by B J Phillips
“When I met you last year I’d never have thought that you’d be doing something like this. Seriously.”
“Neither would I. I was hurting and wanted it to stop.”
“And…has it?”
“It has. It definitely has.”
Kelly brushed a strand of hair from Andi’s brow. “I’m glad.”
“I am, too. I guess if all that hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t have met.”
“True. If Elise hadn’t wanted bookcases at a time when the construction company was busy, it still wouldn’t have happened.”
“I’m glad it did. You’re great to cuddle with.”
“So are you.” Kelly was quiet for a few seconds. “You know, the last thing on my mind at the time I met Elise was looking for a date. I mean Elise is cute and all that…” She grinned. “You’re much cuter.”
“Aww…thanks. Speaking of Aunt Elise, I think your friend Lauren’s interested in her. Unless I’m mistaken and she’s not…”
“Oh, yes, she is. You aren’t wrong about that. I didn’t realize Elise was. I guess it never occurred to me. She’s old enough to be my mother.”
“Yeah, I guess we don’t think of parental types in that way. I think I mentioned a while back that Aunt Elise was hurt badly years ago. I didn’t say who it was that did it.”
“I remember that. What happened?”
“It was a nasty story. She had a long-time partner that decided to cheat on her. It was probably the worst kind of cheating there is. The other woman was a real cliché.”
“No, not Elise’s best friend.”
“Yes, it was. So not only did she lose her partner, she lost her best friend…the one she’d normally have gone to for support. It was awful. She decided to leave relationships alone. She’s had a very full life with lots of friends and all, except she had no partner.”
“I’m sure her other friends tried to fix her up. I can imagine she’d be quite a catch. She’s an interesting and lovely woman.”
“Of course, they did. Every time Elise realized what was happening she’d politely tell the woman they set her up with that she wasn’t interested in a relationship.”
“I suppose it didn’t take long before her friends finally gave up trying to set her up?”
“That’s pretty much it. She became the favorite aunt type person. She’s always been number one with me, but I’m biased. The older she got, the fewer wanted to be friends only. They wanted to settle down with someone. And she had me, as well, in the beginning. I guess that might’ve been some of it. I’ve been out of the house for a long time now so that can’t be an issue any more. I guess she stopped looking.”
“What happened this afternoon?”
“I could swear there was something there as soon as their eyes met. Aunt Elise blushed. We all sat around the lanai table with drinks while Lauren showed us properties on her laptop. By the way, the pictures Lauren took of your house are very nice. I would’ve wanted this house simply from those pictures. She’s good.”
“She’s good alright. That’s why she’s been my agent for a long time now. Go on about what happened.”
“Well, have you ever noticed that Lauren’s laugh sounds a lot like Lauren Bacall?”
“No, I guess not. I’ve known her for ages and probably never paid any attention.”
“She has that same throaty laugh as the actress. Anyway, my aunt adores Lauren Bacall movies. We watched a lot of them while I was growing up. I’m sure lots of lesbians were in love with her. Back to this afternoon. I thought Aunt Elise was going to be able to power solar panels as much as she was glowing every time Lauren said anything to her. I’ve never seen her like that.”
“Did it seem mutual? Lauren has been single for quite a while now.”
“It did. Lauren asked Elise to go to a banquet this evening as her guest and she accepted.”
“Wow. Good for them. I’d love to see Lauren with someone nice. And Elise definitely qualifies.”
“She asked me to help her pick out the right dress, too. She was a bit nervous, I think. I love seeing her like this.”
“And I love just seeing you. I’m going to be sorry to see you return to New York.”
“Well, I’m staying for another few days…long enough to check on gallery space with Lauren. We’re going tomorrow to look at some places here in Fort Myers and one or two in Naples.”
“I can’t believe you’re actually doing this. I mean, you’re really serious.”
“Of course, I am. I thought about you so much while I was in New York. All I wanted was to be free to tell you how much I cared about you. In the process, I nearly lost you. I know now that I didn’t go about it the right way. I can assure you my heart was in the right place.”
“I understand that. I care about you, too.” Kelly pulled Andi closer. “Very much.” She gently stroked the side of Andi’s face.
Andi responded by placing a kiss on Kelly’s lips, turning further to deepen the kiss. She sighed as she pulled away.
“What?” Kelly asked. “I can see those wheels turning in your head.”
“I have an idea.” She appeared to search Kelly’s eyes for a possible response before she said anything more. “I’m not sure you’ll go for it.”
“What kind of idea?”
“It has to do with this house.” Andi paused for a second, then appeared to decide to blurt it out. “I think we should live in this house together.”
“Uh…”
“Oh. My. God. I hope I didn’t scare you.” Andi jumped up. “I’m sorry if you think it’s too much too fast.”
“No, it’s…”
“I mean, it hasn’t been that long and you might still have reservations and…” Andi began pacing, looking at her feet the whole time. Piper got up and began running back and forth in front of her.
“Look, I…”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. Seriously, if you think it’s too soon I’ll understand.”
Kelly got up and in two strides caught Andi and held her in her arms tightly. She stepped back and put a hand on each side of Andi’s face, looking her in the eyes. “I didn’t say that. Heck, I didn’t say anything. You didn’t give me a chance. I think it’s a great idea.”
