Unchained Memories

by Dena Blake

  Chapter Twenty

  Jillian stared out the window of her office. Her conversation with Julie had raked up all the past emotions that had settled at the bottom of her heart. Now they were swirling about, trying to find a new place to settle. The door to the gym flew open, and one by one, the pom-pom girls filed out. Her stomach tingled as she remembered the times Amelia would push through the very same door and spot Jillian waiting for her. She was gorgeous, sweet, and so unassuming. Her beautiful smile would broaden as she came closer, always with that hint of surprise in her voice when she’d asked Jillian what she was doing there. The chemistry was undeniable from the beginning. She didn’t doubt Amelia had loved her. Jillian had felt the same, and it was increasingly evident that she still did. She’d been attracted to Amelia since the moment she saw her again. Her feelings might have been easier to ignore, or maybe even faded altogether, if she hadn’t had to see her so much over the past few weeks.

  She thought about her life in New York and tingled all over. She had fame, fortune, success, and a job she loved. The one thing she’d never been able to capture was the contented state of love she’d had with Amelia. She’d never found anyone who touched her as deeply as Amelia had done so many years ago, and she didn’t know if she ever would again.

  Jillian rubbed her eyes. She’d had appointment after appointment of college-bound kids today. The school year was almost over, and they all needed guidance about where to go and how to get there. She was writing a few notes on her last student for the day when Darcy’s voice startled her out of her thoughts. “Where were you yesterday?”

  “I had a doctor appointment in the city.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah. It was just for my allergies.”

  “You want to go grab a drink?”

  “Sure. Let me check on Abby first.” She picked up her cell phone and typed in a text. She took the folders strewn in front of her and filed them in her desk drawer. “Can we go somewhere besides Jojo’s? I don’t want to deal with other women tonight.”

  Darcy nodded. “I’m with ya there.”

  Jillian’s interest was piqued. “That’s new. I was expecting resistance.”

  Darcy scrunched up her nose. “I’m kind of seeing someone.”

  “Oh yeah, who?” Jillian dropped the last file into the drawer and gave Darcy her full attention.

  Darcy’s gaze hit everything in the room besides Jillian. “I’d like to keep it to myself for now. It’s very fresh, and I don’t want to jinx it.”

  “Oh, okay.” Darcy seemed nervous about the whole thing, so Jillian decided to leave it alone. Her phone chimed and she read the text from Abby. “Abby’s going to a friend’s to study for a little while, so I have some time.” She pulled her purse from her desk and stood.

  “Wow. Is that new?” Darcy motioned to Jillian’s sundress.

  “Since I was already off yesterday, I did some shopping. Like it?” Jillian did a little twirl.

  “I love it, but it looks expensive.” Darcy reached over and stroked the fabric. “Was it on sale?”

  “Of course. I never buy anything unless it’s on the sale rack.” After returning from her outing with Julie, she’d had a lapse in willpower and had gone to the mall and indulged in some over-the-top shopping in the Tommy Bahama section of Dillard’s. She’d picked up a couple of camp shirts, a long skirt, and the sundress she was wearing. She had no idea Darcy was so fashion conscious.

  “You and I need to set up a shopping date. I could use a little help getting my wardrobe updated.”

  “She must be special,” Jillian said, and the color in Darcy’s cheeks reddened.

  “She is.”

  Jillian wrapped her arm around Darcy’s shoulder as they walked out. “Just say when. I’m at your service.”

  They took the short drive to one of the restaurants on Campus Corner and settled into a table in the corner of the restaurant.

  “Anything eventful happen at work yesterday?” Jillian asked.

  “Not much. Maxine came by to check on you.”

  “To check on me?”

  “Yeah. She said she needed to visit with you about something. I asked her if I could help, but she wouldn’t tell me.”

  “And?”

  “Then she wanted to see Mrs. P.”

  “Did she talk to her?” Jillian was getting concerned that Maxine had opened her big mouth.

