More Than Friends (12 page)

“I’m listening.”

“I’m meeting the girls for paintball tomorrow. We’re taking on a group of cocky paramedics from the fire department.”

“I hate to ask, but Kendall—”

“She’s working an extra job.”

“Has she been doing that a lot lately?”

“Mel—”

“I know. I don’t want to put you in the middle.”

“Then don’t,” Evelyn said quickly, and sighed. “Yes. She’s working a lot. Probably, partly for the same reason you have been and partly because she’s got bills to pay and isn’t used to being on her own.”

“I’m sorry.”

Evelyn remained silent for several tense seconds. Melanie met her eyes, resolutely trying to convey her sincerity. Her concern for Kendall was second nature, but she didn’t want to make Evelyn uncomfortable in the process.

“If you want to know how she is, you should ask her. If you’re in for paintball, we’re meeting at nine.” Evelyn’s indifferent tone stung, as if she cared little whether she joined them or not. Before she could consider why that mattered, Evelyn changed the subject. “How is your mother?”

“I had lunch with her the other day. She’s overly concerned with my love life, but otherwise, she’s good.”

Evelyn laughed. “She tried to fix you up with the dry cleaner, didn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“Damn. I thought she was saving her for me.”

“I turned her down, so if you’re still interested I’m sure I could arrange—”

“No, no. That’s okay.” Evelyn raised her hands as if warding someone off. “She’s worried about you.”

“Hopefully, I’ve convinced her that she doesn’t need to be.”

“She’s your mother, it’s her job.” Evelyn covered her hand.

“Yeah, then what’s your excuse?”

“My excuse?”

“For worrying.”

“I care,” Evelyn said without hesitation. Her fingers tightened around Melanie’s.

“Well, don’t worry. I’ve decided spinsterhood isn’t totally unappealing. But I absolutely refuse to get a bunch of cats.”

“Please, you’re gorgeous, smart, and successful. It’s against the laws of nature for you to be single.”

“You think I’m gorgeous?”

“Yeah, me and every other lesbian you know.”

Her laughter skidded to a halt in the back of her throat as she met Evelyn’s eyes. Coupled with Evelyn’s fingers now holding hers more tightly, the compliment felt incredibly personal.

“Do you really not know how beautiful you are?” Evelyn asked softly.

“I guess I just never thought about you seeing me that way.” Heat sang through Melanie’s body, flushing her skin with an astonishing awareness.

“Me either.” In the shadow of their umbrella, Evelyn’s eyes looked big, dark, and intense. Melanie knew the moment Evelyn realized that she’d revealed too much. Her gaze shifted away just as Melanie saw the fear. Then she released Melanie’s hand and stuck her own under the table in her lap. “Besides just because we’re friends doesn’t mean I’m blind.”

“Evelyn—”

“Hey, look, I’m just trying to help boost your ego a bit here. You’re not going to be a spinster. When the time is right, you’ll meet someone.” She straightened in her chair, her posture matching her now-stilted tone.

“Yeah, maybe,” Melanie said as the strange energy between them dissipated.

For the rest of the meal, their conversation didn’t stray beyond the kind of safe small talk you might have with a casual friend. But she couldn’t forget the soft feel of Evelyn’s skin on hers. Over the years, they’d touched casually many times, and though she was aware of Evelyn’s beauty, she couldn’t remember having an errant thought about her. So why now did she miss the intimacy of moments ago?

*

“Kendall?”

Kendall paused with a bag of Doritos poised over her shopping cart and turned at the voice from behind her.

“I thought that was you. I don’t know if you remember me. Tiffany, Richard’s cousin.” She pushed her own cart down the chip aisle toward Kendall.

“Yeah, hi.”

Tiffany swept her hand down her neck, drawing Kendall’s eyes toward the dip in her V-neck T-shirt. “Richard told me about you and Melanie.” Tiffany poked her lower lip out and scrunched her eyebrows in what she guessed was intended to be a sympathetic look. “How are you?”

“I’m okay.”

“I know how tough it can be. Last year, I split up with my partner of twelve years.”

“Wow. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ll always love her, just as I’m sure you will, too. But it’s best that we’re apart now.”

Despite her words, Tiffany didn’t sound convinced. Kendall wondered if Melanie had said something similar in the past few months. If she were being honest, she’d felt the end was inevitable long before Melanie had the guts to cut it off. “I’m sorry just the same.”

