by R E Gauthier
“Thomas it would appear that we have interrupted our lovely Kelsey from her dastardly plans of dumping Miranda into the pool.” She winked and smiled at her.
“Well Isla it is so good to see my daughter having fun. I am looking forward to meeting the special woman who is capable of such a feat.” Thomas said smiling and looking proudly at his tall, beautiful daughter.
I would love to meet her too. Miranda smiled to herself.
“Thomas MacGregor may I introduce you to Miranda Gauthier a woman who found it her misfortune to be of need of my hospitality this weekend,” Nanna said with a wink for her granddaughter and a smile for her
Miranda recovered from her initial confusion why Nanna hadn’t mentioned her involvement in the FBI case. Deciding that the older woman didn’t want to bring up any bad feelings tonight, she went along with the unspoken plan.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. MacGregor. I have heard some stories of your success in the Justice Department today.”
“Please call me Thomas and I’m sorry you were bored to tears all day my dear, but someone as lovely as you should have been thoroughly entertained by her girlfriend and not tortured mercilessly.”
Miranda knew then that the agent’s father thought she was his daughter’s girlfriend. Ignoring Kelsey’s sputtering and choking beside her and Nanna’s unsuccessful attempt to hide her mirth she said quite seriously,
“I am sorry to say that I am girlfriendless this weekend but my favorite pastime is to be thoroughly entertained by one when I have the good fortune of having one.” She walked towards Kelsey’s father, with her hand extended but it was ignore as she was taken into the strong arms of a male version of the agent. The clean scent of cologne and mint filled her nose, the strong warm body comforted her, and she missed being hugged like this.
“Give her some time my dear. What the Clan Gregors lack in action they make up in reaction every time,” he whispered.
Kelsey watched the scene unfold in front of her and couldn’t believe she had gotten herself into this. This is why she didn’t act playful because people always misunderstand her intentions.
“Dad, Miranda is not a friend or any other person in my life she is a potential witness and person of interest in the FBI case I am working on. She unfortunately learned of her involvement rather backhandedly and for my involvement in that, Nanna insisted that I personally be responsible for her comfort here until she can return to Baltimore with me for questioning.” She said and then saw the shocked looks. Shit I have done it again.
Nanna scowl and her dad’s frown told her she had indeed spoke those words before censoring them. Before she could say another word, Miranda hurried away through the patio doors as other members of her family arrived. She had looked upset. Well of course she’s upset you treated her callously. She closed her mouth before she put her other foot in it.
“Well I am not surprised you haven’t lost your innate sense of making the obvious abundantly clear, you never were one to beat around the bush.” Her father said shaking his head.
She felt his disapproval like a slap to the face. I deserved that.
“You don’t actually think she is a suspect in the case you are working on do you Mo Chridhe?” Her grandmother asked.
“Nanna, person of interest doesn’t always mean suspect but I am sorry I said what I said. Dad I just didn’t want you to keep thinking that Miranda was here as a friend or anything else personally involved with me.” She said the latter as her whole body heated up. Say what you may, but you are more involved with that woman than you have been with anyone else in your entire life. The reality and impact of that hit her and she felt like the biggest heel in the world. Before she could go and apologize for her insensitivity, the rest of her family was upon her.
She soon was so engulfed in a long-in-coming reunion with her loved ones; she had little time to give the author another thought. But as she spoke to each family member who embraced her, her heart focused on the hurt author. I should go find her and tell her how sorry I am. But she was so preoccupied with dozens of relatives all talking to her at once, she allowed herself to get drawn into their clamoring questions.
Kelsey had been surrounded by so many of her relatives, namely her three brothers and their families she started thinking how all the love showed to her made her feel claustrophobic. When I was younger I would just run away. But that wasn’t an option now. Tonight she had to face her fears of feeling love and being loved.
She hadn’t the opportunity to go find Miranda and say how sorry she was about her sudden and thoughtless outburst. Now would be a good time, the crowd around her had focused on other things like eating. Thinking of what she would say when she did find her; she saw Nanna trying to get her attention across the yard. She looked toward the spot she had indicated and heard giggles and high-pitched laughter coming from the poolside; she saw a large group of her nephews and nieces and in their midst she saw the author, in her bikini involved in some sort of game of chicken. Her oldest nephew Duncan, who outweighed the tiny woman by some one hundred pounds, circled and threatened to toss Miranda into the pool. Just as she thought that the author would be taking an unexpected dunk into the water, in a flurry of arms and legs, Duncan ended up in the pool instead. An eruption of gleeful laughter and surprised sputtering rose up from the scene.
Duncan’s father and Kelsey’s oldest brother, Kenny approached her laughing and shaking his head.
“Wow, who is that woman? I need someone like that in my house to toss that lazy ass out of bed and into the shower every morning.”
She didn’t answer him she just smiled and walked to the pool to lean in close to Miranda so she could hear her when she spoke.
“Would you consider a truce and my sincere apologies for my earlier gauche behavior? I don’t want to be your next victim.”
The sly smile on the author’s face told her she had heard her but she didn’t say anything.
