| |
After looking long and hard the next morning, the couple found someone willing to rent them a boat. He had given them many cautions, certain his boat wouldn’t come back in one piece, but cash money was hard to come by, and they paid an outrageous deposit that ensured his cooperation. After making sure the gas tank was full, Barbara took the rudder of the launch.
“I hope we can afford something bigger than this,” she said to Marion over the roar of the motor as they bobbed over the waves, very close to the water in the small boat.
Marion made a note on the list she had started, which was two pages long already. It had sub-headings with lists under each, and she continually added to them, even writing in the margins.
They followed the same path out into the channel around the islands, taking note of the way Mr. Wheeler had gone the previous day so as not to become lost. The map they now possessed identified those islands as they made their way towards Whimsical.
“You know, if we kept going, we’d hit Canada over there,” Marion shouted over the wind as she pointed to the open ocean beyond Whimsical.
“And if we missed it, maybe Newfoundland or Iceland?” Barbara teased, shouting to be heard.
“Ireland or England would be a nice vacation,” Marion teased back loudly. They both sobered at the thought of getting lost at sea in such a small boat.
They puttered once around the island, completely circumnavigating the land and avoiding the rocks offshore that protected this bump of land in the ocean. They saw several promising inlets, which they had observed from shore the previous day. They could have made their way to them, but instead, they chose to go to the inlet that led to the protected cove. They drove the boat up on the pebbled gravel and tied it off with a long rope, so they wouldn’t lose it. Only the guy they had rented the boat from knew exactly where they were. If they didn’t return, there was no guarantee he would sound an alarm. They hadn’t even asked Mr. Wheeler if they could take a second look around his island, assuming he wouldn’t mind.
“How come no one has ever wanted to live out here?” Marion asked as she whirled around, her arms outstretched.
“Maybe because it’s so far out?” Barbara asked, practically. “Remember, Mr. Wheeler said there was once a cabin up there,” she pointed.
They made their way up onto the ridge that led down to this cove but didn’t find any sign of a cabin. They searched for and found the game trail again as they explored.
“You know, this would be a great place for our cabin,” she said, gesturing towards the end of the large meadow. “It’s got a great view of the cove, and look at that,” Barbara said, pointing out beyond the granite barrier to the ocean.
“You don’t think it would be too windy up here on the ridge?”
“I think the trees would block most of the wind, and look, there is that outcropping,” she pointed to some bare stone that was pushed up among the trees, almost hidden beneath their growth.
“We would need to dig a well,” Marion murmured, imagining it all.
“Let’s explore that outcropping,” Barbara pointed through the woods again.
While climbing around, they discovered a fresh water spring that obviously watered the meadow and the trees in this area. It was only visible for a few feet among the rocks before it slipped beneath the surface and reappeared as a thin stream along one side of the meadow.
“Look there,” Marion breathed as they gazed at the view.
A deer and two fawns were cautiously walking into the meadow, keeping to the shadows as they grazed.
“Could you kill one of those?” Barbara quietly asked, enjoying the view.
Marion nodded. “If I had to, I could, but we don’t have to worry about that now.”
Something, a crow or a gull, scared away the cautious mama and her offspring. They bounded off into the underbrush, disappearing effortlessly as they blended into the darkness of the woods. The women exchanged smiles as they continued to explore the island.
“We could have a second cabin here. It’s a little more remote, but look at the view,” Barbara pointed out the options.
“Yes, we could advertise it as a little rough but a guaranteed getaway from the stresses of work and life,” Marion answered as she began to plan. She was eager to get started.
“Would we have to dig a second well?”
“Or we could pipe water across the island,” she lamented, imagining the work involved, but it didn’t discourage her as she enthusiastically looked forward to the challenges. “Maybe there is other fresh water on the island?”
“Do we dare do this?”
“It’s not the responsible choice,” Marion admitted.
They talked back and forth, going over ideas and what-ifs, and they finally decided to sleep on it. Not realizing the tide had gone out while they explored, they discovered they had to push the boat across the mud some ways and start it before heading back the way they had come.
“This mud is something to avoid,” Barbara commented, nearly losing a shoe to the suction.
