Unexpected Sparks

by Gina Dartt

  “I am.”

  He nodded and then left in the wake of the other mourners who had vacated now that the show was over, leaving only Kate and Susan standing there.

  “Goodness, Kate, but your life has certainly become exciting since I last saw you.”

  Kate put her fingers to her temples, rubbing them as the beginning of a headache feathered through her head. “I don’t know that I can survive this much excitement,” she said as they descended the outside stairs, heading toward Susan’s car. As they got in, Kate exhaled, her breath a frosty cloud. “That was odd.”

  “What do you mean?” Susan asked, glancing over as she started the car and allowed the engine to warm up.

  “I mean, it just doesn’t feel right. You’d have to be pretty cold-blooded to come to the funeral of the man you shot between the eyes and left to burn up in the fire you set.”

  “Maybe she is.” Susan lifted her brows. “Are you an authority on cold-blooded killers now?”

  “No, but I’d like to think I know people,” Kate said quietly as Susan pulled out of the parking place and drove slowly down the street. “If Rushton and Sam were only involved in a business relationship which was unknown to the general public, why use it as an excuse to come to his service? Maybe she felt she had to be there.”

  “To put on a good show?”

  “No.” Kate shook her head. “I think it’s because she cared for him, and that’s something I hadn’t considered. If she did, then maybe this isn’t all about money after all. Maybe it goes back to what everyone first thought it was...a crime of passion.”

  Susan pursed her lips. “If you say so,” she said, slowing for the light at the end of Willow Street.

  As she did, Kate put a hand on her arm. “Instead of taking me home, drop me off at Nikki’s. I’d like to talk to her about this.”

  “Talk?”

  “Yes.” Kate’s face began to feel warm.

  “Who are you kidding? It’s been two whole days since you had any—”

  “Susan!” Kate shook her head. “You’re unbelievable.”

  “Me?” Susan said between chuckles. “You’re the one who can’t go one day without seeing her.”

  “Just drop me off, will you?”

  “What if she’s not home?”

  “Then I’ll walk back to my place. It’s only a few blocks. She’s on the corner of Commercial, the big gray building.”

  “Convenient,” Susan said dryly, which Kate dutifully ignored. Susan slowed to a stop at the corner of Commercial Street and parked next to the curb. Turning to Kate, she smirked. “Try not to sprain anything.” When Kate just looked at her, Susan relented. “Seriously,” she said, “take care of yourself, sweetie. You could really get hurt with all this, and I’m not talking about being too energetic in the bedroom.”

  “I’m willing to take the risk.”

  Susan stared at her, then nodded. “Okay.” She reached over and hugged Kate tightly. “Keep in touch. I’ll want to know every bump and curve you run into while pursuing this new interest.”

  “I’ll call you.” Kate smiled. “Drive safe. The weather’s clear, but I hear there are some slippery spots between here and the city.”

  “I will. You watch out for your own slippery spots tonight.”

  “Susan!” Kate shook her head as she opened the car door. “Sometimes you’re so crude.”

  “I know, but you love me anyway,” Susan said with a crooked grin. She leaned over, looking through the open door. “Come visit me in the city. Bring Nikki with you.”

  Touched at the invitation, Kate nodded. “I will.” She carefully picked her way across the sidewalk and around the corner where the door leading to the upstairs was located on the side of the building facing Queen Street. Doorbells lined the entrance, and she was forced to try one when the lower door proved to be locked. After a pause she heard faint footsteps descending the staircase inside, and the door opened to reveal Nikki, whose face lit up like a morning sunrise.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi.” Kate grinned foolishly at her.

  Without hesitation, Nikki reached out, took her hands, and pulled her inside, kissing her deeply before leading her upstairs.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Did you learn anything at the funeral?” Nikki lay with her cheek resting on Kate’s stomach, listening to the gentle gurgles within her lover, who sprawled happily across her bed.

  Kate laughed, a low sensual chuckle that rumbled through her abdomen. “That’s actually why I stopped by. Not necessarily for...uh, this, though it was certainly quite lovely.”

