Choices

by Lyn Gardner

  “Jesus, could you turn that damn thing off,” Patrick shouted. “We’re trying to have a conversation here!”

  “No, we aren’t,” Judy said, and getting to her feet, she pulled her phone from her back pocket and accepted the call. “Could you give me a sec?”

  “Sure.”

  Just like before, Robin listened to muted voices and a bit of rustling before Judy spoke again.

  “Sorry about that.”

  “No problem,” Robin said as she sat down on the couch.

  “And again, your timing was perfect.”

  “Well, I’d like to say it was just dumb luck, but I hedged a bet,” Robin said, shifting slightly when Fred and Ginger decided to join her. “My mom and I always had dinner at the same time, and I figured your family might do the same, so I checked my phone records to see when I called the last time.”

  “Remind me never to play poker with you,” Judy said with a laugh.

  “If you do, I should warn you. I only play strip, and I always win.”

  It was lighthearted. It was meant as a joke, and then the line went silent. Unable to even hear the sound of Judy’s breathing, Robin stiffened, and her mouth went dry. “So…uh…did you remember your gloves?”

  “Sorry,” Judy said. “I set my phone down for a second. I wanted to put on my gloves.”

  “Oh, okay,” Robin said, sagging into the cushions. “No worries.”

  “So, what were you saying?”

  “I was asking how it was going. Since you said my timing was perfect, I’m guessing not too well?”

  “It’s been hellfire and damnation around here since Sunday.”

  “What happened Sunday?”

  “Five of my nieces and nephews called to bow out of this year’s gathering.”

  “Oh, shit,” Robin said, sitting straight. “I thought you said everyone shows up. Isn’t it a tradition?”

  “It’s Pat’s and Doug’s tradition, and I guess it’s starting to wear on their kids. I don’t blame them. They all have their own lives, and their own interests, and it’s not like they don’t all come home for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Asking them to spend what little hard-earned vacation time they do get working at the orchard isn’t fair, which is something Eric and I have been trying to tell Doug and Pat for years. Not like they’ve ever listened.”

  “It sounds like they’re going to have to listen now,” Robin said, smiling as Fred and Ginger made themselves at home in her lap.

  “Doubt it,” Judy said, leaning back in the chair. “They’ll just do the whole guilt trip thing when the missing ones show up at the holidays.”

  “Sorry.”

  “About what?”

  “You told me you enjoyed going home because you could catch up with everyone, but it sounds like everyone’s abandoned you.”

  “Not everyone. Trey, Pat’s oldest, along with Doug’s youngest two, Phil and Luke, all work here full-time, so I’ve been catching up with them and their families during the day. And Eric’s here, too, which helps since Pat’s been so moody. He hasn’t said a word to anyone until tonight.”

  “Oh yeah?” Robin said, momentarily stopping Fred’s back massage. “Should I ask?”

  “Pat decided to play matchmaker. He got it in his head that some guy I used to know was an old boyfriend of mine, and he’s apparently moved back to town. He’s a lawyer now, and in Pat’s words, ‘I could do worse.’”

  After waiting for a bit, Judy checked her phone to make sure the connection hadn’t been dropped. “You still there?”

  “Uh...yeah. I’m here,” Robin said softly. “So...um...are you planning to rekindle the romance?”

  “No, because I told you I’m not looking for a husband, and it was not a romance.”

  “It wasn’t?”

  “Robin, Orson and I went trick-or-treating together when I was seven. We never dated, and we were never an item,” Judy said, relaxing back in the rocker. “But enough about me. What’s going on with you? How’s the painting going?”

  “It’s done,” Robin said, grinning as she glanced around the room. “Everything is painted. The tile guy said I’ll have a working shower by Friday, and the countertop is being installed next Tuesday. Oh, and the best part is that the stuff I had in storage was delivered this morning, so tonight I get to sleep in a real bed with flannel sheets softer than you can possibly imagine, and enough space that I can actually roll over and not squish a cat.”

  “Sounds like someone is going to be a happy camper tonight.”

  “Tell me about it!” Although Robin’s tone had hardly risen at all, it was just enough to send Fred and Ginger darting from her lap. As always, the tiny tips of their talons poked into her thighs, and as always, Robin took it in stride, her wince fleeting as she brushed a few strands of cat hair from her jeans. “I don’t think my back could have handled much more of that sofa. Plus, with the run on Saturday, I need to make sure I’m ready for it.”

  “The run? Wait, let me guess. You’re doing the Turtle Run.”

  “You’ve heard of it?”

  “Of course. It happens every year. I’ve always wanted to try it, but I’ve never had the chance.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m always here, and it happens at the same time every year.”

  “That sucks,” Robin said. “But wait. Why didn’t you ever tell me that you ran?”

  “You never asked.”

  “You could have volunteered the information.”

  “Yeah, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, I haven’t done it in a few years, so I’m not even sure these old bones still have it in them.”

  Robin frowned. “Why do you always do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Talk like you’ve got one foot in the grave.”

  “Maybe not a foot, but definitely a toe.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Robin—”

  “Don’t ‘Robin’ me. I’m serious, Judy. You aren’t old. You’re not even close, and when you get back, you and I are going for a run.”

