Magnetic (14 page)

“I did you no favors with that rat trap. It left you stranded more than it got you anywhere.” Jenny laughed. “And it was so damn ugly, it looked like a fish bowl wearing suspenders.”

“Don’t knock the Pacer. It got me through my last two years of college.”

“That you’re still paying for, so don’t give me any guff about paying you back.” Jenny stopped and consulted with the map when they came to a fork. “It’s this way,” she said, starting off to the right. “I heard from Olivia. She called to see if you were doing okay.”

Stunned, Layne stopped walking, and Jenny turned to look at her. “What did you tell her?”

Jenny started walking again. “That you were doing great.”

“And that’s all that was said?” Layne asked as she caught up.

“No.” Jenny shook her head. “Not exactly.” She avoided Layne’s grasp and started walking faster.

“When did she call you and what did you say?”

“Yesterday after the trail ride, and I told her that she was a callous asshole for sending that email and cleaning out the apartment, and if she wanted to know anything else, she could email me since she was so good at doing that. There were some extra adjectives thrown in.”

“She’s a tool.”

“She’s a bitch.”

“Thanks,” Layne said with a smile.

Jenny grinned back at her. “Anytime, my friend. Are you nervous about getting back into the dating world?”

“I’m not in any hurry. The perfect one will come around, and I’ll truly appreciate her when she does.”

“That’s the right attitude.” Jenny stopped and put both hands on her hips as she surveyed the surroundings. “And we’re lost.”

Layne looked at a small wooden sign proclaiming they were in the bird sanctuary. “Not a good place for an archery range.”

“I never could read a map,” Jenny said with a sigh as she handed it to Layne.

“Ah, you had it upside down. Let’s double back.”

“As I was saying, you have the right mind-set, Layne. The perfect woman is going to come along at exactly the right time. I think you’ll know in your heart that she’s right for you just like I did Molly.” As Layne stepped into the intersection of two trails, she collided with a flash that sent the two rolling. “Oh, no, not that one,” Jenny said as she put a hand to her mouth.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you,” Stacy said as she got up on her knees.

“No, it was my fault. I didn’t look where I was going.” Layne handed Stacy her sunglasses with an earpiece missing. “I’ll pay for these, too.”

“No, no. I was going too fast. Are you sure you aren’t hurt?”

“Chip n Dale, you’re making spectacles out of yourselves in front of the birds.” Jenny grabbed Layne and hoisted her up, then went for Stacy. “Okay, bone check. Move your arms and legs.”

“I’m fine,” Layne said as she brushed herself off. “Stacy?”

Stacy bent down and picked up her T-shirt and hung it back around her neck. “Still intact. Are y’all birding?”

“We were trying to find the archery range, but I got us lost,” Jenny said as she pulled a twig from Layne’s hair.

“It’s down that trail.” Stacy pointed the opposite direction of where Layne was leading them.

Layne tried not to look at Stacy wearing nothing more than a sports bra, running shorts, and shoes. She picked up Stacy’s ball cap and handed it to her. “You have dirt all down the right side of your body.”

Stacy took the hat and brushed her arm and leg with it before putting it on her head backward. “I always wanted to learn how to shoot a bow. Maybe one of you could teach me.”

“We’re clueless, but we’re gonna take a stab at it anyway,” Jenny said. “You’re welcome to join us. Maybe with you along, we’ll actually find the range.”

Layne hung back since there was only enough room for two to walk side by side on the narrow trail. With no one around and Jenny and Stacy facing away from her, she was free to stroll along and study Stacy’s backside in the snug-fitting shorts she wore. The waistband on one side rode lower on her hips, showing off a slight tan line. Her shoulders that had seen more of the sun were just a bit red on top. But it was the trickle of sweat that ran along Stacy’s spine that brought back that night.

“Wrap your legs around me,” Stacy whispered into Layne’s ear. Layne had just enjoyed an orgasm but could feel another building as Stacy ground into her. With one hand, she gripped Stacy’s strong back and with the other grasped a flexed bicep as Stacy braced herself against the headboard.

Once again, Layne ran into Stacy when she and Jenny stopped suddenly.

“Do you have a head injury?” Jenny asked as she waved a hand in front of Layne’s face.

Layne swatted at it. “I’m fine.”

“Then why didn’t you answer me when I asked if you wanted water?”

“Oh…yes.” Layne spied a barrel at the junction of two trails and opened the lid. “Oh, thank God, there’s ice in here. Y’all want a bottle?” Layne asked as she rubbed a few cubes on her neck.

“Is the heat getting to you?” Stacy asked with concern.

The heat Layne was battling was bubbling up from the inside. “No,” she said and made a face as though the notion was preposterous.

Jenny looked at Layne like she was crazy, pulled out a bottle of water, and handed it to Stacy before opening one for Layne. “Drink, Daisy daze.”

