Kathleen Hartley had never been this unprepared for a party in her life. They had liquor, beer, and wine in the house, of course, but she hadn’t gotten the ingredients for her punch. The house was still a mess and she’d barely gotten an order in for hors d’oeuvres and sweets. But the champagne! She put her head in her hands. Tomorrow was New Year’s Eve, for God’s sake. Where was she going to find enough champagne at this late date?
The only good thing was that Whit was still sleeping, and she’d have a little more time to gather herself before she’d have to endure any more questioning looks or give her evasive answers about what was wrong. She’d had her twenty-four-hour bug excuse and then the hangover, which was entirely real. But last night, each time Whit had touched her as they lay sleeping—Kat only pretending to—she’d gotten out of bed, saying she need the bathroom, or some water, or a tissue. Normally she loved to warm herself against Whit’s body, but right now she couldn’t stand even a casual caress. Whit had to have noticed, and she was sure she would say something this morning. And how was she supposed to have guests when all she wanted to do was throw up until she was empty and curl into a ball in bed—alone.
You snap out of it, young lady! She could clearly hear her mother’s voice from the time she’d begged and begged to keep the kitten she’d found in the backyard, crying until she’d made herself sick when her mother had said no. Her face burned with the memory. Had her mother slapped her too? Maybe she needed Whit to slap her.
“I must be going crazy,” she said out loud.
“You and me both.” She jumped, even though she knew at once it was only Whit. Only Whit? That was wrong.
“You’ve got to tell me what’s going on, Kat.” Her lover moved behind the chair where she was sitting and rested her hands on Kathleen’s shoulders. Her touch was gentle, but Kat had to will herself not to flinch. “You’ve got to talk to me.”
“I might be coming down with something,” Kat said, but it sounded false, even to herself.
Whit didn’t move her hands away and didn’t reply. She stood breathing quietly until Kat thought she might scream. “I don’t think that’s it,” she said, finally. She gave one little squeeze and came around to sit facing Kat, her hands now folded in front of her. “I need you to be honest with me, Kathleen. I deserve that much, at least.”
She couldn’t say how long it had been since Whit had used her full name. Kat was terrified, but she couldn’t look away. She simply nodded.
“This is about another woman, isn’t it?”
Whit’s voice was so full of pain she couldn’t stand it. Looking into the concerned brown eyes, she saw the way open up before her. She could tell her the whole truth about this, about what was wrong with her now, and spare her the rest.
“Yes, this is,” she answered. “But not in the way that you’re probably thinking.”
* * *
After a wonderful night in Rain’s arms followed by awakening with her on a quiet New Year’s Eve morning when neither of them had somewhere else to be until much later that night, Bett’s world had set itself right again. They’d reconnected on several levels, beginning with conversation about Bett’s involvement in the dramatic events in the Ardennes and Rain’s entertaining stories of getting Mrs. Carlton to Des Moines and what had transpired before Bett got home. It felt like they’d been apart for months, and there had been hours of catching up to do. But by some unspoken agreement, neither of them mentioned the situation on the base or Miriam Boudreaux.
Then Rain had made love to her so tenderly that at the moment of her climax, she’d burst into tears. She’d never done anything quite like that before, and she would have been embarrassed if it had been anyone else. When she’d tried to explain her newly found realization that it wouldn’t ever be anyone else, she’d cried even harder. Rain had simply held her, murmuring in Lakota and caressing her back until she’d fallen asleep. But she’d awoken this morning with a terrible need and had spent herself making Rain come three times. That she’d come twice during the process only made things that much better.
Equally thrilling was that Rain seemed to want her as badly as she wanted Rain. Her lover had already expressed the idea of skipping the New Year’s party, but Bett was fairly sure they’d both be a bit restless—or possibly sore—by then, and a few hours in the company of good friends would be fine. It had taken until almost noon for them to drag themselves out of bed, and now, as they sat finishing their breakfast at the kitchen table, the expression on Rain’s face made her breath catch.