  “I hate that pretentious bitch, so I told her Vicki was in a meeting at the administration building. She seemed to buy it.”

  The waiter came to the table. “What can I get you two ladies to drink?”

  “Mic Ultra for me,” Darcy said, then looked at Jillian.

  “For me, also.”

  “You’re a little early for happy hour, but they’re putting the food out now.” He pointed to the table across the room covered with silver food warmers and trays with vegetables and dips.

  “Awesome. I’m starving,” Darcy said as she got up. “Come on. Let’s get some before the place fills up.”

  Jillian made it back to the table with only half of what Darcy had on her plate. “Is this your dinner?”

  Darcy gave her an isn’t-that-obvious look and said, “It’s free.”

  Jillian laughed and took a bite of a mini-eggroll. “So you’re not going to tell me anything about this new woman in your life.”

  Darcy took in a deep breath. “You may not like her.”

  “Of course I’ll like her. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “You kind of already know her.” Darcy picked up a nacho and added a jalapeño pepper to the top.

  Jillian widened her eyes. “Please don’t tell me it’s Maxine.”

  Darcy choked on her food. “God, no. Didn’t I just tell you I don’t like her?”

  “You never know.” Jillian popped the rest of the eggroll into her mouth.

  Darcy finished chewing and wiped her mouth. “It’s Julie.”

  Jillian snapped her gaze back to Darcy. “Amelia’s Julie?”

  “She doesn’t belong to Amelia. They’re divorced.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I just…” That was a blindside.

  “You just what?”

  “I don’t know. I just hadn’t thought about you two…together.”

  Darcy tilted her head and shrugged. “Me neither, but I really like her.” She speared a meatball with a toothpick and popped it into her mouth.

  “How did this happen?”

  “That night at Jojo’s when you decided to OD on martinis, we stayed and talked for a while after you and Amelia left.”

  “Well, that’s great.” She gave her a light punch on the shoulder. “I can’t believe you waited this long to tell me.” She smiled but cringed on the inside. Another complication she would have to deal with sooner or later.

  The way things were going, maybe Jillian didn’t need to worry about Julie. She thought about their excursion yesterday. While she’d been explaining the history between her and Amelia, she suspected from the expression on Julie’s face that she understood. She’d agreed to keep Jillian’s secret for the time being, which she was thankful for. Julie had given her an unreadable stare before looking back and pulling out of the parking space. She’d seemed sincere about keeping her secret. Jillian just didn’t know how long the “time being” would last.

  “Have you seen the way Stan has been following Lucy around lately?”

  “The hard-assed math teacher that gave David so much trouble? No. I hadn’t noticed.”

  “They probably have something going on. They’re kind of made for each other, don’t you think?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never paid much attention to either one of them.”

  Jillian’s mind drifted from Darcy’s idle gossip about the school faculty. Speculating about other people’s lives just didn’t interest her. The day before, being at the television station had exhilarated her. She absolutely loved what she did. There was no getting around it. The general manager had made a speci
al trip in from his vacation just to meet her. They’d had a nice chat before Julie nudged her and pointed to her watch. During their short visit, he had made it very clear he would love to have a talent like hers on board. Always keeping her options open, Jillian had been very polite in her response.

  Moving to a market like Oklahoma City would be a step down for Jillian, and she wouldn’t consider it. Would she? Could she give up what she had in New York for Amelia? She shook the thought from her mind. Her passion for her job had hit her square in the face when she’d been in the television studio yesterday. The rush she’d felt when they’d listened to the final product was immense and, when she’d known she’d nailed it, was downright overwhelming.

  She picked up her beer and drained it. Her life was in total disarray, and she didn’t like it one bit. She had many decisions to make in the near future, and thinking about them right now was not an option. She motioned to the waiter and ordered another round of beers.

