by Lyn Gardner
“Well, until I can find a book on the subject, how about you just enlighten me.”
Robin paused for only a second before answering. “A chapstick is a lesbian who's halfway between butch and femme. I’m assuming you’re familiar with those terms.”
“I am.”
“Okay, so a chapstick is comfortable in both of those worlds. She can be a girly-girl and wear makeup and dress to the nines, or she can just as easily go the other way and wear jeans and flannel shirts.”
“So you’re a chapstick then?”
“Very good,” Robin said with a slight bow of her head.
“And that woman in the bar was too...um...too butch for you?”
“It wasn’t really her style as much as it was her hardware.”
“Her hardware?”
“I’m not into piercings,” Robin said with a shrug, and returning to the bathroom, she picked up her roller one last time before continuing the conversation. “She had two in her eyebrow, one in her nose, and three hoops through her lip,” Robin said, covering the last bit of plaster with its final coat. “And any butch having that many on her face normally doesn’t stop there, if you know what I mean.” Robin stepped back and inspected the wall, swaying to and fro to see if she had missed any spots.
“I have no clue.”
“What?” Robin called out.
Judy huffed as she loaded her brush again. “I said I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
Robin was sure Judy’s interest was just the run-of-the-mill curiosity that most straight people had when it came to gays, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t enjoying the conversation. When they were student and teacher, their talks had been safe, centering on current events while leaving personal tidbits out of the discussions, but that was no longer the case. Judy wasn’t the teacher. Robin wasn’t the student. They were both adults. They were friends, and with friendships, walls come down, subject matters change, and each comes into their own.
Smiling, Robin didn’t hold back her answer. “Let’s just say, I don’t like metal in my mouth and leave it at that.”
At the very least, Robin thought Judy would have responded with her another ‘huh,’ but instead, all she heard was a long line of expletives being shouted from the bedroom. Robin rushed back to the doorway and then burst out laughing. Across the wallpaper, they weren’t planning to change, was a wide brushstroke of white paint.
“Giving Isobel a run for her money?” Robin said while doing her best to swallow what was left of her mirth.
Judy hung her head, sniggering under her breath at her predicament. “No, but remind me never to be alone in the same room with you and Rita.”
Robin’s teeth gleamed in her grin. “Really?”
“Yes, really,” Judy said as she grabbed some nearby rags and threw them in Robin’s direction. “Now, if you’re done embarrassing me, could you run those under some water, so I can clean up this mess?”
“As you wish,” Robin said, snagging the old kitchen towels from the floor. “As you wish.”
***
Other than when Robin was writing, and Judy was working in the office, they spent nearly every waking minute together for the next eight days, and their strategy was paying off. Robin was making progress with her manuscript. Judy was doing the same with all the management software, and Whitefish Falls, Forest View, and Sunset Shores were almost ready for guests. Ceilings, bathrooms, and trim had all been restored to a brilliant white. The rooms were cleaned, and the only thing left to do was to pick up the drapes at the dry cleaners in St. Ignace, contact a linen service, wash the quilts, and make the beds.
Shortly after five on Friday night, they made their way down the stairs, and as they reached the landing, Judy looked over at Robin and tutted. “How come you always manage to get paint in your hair?”
“I have no idea,” Robin said, fingering the mass of blonde strands coated in paint. “I guess I just really get into my work.”
“Maybe you should think of getting into a shower before that stuff dries,” Judy said, continuing down the stairs. “Dinner won’t be ready for at least another forty-five minutes. You have time.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure. All I need to do is wash my hands.”
“’All I need to do is wash my hands,’” Robin whispered in a whiney voice as they reached the foyer. “Show off.”
“It’s not my fault you’re sloppy.”
“I’m not sloppy. I just need to get my hair cut short.”
“Really? Are you planning to get it cut?” Judy said as they rounded the corner and headed toward Robin’s suite.
“I’ve been thinking about it. There are a couple of styles I like, but my mother always loved it long, so that’s the way I kept it that way. Why? Don’t you think I should?”
“No, it’s...it’s up to you. Totally your choice.”
“Well, I think the only choice I need to make right now is how many times I’m going to have to wash it to get the paint out,” Robin said, reaching her bedroom door. “Are you sure you’re okay with dinner?”
“Go!” Judy said, motioning toward the kitchen. “I can handle setting the table.”
“All right. I’m going,” Robin said, disappearing into her bedroom. “Oh, and that bottle of wine we opened last night is on the counter if you’re interested.”
***
Judy placed the lid back on the crockpot and opening a cabinet, she returned the chili powder to its place on the shelf. She reached for her wine, and taking a sip of the velvety Merlot, she turned around, leaned against the counter and let out an easy breath. It was another good day in a growing line of good days. It was nice to be active again, to be a part of something new and exciting, but it was more than that.
She no longer felt like a visitor possibly trampling on the privacy of another when she walked into Safe Harbor early in the morning, for Robin’s smile always convinced her otherwise. Having helped make dinner more times than not, Judy now knew Robin’s kitchen as if it were her own, and staying true to her promise, while decisions had been few over the past two weeks, Robin had included her on all of them. Judy wasn’t sure when it happened, but Safe Harbor now felt like it was as much hers as it was Robin’s...and it was also starting to feel like home.
