Accidental Love

“Are you sure this is legit? Maybe they’re just trying to put one over for the insurance money.” Ronnie flipped through the pages, frowning at each figure. “Did they file a report with the police?”

“Sure did. They found the truck, stripped to the metal out in Arbor Hill.”

Ronnie read the report carefully, looking for any clue that it was a fraud. “Does Tommy know about this?”

“No. I can’t reach him. I’ve left messages everywhere for him.”

“He’s probably still drugged up from all the Percocet he stole from my house during the Christmas party,” the executive grumbled.

“What?”

“Nothing, never mind.” Ronnie’s teeth sank into the soft wood of her pencil while she continued to pore over the report. No sign of forced entry, not that much was needed to get past a simple chain link fence surrounding the work site. The truck was a total loss and there was no sign of inflated figures for the missing tools and materials. “I can’t see anything out of the ordinary here, Sis. Other than the cost, what is it that’s bothering you?”

“I ran a check against the reports we have on file and from what I can see, that project should have been finished or almost close to it. But according to the loss report, they had barely started. I gave Mike Orbison a call and he said they were at least six weeks away from completion.”

“If they were so far away from being finished….” Ronnie looked at the paper again. “Then why was so much stuff there? Look at this…all the large panes of glass, paint, sheet-rock, even carpeting. I thought those were the last things to be delivered.”

“That’s what I thought. Maybe they expected to be finished before this.”

“No…Mike’s been in business long enough to know exactly what he needs and when he needs it. I can’t imagine him ordering stuff to be brought on site without it being used right away. He knows how easily things are stolen from construction sites.” Ronnie’s brow furrowed as she tried to make sense out of the puzzle. “And you’re sure these things were on the site?”

“I can’t imagine him lying to us after all this time. His family has worked for us since the 60’s and this is only the fifth time they have ever filed a claim.”

“I’m sure it’s the first time it was in the six figures.” Ronnie picked up the phone. “Laura, get hold of Mike Orbison for me.” A minute later the buzzer and flashing light announced the task was accomplished. “Mike? Veronica Cartwright…fine and yourself? Good. Mike, I wanted to talk to you about this claim you filed with Cartwright Insurance. Sure, I understand that…yes, that seemed strange to me too, that is why I wanted to call you…no, there’s no problem with that….yes…absolutely…uh huh…yes…no, I didn’t know that….uh huh…when was this?”

“What’s going on?” Susan queried, drawing a frown from her sister.

“Yes Mike, I’m still here, go on….uh huh….when did you talk to him last? I see…Mike, let me ask you something, other than your people, who else had keys to the building? What? Well when did this happen? Did you ask him about it? When? And that’s the last time you talked to him?

Okay Mike…no, I understand perfectly….of course…you too…yes, say hi to Sarah for me….okay Mike, good-bye.” Ronnie hung up the phone and sighed.

“So what did he say?”

“He said everything was ordered weeks in advance but Tommy kept pushing the dates back, that is why everything was on site when the robbery happened. Did the police report say whether the truck was hot-wired or not?”

“I don’t think so. I didn’t pay that much attention to it, why?”

“Mike said that Tommy stopped by there last week and after he left a set of keys turned up missing.”

“Keys for what?”

“The building, the truck, the equipment boxes, everything. Mike said they were on his desk when Tommy stopped by but he couldn’t find them later that day.”

“Ronnie, you don’t think….”

“That is exactly what I think.” The dark-haired woman rose and went to the window, the bright sun reflecting off the snow banks below. “Susan, I want you to contact all the other contractors and tell them to deal with me directly from now on, instead of Tommy. If he shows up anywhere, I want to know about it.”

“Why would he steal? It’s not like he needs money.”

“He stole from me!” Ronnie growled angrily. “Why are you defending him? The truth is right in front of your face.” The phone buzzer interrupted her tirade. “What?”

“John Means from Means Auditing on line one,” Laura replied.

“Terrific.” She slumped down in her chair and picked up the receiver. “This had better be good news,” she said before pressing the button. “This is Veronica Cartwright.”

Ten minutes later a furious Veronica and a shocked Susan stared at each other.

“Now do you believe me?”

“I can’t believe he would steal from his own family,” the redhead replied quietly.

“Well he did. A few more weeks and he would have crippled the Real Estate division, not to mention what it would have done to the company as a whole. We’ll be lucky to post a profit this quarter.”

“What could he possibly need with that much money?”

“What do you think, Susan? You’re the one who mentioned drugs last week.”

“I know I said it but I didn’t really believe it.”

“Well, you should have.” Ronnie picked up the phone and buzzed her secretary. “Laura, I want you to call the security company and the locksmith. I want all the locks changed and Tommy’s key codes blocked before the end of the day. Call downstairs and make sure no one lets him in. Then call all the heads in for a meeting. I don’t care what time, just make sure everyone is there.”

“I just can’t believe it,” the younger sister repeated.

“Believe it. Our baby brother is a thief and a liar and I’ll be damned if he’s going to get away with it.”

By the end of the day all the locks had been changed and the news broken to the rest of the family. Ronnie shut down every construction project until further notice and announced that Frank’s brother John would run the Real Estate Division until a suitable replacement could be found. As an added precaution, she called the bank and reported Tommy’s corporate credit card stolen only to find out that large cash advances had been taken on the card during the last two weeks and it had reached its limit. Yet another piece of information to add to Ronnie’s already pounding headache of problems.

“What about a nice scarf?”

“She’ll hate it.”

“Hmm…what about a bottle of her favorite perfume?”

“Ugh, I hate her perfume.”

“Well, what does she like?” Rose flipped through the glossy pages of the Macy’s catalog.

“They’ve got some pretty jewelry in here.” They had spent the last two hours flipping through the various catalogs and flyers, to no avail. Everything suggested was dismissed just as quickly and Rose was running out of ideas to help her friend.

“No. Mother’s got more jewelry than she knows what to do with.” Ronnie tossed the Bloomingdale’s catalog on the desk, picked up another, and sighed. “I hate Christmas.”

“Oh, don’t be a grump now, I promise to help you find something for her.” Rose gave her friend a smile. “It can’t be that hard to find a present for your mother.”

“Beatrice Phoebe Cartwright is without a doubt the hardest woman to buy a present for.” Ronnie took a sip of wine and placed the long stemmed glass on the desk. “Maybe I should just send her on a cruise.” Blue eyes twinkled with mischievous thought. “Maybe a nice, long cruise.”

“Would she like that?”

“I would,” the executive replied with a devilish grin. “Maybe one of those around-the-world tours. You know, maybe six, eight…months.”

“Oh, you. Stop,” Rose playfully chastised, reaching out to lightly swat Ronnie’s forearm. “Your mother is not that bad, she’s just a little…a little….” She put her finger to her lips, trying to figure out one or two words that could accurately describe her friend’s mother. “Stuffy.”

“My mother is a snob, Hon.” Ronnie said as she took another sip of the rose wine. “She doesn’t take no for an answer, she expects perfection all the time, and worries more about the family image than how we feel.” Another sip, “Maybe I should just get her a gift certificate and let her pick out what she wants.”

“Are you sure?” Rose flipped a page in the catalog and held it out for the older woman to see.

“Here. There’s a toll free number you can call to order one, if that’s what you really want to do,” she said, her tone making it clear that she did not believe that to be the case. Despite having only known her for three weeks, Rose was beginning to understand some of the little facial expressions and mannerisms that betrayed Ronnie’s true feelings. Pencil gnawing meant frustration, fingernail tapping equated to boredom, and the firm yet gentle embrace that held her each night spoke of something neither of them would dare put words to.

Blue eyes looked up from the liquid for a moment, then back down again. “No,” Ronnie grudgingly admitted. “I just hate feeling so much pressure. I feel like I have to get the perfect gift.”

She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it, realizing that in her friend’s family, it was not far from being the truth. The Christmas party proved that. Not only was the entire thing thrust upon Ronnie’s shoulders, there had been no sense of appreciation from Susan and Beatrice for all the effort. Rose decided perhaps a different tactic was called for. “Okay then, what is the perfect gift?”

Ronnie’s eyebrows lifted, not expecting this reaction from the fair-haired woman. “Um…I don’t know, something…something….” She motioned with her hands, causing the wine to slosh about inside the glass. “I guess I never really thought about it.”

“Well then, let’s think about it. Come over here.” Rose raised the head level of the bed until she was almost in a sitting position and patted the space next to her, booting Tabitha off in the process. “Come on, if the only thing you can get her is a perfect gift than let’s find one.” She turned the pages. “Maybe the trick is to get the perfect gifts, you know, a collection of things that she likes instead of one big gift. Bring a pen, I’ll mark anything we find.”

Ronnie reached for something to write with, but all her pencils were gnawed and there wasn’t a pen in sight. She lifted a small pile of papers on her cluttered desk but no pen appeared. Opening the drawer showed paper clips, spare staples, even a pile of Post-It notes, but nothing to write with. “President of a multi-million dollar corporation and I can’t find a pen when I need it.” She continued her search unaware of the page Rose was looking at.

That’s it!Rose thought excitedly. There before her eyes were pen and pencil sets in a multitude of price ranges and designs. The Mont Blanc sets were exquisite but completely beyond her meager spending level. She turned the page and saw it. There in the center of the page was a nice set, a marble design in a shade of blue that reminded Rose of the brilliance of her best friend’s eyes. Hesitantly she focused on the price written in smaller print below and gulped. It would take most of her remaining funds. She looked up to see Ronnie hunting for the still elusive pen, then back down at the catalog. The problem of finding a present for Beatrice had not been solved but another problem had. Rose discreetly bent the bottom corner of the page, then flipped back to the jewelry just as Ronnie found the missing pen and came over to the bed. Rose took the offered ball point and moved the catalog so the older woman could see. “Now, let’s figure this thing out. What’s your mother’s favorite place to visit?”

“Europe. She’s taken two of those country by country tours and raved about both of them.” Ronnie smiled and, the tension and worry of the last few days drained away from her face.

“That’s it! She’d love it. A tour of Europe. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before.” She took the catalog from Rose and began flipping through the pages.

“Wow…that…that’s a wonderful gift.” She tried hard not to seem too awestruck but it showed in her expression nonetheless.

“You think that’s enough?” Ronnie asked as she looked at the glossy pictures, unaware that Rose, used to thinking in terms of pennies, was now trying to fathom the thousands of dollars a trip like that would cost. “I was thinking maybe a new wardrobe or…” She looked up and was struck by the beauty that gazed back at her. They studied each other for several seconds before Rose gave a shy smile and looked away.

“So um…” She picked at a non-existent piece of lint on the blanket as a slow flush crept up her cheeks. “You said something about clothes?”

“Um…yeah, clothes.” Ronnie closed the catalog, no longer having any interest in picking out presents. What she wanted to do was shut off the lights and curl up against the younger woman.

“You know, it’s getting late.”

“Yeah, I guess it is.” Out in the living room, the grandfather clock announced the ten o’clock hour but both women chose to pretend not to hear it. Rose reclined the bed into a sleeping position while Ronnie ran around shutting off lights and checking the locks on the doors. Within minutes the house was dark and they were lying in bed together.

Staring up at the blackness, Rose thought about what had happened earlier. For that brief moment there had been something…special between them. She heard the sound of a fist punching a pillow and wished Ronnie would just roll over and hold her but that usually did not happen until she was almost asleep.

Ronnie tossed and turned enough for the both of them. One particular toss jarred the injured legs and the young woman hissed at the sudden pain. “I’m sorry, Rose. I just can’t seem to get comfortable tonight.”

“It’s all right. It just hurt for a second, that’s all.” She was glad it was dark as a tear slipped out.

“I’ll go out on the couch.” Ronnie moved to get up but was stopped by the feel of the young woman’s hand on her shoulder.

“Why don’t you just put your arm around me like you usually do? You seem to go to sleep just fine after that.” She gave a gentle tug on the older woman’s top. “Come on Ronnie, you know you’ll only end up coming back in here after I’m asleep and holding me anyway.” Such had been the case a few nights ago. Slowly, reluctantly the weight next to her shifted and she felt the familiar warmth of Ronnie’s body against hers. A second later and her wish came true as a strong arm draped itself over her belly. Rose let out a contented sigh and closed her eyes. By the time Tabitha decided they were done moving about and jumped back up on the bed, both women were sound asleep.

part 7

“So what did you get Maria?”

Ronnie hit the mute button on the remote and turned her head to look at her companion.Oh,we’re going to try this again?“A present.” The corner of her mouth curled up in a teasing smile.

“Come on, tell me, please?” Rose gave her best puppy eyes. “I won’t tell, I promise.”

“I told you…a present.” She tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it in her mouth.

“Now I thought you wanted to watch this show?”

“I do, but I want to know what you got her too. One clue?”

Ronnie pretended to consider the request for a moment before smirking with a devilish glint in her eyes. “It’s not something that Maria would go out and buy herself. How’s that?”

“That’s a rotten clue,” Rose groused, reaching for her cup.

You’re so cute when you pout.She reached the cup first and stood up. “Ah, empty. You want more?”

“No, I’ve had enough hot chocolate for tonight. Any more and I’ll be up half the night.” She held her hand out. “Come on, sit down and relax. You’re missing the show.”

“Do you want the snack tray up or down?”

“Up. We won’t need it anymore,” Rose answered.

“Sure, no problem.” Ronnie complied instantly, knowing that the snack tray going up was a prelude to something far more enjoyable than watching a television show. She set the empty mug on the coffee table and returned to her cushion, this time with her feet up and resting between them. “Oooh,” she gave an exaggerated groan and wiggled her toes.

“Do your feet ache?” Rose asked.

“Nothing worse than usual,” she replied.Ah, yes…you know what I want,she thought to herself as she felt her feet being pulled into Rose’s lap.I hope your fingers aren’t tired tonight.She lifted her heel in response to the gentle tug on her sock. Soon she was barefoot and Rose’s knowledgeable fingers rubbed out the aches of the day and she had no choice but to moan with pleasure. “You do that soooo well….”

“It’s easy with you. I know just where to push and rub.” Rose demonstrated her skill by pressing her thumb firmly across the arch of Ronnie’s left foot.

“Mmm, you can stop in about…oh, seven or eight hours.” She closed her eyes and sighed.This isso nice.

“Or maybe I’ll stop if you don’t tell me what present you got Maria.” Her fingers stilled as if to carry out her threat.

“You drive a hard bargain,” Ronnie admitted. “It’s not much, just a plane ticket.”

“A plane ticket? To where?”

“Arizona.”

“That’s where her son is,” Rose remembered.

“She hasn’t seen him in over a year. I thought she might like to take a trip out to visit him.” She raised an eyebrow. “So are you going to continue?” She stressed her point by wiggling her toes.

Rose laughed and continued the massage. It had become an unspoken ritual between them. Ronnie would groan about her feet and she would immediately offer to rub them. They would spend hours on the couch like that, Rose sitting in the reclined position with her legs straight out and Ronnie lying across the length of the couch with her feet being pampered. The younger woman only paid a passing glance at the television as her attention focused on the soft flesh beneath her fingers.

Rose took special pleasure in rubbing Ronnie’s feet. With the exception of cuddling at night it was the only physical contact they generally shared. She could not explain why, but it made her smile to hear the hedonistic groans coming from her friend’s lips in reaction to her fingers. With all the stress over the audit and Tommy not speaking to anyone but his mother, the massages were one of the few things that brought a smile to Ronnie’s face, and that smile was something Rose tried to see at every opportunity.

She looked down and studied the foot before her. Baby smooth skin gave way to the slightest callus at the widest part of the heel. She let her fingertips glide over the softness from toe to ankle before moving her thumbs back down below to knead out the tightness. Rose pressed with a little more force than usual and was rewarded with a moan that teetered on the edge of sensual. She repeated the motion but only received a lesser version of the desired sound. Undaunted, she released Ronnie’s foot and pulled the other one in her grasp. “You know, when I get out of these casts I’ll give you a backrub you won’t forget.”

“Mmmm…” A slow, sexy smile crossed Ronnie’s lips and she opened one eye lazily. “You’re too good to be wasted in an office job. I think I’ll change your position to Chief Masseuse.”

“Uh huh…do I get a raise with that new title?”

“You keep touching me like that and I’ll pay you whatever you want.” Ronnie’s eyes closed again as Rose’s fingers pressed in all the right places.

“I’ll remember that,” the younger woman replied, her mind traveling to thoughts of having Ronnie’s strong back beneath her fingers in the future.Hmm, some oil, a nice summer day…youroll onto your stomach and unlace your bikini…Her fingers stopped moving and she shook her head to clear the unusual thought. Yes, she enjoyed touching Ronnie, but that? She gave a short laugh and concentrated on what she was doing.

“What’s so funny?” Ronnie asked, opening one eye and looking down at her friend.

“Oh, nothing…just something on Home Improvement. He really is a menace around tools, isn’t he?”

“Hm?”Oh, is that what we’re watching?“Uh, yeah.” She sensed there was more to it than Rose was letting on. She thought only briefly about saying something but the rubbing started again and Ronnie closed her eyes, surrendering to the gentle touch. They stayed in that position for the next hour, both silently enjoying what began as a massage and turned into a light caresses. The blissful and peaceful scene was shattered a moment later when the phone rang.

“Damn.” Ronnie reluctantly sat up. “If it’s one of those MCI people again I’m going to kill them.” Her toes felt cold where only seconds before they had been held in Rose’s soft, warm hands. She padded out to the kitchen and picked up the phone. “Cartwright Residence.” She began walking back into the living room, phone in hand, when she stopped. “When did that happen? Well, did they catch anyone?” She stepped into Rose’s view. “Is that the one on Central? Yeah, I’ll meet you there in a half an hour. Okay, bye Susan.” She hung up the phone and shook her head.

“Ronnie?”

“Unbelievable.” She sank onto the couch and let out a long breath. “Someone broke into the office tonight.”

“Oh no. I hope no one was hurt.”

“Susan didn’t say anything about that. The police caught the guy, though.” Ronnie had to smile inwardly.First thing out of your mouth is worry for others. My first concern was if anything wastaken.It was yet another example of the little things about Rose she found so endearing. “I have to meet Susan at the police station. They caught one of the robbers.” She reluctantly stood up.

“Let’s get you back in your room before I go.” She helped Rose back into her chair and soon had the young woman settled into bed. “I’d better get going,” she said as she looked down into soft green eyes and had an irrepressible urge to hug her. Ah, the hell with it. She leaned in quickly and wrapped her long arms around Rose’s shoulders. “I’ll call you if I’m going to be late.” She smiled when she felt her squeeze returned.

“Be careful. It’s been snowing,” the young woman said once they separated.

“I will.”