“You do?”
“I do. If we’re going to do that, I can only sell you a half interest in the house. That’s final.”
“All right, then, half interest. Lauren can redo the paperwork. Oh, Kelly, I just want to be here with you. That’s all I want. I…”
“You…what?”
“I, uh, I’m working everything out. It’s going to work. Whenever I need to be in New York I can stay at Aunt Elise’s place, and this will be my home. My real home. Here. With you.”
Kelly searched Andi’s eyes. “Look, I have to ask one last time. You know this isn’t some Park Avenue condo or a Palm Harbour place. You’re absolutely positive you want to live here?”
Andi didn’t waver. She looked straight back, answering her with a kiss. “I’m as sure as sure can be. Kelly, I know what I want. I love this house and I want you and care very much for you. I’m not doing this on a whim. I’ve been thinking about it for months and talking to Aunt Elise trying to figure out how to make it work if I came back here and found you wanted me. This house is quite frankly the icing on the cake. I planned to buy a house here anyway, but this one, well, this one’s perfect.”
Kelly pulled her back into her arms and stroked her back gently with one hand. “I do want you. I want you very much. And I care very much for you, too.” Kelly couldn’t tell her she loved her. Not yet. But she knew she would, and soon. She knew in her heart that Andi was going to be part of her very own happy ever after and let out a little sigh.
As Andi snuggled further into Kelly’s arms, Kelly knew here was where they both belonged. “Welcome home,” she whispered.
THE END
About BJ Phillips
I’ve been writing practically since I’ve been reading. People
who knew me well knew my biggest dream and biggest fear was writing a whole book. That fear of failure. I had poetry published in my school literary magazine and a funny story in my work professional magazine. I wrote training materials for work and helped friends write their resumes, feeling that was at least writing. I had the beginnings of fantasy stories, mysteries, and love stories all sitting in folders and notebooks.
In the summer of 2013 I saw the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge. If you’re not familiar with it, the challenge is to write 50,000 words in 30 days. The day after Thanksgiving that year, I posted 51,000 words and a complete story was born. It needed a lot of work, but it was there. That story was the bones of Hurricane Season, my debut novel, which will be out in spring 2016.
Early in 2014, I heard about a new program through the Golden Crown Literary Society (GCLS) called the Writing Academy. It’s a one year program aimed at new writers or writers who want to improve their skills. I’m proud to be part of the very first graduating class.
The Writing Academy was life-changing. I started looking at myself as an author, not just as someone who happens to write. I retired the beginning of 2015. I became a full-time writer of stories and finally finished my first book the end of July 2015.
I live in Florida with my partner, a retired police officer, Maya the Yorkie, and Piper the Chihuahua in an honest-to-goodness resort—it says so on the sign out front. When I’m not writing, we love sitting out on the front porch with the “kids” and chatting with neighbors and friends who like to come by and visit. I’m an avid reader of anything that strikes my fancy and I love puzzles – like logic problems, Sudoku or word finds. I also like to take walks, go to flea markets, sketch, and crochet. Okay, I’m also addicted to several TV shows, mostly mysteries and cop shows. Thank goodness for the DVR!
I’m very excited about becoming part of the Desert Palm Press family. I have two more books in the pipeline right now, a murder mystery and another romance.
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Other Books from Desert Palm Press
BJ Phillips
Hurricane Season
ISBN: 9781942976134
Shawn Richards (aka S.K. Richardson) is a romance author. She’s had her heart broken badly again and is done with love. Ditching San Francisco, she moves back home to Southwest Florida to get her feet back under her and finish her latest novel.
Carrie Alexander is a huge S.K. Richardson fan, but has no idea what she looks like. She does, however, like the looks of the new neighbor down the street, Shawn Richards.
Drawn to each other as friends, Shawn still tries to keep some distance despite what she’s beginning to feel for Carrie. Carrie isn’t the kind of woman you just have a fun night with and then move on. Carrie’s the kind you fall in love with and make love to, and live happily ever after with—but she just can’t let herself trust her heart yet. After all, the last time she fell for one of her fans, it ended badly.
Carrie is looking for ‘happy ever after’ just like in all those romance novels she reads. Shawn could be the one, or maybe Carrie’s fooling herself and there’s really no such thing as all that romantic stuff in Shawn’s books.
Shawn is afraid she can’t deliver on that ‘happy ever after’ she knows Carrie wants—and she wants, too, truth be told. Destiny might have given them a push when Carrie tripped at the local grocery store and literally fell into Shawn’s arms. But fear could cost Shawn the woman of her dreams.
AJ Adaire
Friend Series
Sunset Island
ISBN: 9781301136629
Ren Madison is certain her life couldn't be more perfect. She owns a private island with an Inn off the coast of Maine. She treasures her loving relationship with her older brother Jack, his wife, Marie, and dotes on her niece Laura. She has a passionate and supportive relationship with her partner, Brooke, and a successful business that doesn't require her undivided attention allowing her ample time to pursue her true passion, painting.