Broken from her thoughts by the soft chime of the doorbell, Judy put down her wine and made her way to the foyer. Opening the door, she grinned at the stranger standing on the porch. “Hi. Welcome to Safe Harbor. Are you looking for a room?”
“Um...actually, I was looking for Robin Novak.”
“Oh, she’s—”
“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”
Judy hunched her shoulders at the shrill squeal, and spinning around, she gaped as Robin ran toward the foyer, her arms high in the air as her joyous screech continued. Rushing past Judy, Robin jumped into the man’s outstretched arms, and wrapping her legs around his waist, Robin planted kiss after kiss on his face. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re here!”
Declan held onto Robin as if a tornado was about to rip her from his arms, and breathing in the scent of her familiar cologne, he smiled into her wet hair. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you missed me.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Damn, Judy, that was good,” Declan said as he reached over and ripped off another hunk of sourdough bread. Sliding it around his bowl, he swept away any remnants of the remaining chili.
“Thanks, but how did you know I was the one who made it? Robin could have—”
“The hell she could have.”
Judy looked back and forth between the people sitting to her right and left. Both were smiling, but while Declan’s face showed off his dimples, Robin’s showed off her blush. “Am I missing something?” Judy said to Declan.
“The last time Robbie made chili, I made her promise on her life that she’d never make it again. And before you ask, I’m not just being nice here,” Declan said, ladling another scoop of chili into hi
s bowl. “I love chili.”
Judy’s eyebrows grew together. “Then why—”
“Because it tasted like lumpy ketchup.”
It wasn’t intentional, but when Judy heard Declan’s analogy, she scrunched up her face.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Robin said, rocking back in her chair.
“Robbie, it was crap and you and I both know it.”
Robin hid her amusement as she tossed her napkin on the table. “Well, I never.”
“Yeah, well according to the girls at our old haunts, never wasn’t a word you used very often.”
“Declan!”
“What?” he said as he filled his spoon with chili. “Truth hurt?”
“No, but you’re going to hurt when I get done with you.”
“Promises. Promises.”
Over the past couple of hours, Judy’s heart had swelled. Like her relationship with Rita, the friendship between Declan and Robin was loving and witty. They had played off of each other since Declan walked into the inn, tossing remarks and barbs between them like a ball in a tennis match. Yet through it all, neither had spoken a word without twinkling eyes or their faces glowing with love...just like they were now.
Noticing Declan had finished his third bowl and didn’t appear to be going for another, Judy stood up. “If you two are done, why don’t you go relax, and I’ll clean this stuff up.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Robin said, pushing out her chair. “I’ll help.”
“So will I,” Declan announced as he straightened to six-feet-five.
“No, you won’t,” Judy said, pointing toward the living room. “Go relax and catch up, and I’ll put on a pot of coffee.” When Robin and Declan refused to budge, Judy placed her hands on her hips. “I said go. Now!”
Robin and Declan exchanged looks, and sighing in unison, they walked into the living room.
“Christ, she’s as pushy as you are,” Declan said, and sinking into the sofa, he glanced around the room. “This has got you written all over it.”
“You like it?”
“Yeah, I like everything. Even the rooms upstairs with the shitty wallpaper have potential.”
“We think so, too. Once we get everything done, I’ll send you pictures.”
“How about if I just see it in person?”
“Really?” Robin said, sitting forward on the couch. “You hate the cold.”
“I wasn’t talking about coming back in the winter. I was thinking maybe June or July.”
“But that’s eight months away!”
“I guess it could be sooner, but knowing Natalia, it’ll probably be June.”
Before Robin could speak, Fred appeared out of nowhere and jumped into Declan’s lap.
“There’s my boy,” Declan said, running his hand down the cat’s back. “You look none the worse for wear. Glad to see that your momma’s feeding you.”
“Like I wouldn’t,” Robin said, giving Declan the evil eye.
“And where’s your sweet little sister?” Declan said, glancing around. “She’s such a pretty girl.”
No sooner had Declan spoke when Ginger jumped onto the couch and prancing across Robin’s lap, she made a beeline for Declan.
“How you doing, baby,” Declan said through puckered lips as he gave Ginger some attention. “Miss me?”
It came as no surprise to Robin when Ginger passed over her to greet Declan. Since the day her mother had given her the kittens, there had only ever been two constants in Fred’s and Ginger’s lives, and they were both sitting on the sofa. One they saw every day, and one they hadn’t seen in weeks.
As the two felines slinked and slid all over Declan, welcoming their old friend back, Robin’s grin continued to grow. She could easily hear their purrs, and flip-flopping in his lap, Fred and Ginger seemed eager for Declan’s affection…almost too eager.
Robin lowered her chin as her eyes turned to slits. “Okay, what did you do?”
“You talking to me?” Declan said, momentarily glancing up before returning his attention to the cats now undulating against his corduroy sports coat.