Ronnie made it to the police station first and spoke with the night sergeant who directed her to one of the detectives. She returned to the lobby several minutes later, seething with anger at the information the officer had given her.

Susan and Jack came down the hallway, shaking snow off their coats. “I went down to the office. You wouldn’t believe it. They’ve got that yellow tape up and your office looks like a bulldozer went through it,” the redhead said as she hung her coat up on the nearby rack. “It looks like they were trying to get into the safe.”

“He was,” Ronnie replied coolly. “I guess it’s a good thing I changed the combination last week, huh?” To her sister’s confused look, she nodded and continued. “That’s right, Susan. Go ahead and guess who broke into the offices and tried to steal from us, from our FAMILY!” Her raised voice drew the attention of several nearby officers, forcing Ronnie to speak through clenched teeth in an attempt to keep her anger in check. “The prodigal son is down in the lockup now. Probably being fingerprinted and introduced to his new husband for the next five to ten years.” She made no attempt to hide the anger in her tone.

“You mean Tommy…?” Susan shook her head. “No, that’s impossible.”

“You’re right, Susan.” Clenching her fists in disbelief, she continued sarcastically. “The strung out junkie down in lockup, he just looks like Tommy and carries his wallet around with him. ”

“But…maybe he just went back to get something. You changed all the locks, maybe he set the alarm off accidentally?” She looked to her husband for support, but saw only the truth reflected back.

“Sweetheart, I think your sister is right this time. You were there, you saw the office.” He gave Ronnie an apologetic look. “I’ve heard drugs can make people do all sorts of things, even steal from their own relatives.”

“Well that’s real enlightening, Jack. Are you just now realizing Tommy has a drug problem?”

“Ronnie, just because you’re upset doesn’t mean you can take it out on Jack. After all, it’s not his fault.”

“No Susan, it’s not Jack’s fault Tommy’s in jail, it’s Tommy’s, and I think we should leave his ass there until he straightens up.”

“What?” The redhead stood between her sister and husband. “You can’t honestly be thinking about leaving him here…in jail?”

“Why the hell not? He broke into the office, tried to break into the safe. Susan, if we keep coddling him…”

“I’m not coddling him. I’m just saying you can’t leave him in jail overnight.”

“Oh, well, thanks for explaining the difference,” Ronnie scoffed, turning away and rubbing her face in exasperation. “Susan…” She kept her back to her younger sister. “Tommy has a drug problem. First it was stealing money from the real estate projects then it was forging loans. Now he’s committing robbery to try and get money for his habit. I think it’s time for some tough love.” She turned to see streaks in her sister’s makeup from the tears that were starting to fall. “Look, maybe this is the best thing for him. A few days to get those drugs out of his system and he’ll be good as new.”

Susan shook her head adamantly. “No. It’s two days before Christmas. I can’t let my younger brother, my ONLY brother, spend Christmas in jail, I just can’t.” She looked up at her husband.

“Can’t you do something?”

“I’m a tax attorney, Honey. If he was being arrested for cheating on his taxes, then yes I could help him. I’m not really versed in criminal law.”

Susan tapped her finger to her chin, unwilling to give up. “I’ve got it!” Her eyes grew wide.

“We’ll refuse to press charges. No crime, no jail.”

“That would be fine except for one little detail.” Ronnie held her forefinger and thumb slightly apart. “It seems Hercules in there decided that he didn’t want to go willingly with the cops. He bit one of them.” She wiggled her fingers together as if wiping away her sister’s idea.

“What about bail? We can get him out on bail, can’t we?”

“Susan, it’s better to leave him in there, don’t you understand? He needs help, help he won’t get if he’s allowed to roam the streets.”

“Ronnie, I know you two haven’t always gotten along and I know he’s jealous of you, but how can you be so petty that you would let your own brother spend Christmas in jail?”

A bald man strode into the station, his briefcase in one hand and his cellular phone in the other.

“I came as soon as I got the call.” It was Richard Jenkins, the family lawyer who did little more than fix their parking tickets in exchange for his huge annual retainer. “I’ve been on the phone with the ADA for the last half hour.”

“Who called you?” Ronnie asked.

“Why, your mother did, of course. Tommy couldn’t remember my number.”

“You mean Tommy called her?” She turned away from them and cursed silently.Of course hewould call her, who else would continue to rescue him from scrape after scrape?There was one last hope. “What about biting the cop?”

“All taken care of.” Jenkins smiled proudly. “He only tore through the guy’s shirt and didn’t touch his skin so we were able to bargain it down to restitution and community service to be served after the new year.” He opened his briefcase and put the phone away. “If you ladies will excuse me, I’ll be back in a few minutes with your brother.” He nodded at Jack. “Good to see you again.”

“Likewise, Richard.”

Ronnie had enough. She fished her coat off the rack and roughly tossed it on. “Where are you going?” Susan asked.

“I don’t feel like sticking around to celebrate.” She looked down to see that in her haste she had misbuttoned her coat. “I’m telling you, Susan. Letting him out like this is a big mistake.” She gave up on the buttons and angrily tugged the belt around her waist. “What he needs is rehab, not a get out of jail free card.”

“Maybe what he needs is to know that his family loves him and supports him,” Susan snapped back. “How do you think he felt to find out his own sister had him locked out of the family business?”

“How did you feel when you heard the result of the audit? You enjoy watching your annual dividends go into Tommy’s pocket?” Susan opened her mouth to protest, then closed it, realizing her sister was right.

“Maybe it will work out, Ronnie. Maybe this is what he needed to get himself back on track.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, Susan. I have a feeling this is only the beginning.”

Too angry to return straight home, Ronnie drove around the streets of Albany for over an hour. She returned home to a dark house. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she slipped into the room and began to get undressed in the dark. “I’m awake,” Rose said as she switched on the lamp.

“I was trying to be quiet.”

“I was waiting up for you. How did it go?”

“Not well.” She turned her back and removed her shirt. “It seems our burglar is none other than my baby brother.”

“Tommy?”

“Nice way to treat his family, don’t you think?” She pulled the T-shirt over her head and turned around to find Rose had put the bed in an upright position.Figured I needed to talk, eh?She slipped under the covers and adjusted her pillows. “I didn’t bother going down to see the damage first hand. I have enough of a headache.” She brought her fingers to her temples.

“Let me,” Soft fingers replaced hers and began to gently rub the tender area. “How’s that?” Rose whispered.

“Mmm…a little harder…hmm, yeah, right there…”

There was not an ounce of relaxation anywhere in Ronnie’s upper body, the young woman soon discovered. She gently nudged the executive into a sitting position and moved her hands down to the broad shoulders. Every muscle was bunched up tight, tensed as if ready for battle. Pressing gently at first, then with more effort, Rose forced the muscles to surrender to her manipulations.

“That’s right, just relax,” she cooed. “Close your eyes.”

“They are closed,” came the relaxed murmur. Rose smiled to herself at the unspoken compliment.

“Think about the day after tomorrow. Think about all the lights on the tree…the presents…”

“Rose Grayson, are you trying to hypnotize me?”

“Of course not, silly.” She moved her thumbs to the base of Ronnie’s skull and began kneading the area gently. “I just want you to relax and think about how much fun Christmas is going to be.”

“Mmm.”

“That’s right…” The touch became lighter as Ronnie relaxed. “Does that feel better?”

“Much,” she sighed.

“Good.” A self-satisfied smile came to the young woman’s lips. “How about we get some sleep and leave all the bad stuff for morning, okay?” She nudged Ronnie back onto her own pillow.

“Good night.”

“Good night, Rose.” It was silent for a moment before Ronnie added “Thank you.” The burden off her shoulders for at least one night, she quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.

Ronnie took a sip of coffee and looked out at the picture perfect Christmas morning. A light dusting of snow had fallen overnight, covering her back yard and the trees that surrounded it with a light blanket of white. The sun was just coming up, the whole scene reminding her of a Currier and Ives print. Tightening the sash on her terrycloth robe, she opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the deck, the thin layer of snow crunching under her blue slippers. She set her mug on the table, the heat causing a small ring of snow to melt and reveal the green painted metal beneath. Ronnie took a deep breath and smiled. It was cold enough to keep the snow from melting but the lack of wind kept it from being bitterly so.

She stood there and drank her coffee, enjoying a family of rabbits scampering across the field. Their gray coats were a sharp contrast to the crisp white snow.Perfect. I’m going to make this thebest Christmas you’ve ever had, Rose. At least I’m going to try my damnedest.She thought of the presents under the tree. As much as she hated malls and shopping in general, Ronnie took great pleasure in personally choosing each and every gift for Rose. Finally the cold registered through her robe and she retreated inside.

The kitchen clock showed it was just past seven.Damn, too early.Setting the empty cup in the sink, she headed into the living room. Hundreds of tiny lights twinkled and flashed over the tree, their multitudes of colors reflecting off the shiny paper covering the gifts piled on the floor. Ronnie smiled. Everything was perfect. Now it was just a matter of waiting for Rose to wake up. She looked at the grandfather clock, hoping she would not have to wait much longer.I haven’tbeen this excited about Christmas in years.“Come on, Rose,” she muttered to herself, noting the time seemed to be passing much slower than usual. She rearranged the presents and had another cup of coffee. The clock now read seven-thirty. Tabitha rubbed against her legs. “What do you want?”

“Mrrow?”

“Breakfast for you isn’t for another half-hour.”

“Mrrow?” Tabitha walked over to the cabinet where the cat food was stored and cried again. When crying did not work, the frisky kitty rolled onto her back and turned her head at a ridiculous angle. Ronnie chuckled and shook her head.

“Well, since it’s Christmas.” She knelt down and opened the cabinet. “Okay now, let’s see what we got here.” She pulled out a green labeled can and held it in front of the now purring feline.

“You want turkey for Christmas?”

“Mrrow.” Tabitha batted at the can with her paw.

“Fine, turkey it is then.”

Feeding Tabitha did not use up as much time as Ronnie would have liked. When the grandfather clock chimed the eight o’clock hour, the anticipation was killing her. “I think it is late enough, don’t you, Tabitha?” She reached down and scooped the cat up in her arms. “Let’s go wake Mommy so she can see all the pretty presents, hmm?”

Ronnie set Tabitha down at the foot of the bed and crawled in next to the sleeping woman.

“Rose? Rose, time to wake up.” A gentle nudge to the shoulder. “Rose? It’s Christmas morning. Don’t you want to get up and open presents?”

“Hrmmphf.”

“Come on, it’s time to get up. You don’t want to waste the whole morning in bed, do you?”

Sleepy green eyes slowly revealed themselves. “What time is it?”

“Eight.” The eyes snapped shut and the young woman let out a groan. She pulled the blanket up over her face only to have a stronger hand pull it back down.

“But it’s Christmas. You can’t sleep in on Christmas.” Ronnie hopped off the bed and pushed the portable commode over. “Come on, up and at ‘em.”

Rose gave one more groan but slowly opened her eyes, deciding Ronnie was entirely too chipper in the mornings…until she realized what morning it was. “Oh God, it’s Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas,” Ronnie chuckled, pulling the blanket out of the way and laying on her side, using her elbow to prop her head up. “It’s a beautiful morning and it would be a crime to let you sleep through it.”

“How long have you been up?”

“About an hour and a half.”

“I’m surprised you waited this long.” Ronnie was about to defend herself when she saw the twinkle in Rose’s eyes. She pounced playfully on the smaller woman, the two engaging in a brief tickle fight. “You are ruthless,” Rose said when they finally broke apart.

“Well, I guess you’re awake now, aren’t you? I’ll just leave you to take care of business.”

“Uh, okay. I’ll just be a couple of minutes.”

“Sure, just give a shout when you’re ready. I’ll bring your coffee into the living room. You can drink it and open presents at the same time, can’t you?”

Rose listened carefully until she was certain Ronnie was not coming right back, then she retrieved the small present hidden in the drawer of the night stand. An unexpected fear passed through her. Suddenly, the pen and pencil set she had Karen pick up for her did not seem such a great gift after all. If Ronnie wanted one, she would have had it by now. Maybe she did not like mechanical pencils because she could not bite them. “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she grumbled to herself before setting the gift down on the stand and pushing herself over to the commode.

Fifteen minutes later she was dressed, wearing a light beige shirt Ronnie had insisted on giving her. Rose did not believe for a minute that it was too small for her benefactor, as it hung a good eight to ten inches past her own hips and the cuffs had to be folded over several times before she could see her fingertips. Still, it was given to her by Ronnie, and like the Dartmouth nightshirt, it was something Maria was hard pressed to get away from her long enough to wash.

A final run of the brush through her hair and Rose was ready. She set the present on her lap then covered it with the quilt before calling out. A few seconds later Ronnie appeared. “Ready?”

“I guess so.” She forced a smile to her face.Oh God, please let her like my gift, she silently prayed as Ronnie helped her into the wheelchair and guided her out of the room.

The large pile of presents spilling out from under the tree captivated Rose’s attention as Ronnie helped her into the sunken level of the living room. Even when she stayed with a family of five one Christmas, the young orphan had never seen so many presents stuffed under the tree. She recognized the large, flowing style of Ronnie’s handwriting on all the gift tags. “Is your family coming over today?”

“No. I have to go see Susan’s family later, but no one’s supposed to be stopping by. Why?”

Why put all their presents under the tree if they aren’t stopping over?Her expression became even more puzzled. “Well, aren’t those their presents?” Ronnie gave a short laugh and squeezed her arm.

“No. They’re yours.”

Rose’s eyes grew wide as saucers and for a few seconds she forgot how to breathe.Mine?“Yyou mean…?” Giving up on speech, she merely pointed at the presents.

“Yup, they’re all for you.” Ronnie’s brow crinkled. “Is something wrong?”

“N-no…I…” She looked up at the most important person in her life as a pair of tears slid down her face. Rose had to fight to keep her lip from quivering. “I never…all those…for me…” She reached out and was met halfway, enfolded in strong, comforting arms. “Oh Ronnie.”

“Shh, I’ve got you.” Ronnie left one arm around Rose’s back and used the other to stroke her hair.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about how many there were. I just kept seeing things I thought you’d like and bought them.”

“B-but I only got you one…”

“Shh.” She put her fingers to Rose’s lips. “It’s the thought that counts, not anything else.” Wiping away a tear streak with her thumb, Ronnie spoke again. “One gift from you is worth a thousand from anyone else, got that?”

The blonde head moved with a shaky nod. “Can I give you my gift first?”

“You know what…” Ronnie wiped away the other streak from Rose’s cheek. “I’d rather wait until after you open your presents. Would that be okay?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” She stood up and reached for the handles of the wheelchair.

“Where are we going?” Rose asked with some surprise when she felt herself moving.

“It’s Christmas. You’d be much more comfortable on the couch and I’m tired of kneeling. Come on, we’ll sit back and drink our coffees, then open presents.”

Rose was just settling on the couch when they heard a crash from behind the tree. “What the…?” Ronnie exclaimed. She got her answer a second later when Tabitha came tearing out from under the tree and raced into the kitchen. Before either could speak, the orange and white blur returned and dove back into the mountain of presents.

“What’s wrong with her?” Rose asked, concerned. “I’ve never seen her move so fast before.”

“I think…” Ronnie crossed the room, knelt down, and began moving presents out of the way.

“Yup…Tabitha, you greedy little girl.” She moved back to let the younger woman see. The cat was lying on her back, batting at an ornament ball dangling above her. “Your little baby there got into her Christmas present.” She reached in to retrieve the package only to have her wrist caught between Tabitha’s front legs. “Don’t you even think about clawing me,” she warned while slowly trying to pull her hand back. Soft paws revealed their weapons, the claws pressing against her skin until she stopped moving. Tabitha looked up at her for a second, then began purring and licking Ronnie’s wrist. “Miss Grayson, I do believe your cat is stoned out of her mind.” She pulled out the bag of catnip. It was still wrapped in festive green paper, except for the prominent piece missing where it had been chewed into.

“You put catnip under the tree?”

“Yeah but it was in a plastic bag and wrapped in paper.”

Rose smirked and shook her head. “Ronnie, they can smell catnip a mile away. Tabitha. Tabitha?

Come here, honey.”

The cat moved three steps before falling into a lump on the carpet and cleaning herself.

“I don’t think she’s going anywhere, Rose.”Enough of this. I want you to open presents.She reached over and picked up a shirt box wrapped in silver paper. “Since I’m over here anyway, let’s start with your first present.” She returned to the couch and handed it over, trying hard to control her enthusiasm and excitement.

Small fingers ran over the fancy paper and red bow. “It’s almost too pretty to open.”

“It’s just wrapping paper. Open it,” she urged.Come on, open it up and see what I got you.A smile akin to a child’s grew on Ronnie’s face.

Rose looked around. “There’s no place to throw the paper away.”

“Toss it on the floor. I’ll pick it up later. Open it!” Ronnie scooted over until she was on the cushion next to the younger woman.

“I can’t toss it on the floor.” Her fingertip traced the bold writing on the gift tag.

“But…” Ronnie looked around, frowning when she did not find anything suitable in sight. “I’ll be right back.” She hopped off the couch and went into the kitchen. Rose listened to the sound of cupboards opening and shutting, followed by drawers. There was a muttered curse followed by

“There it is.” A few seconds later Ronnie returned, shaking the garbage bag open. She handed it to Rose and returned to the adjoining cushion, tucking her bare feet up underneath her thighs.

“Okay. Now open it.”

The young woman looked from the present to Ronnie. “Thank you.”

“You don’t even know what it is yet.”Hurry up and open it.Rose slipped her fingernail under the tag and carefully separated it from the package, setting it on the side table. Another pass and one corner flap opened. “Just tear it,” Ronnie growled playfully. “Or we’ll be here until next Christmas.”

Rose looked at the beautiful package, her friend’s overly excited face, then at the present again. Small fingers curled beneath the open flap and with a quick tug tore a large strip of paper away. A few more rips and the box was opened to reveal a rust colored shirt. She picked it up by the shoulders and held it out to look at it. “Oh! That’s very nice.”

“Do you like it?”

“Oh yes, absolutely.” Rose looked at the length of the sleeves, noting they were a perfect match to her shorter arms. “I won’t have to fold over the cuffs.”

“Of course not. I made sure to get the right size.” Ronnie smiled proudly. “Do you like the color?”

“Very much.”

“It matches your eyebrows. I bet you’ll look great in it.”

Rose turned the shirt this way and that, nodding with agreement. It was, quite simply, terrific and she couldn’t wait to wear it. She folded it up and handed it to Ronnie, who set it on the empty cushion at the end of the couch. The trash was moved out of the way and another present retrieved from under the tree…

Rose forced the last piece of wrapping paper into the already overstuffed trash bag and wiped another happy tear from her cheek. “You really are amazing, you know that?”