Even though they’d spent that whole night and much of the next morning talking, cuddling, and having sex, the desire in Rain’s eyes made her feel weak. Because what showed there wasn’t only the pursuit of carnal satisfaction. Perhaps it was leftover worries from her brother’s near brush with death, or maybe it was the heavy uncertainty about their future in the WAC, but she could feel Rain immersing herself in their union—seeking out Bett’s scent, homing to her voice, claiming her—as if her very survival depended on it. Holding hands was the very least she would accept, and her sigh of obvious contentment as they’d lain together on the couch in front of the fire last night, so close that there couldn’t be anything else between them, healed Bett’s heart like nothing else ever could. They’d both lived very self-sufficient lives, though in different ways, and Bett wondered if craving another person in this way was as unfamiliar, and as frightening, for Rain as it was for her.
As if reading her mind, Rain said, “I am seriously out of balance when it comes to you.”
“Well you’ve been without me for a bit. Perhaps you’re repairing your equilibrium by going to the other extreme,” Bett teased.
“So is this the way of it for people in love after being apart for a time? And then our emotions will level out again?”
Bett didn’t like the worry in Rain’s voice. She came around the small table and sat on Rain’s lap, kissing her softly. “Tell me how it feels to you right now.”
“Right now? Very, very nice. But below the surface I am…simmering. And it feels almost like when I was drinking—wild, a little dangerous, and bordering on the edge of control.”
Bett felt herself stir at the words and the images they conjured in her mind. Hiding her surprise that she could be aroused again so soon, she leaned in and bit Rain’s neck hard enough that Rain startled slightly. “Maybe I like you that way. Not drinking, but wild and a little dangerous. Maybe I want to see you with no restraint.”
She wrapped her legs around Rain’s waist when her lover stood, not the least bit surprised to find herself being carried toward the bedroom. “Be careful what you ask for,” Rain growled, and Bett shivered with delight. She knew Rain wouldn’t hurt her, and she also believed she’d never seen Rain without some measure of self-control. Would that ever change? Would she ever want it to?
Rain pulled Bett’s dressing gown up over her head but left it wrapped around her arms. Before Bett could protest, Rain pulled her panties down, leaving them around her ankles. “You have captured my heart,” she murmured, stroking firmly into Bett’s wetness. “Tell me I have yours. Tell me I have your body as you have mine. Tell me I can take you this way.”
Bett had a second of panic before realizing she could easily pull off her gown or slide a leg out of her underwear. She wasn’t truly confined, just slightly impeded. And as much as she didn’t like not being able to put her hands on her lover’s body, she submitted to the animal fierceness in Rain’s eyes.
“Yes,” she whispered as Rain entered her, her long fingers sliding easily inside, curling slightly to touch the place that made Bett arch her back as her voice rose in pitch. “Anything. Yes…that…please…please, Rain.”
Sometime later, when her hands and feet were freed and she was curled against Rain, drifting in perfect peace, it occurred to her that she’d been the one who was out of control earlier. Not Rain. She sighed, unable to bring herself to care but knowing that later, she would try again.
Rain heard Bett’s respiration deepen and knew she’d fallen asleep. Of all the wonders she’d known in the world, this was certainly the most sublime. The press of Bett’s body as they lay close with Bett’s head on her shoulder, the regular sound of her breathing, and the weight of her arm across Rain’s stomach seemed like perfection on Earth. Since they’d first come together, it hadn’t been possible to imagine anything or anyone that could be more wonderful. There were many things she admired about Bett—her wisdom, her wit, her passion and spirit, her strength and the sweetness of her heart. She thought of how their lives had merged, how living every day with Bett in her lovely home, she’d come so far in learning how to share herself with another. Still, she knew the untold story, the one she’d been holding back, remained an imperceptible barrier between them. It might be cowardly, but she’d set her course to finish with WAC matters before turning to something more personal.
Closing her eyes, she let herself feel what she’d pushed away for the last few days—a deep yearning to preserve this life exactly as it was, even as she knew that losing her place at Fort Des Moines was a distinct possibility. She hadn’t come up with an honorable way to stop Miriam Boudreaux from telling her tales, which meant more inquiries could be forthcoming. Rightness or truth would be pushed aside in the face of titillating notoriety, and the last three years of her life would be discredited. She had very much hoped to limit the damage to her own career, unsure of who she would be without the service. Then Bett shifted slightly and mumbled something in her sleep, and Rain turned to kiss the top of her head, marveling at how good she always smelled. A new understanding settled in her mind, as clear as the pealing of a bell. Letting her Army life go would be difficult, painful even, but losing Bett was something beyond what she could even consider. So preventing that was where she would focus her strength and her purpose. All else would be as it was meant to be.
