Souls' Rescue Part 7

"Okay," Talia said.

"So, now that's settled, let's talk about something else."

"Such as?"

"You already know what I do for a living. How 'bout telling me what you do."

Talia waved her off. "My job is so boring compared to yours. I'm an insurance claims manager."

"I doubt that's boring. Bet you have to deal with a lot of p.i.s.sed off people."

"You don't know the half of it." Talia glanced down at her hands, folded in her lap. "I've had to tell old men they can't have surgery because they're not covered, but if they don't have the surgery they'll die. It can be a c.r.a.ppy job sometimes."

"That must have been hard to deal with."

"That's why I came here to work for the Winchester Group. I did my interns.h.i.+p there just after college. They specialize in insurance for seniors."

"Where did you work before?"

"A major company that, according to the terms of my departure contract, I'm not even allowed to say the name of anymore. They were located in DC and were just a group of a.s.sholes. I wish I'd never started there."

"Mind if I ask why you did?"

"I grew up in DC, and Mother wanted me to work close to home. It was bad enough I'd gone to college here in Cincinnati. So, she knew a friend of a friend who got me the job. I hated every minute and jumped at the first chance to leave."

"You're mother seems kinda, well-"

"Pushy?"

"I didn't want to say it, but yes. Very pushy."

"That's Colette Stoddard. She's the Queen Mother as Jacob calls her."

"He mentioned that."

"Jacob and Mother have a-let's see, what shall I call it? Maybe it's best described as a Hate-Hate relations.h.i.+p." She grinned. "If you're lucky, you'll work your way into the same lovely arrangement. Okay, now it's your turn. Spill."

"Not much more to tell. Born and raised in Queens, New York. My dad was a fourth generation firefighter. He didn't care that I was a girl, so long as I got into the job, too."

"Queens? You don't have an accent."

"Because I worked to get rid of it." Kelly wouldn't meet her gaze. "Too many questions about 9-11. I was on the job when it happened."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Talia said. "I was in DC, but nowhere near the Pentagon. I can't even imagine what it must have been like. My mother knew a few people who were killed that day, but I'd never met them."

"I'm not good at talking about it."

"You don't have to." Talia touched the side of Kelly's face. "Unless you want to."

"Thanks." Kelly looked up and held Talia's gaze for a moment.

Talia felt the b.u.t.terflies in her stomach and the familiar twinge in her chest. She was more than just attracted to this woman and she decided to change the subject before she revealed how much she wanted to kiss her. "You don't seem old enough to have been a firefighter this long."

Kelly ran a hand through her unruly short hair. "Nice compliment, but I'm thirty-four."

"And not a strand of gray in that red hair. Do you color it?"

"Does any butch color her hair?"

"Suppose not. I probably will when I get gray hair."

"Why?" Kelly rose and moved close to the bedrail to brush the hair from Talia's shoulder. "You have beautiful hair."

"Thanks. But I'm thirty-six and well on my way to a bottle of hair dye."

"Don't. G.o.d gave you a gift. So what if it changes color a little? Who cares?"

She was not real, Talia thought. How could a woman like her possibly be so-so interested in her? She was flirting. Wasn't she?

Kelly leaned down slowly, and Talia was sure she was going to kiss her. Would it be as sweet as the first kiss? Her lips looked so soft and inviting.

"Get a room!" Jacob said.

Kelly bounced away from the bed like a pinball, and Talia smirked at her embarra.s.sment. "You've got lousy timing, Jacob."

"That's what all the guys say." He sighed dramatically and made himself comfortable in the chair beside her bed. "So, are you two making plans for a date yet?"

"No," they chorused and laughed again. Talia shook her finger at Jacob. "Back off, Mr. Matchmaker. You hear me?"

"I hear, but I'm not listening."

Kelly's face got redder. "I need to get going. Ma's expecting me for dinner." Kelly returned to bedside and squeezed Talia's hand. "I'll give you a call later. Okay?"

"Look forward to it." Talia caught Kelly's gaze. There was something in the look she was giving her, but Kelly turned away before Talia could figure it out. Kelly waved as she hurried out of the room.

"She's one cute little butch," Jacob said.

"Shut up."

"And you're loving the attention, aren't you?"

"Shut up, Jacob."

"I mean, she's been here almost every day-even before you woke up-always at your side. She's got it bad for you. All you need to do is snap your fingers and she's yours." He snapped his fingers in the air and waggled his eyebrows at Talia. "You make a cute couple."

Talia glared, trying to be as intimidating as possible.

"You're going to be sorry if you let this one get away."

Talia opened up her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand. "I know, 'Shut up, Jacob.'"

"Good. Finally a man who can be trained."

Jacob stuck his tongue out at her and turned on the TV, ignoring her smug look.

Chapter Ten.

MEGAN BRUGGE WAS a tall, slender woman with dark hair cut into short curls that left her long face exposed. She had a round chin and soft cheeks, but there was nothing else soft about her. Talia stared at the doorway as her mother greeted Megan in the hallway, then watched her ex walk in to the hospital room. No. Walked wasn't the right word. Sauntered. Megan always moved with a purpose, like a tiger on the prowl. Talia knew enough to worry about what Megan wanted.

Talia hadn't spoken to her ex in more than a year. Thirteen months and two weeks, give or take. They'd split up after Talia had, in Jacob's words, "Grown a pair." Megan was a control freak. Always. And her need for control had finally pushed Talia to pack up and leave. It was the hardest thing she'd ever done.

Megan greeted Colette warmly, then looked toward Talia, smiled, said something else to Colette, and approached the bed. Colette left without another word, and Talia took a deep breath. Here goes.