Ren's idyllic world crumbles when Brooke dies. Friends and family worry that Ren may never fully recover from her loss.
Dr. Lindy Caprini, a multi-lingual professor, is looking for an artist to illustrate the book she is writing comparing fairy tales from around the world. To make working together on the book easier, Lindy takes a year sabbatical and leaves friends, home, and boyfriend in Pennsylvania and moves to Ren's island. Ren soon discovers that the beautiful and mischievous Lindy is a talented author and a witty conversationalist. Their collaboration on the book leads to a close, light hearted, and flirtatious friendship. Will their collaboration end there?
The Interim (a novelette)
ISBN: 9781311099051
Devastated that her partner cheated, Melanie flees to a new job in Maine, where she meets Ren Madison. Ren is dealing with issues of her own after losing her partner Brooke in a plane crash
What happens in the interim after one relationship ends and you’re really ready to love again? For Ren Madison, Melanie was what happened.
The Interim fills in the details of Ren Madison’s life on Sunset Island after Brooke but before Lindy.
Awaiting My Assignment
ISBN: 9781310825248
Bernie was a liar. Amanda learned that much when she caught her lover cheating the first time. Upon discovering a second indiscretion, Amanda vows there will never be another. She leaves the relationship, fleeing to her friend Dana in New York State. While staying at Dana’s home, Amanda meets and falls in love with a wonderful woman named Mallory.
Amanda is ready to move on. However, the consistently surprising Bernie isn’t finished yet. Amanda learns of Bernie's rudest betrayal yet when she receives a package from her recently deceased ex-lover. A very surprising revelation and one final request are contained therein. The favor comes with a gift that delivers dramatic and life-altering changes, not only to Amanda’s life, but to the lives of her closest friends and new partner as well.
Anything Your Heart Desires
ISBN: 978131163912
"Whoa—lesbians!" That was Stacy Alexander’s first thought as she observes the group of women in the new shop across the street kiss each other in greeting. Stacy had been staring out her apartment window trying to think of a motive for the death of the character she’d killed off in her mystery novel. Ah ha—extortion! What could be a better reason for the murder of my heroine than being blackmailed because she’s a lesbian? Now all I need is a lesbian to teach me about the ‘lesbian lifestyle.’
That’s where policewoman Jo Martin enters the picture. Jo has two rules by which she religiously lives her life: never get involved with someone already in a relationship and never, ever date a straight woman. As Jo and Stacy collaborate on the novel, will Stacy want to gain a more intimate knowledge of the topic, and will Jo hold steadfastly to her rules?
One Day Longer Than Forever
ISBN: 9781310847738
Dr. Kate Martin needs a vacation after a failed romance with her business partner nearly ruins her. Lee Foster is recovering from her first lesbian relationship that self-destructed when her partner moved several states away, leaving her behind.
Two failed romances, a double-booked vacation cabin, and a blizzard—will fate intervene again and turn a passionate affair with a stranger, into something more?
It’s Complicated
ISBN: 9781311122964
Victoria Brannigham had a guilty pleasure. Every day she would take a detour, sit on the boardwalk, and wait. She tried not to covet what could never be hers. Beverly McMannis was lonely, until she discovered another lesbian on the island. Bev eagerly embraced the growing friendship with her neighbor. Victoria was honest with Bev right from the start; explaining that she wasn't free to explore their attraction. Bev promised to honor the boundaries. Love isn't always easy, sometimes it's complicated...especially when she doesn't know you're still being faithful.
I L
ove My Life
ISBN: 9781311310002
Betrayal by her former partner sends Chris Baxter fleeing to Maine. To escape the monotony of staring at the four walls of her isolated cabin, she enrolls in a sailing class. A chance pairing with Stephanie Kincaid and her cohorts, Tina and Terry, offers an opportunity for new friendship. Their shared homework assignment might offer Chris the potential for more than just knowledge of navigation.
An urgent message interrupts the classmates’ sailing vacation along the coast of Maine. While Chris rushes back to her twin’s bedside, the others remain onboard to sail back to their homeport. Will the revelations from her ex, her sister, and her family, change everything in the new life that Chris has rebuilt?
Journey to You
ISBN: 9781311571854
What do you do if you are one of the few who remain alive after a mysterious, flu-like virus claims most of the global population? This is a question Kim Robins and Peri Henderson must answer when the world changes and society falls apart.
Violent gangs of looters make it unsafe to remain in the city. Hoping to improve their chances for survival, Kim and Peri decide to hike into the remote forest area of Maine.
Dangerous circumstances along the trail cause the women to join forces with another hiker and her dog. The longtime friends and their new companions set off on a daunting trek filled with both menacing and kindhearted survivors.
In this romantic adventure, the real question to be answered is, will this journey bring each of the women the happiness and safety she seeks?
Don’t Forget
ISBN: 9781942976318
In 1986, Jamie Parker falls in love. What could be bad about that? Nothing except that the object of her affection is Val DiLeona, friend and fellow administrator in the same school district. If Jamie has misinterpreted that Val has similar feelings, confessing her affection could result in the end of their friendship. Then there is the little matter of the consequences at work. Outing herself as a lesbian could result in her losing her job.