A Celtic Knot (18 page)

Catherine had called Olivia on Monday morning to thank her for the amazing hike on Sunday and to chastise her for sending a private courier to the bookstore to deliver Sunday’s thirty-six puzzle pieces. She had truly enjoyed their conversation, but decided not to call on Tuesday. It was now Wednesday evening and quickly approaching ten o’clock.

Catherine walked through her living room and couldn’t believe she wished she had that damn puzzle at home with her. What had started off as a source of frustration had turned into a lovely challenge. Whenever she spent time with the puzzle she felt such a comfortable connection with Olivia. She needed that now.

She thought back to this afternoon, when she’d shaken the puzzle pieces from their envelope. She’d become fond of the beautiful fairy taking shape on the antique chest, though aspects of her form and clothing weren’t falling into place. Today, among the new puzzle pieces, Catherine had found a second lovely face. At first she’d been taken aback, needing to rearrange her mental image of the picture as a whole. Then she’d rearranged the pieces—the blue drapery for this figure, the cream drapery for that one—to reveal the emerging forms of not one but two ethereal fairies, facing each other.

Catherine slipped into her cream cabled cardigan and grabbed the cordless phone, then stepped out onto her back patio and admired the beautiful moon. She wondered if Olivia was enjoying the same moon.
Are you on your patio with a glass of orange juke sitting by your fire pit? Or are you getting ready for bed after another busy day at the hospital?

Catherine needed to stop analyzing and dissecting. She dialed Olivia’s cell phone.

“Well, isn’t this a lovely surprise.”

Catherine slipped into an Adirondack chair. “I hope it wasn’t too late to call, Olivia.”

“Not at all.”

“What are you doing?”

“I was just thinking about mowing the lawn.”

“Olivia, it’s ten o’clock at night.”

“I have to do something productive to get you off my mind.”

“Do you have headlights on your lawn mower?”

“I’ve never operated a lawn mower in my life. Do they come with headlights?”

Catherine laughed. “Here I thought I was the one unable to get a woman off my mind.”

“Nice to hear that, my Irish friend.”

“I wanted to tell you about meeting Natalie on Monday. A meeting my mother totally orchestrated.”

Olivia laughed. “Your mother told me about her plot. How did it go?”

“Actually, really well. I understand what she’s going through. We compiled a list of questions for you. Brace yourself.”

“God help me. I really do appreciate you taking the time with her, Catherine. Her fear is pulling her away from her mother, who needs her more now than ever. I’ll answer her questions and hopefully make her feel like an important part of her mother’s recovery.”

“I know you will. You’re not the big bad enemy after all.”

“I’m so glad you at least have realized that.”

Catherine skimmed her thumb around the edge of her glass. “I was wondering if you had any plans for dinner tomorrow night?”

“Actually, I do. Echo’s a grill master. She promised to barbecue Zoë and me a couple of steaks. Why don’t you join us?”

“I’d love to join you for barbecued steaks. What can I bring?”

“Absolutely nothing. Just your wonderful self.”

“It’s the Irish way to bring something, so I’ll bring wine. How does that sound?”

“You certainly don’t need to, but who am I to interfere in the rituals of an Irish woman.”

“You’re a fast learner, Dr. Carrington. Still feel like mowing the lawn?”

“Oh, no. I’m ready for a dreamy sleep now that I’ve heard your voice and will be seeing you tomorrow. Has this helped you as well?”

“Tremendously.”

“Good then. Maybe you’ll make a habit of it.”

Catherine arrived at the front door of 25 Carriage House Lane to find a note taped to the front door.

Dear Catherine,

No need to knock! Come find me in the kitchen.

Love,

Echo

Catherine made her way through the glass-domed foyer and spacious family room to the sun-filled kitchen, where Echo was flipping steaks in a zesty-smelling marinade. Catherine set a brown grocery bag on the granite marble top. “Something smells great.”

Echo looked up and smiled. “Well, hello there. Don’t you look beautiful in that pink dress, Ms. Cocoa Cream.”

“Thank you. The chef is looking rather chic herself. Thank you for inviting me to dinner, Echo.”

“It’s our pleasure. We’re just glad you could come.” Echo peeked into the grocery bag. “Olivia said you wanted to bring wine but she didn’t say you were bringing the whole wine store.”

“I brought four different kinds because I didn’t know what you guys liked with your steak. That way we can have a variety. I also brought a jug of milk for Zoë. Olivia told me what kind she drinks.”

Echo laughed. “You’re too sweet.”

“What can I do to help with dinner?”

“You can help by getting Olivia out of the pool. You two are on salad duty tonight.”

Catherine smiled. “That would be my pleasure. Where’s Zoë?”

“She’s just getting up from her nap. Now, I’ll put the milk away and pop the cork on this bottle of Merlot while you get the mermaid out of the pool. Tell her the lettuce will start wilting soon if you two don’t start slicing and dicing. I want both of you back here in fifteen minutes or I’m serving you bloody steaks.”

“Yuck.”

Echo pointed down the hall, and Catherine headed toward the south end of the house. This place was filled with so much activity and life. She felt happy to be here, at home.

She stopped at the large double French doors and stared in wonderment. Olivia was slicing through the water with grace and agility, wearing a shiny gold swimsuit that clung to her shapely body like a second skin. The muscles of Catherine’s belly clenched as she stepped through the doors.

Entering the large glassed-in solarium was like stepping into a rainforest. Multicolored pots of ferns hung seemingly free floating from the ceiling while fichus trees decorated all four corners of the room. Plush patio furniture lined one wall, giving an air of a resort. Catherine walked along the length of the lap pool, keeping in step with Olivia’s long strokes.