“I’m glad you think so,” Ronnie responded with a warm smile. It had been a day full of tears and smiles from Rose and the executive could not have been happier. “Those are the only things I wasn’t sure about.” She gestured with her hand at the pair of blue and white sneakers on Rose’s lap. “I can take them back if they’re too big.”

“No, they’re perfect.”

“Great.” Ronnie reached over and picked them up, then looked around for an empty place to put them. The cushion was piled high with clothes and the coffee table was littered with software programs and various other items. She went to set them on the carpet but Tabitha came running over. “Oh no you don’t.” In the end the sneakers were placed on top of the pile of sweaters.

Rose gave a short sniff and blinked several times before moving her hand beneath the afghan. “I guess it’s time for your gift now. I’m sor…”

“No, wait.” Ronnie jumped off the couch. “There’s one more. Don’t go away, I’ll be right back.”

Fingering the thin bow on the gift in her lap, Rose let her gaze settle on the pile of clothes. A fresh tear rolled down her face, causing a frown to cross the blue-eyed woman’s face upon her return. “You know, it wasn’t my intention to make you cry.” She resumed her position on the couch only inches away from Rose.

That earned a chuckle. “I’m just a bit overwhelmed, I guess,” Rose replied, haphazardly wiping the salty drops off her cheeks. “I’ve never gotten so many things at Christmas ever.” She looked around, still amazed at the multitude of presents piled about. “I just can’t…” Rose looked down at her lap and shook her head. “Listen to me, I make it sound like my life was straight out of Oliver Twist.” She took the offered linen handkerchief.

“Of course you don’t,” Ronnie said softly. “Come on, let me give you your last present and then you can give me mine.” She set the jewelry box in Rose’s hands.

“Oh…oh my.” The young woman’s hand began shaking only to be steadied by a much larger one wrapping around hers.

“Open it,” came the whisper near her ear. “It’s okay, it won’t bite.” After a few seconds, long fingers pried the box open to reveal its contents.

Rose stared in amazement at the pendant attached to a thin rope chain. Only an inch and a half long, the white gold had been carefully molded into an exquisite representation of a rose. Tiny emerald and ruby chips made up the petals and leaves while a diamond solitaire rested at the base of the stem. Her lower lip quivered as she touched the pendant reverently with one fingertip.

“Oh Ronnie…it’s beautiful,” she whispered.

“A rose for a rose,” Ronnie said, repeating the slogan that had drawn her to the jewelry in the first place. She took the necklace out of the box and opened the catch. Rose stayed very still as the cool metal touched her skin and Ronnie fastened the chain. “Looks perfect on you.”

“It-it’s too much, Ronnie. I can’t…” She was stopped by a pair of fingers pressing against her lips.

“Rose…” She wiped another tear with her thumb. “I guess Santa should have brought you some handkerchiefs too, hmm?” She dabbed another tear away from Rose’s face. “Listen to me. I wanted you to have this.”

“But…” Rose looked around. “All these clothes, the programs, the shoes and sneakers and…” Ronnie’s fingers silenced her again.

“You deserve nice clothes. You deserve things that fit and look good on you.” She took the young woman’s chin in her hand and forced her to meet her gaze. “And you deserve to wear something pretty. Now…give me a hug, tell me how much you like it, and give me my present.” She said the last part with a playful smile, forcing Rose to smile along with her.

“It’s more than pretty, it’s wonderful. I love it.” The young woman wrapped her arms around Ronnie’s neck and pulled her in for a hug. “It’s so beautiful,” she whispered. “I love it so much, thank you.”

“I’m glad.”

“You really are my guardian angel, aren’t you?” Rose pulled back and looked at her friend, green eyes sparkling with moisture. “You’re the best friend anyone could ever have.” She reached under the afghan and pulled out the present. “I just wish I had something more to show you just how much you mean to me. Merry Christmas, Ronnie.” She nervously handed over the present, a million thoughts flying through her mind. Her anxiety grew as Ronnie slowly removed the gift tag and slipped it in her pocket. “Well, open it.”

The older woman laughed at Rose’s impatience and tugged on the thin red ribbon. “You’re as bad as I am…oh.” She opened the long velvet box. “Rose, they’re beautiful.”

“Do you like them?”

“Yes, very much.” Ronnie pulled the pen out and held it up to the light, the smile never leaving her face. “That’s a very pretty design. All those blues and greens swirling around. I like that gold band there too.”

“You really like it? You’re not just saying that to make me feel good, are you?”

“No Hon, I’m not just saying that. I really do like it.” She leaned over and gave Rose a hug. “It really is a thoughtful gift,” she said, leaning back.

“You said you could never find a pen around here.”

“I never can,” Ronnie agreed. “I guarantee I won’t lose this one.”

“I didn’t know if you liked mechanical pencils. Probably not since you can’t bite them, huh?”

“Rose, mechanical pencils are fine. Really, they are. I only use the wooden ones because that’s what we have in the supply office at work. I never had any reason to buy a pencil like this.” She turned the metal at the tip, watching the lead grow from the end. “I’ll promise you this, I won’t chew the end of this one.”

“You’d better not,” Rose playfully teased, her fears eased by the smile on Ronnie’s face. Her tone grew serious. “I’m really happy you like it. I’ve never bought anyone something like that before.”

“You know I would have been happy no matter what you got, even if it was just a card.” She looked down at the set and smiled. “These really are beautiful.” She reached over for another hug, much to Rose’s joy.

“This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had,” she whispered into Ronnie’s ear. “Thank you so much.”

The dark-haired woman smiled and hugged even harder. “You’re welcome. Thank you for making my Christmas so special.” She reluctantly ended the embrace, her hand still gripping the pen case.

She looked over at the clock. “Wow, I didn’t realize it was so late. It took that long just to open presents?”

“There were a lot of presents to open,” Rose replied with a smile. “I have no idea what to do with all those computer programs.” She gestured at the pile on the table.

“You’re going to learn from them.” Ronnie set the pen case down and picked up one of the software boxes. “This one teaches you how to type. It’s self-paced and shows you how to format business letters and memos.” She set the box on Rose’s lap and picked up another one. “This teaches the fundamentals of bookkeeping and accounting. There are programs to do all the actual calculations but if you’re going to be in the business world you really should know the basics.” She put the programs back on the table. “I’ll install them for you tomorrow and show you how to bring them up so you can work on them. Once you’re comfortable, I’ll show you how to log into the corporate network and you can go onto the Internet.”

“That sounds like fun. I’ve been on the Internet before. They had it at the library. I found a great site once that had all sorts of information about how to take care of cats.”

“Anything you’re interested in is out there on the Internet. When I first got used to being on a computer, I spent hours surfing the Net looking at different things. My bookmark file must have been a mile long.”

“Bookmark file?” Rose shook her head. “I don’t know if I can get all this computer stuff.”

Ronnie laughed. “Oh, Rose. Trust me. A few weeks and you and the computer will be best friends. I’ll have to drag you away from it.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I do. It’s very addictive.”

“Ronnie? I understand how the typing and the other programs are supposed to help me, but what is the Rescuer of the Maiden supposed to teach me?” She pointed at the brightly colored box with knights battling on the cover.

“Uh…well…” The executive’s face colored slightly and she gave a sheepish smile. “That one teaches you how to be the great knight who rescues the fair maiden from the evil king’s dungeon. I thought you might like a game to relax and take a break with.”

“A knight rescuing a maiden, hmm?” Rose glanced at the cover again, noting that the maiden was fair-haired, like she was. She looked over at her own personal knight in shining armor. “I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.” Ronnie smiled back and stood up.

“Right now I think we had better hit the kitchen and get dinner started or we’re not going to be eating until late tonight.” Rose watched as the wheelchair was brought over.

“Oh, okay.” She allowed herself to be lifted into the chair but before Ronnie could pull back she wrapped her arms around the executive’s neck and squeezed, burying her face into the dark tresses. “Thank you. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had and today is one of the happiest days I’ve ever known.”

Ronnie returned the embrace, smiling into the golden hair. “You’re welcome. And thank you for making it so special for me.”

As they reached the threshold of the kitchen, Rose looked up. “Hey, look at that.”

“What?”

“The mistletoe. You’ve left it up there all this time and I didn’t notice.”

“Hmm, guess I have.” Ronnie’s heart began beating faster. They were directly below the green leaves. “Um, would it be okay if…”

“Well, we’re both under the mistletoe and it is Christmas.” Rose swallowed, nervousness creeping in although she wasn’t sure why.After all, it’s just Ronnie.“Yes.” She turned her face up to meet the dark head coming down. Their lips touched once…twice before Ronnie pulled back.

“I um…I guess we’d better get dinner started.” She guided them into the kitchen, knowing full well why her heart was pounding like a rocker’s drum. Rose’s lips were soft, so very soft she had almost lost herself in them, stopping just before her tongue could work its way out. Knowing she couldn’t afford another kiss like that one, Ronnie made a mental note to let the young woman wheel herself out of the kitchen.

“Yes,” Rose agreed, turning her head forward and hoping the blush she felt rising to her cheeks wasn’t noticeable to Ronnie. It was soft and sweet and she felt guilty about the way it made her feel. No one had kissed her in a long time and certainly not with as much gentleness and tenderness. She felt warm inside, as if she had swallowed a strong drink. She dimly realized Ronnie was speaking to her. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I asked if you wanted to make some sugar cookies.”

“Oh. Do you like sugar cookies?”

“Well, they’re okay and they are the traditional holiday cookie.” Ronnie opened the refrigerator and smiled. “Of course we do have a roll of chocolate chip cookies here too.” Her tone made it clear which type she preferred.

“Sounds good to me.” She wheeled her way over to the lower cabinet and retrieved a cookie sheet, careful not to let the wheelchair scratch up against Ronnie’s woodwork. The counters were too high for her to easily help with the preparations but Rose did what she could. Ronnie turned on the radio in the corner and soon festive holiday music filled the air, making the perfect setting to prepare dinner. Neither knew the other was thinking about the mistletoe and the kiss.

Rose was confused. Her feelings went beyond friendly affection, but how much beyond, she was not sure. As she watched Ronnie cut the cookie dough, she was struck again by just how beautiful her friend was. Certainly, no one had ever meant as much to her and Rose could not imagine her life without Ronnie in it. The kiss was warm and loving and something she wanted to experience again.

Ronnie had her own internal dilemma. Her mind and body screamed for her to taste the softness one more time, to show Rose just how much she meant to her, to take her beautiful golden haired companion into her arms and never let go. It was torture, plain and simple, and the cool air when she stepped out to go to her sister’s house did nothing to lower the temperature of her fevered soul.

Rose had just folded up the last pair of panties and put them in the lower drawer of the dresser when Ronnie returned. She entered the room and flopped down on the bed, her long arms folded up behind her head. “It didn’t go well?” Rose queried, noting the somber expression.

“Oh, the kids loved the presents. So did Susan.”

“What happened?” She wheeled herself over to the side of the bed and put her hand on Ronnie’s forearm. “Did Tommy show up or something?”

“No, I guess he’s up in the mountains with his buddies. Everything was fine, it’s just that…” Ronnie turned her gaze away from Rose and glanced at the ceiling. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t the oldest. It’s too much responsibility.”

“What happened?”

Ronnie gave a sigh and looked back at her companion. “Mother called from whatever port her cruise stopped at. She’s not happy with the way I handled the whole thing about Tommy embezzling from the company.”

“How does she know about that? I thought you weren’t going to tell her.”

“There are no secrets in this family, Rose,” she said sadly. “The thing is she isn’t questioning whether or not he did it but how I handled it. She said I should have kept a lid on it until I was completely sure, and then I should have talked to him before removing him from his office.”

Rose’s hand began moving up and down Ronnie’s arm in a comforting motion. “Did Susan at least stick up for you?”

“She didn’t say a word. Not a peep. You know, sometimes I wonder why I don’t just say screw them all and quit. I could move to Chicago or Boston and start my own company.”

“Then why don’t you?”

There was a long silence before Ronnie answered. When she did, it was with quiet resignation.

“Because they need me.” Shaking her head, she gave a resigned sigh and reached for the remote.

“Come on, all those Christmas shows will be starting soon. HBO is rerunning that Rich Little version of A Christmas Carol.”

“I’ve never seen it.”

“Oh, it’s pretty funny. He does all the characters as impersonations of famous celebrities. I saw it when I was a kid. Come on.” Ronnie found the right station and set the remote aside before rising and helping Rose get into bed. Midnight would find them as it always did, the longer one curled up against the side of the smaller one, both sleeping contentedly.

Rose stared at the screen, concentration causing her brow to furrow. She pressed the mouse button and moved the red seven under the black eight. She was taking a short break from the typing program, having worked on it steadily for almost three hours. She was pleased with her progress after only three weeks of practice. Her speed was improving rapidly while the number of mistakes declined. A flat board resting across the arms of the wheelchair served as a makeshift desktop, the full leg casts making it impossible for Rose to get under the desk far enough to use the keyboard tray.

Maria entered the room with a sandwich and cup of coffee. “You need to take a break.” She waited for Rose to put the mouse and keyboard back on the desk, then handed her the sandwich, setting the cup on the night stand within easy reach. “I swear you’re as bad as she is sometimes. I’ve left some evenings with her on that thing and come back in the morning to find her still sitting in front of it.” The middle aged woman shook her head. “When she was in high school she was the same way.”

“What was she like? When she was younger?” Rose gripped the wheels and turned her chair, silently asking Maria to sit and join her. The housekeeper relaxed into the soft leather of Ronnie’s chair and laced her fingers together.

“So you want to know what she was like?” A friendly smile worked its way across her face.

“Ronnie’s her own person, always has been. She’s always known what she wanted to be and where she was going.”

“No, that’s not I meant.” Rose shook her head, trying to think of how to phrase her request. “Tell me about her. Something she did, something that happened to her, something abouther.”

“I’m not sure I should. You know it’s the cardinal rule of housekeepers to keep what they see and hear private.”

“Well you don’t have to tell me her deep dark secrets, Maria,” Rose chided. “Ronnie told me herself she was a hell raiser. I’m sure you must have a tale or two you remember. I’m sure she wasn’t the example of a perfect child.”

“Perfect? Hah!” the older woman laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners in a motherly way.

“Veronica was many things growing up but perfect wasn’t one of them. That child had me running around more than her brother and sister put together.”

“Oh, really? Do tell.” Rose’s eyes widened with expectation as she took a bite of her sandwich.

“Wait, let me get something to drink.” Maria left and returned a minute later with a tall glass of soda and a coaster. She settled back into the chair and took a sip before continuing. “I remember a time when she was thirteen and her parents were out of town. Some friends wanted her to go to the mall with them. Now normally it would have been fine, but she had skipped school a few days before and her father grounded her while they were gone.”

“What did she do?”

“What any kid her age would do, she snuck out. She went into her room and climbed out the window. I knew where she went, but there was no way I could go after her with Susan and Tommy in tow. He wasn’t more than five or six at the time and a handful all by himself.”

“So what happened?” Rose was listening intently, imagining a thirteen year old Ronnie slipping out to spend time with friends at the mall.

“She and a couple of friends of hers decided they wanted to try cigarettes. Well of course no store in the mall was going to sell three teenage girls a pack of cigarettes. Ronnie was tall for her age but still…. Anyway, they decided that if they couldn’t buy them that they’d shoplift them.”

“Oooh, did they get caught?”

“Not in the store. The silly girls were walking down Consaul Road smoking and wearing their school jackets. A policeman saw and picked them up.”

“I bet you were furious.”

“At first I was, but then I found out she took all the blame even though the cigarettes were found in one of the other girls’ pockets.”

“You mean she took the blame for someone else?”

Maria nodded and took another sip of her soda. “I didn’t tell her father. I figured that being dragged down to the police station was enough to put a scare into her.”

Rose sat quietly for a moment, deep in thought. It made perfect sense that Ronnie would try to protect others around her. She looked down at her broken legs and nodded.Always the caretaker, she thought to herself. “Maria, has Ronnie ever done something like this before?” She motioned at herself. “I mean, has she ever taken anyone in who had nowhere else to go?”

“Never,” the housekeeper replied. Rose sensed hesitation on Maria’s part and waited patiently for her to continue. “I was surprised when she brought Tabitha here and even more so when she called to say you would be staying. Ronnie is a very private woman.” She looked like she wanted to say more but decided against it.

“I have a house to clean and you have some lunch to finish up. She’ll be calling again soon.” Maria stood up and retrieved the glass from the desk. “By the way, remind her Tabitha’s appointment is tomorrow. They called today.”

“Oh, that’s right, I forgot.” Rose looked around to make sure the feline wasn’t around. “How long is she supposed to be there?”

“Just overnight,” the housekeeper replied.

“Poor thing.” The young woman’s face took on a sympathetic look. “She won’t even know what’s going on. But I suppose it’s better than letting her suffer through that heat again.”

“Oh, don’t remind me.” Maria shook her head. “I was ready to throw her out in the snowbank with all that yowling.”

“You weren’t the only one. I thought for sure Ronnie was going to do it the night she wouldn’t stop crying.” Just then the subject of conversation sauntered in and jumped on the bed to claim her nap space.

“Enjoy it while you can, Missy,” the housekeeper said to Tabitha, who responded by licking her paws and rubbing her ear.

“She’s so cute,” Rose said, reaching over to give the cat a pet.

“Cute, sure,” Maria scoffed. “You try making dinner with her underfoot and tell me how cute she is.” She leaned over and scratched Tabitha’s head. “If you’re a good kitty and stay in here while I get the mopping done I’ll give you an extra cat treat before I go, how’s that sound?”

“Oh, she likes that idea,” the young woman said when Tabitha began to purr. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

Once Maria left, Rose set the cordless phone on her lap and waited for Ronnie’s usual after lunch phone call.

“There goes our bonus,” Susan sighed before tossing the report back on Ronnie’s desk. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lower earnings quarter. Do you realize what a banner year it would have been without that?”

The executive opened the folder again, the numbers still incomprehensible. The losses in the Real Estate division were enough to make the entire year mediocre in terms of profit. Although all the members of the Board of Directors were family and knew exactly what was going on, the rest of the business world did not, and Cartwright Corporation had some serious explaining to do.

Ronnie ran her fingers through her hair and looked at her sister. “The whole year. He has wiped out everything we’ve done. You realize this is just the tip of the iceberg. What do you think those auditors are going to turn up when they go back to when he first took over?”

“You think he’s been stealing that long?”

“No, the annual audits would have picked up something like that. When did he start missing deadlines and taking lots of time off?”

“I don’t know…March, April maybe?”

Ronnie nodded. “Sounds right. He took that loan out in April.” She picked up her mechanical pencil and rested the tip against her lips. The action had a calming effect on her, reminding her of the fair-haired beauty waiting for her at home. “I think whatever drug he’s into he started doing back then. Probably crack or heroin.”

