Fresh Tracks (4 page)

"Care to join me?" she asked, cocking her head toward the tub.

"Don't mind if I do."

They disrobed together, neither taking their eyes off the other. Amy admired the lean,

firm body of her partner. She knew it so well, every inch, every dimple, every curve and

plane and dip, and yet it always felt new. The long limbs, the high, small breasts, the

surprisingly shapely legs. Each time Jo's naked body was revealed, Amy felt as though she

was watching for the first time, and she knew how lucky that made her.'

She took Jo's hand for support as she stepped into the tub and sank slowly into the

scented liquid heat. Jo stepped in behind her carefully and hissed as she lowered herself

gingerly into the bath.

"God damn, you like your water hot." She always spoke the same line in the same

circumstance.

"Sitting in a tub of cold water doesn't help me relax, love." Amy gave her stock answer.

They settled down together, tandem sighs of relief escaping their mouths and causing

them both to chuckle. Jo leaned back and tugged Amy against her chest, wrapping her arms

around her midsection.

"Today went well," Je stated, her lips close to Amy's ear.

Amy nodded against Jo's shoulder, loving the feeling of being surrounded by Jo's body.

"Sophie looks good," Jo continued. "She seems to be doing okay."

"I imagine Christmas was really hard for her," Amy said. "She told me she's always spent it with Kelly's family and though I'm sure her brother and his wife did their best to keep her

entertained, it probably wasn't the same for her."

"She laughed a lot tonight. That was good."

"That's because you're a witty woman."

"That's very true." Jo smirked. "But I mean she didn't look like she was about to burst into tears at any given moment like she did a few months ago."

"Time heals all wounds, or so they tell me." Amy picked up one of Jo's hands and examined it, touching and feeling each individual finger, watching the water run down the palm and

across the wrist. She loved Jo's hands. Feminine but strong, they could caress skin gently

or wield a power tool with vicious precision.

Jo placed a soft kiss on her temple. "The first two guests seemed to get along very well."

"They did, didn't they?"

"And you were worried."

"Not about those two," Amy said. "Not really. I mean, how do you not immediately fall in love with Molly?"

"It's impossible."

Amy pressed her lips together as her thoughts turned to her dear friend. "I don't think

things are good for her right now."

Jo inhaled deeply and Amy could feel her nodding. "I know. I feel the same way."

"Maybe when Kristin gets here, you could take her out behind the garage and rough her up a little bit? Beat some sense into her?"

Jo grinned. "Think that'll help?"

"I don't know. It might."

"Kristin's not a bad person, honey. You and I both know that. A blind person, maybe..."

Amy snorted. "Do you think she has any idea what she has in Molly? How many women would

give their right arm to be with her?"

Amy had known Molly for nearly thirty years and there was barely a moment that she

hadn't adored her. When they were young, their parents were friends and twelve-year-old

Amy had often babysat four-year-old Molly. Despite the odds their age difference stacked

against them, they remained friends, drifting apart for a few formative years during high

school and college, but getting back in touch when Molly was coming to terms with her

sexuality.

"I'll say it again. Kristin's not a bad person. I like her very much. So do you."

"I don't like what she's doing to Molly."

Jo pressed her nose into Amy's hair. "Don't take this the wrong way, okay? But it takes

two to tango."

Amy ran her hand along Jo's thigh, accepting the statement for what it was: the truth. "I know. I wish I knew how to help."

"Maybe you can't. Couples go through stuff, baby," Jo said, her voice gentle as a light breeze. "It happens."

"It's never happened to us." Amy felt Jo's arms tighten around her and squeeze, tender fingertips skimming across her stomach in lazy, circular patterns.

"We're lucky."

"I'm still worried about Molly."

"I know you are."

"I think she's worried and I don't know how to help her. She loves Kristin so much and I think she has this dread setting in. Like she knows something has to be done, but she has

no idea what. And she's afraid. I hate that she's afraid."

"You are such a sweet woman. You know that?"