  “I don’t know. I could crap out on you, and you’d end up having to give me mouth-to-mouth.”

  Robin could do nothing to stop her mind from going into overdrive and images of soft lips locked in ecstasy swirled in her head. Long, lingering kisses that would leave them breathless, and tongues, warm and probing, tasting all they could. Robin shifted on the sofa, crossing her legs in an attempt to squelch her need as she became lost in her fantasy. “I’ll look forward to it,” she purred.

  “What?”

  Robin jolted upright. “Oh...I-I mean the run. I’ll look forward to going on a run with you.”

  A few seconds passed before Judy said, “Are you doing the half-marathon or the short course?”

  With her body still refusing to behave itself, Robin changed positions again and crossed her legs the other way. “The short course. I’m nowhere near ready to attempt a half-marathon.”

  “I don’t know. You look in pretty good shape to me.”

  Judy’s innocent compliment caused Robin’s libido to surge like a tsunami. Dropping her chin to her chest, Robin held back a moan as she squeezed her legs together.

  “You still there?”

  “Yeah...um...I’m here,” Robin said, pushing herself off the sofa. “But you know what? I’ve still got a...a mountain of totes to empty, so I think I’m going to try to get that done before I call it a night. Okay?”

  “Oh...uh...sure.”

  “Thanks, Judy. I’ll catch you later. Good night.”

  “Good night, Robin, and good luck with those totes.”

  Robin ended the call, and tossing her phone on the sofa, she stomped from the room. Glaring at the stack of empty totes in the foyer, Robin mentally admonished herself for what she was about to do.

  She had looked forward to calling Judy all day. She wanted to tell her about all the discoveries she made, but one response, one innocent response from Judy had undone all Robin had tried t
o do. Since the day she had almost taken the matter of her need into her own hands, Robin had denied her imagination free rein. Over the years, her memories of Judy had been the driving force behind numerous self-pleasuring episodes, but now it seemed wrong. Now it seemed crude and exploitive, so she had turned to cold baths and binging on Netflix at night until it bored her to sleep, but abstinence was now impossible. Robin’s body was on fire, and this time, there was no putting out the blaze.

  As Robin went into the kitchen, wanton images, salacious and steamy swirled in her head, creating a savory cocktail too tempting to deny. Snagging a bottle of wine from the counter, she yanked out the cork and filled a tumbler to the brim. Taking a healthy swallow of the earthy Cabernet, Robin topped off the glass before going to her bedroom, and pausing just long enough to set her drink on the nightstand, she stripped out of her clothes. Goosebumps sprang to life on her skin, the chill of room finding its way to her nakedness, and after one quick shiver, Robin climbed under the flannel sheets. She reached for her wine, taking a few more sips before she turned off the light. As Robin’s hands began to wander, and her breathing began to quicken, she no longer cared if Isobel was watching or not.

  ***

  Judy jumped up from the table as soon as the ferry horn blew, and without giving anyone so much as a half-hearted glance, she trotted from the dining room, grabbed her jacket and headed outside.

  “Hi there,” she said, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder as she zipped up her jacket. “Long time, no talk.”

  Robin nodded. It had been nine days, and it had been the longest nine days of Robin’s life. It had taken every ounce of energy she had not to pick up the phone. She had longed to talk to Judy again, to hear the lilt of her voice, imagine her smile, and fill Judy in on all the goings-on at the Inn, but every time Robin went to call, a memory stopped her. A memory of a night she spent giving herself orgasm after orgasm while fantasizing about the woman on the other end of the phone. She had awoken the next morning sated, but embarrassed, and it was that embarrassment that had driven Robin to almost near exhaustion every day since.

  “Yeah, sorry about that,” Robin said quietly. “I decided to knuckle down and get some stuff done. Hopefully, my timing is still impeccable though.”

  “It is,” Judy said, getting comfortable in the rocker. “Thank God.”

  “Uh oh, that doesn’t sound good. What’s going on?”

  “Oh, Pat and Doug have been flapping their feathers nonstop since the last time you and I talked, squawking about this and that, and doing everything in their power to convince me to move home. And the funniest thing of all is that they’re basing everything on my age! Well, I have news for them. I may not be a spring chicken, but I’m sure as hell not an old cackling hen!”

  “Wow. Th—”

  “I swear to God, Robin. All they’ve done for the past week and a half is bitch and moan about their own children and how ungrateful they are for not coming home. Well, who the hell wants to come home to listen to all of their crap? What the fuck! When are they going to get it through their heads that some of us just don’t want to work in an orchard?”

  The louder Judy’s voice became, the further Robin had moved her phone away from her ear, and it wasn’t until a few seconds after the line went quiet when Robin decided to test the waters. “You done yelling?”

  “Oh, shit,” Judy said, her shoulders sagging. “I’m sorry. Was I yelling?”

  “Let’s put it this way. If you had cows, they’d surely be home by now.”

  Judy smiled into the phone. “I really like you.”

  It had been said in a breathy whisper, but with the phone pressed against her ear, Robin had heard every syllable, and her heart did a triple-twisting somersault. “Yeah?”