“Crack? Ronnie, only junkies do crack.”

“How do you think they became junkies, Sis? I don’t think crack cares if the person is rich or poor so long as they have enough for the next bag, or hit, or whatever it is they do with it.” She sighed and tapped the pencil rhythmically against her chin. “He needs help, Susan. Probably a rehab.”

“That’s pretty. When did you get it?” the redhead asked, changing the subject.

“Rose gave it to me for Christmas.” Ronnie stopped tapping it and held it out to look at the marbled swirls of blue and green accented by a thin gold band. “It has a matching pen.” Unbidden, a smile came to her lips, one that was not missed by her younger sister.

“So how’s she doing?”

It was a subject they had not spoken of since the party and Ronnie looked at her sister in surprise.

“She’s um…fine. Sees the doctor next week to have her casts changed. I think they’re going to give her a short one for her right leg.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

A silence fell between them. Ronnie usually could tell when her sister was just being solicitous but this time there seemed to be no hidden meaning, no secret agenda in her younger sibling’s words. “Um…yeah. We stopped having her nurse come because she’s able to get around pretty good all by herself.” She paused and smiled. “The itching is driving her batty, though.”

“Oh, I bet. Remember when you broke your arm? I don’t know how many times Mother caught you trying to stick a hanger or a ruler down there to scratch.” The redhead kicked her shoes off and sat down on the couch. “So, what did you get her? And come over here for a while. I’m tired of talking across the room.”

Dark eyebrows raised. “Since when have you wanted to talk about Rose?”

“I didn’t say I wanted to talk about her, I just asked you what you got her for Christmas, that’s all.” Susan looked down at her fingernails, obviously avoiding her sister’s gaze. Ronnie was hesitant to open up, uncertain about the sudden change of attitude.

“Some clothes and a couple of computer programs,” she offered, making no effort to rise from her chair. “I didn’t go overboard.” The truth was that she had spent far more than originally planned, but the smiles Rose had given her were worth every penny.

“I didn’t say you did, Ronnie.” Seeing her sister was not going to join her on the couch, Susan stretched her legs out and let her stockinged feet rest on the far cushion. “Did she like them?”

“Yes, she liked them.” The executive looked down at her pencil and smiled, turning the writing implement over in her hands.

“So things are going well between you two?”

“Susan, she’s just a friend. I’ve told you that.” She stared at the pencil for a few seconds before speaking again, this time in a lower voice. “It really is beautiful, isn’t it?”

“It’s very nice, Ronnie,” the redhead agreed. “I guess it didn’t take her long to figure out your habit for eating every pencil in sight.”

“I don’t eat them.” A slight blush colored her features. “I bite them. There’s a difference. I can’t help it. I’ve done it since I was a kid and I’ll probably continue to do it until I’m an old lady.”

“Well Sis, I’m willing to bet you won’t be biting that one.”

Ronnie smiled. “No, it’s too beautiful. Besides, I’d probably chip my teeth on it.”

“You said it has a matching pen?”

“Yeah, right here.” Ronnie reached behind her for the blazer resting across the back of her chair and fished the pen out of the inside breast pocket. “She even made sure it had blue ink instead of black.”

“You know, I never saw anyone so particular about what color they write with.” Susan rose and crossed over to the desk to get a better look. Ronnie reluctantly handed it over. “Oh, that is nice.” There was silence for a moment before Susan handed the pen back. “I was thinking maybe Jack and I could come over some night for a visit. Nothing fancy—maybe one of those winter barbecues like you used to have.”

“We haven’t done one of those in what…two or three years now?” Ronnie shook her head. “I can’t believe it’s been that long.”

“Well then, we should do it. It’ll be fun and we’ll get to meet Rose.”

“You met her at the Christmas party, Susan,” she pointed out. “As I recall, you weren’t all that thrilled about it.”

“Well…” A guilty look passed over the younger sibling’s face. “Maybe I jumped to conclusions.”

“Maybe you did,” Ronnie agreed.

“So maybe I’d like a second chance,” the redhead offered.

Silence fell between them for a minute before Ronnie reluctantly nodded. “We’re right in the middle of the January thaw so this would be the perfect time for a winter barbecue.”

“Exactly. I’ll even leave the boys with the nanny so you won’t have to worry.”

“No, you can bring them. They haven’t been over in a while.”

“I’ll bring their PlayStation over so they have something to do.” Susan reached over and squeezed her sister’s shoulder. “You know they love beating you up in that wrestling game of theirs.”

“They still have that? I thought that was for that little black game system they had.”

“Oh, they still have that one somewhere. They only use the PlayStation now. I just got them a new wrestling game. I don’t know the name of it, of course.”

“Doesn’t matter. They’ll have my guy on the mat in three seconds flat just like they always do, except Ricky. He likes to throw my guy out of the ring a dozen times and put him into a coma before counting me out.” The sisters laughed, breaking the tension of the past few weeks.

“How about Saturday?”

“Sounds good. Excuse me.” Ronnie pressed the button on the buzzing phone.

“Your mother on line two. Says it’s urgent,” Laura’s voice said.

“Thank you.” She looked at Susan. “Now what?”

part 8

Rose held the phone against her chest, debating for the fourth time in an hour whether she should call Ronnie or not. The executive always called her by two and it was now going on four. When the phone did ring, it startled Rose enough that she almost dropped it. “Cartwright Residence.”

“Rose?”

“Ronnie?” A smile instantly crossed the young woman’s face. The background sound of someone being paged for radiology was enough to wipe the smile away. “Where are you?”

“I’m down at Albany Med.” The black-haired woman realized she was standing at the exact pay phone she had used the night of Rose’s accident to call Frank. She shook the thought off as she heard her friend’s voice come through the phone. “Oh sorry, lots of noise here. I’m fine, Tommy was in a car accident.”

“Oh no.” Rose’s legs throbbed with the memory. “Is he hurt bad?”

“I don’t know yet. The doctors are still with him and they haven’t told us much. Apparently he lost control going around a curve and ran into a telephone pole. Hey, I’ve got to go. The police are talking to Mother.”

“Okay, let me know what’s going on, all right?”

“I’ll call you later.”

Once their good-byes were said, Ronnie hung up the phone and stood next to her mother, impatiently listening to the officer’s words. “…excessive speed.”

“Everyone speeds in that area,” Beatrice snapped. “Perhaps if the State would take better care of the roads something like this wouldn’t have happened,” she said indignantly.

“The best roads in the world aren’t going to help when the driver is intoxicated, Ma’am.” The policeman pulled a note pad from his chest pocket and flipped to a page covered with writing.

“They found a dozen empty beer cans on the floor of the front seat. A breathalyzer taken at the accident scene showed his blood alcohol level twice the legal limit. You still want to blame the roads?”

Unable to protest and at a loss for words, Beatrice turned to her oldest daughter. The silent request was understood. It was time for the family caretaker. “Sergeant Mitchell,” Ronnie said, stepping between the officer and her mother. “What happens to Tommy now?”

“After they get done stitching him up he’ll be taken over to the County Jail and booked. If he gets there early enough, Judge Turner will set bail today, otherwise it’ll be tomorrow.” He shook his head. “I’ll tell you this, Miss. If you don’t get that fellow some help soon, you’d better plan on spending lots of time here.” He put the pad away and took a step back. “He was lucky this time. There’s something to be said for automatic seat belts and air bags. We could be looking at something far worse here than a few cuts and bruises.”

“Yes, very lucky.” From the corner of her eye, Ronnie saw Susan wrapping an arm around their mother, who looked torn between berating the officer and breaking down in tears. She understood her mother’s struggle. This was a problem the Cartwright name and money could not fix. “Oh.” She turned to the officer. “What about his car?”

“It’s been impounded. We’ll let you know when you can have it picked up. It’s totaled, though.”

“I want to see my son,” Beatrice announced.

“Once they finish with him, he’s going up to the jail. You can see him there once he’s been booked.”

“Sergeant,” Ronnie gave him a soft smile, hoping to diffuse the tension in the air. “Would it hurt anything if she saw him for just a minute?” She saw him waver and moved in, lowering her voice so her mother wouldn’t overhear. “I think she needs to see him now, not after they’ve cleaned him up, don’t you?” He looked down at the floor for a second before giving a small nod.

“He’s a mess, Miss. You need to get him help.”

“I will,” she promised.

“Just for a minute and I have to stay with you.”

“Thank you.” She turned to face her mother and Susan. “He’s going to let us see him for a minute.” As they moved to follow the policeman, Ronnie felt her sister’s hand on her arm.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“No,” Ronnie admitted. “But I don’t think hiding the truth from her is the best thing either. Maybe she does need to see him now, to see what he’s doing to himself.”

In her thirty-three years, Ronnie could only remember a handful of times when her mother had cried. No matter how much something upset Beatrice Cartwright, she kept it inside, a trait she passed on to her oldest child. Yet the sight of her youngest child in a hospital bed, his face bloodied and bruised, was enough to bring tears to the matriarch’s eyes. He opened his eyes at the gasp and looked at his mother, his eyes taking a moment to focus before he let his head drop back down onto the pillow. “What’d they tell you?” he asked warily.

“That you had an accident, Sweetie.” Beatrice walked over to the bed and took his hand in hers.

“I don’t know what happened, Mother…” He licked his lips as if parched. “I was up working late last night and I guess I must have been tired. I went out to get some breakfast and I must have fallen asleep at the wheel.” He looked up through blackened eyes and gave his mother an apologetic look. “I’m sorry you had to come all the way out here.”

Beatrice patted his hand and used her free hand to wipe her tears. “It’s all right, Honey. I’m here now. We’ll call Mister Jenkins and have him meet us at the jail. I’m sure he can take care of everything.”

“I guess I shouldn’t drive tired, huh?” he joked, his face twisting with pain as he tried to sit up.

“Oh, it hurts.” His sisters exchanged dubious looks at the exaggerated groan. Sergeant Mitchell politely coughed and looked at his watch.

“Mother, I think it’s time for us to leave,” Ronnie said, putting her hands on the smaller woman’s shoulders. “Why don’t you and Susan wait for me out in the waiting room? I want to talk to Tommy for a minute.”

Beatrice nodded and headed toward her younger daughter, who quickly led her out of the room. Ronnie listened to her mother’s voice trail off as they disappeared down the hallway. “…and he’s such a handsome boy, Susan. I hope he doesn’t end up with any scars.”

“So what’s up, Sis?” Tommy grinned at her, his trademark Cheshire look not working too well with a broken nose and bloodied lip. His grin faded when Ronnie moved closer, her face showing not anger, but concern.

“Tommy, you need help. Things are only going to get worse.” Despite all that had happened between them during the last couple of months, this was still her brother. “If you get treatment maybe they’ll drop the charges.”

“Treatment?” he scoffed. “You make me sound like one of those bums who live in the gutter.”

“Lots of people with money and status go into treatment, Tommy. You could go to the Betty Ford Clinic if you wanted to. I understand that’s a great place.”

“If it’s so fucking wonderful then you go there.”

“This time it was a pole, next time it could be another car or worse. This has to stop.” She ran her fingers through her hair, frustration making itself known with a long release of breath. “You obviously have a drinking problem and probably a drug problem too.”

“One look and you can tell that, right Doctor Cartwright?” he sneered.

“You stole Rose’s pills from my house, Tommy! You tried to break into the safe in the office and you’ve forged my name on bank loans. If it’s not drugs then what is it? You tell me, because I can’t understand why else you’d be doing these things.”

“Is that what this is about? Your friend can’t find her stupid pills and of course since I was in your house once in the last three years you decide it has to be me?”

“Twice,” she corrected, her jaw clenched with anger. “Or don’t you remember the night you upended my coffee table?”

“Get out of here, Ronnie,” he growled. “I fell asleep at the wheel, nothing more. You’re just trying to poison everyone against me.”

“I’m trying to help you, Tommy. You need a rehab before you kill yourself or someone else.”

“What I need is a fair shake—something I don’t get with you around—Oh mighty Veronica, Queen of the Cartwrights.”

“Tommy…”

“Fuck you, Ronnie!”

“Miss Cartwright,” she was surprised to find the sergeant still in the room, having forgotten all about him. “You can’t do anything more here. Why don’t you go see to your mother and I’ll deal with him.”

“That’s right, Ronnie, go see Mother and show her what a good daughter you are,” Tommy snarled. “Maybe she’ll even forget her pride and joy is a dyke.”

Dead silence descended on the room. Ronnie’s brain tried desperately to rewrite what it had heard but to no avail. Her head hung down, the long black tresses hiding her face from the officer’s view. Her emotions swirled and it was several breaths before she found her voice. “I really hope you get help, Tommy.” She walked out of the room and went in the opposite direction of the waiting area, unable to face her family yet.

Outside the snow was falling gently, creating a light haze of white against the gray sky. Ronnie leaned against the cold brick of the building. With her jacket still upstairs in the waiting room, the silk blouse was little defense against the cold wind. Still the weary executive stayed where she was, hoping the bitter chill would freeze some of her pain. Ronnie was torn between being angry with her brother and worrying that he was on a self-destructive course with only two possible endings, jail or death. His hurtful words replayed themselves over in her mind and she wanted nothing more than to be home, curled up against Rose.Rose…blue eyes closed and she let her mind fill with the vision of the young woman. Ronnie lost herself momentarily in the imaginary comfort of Rose’s arms when she felt a very real hand on her arm.

“It’s cold out here. Come inside,” Susan said, holding out her sister’s jacket.

Ronnie took the jacket and hugged it to her chest. “Thanks. I’ll be up in a little bit. I just need some air.” The warmth of the leather permeated through the silk, letting her know just how cold it really was.

“I know what he said,” Susan admitted, taking the jacket and holding it out for Ronnie to slip her arms in. “Sergeant Mitchell pulled me aside and told me.”

“Terrific. Maybe he’ll put it in his report too.” She straightened up long enough to get the jacket on, then leaned back against the wall.

“He promised me he wouldn’t say anything. He was just worried you were upset.” The redhead put her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Why don’t you take off? Go home to Rose. I’ll stay here with Mother and wait for Mister Jenkins.”

Ronnie’s first thought was to accept her sister’s offer and escape to the one person who made her feel comfortable…to get away from this mess she did not want to deal with and return to her sanctuary. But while being the oldest meant being in charge, it also carried with it a great deal of responsibility. She sighed. “No, you know I can’t leave until it’s over.”

“I know, I just thought I’d at least offer.” Susan looked at the falling snow and shivered. “You know I’m freezing out here.”

“Why don’t you go home to Jack and the kids? I can handle Mother.”

“No. If you have to be there then I should be there too. Come on, misery loves company.” Susan and Ronnie walked back inside and headed for the waiting room. “I um…I told Mother I agreed with you about the drug thing.”

“You did?”

The redhead nodded. “I thought maybe she would believe it more if I told her I thought he was doing drugs too.”

“What did she say?” Ronnie saw her answer on Susan’s crestfallen face.

“She doesn’t believe it’s as bad as I told her, and I even mentioned what you told me about those pills missing from your house and the bank loan.” She looked up at Ronnie and they shared a quiet but sad understanding. Nothing they said would change their mother’s opinion. They reached the outer doors of the emergency room.

“Well…one good thing, I guess…” Ronnie began. At the expectant look, she smiled. “It’s nice to know you’re on my side in this. It makes it easier.”

“Hey, we may not be best friends kind of sisters but we’re still sisters,” Susan said. “Besides, I’m holding you to the winter barbecue this weekend.”

“Deal.” Together they walked back to face the long evening of waiting around as the wheels and paperwork of justice turned slowly.

The sound of a car door woke Rose from her sleep. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, noting by the red numbers of the clock that it was well past midnight. “Ronnie? I’m awake,” she called when she heard the sliding glass door close.

“Oh.” A moment later the executive appeared in the doorway. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“No,” she lied while turning on the lamp. “I wanted to be awake when you came home anyway.” Patting the empty space on the bed next to her, she asked, “So what happened?”

Ronnie sighed and flopped down on the bed, her head gratefully sinking into the thick pillows. Both shoes hit the hardwood floor and pantyhose covered toes wiggled in relief. “Ah, much better.” Her watch followed her bracelet to the small side table. “Tommy was drunk and loaded with heroin and ran his car into a telephone pole.”

“Was anyone else hurt?”

“Thank God, no. He walked away with a busted nose and a few bruises. They found some cocaine on him when they searched him at the jail.”

“Cocaine? Oh Ronnie, that’s awful.”

“You should have seen Mother’s face when they added possession to the list of charges.” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe they gave him bail.” She rubbed her face vigorously with both hands. “I don’t know, Rose,” she sighed. “I knew something was up but I figured it was pot, not coke.” She took a deep breath. “That stuff’s going to kill him and he doesn’t even care. I tried to talk to him about going to rehab but he wouldn’t listen.” A brief look of hurt crossed Ronnie’s face at the memory of her brother’s hateful words. “I guess whatever I say doesn’t matter.”

Rose heard the sadness in her friend’s voice and knew there was more to what happened than she was letting on. She shifted on the bed, turning so her upper body was facing her companion.

“Has he always had this animosity toward you?”

“No.” Ronnie stared up at the ceiling. “When we were younger, Tommy was my shadow. Anything I did, he wanted to do. If I was interested in something, he was interested in it.”

“What happened?”

Ronnie shrugged. “I don’t really know. We started getting older and things changed. I think he always assumed that since he was the only son, he would be the one to take over when our father stepped down. I think he resented me because of that.”

“Yet you still try to help him.”

“He’s my brother. What else can I do?” She laced her fingers behind her head. “He had such potential, Rose. I hate seeing what these drugs are doing to him.”

“Maybe there’s still hope that he’ll seek treatment on his own.”

“Maybe,” Ronnie conceded. “I suppose anything is possible. God, he just gets me so angry sometimes. I could have had him arrested for embezzling and I didn’t. You think he cares? No, I try to help him and he turns around and calls me a d…” She stopped the word before it left her throat. “…a damn bitch,” she amended. “Ah, doesn’t matter, I guess.”

“It matters.” Rose reached over and placed her hand on Ronnie’s shoulder. “Maybe your family doesn’t care but I do. He had no right to hurt you like that. You don’t deserve it. You, Veronica Cartwright, are one of the most loving, gentle people I have ever met and anyone that doesn’t see how special you are is blind.”

Ronnie reached over and tousled the younger woman’s hair. “That goes both ways, my friend.” There was more, so much more she wanted to say, but fear held her back. Part of her wanted to pull Rose into her arms and keep her there for eternity and the other part screamed the truth that would keep them forever separated. Her playful mood disappeared as the latter part won out.

“Hey, I think we’d better get to sleep.”