Amy turned so she could look into Jo's eyes. "Tell me I'll never have to worry about us

falling apart."

Jo's gaze never wavered. "You will never have to worry about us falling apart. Ever."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"I love you, Joanna." Amy's voice was just above a whisper and she barely got the words out before Jo's mouth covered hers.

They kissed slowly, deeply, with little urgency but with a complete, comfortable knowledge

of one another's bodies. Amy was always amazed by how well they knew each other. Their

lovemaking could be primal and raw, but more often than not, it seemed almost an extension

or continuation of a hug, a conversation, a simple touch. It was common for an intimate

exchange of dialogue to blend into foreplay, then blend into lovemaking without any clear

lines between the three. It was a by-product of their years together, their knowledge of

one another, and Amy loved it. Like now.

She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when Jo's fingers had moved between her thighs,

but then.. .there they were, pressing, softly exploring, creating a wetness that was thicker

and hotter than the bathwater, spreading it over and around Amy's suddenly swollen flesh.

Amy opened her legs willingly, as much as she could in the large tub. The feeling of safety

she had when Jo was behind her, surrounding her, was palpable. Nobody could ever love her

like this. She reached back and hooked her hand behind Jo's neck, breaking their kiss to

arch into Jo's shoulder as she felt her alarmingly sensitive nipples caressed.

She was unaware of her own groaning until Jo smiled against her ear and teased, "We have houseguests, baby. You might want to keep it down."

Amy clenched her teeth and growled, frustration and arousal battling with one another as

Jo's fingers continued to work her body mercilessly. She would never refer to herself as a

screamer, but she wasn't silent in bed either and Jo knew it. She tangled her fingers into

the curls at the back of Jo's neck and tugged firmly.

"You're evil," she hissed, then gasped as a spasm took her by surprise.

"You owe me, remember?" Desire colored Jo's voice. "If you'd have let me have my way this morning, you could have been as loud as you wanted. Now, I'm afraid you have to pay

the price."

Amy jerked in her lover's arms again. Jo's voice in her ear, possessive and dominating, was

all she ever really needed. Their relationship was one based on mutual love and equality, but in the bedroom, Amy was more than pleased to let Jo have the upper hand,? something that

seemed to make her wife inordinately happy. Amy's legs began to tense and she tightened

her grip on Jo's hair once more. She was so close...

Jo groaned softly as her fingers slipped into Amy's core. "God, I've wanted to fuck you all day long," she said in a hoarse whisper.

That was it. Why does the F word always send me into oblivion? Amy wondered absently,

just as she plunged over the edge, and her flesh clamped down on Jo's hand, holding it in

place. She turned her face into Jo's neck in the hopes of muffling her own cries, grinding

her teeth with the effort to remain quiet and riding out the orgasm cradled in the arms of

the woman she loved most in the world. There was no other position, physically or

emotionally, that she'd rather be in than the one she occupied at that moment.

She was unsure how much time passed before her heart rate slowed down to a speed that

was near normal. "Wow."

"You always say that," Jo teased.

"I always mean it."

"Good." There was a beat of silence before Jo stated simply, "I'm pruning."

Amy laughed. "Is that your not-so-subtle way of saying you want to get out?"

"Yes." Jo kissed her temple.

Amy sat up with a groan, but her eyes twinkled. "Fine. Get the hell out of my bath. I don't appreciate you coming in here and interrupting me like that."

Jo grabbed a nearby towel and grinned. "Oh, yes you do."

Amy was still smiling helplessly as Jo left the room.- She sat back and allowed herself to

relax in the still-warm water for a bit longer, waiting for the feeling to return to her legs, the pleasant afterglow of lovemaking enveloping her like a fine mist. Her thoughts turned

again to how lucky she was to have the partner she did. It wasn't like there had never been

rough patches. It wasn't like her relationship with Jo was perfect, but they were good

communicators and that was key as far as Amy was concerned. As long as she felt like she

could talk to Jo about anything, they'd be fine.