“Yes, I’m talking to you. I’m not going to argue the fact that Fred and Ginger adore you, but what I’m witnessing right now is way beyond adoration. Hell, if it continues, I’m going to have to run out and buy them a pack of smokes.”
“You really need to just accept that they like me more than they like you and move on. Not everyone is a cat person.”
Robin snatched Fred off Declan’s lap, and turning him around, she held the dangling kitty in front of her. It only took a moment for her to spot the bubble of spittle at the corner of his mouth, and with a laugh, Robin placed Fred on the floor and then turned to Declan. “You are such a bastard. Where is it?”
“Where’s what?”
“The catnip.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about?”
“Yes, you do. Fred’s drooling, and the only time he drools is when he gets catnip.”
“Maybe he’s just excited to see me.”
“Or maybe he’s stoned out of his mind because my goofy friend coated his jacket with catnip,” Robin said, and reaching over, she lifted Ginger from Declan’s lap and placed her on the floor. “Go sleep it off, baby.”
“That wasn’t nice,” Declan said, frowning as he watched Ginger saunter out of the room.
Without saying a word, Robin held out her hand, palm up.
A growl rose in Declan’s throat as he reached into his inside jacket pocket. “Spoilsport,” he said, tossing two fuzzy stuffed mice on the coffee table.
Robin regarded the catnip-stuffed toys for only a moment before shooting Declan a look. “Is that all of them?”
“What do you think I did? Buy out the store?”
“I wouldn’t put it past you,” Robin said, holding out her hand again. “Now, give me the rest.”
“You really are a pain in the ass,” Declan said, and standing up, he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his trousers and a moment later, two feathery stuffed canaries joined the mice on the table.
“I knew it!” Robin said, clapping her hands. “But I think you dropped something on the floor.”
“I only bought four,” Declan said, collapsing onto the sofa. “Now give it a rest.”
“No, it was something else. It went flying. It looked like loose change.”
“I didn’t have—” Declan’s eyes widened, and jumping off the sofa, he fell to his knees and began running his hands over the carpet.
“What the hell are you doing? Looking for a quarter to call someone who cares?”
“I can’t fucking believe this,” Declan mumbled, jamming his hand under the sofa. “Me and my brilliant ideas.”
“Decl—”
“Found it!” Declan announced, and sitting back on his haunches at Robin’s feet, he gazed up at his best friend.
“What was so important that—” Robin’s words caught in her throat when she saw the diamond ring Declan was holding between his fingers.
“So...what do you think?”
“Oh my, God,” Robin said in a voice barely audible. “It’s gorgeous.”
“I really wish you had been in the store with me. I don’t know shit about—”
“Declan, it’s beautiful. Natalia is going to be on cloud nine.”
“She has to say yes first.”
“Like there’s a doubt,” Robin said quietly, sniffling back a tear as Declan handed her the ring. Slipping it onto her finger, she smiled as her eyes met his. “She’s one very lucky lady.”
“Sorry it took so long,” Judy said as she came into the room. “I wasn’t sure what you took in your coffee.”
Robin sprang to her feet. “Look!” she said, holding out her hand.
Judy glanced at the ring for a second before placing the tray filled with coffee and cups on the table. “I thought you were gay,” she said, standing straight.
Robin’s smile vanished for an instant before it reappeared. “I am.
This isn’t for me. Declan’s going to propose to his girlfriend.”
“Oh,” Judy said, turning her attention to Declan. “It’s beautiful.”
“Thanks,” Declan said, straightening his backbone just a smidge. “I hope she thinks so.”
“I’m sure she will,” Judy said before looking back at Robin. “And now I think I’m going to head home.”
“What? Why?” Robin blurted. “I thought you’d stay and have some coffee.”
“No, that’s okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, it’s been a long day, and I’m a little tired,” Judy said, and turning to Declan, she held out her hand. “It was very nice to meet you.”
“The feeling is mutual,” Declan said, getting to his feet.
“I’ll walk you out,” Robin said as Judy turned to leave.
“Don’t be silly. You have a guest.”
“Then how about if the guest walks you out?” Declan said, slipping the ring from Robin’s finger. “My room is on the way, and I need to put this thing back in the box before I lose it.”
Judy’s left eyebrow raised just a tad. “Is there any reason why you two believe I need help finding the door?”
“This has got nothing to do with you finding the door,” Declan said as he hooked his arm in Judy’s. “This is about something covered in a blue plastic bag on the dining room table that Robin refuses to tell me about.”
***
A short time later, Declan came back into the living room. “That is one fucking ugly clown.”
“If you promise not to mention the clown again, I’ll give you one of these,” Robin said, holding up a snifter.
Declan’s smile lit up the room, and going over, he sat down and took the glass from Robin. “What clown?”
“I’d thought you’d say that.”
“Yeah, well you know me a little too well.” Declan cupped the bowl of the snifter in his hand, allowing his body heat to warm the cognac for a moment. Breathing in the fragrances of honeysuckle and vanilla, Declan took a sip. “Oh, very smooth. Excellent choice”