“Oh…okay.” Rose was surprised by the sudden change but realized perhaps it was better to wait than to push the issue. There were still parts of Ronnie that were closed to her and she did not want to do anything to make her friend uncomfortable. She settled back on her own side and waited for company under the covers.

Ronnie looked at the woman waiting for her and Tommy’s words echoed through her mind.

“Maybe I should go to my own room. You’re sleeping through the night without pain and you’d probably like to have the bed all to yourself again.”

“Um…I guess…if that’s what you want,” Rose said quietly, biting her lower lip. “I suppose you’d probably be more comfortable in your bed anyway.”

“Yeah, I suppose so.” Ronnie noted her companion’s voice held the same tone of regret as her own yet she still sat up and collected her shoes. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She stood up and walked to the door. Her hand was on the handle when she heard a quiet sniffle. She turned to see sad pools of green looking at her. “Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked softly.

“N-nothing, I’m sorry. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ronnie.” Rose turned her head away but not before Ronnie saw a tear roll free. A second later the bed shifted as she added her weight. Long fingers cupped Rose’s chin, forcing her to turn and meet the concerned gaze.

“What’s wrong?” Without thinking, her thumb began stroking the soft skin beneath it. “Tell me, Rose.”

“Are you still happy having me here? I know it’s been an inconvenience and…” She was stopped by Ronnie’s finger on her lips.

“You listen to me. You are not an inconvenience to me. And yes, I’m still happy with you here. What brought this on?” She could have kicked herself as she immediately realized the answer to her own question. “I just thought you’d be more comfortable without me in your bed. It’s not that I don’t want you here, I swear.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“I guess I’m just being silly. Getting all upset just because you want to sleep in your own bed.” Rose wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I can just imagine what your family would say if they found out you were sleeping with me. They’d probably think I was turning you into a lesbian or something. We can’t have that, now can we?”

Ronnie let out a deep breath and shook her head. “No, we can’t have that.” She stood up and gathered her pillows.No, can’t have them thinking that Veronica Cartwright is a lesbian, canwe? Wouldn’t want to mess up the family’s perfect image. It’s okay that Tommy is out wrappingcars around poles and breaking into places but heaven forbid I take a woman into my bed. ”I’ll see you tomorrow, Rose.”

“Would you leave the door open so Tabitha can get in, please?”

“Sure. Good night, Hon.”

“Night, Ronnie. Pleasant dreams.”

“You too.” She shut the light off and left the room, a heavy blanket of loneliness settling over her.

Opening the door to her room, Ronnie was struck by just how foreign it seemed to her to sleep without Rose. The silk blouse and skirt landed in a pile on the foot of the bed, followed quickly by her bra and pantyhose. She pulled the blanket back and sat down on the cool sheets. Seconds ticked by as loneliness gave way to anger. Anger that grew until sleep was no longer an option. A few minutes later her sweats were on and she was heading for the basement to work out some aggression.

Thwap! Thwap!Over and over the punching bag took the fury and rage of a woman torn between what she needed and wanted and what was expected of her. “Damn it! Why can’t they understand?” Ronnie cried out to the empty gym. “I’m not hurting anyone!” Her gloved fists struck the bag over and over.Thwap, thwap, thwap. “Why is it so wrong? Why?” Her only answer was the creaking of the punching bag on its hinge as her blows caused it to sway.

On the floor above, Rose lay in the dark, listening to the muffled sounds coming from the basement.Oh Ronnie, what did he say to hurt you so much?She hugged the pillow tightly against herself, wishing it were her friend she was holding. Suddenly the sounds from below stopped, followed a few minutes later by the sound of the basement door opening. “Ronnie?” she called out.

“You okay?” The tall figure appeared in the doorway, her silhouette invisible against the darkness of the night.

“I um…I…would you mind spending one more night with me?”

“Is everything all right?” Ronnie crossed the room and put her knee on the edge of the bed.

“I just…I had a bad dream and can’t get back to sleep,” she fibbed. There was silence for a moment before Rose felt the blanket being pulled back and the soft warmth of Ronnie’s body nestling up against hers.

“Better?” the throaty voice asked.

“Mmm,” Rose snuggled closer, resting the back of her head against the soft crook of the offered shoulder. “You comfortable?”

“Very,” came the sleepy murmur. “Night, Rose.”

“Night, Ronnie.” She closed her eyes and smiled as the older woman’s breathing became deep and even. “Everything will be fine. Rest well,” she whispered before allowing sleep to claim her as well.

“Miss Cartwright, may I speak with you for a minute?” Laura asked, poking her head around the door.

“Sure, come in.” Ronnie set her pen down and looked up, noting the smile on the young secretary’s face.

“I wanted to tell you the good news myself before everyone in the office hears it.”

“You’re pregnant,” the executive guessed. The young woman nodded happily. “Congratulations. I know you and Mike were trying. How far along?”

“Thanks, I’m three months now. I have a feeling Mike’s made himself that quarterback he always wanted. I’m certainly gaining enough weight.” She looked at the couch, then at her employer.

“Please, take a seat. So you’re going to be going out on maternity leave just in time for summer.”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Mike doesn’t want me to work once the baby’s born. He just got a promotion and he thinks we can make it on one income.”

“So you’re going to resign when it gets close to the time?”

“Actually…Mike doesn’t want me to wait that long. He doesn’t want me to have any undue stress.” Laura rubbed her belly absently. “I’m going to leave just before my third trimester starts.”

Ronnie did the quick math and realized that only gave her three months to find a new secretary. The idea of wading through the endless resumes and interviews threatened to give her a headache. “Well…I appreciate you’re staying on for a while. It would be nice to have a smooth transition between you and your replacement.”

“I’ll put a notice in the paper and notify the employment agencies,” Laura offered. “I’ll make sure to be clear on your requirements.” She stood up. “Well, I’d better get out there. I’ll bet the phone is ringing off the hook and besides it’s almost two.”

“Is it?” Ronnie looked at her watch, startled by the amount of time that had gone by. “Okay, Laura. Have a draft of the ad prepared for me by morning, will you? I’d like to get someone in here and settled before you leave.”

Once alone, the executive picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number. Two rings later the sweetest voice she’d ever heard answered. “Cartwright Residence.”

“Why do you always answer the phone like that? You know it’s me,” she teased.

“Just habit, I guess,” Rose answered. “How’s it going?”

“Actually today is flying. I might come home early. What’s for dinner?” She leaned back, kicking her shoes off and sticking her feet up on the edge of her desk.

“I’m not sure. She usually doesn’t start dinner until around four or so.”

“Why don’t you tell her not to bother tonight? I’ll pick up some Chinese for us.”

“Oh, that sounds nice.”

“Is there something good on TV tonight or do you want me to stop and pick up a movie?”

“There’s not much on except the news magazines.”

“We always watch those. How about a movie tonight?”

“Sure, sounds good. Hey, my speed is up to fifty words a minute now.”

“Oh yeah? Great.” A tiny thought formed in the back of her mind. “Have you been studying those business letters and forms?”

“Of course. I even retyped some old letters you had lying on the desk just to get the practice.”

“Good.” Ronnie smiled broadly at the extra effort on Rose’s part. “Hey, Laura told me today that she’s pregnant.”

“Oh yeah? That’s great.”

“Great for her, lousy for me. Now I have to find another secretary. I hate looking for a secretary. I’m worse than Murphy Brown when it comes to that.”

“Oh please,” Rose laughed. “I’ve been watching that in the mornings. She had one that talked to the devil.”

“I had two that believed Satan was going to swoop down and take over any minute. Needless to say they didn’t last long. I have terrible luck with them. Laura’s the best I’ve had and it took me six months of wading though the flotsam of the secretarial world to get her.” A buzz on the phone brought Ronnie’s attention to the flashing light of line two. “Hon, I’ve got to go. Tell Maria not to bother with dinner and I’ll be home in a little while.”

“Okay, Ronnie, I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

Ronnie gazed at her beloved mechanical pencil for a few seconds before reluctantly pressing the button on the phone. “This is Veronica Cartwright.”

“Prepare to meet the Crusher, arg arg arg,” Susan’s oldest son Ricky said. “He’s gonna pulverize you.”

“Worse than the Undertaker?” Rose queried.

“Oh, he’s nothing compared to Crusher.” He caught his aunt walking past. “Hey, Aunt Ronnie, come see me pulverize Rose.”

“Can’t you find something nicer to play? Whatever happened to Pac-Man?” she said as she entered the living room.

“Pac-Man?” The twelve year old laughed and pressed several buttons in rapid succession, throwing Rose’s man out of the ring and onto the mat. “I’ve seen that game in the arcades. Boring. You’ve got to get with the times, Aunt Ronnie. It’s Virtual Fighter and Super Wrestlemania now.” He lowered his voice so only Rose could hear him. “Next thing you know she’ll bring out those old records she has from the eighties.”

“Hey, I like the music from the eighties,” she protested.

“That’s ‘cause you’re old like Aunt Ronnie and Mom.”

“Old? I hate to tell you, Ricky, but twenty-six is not old.”

“Twenty-six? Oh man, that’s way old. Come on, get your man back into the ring before he gets counted out.”

“Why? Every time I get back in you throw him out again.”

“That’s the point,” the boy replied, moving his character into position. Rose looked at Ronnie and rolled her eyes, causing the older woman to laugh before leaving the room.

Ronnie found Susan out on the sun porch, monitoring the steaks and burgers cooking on the grill. The late January thaw had the temperature in the lower fifties, practically balmy for Albany. Susan’s other sons, Timmy and John, were enjoying the bright sunshine, riding bikes they had found in the garage. “Ricky sure enjoys those video games, doesn’t he?” the oldest Cartwright said as she walked over and sniffed the cooking meat.

“I can’t get him away from them,” Susan replied. “Do you think we should start frying up the mushrooms yet?”

“No, not for another ten minutes or so.” They were interrupted by six year old John riding up on the purple bike, tears streaming out of his eyes.

“What’s wrong, Honey? Did you fall?” Susan went into mother mode, lifting her son’s arms to look for any scrapes. He shook his head, still blubbering.

“Timmy won’t stop teasing me ‘cause I’m riding a girl’s bike,” he wailed, pointing at the flowered basket on the front.

“I’ll take care of this,” Ronnie said, holding her hand out to take the smaller one in her own.

“Come on, John. There’s some tools in the garage. We’ll take that basket off. Will that be better?” She received a shaky nod in reply. With her nephew in tow, Ronnie headed for the garage.

Satisfied that the meat would cook without supervision, Susan stepped inside to warm up for a little while and to check on her oldest son. She found him still playing the wrestling game with Rose, who only made token efforts to fight back as her character was beaten time and again.

“Having fun?”

“Oh yeah, Mom. Rose is more of a challenge than Aunt Ronnie,” he replied, his eyes never leaving the screen.

“Ricky, why don’t you go play pool with your father? I want to talk to Rose for a few minutes.”

“But I’m having fun,” he whined.

“Richard…” she said in that age old ‘mother’ tone. The game controller landed on the floor and a pouting boy headed for the game room. Rose set her controller on the couch next to her, nervousness setting in as it had when Susan ran into her at the Christmas party.

“Where’s Ronnie?” she asked.

“Out helping John with the bicycle,” the redhead said as she sat down on the cushion previously occupied by her son. “So your legs are getting better?”

“Doctor Barnes says my right leg is healing beautifully.” She looked down at the bright white of her new casts, the left leg still encased up to the hip but the other one stopping just below the knee.

“What about the left one?”

Rose sighed, remembering the X-ray of her ankle that resembled a road map. “That one will take longer. I broke it pretty good.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.” There was an awkward silence before Susan spoke again. “That pen and pencil set you gave Ronnie is very nice.”

“Thank you,” the blonde replied. “She was complaining she could never find a pen when she needed one and I thought she’d like it.”

“She loves it. I never see her use anything else now, and I never thought I’d see her stop biting her pencils.” Susan looked at the graphics flashing on the television, begging them to press the start button and enter another round of video wrestling. “You know I love my sister very much. I don’t like to see her hurt.”

“She’s a very special person,” Rose agreed, uncertain where the conversation was going.

“I hope you understand just how much she’s putting on the line having you here.” Susan’s voice held no reproach, just concern for her sister. She turned sideways on the couch, looking carefully at the young woman across from her. “She was hurt very badly by Chris. I just hope that doesn’t happen again.”

“What did he do?” Rose asked. Susan’s eyebrow raised. Remembering her sister’s repeated denials of a relationship, she now questioned her previous assumptions.

“Um…oh…well, I think maybe you should ask Ronnie about that. I need to check on the steaks. Excuse me.” She stood up quickly and left, leaving a confused Rose to watch her retreating form.

With no boy to keep occupied with video games, the young woman decided to venture out and look for Ronnie. With one leg in a short cast, it was much easier for her to maneuver herself in and out of the wheelchair. The temporary ramp made of plywood allowed her to get in and out of the sunken part of the living room on her own. She found the dark-haired beauty on the sun porch, talking to her sister.

“Hi there,” Ronnie said with a smile when she saw Rose wheel her way onto the porch. “You want a jacket? It’s warm but not that warm.”

“No, this sweater is plenty warm,” she assured. “Ricky is playing pool with his father so I thought I’d come out and see how everything was going.” She sniffed the air appreciatively.

“Smells great.”

“Mmm, yes it does.” Ronnie lifted the cover and gazed hungrily at the steaks.

“Don’t even think about it,” Susan admonished. “I thought you were going to do the mushrooms and peppers?”

The executive laughed and nodded. “All right. Come on, Rose. You can help me cut up the peppers.” She opened the sliding glass door and motioned for her companion to go first. “Susan, remember we want ours done medium well, not burnt.”

“Keep it up and you’ll get hockey pucks,” Susan said, reaching for the flame control in a mock threat.

“Well then, I’d know you were the one that cooked it, for sure,” Ronnie replied with a teasing grin, feeling far more relaxed around her sister than she had in weeks. There was a familiarity about having her family around that was nice but it was Rose’s presence that truly made her enjoy the day.

After dinner the two older boys joined Ronnie and Jack in the game room for pool while Rose volunteered to play a video game with John. To her surprise, he had no interest in the wrestling game, instead putting in a race car game where they competed against each other. Unlike his aggressive oldest brother, John was content to stay in his own lane and not try to run Rose off the road, despite the bonus points allowed for doing so. Of course the she let him win, letting up on the speed button at the last minute to allow him to take the lead.

As Susan puttered about, she glanced in at them from time to time, surprised when she saw John sitting on Rose’s lap as they engaged in another race. She watched for several minutes unobserved, noting how gentle the young woman was with her son, showing him how to make his car go faster and not crash while moving around the corners. She never heard her older sister come up from behind. “Is there anything else that has to go in the dishwasher?”

Susan jumped. “Oh God, Ronnie, I didn’t know you were there,” she said. “I was just checking to see what John was doing,” Together they watched the pair for a few minutes. “She seems like a nice person.”

“She is a nice person,” Ronnie corrected. “I don’t think Rose has a mean bone in her body.”

“Well, they’re fine. Let’s go see what Jack and the boys are doing.”

“They’re still playing pool. I just came out to make sure everything was picked up and in the dishwasher.” She followed her younger sister into the game room, turning at the last moment to take one last quick glance at Rose.

It was just after six when Susan’s car pulled out of the driveway. Ronnie set the dishwasher, then joined Rose in the living room. “So, movies or television tonight?” she asked as she sank into the couch cushion.

“Oh, either one is fine with me, but haven’t we seen all your movies already?”

“Well, there’s always HBO or pay per view. I think that new Whoopi Goldberg movie is on tonight.” Ronnie looked around but didn’t see what she was looking for. “Where’s the TV

Guide?”

“Oh, over here.” Rose picked it up off the end table and passed it over. As she handed it over, she noticed the light beige polish on Ronnie’s perfectly manicured nails. “Oh, that’s a pretty color.” She took the larger hand in her own to get a better look.

“You know, I bet this color would look nice on you too.” She ran her thumb over the ridges on Rose’s nails and an idea came to her. “Looks like you could use an emery board.”

The blonde withdrew her hand and smiled. “Yeah, I guess I haven’t paid much attention to them lately.”

“Why don’t we do them tonight?” Ronnie offered. “I’ve got tons of polish in almost any shade you can imagine.” At Rose’s hesitation, she added “Come on, I’ve got to do mine anyway. It’s the quick drying kind. It’ll be fun, just like a slumber party.” Ronnie gave a little pout coupled with puppy dog eyes, and was immeasurably pleased when the young woman smiled and nodded.

“Great. I’ll get everything and you can head into the bedroom. The light’s better in there anyway.”

A short while later found them on the bed, Rose propped up against the headboard and her companion sitting cross-legged next to her. Surrounding them were cotton balls, emery boards, a bottle of polish remover, and several bottles of the quick drying nail polish. Ronnie took the smaller hand in hers and began to shape the flat ends of the neglected nails. “Okay, so lets do some girl talk.”

“Okay,” Rose said with a smile. “Let’s see, what haven’t we talked about yet.” She used her free hand to tap her finger against her chin. “We haven’t talked about sex.”

“Something you don’t know?” Ronnie quirked. “I understand there are books out there…”

“Oh, you…” Rose gave a playful swat. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.” They exchanged friendly smiles while the file moved on to another nail. “I mean why does someone like you not have a husband and kids running around? You can’t tell me you don’t have offers.”

“Oh, I get offers all the time, I just ignore them. Other hand please.” Ronnie turned the emery board over and resumed her task. “Most of them are just opportunists looking for a boost up with my money.”

“And the others?”

“The others are just not what I’m interested in. Maybe I’ll settle down someday but not right now.” She released the hand she was holding and waved at the pile of bottles. “So which color?” She reached in and picked out a light pink. “I think this would look good. Bright red would be too dark with your skin tone.”

“Sure, go ahead.” Rose held her hand out dutifully. Ronnie scooted closer and handed her the open bottle to hold.

“So what about you?” Ronnie asked while drawing the small brush along the length of the nail.

“I haven’t dated much. Nowadays most men expect the woman to help pay when they go out and you know I couldn’t afford that.” She looked down at the half-finished nail. “Oh, that is pretty.”

“Told you you’d like it,” the older woman said. “And not all men expect the woman to help pay.”

“The ones I know do, or else they expect something else. I’ve had to wrestle my way out of cars more than once.”

Ronnie chuckled. “I think that’s a rite of passage. You’re not a woman unless you’ve had to beat off Horny Harry at least once. It’s really amazing how many of them think with the wrong head.” She turned Rose’s hand to get to the thumb. “It’s not worth my time to deal with it.”

“Did you ever get caught?”

“Caught what? Doing it?” The older woman shook her head. “Other hand. You?” The answering blush peaked her curiosity. “What happened?” She capped the polish and leaned forward expectantly.

