Robin Alexander - The Secret of St. Claire

by Robin Alexander

  Nicole returned Lindsay’s smile. “You mean physically or with you?”

  Lindsay raised her brow. “Both?”

  “I do, but I’ve always felt comfortable around you. Can you say the same now about me?”

  A second passed before Lindsay nodded, but she averted her gaze when she said, “I do.”

  “Honey, where’s your hairbrush?” Rose asked in a weary tone. She was standing just inside the door with her arms folded. “Your child has a head full of knots, and I’ve looked all over the house.”

  “There’s no telling.” Lindsay sighed as she stood. “Your granddaughter has a nasty habit of not putting things back where she got them.”

  “I’d better go.” Nicole stood, as well. “I should probably be at home if Ruby calls.”

  “Sorry to cut the evening short.” Lindsay took Nicole’s cup. “Please call anytime if you need help.”

  Rose chuckled again before saying, “Good night, Nicole.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Lindsay lay in her bed with the TV muted, even though her favorite movie was playing. Late at night when she couldn’t sleep, she’d watch Imagine Me & You. But on this night, it failed to hold her attention. She was still tingling from the prickling sensation that washed over her when Nicole had taken out her contacts and looked at her with naked eyes. The barrier that had been removed was so much more than plastic. What she thought she saw in Nicole’s eyes at that moment shook her to the core—desire.

  No woman had ever looked at her like that before, though in her dreams it had happened many times. The reality was frightening and insatiably alluring at the same time. Had Rose not interrupted them, she may’ve melted on the spot or done something equally embarrassing like babble insanely to quell the anxiety. This was so very different from how she had been imagining it should be.

  In her perfect world, Alexis was grown and off at college. Her mother was content to manage the store alone. Lindsay had left St. Claire and was living somewhere in between Alexis and her mother. A place where no one knew her, where no one cared what she did or who she did it with. And then, she would come along—the perfect woman at the perfect time. Everything would fall neatly into place. No stress, no drama. The only problem was Lindsay couldn’t visualize anything beyond that point because sooner or later, she’d have to come out of hiding. And that didn’t fit in her fantasy world.

  Her reality was Nicole had come along at the wrong time just like Luce in Imagine Me & You. And like Rachel, Lindsay was at a loss as to what to do about it. Most romantic movies had happy endings, but this… Lindsay was fairly certain would not turn out that way. Every time she closed her eyes and prayed for sleep, she saw Alexis’s face covered in tears because she’d spent the whole day at school being taunted about her mother’s lesbianism. After that, Rose’s face would appear; disappointment and revulsion etched her features. Then Lindsay saw herself unnerved, confused with Nicole slipping from her grasp.

  Angrily, she grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. The room was plunged into darkness. “Time to face the facts, Lindsay Juneau,” she whispered. “Your someday is never going to come, and you’ll sleep in the bed you made for yourself alone for-frickin-ever.” She punched the pillow and flopped on her side, and even after her mental chastisement, she wondered what Nicole was doing.

  *******

  “Get your camera, and don’t turn on any lights in the house!” The line went dead. Nicole got out of bed and dashed into the living room. The kittens scrambled as they looked for a hiding place. With the camera in hand, she raised one slat of the wooden blinds and peeked out. There were three boys of varying sizes, all of whom were larger than her, standing on her front lawn. She watched as one reached into a bag and pulled something out.

  “White plastic bags. The little bastards aren’t remotely worried about being caught.” Nicole raised the camera and peered through the viewfinder as she pressed Record. She zoomed in on the first boy, who drew back to throw, and just as he did, three pink things exploded against his crotch. Nicole watched in shock as he sank to his knees and went facedown into the grass.

  She panned over to the second boy. He too was winding up for the throw, something pink and bright burst in his armpit. The egg fell from his hand before he gripped his side in obvious pain. Two more pink missiles caught him as he staggered—one in the thigh and the other in his stomach. He too dropped to the ground.

  “My God, what is that?” Nicole had never seen anyone shot with rock salt, but she was fairly certain it wasn’t pink and there was no explosion.