Hours later, they roused themselves, deciding to eat a late lunch or early dinner now and then just snack at the party. As they finished their meal, Bett commented, “I’m sure those two are running themselves ragged, getting ready for tonight. But Whit is a sweetheart, and Kathleen’s a wonderful hostess. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Rain smiled as she picked up their empty plates, a little surprised to hear her lover volunteer anything pleasant about Kathleen. Perhaps Bett’s jealousy had been brought on by the distance that recent circumstances had enforced between the two of them. She reached across the table and took Bett’s hand. “They are good people, Beloved. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a friend, but you were right. It is something we need.”
Bett was reminded again that this whole friend thing had been her idea. And it wasn’t a bad thought, it just hadn’t gone the way she’d expected, what with Kathleen’s attraction to Rain. And even if Rain didn’t fully acknowledge what was happening, at least Bett could be comforted that she was the sole focus of Rain’s love. The way Rain touched her left no doubt. Did Rain know how deeply she felt the same way?
She rose and pulled Rain into their bedroom, saying, “I know what else we need. Let’s shower and get ready for the party. Why don’t you come in here with me…to save time?”
That turned out not to be the case as they used all the hot water while Bett’s fingers were bringing Rain to a standing climax—a first for her, although she did have her arms tightly around Bett’s neck to help keep herself upright. Afterward, Rain murmured, “I love seeing you wet and slick like a river otter. It makes me need to feel and taste every inch of you.” She sucked Bett’s neck and breasts while the water streamed off them, as if the combination of Bett’s skin and the water seemed to complete some elemental presence in her mind. Not long after they were first together, Bett had told her she’d move heaven and Earth to give Rain what she wanted. Since then, Rain would sometimes tell her that heaven and Earth were exactly what she saw in Bett, though at first, her sharp wit had made Rain think of her as fire. Now, in the streaming water, she heard Rain whisper, “You are the elements unified. You will always be my whole world, and everything I’ll ever need.”
Bett met Rain’s eyes, feeling anything that had ever stood between them was washing away. Liquid streaming across Rain’s body fused into her touch, and breathing the steam gathering around the two of them was like taking Rain into her lungs, into her being, even as she took her into her body. The sound of flowing water combined with the moans of her Rain, the physical Rain, the sexy, powerful Rain who couldn’t seem to get enough of her, was just the way Bett wanted it. The erotic way that Rain controlled her, demanded from her, filled her, needed her, was nothing like the vague exploration she had done once with one of her casual partners when they had both needed a shower before going to London after a quick fuck one Saturday. As if reading her thoughts, Rain asked, “You have done this before? In the shower?”
“Yes, but—” Bett began, pulling away. It was unusual for Rain to ask her about her past, and she wanted to explain.
“No,” Rain corrected, holding her firmly, moving a little faster through the wetness that was not water, her shoulder pushing Bett into the crook of her arm on the shower wall. “Not like this.”
“No,” Bett repeated obediently, truthfully, breathing quicker as her hips matched Rain’s movements, “not like this.”
“Never like this, Bett,” Rain insisted as Bett tightened around her, drawing ever closer to the edge.
“Never, Rain, never like…never…never this…” Bett let Rain hold her, let Rain keep her, let Rain take her into a heated, dissolving, hard-melting place where her throbbing matched the beating of their hearts and their voices lifting together faded into the disappearing steam.
Rain switched off the water as soon as she felt the temperature begin to cool, having an unpleasant memory of a cold-water shower from the beginning of their relationship. She leaned out of the enclosure and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around herself before guiding Bett out and onto the bath mat. “We’ll have to get back in when the water heats up again.” Bett smiled. “We never used any soap.”
Rain shook herself like a dog, wringing the water out of her hair over the sink. Bett looped a towel around Rain and pulled her toward the bed. “But I’ll need to keep you warm while we’re waiting.” She dropped her towel and pulled Rain in under the sheet. Rain’s eased her thigh between Bett’s legs and was leaning in for a kiss when the look on her face changed to one of alarm.
