head as she stared at her computer blankly, the data she was supposed to be entering almost forgotten. Every time she tried to work on the boring numbers, her mind would drift to visions of Andi. It was as if she could feel Andi’s lips against her mouth. She squirmed in her chair and shook her head, trying to focus on her work. A forceful knock at the door aroused Zeek from her slumber, and she went bounding down the hall, her booming voice echoing around the house.
Gwen made her way down the hall, her excitement growing. She hoped it was Andi stopping by for another visit. To her surprise and mild disappointment, three women with silver-gray hair stood at her door.
“Hello,�
� Gwen said, “can I help you?”
“Hello, we’re the welcoming committee from the Baptist church. We just wanted to stop by and welcome you to Norris and of course invite you to join us for services this Sunday.”
Gwen cringed inwardly. She wasn’t much of a church person and wasn’t really sure how she should handle the situation. She knew she had moved into the Bible Belt and hadn’t failed to notice that there were at least five churches in the small town of only 1300 residents. But she hadn’t expected a personal visit. It wasn’t that she wasn’t a spiritual person in her own way, but she wasn’t much into organized religion. Gwen studied the three women curiously. They seemed harmless enough. Gwen smiled to herself, amused by her caution regarding three little old ladies. She would just wing it and see what happened.
“Well, thank you, ladies. Would you like to come in for some tea?”
“Oh no, dear, that’s not necessary. We’re just happy to have you with us. We won’t keep you.” The shortest of the women was obviously acting as the spokesperson for the group. “Here is a small welcoming gift from the church.”
Gwen took the basket, pleased by the warm welcome. “Thank you.” Perhaps her trepidation was unfounded.
The woman pointed to the basket. “It isn’t much really, just some local honey, blueberries from the local farm, a map of the watershed, a list of our church services, some cookies—and I think Iva put in a few dog treats.”
Gwen smiled. “This is wonderful.”
The tallest of the group peered past Gwen into the house and finally spoke. “I see you’ve been hard at work with the house. Have you been able to meet any of the neighbors yet?”
“A few. I’ve ventured to the diner and the grocery. Everyone’s been very kind.”
“That’s quite a dog you have there. I hope you’ve had a chance to visit the Pet Guardian, our local pet-supply store. Andi is just wonderful. She can get you anything you need and she bakes the most wonderful dog treats. My dog can’t live without ’em.”
Gwen smiled at the mention of Andi. “Oh yes. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Andi. She has a wonderful place. She’s rescued Zeek here already. We had our first run-in with a skunk, night before last. I don’t know what we would have done without her help.”
Gwen couldn’t help but feel the woman was looking for something as she seemed to scrutinize her from head to toe. Gwen wasn’t used to neighbors dropping by the house, but she was growing used to the guys at the diner checking up on her and being in everybody’s business.
“Wonderful,” the old woman said with a wry smile.
“Well,” the smallest of the women said, “I’m Margaret Gleeson, this is Evelyn Mathers”—she pointed to the silent woman on her right, who smiled shyly—“and this is Iva Peterson.” She gestured to the tall woman. “If you need anything, please let us know. We do hope you’ll join us at the church sometime.”
“Thank you. It was very sweet of you to drop by like this. I’m Gwen Palmer and this is Zeek.”
Gwen shook hands with each of the women, smiling broadly. She noticed that Mrs. Peterson gripped her hand firmly, holding on to her hand a moment longer than was customary. She met the steel-gray eyes that seemed to look into her soul. She thought she saw something pass behind the woman’s gaze. Was it a question? A judgment? No. It seemed more like she had recognized something and was almost pleased with the revelation.
“Are you sure you won’t come inside?” Gwen said, drawing her hand away.
“Thank you, dear,” Margaret answered for the group. “We’ll be on our way. We still have to prepare the decorations for the single-senior dance this weekend. It was good meeting you, Gwen.”
The three ladies turned and made their way down the walk where they waved good-bye. Gwen couldn’t believe what had happened. She had never lived anywhere like this before. It was just one more thing to love about the town.
She went back to her office and sat down at her computer, determined to get her work done this time. She didn’t want projects piling up and getting in the way of her plans for the weekend. She didn’t want anything stopping her from seeing Andi. It had only been a day since she had seen Andi and it felt like an eternity. All she could think about was their kiss. The idea of having an entire day with Andi was a dream. She felt like she was finally seeing the real Andi, the person she had glimpsed on that first day in Norris. Gwen smiled. She couldn’t wait to know more about Andi. Based on what she had tasted so far, she knew she wanted to know everything.
She glanced at the welcome basket sitting on her desk. She would have to ask Andi about the church group too. Maybe she could shed some light on this mystery.