  Nikki suspected Kate was not being entirely honest about her reasons for dropping by, considering how quickly Kate had pounced on her once they were in the apartment. “I’m sorry. Next time, I promise we’ll talk instead.”

  “Let’s not be rash.” Kate raked her fingers lavishly through Nikki’s hair.

  Nikki chuckled also, rubbing her cheek against the soft skin beneath her face before turning her head slightly to kiss Kate’s belly button, making her squirm. “Ticklish?”

  “Not at all,” Kate said demurely, and Nikki filed the obvious fib away as something to pursue later. For the moment, she proceeded to kiss her way up the length of Kate’s body, inhaling deeply as she passed through the warm valley between her modest breasts, loving the way she smelled, before finally settling on her side next to her lover and kissing her ear.

  “I think you are ticklish,” she murmured. “One of these days, I plan to find out exactly how much.”

  “Fiend,” Kate said placidly.

  Nikki growled and bit gently at her earlobe, wrapping her up in a warm embrace. “Back to the topic. What did you learn at the funeral?”

  Kate snuggled into her arms and proceeded to tell her about the scene at the funeral home.

  Nikki was alternately shocked and amused at the recounting, while adding the bit of information she already had at appropriate places.

  “She must have gone straight to the funeral home after the police station,” she said, before telling Kate about her recent encounter with Rushton.

  Kate was quiet after she had finished. “Despite our decision to stay out of it, we keep being drawn in. I suppose, since it brought us together against all odds, to maintain the cosmic balance of the universe, it’s predetermined that we solve this case.”

  “Okay,” Nikki said, not having a clue what Kate was talking about.

  Kate drew her head down, kissing her gently. “I have to go home.”

  “You can’t stay the night?”

  “No, I need to get an early start tomorrow.” Kate hugged her in unspoken apology. “I already had to close this afternoon for the funeral, and I’m way behind on my paperwork. It wouldn’t be wise to let my responsibilities slide while I spend all my time with you, as much as that idea appeals to me.”

  “You’re right.” Nikki sighed. “I suppose one of us needs to make a living instead of a subsistence.”

  Kate seemed about ready to say something, but she hesitated. Nikki waited expectantly, and Kate smiled. “You’ll get the dispatcher’s job. I believe in you.”

  “Thank you.” Nikki accepted the comfort and encouragement of the statement, if not the veracity, since she knew Kate had no control over the job situation. She leaned down and gently kissed her again. “Let me make you some dinner before you leave, and then I’ll walk you home.”

  “My heroine,” Kate whispered, nuzzling her lovingly.

  Nikki blushed, pleased, and rolled out of bed. “Do you want to shower first?”

  To her surprise, Kate stretched lavishly, resplendent with sensual contentment. “Not really. I want to keep the way you smell on me as long as possible.”

  Laughing, Nikki scooped up some jeans and a sweatshirt, pulling them on without undergarments. She checked out Kate’s dress, which was lying on the cedar chest, and the pumps she had worn to the funeral. “You can’t walk home in those.”

  “Any suggestions?” Kat
e sat up. “It’s not as if I brought a suitcase.”

  “Give me a minute,” Nikki said, ignoring the delectable display with an effort as she turned to her dresser where she pulled out a pair of sweat pants and a T-shirt, along with a pair of thick socks. “These are too large, but they’ll be all right for walking home in. Far better than that dress would be.” She tilted her head, thinking for a moment, then moved over to the bedroom closet where she found a pair of slightly worn hiking boots. “I have no idea why I kept these around all this time,” she explained as she offered them to Kate. “I guess it really bugged me that I’d saved so long for them as a teenager and only had the opportunity to wear them for about three months before I outgrew them. Now I see that somehow I was saving them just for you. They’re size eight.”

  Her face vulnerable, Kate accepted the gift. “Thank you.”

  Nikki beamed. “Would you like an omelet?”

  “Sounds wonderful.”