“She was cheating on me. Anger carried me through most of the pain.” Tiffany’s voice remained calm, but her eyes reflected echoes of turmoil. Maybe Tiffany had some depth that Kendall hadn’t picked up on before. “But it’s gotten better.” Tiffany laid a reassuring hand on Kendall’s shoulder. “The saying’s so clichéd, but time really does heal.”

Kendall nodded and Tiffany squeezed her arm and then released her. “It was a bit rough in the beginning. But I’m recovering.”

“Keeping busy?”

“Absolutely.” She thought she sensed flirtation behind Tiffany’s concern. “I’m working a lot but trying to have some fun, too.” She threw out a line, giving Tiffany an opening if she wanted one.

“That’s important. Everyone needs a little release now and then.” Tiffany winked, driving a bus right through that opening. “Let me give you my number.” She flipped open the purse in the top of her cart and extracted a business card. “My cell is on there. Call me, anytime.”

As Tiffany walked away, Kendall admired the way her yoga pants hugged her tight ass. Depth or no depth, Tiffany might be worth a second look.

“Tiffany,” she called. “Would you like to get some coffee some time?”

“Sure. When?” Tiffany smiled.

She glanced down at her groceries. “Right now?” Tiffany smiled and Kendall walked away from her cart, leaving it in the middle of the aisle.

Chapter Ten

“We’re going up against
them
?” Melanie stared at the five women clustered together near a water cooler inside the registration tent. Tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed completely in camouflage, they made an intimidating first impression. She doubted the pink bandana holding back her hair and matching T-shirt would inspire fear in her adversaries.

“Don’t worry, they look scarier than they are. Besides, this game isn’t about brawn.”

One of the women lifted a black-and-silver gun with a U-shaped attachment on the top and sighted down the barrel. When she snapped her gum loudly, Melanie jumped.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you.” Evelyn laughed and, taking her hand, she led her to the group of women. “Hey, ladies, this is my friend, Melanie.” One by one, she introduced their opponents, all paramedics or firefighters. Melanie had already met their three teammates, fellow officers, at the bar the other night.

One of the paramedics, Becca, blatantly raked her eyes over Melanie. As the tallest of the group and the only blonde, Becca stood out. “What’s up? You guys bring a ringer?”

Melanie laughed. “Hardly.”

“We’ll see, won’t we?” Becca smiled, a pleasant lifting of her full lips.

“Come on, Mel. Let’s get you some gear.” Evelyn grabbed her sleeve and guided her toward the equipment-rental office.

While Evelyn signed out their gear, Melanie studied the map of the play area, fifteen wooded acres with both natural and man-made hiding places, which was divided into several sectors for either private or public participation.

“We’ll be in sector three, just our group. When we get out there, stay inside the purple markers or you’ll wander into someone else’s game.”

“I don’t think I’ll be straying far from your side.” She’d never be mistaken for adventurous, but for the chance to spend the day with Evelyn, she’d decided to venture outside her comfort zone. Now she just hoped she wasn’t the first one eliminated. The occasional percussion of paintballs being fired in the woods echoed through the air. “Does it hurt?”

“Depends on where you take it.” Evelyn looked up from the form in front of her and squeezed Melanie’s shoulder. “Relax. A bruise is usually the worst of it. If it makes you feel any better, I promise I’ll try to jump in front of the bullet for you.”

She smiled. “I don’t think that will be necessary. Just knowing you would do it is good enough for me.”

“Sign here.” Evelyn pushed the sheet of paper toward her and held out a pen.

“What exactly am I signing away here?”

“Your right to sue if you’re injured.”

“I thought you said a bruise was as bad as it gets. Why do I need to waive my legal rights for a bruise?”

“Actually, I said a bruise is
usually
the worst of it.” She grinned as Melanie signed the form with a flourish.

“There. But if I sustain an injury, you have to take care of me.”

“Done.”

“I’m serious. And I’m not expecting just a ride home from the hospital here. I want the full pampering.”

“Absolutely. Sponge baths and all,” Evelyn said as Melanie passed the form back. The images her words evoked sent a tremor through Melanie’s hand and the paper rattled. Melanie clamped down on it, hoping Evelyn hadn’t noticed. But her teasing nod at the document and her next comment proved she did. “Do you want it in writing?”

