Magnetic (13 page)

“I just ate a bug.” Jenny gagged. “Swear to God, it flew right into my mouth and hit the back of my throat. I swallowed because I didn’t want it to pass back over my tongue.”

“Don’t fill up on the insects. We packed a lunch,” Ronnie teased.

“Whoa, girl,” Stacy said. Layne looked over her shoulder as Stacy’s horse did a dance and veered off the trail. Stacy pulled hard on the reins, but her horse rubbed against a tree and looked as though it was trying to rub Stacy from its back. Layne and the others watched as Stacy yanked on the reins again until the stubborn animal got in step with the others.

“She can be temperamental,” Stick called out. “But since you’re an experienced rider, I figured you could handle her.” She grinned at Layne and continued down the trail.

After about an hour or so, they picked a shady spot bordering a field of wildflowers in bloom where they ate sandwiches and fruit. Layne shared a bag of chips with Ronnie, and they talked and joked like they’d always done. Layne told Stacy a funny story or two about Ronnie but otherwise avoided her when she could.

Layne understood after her talk with Ronnie what Molly had been seeing in her all along. She genuinely liked Stacy, and the cavalier attitude was all a ruse to hide her fear of finally losing her heart. Layne felt like a heel because the few times she did glance Stacy’s way, she caught her eye. She accepted then that she’d had her time with Stacy, and that was all it was going to be. Her plan was simple—avoid Stacy when she could and shut out any thoughts or fantasies that tried to cross her mind. Simple yes, easy no because any time Stacy spoke or moved, Layne could not help but remember what it felt like to be in her arms.

“Come see,” Stick said as she pulled Layne to her feet. “I’ve found something I think you might like to have a look at.”

Layne allowed Stick to take her by the hand and lead her away from the others. They walked down the tree line to where the land sloped off to a creek. Stick pointed down at a bird’s nest, and three little heads could be seen poking out over the sticks. “Aw, what kind are they?”

“Just baby sparrows.” Stick pointed to a bird sitting on a limb nearby. “That’s momma. She’s watching us closely.”

“Let’s not disturb them then. I should tell Molly so she can take a picture.” Layne was walking back toward the group when Stick caught her by the arm, twirled her around, and kissed her hard. Layne pulled away. “Stick—”

“It’s just a kiss. You do enjoy being kissed, don’t you?”

Layne took a step back. “I can only offer you my friendship, I told you that.”

Stick moved in again and caught Layne’s hand. “But you said I could try to convince you otherwise,” she said with a smile. “Kiss me, Layne.” Stick pulled Layne closer, though she resisted.

“Have you been watching too many spaghetti westerns? This is not the way to change my mind.” Layne jumped when a horse face appeared beside her.

“Control your horse,” Stick ground out as she looked up at Stacy. “You said you were an experienced rider.”

“I am, but you saddled me with the most obstinate animal in the stable,” Stacy said just as hotly. “She wants the grass around your boots.”

Stick inhaled sharply through her nose. “Do we have a problem you and me?”

Stacy smiled. “I was wondering the same thing when you gave me wrong way
Wileana
here. Since
you
are actually the most experienced rider, I think we should trade. You’ll probably be better at handling her.”

Stick squinted against the sun. “The horse isn’t what I’m talking about. It’s the snide comments and the dirty looks. And now you’re interrupting.”

“She was coming to tell you that we’re ready to move.” Layne and Stick turned and noticed Ronnie close by astride her horse. “Everyone’s in the saddle ready to go because Molly spotted another pond, and she wanted to get a picture of the herons there.” Ronnie’s tone was curt as she regarded Stick. “And you should know when a lady says stop, she means it.”

Stick whirled around to Layne. “I was…I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, I know what you were doing.” Layne looked up at Ronnie. “I’m fine, really.”

Stick got back into her tour guide routine, even though she battled the stubborn mare. Stacy tried not to grin as she rode Stick’s horse, peacefully bringing up the rear. Molly and Jenny didn’t know what had occurred on the field but didn’t protest when Ronnie rearranged the group so Layne could ride alongside her. Stacy was far enough away that she couldn’t hear what was being said, but the two were talking a lot, and Ronnie seemed irritated.

When Stacy had seen Layne’s facial expression and the way she tried to pull away from Stick’s grasp, she’d let the horse walk up on them with a bit of guidance. Layne didn’t appear as though she felt threatened; there was no panic on her face, just annoyance. Stacy was fairly certain that Layne could’ve easily handled herself, but she’d intervened anyway. Though she resented Stick’s tactics, she’d wanted to grab Layne that morning and kiss her, too.

The wise thing Stacy knew was to be honest with Ronnie and leave. She wasn’t being fair, even though Ronnie often asserted that they were just having a good time and there would be nothing more. But good times had run out on Stacy.

Not since Anna had she been so enamored with a woman. For a long time, she felt as though she had nothing else to give. Anna had taken it all. Her sexual escapades satisfied a temporary need for companionship, and Stacy had pretended that it was Anna she’d been with.

The night with Layne had been intended to be just that, but when she woke up the next morning, she realized that Anna hadn’t been with her, only Layne. Perhaps it was Layne that made her forget, or simply, she was healing and allowing herself to open to another. Whatever it was had her searching for the woman who’d left her behind, and now she’d found her in the most unfortunate of circumstances.