“It washes off,” Marion laughed as she dipped her shoe in the water before pulling it back into the boat.
“Do we have enough gas to go around the island again?” Barbara asked, looking at the vast acres of pine and other trees hidden in their foliage as she sat down.
Checking the tank, Marion saw it was more than half full and nodded as they cruised, avoiding the rocks that mother nature had piled up to protect the remote island.
Heading back and using the various islands as mile markers, they began to feel the pull of the ocean and its strength. It bucked up against the bow of the boat, and Marion was hard-pressed to keep them on a straight course. They exchanged more than one look of consternation as a particularly strong wave hit the small boat. They didn’t go too fast, worried about being flipped by a rogue wave. It was nearly dark as they nosed the craft in among the man’s other boats. He seemed surprised to see them, then checked out the small craft and reluctantly returned their deposit.
They headed for the diner, getting in just before the place closed for the night, so they ordered soup and sandwiches to go. They were both famished, having forgotten to bring a lunch on their outing and not having eaten since breakfast.
“I think we should go for it. We’re going nowhere in the mill, and they don’t want us there,” Barbara said as they ate ham and cheese sandwiches back in their room.
Marion had never told Barbara how much the men despised her. She had overheard some derisive comments about her girlfriend since the men had returned to the mill. The fact that Barbara had been married to a man and had borne a child didn’t seem to stay the comments about her decidedly masculine looks. Built like a broad farmgirl, her long hair pulled back in a tight bun, it didn’t matter how her beauty shone through in the sparkling, brown eyes or the rich smile that she bestowed kindly on most everybody. They didn’t see the kind heart or the true friendship she offered to those who earned her trust. Instead, they judged her solely on her looks, her height, her girth, and their own criteria of womanliness.
Marion had needed that friendship when she went to work after Brian had gone off to fight, and again, especially after his death in battle. Left alone with two children, she didn’t know how she would have coped. Brian’s parents wanted her to move in with them, but they would have grieved her into an early grave, and with two children to raise, she wasn’t about to do that. She hadn’t realized her attraction to her best friend until she impulsively gave her a kiss and found it returned wholeheartedly. She remembered back to that moment when what had started as a hug of friendship, support, and consolation had turned into something much more. At first, she had been frightened, but she had been willing to pursue it.
“Do you think this is wrong?” she had asked Barbara as their relationship progressed from kissing, to touching, and on to fondling and heavy petting. When they were both comfortable enough to try, they began making hesitant forays into lovemaking.
“Between us, no, but you know others would find it wrong.”
“I meant is it wrong with God?”
“Do you think God would have put you in my path only to say, ‘Don’t touch, don’t love?’” Barbara countered, fervently hoping she was right. She knew the bible said that two men shouldn’t lie together, but that was the old testament, not the new, and they said nothing about two women anywhere in the bible. Besides, wasn’t the bible written by men?
“No, I don’t think God put you in my path only to tease me,” Marion answered, feeling relief as she touched her friend in a way that her husband had never touched her. It seemed to excite them both.
Suddenly returned to the present, Barbara answered, “Then, shall we go see Mr. Wheeler tomorrow?”
They agreed and finished their now tepid soup before talking about their plans and trying to make love, finally pulling blankets onto the floor and hurriedly getting undressed to enjoy their time alone without children knocking on their door.
Kissing Marion heartily, Barbara smiled down at her friend. Marion rolled them, so she was on top. She loved to lie on top of her lover, cushioned by her bulk. Those arms around her made her feel safe and wanted, and she wanted Barbara just as much. She leaned in to kiss her again, nibbling at the lush lips before nuzzling along the jawline to her lover’s ear. Barbara shuddered, loving the sensations this caused and relishing the feelings. She cupped Marion’s body tightly to her own, using her large hands to smooth and soothe the impulsive blonde. She caused more excitation as she aroused her, using her body to rub against her. Slowly, her knee spread the blonde’s legs, and she rubbed with her thigh until Marion was riding it.
