there, it’s fine. Try not to put pressure on yourself to go there if you’re not ready."
"Okay." She lay her head back down on Ryan’s chest. "I’ll chill out a little." Looking at her watch she said, "It’s nearly two. Don’t you need some lunch?"
Ryan pursed her lips together, appearing to consider the idea. "I could eat," she finally conceded.
"There’s a news flash," her partner teased as she got up and pulled her perennially hungry partner with her. "Let’s get a little something in that tummy." As they walked back down the hall, Jamie suggested a division of tasks. "If you bring in the bags, I’ll make you a sandwich."
"Is there stuff here?" Ryan asked, wrinkling her brow.
"Yep. I’ll make some lunch, and we can eat on the patio."
When Ryan returned from lugging their bags upstairs, she noticed that the huge wooden doors in the living room were wide open, the ocean breeze causing the heavy drapes to flutter. She poked her head out and saw her lover sitting at a rectangular glass topped table that could easily seat ten. The table and the matching chairs were a natural wrought iron with tan and cream striped cushions covering the seats. Several lounge chairs and chaises were placed around the granite patio, all covered with the same fabric. The patio faced the ocean, but the three-foot-tall, dry-stacked stone wall that surrounded the space was topped by equally tall Plexiglas panels that effectively blocked the near-constant wind. Jamie had set the table with placemats and linen napkins and was sipping a glass of lemonade, looking out at the ocean, when Ryan arrived.
"You really look like you belong here," the dark woman mused, as she appraised her lover in her native habitat.
"Umm, is that a compliment?"
"No, but it’s not a criticism either," Ryan assured her as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "It’s just an observation. I just meant that you seem comfortable and self-assured in this setting."
"Well," she said thoughtfully. "I’ve spent a lot of time here, and I do feel comfortable. I actually feel more comfortable here than I do at my parents' home," she admitted. "When we were down here we acted more like a family, so it guess it feels more like home."
"What exactly do you mean?" Ryan asked, not sure why the change of locales would affect the family dynamics.
"Well, we were usually all together here. Daddy couldn’t go to the office, and he almost never brought clients down. Mother was away from her friends and activities, so they both paid some attention to me," she said softly. "We’d play golf or just hang out. It was nice."
Ryan felt the stab of anger that often overwhelmed her when her lover talked about her childhood. Jamie had such a sad and wistful expression on her face that she just wanted to hold her and make all of those lonely days disappear. Still, she knew that even though her wish was genuine, there was nothing that she could do to make the old pain go away. All that she could do was help prevent her lover from ever having another lonely day.
They ate their turkey sandwiches in a companionable silence. The brisk wind and the still warm sun made Ryan’s appetite greater than usual and, after a few puppy dog looks, her partner went back into the kitchen and emerged with another complete lunch. Jamie sat and watched her demolish the second sandwich, hands laced together with her chin resting upon them, grinning the entire time. "I gotta put that weight back on," Ryan smiled, as she gobbled down another forkful of creamy coleslaw.
"Umm-hmm," her lover agreed with a smirk.
When the second entrée was finished, Jamie went into the kitchen once again and returned with a plate of huge, dense cookies. "What are these?" Ryan asked as she took a big bite.
"Snickerdoodles," she informed her. "Chocolate chips, walnuts, and caramel in a Toll House base."
"Wow," she drawled, nearly swooning with pleasure. "These are fannnnn-tastic."
"Thought you might like them." Jamie
"Okay." She lay her head back down on Ryan’s chest. "I’ll chill out a little." Looking at her watch she said, "It’s nearly two. Don’t you need some lunch?"
Ryan pursed her lips together, appearing to consider the idea. "I could eat," she finally conceded.
"There’s a news flash," her partner teased as she got up and pulled her perennially hungry partner with her. "Let’s get a little something in that tummy." As they walked back down the hall, Jamie suggested a division of tasks. "If you bring in the bags, I’ll make you a sandwich."
"Is there stuff here?" Ryan asked, wrinkling her brow.
"Yep. I’ll make some lunch, and we can eat on the patio."
When Ryan returned from lugging their bags upstairs, she noticed that the huge wooden doors in the living room were wide open, the ocean breeze causing the heavy drapes to flutter. She poked her head out and saw her lover sitting at a rectangular glass topped table that could easily seat ten. The table and the matching chairs were a natural wrought iron with tan and cream striped cushions covering the seats. Several lounge chairs and chaises were placed around the granite patio, all covered with the same fabric. The patio faced the ocean, but the three-foot-tall, dry-stacked stone wall that surrounded the space was topped by equally tall Plexiglas panels that effectively blocked the near-constant wind. Jamie had set the table with placemats and linen napkins and was sipping a glass of lemonade, looking out at the ocean, when Ryan arrived.
"You really look like you belong here," the dark woman mused, as she appraised her lover in her native habitat.
"Umm, is that a compliment?"
"No, but it’s not a criticism either," Ryan assured her as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "It’s just an observation. I just meant that you seem comfortable and self-assured in this setting."
"Well," she said thoughtfully. "I’ve spent a lot of time here, and I do feel comfortable. I actually feel more comfortable here than I do at my parents' home," she admitted. "When we were down here we acted more like a family, so it guess it feels more like home."
"What exactly do you mean?" Ryan asked, not sure why the change of locales would affect the family dynamics.
"Well, we were usually all together here. Daddy couldn’t go to the office, and he almost never brought clients down. Mother was away from her friends and activities, so they both paid some attention to me," she said softly. "We’d play golf or just hang out. It was nice."
Ryan felt the stab of anger that often overwhelmed her when her lover talked about her childhood. Jamie had such a sad and wistful expression on her face that she just wanted to hold her and make all of those lonely days disappear. Still, she knew that even though her wish was genuine, there was nothing that she could do to make the old pain go away. All that she could do was help prevent her lover from ever having another lonely day.
They ate their turkey sandwiches in a companionable silence. The brisk wind and the still warm sun made Ryan’s appetite greater than usual and, after a few puppy dog looks, her partner went back into the kitchen and emerged with another complete lunch. Jamie sat and watched her demolish the second sandwich, hands laced together with her chin resting upon them, grinning the entire time. "I gotta put that weight back on," Ryan smiled, as she gobbled down another forkful of creamy coleslaw.
"Umm-hmm," her lover agreed with a smirk.
When the second entrée was finished, Jamie went into the kitchen once again and returned with a plate of huge, dense cookies. "What are these?" Ryan asked as she took a big bite.
"Snickerdoodles," she informed her. "Chocolate chips, walnuts, and caramel in a Toll House base."
"Wow," she drawled, nearly swooning with pleasure. "These are fannnnn-tastic."
"Thought you might like them." Jamie
Similar Books