“God, this is embarrassing. How did we get on this topic anyway?”

“You suggested it,” Ronnie replied, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Oh yeah.” Still smiling, Rose looked down at her lap. “I was sixteen and living with Delores. I went out on a date with this guy from school. He was dropping me off and we were in his car parked in her driveway.” She blushed at the memory. “I never heard her come out.”

“You were otherwise occupied?” Ronnie couldn’t help smiling at her friend’s discomfort. “That must have been awful.”

Rose nodded. “We weren’t exactly doingthatbut we were pretty close. And it was awful. She grounded me for the rest of the school year and I had extra chores from then on.”

“Jeez, I hope your next date went better.” Ronnie opened the bottle of polish and resumed her task.

“He wouldn’t go out with me again after the way she yelled at him. She called his parents too. I was humiliated. He wouldn’t even talk to me at school because he got into so much trouble too.”

“We all have our embarrassing moments,” Ronnie said gently, giving the hand within hers a squeeze.

“Your turn. Tell me about Chris.” The brush stopped mid-nail and the older woman’s face looked like she swallowed the wrong way.

“Um, Chris?” Her voice squeaked and she had to clear it. “Who told you about Chris?”

“Susan said Chris hurt you very badly. What did he do?”

Ronnie felt her heart pick up speed and licked her lips nervously. “What did Susan tell you?”

“Just that Chris hurt you badly. She didn’t say anything more. I’m sorry, if you don’t want to…”

“No, it’s all right,” she returned her attention to the hand she was holding.How much do I tellher?She looked up at the gentle face, trying to gauge her reaction. “Um…I met Chris while I was at Stanford.”

“How long did you two go out?”

“We were together for about three and half months. I was young and in love and I guess…Chris wasn’t.”

“What did he do?”

“Betrayed me.” There was a touch of the long ago hurt in her voice. “After I broke it off, Chris called my parents and asked for money.” She mentally cursed herself for letting Rose believe that her ex-lover was a man but still found she couldn’t bring herself to utter the hidden truth.

“Threatened to take our relationship public.”

“Oh that’s terrible!” Rose gasped. “No wonder you don’t date much.”

“Much?” Ronnie gave a short laugh. “I haven’t seriously dated anyone in years. I have an escort service I use for formal affairs.”

“Not worth the hassle, eh?”

“Absolutely not worth it,” the dark-haired woman said emphatically. “Okay, you’re done.” She released the smaller hand, deliberately drawing her forefinger along the length of Rose’s as they separated. “This is the quick drying stuff. Give it a minute, then you’ll be all set. So I got to pick your color, you pick mine.”

Green eyes perused the various shades before deciding on one. “Now you are someone who can wear the deep reds. I think this would look nice on you.” She held up a dark shade called Heart.

“You know that red blouse you wore last week? This shade would be perfect with that.” She focused on the strong hands resting in Ronnie’s lap. “You have strong hands. Not bony at all. Must be all that working out.” Deciding her nails were dry enough, Rose took the older woman’s hand in hers.

Gotta have some way to release my tension, Ronnie thought to herself. Sharing a bed did not allow her the privacy she usually had late at night to relieve herself in another way. She tried hard not to think about how nice it felt to hold hands with Rose, even if they were both being careful not to smudge the freshly painted nails. The warmth, the softness…with a start she realized the young woman was speaking to her. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Nothing, I was just teasing.”

“What did you say?”

“I asked if you worked out so much because you were frustrated.” Rose blushed at her attempt at a bold joke. “Because you’re down in that gym so often.”

Ronnie chuckled. “If that was the case, I’d be down there all the time. Of course there are other ways to take care of that problem,” she said, deciding that she liked the pretty color rising to the young woman’s cheeks.

“Uh, yes there are,” Rose agreed, looking down. She finished the nail she was working on in silence. It wasn’t common for her to discuss sex with anyone and she felt like a teenager, curious and embarrassed at the same time. “Do you do that?” she practically whispered as she brought the brush to the next fingernail.

“Everyone does that, Rose.”

“Yeah, I’m sure they do, I just didn’t think…I mean I can’t imagine…” The image of Ronnie touching herself formed in her mind for an instant before she forced it away. “I don’t mean that I imagine you…well…you know…I mean…” She stammered to a stop, having now fully embarrassed herself. “Oh God, this topic was my idea?” She laughed and shook her head. “I guess I should have picked something I had a little more experience in.”

“You’re cute when you blush, you know.” Ronnie gave a big smile and jerked her head back at the mock pass at her nose with the polish brush. “Obviously we’ve both had bad luck when it came to romance.”

“You know that doesn’t mean you won’t ever find love again.” She began working on the last nail. “You’re a very special woman, Ronnie. Any man would be lucky to have you…oops.” She reached over and grabbed a cotton ball to wipe away the errant swipe of polish from the thumb.

“Yeah, well maybe someday I’ll find someone, but I’m not worried about it.” She held her hand up and smiled. “You did a good job, Rose. They look great.”

“Thanks, you did too.” She held up her own hand for comparison. “Hey, look how much smaller my hand is compared to yours.” She pressed their palms together and giggled at the difference.

“So what do you want to do now?” Ronnie asked, not making any move to withdraw her hand. She didn’t want it to end—not yet. “The night is still young. I know, how about we braid each other’s hair?”

“Oh, that sounds like fun,” Rose happily agreed. “I love your hair. I bet you’d look really cute in one of those French braids.”

“Whatever you want to do. I trust you not to make me look like Heidi the Swiss Miss Girl.”

“Ohh.” The fair-haired woman gave a fake pout. “But you’d look so cute.”

“And just what do you think I’d make you look like if you did that?” Ronnie chuckled. “Do you want me to do your hair first?”

“No, I wanna do yours first. You have nice hair. Besides, you have to give those nails another minute or two to dry.” The older woman obliged, turning around so her back was to Rose. Blue eyes fluttered shut at the feel of gentle fingers sinking into her hair. The soft, melodic voice drifted in. “So thick and long. I don’t know how you manage not to spend hours brushing it.”

“I talented,” Ronnie said with a grin. “And I have a damn good hair dryer,” she added.

“It’s very pretty,” Rose whispered, pulling her fingers through the sable strands. “When the light shines on it, some parts seem almost jet black while others seem lighter, like a chestnut.”

“It does get a little lighter in the summer. I figure it’s from all the chlorine in the pool.”

“Mmm.” Rose began to twist the hair into a braid. “I bet you were happy to have the pool last summer. Albany was absolutely scorching.”

“Does yours get lighter? I bet it does.”

“Yeah, it becomes so pale that it’s almost saffron.” Small fingers continued to twist the dark hair, careful to keep the braid straight. They kept up the chit-chat but Rose’s concentration was on what her hands were doing, not what they were talking about. When she reached the end and tied it off, her fingers automatically landed on the broad shoulders before her. She experimented by squeezing gently and was rewarded with a deep groan. “Sounds like you could use a massage.”

“I’d love one,” Ronnie replied, leaning into the pressure. “You’ve got a great touch.”

“Thank you.” She slipped her fingers and thumbs under the neck of the T-shirt and began kneading the muscles hidden under warm flesh. Rose moved as far as the opening would let her giving a gentle tug on the shirt.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know, I want to.” She gave another tug. “It’s not like there’s anyone else here to do it, and besides, if I can’t give my best friend a backrub, who can?” She moved her hands out of the way as the light gray shirt was removed.

“That’s nice,” Ronnie murmured.

“What’s nice?”

“Best friend.” She turned to meet soft green eyes. “That goes both ways, you know. I’ve never had anyone I could talk to like you.” On impulse she pulled Rose into a hug.

At first the young woman was startled but then she relaxed against the warmth of the bare skin. With her face buried in the crook of Ronnie’s neck, she inhaled the mixture of perfume, soap, and the older woman’s own scent. As the embrace continued, she became cognizant of where her forearm rested against the swell of bared breasts. She had never touched another woman’s breasts before and found herself curiously focused on the new sensation. They were soft, warm…for a brief instant she had the urge to cup one in her hand, to feel its weight, but Ronnie’s body shook with a chuckle and the spell was broken. “What?”

“I said I know I’m soft but you can’t sleep there,” the dark-haired woman teased.

“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s just…I um…” Rose’s face colored and her mind refused to offer up any excuses.

“You felt like you were drifting off and I figured your pillows were better than my boob.” Ronnie turned away again and sighed as the backrub resumed.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Rose replied, moving her fingers down the length of her friend’s spine. “Looks like you have plenty to make a pillow out of.” She surprised herself with her boldness and quickly tried to laugh it off. “Not that I’m particularly lacking in that department myself.” Her eyes fell upon a small triangle of skin darker than the rest just below Ronnie’s shoulder blade. “Did you know you have a birthmark right here?” She poked the area in question.

“So I’ve heard. Never seen it myself.” Rose continued to trace the mark with her fingertip, unaware of the effect her touch was having on Ronnie’s senses. “It’s um…not in a good position, even with mirrors.”

“Hmm, it’s very pretty. It’s just a little thing, no bigger than my fingertip. It’s just below your shoulder blade.” Her eyes studied the landscape of her friend’s back, noting every freckle and beauty mark. Where her eyes went, her hands followed, splaying out and running up and down.

“You have a strong back, Ronnie.”

In fact, everything about you is strong, she silently mused.Strong shoulders, strong arms, evenyour jawline is strong. She leaned over and spied the large hand resting on the Ronnie’s thigh.And your hands…strong and gentle. When you hold me at night I feel so safe. When my legs hurtso much I don’t think I can stand it you come along and make it feel better just by putting yourarms around me.She never realized her hand had moved and was now gently stroking up and down a well-defined bicep.

“Um…I think that’s good, Rose.”

“Hmm? Oh.” Rose pulled her hands back and watched Ronnie put her T-shirt back on.

“Okay, your turn. Scoot forward.”

Long, dexterous fingers moved through her hair, against her scalp, massaging while braiding. Rose didn’t know when her eyes closed or when Ronnie started humming. She gave up trying to figure out what she was feeling and lost herself in it. She pressed back against her friend’s fingers, sighing audibly when Ronnie took the hint and began pressing her thumbs against the base of the skull. “Ooh, that’s nice,” she murmured, a lazy smile coming to her face.

“Talk about needing a massage,” the executive replied. “That’s it, relax against me.” Rose did as the rich voice told her, letting her upper body rest upon Ronnie’s. The Dartmouth nightshirt was big on her, the larger neck allowing hands to reach her shoulders without hindrance. She sighed again as the strong fingers forced her muscles to relax. She sank deeper against the larger frame behind her. Her shoulders were completely limp but Rose discovered another part of her was far from that state. She didn’t need to look down to realize that her nipples were tightening up. As Ronnie’s hands moved beneath the nightshirt, the cloth rubbed against the pink puckered skin. Eyes closed, Rose imagined those strong hands moving down. Her eyes flew open with the realization of what she was feeling…arousal.

“Hey…um…why don’t we turn on the television? I’m sure there’s something on we can watch.” She reached for the remote, hoping her voice didn’t sound as nervous to Ronnie as it did to her own ears.

Broken out of her own musings by the sudden move, the dark-haired woman could only mumble an approval. The noise of the television filled the air. It took a moment for her to realize that Rose wasn’t going to lean back against her anymore. Disappointed that the massage was over, Ronnie returned to the earlier task of braiding the blonde hair. Five minutes before she had been content, cozy, and comfortable. Now her body felt cool without the warmth of the smaller woman against her. She let out a silent sigh and resigned herself to be content with just touching the soft tresses.

Rose was also feeling the loss of their body contact. It took effort on her part not to lean into Ronnie’s fingers and start the massage over again.Why am I feeling like this? What’s gotten intome? It’s just Ronnie.She tried to imagine how it would feel if someone else was touching her but an accidental brushing of a hand against her collarbone blew that thought away.Oh, what Iwouldn’t give for a nice backrub from you right now.She began to lean into Ronnie’s touch again and had to stop herself.This is crazy. It’s just that no one has ever touched me like this before,that’s all.She repeated the words over and over in her head until the braiding was done. When Ronnie moved out from behind her and she settled back against the pillows, Rose felt anything but relaxed. Her body was wide awake and burning with a fire that she hadn’t felt in years. In fact, the room seemed quite warm to her at the moment. Her only hope was that sleep would come quickly. “I’m tired,” she said over a fake yawn.

“Really?” Ronnie looked at the clock. “It’s still early.”

“Yeah, I don’t know, I think your neckrub is putting me to sleep. You can stay up if you want to, the TV won’t bother me.” She closed her eyes and nuzzled deeper into her pillow.

“I’m not tired yet but I don’t want to keep you up. I’ll go downstairs and work out for a while. I’m sure that’ll tire me out.”

“Oh, you don’t have to leave,” Rose protested, although an idea was forming in her mind.

“No, it’s no problem, really. I could use a workout,” she reassured, climbing out of bed and shutting off the television. “I’ll be back in about a half-hour, forty-five minutes or so.”

“Okay.”Perfect.

Rose waited until she heard the music wafting through the floorboards before bending her right knee and drawing her legs apart. Self-pleasuring was not something she did often but her fingers had no trouble slipping between her slick lips and locating her excited nerves. “Ah…” Her fingers felt cool surrounded by the liquid warmth and the sensation was heightened when she drew the length of her finger across her clit. She filled her mind with erotic images while her passion grew. Her left hand pushed its way under the nightshirt and latched on to…

…her nipple became hard under the rhythmic pumping. Lying on the thick blue workout mat, Ronnie let her free hand travel into her sweatpants to cup her mound through her panties.

“Ohh…” Long fingers pushed the cotton against her wet curls, then further until the crotch was saturated. Shifting for leverage, she caused some slack to form in the panties and she used it to her full advantage, curling her fingers under the elastic edge and between her nether lips. Eyes closed, her fingers became Rose’s fingers. Imagining the blonde woman touching her so intimately caused Ronnie’s hips to buck against the mat and her breath to quicken. It was a fantasy she hadn’t allowed herself to entertain until now and she was surprised by its power. It was too much to deny anymore. She was in love with Rose Grayson; nothing could change that. Reality could never be but here, now, on a mat in her private gym, the fantasy could live. Here there was no accident, no broken bones, no shattered lives. Here was just her and Rose, loving each other. Ronnie’s fingers moved through the black curls and pink lips with old familiarity but the touches were somehow different, more intense. She was more than ready when two long fingers found her entrance and slid…

…inside to her first knuckle. Rose brought her other hand down and rubbed herself furiously. The full-length cast was the only thing keeping her hips even remotely on the bed. Her thigh muscles tensed and she felt a twinge of pain in her left leg but it paled in comparison to the pleasure her fingers were bringing. Pumping in, back, then in deeper still, her fantasy lover brought her to the edge. Rose pushed as far as she could but there was more…more that she couldn’t quite reach. That special place was so close and yet so far away. Teeth gritted, face contorted, she strained to reach orgasm. Pumping so deep that it hurt the webbing between her fingers while her left hand never ceased in its frantic efforts. Rose felt herself teetering on the brink but was unable to fall over the edge. Then her fantasy lover spoke to her. “Yes, that’s it, Rose. Let it go, that’s right.” Ronnie’s low tones rumbled through her, setting off electric charges that moved from her breasts to her clit where the final explosion came with shattering force.

“Oh…”

“…Rose!” Ronnie cried out as the pulsing waves crashed through her. Sure, deliberate movements drew out the pleasure, allowing her a few more seconds with her imaginary lover before falling limply back to the mat. Eyes closed, she lay there for several minutes, unwilling to let the fantasy go too soon. Eventually her breathing slowed and reality returned. With it came profound sadness. No matter what she did, it would never take away the truth about the accident. Nothing would take away Rose’s pain. Ronnie sat up and wrapped her arms around her legs, hugging herself into a ball.For so long I haven’t wanted anyone and now there’s you.She looked at the ceiling, then slowly buried her head against her knees.What am I going to do? I need youin my life, Rose. I can’t imagine what it was like before you came and I dread the thought of youever leaving.At that moment there was nothing Ronnie wanted to do more than to cuddle up against the smaller woman. She took a deep breath and sat up, knowing that the longer she stayed downstairs the longer it would be before she could rest against Rose’s warm…

….washcloth between her legs, removing any trace her activities. Her task finished, she set it back in the small basin on the night stand. Rose settled back under the covers and waited for Ronnie to return. In the darkness, she thought about what had happened. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought about having sex with another woman. Now, her body still tingling from the intense orgasm, Rose tried to sort out her conflicting feelings. She cared very deeply for Ronnie, but that way? Still, all it took was her thinking of the executive speaking low and sexy to her and Rose began to warm up again. She tried to think of two women having sex. Nothing. There was no interest at all. The visions in her mind were just sex, bodies and limbs mingling together for physical pleasure. She thought about Ronnie again. Long, never ending legs led to a graceful swelling at the hip then narrowed to a slim waist. Breasts that seemed neither too large nor too small for her tall frame. A slender neck led to a square jaw and high cheekbones, all accented by full lips and expressive blue eyes. But the mental review couldn’t stay on the physical. The rich voice played in her ear while the sweet scent lingering on the nearby pillow filled her nostrils. Rose suddenly became aware of her own hand moving against her breast. The sudden silence as the stereo was shut off jolted the young woman out of her new fantasy. Her hands went straight to her sides and she waited as the basement door closed and the one to her room opened.

“You awake?” Ronnie whispered as she entered the darkened room. She waited a few seconds before repeating her question. Satisfied that Rose was sleeping, she carefully slipped into bed. Their bodies were barely touching. She tried one more time. “Rose?” She waited several seconds before settling down and wiggling in close. Her face buried in golden hair, her arm resting across the small waist, Ronnie gave a contented sigh and drifted off.

Long after Ronnie’s breathing gave way to soft snores, Rose lay awake, her fingertips idly twirling across the back of the hand resting on her stomach.It’s too bad that Chris hurt you somuch, using your love against you, threatening to tell everyone about…Her eyes popped open as the question took shape.Why would it be so terrible for you to be involved with a fellow student?

It’s not like you were sleeping with a professor or anything. Unless…her eyes grew wide.

Unless Chris is a Christine.

part 9

“Good morning, Maria.” Rose wheeled her way into the kitchen, following the scent of fresh baked cinnamon rolls.

“And a good morning to you too, Rose. Would you like some coffee?”

“I’d love a cup, thank you.”

“I’ll bring it over to the table.” The housekeeper reached into the cupboard and removed a mug without looking at it. By the time she realized which one she had grabbed, she’d already added the cream and sugar. “Well, I guess Ronnie will have to use another mug.”