  Mark McCreedy was the last boy standing and was so busy throwing eggs he’d not noticed his brothers. Nicole watched open-mouthed as pink fluorescent balls came from three different directions. He danced as they began to pelt him before he fell to the ground. The other two boys writhing on the lawn received much of the same treatment until all three were glowing pink.

  “Such a waste of good eggs,” Nicole said aloud as she remembered Ruby’s instruction to talk while filming. She watched as one last pink ball caught the boy closest to the house in the ass. The McCreedys might’ve been brothers, but they did nothing to help one another. Nicole watched as one by one they got up and hobbled toward the street.

  Nicole’s phone rang again. “Minx, open your back door.”

  She switched off the recorder and dashed to her kitchen. Ruby dressed in black from head to toe rushed passed her, followed by two more figures dressed in black with knit caps pulled down over their faces. All three were laughing hysterically and holding some sort of guns.

  “Oh, dear God.” Ruby sank into one of the kitchen chairs and held her stomach as she doubled over in laughter, and one of her accomplices removed his mask.

  “T-Roy?” Nicole said in shock.

  The young man nodded and jerked a thumb at the stranger who’d removed his mask. “This is Hector, he works for Ruby.”

  “Minx, did you record it all like I told you to?” Ruby asked.

  Nicole held up the camera. “Yep.”

  “Well, plug it into the TV, girl. I gotta see my handiwork.”

  Nicole poured lemonade for her assassins, then hooked her camera to the TV.

  “Damn, girl, this thing’s no bigger than a postage stamp.” Ruby pulled an ottoman up close to the screen. “Next time you come to the house, I’m gonna fix you up. Hit Play.”

  The picture was dark, but each of the McCreedy boy’s faces was visible as Nicole zoomed in on them. “What’s the pink stuff?”

  “Paint.” Ruby patted her chest. “I picked the color myself. Ever been hit by a paintball at close range? It stings like hell and leaves a welt that becomes a nasty bruise.”

  “They’re gonna look like Dalmatians tomorrow.” T-Roy pointed at the screen. “Great shooting, Rube. You got him right in the nuts three times.” They all burst into a fit of laughter again and continued to laugh until the video ended.

  “Boys, go put your glasses in the sink.” Ruby handed hers to Hector. “Load up the car and let me talk to minx alone for a minute.”

  “Uh, thank you,” Nicole said, unsure how to react to the men as they obeyed their commander.

  “No problem, Dr. Allen,” T-Roy said with a smile. “I’ll be back out in the morning to clean up the mess.” Hector only waved as he followed T-Roy.

  “Now, minx,” Ruby said as she stood. “Listen close.” She walked up to Nicole and put a hand on her shoulder. “I think you’re a pretty decent woman and are probably uncomfortable with what you saw tonight. That’s why I didn’t tell you what I had planned. This brand of justice isn’t for everyone, so it’s best that you don’t discuss it with anyone except Rose and Lindsay.” Ruby patted Nicole on the cheek. “Those boys won’t be back, but if I’m wrong, it’ll be much worse for them next time. I doubt Miles will contact you, but if he does, show him that tape. Lie and tell him you don’t know who the shooters were. Your voice is on the recording, so it’s indisputable that you weren’t involved. He gives you an
y guff, you call me.”

  “I don’t know how to thank you, Mrs. Crantz. Maybe next time you’ll let me take care of your animals at no charge?”

  “No.” Ruby shook her head. “What you did for Alexis is payment enough. Rose Strickland is the only true friend I’ve ever had besides my husband, Ira, God rest his soul. Those two out there,” Ruby jerked a thumb toward the door, “are on my payroll. They’re loyal as long as the checks are good, but Rose and Lindsay, too, they’re good people.” Ruby extended her hand. “I’ll consider you a friend, too. You can call me Ruby.”

  Nicole gripped Ruby’s hand firmly. “Thanks, friend, and you can call me Nicole.”

  Ruby grinned and shook her head. “Not a chance. Good night, minx.”

  *******

  The next day, Nicole was lint-rolling her shirt to rid herself of fur that had accumulated after seeing four patients back to back. Deana stuck her head around the doorjamb of Nicole’s office. “Mrs. Strickland is here to see you. Can I send her back?”