Olivia smiled at her as she turned her head to take a deep breath. She hit the end of the pool and executed a perfect underwater turn and swam to the other side.

Catherine stepped out of her pink leather bow sandals. She held onto the hem of her dress as she stepped down onto the first step and sat on a plush plum towel. The warm water lapped against her calves as she wiggled her toes in the soothing water. She watched Olivia turn at the other end of the pool and head toward her. She extended her leg and Olivia reached forward and grabbed her foot.

Olivia dunked herself beneath the water and threw her head back. She resurfaced between Catherine’s feet and brushed the water out of her eyes. She gripped Catherine’s calves in her hands and stood before her. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t pull you into this water with me?”

Catherine couldn’t take her eyes away from Olivia’s firm breasts straining against the shiny gold material. “Echo says we’re on salad duty and we better get in the kitchen in exactly fifteen minutes or she’s serving us bloody steaks.”

“That’s a good one. Give me another.”

“I don’t have a change of clothing.”

“I’ll respect that. Let this be a warning to you, however. Next time you sit before me looking so damn sexy, I can’t promise I won’t pull you into this pool.”

“Is that a threat, Dr. Carrington?”

“No, ma’am, not at all. I’m just careful about what promises I make, and if I make them, I keep them. Including the promise to order a hundred candles for your beloved Father O’Brien. I even went in and met him personally, so I could find out who his supplier was.”

Catherine leaned forward and placed her hands on Olivia’s chest. “Did you really?”

“I sure did. Father O’Brien’s a fascinating man. He had a lot of questions about you and me. I felt like your father was quizzing me. I mean that biologically.”

Catherine laughed. She was also very touched that Olivia had taken time from her busy schedule to meet Father O’Brien.

“Between him and Laura, you should feel well protected from mean people and dangerous lesbians. He told me that you and your mother are very special to him and that you’re both in his prayers every day. He said he prays you’ll find a woman who will make you happy. He obviously knows about your lifestyle. I’m surprised he’s so supportive.”

Catherine smiled. “He’s a darling man. He told me he doesn’t understand homosexuality but that doesn’t mean he’s going to stop praying for all of his parishioners, regardless of their orientation. That’s pretty open minded for a man of the cloth, don’t you think?”

“Definitely. I’m very impressed.”

“Does this mean you’ll be coming to church with me next?”

Olivia skimmed her fingertips down Catherine’s calves and became more serious. “I’ll never believe what you believe, Catherine. But I want to understand what makes you who you are.”

Catherine slowly leaned forward and brushed her lips lightly against Olivia’s. Olivia let out a throaty groan and took Catherine’s wet lips with a voracious yearning. Catherine met her stroke for stroke as she fed a longing she couldn’t hold back.

Catherine leaned her face against Olivia’s and struggled to catch her next breath. “Would Echo really feed us bloody steaks if we didn’t show in fifteen minutes?”

“Never. It’s just an empty threat. However, since you don’t have a change of clothing we better get into that kitchen before I get you all wet.”

Catherine slid her hands along Olivia’s neck and held her face gently in her hands. “Too late.”

Olivia smiled broadly.

Twenty-Eight

C
A
THERINE COMPLETED THE FINAL ENTRIES
in her computer for the bookstore’s electronic payroll and sent the information to the bank. She swiveled in her chair, slipped the copies of the time clock information into her payroll file, and placed it in the tray on her desk.

She looked across the room at the puzzle on her father’s chest. The magnificent picture was nearly complete, a mystic forest with two lovely fairies facing each other in mid-flight. Scattered throughout the scene, the dark wood of the chest showed through where thirty-two pieces were missing. Today, she would fit those final pieces into place.

Catherine leaned back in her chair, thinking about this past weekend and how close she’d felt to Olivia. They’d met for lunch on Saturday. Yesterday they’d taken another hike, this time to Lake Hodges, and afterward Catherine had prepared an Irish feast of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding in her tiny kitchen. They’d eaten in her living room before a roaring fire. It was the longest they’d ever spent together, and Catherine hadn’t wanted the day to end. Olivia was the one who had insisted it was time for her to head home.

Catherine closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her head continued to question the very possibility of Dr. Carrington being the one, yet every day Olivia tugged her heartstrings a little tighter and a little closer.

A soft knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.”

Laura opened the door and stepped into the office. “A bike courier just came by with a package for Catherine O’Grady. I’d bet my kids’ college funds you’ve been waiting for it to arrive.”

“Your kids’ college funds are safe,” Catherine said, smiling. She rose from her chair and took the package from Laura, turning it over in her hands. “I’m not even angry at Olivia for paying for a courier. I’m ready to see what this picture looks like when it’s complete.”

Catherine tore open the envelope and shook its contents onto the old chest. One of the puzzle pieces was wrapped in tissue paper. Olivia had written “Save me for last” across it in her careful script.

Catherine and Laura turned the other pieces face up and began fitting them into place. This ritual had become easier as the days had gone by and the picture had taken shape. Some days, Laura or Dana had helped Catherine with the puzzle; other days, she’d worked on it alone. Today, it was as if each piece was ready to leap into the gap in the beautiful scene waiting to receive it.

Catherine and Laura traded pieces back and forth, working in companionable silence. Catherine felt happy as the familiar figures of the fairies became complete, their lovely swirling dresses, the magical forest. Finally, no piece remained but the wrapped one. One fairy was handing the other what looked like a gold chain. The final piece would reveal the exact nature of the gift.

Laura handed Catherine the tissue-wrapped puzzle piece. Catherine carefully unwrapped it, her heart pounding unexpectedly. Confusion and emotion washed through her as she took in its meaning.

Laura studied the puzzle piece. “It’s a pendant for the chain, isn’t it? It’s beautiful. It must mean something to you.”