“You gave me her favorite again, didn’t you?” Rose asked with a smile. It was another one of Ronnie’s little quirks. Her morning coffee was always served in a black mug with the words “The Boss” across it.

“I’m afraid I did. I’ll dump it out and give you another one.”

“No, don’t bother. Ronnie can live without her Boss mug for one day.” It actually amused Rose that with the dozens of mugs that filled the cupboard, her friend was so attached to that particular one.

“Now you know she likes her coffee in that cup,” Maria admonished.

“It’s good for her to change her routine from time to time,” came the playful reply as she took the mug from the older woman.

“And what are you two up to?” Ronnie asked as she entered the room. She picked the newspaper up and glanced at the headline before she noticed. “Stealing my favorite mug?” She crossed behind the young woman and sat down in the chair next to her.

“Don’t worry, I know who is really the boss around here,” Rose replied as she took a sip.

“Sometimes I wonder,” Ronnie joked back. “Think you’ll try to send me an email today?”

“Yeah, you wrote down what to do, didn’t you?”

“It’s next to the computer.” She looked up to see Maria coming over with her coffee. She looked at the mug quizzically. “Where’d this one come from?” It was a Far Side cartoon mug with two deer on it. One had a bright red bulls-eye on its chest. The caption underneath said ‘Hell of a birthmark, Hal.’ Ronnie chuckled and drank from it.

“See, change is good,” Rose said over the lip of her mug. Maria brought their breakfast over along with a carafe of coffee.

“If you ladies will excuse me, I’m going to get started on the laundry.”

“Okay, thanks Maria.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Now alone, both women began to eat their breakfast. Ronnie had the fork in one hand and the newspaper in the other. Although she scanned the business section, the paper also had the added benefit of allowing her to peek over and study Rose unnoticed. The broken legs were hidden under the round table. With the soft blonde hair tucked behind her ears, Ronnie had an unobstructed view of the soft curve of Rose’s cheek, the slight upturn at the end of her nose, the rust colored eyebrows that rested above far too green eyes. Suddenly those eyes turned and caught her. Ruffling the pages and looking down at the paper, Ronnie hoped that the blush she felt wasn’t too visible. “Um…I’m thinking about easing some of the workload off of Laura. I have some letters that need to be updated. It’s not that hard to do but it is time consuming. You said you learned how to use the mail merge, didn’t you?” Her eyes never left the newsprint, although she had no idea what the words on the paper were.

“Um hmm.” Rose swallowed and set the cup down. “It was difficult at first but once I got the hang of it it’s really pretty easy.” Inside she was excited.Ronnie is giving me real work to do, notjust examples and tests in the computer programs. Real work that needs to be done and she’strusting me with it.“I’ll make sure it’s done right away and I promise there will be no mistakes.”

Behind the paper, the executive smiled at the enthusiastic tone. “I’ll email the files to you as soon as I get to work. I’m sure you’ll have no problems with it.” She set the business section of the paper down and poured herself another cup of coffee. “Well, let’s see who the police picked up last night,” Ronnie said as she picked up the local section. She flipped through the pages until she found the police blotter report listing all the people who were arrested or appeared in court. She spotted the name of an old high school friend arrested for prostitution. “What?” She pulled the paper closer, knocking her coffee cup over in the process. “Damn.” She stood up. The creamy yellow blouse was now covered down the front with the wet beige of coffee. She undid the first few buttons, confirming that it had seeped onto her half slip as well. “Maria!” She turned to see the housekeeper come out of the laundry room. “Coffee.”

“On silk,” Maria tsked. “Veronica Louise, I go through more Woolite with you.” She shook her head, causing Rose to smirk while sopping up the coffee on the table. “Well, get out of those wet things.” Ronnie turned to head out of the room. “There is no need to be modest right now. You’re not going to run upstairs with coffee dripping off your blouse. There’s enough of a mess to clean right here.”

“Fine.” In one quick move the blouse came off followed by the half slip. “It got the skirt too.” A tug of the zipper and the garment followed the other wet clothes into Maria’s hands.

With Ronnie’s back to her, Rose let her eyes travel up and down the tall body clad in only pantyhose and a lacy creme colored bra. She concentrated but didn’t feel the arousal that she had experienced the prior evening. What she did feel was guilty for staring at her friend’s body.Thisis silly. It’s just Ronnie.She averted her eyes when the half-clothed body turned around, looking up only when she heard the dark-haired woman address her. “I’m going upstairs to change.”

“Oh, you know what would look really nice on you? Those gray wool slacks and that pale blue blouse.” Rose thought about the last time she had seen Ronnie wear that outfit and about how it highlighted her eyes. “It looks really nice on you.”

“The gray slacks, hmm?” Ronnie remembered how much Rose liked that particular combination. Goosebumps raised on her thighs. “I’d better go get changed before I freeze to death standing here.”

She returned a few minutes later, admitting to herself that the wool pants were a much better idea than the skirt on such a cold morning. “Okay, what do you think?” She asked, twirling around with the blazer folded over her arm.

“Looks great,” Rose said. The slacks hugged in all the right places and the top outlined her soft curves nicely. “You look…nice.”

“Thank you.” Ronnie looked down into sparkling green eyes and smiled. “I’ll email you those files once I get there.” She fought the urge to give the young woman a peck on the cheek and settled instead for a squeeze of the shoulder. “I’d better get going before the traffic gets too bad.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll make sure to have that program up so I can get started as soon as it arrives.”

“You don’t have to rush, Rose. Whenever you get to them is fine.” Privately it pleased her to no end to hear the eagerness in her friend’s voice. Ronnie had no doubts when it came to Rose’s work ethic. “I’ll try and be home early.” At that moment, the housekeeper exited the laundry room with the mop and bucket in hand. “I’d better get going before Maria finds a new use for that mop.”

“Sometimes,” Maria said as she shook her head.

Ronnie turned her attention to Rose. “I’ll call you later.”

“Okay.”

Rose wheeled herself out of the way as the housekeeper began to clean up the mess. The bright blue Jeep disappeared from the driveway, leaving the two of them alone.It’s time to get someanswers, Rose thought to herself.

“Maria, was it easy for you to learn to use email?”

“Lords no, child. When Ronnie first gave me that computer I was afraid to turn it on. I didn’t know what it would do.”

“But now you like it?”

“I talk to my son in Arizona every night.” She pushed the dry mop over the last drops of the spill.

“You should have seen my phone bills before that.”

“I bet when Ronnie was away at college the phone bills were something.”Great segue, Einstein.Why not just come right out and say let’s talk about Stanford,she mentally berated herself. “I mean, she’s just so close to her family and all.”

“When the children were in college it certainly was a trying time around here.” Maria picked up the breakfast dishes and headed for the dishwasher. “One of them was always calling for something or another.” She picked up the carafe and poured some of the steaming liquid into a cup for herself. “I swear I was down at the post office almost every day mailing something to one of them.”

“Let’s sit and talk for a while,” Rose said, pointing at the empty seat. “There’s not much that has to be done today and I have to wait for her to send me those files.”

“Just for a little while. I do have vacuuming to do. Tabitha sheds more hair than any cat I’ve ever seen,” She refilled the young woman’s cup. She sat down in the offered chair and took a sip of her own coffee. “They certainly were quite a handful then.”

“I guess the independence that comes with being away from home must have been too much, huh?” She tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear. “Ronnie sure had a rough time of it.” She saw the flicker in the older woman’s eyes and knew she had to tread carefully. “She told me about Chris.”

“That was a very sad thing and not something I care to talk about.” Maria said, looking down at the table. She drank several swallows of coffee. “Some people are just trash, Rose. Plain and simple.”

“Maria, may I ask you a question?” At the reluctant nod, she took a deep breath and continued.

“Do you think I’m using Ronnie?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is whatshethinks.” She drained her mug and gave Rose a serious look. “I would hate to see her get hurt like that again.”

“I don’t know how anyone can know Ronnie for any length of time and want to use her,” Rose said softly, her gaze flickering from Maria to the table and back again. “She has the kindest heart of anyone I know and I don’t mean just being generous. It must have been devastating for her to trust someone and have that trust shattered.” She had no idea that the housekeeper’s thoughts immediately went to the fully repaired Porsche tucked away in the garage. “To be at that age, to have something so private exposed to her parents…” Rose shook her head. “I just can’t imagine why anyone would be so cruel to her. Did you ever meet Chris?”

“No, the gold digger never showed up here,” Maria said. “I only spoke with her on the phone.”

Bingo.The big question was answered.

Delores Bickering drove her rusted out station wagon into the public parking garage and pulled into the first empty spot, not caring that it was reserved for the handicapped. If she received a ticket, it would end up in the glove box with the rest of the ones she had received. Tickets and insurance were not things she chose to spend on her money on. The empty cigarette pack hit the ground as she lit the last one and walked away from her car. If things went the way she planned, she would have plenty of money for cigarettes before the day was over.

The Cartwrights had always liked things big. When the Wellington Hotel was erected in the late 1920’s, it towered over the smaller Cartwright building next door. Ronnie’s great grandfather took it as a challenge and the result was the construction of one of Albany’s largest buildings, more than thirty stories high. Delores stood in front of it and sneered at the large logo carved into the reddish-brown granite above the doors. She pushed her way through the revolving door and into the spacious lobby. On the wall was a brass plaque welcoming her to the Cartwright Corporate Offices. Below it was a directory of departments along with the floors on which they were located.

Ronnie was just finishing off a fruit cup when the buzzer sounded. “Yes, Laura?”

“Um…there’s someone here to see you,” the hesitant voice said.

“Who?” A quick glance at her calendar showed no appointments scheduled for that afternoon. She heard her secretary ask the visitor’s name and clenched her jaw as soon as she recognized the voice. “Keep her out there for a minute.” She hung up the phone and tapped the mechanical pencil against the desk.Damn, what’s that bitch doing here?

The answer came to her instantly. Her first instinct was to throw Delores out but as she opened her mouth to speak, Ronnie noticed something that changed her mind. Swiveling around in her seat, she reached for the mouse and clicked on the security icon. Her password and a few clicks later, a small red light lit up on the security camera tucked discreetly in the upper corner of her office. It was time to expose Delores Bickering for what she really was. “Send her in.”

“Nice office,” the large woman nodded approvingly as she looked around. “You hiring?”

“No.” Ronnie could not believe she had the nerve to even ask such a question. “You’re not here to ask me about a job.”

“I came to talk to you about Rose.” She unzipped her dirty yellow jacket and pulled her knit cap off, sending flakes of wet snow onto the thick burgundy rug. “You know I’m the closest thing to a mother she’s ever had.”

“So you say.”Oops, wouldn’t want Rose to see me being hostile to the bitch.Forcing a polite smile to her face, she said in her most solicitous voice, “So what is it you wished to see me about? Please, have a seat.”

Delores flopped down on the couch and tossed her coat on the far cushion. “I would have thought someone like you would have coffee for your visitors.” She looked pointedly at the empty coffeepot on the side table. “Especially those who are relatives to your friends.”

Ronnie’s eyes narrowed but she kept her tongue. “You said you wanted to talk to me about Rose?”

“I’ve found a way to help her out.”

“Help her out?”

“Yeah.” The large woman sat up. “I’ve found her a job in Cobleskill. She can start on Monday. It pays six dollars an hour.”

“Why would she want to work in Cobleskill? That’s an hour away. Besides, didn’t you notice that she has two broken legs? She’s in no condition to work.”

“It’s in a telemarketing office. She won’t have to stand up, just talk on the phone. Of course that means she’ll have to move back with me.”

“She already told you she wants to live with me. Why would she change her mind now?”Whatstunt are you trying to pull? Make Rose choose between us? I’ll be damned if I’ll let you take heraway from me.

Delores shook her head. “You don’t understand. Rose and I have a deal. She owes me for taking care of her and promised to help out in any way she could.”

“Let me get this straight. You want her to move back with you and work at this telemarketing job so she can give you money?”

“I think that’s only fair. She lived under my roof and ate my food for years without paying anything and now it’s time for her to pay me back.” Delores crossed her arms and leaned back.

“So she owes you for everything you did for her when she lived with you?” It sounded ridiculous but no one was laughing.I can’t believe you. Rose deserves so much better in her life than apiece of trash like you.

“You could look at it that way. I look at it this way. I could have rented her room to someone who would have paid me. She owes me the money I lost by not being able to rent it. When she left I had to start paying for a babysitter on bingo and bowling nights. My generosity can only go so far. I’m not rich, you know. I can’t afford to be as charitable as you.”

As…Ronnie gripped the edge of her desk.You bitch.She now had no doubt about Delores’

reason for coming to her office.

“You decided that Rose owes you money because she lived with you when she was a teenager, is that right?”

“Exactly.”

“And since she owes you all this money you feel she should move in with you and work at this job so she can pay off what she owes you, right?”

“Right.”

Ronnie’s lips pulled back into a smile much like a cobra just before it strikes.

“But since I’m her friend you thought you’d come and see if there was something I could do, right?”

“Well, we’re not talking about much to someone like you. If you’re really her friend I’d think you’d want to help her out.” Delores said indignantly.

“And I could help Rose out by paying off her debt to you, is that the idea?” Ronnie was tired of the game and the dirty looking woman who was trying to use Rose.Time to get to the point.

“How much?”

“Well, you have to take into account how long she lived with me and then…”

“I said how much?” Ronnie did her best to keep the hostility out of her tone. “Come on, I’m sure you had a figure in mind when you walked in here. How much do you think Rose owes you for taking care of her?” She pulled the checkbook out of the drawer and opened it up.

“Five…no, ten thousand.”

“Ten thousand dollars and you’ll walk away and leave Rose alone?”

Dollar signs danced in front of Delores’ eyes and greed sang in her heart. She almost agreed, then she realized that the rich woman was giving in much too easily. “Wait.” She stood up and walked over to the desk, leaning her chubby hands on the polished wood. “What if I said I wanted fifteen thousand or even twenty?”

“Is that what it would take?”

“You’re really willing to give me twenty thousand dollars?” Suspicion set in. “Why?”

“I have my reasons.” She picked up the pen to write the check and stopped herself. She had no intention of using the pen that Rose got her. Reaching into the drawer she pulled out another one and began writing.

“It’s B-i-c-k-”

“I know how to spell it.”

“You know,” Delores laughed nervously. “I always knew she’d find someone to take her in.” Her eyes widened as the zeros were added to the amount box. Feeling victory within her grasp, she relaxed and rested her hip against the desk, much to Ronnie’s annoyance. “Twenty thousand dollars. Humph. May not seem like much to you but I can get a new trailer for that.”

Ronnie stood up and tore the check out of the book. “And for the cost of a trailer you are willing to get out of Rose’s life and leave her alone forever, right?” Delores reached for the check but she held it up in the air. “That’s the deal. For twenty thousand dollars you stay away, never call or stop by. You’ll forget that she exists.”

“Give me that check and I’ll forget all about her,” Delores promised, her forefinger and thumb grasping at the corner of the paper.

“Don’t you even want to say goodbye to her?” The executive held the check tightly, refusing to give it up without an answer. She did not expect the one she got.

“Why? Is it worth more money if I do?” Delores looked at her expectantly.

Ronnie forgot about the videotape in the shock of hearing the cold words. With an angry tug she jerked the check back and stood up, her six-foot frame towering over the shorter woman. “You bitch.” Blue eyes blazed with fury. “You never cared about her at all, did you?” Her hands balled into fists, crumpling the check. “You took her in just for the check each month and to have a built-in babysitter!” Knuckles turned white under the pressure and the check suffered more damage.

“The check…” Delores pointed out. “We have a deal.”

Ronnie lowered her head, the long black hair hiding her face. “The money. That’s all you worry about, isn’t it?” Her voice was quiet, low…the calm before the storm. “You used Rose for money. You used her as a child to get money from the State and when she was struggling to survive you took money from her.” Jerking her head up, Ronnie locked eyes with the woman she hated. “Now she’s lying there with two broken legs and instead of worrying about her you’re trying to get money from me.”

“You want to get rid of me? Give me the check and I’m gone.” The large woman held her hand out.

“You want the check?” Ronnie flattened the rumpled check out, then held it out in front of her. She tore it neatly in two, then put the pieces together and tore it again. “I’m sure the State of New York paid you far more than you ever spent on Rose.” Another tear. “There were weeks when she spent next to nothing on food for herself yet sent you a check because you managed to convince her that she owes you somehow.” She threw the pile of confetti on the desk. Delores could only stand there and watch as her plan fell apart. “You have used Rose for the last time. Get out of my office before I have Security throw you out.”

“You can’t…”

“I can’t what? Throw some lazy bum out of my own building?” Ronnie pressed her knuckles against the desk to keep from reaching across and striking the loathsome woman. The muscles in her forearms bunched and clenched in readiness. “You hurt Rose and I won’t allow you to do it again. You don’t deserve to know someone as kind and gentle as she is. Come within sight of my home and I’ll have you arrested. One phone call, one letter, any attempt to contact her and I’ll make your life a living hell.”

With all prospects of money gone, Delores had nothing left to lose. “You think you’re so smart with all your fucking money. You don’t know NOTHING!” She stormed over to the couch and snatched her cap and jacket. “You think Rose was the only foster kid I had?” The door opened and two beefy security officers entered, no doubt summoned by Laura after hearing the loud voices.

“Is there a problem, Miss Cartwright?”

“Escort this…” Bitch came to mind but a sense of decorum had to be maintained at the office.

“…trespasser outside and make sure she never comes in again.”

“You keep your hands off me,” Delores grabbed her bag and stormed out in front of the uniformed men. “You make sure Rose knows you’re the one that made me stop talking to her. It’s all your fault.” The outer office door closed, leaving a confused Laura and a furious Ronnie standing there.

“Laura, take the rest of the day off. I’m going home early.” She shut the door and walked over to her desk. The bits of check were tossed into the trashcan and her prized pen was put back in her desk drawer.

There was a quick knock before her door opened. “Ronnie?” Susan poked her head in. “What happened? I heard they called Security to your office.”

“Nothing important, just some business I had to take care of.” She waved her hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“You know I’m going to find out anyway. You may as well tell me.” The redhead entered and shut the door.

“I am entitled to something of a private life.” She sank into her chair, a bone deep sigh escaping her lips. “Let this one go, Sis.”

“Does it have to do with Rose?” The quick jerk of the head answered Susan’s question. An awkward silence fell between them for several seconds before she spoke again. “Um…” The younger Cartwright looked down at her nails. “If um…well, I know you don’t really have anyone close to you except Rose and well, I guess, me. If…if you need someone to talk to…well, I’m here.” She straightened up and took a step back. “The boys keep asking when they can come over again.” Clearing her throat, Susan continued, her gaze falling upon her older sister. “When I explained to John that Rose lives with you, he asked me if that made her his aunt too.”