Marion rubbed her mons against Barbara, pressing down between her legs with her torso until she was riding Barbara’s leg. She couldn’t quite reach the brunette’s lower half at first, but her hand crept down to take care of that deficit. She was pleased to find how wet she had made her.
It wasn’t enough for Barbara. She rolled them again, holding the blonde tightly as her weight loomed over her, but Marion was smiling, eager for whatever Barbara wanted to do to her. Barbara kissed her lips first and then kissed her way down the blonde’s neck towards the two erect nipples that begged for satisfaction. Barbara’s hand came up to tweak one nipple while her lips and tongue played with the other. The warmth of her breath and the moisture from her mouth felt wonderful to Marion, and she arched her breast into the brunette’s mouth, encouraging her. Marion’s hand came up to run her fingers through Barbara’s hair.
For a long time, Barbara played with Marion’s sensitive breasts, kneading them and tweaking the nipples until she could sense she was frustrating her lover. She moved down to Marion’s stomach, rubbing her face along it, relishing the feel of the soft skin against her cheek. Her fingers were playing with the curls between Marion’s legs, and she tugged gently, hearing a gasp of pleasure-pain from her before Barbara’s face finally moved down to greet the scent that was calling to her. She leaned in to taste, loving the salty musk on her tongue as her lips suckled at the folds. She cleaned the moisture thoroughly with her tongue and lips, her nose nuzzling to provide extra pleasure to them both. The scent enticed her, and she wanted to breathe it all in, plunge in fully, but she knew she needed to come up for air. For a petite woman, Marion’s folds were overly lush, but Barbara didn’t mind, and she played and explored, exciting the smaller woman. She played at the entrance with her tongue, plunging it in periodically and feeling Marion’s body respond. Her body arched in supplication, the wetness she released telling its own tale. Gently, she began to insert a finger, knowing Marion wasn’t overly large inside. She momentarily thought about how small the husband must have been to have not stretched her a little more and then stopped herself, not willing to ruin the moment. She reached inside and curled her finger slightly, gently petting from inside. Marion grabbed at Barbara’s head, grinding against her face where she was still lapping at the folds. The gasps forced her to bring her hand up to her mouth and shove her fist against it, so she wouldn’t be overheard. Marion’s legs clasped at Barbara’s back, trying to hold her closer.
Barbara smiled, knowing exactly what she was doing to the woman and enjoying the journey. Her pinky crept along the split, rubbing at the sensitive skin until it hit Marion’s anus, and she rubbed harder, in time with the little thrusts she had started with her inserted finger. Marion went wild, grinding down hard and at the same time, trying to pull away, but Barbara had clasped her buttock with one hand and was kneading it and holding her in place. Barbara continued her assault with her fingers, her mouth, and her tongue. Even her nose was rubbing along the delicate and overly sensitized folds. She kept it up, sending the blonde higher and higher until, with a scream against her fist, she came...and came...and came, bucking hard against the brunette’s face as her thighs squeezed Barbara’s head painfully. Eventually, finally, she calmed, and Barbara removed her hand, cupping Marion’s buttocks with both hands as she licked at the creamy moisture released by her lover. Slowly, she licked and kissed her way up Marion’s now sweaty torso, stopping to lave attention on the erect nipples.
“Nooo,” Marion moaned in a whisper. “Too sensitive,” she complained.
Barbara smiled, knowing she had exhausted her lover and loving every moment of their time together. Frequently, they had hurried couplings. Both were tired from working at the mill, and they always worried that the children would hear them and their endeavors. Now, she could take her time, and she loved it. She would have started again, but Marion had other ideas. She rolled on top of Barbara once again and now that her eyes were focused and looking down in Marion’s soft brown eyes, she leaned down to kiss her, tasting herself on the brunette’s lips.
Marion wiggled against the larger woman, knowing she loved this, especially when she accidentally hit a sensitive spot. Her hands weren’t shy as she loved Barbara, letting her know she was desirable, and Marion wanted her just as intimately as she had been taken. It was a long time later, rather late in the night, before they managed to make it into the bed they had rented. It was much colder, but they were thoroughly satisfied in each other as they shared knowing smiles and cuddled up under the blankets to share body heat.