“Bett, wait. There is something…uh. What is that?” She was pointing at the top of Bett’s breast.
Bett looked down and laughed. “Oh goodness, Rain. I believe you’ve given me a hickey.”
“A what?”
“A hickey, Beloved. That’s what these kinds of marks are called. It probably happened because my skin was wet and more tender when you were sucking on it so nicely.”
Rain still looked worried. “Will it go away?”
“Of course. Please don’t worry. It doesn’t hurt.” She pulled Rain closer. “How about if I give you one too?”
* * *
Bett entered the den wearing a red cocktail dress with a plunging neckline. Everything about her was alive and sensuous and beautiful, and for a second, Rain couldn’t move. Then she crossed the room quickly. Ignited by something deep and urgent, she grabbed Bett’s wrists and turned her so she was facing away. Holding her still, she leaned in from behind.
“Rain–”
As Bett started to talk, Rain held both her wrists in one hand and covered Bett’s mouth with her other. Moving across the exposed skin on Bett’s back with her mouth, tongue, teeth, she pressed herself against Bett. Feeling the wonder of her lover’s body, she was almost overcome by a surge of gratitude powerful enough to weaken her legs. She looked at the red shirt Bett had given her to wear under her new black leather jacket and realized they matched. We are a couple, Rain thought. And everyone who is around us tonight will see it. It was one thing to have this known between them, or to share it with those they chose, but now strangers—or at least those not recognized by them—would be aware. To make such a bold statement now, with the crisis that was going on at the base, was either very brave or very foolish. Bett turned, watching her curiously, and Rain knew she only had a few seconds to examine her feelings about this. It was simple. It was time. It was good.
Rain took a few steps back, needing to clear the storm of emotion. “You look amazing.” She took a breath. “Your dress is…new?”
“No, I’ve worn it before.” Bett moved toward her slowly. “But not lately.”
“You know every eye will be on you tonight, don’t you?”
Bett stopped so close they were almost touching. Almost, but not quite. “Does that include yours?”
Rain could see in Bett’s eyes that she was teasing her. She let her eyes drop to Bett’s breasts. “Very much so. But I’m thinking I need to take my knife just to keep others away from you.”
“You don’t need a knife for that. You only need to look at me like you are right now.” When she took in a breath, Rain brought her eyes back to Bett’s face. Her beloved’s eyes were filling with tears. There was no teasing now. “Tell me nothing will come between us, Rain. No one else and nothing that happens on this base, or with the rest of the Army, or anywhere in the war, or in the rest of the world. If I know that, I can face anything. With you. With us.”
Her word was her bond and she’d never given it lightly. But first, she had to get closer, to feel the promise of everything between them. She held Bett to her tightly, wondering when her heart had begun beating so fast. “I swear to you. There will never be another for me. And all I want is to be where you are.”
* * *
They were a little late, but there weren’t many cars outside when they arrived. Whit met them at the door, hugging them before they could even get out of their coats. “Man, I am glad to see you two.” She lowered her voice. “Almost no one else has shown up.”
Rains looked into the den. The weather was not as cold as it was the last time they were here for a gathering, but four women were standing around the fireplace. Rains judged them to be couples, but they weren’t standing particularly close to each other. Other than that, the room was empty, though she could hear a quiet buzz of conversation coming from other rooms.
Whit examined Rains’s jacket with admiring eyes. “Looking good, Gale. Some day when I save some extra clothes money, you’ll have to show me where you shop.”
Rains ducked her head a bit, remembering how Bett had surprised her with this outfit and how much she’d immediately liked wearing it. Later, she would have to think her way through that. “Thank you, Whit. This was Bett’s Christmas gift to me. I would never have—”
Whit turned to Bett. “No surprise someone with your excellent taste would arrive in an outfit like that.” Then she focused on the low-cut bodice of Bett’s dress. “Hot damn, girl! You are a real knockout. It’s a good thing you have your bodyguard with you. Be sure to tell Kathleen I said she needs a dress just like that.”
Bett smiled and hugged Whit again. “You are such a charmer, Whit. No wonder I always look forward to seeing you two again.” When she straightened back from the hug, her dress had shifted enough to show the hickey on her breast. Rains cleared her throat, but it was too late.