  Nikki left her lover in the bedroom to dress as she went out to the kitchen. In the living room, Powder glared balefully from his perch on top of the bookcase, obviously displeased at being continually banished from the bedroom where he was used to sleeping. She wrinkled her nose at the cat, completely unrepentant, as she washed her hands at the sink, then pulled out some ingredients from the fridge: eggs, ham, mushrooms, green peppers, and shredded cheese. By the time Kate had joined her, looking adorable in her borrowed clothing, Nikki already had the ingredients for an omelet cooking nicely. On the counter, her newest acquisition burbled quietly.

  “That can’t be coffee I smell?” Kate’s eyes were wide.

  Nikki shrugged lightly. “My friends, Kim and Lynn, had an extra coffeemaker they weren’t using, so they offered it to me,” she said as the dark liquid gurgled and burped in the device on the counter. “They also recommended the brand of coffee.”

  Kate examined the packaging of the coffee that Nikki had bought earlier that day. “This is fine. More than fine.” She wrapped her arm around Nikki’s neck, drawing her down for a kiss. “Thank you, love. You’re very thoughtful.”

  Nikki shrugged again, this time to hide her embarrassment, but she was pleased. “Do you want to make the toast?” She handed Kate a loaf of bread.

  Kate immediately popped two slices into the toaster. For the next few moments, they became incredibly domestic, working side by side as they prepared their supper, and Nikki basked in the simple joy of their easy companionship.

  “I like this,” Kate said suddenly, rising to her tiptoes to kiss Nikki on the side of her jaw. “It’s so homey.”

  “I really like it too.” Nikki hesitated, then added in a casual tone as she slipped the finished omelets onto two plates. “You know, if you’d like, you can start leaving a few things here so you don’t get caught short again.”

  Kate glanced at her as they carried their meals over to the table, sitting in the same chair as she had Saturday night. “Like what?”

  “You know, a change of clothes,” Nikki explained as she retrieved the butter, salt, and pepper, trying not to sound nervous. “Fortunately, I had a new toothbrush for you Sunday morning, but you might want some other things, like your own brand of deodorant and shampoo. Not that I mind you using mine, of course. I just want you to be comfortable staying over if you need to.”

  Kate tasted her omelet, chewing it contemplatively. “That might be more convenient. Of course, feel free to do the same at my place.”

  Nikki let her breath out slowly. “Thank you,” she said, managing a calm tone. Perhaps it was a bit soon in the relationship to be setting such things up, but on the other hand, they would probably spend more than a few more nights together in the near future. It only made sense to be prepared. Making love was fine, Nikki thought, but sleeping together held more intimacy, and she regretted they would miss out on it today.

  “What are you doing tomorrow after work?”

  “I’ll probably stay in,” Nikki responded absently. “I need to do some laundry and clean the apartment.”

  “But it’s Wednesday.”

  Nikki paused, confused by the apparent unhappiness of her new lover, and then smiled as she realized she was being teased. “I’d never miss my weekly visit to the bookstore.”

  Kate grinned crookedly at her. “Why not drop by at closing time? I can cook you that romantic dinner we didn’t have Monday night.”

  “What about my laundry?”

  “Can’t you do it Thursday night?”

  Nikki grinned back and said with mock reluctance, “I suppose I could.”

  Kate made a face at her before swallowing another mouthful of omelet. “You know, you’re really good around the kitchen.”

  Nikki laughed. “Don’t be too sure. My repertoire is fairly limited, and you’ve probably tasted my best to date. But I am pretty good at cooking on a grill or over a campfire.”

  “You really enjoy camping, don’t you?”

  “I do.” Nikki studied Kate from beneath her lashes. “I’d love to take you out with me some time.”

  Kate bit her lip, as if she’d never considered such a thing. “I don’t know how well I’d do.”

  “Everyone has to start somewhere.” Nikki took a bite of her omelet, slightly disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm in Kate’s voice.

  “I suppose you’re right. I certainly can’t judge if I would like it unless I try it.”

  Nikki decided that was fair and probably as much as she should expect from someone who had grown up in town. “What do you like to do in the warmer months?”