  “I’ve been feeling shitty, and now I don’t.”

  “You sick?”

  “No, just tired. I haven’t been sleeping well.”

  “Why not?”

  “Just a lot of things on my mind and my brothers don’t help. I’ve actually been thinking about cutting my vacation short and coming home early.”

  “Really?” Robin said, sitting up on her new, faux suede sofa. “That works for me.”

  “You sure? Sounds like you’re getting a lot accomplished without me.”

  “Just little things.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, all the empty totes are now in the basement, and my apartment is completely finished and furnished. I raked up all the leaves and then weeded the raised beds around the house, so whenever we’re ready to plant flowers, we can actually find the dirt. I also emptied the pantries in the big kitchen, washed everything inside, and then tried to put it back in some sort of order, but Jesus, I’ve never seen so many serving dishes, and there’s an assortment of coffee urns that go from small to outrageous. Why in the hell would you need so many?”

  “If I had to guess, it probably depends on the number of guests you have at any given time.”

  “Oh, you see, now that makes sense,” Robin said, resting back on a stack of throw pillows.

  “Glad you think so.”

  “I also asked the guy who tiled my shower to check out the bathrooms upstairs. He found three that needed to be re-grouted, so I hired him to do that, and I had a company come over and clean all the carpets on the first floor. I figure we’ll wait to do the second and third until we get those rooms spruced up, but since I’ve got White Birch all cleaned and polished, the main floor now looks spiffy, just in case we get any guests.”

  “Robin, we’re heading into winter.”

  “I know, and I was thinking about that. Since I live here, is there any reason why we can’t say we’re open?”

  “Other than the fact the town is basically empty until spring?”

  “I get that, but I was doing some reading, and it sounds like a lot of people come over for snowmobiling or cross-country skiing in the winter.”

  “That’s right, but you forget that we still need to get the licenses—”

  “Already done.”

  “What?”

  “I told you I was busy,” Robin said, grinning. “I went over and talked to Howard, and—”

  “Who’s Howard?”

  “Adele’s lawyer. He was the one handling all the estate stuff.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “Anyway, I went over and talked to him, and even though Adele had closed this place, she kept up with the license, and because of the living trust, my name was already on everything. So, other than a couple of inspections—which I’ve already scheduled—we’re golden.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, indeedy,” Robin said. “And I also bought a brand spanking new laptop, a couple of tablets, and that software you and I both liked, and it’s all waiting for you in the office when you get here. Plus, while I was on the mainland, I hit the bank, got the accounts straightened out, so once you get back, you’ll just need to stop in, fill out a signature card and choose a pin for your debit card. Oh, and before I forget, since I’ve been to Petoskey like a zillion times since you left, I already picked up the wallpaper, so there’s no need for you to make a side trip.”

  “Good Lord, Robin. How much coffee have you consumed in the past week?”

  “Why?”

  “Because there’s no way I’m going to be able to keep up with you if this is your normal energy level.”

  “Don’t worry, it’s not. I just had a little extra I needed to burn it off.”

  “Well, when I have extra energy, it usually means I’m anxious about something.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes, and I have a feeling the same goes for you.” When Robin didn’t reply, Judy glanced at her phone. “What’s wrong, Robin? Are you having second thoughts about all of this?”

  Robin was racking her brain, trying to come up with a plausible reason to explain her behavior, so when Judy’s words finally sunk in, Robin jerked to attention on the sofa. “What? No. No. No! I�
��m not having second thoughts. Not at all.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Yes, I’m positive. I’m looking forward to us getting this place in order.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  Robin let out a sigh, and as she did, she saw the magazine she’d put on the coffee table earlier that day. “It’s my writing.”

  “What?”

  “You’re right about me being anxious, but it’s got nothing to do with us. I mean, it’s got nothing to do with Safe Harbor. I’m just a little antsy because I haven’t found the courage to open my manuscripts yet, so I busied myself with lots of little things to keep my mind off of it.”

  “I’m confused. Why do you need courage to open your manuscripts?”

  “Do you mind if we save that for another time? It’s a long story, and there’s more I need to tell you about the Inn.”

  Judy paused. It wasn’t the first time Robin had hedged about her past, and Judy had a sneaking suspicion it wouldn’t be the last. “All right. That’s fine, I guess,” she said softly. “So, what else is going on?”

  “You know what? Never mind. You’re just going to have to wait until you get here.”

  “That’s not fair. You can’t dangle ‘there’s more I need to tell you’ and then drop it.”

  “I just did.”

  “Robin!”

  “What? Don’t you like surprises?”

  Surprises can be pleasant like those found under Christmas trees wrapped in foil. They can be positive, grades reported at the end of semesters, or negative, grades reported at the end of semesters. They can create smiles or frowns, tears of joy or those of sadness, and responses can run the gamut as well. Startled, the unexpected can cause hearts to race, astounded can cause eyebrows to raise, and disillusionment can cause marriages to fail.

  Judy tipped her face to the blue-black heavens freckled with silver sequins of radiance, the glint forming in her eyes putting them all to shame. Her mother once told her life was full of surprises, and Judy suddenly found herself eager for the next.