  “Oh, sure anytime.” Nicole tossed the lint roller into her drawer and straightened up her desk.

  “I understand there was a…ruckus at your house last night.” Rose strode in, grinning from ear to ear. “Your pest problem was taken care of?”

  Nicole walked around her desk and gave Rose a hug. “You might not have been pulling the trigger last night, but I think you had something to do with it.” Nicole pulled back and held her at arm’s length. “Did you know what Ruby had up her sleeve?”

  Rose shook her head. “Not a clue until she called me this morning. I haven’t laughed that hard in a very long time.”

  Nicole cocked her head to the side. “What brings you by today?”

  “I had to run a couple of errands, so I decided to drop in and see if you wanted to come to dinner tonight. Lindsay’s planning on grilling chicken.”

  “Have a seat.” Nicole gestured to the small leather couch in her office and closed the door. She joined Rose a moment later. “I really do enjoy the cooking and the company, but I don’t want either of you to feel like you have to invite me every night.”

  “We don’t, hon.” Rose met her gaze. “We enjoy your company.” Rose narrowed her eyes. “I didn’t realize your eyes were that blue.”

  Nicole cleared her throat. “Contacts, I don’t need them anymore.” Rose stared at Nicole until she started to feel uncomfortable.

  “Sometimes…I worry about Lindsay. She’s so young…” Rose exhaled through her nose and straightened her blouse. “I know she’s a grown woman and I shouldn’t stick my nose into her life, but you’re like a breath of fresh air.” Rose shook her head as though she were choosing her words carefully. “I liked you the minute I met you. There’s just something that happens when you and Lindsay are together. The atmosphere changes somehow.” Rose paused and pursed her lips. “She gets lonely when Alexis is away at Mike’s like she is this week. She’d wanna strangle me if she knew I said that.” Rose grinned and shook her head again. “Anyway, I just want y’all to be friends.”

  Nicole was being hit with so many mixed signals she wasn’t sure what they were really talking about. “What can I bring if Alexis isn’t there to eat the chocolate cream pie?”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” Rose stood. “A bottle of wine, maybe. It would be nice to have an adult drink with dinner.” She winked at Nicole as she opened the door. “Dinner is at six. See you then.” She waved and walked away, leaving Nicole to sit and wonder. Rose peeked back around the doorjamb. “Oh, and bring that video. I’d like to see it.”

  Nicole had played matchmaker before, so she knew the game well. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that Cupid had just been in her midst.

  *******

  “I’d planned to have dinner with you, then take a long hot bath with a book.” Lindsay worked on the battery display. “Couldn’t you have talked to me before inviting Nicole over?” Outwardly, she was being difficult, but inwardly, Lindsay was warming to the idea of spending an evening with Nicole.

  “You want me to call her and say we’re going to put it off until tomorrow night?” Lindsay turned to her mother, who for a second had been sporting an impish grin. Her expression turned immediately sour. “I’ll just have to lie to a good friend so you can spend time with your all-important book.”

  “No, that would just be rude.” Lindsay slid another pack of batteries onto a peg. She whirled around and looked at Rose, who was grinning again. “What are you up to?”

  “Don’t you want to know what happened last night? With the McCreedys?” Rose asked coyly.

  “Nicole told you?”

  Rose shook her head. “Ruby did.”

  Lindsay left the rest of the battery packs in the box. She walked over to the counter and leaned against it. “Out with it, rascal.”

  “Ruby, Hector, and T-Roy shot up those boys with paintballs. Ruby said she got one right in the crotch. Nicole’s bringing the video with her tonight.”

  Lindsay’s jaw sagged. “Those things hurt, even with padding. I went with Mike one time when he and some friends used to play war.”

  Rose chuckled. “Ruby played war last night. This is only between us, though.”

  “I think Ruby has gone a bit off her rocker,” Lindsay said with concern.

  “Normally, I’d be appalled.” Rose jabbed the counter with her finger. “But desperate times call for desperate measures. It was bad enough last year when they killed Mr. Robinson’s dog because he backed over one of their bikes. That was an accident, but what they did to Red certainly wasn’t. Mark went too far when he and his friends started hurting Alexis and those little girls.” Rose wagged a finger. “What I saw in that boy’s eyes when he looked at Nicole really concerned me. I believe if Mike hadn’t have been there, he would’ve attacked her. He and his brothers needed to know she’s off-limits.”