"How are you feeling?" Megan said. Her voice was kind, but her eyes were as cold as Talia remembered.

"Sore, but doing well. The doctor says with some physical therapy I should be fine. Probably be able to go home in a few weeks."

"Good. Your mother and I were speaking about that. You going home, I mean." Megan reached for Talia's hand, but Talia tucked both her hands under the covers. "We're going to arrange a special flight for you."

"Flight? I live less than two miles from here. I won't be flying anywhere."

"Don't be naive, Talia," Megan's tone turned to the condescending one Talia was so familiar with. "You can't possibly stay here."

"Why not? I live here"

"Yes. I'm well aware of your current location, but your sabbatical is over. It's time you came home where your family can take care of you."

"Family? What family?" Talia tried to sit up, but wasn't able to get in a comfortable position. She reached back and rearranged the pillow so she was propped up a bit more. "The only real family I have is Sam, Jacob, and now Kelly. And since most of them are here, I'm staying. Besides, what gives you the right to dictate what I do or where I go?"

"You gave me the right a long time ago, Talia." Megan took hold of her hand in a tight grip. "You promised yourself to me years ago. I mean to keep you to that promise."

"Get the h.e.l.l out of here." Talia tried to pull away, but Megan's grip was strong. "I mean it. Either leave or I'll call for security to remove you."

"You wouldn't dare." Megan lowered her voice. "We're not going through this again, are we? Your mother and I have decided, and that's that."

"Okay, guess we are going to go through this again, even though I wish we didn't have to." Talia pressed the b.u.t.ton for the nurse's station. "I'm done with you, Megan. Let go of my hand and get the h.e.l.l out of here and out of my life."

Megan took a deep breath, and Talia knew she was about to be treated to another chapter of the Book of Megan's Bizarre Bulls.h.i.+t.

"Can I help you?" The nurse's voice interrupted whatever Megan was about to say.

Talia waited, holding her breath until Megan released her hand and walked out of the room. The cold stare she received made her s.h.i.+ver.

The nurse watched, a knowing look on her face, then met Talia's gaze.

"I'm sorry, Jody. Looks like the problem resolved itself. Thank you." She settled back against the pillows and closed her eyes.

RUBY FRUITS WAS the only lesbian bar left that Kelly would go to. Most of the other bars were what she liked to call "meat markets," and she had long ago decided she didn't need that scene anymore. Not that she could pick up any woman she wanted, but Kelly had no desire to head into another relations.h.i.+p, temporary or permanent. At least not for a while.

It was still early in the evening, and Ruby Fruits was nearly empty. The interior of the bar was decorated with tasteful art ranging from prints by Frido Kahlo to murals of Georgia O'Keeffe's work to the paintings of local artists. The theme, of course, being naked women. Kelly always found herself drawn to the two-seat round table below one of the few pieces of art created by a man, a cheap poster copy of Van Gogh's original, "Nude Woman Reclining." The nude woman lay on her side, with her back to the artist, her long brown hair in a tight braid hanging loosely near her shoulders. What Kelly liked most about the painting was that the woman wasn't one of those bone thin models you often see in modern art. She had flesh on her. A real woman.

She could almost feel the soft curves of her and would love to be able to snuggle against her in that bed.

A voice behind her said, "One of these days I'm going to find out you stole that d.a.m.n picture."

Kelly tore her eyes away from the Van Gogh, not surprised that her ex, Janine, was joining her. "I just might do that. Maybe I'll even find the chick and take her home."

Janine slid a beer across the table. "I wouldn't be surprised if you did. So, long s.h.i.+ft? You haven't been coming in here lately."

Kelly took a swig of her beer and swallowed. "You could say that."

"Been thinking about my offer?"

"Janine, please. Can we not do this? I thought we were going to be friends."

"Yes. With benefits." Janine leaned back in her chair, balancing on its back legs. "You're a tough b.i.t.c.h, Kelly McCoy."

"I do my best."

"You're gonna make one h.e.l.luva catch."

"Whatever." Kelly put the beer down and pointed to the painting. "Too bad that chick isn't here. She's only a nice dream."

Janine let the chair fall forward so she could lean across the table and take Kelly's hand. "You keep dreaming and you're going to find that none of the women you end up with are good enough. Sometimes you have to take what you can get."

"I don't want to do that." She squeezed Janine's hand before releasing it. "Seriously. Now please, change the subject?"

"Oh, h.e.l.l," Janine leaned back in the chair again. "You look like h.e.l.l. That p.r.i.c.k giving you a hard time again?"

"Burke? Some. He's just an a.s.shole. I finally got the captain to move him off my s.h.i.+ft. I've got seniority over Burke, which p.i.s.ses him off even more. So the captain said no problem and moved him."

"Good. h.o.m.ophobic b.a.s.t.a.r.d." Janine raised her beer bottle. "Here's to your captain. He's sure made your life easier now."

"Yes, she did." Kelly laughed at the expression on Janine's face. "And before you ask, she's family. So yeah. It wasn't hard to get that done. But it does suck having to see him every morning, since the s.h.i.+ft he was moved to relieves mine."

"Ick. I can't imagine seeing any man every morning." Janine's eyes were no longer looking at Kelly. Kelly glanced toward the bar to find a nice-looking brunette, beer in hand, chatting with the bartender. Suppressing a laugh, Kelly thought that Janine was one of the most transparent horndogs she'd ever met. Didn't take her long to s.h.i.+ft her romantic focus at all. Kelly figured all of five minutes might pa.s.s before Janine would start working on seeing the brunette's face in the morning.

Janine's chair legs. .h.i.t the floor hard, and she popped up cheerfully. "Catch you later, Kel."

"Nice catching up with you."