  * * *

  Amelia headed into her office and flipped on the radio to get the latest weather report. She’d been in Oklahoma City court and hadn’t gotten on the road soon enough to miss the mass exodus as everyone hit the road home to avoid the incoming weather. The meteorologists on every TV channel had been scarecasting since the morning before, making everyone aware there was a better than good chance for a tornado or two to touch down in the state.

  She swiped the screen on her cell phone and then hit the favorite button for Julie, who picked up on the first ring. “You all right over there?” Amelia slid down on the couch next to the window.

  “Yep, you comin’? I’ve got the cellar stocked.”

  “I think I should go to the house and check on things.” She stared out the window at the clouds scudding across the sky.

  “I thought the boys all went camping?”

  “They did, but I’m not sure JJ is familiar with Oklahoma weather.”

  “A phone call can easily remedy that.”

  “I just want to make sure she and Abby aren’t freaked out by the meteorologists on TV. They get a little excited.”

  “Okay.” Julie laughed. “Can I come? I want to watch you play with that fire.”

  “That’s a big no.”

  “I expect to hear all the details tomorrow.”

  “We’ll see.” Amelia hit the red button on her phone and slipped it into her pocket. She hadn’t seen JJ in almost a week, since she’d come to her office to explain why she was in the courtroom a few days before, which she hadn’t done. Somehow, they’d ended up kissing instead. Amelia had needed some distance after the impact she’d felt from the kiss. The distance hadn’t helped. JJ still invaded her thoughts frequently. She was going way out of her comfort zone tonight, but she’d decided to just let go and see what happened.

  * * *

  The front door flew open, and Amelia rushed in. “Have you heard from Blake? I hope he and the boys are in for the night ’cause it’s fixin’ to blow.” Amelia hung her jacket on the hall tree and swept into the living room. “Where’s Abby?”

  “The boys are staying in a cabin away from the storm, and Abby is spending the night with one of her friends,” Jillian said.

  “They have a shelter, I hope.” Amelia raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

  “They do. I talked to her a little while ago.” Jillian knew that one of the prerequisites of letting your kids sleep over in Oklahoma during the spring was knowing the house they were staying at had a storm shelter.

  “Is she okay?”

  “Actually, she’s doing great. I don’t think she knows enough about the weather here to be freaked out.” Jillian was fully aware and had been jittery all day.

  “Great.” Amelia grabbed Jillian’s hand and pulled her off the couch. “Let’s go sit on the porch and watch the storm.”

  “I really don’t like thunderstorms.” Jillian stopped, held her ground.

  “Come on.” Amelia tilted her head and nodded toward the porch. “The lightning is beautiful.”

  Amelia smiled, and Jillian couldn’t resist. She took in a breath, swiped a throw from the couch, and followed her out. They sat thigh to thigh on the porch swing, legs covered with soft chenille, and prepared to take in the spectacular light show. A red glow blanketed the sky in the distance. Lightning, brilliant and white-hot, flashed through the blackening sky. Its jagged fingers sparked randomly across the horizon. The rolling sound of thunder followed, filling the air with the crackle of its might. Intervals of time between the bursts of lightning and thunder kept growing shorter.

  The air was stifling. The afternoon sky had darkened considerably, murky clouds billowing across it. The storm was well on its way to showing its power. If it became much stronger, there would be severe wounds and permanent scars left on the structures surrounding them.

  Trees began to creak and moan, swaying as the wind picked up. Jillian shivered and Amelia snaked her arm around her shoulder, urging her closer. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

  Jillian stared at Amelia, studying her face. The small, delicate nose, creamy light skin, lovely full lips. She remembered every facet of it except the tiny creases at the corners of her eyes. “Yes, beautiful.”

