Wedding Bell Blues - [50]

scared of losing Mimi, and I’m scared of losing myself. What if my insides change to match what’s on theoutside, Jack? What if I pretend to be a bird for so long that I forget I’m a fruit bat?”

Jack’s brow knitted. “A fruit bat?”

“It’s just a metaphor.”

“Come here.” Jack pulled her close in a tight, warm hug. “You’re still you, Lily. You’re justwearing a costume. Think of it as Halloween in July.”

Lily buried her face in the collar of Jack’s soft coveralls. They smelled of sweet hay and horseflesh. “I need to be reminded of who I am by someone who understands, by someone who’s ...”

“A fruit bat?”

Lily smiled. “Yeah.”

“Lily, what I said the other night ... I know I did a bad job of saying it, but I still meant it. I knowyou still love Charlotte — that you always will love her, but where she is right now, she can’t help you.

And since she can’t, I’d like to be the person who does, who looks after you, helps you with Mimi, givesyou the love I know you’ve been missing. I’d like to be that person. Even if it’s just for right now, I’d liketo be that person.”

Lily looked at Jack — her broad shoulders, her strong, square jaw, and her clear blue eyes.

Looking at Jack, Lily felt kindness and kinship, but she also felt something else — a stirring she hadn’tfelt since her wedding night when she had dreamed of Charlotte. Standing on tiptoe in her frumpy,Sunday school-teacher shoes, Lily kissed Jack on the lips, resting one hand on the back of Jack’s head tofeel the velvety stubble of her close-cropped hair.

“Wow,” Jack said, when they broke apart. “That wasn’t a pity kiss, was it?”

“I don’t do pity kisses.”

“Good.” Jack leaned down and kissed Lily this time. It was a long kiss. Their lips were parted andlocked, and Lily pressed her body against Jack’s.

Lily’s mind was protesting, but her body was telling her mind to shut the hell up. It had been solong since she had felt such closeness, and she needed it — needed the comfort of two bodies twinedtogether, needed to be in the one situation where there was no denying what she was. When the kissended, Lily was gasping for breath.

“The way I see it,” Jack said, wiping some of Lily’s Mary Kay lipstick from her mouth, “we’vegot two options. I can make us a pot of coffee and we can sit in the kitchen and pretend like nothinghappened. Or we can go upstairs.” She looked Lily square in the eye. “It’s your call.”

Lily was tired of pretending. “Upstairs,” she said, barely above a whisper.

Jack grinned. “Good choice. Put your arms around my neck.”

Lily did as she was told and whooped with surprise as Jack lifted her up in her arms. “What is this,a little Rhett-and-Scarlett action?” Lily laughed. “You’d better put me down. You’re gonna break yourback.”

“Nah,” Jack said. “You weigh less than that damn dog of yours.”

Jack carried Lily up the stairs and dropped her on the bed. Patsy the cat, who had been snoozingon the quilt by the footboard, leaped from the bed and stalked off, offended.

Jack laughed. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a reason to kick ole Patsy outta bed.” Shelooked down at Lily as she lay on the bed, and Lily felt her eyes on her almost as if they were hands. “Sobeautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“And I even kinda like that dress. You know, I used to have a bad crush on my Sunday schoolteacher.” Jack sat on the side of the bed and pulled off her cowboy boots, then leaned over Lily and kissedher.

It had been so long since Lily had felt the weight of another woman on her, another body pressinginto her own. Without even thinking, she wrapped her right leg around Jack’s waist.

“Mmm,” Jack purred. “Let me help you with that dress.” Slowly, methodically, Jack undid eachbutton from calf to waist, then from neckline to waist. When Lily’s underwear had been cast aside, Jacksaid “beautiful” and leaned over her.

“Wait.” Lily had become suddenly aware that Jack was still wearing her coveralls, looking morelike she was about to deliver a calf than make love. “Aren’t you gonna undress?”

“Oh, I forgot.” Jack stood up and unceremoniously shucked off her coveralls. She looked self-conscious for a moment, standing there in a white tank undershirt and a pair of plain white briefs. “Theshirt, too?” she asked.

“Uh-huh.”

Jack pulled off the undershirt and stood before Lily, all rippling biceps and strong thighs. Herbreasts were small and high, and her stomach was tautly muscled — not from the machines at a gym, butfrom hard work. “Wow,” Lily sighed.

“Ah, nothin’ special.” Jack’s freckled cheeks reddened— adorably, Lily thought.

“Are you kidding, woman? If you lived in Atlanta, you’d have to beat the dykes off with a softballbat. Come here.”

Lily shuddered as Jack’s skin met her own. Jack was a strong lover, skillful yet passionate. Herhands were everywhere, on Lily’s breasts, belly, thighs, stroking so many surfaces that Lily wondered ifJack had a couple of extra pairs of hands she kept hidden from view.

When Jack entered Lily, she took her quickly to orgasm, then waited inside her a few moments,