Whit punched Rains on the arm. “You dog! Guess it’s not a bad idea to mark your property. Don’t suppose you got a monkey bite as well?”
Blushing, Rains shifted the collar of her shirt to show the mark Bett had made on her neck. Whit sighed exaggeratedly. “Ah, young love. I remember those days.” For a moment, Rains saw genuine sadness in her eyes as she watched a car drive slowly past their house without stopping.
Whit turned back to them and pointed toward the kitchen. “Kat…” She trailed off for a second and she looked up into Rains’s face. Her hands clenched. Bett stepped closer wondering if she should be worried, but Rains didn’t sense Whit’s anger was directed at her. “She…” Whit closed her eyes briefly. “I guess Boudreaux didn’t talk about what she’s going to say at the hearing, but she…”
At the sound of pain in their friend’s voice, Rains put a hand on Whit’s shoulder. “Let’s talk of that later, Whit. We’ll go see if Kathleen needs any help in the kitchen.”
Gathering herself, Whit managed a smile. “Yeah, shit. That would be great, thanks. You two know your way. Get yourselves something to drink and join the party.” She gestured toward the back rooms. “What there is of it.”
Bett stepped over and kissed Whit’s cheek, “This is perfect,” she said, smiling at Whit’s slight blush. “Gale hates big, loud gatherings anyway, don’t you?”
Rains nodded and rolled her eyes. Whit laughed and turned back to the small group of women in the den.
As they moved toward the kitchen, Bett smiled at her lover. “Would you like a club soda?” she asked.
Rains could see Bett was pleased by Whit’s compliments and that she was excited by having shown off their love marks. She had bright color in her cheeks and a dazzling sparkle in her eyes. “What I would like is to take you home and start over again,” she said in a low voice.
Bett’s smile deepened. “Would you, now? Well, maybe if you’re very good tonight, that could be arranged.” As Rains took in a breath, she added, “Don’t worry, Beloved. I’ll make it worth your while to wait for a few hours.” She carefully shifted their arms, letting Rains feel the side of her breast.
Rains clamped her jaw tightly for a moment, a trick she had learned in her childhood when she was learning to control her emotions. “In that case, I will have some club soda, thank you.”
Bett squeezed Rains’s arm and started them into the kitchen again. She enjoyed the little devilish feeling she got when teasing Rains with her body or with her words when they were in public. Now she especially loved the tension between them as they waited for the next time they would be alone together, because she knew next time wouldn’t be very long. But she also knew this kind of game was not what Rains was used to playing, and she hated having an unfair advantage over the woman she loved. She stopped and looked at Rains again. “You know I would go home with you right now, don’t you? If you say the word, we’ll leave right this instant.”
She watched Rains blink and saw something focus in her eyes. “You are very sweet to me, Bett. No wonder I love you so much.” Then Rains positioned Bett in front of her, and as they started toward the kitchen again, Rains leaned forward, lips hovering above the naked flesh of Bett’s bare back, the breath of her low growl tickling lightly as she said, “But why don’t you tell me when I’ve been good enough to take you home? I want to earn you tonight.”
Bett closed her eyes as the sensation of Rains’s words rippled through her body. She felt herself grow wet as a blur of visions danced across the underside of her eyelids: her lover’s warm mouth approaching her breast, her large hands eagerly caressing Bett’s trembling thighs as her fingers crept closer, Rains’s slick hardness pressing against her hip… Bett swallowed. She had come to really like Kat and Whit and she didn’t want to cause a scandal at their party, but she wouldn’t mind taking Rains to near this side of one. Let’s see if she really wants to play this game. “All right, Lieutenant,” she replied, gathering herself. “You’ll have to earn ten points to take me home.”
“And how many do I get for making your nipples hard just now?” Rains asked in her ear.
“Only one since you caught me off guard. Although if you can do it again, I might give you two points the next time.”
They walked into the kitchen, Bett leading with Rains’s hands on her waist. She tried not to look overly proud that the sexiest woman in the house was physically attached to her. Three women were hovering around a punch bowl, making idle chatter as they filled their cups. Two of them cut their eyes in their direction, giving them a quick assessment before looking quickly away. Kathleen Hartley held a bottle of red wine as she spoke with Sara Vernon, the only person besides Whit that Bett had recognized. Kathleen looked over and smiled as they came in. Bett thought she still looked tired, but perhaps a little less troubled.