  “I play a lot of golf.” Kate’s face took on a certain glow that rather alarmed Nikki.

  For her, to whom golf was slightly less interesting than watching paint dry, this expression clearly indicated that she was in the presence of a real aficionado. She exhaled. If Kate was willing to take a chance in the woods, then she should at least muster up a certain amount of appreciation for her lover’s favorite sport. “I’ve never played.” Nikki didn’t bother to add that she couldn’t imagine ever wanting to. “Perhaps you could teach me.”

  “I’d love to.” Kate’s eyes were actually sparkling, and Nikki tried not to wince at the thought of plodding after a little white ball with a club.

  “I’m sure that once you’ve tried it, you’ll fall completely in love with it.”

  Nikki reached over, entwining her fingers with Kate’s. “I’m sure I will, too.”

  They returned to their meal, still holding hands. Afterward, Nikki found a bag in which to put Kate’s dress and pumps, and they bundled up before walking out into the cold. Above the buildings, the stars glittered, softened only slightly by the lights from the town. “Out in the country, they’re like diamonds,” Nikki said, glancing up at them. “That’s the thing I miss most living in town. That, along with crickets in the summer and fireflies in the spring.”

  Kate’s breath created a white cloud as they stepped gingerly on the icy sidewalks. “What made you move into town rather than find a place out in the country?”

  “Finances. I could either live at my parents’ and buy a car, or get a place of my own.” Nikki hesitated, saddened at the memory of having to make such a choice. “It seemed more important to have my own place.”

  Kate glanced at her, apparently picking up on her tone. “Was living at home that unpleasant?”

  Nikki shook her head. “No, just awkward. I felt like I had to hide a part of myself all the time, and that’s not easy. Besides, I didn’t want to be a drain on my parents any longer. I wanted to be on my own.”

  “That makes sense. You know, if you ever need a vehicle, you’re more than welcome to borrow mine.”

  “Ah, now I know it must be real love.” Nikki deliberately lightened her tone as she slipped her arm across Kate’s shoulders. She hugged Kate and deposited a quick kiss on her temple, but as a car approached from down the street, Nikki promptly dropped her own arm and edged away from Kate while they walked. Her reaction was so automatic that she didn�
�t even notice it.

  “Why did you do that?” Kate stared at her oddly as they turned down Prince Street.

  “Do what?” Nikki was baffled.

  “Move away from me.” Kate took her hand. “Are you ashamed of me?”

  “Not at all,” Nikki said, releasing Kate’s hand uncomfortably as they strolled through the more populated areas of town, jamming her own into her coat pockets. Several cars were driving by, even this late, and people were very visible on the sidewalks, taking their evening constitutional. “But as far as it’s come in the last little while, I don’t think this town is ready for me to walk down the street holding hands with you.”

  “What are you afraid of?”

  “Some jerk coming out of the tavern who’s had one too many and taking a swing at you because he thinks he has a right to,” Nikki responded readily. “One of your friends spotting us as she drives by and freezing you out of all the organizations you’ve worked so hard for all these years.” She inhaled slowly and painfully. “Never underestimate the small minds of people when they see a chance to make someone else more miserable than they are.”

  “Aren’t you letting the bigots win by acting this way?”

  Nikki considered the idea as they turned into the alley by the bookstore. “Maybe,” she said finally. “But I also know that a certain amount of tolerance in this town comes from the fact that we don’t flaunt anything. It was hard to achieve that much. Why risk losing it just for the sake of holding hands?”

  Kate stopped on her doorstep, turning around and gazing at Nikki. “I don’t think I agree with you, but you’ve obviously lived with being gay for a lot longer than I have.”

  “We still have a lot of things to fight for,” Nikki tried to explain but found it difficult when she didn’t fully understand the entire situation herself. “I guess it’s a matter of picking your spots. You strike a blow for holding hands when you’ve won all the other, larger issues.”

  Kate studied her, then reached out and cupped Nikki’s cheek in her gloved hand, leaning forward to kiss her gently on the lips. “We’ll probably need to discuss this issue again. But for now, I’ll play it your way.”