Kelsey’s youngest niece tugged on her shorts. “Taunt Kellsee, is MUranda yur gurlfuriend?”
Fiona’s older brother, Mitch shook his head frowning.
“Fiona not everyone is girlfriend or boyfriend. She has a friend in pre-school who has two mothers so her new thing is to think two women together are always girlfriends,” he explained so maturely Kelsey couldn’t help but smile and ruffle his hair.
A chuckle and an arm came into view before it grasped her and her world was turned upside down. She only had seconds to realize the fast approaching water in the pool before she broke its surface. As she resurfaced the roar of laughter and yells of more dunking rose up and she saw the laughing face of the author leaning into the pool.
The author’s brows wiggled the mischievous look unmistakable.
“Sorry agent I didn’t hear you correctly I thought you said you WANTED to be my next victim.”
“Oh Really...?” Kelsey asked as she grabbed the tiny woman and pulled her into the pool.
Laughing she took off her wet shorts and top and flung them onto the poolside. The lightest of touch on her leg told her someone had approached from behind. She turned to see Miranda about to grab her; leaning in she said,
“I told you one way or another I would get you into this pool.” Then she bent down and lightly kissed the smiling lips in front of her.
Everyone stopped talking and laughing and the two women just stared at one another.
Wow that was certainly worth waiting for, Kelsey smiled down at the shocked expression on the author’s face. Then another thought invaded her mind: Good lord I haven’t a pray. The wistful look replacing shock in Miranda’s dark blue-grey eyes told her it hadn’t been her own.
The children around them started jumping and playing in the pool and she looked away from the woman who had rocked her world since she had met her earlier that day to watch them.
Little Fiona squealed with delight and punched her brother.
“I told ya dey wur gurlfuriends,” she said jumping into the pool.
Chapter Eighteen
“Plan your life in your head but live it in your heart.”
The MacGregor/MacKenzie gathering had switched to playing in the pool quickly and before long the whole family frolicked and cavorted like children. Kelsey enjoyed herself so much she had no time to think about her kissing Miranda. One moment she was looking down at the lovely woman in front of her and wondering why she had kissed her and what it all meant and the next she was listening to her tell a tale of sea monsters to her younger nieces, nephews and cousins. Her thoughts were halted by high-pitched squeals from the children as the author started swimming menacingly towards them. She laughed and felt all the tension and worry slip from her mind as she joined in on the fun.
They played with the younger children in the pool for quite a long time. The sky had darkened and the only lights were from the many hanging lanterns around poolside. Several times she saw the Miranda lift her niece Fiona into the air. The look on the small girl’s face had been the same she saw on the author’s earlier; feigned fear. Smiling she thought about how Miranda had come into her life and turned it upside down in less than a day. The kiss earlier had come as such a surprise. Why did I kiss her?
Her family preparing to leave and parents telling their children it was time to go home and say goodbye to their two older playmates, interrupted her thoughts. Soon only the author stood next to her in the pool and the yard silent. They were finally alone and she wanted to break the silence that lay between them since the kiss.
Her father’s voice spoke up in the patio doorway.
“Kelsey, Could you please walk me out?”
She replied and climbed out of the pool. Looking back she saw Miranda pull herself out of the pool and walk towards a pile of towels left on one of the chaise loungers. Her father met her with a large plush towel and wrapped his arms around her in a light hug. The father and daughter bond had been tenuous at best for years, so when Kelsey deepened the embrace she heard him gasp. Glancing over his shoulder at the author drying herself off and wrapping the towel around her chest, she felt deep warmth engulf her body. All at once her heart felt as if it were overflowing with love.
“I love you daddy,” she said and her father’s arms tightened around her.
“Oh my sweet Kelsey, I love you too and I have missed you so very much,” he said sniffing.
She felt the tension and fear leave her body and for the first time since her mother died and her cousin and family were tragically taken from her; she didn’t feel as though love would suffocate her. She joined her father softly crying happy, relieved tears. I’m back daddy.
Kelsey and her dad talked for a long time before he left to head home. He had wanted to tell her that he planned to move in with a woman he had been seeing for over two years. They made plans for Kelsey to meet her the next day after they had their graveside vigil and prayers. The warmth of love and acceptance soothed her usual tense nerves; she couldn’t imagine feeling this way when she had planned this visit. She had always dreaded family get-togethers because she hadn’t been able to relate to her family well, tonight she felt like she was a small child again, before tragedies had turned her life upside down and took away her innocence.
The father and daughter pair stood and sat talking, crying and laughing and Isla Mackenzie felt her whole being filling with love and peace. For the first time in a very long time her granddaughter was letting her heart speak and not hiding it away for fear it would get broken. Those four little words her granddaughter spoke to her father brought tears of joy to her eyes. The little girl was back after many years of being the scared, angry Kelsey everyone had grown to know. What or who has brought about this change in her; could it be...?