  Lindsay frowned at the notion of Mark McCreedy putting his hands on Nicole. At fourteen, he was nearly as big as Mike, and she had no doubt he could do serious damage, especially in a rage. “You make a good point.”

  “I always do. You should listen to your mother for a change.” Rose raised her hands. “We always know best, right, Mom?”

  Lindsay wagged a finger in Rose’s face. “Don’t play that reverse psychology on me. Sneaky thing, you.”

  Rose laughed and patted Lindsay’s cheek. “Oh, my baby, you have no idea how sneaky I can be.” She reached under the counter and grabbed her purse. “I’m gonna sneak out of here early. I’m tired today. Maybe I’ll catch a catnap before dinner.”

  “Are you feeling okay?” Lindsay asked with concern. “You never really have been a weekday napper.”

  “I’m a bit achy.” She shrugged. “Maybe I just slept wrong. You can count on me for the potato salad and the baked beans, though.” Rose kissed Lindsay on the cheek and left her standing at the counter.

  Chapter Thirteen

  That evening, Lindsay found herself with a dilemma. She’d showered and was standing in front of her closet peering in at her wardrobe. Any other night, she would’ve donned a sweatshirt and jeans. After all, she was going to be grilling chicken. But on this particular evening, nothing she found would do. She was willing to cast off the discontent with her wardrobe as PMS when she wasn’t happy with anything she owned, but the timing wasn’t right. And that left her with only one logical conclusion that Lindsay didn’t want to admit, even to herself. Nicole.

  With a towel wrapped around her body, Lindsay sank onto the foot of her bed. Regardless of the plans she’d made to keep her life in order, the feelings were coming. Thoughts of Nicole would invade her mind at work, and she’d push them away, only to have them return later when she wasn’t forcing herself to concentrate. She wanted to know more about Nicole. What made her happy and sad, her vices? What kind of music did she like? But what she craved the most was the feeling that swept through her when Nicole looked at her like she was the most incredible thing she’d ever seen.

  “It’s a sch
oolgirl crush, nothing more.” Lindsay thought by admitting it aloud, the words would have more of a significant impact. They didn’t. Nicole was the only other lesbian she’d met, except the girl she went to high school with, and she couldn’t remember her name. The simple truth of it was that Nicole was the only lesbian around for miles. And Lindsay was like someone who had been stranded on a deserted island. Any human being would look good after being alone for so many years. “That’s just it,” she said aloud again. “I’m just jumping on her like a dieter would a hot dog.” She got up, grabbed the first sweatshirt, and was pulling it over her head when she decided that she looked better in red than gray.

  *******

  Lindsay left Rose inside to listen for Nicole while she stayed close to the grill on the back porch. She didn’t want to appear too eager, and Alexis wasn’t available to play doorman. The more she thought about it, the sillier she felt. She was almost as angry with Nicole as she was with herself when the back door opened, and she was faced with a smile that made her tingle down to her toes.

  “How do you stay so slim eating like this every night?” Nicole pointed to the grill. “I’ve gained two pounds already.”

  “Horse feed, I suppose.” Lindsay looked down at the chicken to hide her blush at Nicole’s backhanded compliment.

  “You eat…horse feed?”

  “No,” Lindsay said with a laugh. “I load it all day long. I’m always on my feet at the store. I burn off what I eat in the evening. Even the chocolate cream pie you’re so fond of.”

  “I didn’t bring pie tonight.” Nicole toyed with the wind chime hanging above her head. “Your mother suggested wine since Alexis is with her dad.”

  Lindsay began brushing the chicken with her homemade sauce. If Rose only knew the things that were banging around in her head, she wouldn’t have suggested anything that might’ve released her inhibitions. No, it would’ve been more like a chastity belt and a revolver.

  “I chose a Zinfandel. I understand that goes better with barbecue.” Nicole covered her mouth as she yawned. “Summer’s has a pretty decent wine and liquor selection. I don’t know why I got the impression this place was dry.”