*******

There was only one woman on the course armed with a crossbow. She nodded to the three as they debated on what bows they should use. The Moss Ranch employee in the equipment shack watched them in amusement before making a suggestion. “If you’re unfamiliar with the sport, you should go old-fashioned.” She handed Jenny a simple bow that looked like something a child would play with. “The rules are posted, but let’s go over them together, shall we? One shooter per target. Shoot only your target. Do not cross the line on the field while others are shooting.” She pointed at the line. “A bell will go off every fifteen minutes and only then do you collect your arrows. You all appear to be over twenty-one, though in your case, that’s debatable,” the woman said with a wink at Stacy, “so I won’t ask for your IDs. And the last rule is the most important—no horseplay or you’ll be asked to leave the course.”

“Yes, Ms. Lady,” Jenny replied, then laughed when the woman glared at her. “Okay, got it.”

Layne and Stacy received their bows, and all were given a wrist protector and a quiver of arrows. Each woman lined up with her target and prepared to shoot.

“How do I look?” Jenny held the arm protector in front of her crotch.

Layne glanced her way and laughed. “Like a dork, and you’re going to get in trouble.” Layne put her protector on correctly or so she thought.

“If you’re right-handed, that goes on your right arm,” the woman called from the shack.

“Way to go, dork. You’d been better off putting it on your crotch,” Jenny teased.

Layne heard a thwack and looked over as Stacy sent an arrow flying that missed the target by a mile. She looked back at Layne with a shrug and a smile.

Jenny was second to shoot and pumped her fist when the arrow hit the very edge of the target. “Ha! I freaking rock!”

Layne’s arrow sailed past the target and stuck in the foam behind it. “Neither of you has gotten that far, so shut up,” she said as she positioned her next arrow. She shot again and nailed the target a few inches from the red center.

“Not bad,” Stacy said with a bow. “I think you
have
done this before.”

“I grew up with two brothers,” Layne replied smugly, “and you ought to see me with a slingshot.”

“You should see her with a bat,” Jenny said and laughed.

“You play softball?” Stacy asked.

Layne shook her head. “Jenny, you butthole.” She looked over at Stacy. “She’s talking about the winged kind. One got into her storage room one night, and we tried to get it out. I broke my ankle.”

Jenny cackled. “Just one little
ol
’ bat caused me to lose half of my shelving and a trip to the hospital when Layne missed a step.”

Layne let her arrow go, and it hit close to the center of the target. “Another word from you, Jen, and I’m going to break a couple of the rules.”

“And Jenny’s changing the subject,” she said, looking at Stacy. “So how’re you liking New Orleans?”

“I’m enjoying the food, that’s for sure. I’ve gained two pounds since my return to Louisiana.” Stacy patted her flat stomach. “I have to get
reacclimated
to the heat in the food and the weather.”

Jenny found her quiver empty and walked over to Stacy. “You live in the city or the suburbs?”

“Harahan with my cousin until I can find my own place. She’s not in any hurry for me to move. Anytime I find something in my price range, she claims it isn’t safe, and my apartment guides keep disappearing.” Stacy smiled. “I think she likes the company.”

Layne listened to the conversation with interest but continued to shoot.

“The complex where Ronnie lives is reasonable, and I think it’s pretty nice. Have you looked there?”

Stacy drew her last arrow. “No, I haven’t. I think Ronnie likes her privacy, and it’s a small place.”

The bell chimed just as Jenny opened her mouth to say something else. She sprinted off to collect her arrows, and Layne yelled after her, “Get mine, too. They’re red, and most are in the target.”

Stacy laughed as Jenny mimicked Layne sarcastically and jogged off to collect her own. She has a nice smile, Layne thought as she watched her go.
And nice legs and the softest lips
… Layne shook her head, purging that train of thought from her mind.
Stop thinking about her, stop looking at her…oh, nice ass.

“Can we go eat now?” Jenny asked as she returned. “I am
frickin
’ starving.”

“Are you sore from our accident earlier?” Stacy asked when Jenny went for a second round at the buffet.

“No, are you?”

“Just my right butt cheek. I think I may’ve landed on a root. You took a pretty hard hit. Did you play football with your brothers, too?”

Layne smiled and shook her head but didn’t look at Stacy. “Do you run every day?”

“I try. It keeps the cellulite at bay.”

“You don’t have cellulite.”

“Yes, I do,” Stacy said with a laugh and lowered her voice. “You didn’t look close enough.”

“We were supposed to forget that night, remember?”

Stacy was quiet for a moment, then said, “I can’t.”

Layne looked up from her plate and found Jenny in a conversation with someone at the dessert bar. “She never meets a stranger. And look at her plate, it’s loaded. It’ll probably be cold by the time she gets back.”

“Can you…are you able to put it out of your mind?”

Layne looked back at her plate. “I don’t want to talk about this. Ronnie’s my best friend, and I can’t let whatever I’m feeling get in the way of that.”

“What
do
you feel?”

Layne closed her eyes. “I won’t have this conversation with you.”

Stacy tossed her napkin onto her plate. “I wish you wouldn’t have left that morning. This is killing me.”

Layne swallowed hard and pushed her plate away when Stacy got up and left. She wished that she’d never met Stacy, had never known her touch. Because at that moment, Layne wanted to chase her down, and she knew she couldn’t.