Climbing the stairs slowly Kelsey felt the immense tiredness of the last few days weigh heavily on her body. She quietly approached the door next to her own and heard the soft sounds of the woman sleeping inside. Miranda must have fallen asleep immediately. The author had a very emotional day and she had been a good sport to humor an old lady and deal with her family. She only hoped in the days to come the lovely author would still smile when she saw her. “Goodnight Miranda. Sweet Dreams”. She whispered as she closed the door to her own room behind her. She didn’t even turn on the light; undressing and climbing into the bed too tired to get washed up or even put on her customary t-shirt and shorts. She lay there naked thinking about the kiss in the pool, the look on the author’s face told her she hadn’t been the only one whose heart leaped into hyper-drive when their lips met. She knew she couldn’t think about what would happen next. She already knew, she had to go to Baltimore tomorrow and be a FBI Agent but for tonight she went to sleep knowing that Kelsey MacGregor was alive and well. Her world had been turned upside down and inside out today. She knew this day had changed her forever. Or was it the woman who slept in the room next to her own that had changed her? Closing her eyes she let sleep take her, and for once in a very long time, welcomed the sweet dreams that promised to come.
The woman stepped into view and Miranda gasped at how gorgeous she looked. Her smile was then replaced by a seductive look of mischief when she realized that the woman was about to strip off her clothes. Holding her breath in anticipation, she felt her body heat up and the tendrils of desire engulf her. The skin flawless and tanned, smooth and hard lines of flesh being revealed as each piece of clothing hit the floor. Then at last she feasted on the naked beauty before her. The woman turned and what she saw shook her to her very core. Her gaze fell onto the most arresting face she had ever seen and her breath caught in her throat as she reached with an outstretched hand.
“You have finally come.”
The raw visceral feelings those words evoked made the heat burn inside Miranda as her desire pooled into a wetness that could not be denied. She was about to walk into the woman’s arms when she saw the face contort and change.
Miranda’s eyes popped open and she tried to focus on something familiar to settle her racing heart. Lying in a strange bed in a strange room she breathed deeply trying to settle her wildly beating heart. Her head throbbed as were other parts of her body and she took several deep even breaths to soothe her nerves. Oh my God what have I done?
“I can’t let that happen not again.” Miranda murmured into the darkness.
Chapter Nineteen
Sunday September 4, 2011
“I cannot know what I feel because I have never felt this way before.”
Kelsey slept so well she didn’t even know the time when she did finally wake. Her night had been filled with dreams, very sweet and exciting dreams. But unlike usual she couldn’t wake herself to write them down; she didn’t need to they played out in all their glory in her mind. She kissed Miranda and the author kissed her back; she lay in her bed thinking of how the kiss last night had affected her and her whole body grew tight with anticipation. Today is a brand new day and the possibilities endless. The first time in a very long time hope bubbled up and she smiled broadly. Her mind did fall back into the case but she pushed it away for the first time in as long as she could remember; she cared little about work and more about just enjoying the day in front of her. Those feelings were still engulfing her when she went downstairs to find her Nanna in the garden.
“Nanna would you like me to make you some tea?”
“That would be lovely dear but I am afraid you have missed my morning tea by hours. I have been up since six watching the birds begin their day.” She said smiling and gestured for her to come
for a morning hug.
Kelsey glanced around and saw the outside clock over the patio door.
“I don’t know how I slept so long. I usually am up with the sun most days but this morning I just slept. I can’t believe it’s ten o’clock.”
“Yes it would seem you are quite the sleepyhead of the household today, even Miranda has been up for quite some time and is now practicing her yoga in the sunroom. Your body and soul must have needed the rest.”
Kelsey had been a long practitioner of Tai Chi and thought yoga was not that much of a discipline but recently she had come to realize that the stillness and flexibility of yoga was actually a benefit to those who practiced Tai Chi and other martial arts. Her curiosity drove her to search out the petite author. Just to see yoga for myself.
“Well I think I’ll go check on our guest this morning,” she said smiling to herself.
Miranda had been up and had her hot lemon drink to begin the day and was now in the middle of her yoga practice, feeling the tension and soreness from the previous day’s activities leave her body. She went through one more Sun Salutation breathing in deeply and letting her arms go limp near her feet; slowly on an inhale she rose up to Mountain pose and with an exhale brought her hands to pray in front of her heart. She dove forward and went into Plank and then into Down Dog and again breathed deeply and exhaling her breath in a loud audible rush of air from her mouth. She tried in vain to empty her thoughts from her mind but they held on tightly. Kelsey’s smiling face, the smell of warm oatcakes drizzled in hot maple syrup, the taste of wine on the agent’s lips when she kissed her and the shocked look in Kate’s eyes. Her mind spun and her head pounded, she awoke with this headache, back with a vengeance after being absent the previous day. You know what you must do.
Kelsey wasn’t prepared to see the beauty in the movements of the small body in front of her. The author moved fluidly from one pose to another with such grace and ease it seemed as though she were dancing. Her own body heated up and she felt that familiar tug in her center; what had Nikki called it? Oh yeah desire. I must be attracted to Miranda. Soon a very vivid image of herself standing naked and longing for the petite woman in front of her came to her mind. Then she heard her own voice say as her hand rose to beckon. You have finally come.