“I told you…” Ronnie began only to be stopped by an upraised hand.

“I know. I told him that she wasn’t, but if it was okay with her, he could call her that.”

Looking down at her desk, the executive smiled, understanding the unspoken gesture behind the words. She stood up and although never very affectionate to her sibling, Ronnie reached over and wrapped her arm around her sister’s shoulders. “How about tomorrow night? I’m sure Rose can’t wait to have her wrestling guy trampled again.” She released the casual embrace. “But how about right now I take us out to lunch? Somewhere nice, how about Maurice’s or Giovanni’s?”

“Oh, that sounds nice, but how about trying that new Chinese place up on Western Avenue? I heard they have excellent food.”

A small icon on the screen caught the corner of Ronnie’s eye. With a start she remembered the videotape. “Uh…yeah, that sounds good.” She turned to the computer and shut off the camera.

“Why don’t you go get your coat and meet me down in the lobby? I have a couple of things here I need to finish up.”

Ronnie took the video home and hid it in her bedroom, seeing no reason to show it to Rose right away. She knew the tape would hurt her precious friend and that was the last thing she wanted to do again. Instead that evening and the ones that followed were spent lying next to each other on the adjustable bed watching television or on the couch watching movies. Sometimes they would forgo the electronic entertainment and just spend the time braiding each others hair or doing their nails. It was a comfortable routine that she enjoyed tremendously. No mention was made about the continued sleeping arrangements and Ronnie was fine with that. If she had her way they would always sleep together. She loved the way Rose’s body fit against hers. They never talked about the increased hugs and affectionate touches but Ronnie noted they were instigated by both equally.

With Karen no longer needed, Rose filled her days working on projects for Ronnie. In addition to improving her skills, it also gave her an intense education in the way her friend’s business was run. It gave them something else to talk about in the evenings other than themselves or what was on television. The late January thaw continued into February, promising an early spring. Already more grass was showing in the back yard than snow and the sun coming through the windows was enough to heat up the room without turning up the thermostat. Of course at night there was the added body heat of Ronnie to keep her warm. It was during those late night hours that Rose thought about her relationship with her dark-haired friend. With the exception of work, Ronnie was by her side constantly, not that Rose would ever complain. She relished the time they spent together. Often, while watching television, her head would rest against Ronnie’s shoulder or even in the older woman’s lap. She enjoyed those times the best. Ronnie would absently stroke her hair or let a warm hand rest upon her shoulder. They were much more relaxed around each other now. Initial embraces in bed were no longer stiff, hesitant affairs. Now, when it came time for sleep, Ronnie’s arm would wrap around her waist and warm breath would tickle her neck as they molded their bodies together.

Rose thought often about the growing affection between them. Hugs were a common occurrence and she encouraged them as much as Ronnie did. It seemed they could sense each other’s needs, at least she was certain Ronnie could sense hers. When the pain in her legs flared up, the strong arms would comfort and console her. When a tear-jerker romance movie brought the need to be cuddled, there was no discussion or roundabout request, they just snuggled up against each other. But while she enjoyed the attention and affection, Rose wasn’t sure she was ready for anything more or if Ronnie was even interested. There had been no kiss since they were under the mistletoe on Christmas and their conversations stayed far away from matters of the heart or sex. Whether it was deliberate on Ronnie’s part or not, Rose was not sure. She only knew she was avoiding it, her feelings far too confusing to even think about giving them voice.

Like right now. They were lying in bed watching Dateline and Ronnie’s head was resting against her shoulder. Rose looked down at silky black hair mixing with her own. Her companion seemed so relaxed, so peaceful. Having her arm trapped between their bodies was no longer an acceptable position. “Lift your head up for a sec.”

“Hmm? Sorry, am I hurting you?” The lazy drawl told Rose just how relaxed the executive was.

“Not at all. I just want to move my arm.” She did so and quickly wrapped it around Ronnie’s shoulder before the older woman could move away. “Now come back here.” She tugged gently and was rewarded with her companion’s head resting just above her right breast. “Comfy?”

“Mmm, very.”

“Good.” The commercial ended and Ronnie’s attention went back to the television. Rose’s did not. Her fingers began plucking at the long dark tresses. “You have very soft hair.”

“So you tell me. I think yours is softer, though. Mine’s just thicker.”

Rose’s fingers sank into Ronnie’s hair and began massaging her scalp. “Hmm, you might be right about that,” she conceded.But I like touching yours more.Slowly the small circles she was making with her fingers moved lower until they were stroking the smooth skin of Ronnie’s neck. The television was completely forgotten by both women as the massage continued.How far willyou let me go?A lone pinky ventured under the soft cotton shirt for a second then pulled back. Again. “Did Chris ever rub your neck like this?”

Ronnie jerked upright, her eyes looking very much like those of a deer blinded by headlights.

“Um, n-no…” She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “Why do you ask?”

“I just wondered.” Rose now hesitated, the question not seeming like such a good idea anymore.

“It’s just…well, you like it so much. I would hope someone did this for you before.”

“Chris and I…” Ronnie searched for the right words. “We weren’t…” It was a tossup between which was drier, her lips or her throat. “We weren’t physically close. There wasn’t much cuddling.” She sat up completely and shifted until she was facing Rose. “I thought it was true love then.” A scornful laugh revealed the old pain. “Now I know better.” She lowered her head and looked at her hands. Rose remained silent, sensing Ronnie struggling with some inner demon. Finally the tall woman chose the easy way out. “At least the sex was good.”

Jokes aren’t going to work with me. I know you too well, Veronica Cartwright.“You know I hate Chris for hurting you like that.” She reached out and put her fingers under the strong chin, forcing the blue eyes to meet hers. “And I don’t hate many people in this world.”

Ronnie took the hand away from her chin and held it within her own. “Funny.” She looked down at their hands, her thumb idly brushing across the smaller woman’s knuckles. “I feel the same way about people that hurt you.” She paused for a moment, fear threatening to keep the words trapped inside. “You are very special to me, Rose.” Her head raised and for several long seconds they stared at each other.

Oh, my god, are you going to kiss me?Rose wasn’t sure if she was excited or afraid as her heart began beating double-time. Her lips parted slightly in subconscious invitation. She was just about to move forward when she saw the radiant blue eyes flicker and look away.

“I think that’s enough serious talk for tonight,” Ronnie said, reluctantly releasing the hold on the young woman’s hand. The magical spell was broken and both felt a keen sense of disappointment. Another lost opportunity…another chance not taken.

Rose was still thinking about that moment long after they had settled down for the night. She turned her face to look at the sleeping woman beside her.I wanted you to kiss me. Did you wantit too?Careful not to disturb her companion, she propped herself on her right elbow and tucked her hair behind her ear. Hesitantly she lowered her lips to Ronnie’s cheek, planting the softest of kisses there. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, Rose saw as much as felt the small smile come to the sleeping face. “I love you,” she whispered before lying back on her pillows. Intertwining her fingers with those resting on her belly, the young woman closed her eyes.

“Love you too,” Ronnie mumbled sleepily, unconsciously snuggling closer. The voice startled Rose for a minute before she realized her friend was still sleeping. She turned her cheek to rest against the dark head and soon fell asleep herself.

Ronnie opened the TV Guide and began to read off the options. “‘A Walk in the Clouds’ is on. We saw that one already. ‘Sabrina’, that’s boring.” She turned the page. “Let’s see what’s on pay per view.” A gentle tug on her wrist forced her to shift the guide so Rose could look on with her.

“There’s that new Jim Carrey movie,” the young woman offered.

“I hate Jim Carrey. Look, Bruce Willis blows up another building.”

“I hate action movies. Let’s watch a romantic one.”

“Why a romance and not a comedy?”

“Well, it is Valentine’s Day, silly.”

“If two people are really in love they don’t need a day to celebrate it.”

“Veronica Cartwright, you are such a cynic. Give me that.” Rose took the TV Guide and began thumbing through the pages. “You know we could play a game or something if you would rather. I see you’re two levels higher than me on ‘Rescuer of the Maiden’.” She laughed at the sheepish grin on the older woman’s face. “What do you do, play when I’m asleep?”

“It’s addictive. Come on, find something for us to watch.”

Fifteen minutes later the television still offered no suitable programs to watch. “There are what, a hundred, hundred and fifty channels on this and we can’t find a thing to watch?”

“That’s because you don’t want to watch any love stories and I don’t want to watch any of those shoot-em-up blow-em-up movies,” Rose replied.

“So much for television.” Ronnie pressed the off button and tossed the remote onto the coffee table. “This is a thrilling Valentine’s Day.”

“If you’re bored then let’s do something different.”

“Like what?”

“We could play a game or do each others nails or something.” Rose was also at a loss for what to do. Although she had never believed it could happen, she was actually quite bored at the moment. In two months time they had managed to watch every movie Ronnie owned and played every game in the house several times. There really was not much else to do except… “Talk.”

“Hmm?”

“Let’s make some hot chocolate, sit back, and talk. You know, one of our infamous girl chats.” Rose’s eyes held a twinkle of mischief.

“And what exactly would be the topic of conversation tonight? I am not doing ‘relive your most embarrassing moments’ again.”

“Oh come on, you learned some pretty embarrassing things about me too,” the young woman chided.

“Well, that’s true,” Ronnie conceded. “And you do turn the cutest shade of red. Okay, I’m game but let’s go out in the kitchen and make dinner while we’re talking.”

Fifteen minutes later Rose was sitting at the kitchen table cutting onions while Ronnie was standing at the island slicing mushrooms. “Answer me something,” the young woman queried while wiping at the endless stream of tears, “Why am I the one who always ends up cutting up the onion?”

“Oh, I can’t stand them, makes me cry,” the older woman said cheekily.

“You’re lucky you’re not within my reach, Miss Cartwright,” she playfully warned. Ronnie poured the steaming hot chocolate into two mugs, then added mini-marshmallows. She brought one to the table and set it down within the young woman’s reach.

“I’m within your reach now, what are you going to do about it?” The intelligent executive realized her mistake a second later when small fingers slipped around her waist and began to tickle unmercifully. “Oh, hey now, heh heh, come on now, Rose, I was only joking.” She backed away out of reach of the playful hands. “You just wait…” she said between breaths. “When you’re out of this chair…I’ll get even with you.”

“Yeah, you and what army?” Rose was beaming at her, obviously quite proud of herself. “It seems to me I only need my two hands to defeat you, oh mighty warrior of the corporate world.”

“That’s because you know my weaknesses,” Ronnie replied.And I’m helpless when it comes toresisting you.She walked behind the chair and put her hands on the smaller woman’s shoulders.

“And one weakness right now is that I’m starving. You want your steak broiled or sauteed?”

“Surprise me.”

“Sauteed you said? Coming right up.” She gave a gentle squeeze and went over to the refrigerator. “Oh, there are eclairs for dessert.”

“Sounds great. Maria always picks out the best food,” Rose said. “You were practically drooling over the chicken last night.”

“Another one of my weaknesses,” she said while retrieving the steaks and butter.

“I’ll have to tell your prospective suitors that the way to your heart is through your stomach.”

And I would have to tell them my heart is already taken,Ronnie thought to herself. “And what about you? What secret things should I know to tell your prospective suitors?” She watched as Rose’s attention turned to anything but her. “What’s that? I didn’t understand you.”No one canunderstand that mumble. Come on, Rose, let me in.

“Um…” Her fingers traced the delicate pattern of her doily. “I dunno,” she finally answered with a shrug. “I guess I never really thought about what I would want in a lover.”

Ah, now we’re getting to something interesting.“Okay, so think about it now. Let’s start with the basics: tall, dark and handsome. Now what else?” She put the steaks on to cook, grabbed her mug, and headed for the table.

“Well, I guess I’d want someone who was intelligent, thoughtful, had a sense of humor but was not a practical joker, no problems with gambling or drugs or anything like that.”

So far I’m batting a thousand.“Would be attentive to your needs and wants…”

“But not at the expense of their own,” Rose interjected.

“Right,” she agreed.Their own?Her eyebrow rose slightly. “Okay, what else?”

“Hmm.” The young woman tapped her finger on the tip of her chin. “Oh, well there’s honesty and trust. I’d have to know they would never lie to me. There has to be that trust.”

Whoops, no good on that one. Hey, they’d never lie? What’s with the gender neutrality, Rose?

“Don’t forget that he’d have to be able to fulfill your every desire.”

Rose seemed to mull a thought over in her head for a moment before speaking. “I don’t know how our parents did it. Waiting until they were married to have sex.”

Whoa, where’d that come from?“Um, I hate to clue you my friend, but I don’t think they waited. I mean, would you buy a car without first taking it for a test drive?”

“Yeah, maybe that’s why so many trade theirs in after a few years.”

“I think they’re just looking for a newer model.”

“Maybe what they’re really looking for isn’t a car at all,” Rose offered nervously.

“Perhaps.” Ronnie took a deep breath and plunged ahead into dangerous territory. “Not everyone is interested in cars.”Are you asking if I am?

“And that’s fine,” the young woman blurted quickly. “If someone would rather have a truck than a car, more power to them.”

“Whatever makes them happy, I guess.”You know I am and you’re telling me it’s okay, aren’tyou?Another thought occurred to the dark-haired woman.Orare you trying to tell me that youare?“There are even those that like both.”There, cover all the angles, just in case.

“Some people aren’t sure what they like.” Rose looked up for a split-second then back down at the table. “Maybe they thought they liked cars but now they think they want a truck.”

Ronnie let out a deep breath.Oh boy, how am I supposed to respond to that?“Um, well…t-that’s okay too. But I think they should take their time and not rush into anything because of what they think someone else might like.” She noted the nervous fingers tapping the ceramic handle.

“Especially if they’re not sure.”Let’s see if I’ve got this right.“Maybe they’ve only driven cars and now they have a friend who likes trucks. They may think they want a truck too but they really don’t.”

“So you’re saying they shouldn’t rush into anything, even if they really feel that they want a truck?” came the soft voice as green eyes raised up to meet Ronnie’s.

“Have they ever wanted a truck before?” As much as the metaphors were driving her nuts, the older woman did not want to do anything that might spook the obviously nervous Rose.

“No.”

“I think the best thing is for the person to just spend some time riding around with their friend to see if they really like trucks.”That’s it, just leave everything the way it is, nice and safe.The smell of sizzling meat gave her the perfect excuse. “Damn, I forgot about the steaks.” Ronnie hopped up and went to the island. “Good, they’re still fine. Now you see why Maria doesn’t like me cooking.”

“Oh, I thought it was because you used every pot and pan in the house.”

“I see you two talk about me when I’m not around.” Ronnie smiled inwardly at the thought. “I hope it’s good things.”

“Mostly good things,” Rose teased. An uncomfortable silence followed, broken only by the sizzling of the steaks as each woman withdrew into her own thoughts. For Ronnie, the conversation revealed far more than she had hoped for. She looked over at Rose.So you do feelsomething. I’m not imagining the increased touches and hugs.With that thought however, came fear.I don’t believe you would ever use me like Christine did but I can’t put everything on theline again. I can’t take that chance.At that moment Tabitha came bouncing out into the kitchen and Rose moved her chair to allow the cat to jump up on her lap.Then of course, there’s theminor detail of me being the one who hit you. I’m sure if that little piece of information got outyou wouldn’t even want to be my friend much less anything else.Deep down Ronnie knew she was right to keep things the way they were, no matter what her heart said. She had hurt Rose enough.

At the table, Rose was going through her own mental turmoil. She hugged the purring feline and blinked back emotions flowing too close to the surface.So now you know I know.She watched as Ronnie reached into the cupboard for the plates.You know and you don’t want me.Rose wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or disappointed. Her heart insisted on the latter.

Ronnie put the two plates on the table. “You need anything more to drink before I sit down?”

“No, this is fine, thank you.” The young woman never looked up from her plate, yet she knew those stunning blue eyes were staring at her. “It smells wonderful.” She picked up her knife and fork and went through the motions of cutting up her meat. Ronnie headed for the opposite side of the small round table, then stopped herself and sat down next to Rose.

“There’s more vegetables if you want them.”

“No, this is good.” The young woman continued to push her meat around her plate.

Ronnie could only sit by helplessly and watch as Rose withdrew into herself. She hated the tension hanging in the air but was not quite certain what to do or say to break it. “Um, if you have any questions about trucks, uh, maybe I can answer them for you.”Oh, that’s brilliant,she chastised herself. “I mean…” she stopped for a second when the blonde head lifted to meet her gaze. “I mean…I hate this awkwardness.” They shared a small smile before Rose lowered her head again.

“I’m not especially thrilled with it myself.”

“So talk.”Easier said than done.

“I don’t know what to say,” the young woman said in a quiet voice. Ronnie’s heart ached for the pain she heard there. Without a thought she reached over and laid her hand on top of Rose’s. The gently returned squeeze let her know the touch was welcome.

“Just say what’s on your mind.”

Several bites of steak disappeared before Rose spoke. “Have you had a lot of trucks?”

“Um…” It was not the question Ronnie was expecting. “No, Christine was the only one.”There,I said her name. Let’s get past this stupid car/truck thing.

“Oh.” Rose withdrew her hand and began to cut up more meat.

“You can’t look at me and talk about this, can you?”

“No.” A slow blush crept up her neck. “I never was any good talking about that kind of stuff.”

“More into action than words, eh?” Ronnie’s joke did exactly what she hoped it would. Rose smiled at her and gave a playful swat.

“Actually, when it comes to that, I’m not really very good in either category.” She relaxed slightly, maintaining the eye contact for several seconds before looking down again. “I haven’t had the experience.”

“You mean….”You’re twenty-six years old. You can’t be.“B-but when you got caught in the driveway?” She watched the cute blush return to Rose’s face.

“We weren’t doing ‘that’. We were working our way up to it when we got caught.” She pushed her plate away, giving up the pretense of eating. Ronnie did the same. “After that, well…it just never happened.”

Ronnie fought to keep the smirk off her face. “So you’ve um…never…” The smirk refused to be hidden and she had to look away. “…um, been taken for a test drive?”

“Stop laughing.” Rose feigned anger but the sparkle in her eyes gave her away. “No. No one’s taken me for a test drive.” She shot a devilish look at the dark-haired woman. “That’s not to say that no one’s looked under the hood.”

“We can’t start this again.” Ronnie drained her mug and stood up. “Since dinner obviously is over, let’s go into the living room and relax on the couch.”I have a feeling this conversation isgoing to continue and I’d rather talk under the soft light instead of these harsh fluorescent tubes.

“I’ll bring the eclairs.”

“Don’t bother for me.” Rose watched her friend reach into the refrigerator and remove a beer.

“Can I have one of those?”

Ronnie looked at her quizzically. “What about your Percocet? I thought you weren’t supposed to drink with that.”