  Amelia seemed to feel Jillian’s gaze on her and turned to stare into her eyes. The air between them was thick. Amelia held Jillian’s gaze for a moment, then skittered to her lips and slowly back again. She moved closer and brushed Jillian’s lips gently with her own, then pulled back, searching Jillian’s eyes, as though asking for permission. The bolt of electricity that flew through Jillian at that moment was more powerful than any thunderstorm she’d ever known. She reached up, slid her hand behind Amelia’s head, and pulled her in. The kiss that came next wasn’t urgent like those before. It was soft, tender, seeking, a kiss Jillian could get permanently lost in. The wind kicked up, whipping harder through the trees. The urgency of the storm seemed to make the kiss more intoxicating, more powerful. Jillian was no longer cold. The fire spreading throughout her body astonished her. She let her tongue roam Amelia’s mouth, seeking more of the warmth she encompassed.

  Rain trickled across them lazily, and soon the blanket covering them was soaked. Only when hail began pelting them did they break apart, lips swollen, chests heaving, staring in wonder at each other.

  The hail became thick, dime-size. A piece hit Jillian’s ear, and Amelia touched it with her fingers. “Are you okay?” Then Amelia took a hit to the cheek. “Ow.” She chuckled and pulled the blanket up, covering their heads. “We’d better go inside and check the weather.”

  Unable to form any kind of response, Jillian nodded and huddled with her under the blanket as they made their way back into the house.

  Jillian flipped on the TV and watched the meteorologist point at the red blotches on the map. The excited voice rang through the speaker, saying something about F0 gustnados and to stay away from windows. It was going to be a long night. More storms were moving this way. Hail pelted the windows and wind howled in the eaves. This thunderstorm was coming in strong. Jillian hated storms, had never gotten used to them as a kid. They’d always kept her on edge all night. At least this old house had a basement, and Amelia was here to keep her safe. She looked up. Amelia was standing at the end of the couch watching the TV as though she were keeping her distance. Jillian was grateful for the space, even though every nerve ending in her body was telling her differently.

  Amelia glanced over at Jillian, smiled, and headed into the kitchen with the wet blanket. “You want some popcorn?”

  “Sure. If you’re making it,” Jillian shouted after her.

  “I am,” Amelia shouted back. “Coke or Dr Pepper?”

  “Is there any diet?”

  “Nope. Only the strong stuff.” After a few minutes, Amelia came back out with a big bowl of popcorn in one hand and a couple of sodas in the other.

  “Okay. Give me a Dr Pepper.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” Amelia winked and sat next to her on the couch
. “What’s the meteorologist got to say?”

  “Heavy thunderstorms right now, but there’s a possibility of funnels developing to the west. So, no Amazing Race tonight.”

  “I can fix that.” Amelia handed Jillian the bowl of popcorn, then got up and crossed the room to the office. She came back out with Blake’s laptop and set it on the coffee table in front of them. “We can watch it online as long as the power and internet hold up.”

  “Wow, if I’d have known you were so resourceful, I would’ve called you during Wheel of Fortune.”

  Amelia raised a brow. “You should have. It’s a sad day when you have to miss out on watching Vanna White sashay across the stage and flip letters.”

  “Tragic.” Jillian let out a chuckle as Amelia flopped back against the couch next to her. The show intro came on, and all the racers flashed across the screen. “Can you zoom the screen in a little bit?”

  “I can.” Amelia handed the popcorn to Jillian again, took the laptop from the coffee table, and plopped it in her lap.

  “Wow. That’s what I call technology.”

  “It’s a new feature. Not many people know about it yet.” Amelia grinned.

  Jillian couldn’t help but smile. She’d forgotten how funny Amelia was and how good it felt to be near her. No matter what the circumstance, she was always upbeat. They placed their bets on who was going to get kicked off that week and then settled in to watch the show.

  Jillian focused on the laptop, trying to ignore the fact that her leg was pressed up against Amelia’s. She didn’t even take her eyes off the screen when the jolt shot through her as their fingers brushed in the popcorn bowl. She somehow managed to get through the show without tossing the popcorn bowl to the floor and kissing Amelia senseless.

  “I knew they would come in last. They fight way too much,” Amelia said confidently.