She glanced at the ceiling, thinking of Molly upstairs alone in the big bed, and her heart

ached. Speak up, my friend. It s the only way. You have to open your mouth. It was an easy

piece of advice to give, but what seemed like a simple thing to do was very difficult for

somebody like Molly. Being raised by a very dominant father and a sweet, kind mother with

low self-esteem wasn't terribly conducive to teaching a young woman to speak her mind

when she should. More likely, Molly would allow somebody to walk all over her like she was

some cheap throw rug, and would probably smile politely while it was happening. Amy had

seen it occur more than once and it was painful to watch, especially as a friend who cared.

Taking a deep breath, she shook the thoughts from her head. She could ponder the

situation all night long; she had done so in the past. Molly was like a little sister to her and she wanted nothing more than to help her. Jo's words of wisdom from a few months ago

echoed in Amy's head. Molly's a big girl. She's going to have to stand on her own two feet

sooner or later. It was true and Amy knew it. Still...

She got out of the bath, dried herself quickly, and smoothed on some lotion, all the while

intensely aware that she had a naked woman

waiting for her in bed. As she clicked off the light, the sight before her stopped her in her tracks. Jo was curled up on her side under the comforter sound asleep, facing the

bathroom. Moonlight shone through the open curtains and across her smooth face, relaxed

in repose, her tousled curls dark against the white of the pillowcase. Amy just stared, her

heart swelling with love. Dropping the towel, she scooted under the covers naked and

backed gently against Jo's front. Jo's arm immediately draped across her waist and she

was drawn closer. Without ever waking fully, Jo buried her face in Amy's hair, her

breathing barely changing. Amy breathed in deeply, contentedly, and then let it out.

Thoughts of her dear friend gradually left her alone as she relaxed completely, reveling in

the warmth that was her life and finally surrendering to sleep spooned tightly in Jo's arms.

Tuesday, December 27

DARBY

I

t's very simple, Julie. As far as you're concerned, you haven't seen me. That's it. End of

discussion. Okay? Just...tel her I usually go away to my family's cabin over break and

you're not sure when I'll be back. She's got to head back down to Pennsylvania next week

to go back to work anyway. I just have to disappear until then."

Darby Cooper eased her ten-year-old Toyota to a halt at a four-way stop and looked both

ways, rolling her eyes as her best friend scolded her from the other end of the cel phone

illegally pressed to her ear. "I know. I know," she said when Julie paused for breath. "But by then her classes will be starting up again at Penn State and she'll forget all about me."

Lowering her voice to the barest of whispers, she added, "I hope."

"God, you're acting like a guy," Julie admonished. "No, you're worse. Worse than a guy.

You're being a pig."

"I know. You're absolutely right. But I couldn't help myself. Did you see her, Jules? Did you look at her at all? Those eyes? That ass? Come on. You can't blame me."

"What, you're trying to tel me you have zero control over your hormones? Take some

responsibility. You're twenty-five, not fifteen."

"Okay. Fine. You're right. I'm like a guy. I'm worse than a guy. I'm a pig. Happy now?"

Darby listened to some more stern and sensible Julie-isms, telling herself she deserved

the lecture, after all, and the least she could do was take it like a dyke. As her friend

wound down, she inquired, "Feel better?"

"A little." Julie's voice softened. She always came around in the end.

"Good." Darby finally got through the intersection. "I'll have the cell with me, but I'm going to go dark for a few days, just in case. Leave a voicemail if you need me, okay?"

"Stay out of trouble," Julie said by way of a good-bye.

With a grin, Darby flipped the phone shut and tossed it onto the passenger seat where it

became lost in a sea of loose CDs. She turned the volume up on the Gwen Stefani song that

was playing and slapped out a beat on the steering wheel, singing along with Gwen in a

surprisingly on-key voice as she chugged down the country road.

She thought of the object of her avoidance. Rebecca. Aqua blue eyes, aerobics instructor