“Don’t you look wonderful, my dear?” She hugged Bett. “I’m so glad it worked out for you to come. What a lovely dress.”
“Whit said you should get a dress just like this,” Rains repeated as asked.
Hartley laughed and turned her attention to Rains. “I’m sure she did, having no sense of how the same outfit could look completely different on two different women.” Her eyes roved quickly over Rains’s body. She swallowed. “You look quite handsome, Gale. That jacket suits you very well.”
“Thank you, Kathleen. This was a gift from Bett. Another surprise for me, which is something I’m learning to appreciate.” Rains leaned in to Bett. “What can I get for you?”
“That’s a champagne punch,” Kathleen indicated the bowl on the table, “and I’m trying to get this wine open for Sara, who doesn’t care for punch.”
“May I help you?” Rains asked Kathleen, waiting for Bett’s answer.
“Yes, please,” Kathleen said, handing Rains the bottle, as Bett said, “I’d like some punch, please.”
Rains smiled at the women waiting to fill their cups with the ladle as she dipped hers directly into the bowl. “Now why didn’t I think of that?” one asked.
Rains gave Bett her glass with a napkin wrapped around it and pulled the cork from the red wine as Bett had taught her. Bett was chatting with Sara, so Rains said to Kathleen, “When you are ready, we need to talk about what our next steps should be in the matter of my previous card-cutting opponent.” She didn’t want to say Miriam’s name, but when Kat’s face went slack, she knew she’d been understood. “I don’t want to trouble you with it tonight, but I am very interested in hearing your impressions.”
Kathleen’s eyes fluttered closed for a quick second before she nodded calmly. “Yes, all right. It might help…all of us…for me to share my experience, but it may have to wait a little while.”
Before Rains could ask more, she heard Bett say, “Oh, you’re not seeing each other anymore?”
Sara was shaking her head. “I don’t want anything more to do with that woman.”
When Kathleen murmured, “Me neither,” Rains raised her eyebrows quizzically. She noted Hartley’s slight shake of the head and didn’t pursue her comment further.
“Miriam told me once that you slapped her, Gale. Is that true?” Sara asked, sounding hopeful for a positive response.
Rains glanced at Bett, who arched an eyebrow. “I’d be interested in hearing that story, Gale.”
“I already told you this, Bett…that I had confronted Boudreaux about her behavior toward an earlier squad member of mine.”
“Yes, but you didn’t tell me that you slapped her.”
“Because that wasn’t the point of my story at the time.” Bett cocked her head, waiting. Rains looked a little embarrassed as she turned to Sara and Kathleen. “I was very distressed about her behavior with my recruit, which was similar to what she has done now. Since that girl didn’t want to press charges, I was also trying to abide by the officers’ unwritten code to handle such matters among ourselves. I had been reading a book that featured a duel, so I decided to use that model for my reaction. I got my dress gloves and slapped her with them, backhanded and not particularly hard. I told her why and if I ever heard even a rumor of another such incident, I would turn her in myself. I also told her that if she wanted to do anything about it, I would wait outside for ten minutes.” Rains looked at the three faces staring at her. “What?” she asked.
“I guess she never came out,” Sara said, quietly.
“No, Miriam’s a coward,” Kathleen said bitterly, her eyes distant. “She only abuses those she sees as weaker than herself.”
Just then, two more arrivals came into the kitchen.
“Let’s talk about this later,” Kathleen said, her bright tone sounding only slightly forced as she returned to her hostess duties. “Let me get you your wine, Sara.”
They went out past the punch bowl and into the hallway by the back rooms. When she heard voices beyond them, Bett turned, finding more than worry in Rains’s eyes. “What is it?”
“Don’t you sense some kind of trouble here?” Rains asked, squinting. “Maybe it’s between Whit and Kathleen, or perhaps someone else is involved. I just feel that something bad may have happened.”
Bett took Rains’s hand. “Then may I give you your ten points right now and say you can take me home whenever you are ready?”
Rains nodded, her eyes back on Bett’s face, her other hand touching Bett’s hair. “Thank you, Beloved. As much as I was looking forward to earning your company, this uneasiness has me a bit distracted right now.”