Chapter 13

“This is much better than the barn dance. Hand me another, sweetie.” Jenny skewered a marshmallow on her stick and held it over the fire until it was engulfed in flames. She blew it out and waited for it to cool a second before popping the sticky treat into her mouth. “Layne, you want one?”

“No thanks.” Layne sat in the chair that she’d dragged out of her cabin while the others sat on blankets they had near the fire. She looked up at the night sky and watched the lights of a jet move beneath the stars and wondered if the woman for her was thousands of feet up en route to some destination far away. She wanted to be in love, even though she’d just been freed from a relationship. She wanted that stability, that commitment, and most of all, she wanted to be happy like her two best friends who were currently arguing over the proper roasting of a marshmallow.

“I’m not eating that, it’s charred.” Molly turned her head when Jenny held out a stick with a blackened ball of mush on the end.

“They’re the best when they’re burned on the outside. It makes the inside gooey.” Jenny popped the marshmallow into her mouth and smiled.

“It’s called roasting for a reason.” Molly put a piece of chocolate bar on a graham cracker. “You roast until they’re golden brown on the outside. Otherwise, they’d be called marshmallow flambé.”

“Then that’s what I’m having, flambé,” Jenny retorted with an
overexaggerated
French accent.

Ronnie was roasting her own and would occasionally feed Stacy, who sat next to her with a sketchpad. She’d glance at the fire with her dark eyes as her hand moved across the page. Layne wondered if Stacy was seeing more than just flames with that faraway stare. What would’ve happened if I’d left her a way to contact me, or if I’d contacted her? Layne wondered. Would we be sitting together on that blanket?

“So slutty Stick stinks now,” Jenny said as she put another marshmallow on her skewer. “Stick snapped and did something stupid and now she’s only a twig.” Jenny guffawed at her play on words. “Stick sucks at seduction. Sticks and Stones, and if Stick puts her hands on Layne Stone again, I’ll break her bones.”

Layne smiled and rolled her eyes at the heavens. “Give her a break, I obviously misled her.”

Ronnie chuckled. “Layne asked her if she’d been watching too many spaghetti westerns. You know, how the grizzled man with a pug full of whiskers grabs the woman who throws the back of her hand to her forehead and protests before she melts like butter when their lips meet? Just once, I’d love to have seen one of those women draw back, nail the guy in the jaw, and say, ‘Back off, tobacco breath, or I’ll knock the rest of your teeth out.”’

“Why were they called spaghetti westerns?” Molly asked as she neatly assembled her
s’more
.

“They were filmed in Italy,” Stacy said as she kept her eyes on what she was sketching.

“Maybe Stick’s
schtick
is working on another woman right now,” Jenny said.

“I hope so.” Layne yawned and stretched. “I don’t want to be the next contestant in her games.” Layne looked away when Stacy glanced up at her.

Molly’s gaze followed a marshmallow that sailed toward the shadows, and she noticed the reflection of the fire in two small eyes near the ground. “We’re not supposed to feed the animals, Ronnie. More will come.”

“It’s just a raccoon, and they raid the trash. It’s not like a few marshmallows will wreck its diet.” Ronnie threw another, this time a shorter distance and watched as the animal moved out of the shadows for the treat. “He’s cute. I bet he’d come right up and take it out of my hand.”

“He might just come up and take the whole bag,” Stacy said as she looked up.

“Bullshit on that.” Jenny tucked their bag of marshmallows between her and Molly. “Better stay away from the chocolate, too, you masked bastard.”

“Bastards.” Ronnie pointed to another set of eyes that had encroached on their campsite.

Layne folded her legs up in the chair with her. “Do they bite?”

“No,” Ronnie cooed. “Well, only if you attack first.” She tossed a marshmallow to the newcomer.

“I don’t think you should invite
any more
,” Molly warned.

Layne got up out of her chair and squeezed onto the blanket with Jenny and Molly and watched as the first coon slowly moved toward Ronnie.

“Bad idea, Ronnie,” Stacy said as she looked around. “We’re surrounded.”

Layne, Jenny, and Molly all turned at once and noticed another raccoon nearly at their blanket. Layne was on her feet in a heartbeat screaming at the top of her lungs as she bolted toward her cabin. Jenny and Molly did the same while Ronnie laughed maniacally.

Chapter 14

Though time together was what they all wanted, time apart seemed to be what they all needed at breakfast the next morning. Ronnie went to the beach to sun, Molly to her cabin to read, and Stacy for a jog, which left Jenny and Layne to wander aimlessly.

“There’s yoga and meditation, or a pottery class, either of those speaking to you?” Jenny asked as she looked at a paper with the day’s activities.

“I took a meditation class once when work got stressful and fell asleep so deeply that my snoring disrupted the entire class. The instructor told me she’d never seen anyone snore and drool while sitting straight up.”

“I’d really like to see that.”

“No,” Layne said with a grin. “I know you have a camera phone. What about pottery?”

Jenny shook her head. “I’ve already had my time in the mud. Oh, hey, archery. I could shoot something.” Jenny turned the paper around and studied the map. “It’s a short hike.”

“Lead the way.”

Jenny folded the paper and stuffed it into the pocket of her shorts. “Molly’s really enjoying this trip. I have to thank you for making this happen, but I don’t have to agree with the terms of the loan. Things are getting a lot better, and I should be able to pay in full all of what I owe you by the end of the year.”

“You don’t owe me anything. We all take care of each other. We’ve been doing it for years now. Y’all helped me buy that car when the engine blew in the one my parents sent me packing in.”