Still smiling, she pulled the pile of papers closer and went to work.
*
It had been a long week. Andi had stuck to her routine and hadn’t contacted Gwen since the day of the kiss. But the closer it came to Sunday, she found herself growing more anxious. She had questioned everything that had happened between her and Gwen. She hoped the distance of the past couple of days would have helped her get a grip on her feelings, but she’d been wrong. With each passing hour she grew more restless. She found herself thinking about Gwen at the most unusual times, which had resulted in more than one error in her work. Just this morning she realized she had put peanut-butter dog-training treats in Goliath’s food bowl instead of cat food. He hadn’t been amused.
Andi had never taken anyone on the lake with her before, and the thought of going with Gwen made her feel both excited and nervous. She liked wanting to spend time with someone, and being attracted to Gwen made her all the more restless. Despite the nagging feeling that she should limit her time with Gwen and her fear of getting close to someone again, Andi couldn’t help but feel excited. She was tired of feeling lonely. She was tired of pretending she didn’t need anyone. And honestly, Gwen was just so damn irresistible.
She decided she would load the boats on the Jeep when she got home, so she wouldn’t have to worry about it in the morning. She had already planned where they would put the boats in and where she wanted to take Gwen.
Andi jumped, startled by the ringing of the phone. “The Pet Guardian, how can I help you?”
“Hi, Andi, this is Gwen.”
Andi’s heart stopped. This was it. Gwen had come to her senses and was canceling.
“I thought I’d check in and make sure we’re still on for tomorrow.”
“Of course,” Andi answered, trying to hide the tremor in her voice, the flood of relief making her light-headed. “How do you feel about going early, maybe around eight?”
“Sounds great to me. Do you want me to meet you at your place?”
“No. I’ll pick you up. Be dressed to get wet. We’ll be using the sit-on-top kayaks, and water will splash all over you. It also makes it easier if you want to go for a swim.” Andi shivered as she imagined Gwen’s skin wet and glistening in the sun.
“I can’t wait. What do I need to bring?”
“Nothing really, your ID is all you might need. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Wow, you’re really making this easy for me. Is there anything I can do?”
Andi thought about the question, images of Gwen’s arms around her making her skin tingle. “Nope, I think I’ve got it covered.”
“Then there is no way I can convince you to see me tonight?”
Andi smiled. She liked knowing Gwen wanted to see her. “I’d like to, but I have a lot of work to do at the store tonight, and I want to make sure I’m ready for tomorrow.”
“Okay, I give. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Tomorrow it is.” Andi hung up the phone. She knew she would be taking Gwen to some of her most treasured places on the lake and was sure to expose things about herself in the process. She sighed. She was nervous, but not afraid. She couldn’t wait. Andi felt more alive knowing she would be sharing something she loved with Gwen. She’d been safe in Norris for three years now. Safe and alone. Surely one day on the lake
with Gwen wasn’t too great a risk for them both.
Chapter Thirteen
Gwen was standing on the porch clutching a cup of coffee when Andi pulled into her drive at exactly eight o’clock. She had been driving herself crazy, thinking Andi would change her mind. She was beginning to feel Andi could be someone really important in her life, and she feared Andi might not be looking for the same things she was. Andi’s reluctance to spend time with her had further fueled her insecurities. But as soon as she saw Andi, she couldn’t hold back the smile that burst across her face. Relief washed over her, instantly followed by joy, and she bounded down the steps to join Andi.
“Good morning,” Gwen said as she climbed into the Jeep.
“Good morning.”
Andi was quiet and let the Jeep idle as Gwen settled into her seat and buckled her seatbelt.
“Ready,” Gwen said, eager to start their adventure.
Andi put the Jeep in reverse, resting her arm lightly on the back of Gwen’s seat while she backed out of the drive. Gwen watched Andi’s every move. Her excitement was beginning to get the best of her, and she leaned over and placed a kiss on Andi’s cheek. She hadn’t thought about what she was doing—she just had to kiss her.
Andi met Gwen’s gaze for the first time that morning, her green eyes as vibrant as fresh summer grass after a rain. Gwen smiled mischievously.
“Stop it,” Andi said with a laugh.
“Stop what? Gwen said, feigning innocence. “I’m just looking.”
“Uh-huh.”
It was a beautiful clear morning. Faint wisps of fog played along the surface of the water as they put the kayaks into the lake at the marina by the dam. Gwen marveled at the beauty of the scenery surrounding her. Everywhere she looked there was beauty. The mountains seemed to spring up out of the silent misty waters, the sky was a perfect cloudless blue, and the air was clean and crisp. It was perfect.
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