They agreed to stay for the New Year’s toast, and went into the study with the cuckoo clock, where Bett fell into a pleasant conversation with two teachers. Rains was exceptionally quiet, even for her. Then Sophie and Patrice came in. Rains lifted her head, looking hopefully for Lilly but not really expecting to see her.
Sophie sidled up to her cautiously. “You’re not mad at me, are you, Gale?”
“I am too much mentioned, Sophie,” Rains said seriously. Bett nudged her gently. “But besides that, it was an excellent article.”
“Thank you, Bett.” Sophie grinned.
Rains shook hands with Patrice, who said, “See, I’m just the opposite, Gale. I would love the publicity.” She and Bett shared a little side hug. “We’re still waiting for a response from England,” Patrice said to her quietly. “Otherwise, it’s finished.”
Bett gave a satisfied nod. The conversation turned to Christmas, and Rains was pleased to hear that Santa had to do some extra shopping to find Lilly her own wrench, pliers, and a model car to pretend to work on.
“I should have asked you for a spare carburetor,” Sophie said to Rains. “It would have made the perfect stocking stuffer.” While she and Bett laughed, Patrice added, “We need to have you over for a play day sometime soon. Maybe you two can rotate our tires or something.”
Rains knew she was being teased, but she didn’t mind. She felt a budding friendship with Sophie and Patrice, not to mention her affection for Lilly. She smiled along with them and suggested, “Once I finish with her automotive training, I’ll teach her to hunt. Then you’ll be all set.”
Patrice’s eyes widened. “You hunt? That’s great! Me too. My dad used to take us kids, but Sophie doesn’t care for hunting. I’ve got a client with a deer lease not too far from here. Would you like to go and get us a buck sometime?”
Rains thought for a moment. How would she feel about hunting for pleasure, not necessity? “You eat the meat too, right? Not only kill the animal?”
“Of course. I make a mean venison chili.”
“I don’t have my bow and arrows here.”
Patrice choked back a laugh when she realized Rains wasn’t joking. “Well, maybe you could use a rifle this time. I’m sure you could borrow one from the base.”
“Hmm. Let me think about this. May I call you sometime next week?”
“Sure, any time before the end of hunting season.”
Rains nodded before looking back around for her lover. Bett was deeply engaged in a conversation with Sophie, so Rains excused herself to find Kathleen. On the way, Sara stopped her. She was wobbling and latched onto Rains’s arm, her face a little closer than was comfortable. “I never got a chance to call you, Gale, but I’d still like to have lunch and talk about your powers. Especially now that Miriam’s out of the picture.”
“I hope you won’t feel misled, but I don’t have any powers. I only concentrate a little more on observation than some people.” Rains tried to finish the conversation, but Sara held on.
“No, you’re a true mystic. I can feel it. Only true mystics can touch me, in here.” She tried to bring Rains’s hand toward her chest, but Rains pulled back.
“Sara, I wish you wouldn’t—”
Sara stopped her movement but kept talking, her eyes scanning Rains’s face. “I thought Miriam was a true mystic, but she’s just a philanderer. A true mystic would be true to her woman. I bet you’re true to your woman, aren’t you, Gale?”
Rains recognized the repetitive nature of Sara conversation as someone who had been drinking too much or too quickly or both. “Yes, I am, Sara. Very much so. And I would like to have this talk some other time when Bett could join us.”
Sara shook her head. “I’m so stupid, Gale. I can’t seem to understand when to stay and when to go. I leave when I shouldn’t and I don’t leave when I should. Do you know what I’m talking about?”
Someone moved from a chair behind where Sara was standing, and Rains maneuvered her back a step. “Perhaps that’s another issue we could discuss next week, Sara.” Another step back. “Let me talk to Bett and see when she might be available.” One more step and the backs of Sara’s legs touched the chair. She flailed a bit, and Rains got the glass of wine out of her hand as she sat back hard on the upholstery. “Please excuse me for now.”
Rains set her wine glass on the end table by the chair as Sara’s tone changed to one of frustration. “Hey! I’m trying to talk to you. Gale, Gale wait.”
As Rains moved away, a woman she didn’t know grinned at her. “Be careful, pal. Hell hath no fury and all.” Rains just shook her head and kept walking.