Melanie smoothed out the wrinkles and handed over the form, then shoved Evelyn’s shoulder. “No. What’s next?”

“The fun stuff. Let’s get you a gun.” Evelyn’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“For someone who carries a gun every day, you’re surprisingly excited about having one today.”

“I so rarely get to shoot at anyone with the other one,” Evelyn said solemnly.

“I’d say that’s a good thing.” She didn’t like to think about Evelyn in a situation dangerous enough to require her to use force.

Evelyn collected two guns and various other items from the teenager working in the equipment office and then handed half of it to her. She led Melanie to a picnic table in the corner of the registration tent where the rest of their team had already gathered.

After a stressful week at work, Evelyn had looked forward to today’s match. Sergeant Stahlman had been on her ass to make more arrests. She already spent more time in court than half the officers on the shift, but he wasn’t satisfied, or rather the higher-ups weren’t. She didn’t make the right type of arrests, he had argued. The brass wanted major drug busts, gang-bangers locked up, and guns off the street. She could bust her butt all shift answering dispatch calls, but no amount of domestic-violence collars or burglary suspects could impress those who mattered. Maybe those incidents weren’t flashy, but it was all important police work as far as she was concerned.

Today, though, she could forget about all of that for a while and blow off some steam with her friends. Having Melanie along only made her day better. They’d fallen into the habit of talking on the phone each evening. She looked forward to six thirty, knowing Melanie would call her while she drove home from work. If she wasn’t busy, she found a quiet spot, parked her patrol car behind a building somewhere, and stole a few minutes’ conversation. If work kept her running all night, she settled for the occasional text sent hurriedly when she wasn’t driving.

“Is all of this really necessary?” Melanie held out her mask and gestured toward the rest of the protective gear. She knew paintball wasn’t Melanie’s thing, but it was cute how she was willing to try and, once they got started, she might actually enjoy it.

“Absolutely. I wouldn’t want anything happening to that pretty face.” She moved closer and touched her thumb to Melanie’s chin. Electricity crackled up her forearm. Her eyes locked with Melanie’s, and there she found the same mix of attraction and confusion that swirled within her own body.

“Well, this isn’t going to be a cute look.” When Melanie smiled tightly, she let her arm drop and stepped back. She needed to figure out this new reaction she seemed to be having to Melanie, but she didn’t want to make her uncomfortable in the process.

“Are we going to play or what?” Someone called from behind them.

Melanie smirked and slid the mask down over her face. Somehow, even in the camo-colored plastic and goggle-shaped eye shield, she looked good.

“You’re ready,” she said, tapping Melanie’s shoulder.

“Ha. I may look ready, but I don’t have a clue what I’m about to do.”

“Let me show how this gun works. Then you just follow one of us and do what we do.” She took Melanie’s gun and ran through how to attach the CO
₂
canister and the 200-round hopper. After she’d demonstrated disengaging the safety and firing, she handed the gun back.

“Got it,” Melanie said, with more confidence in her voice than she demonstrated by the awkward way she handled the gun.

*

Melanie crouched behind a tree, pressing her chest against the rough bark and listening intently for any unusual sound that might signify an approaching enemy. Unfortunately, so far she’d barely missed eliminating Evelyn when she accidentally fired her gun. Then later she’d nearly covered a feisty squirrel in paint when he’d rustled the leaves behind her too loudly.

Evelyn knelt behind her own tree several feet away. She gestured to their teammates on her other side, then turned and met Melanie’s eyes. Despite the mask that covered most of Evelyn’s face, her smile shone in her eyes. When Evelyn waved her hands in elaborate signals, Melanie had no idea what she intended to convey, but she smiled in response anyway. Evelyn raised her eyebrows as if asking for her understanding, and she shook her head. Evelyn repeated the signals, and this time she made out that she was supposed to dash toward a massive fallen tree trunk ten yards in front of them. After another set of sharp gestures, she could almost hear Evelyn saying that she would “cover” her.

She shouldered around the tree until she could see her target, and when Evelyn waved she started running. She cringed when she heard the pop of paintball fire nearby but didn’t feel the expected impact. Sliding on her right hip, she bounced against the log, then pulled her gun up and swept the area for targets. After ensuring she wasn’t in immediate danger, she glanced back over her shoulder at Evelyn.