Dusty eyed her. “Hey, Maggie Mae, whatcha doing?”
Maggie looked up at her. “I think I’m gettin’ drunk.” She swayed.
Dusty steadied her. “Yeah, that’s what it looks like to me, too.” She sat next to Maggie. “What’s the occasion?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” Maggie said. She realized now the loneliness of the empty bed had been too much for her. She missed Addison beside her. She leaned into Dusty.
Dusty put an arm around her. “Well, baby,” she said with a laugh. “That’s why they make chamomile tea. I think tequila is for other purposes.” She rubbed Maggie’s back.
Tears burned Maggie’s eyes. “Addison came by.” She sniffed.
“Ah, now I get it.” Dusty sighed. “What’d she say?”
“She was concerned about me because she heard Pete died.”
“Huh.” Dusty grunted. “I guess that’s something.”
“But it made me angry that’s what she was here for. I mean I’m glad she wasn’t here to talk about the affair and that woman, but…” Maggie sat up and looked into Dusty’s eyes. “I know she has to do this for her own reasons and she has to find her own way, but I just wanted her to want to come home. I miss her so much.” The words poured out as her tears began to flow. “I miss her laugh and her strength. I miss her touch and her kisses and making love with her. And I don’t want to be without her. But I’m so damned mad at her.” She punctuated her last statement with a slap of her hand against Dusty’s sternum.
Dusty grabbed the box of tissues off the credenza and handed Maggie a couple. She took Maggie in her arms and drew her close. “I know. I feel the same way,” she said. “You know…except for the touching and kissing and making love stuff.”
Maggie chuckled and blew her nose. “You’re a good friend,” she said, patting Dusty’s knee. “Here, drink with me.” She pulled back and filled the shot glass. She slid it in front of Dusty.
Dusty laughed. “No, I don’t think that’s the answer.”
“It is,” Maggie said flatly. “Friends don’t let friends drink alone.” She picked up the salt shaker and held it out to Dusty.
“I thought it was friends don’t let friends drink and drive.”
“So, don’t drive.” Maggie shook the shaker at her.
“Maggie, really—”
“Okay.” Maggie sat up straight. “I’ll drink it then.” She brought her wrist to her mouth.
“No, no.” Dusty grabbed the salt. “I’ll have one, but no more for you. Okay?” She licked her wrist, sprinkled on the salt, then sucked it up. She downed the shot and shoved a lime between her teeth. “Woo-hoo.” She shook her head. “It’s been a while since I’ve done that. Where’d this stuff come from, anyway?”
Maggie winced. “That damned Halloween party.” If there had ever been a night she wished she could take back, that was it. She refilled the glass. “I don’t ever want to have another one.” She prepared her wrist and reached for the drink.
Dusty snatched the glass with one hand and Maggie’s arm with the other. She licked up the salt Maggie had poured then threw back her second shot. After sucking the lime, she said, “Okay, no more. Let’s go upstairs and get you to bed. I’ll sit with you, and we can talk until you fall asleep.”
Behind them, the front door opened.
“What’s going on?” Tess asked as she walked into the room.
Maggie turned and grinned up at her. “Dusty’n I’re gettin’ drunk b’cause we miss Addison.” Somewhere along the line her words had begun to slur, and she couldn’t quite focus on Tess.
Tess looked at Dusty. “Really? Do you think that’s the best thing to do?”
“I wasn’t get—”
“An’ Addison came over,” Maggie continued, “an’ I was’n okay, but I told her I was.”
Tess turned back to Maggie. “Have you gotten any sleep since you called me this morning about Pete?”
“No.” Maggie shook her head, making herself a little dizzy. “Tha’s the other reason we’re gettin’ durunk, to help me sleep.”
“Mm-hm.” Tess glanced at Dusty again.
“I wasn’t getting drunk with her,” Dusty said. “I was keeping her from drinking any more. And we were just about to go upstairs and put her to bed.”
“Okay, then. Let’s do that,” Tess said, her tone tight. “Let’s get you to bed, Maggie.”
“Okay.” Maggie stood, and the room tilted. She stumbled and hit her knee on the coffee table.
Dusty caught her and pulled her close. “Easy, Maggie Mae. Let’s take it slow.”
As they moved toward the stairs, Tess slipped her arm around Maggie’s waist from one side and Dusty from the other.
Maggie patted them both on their shoulders. “You’re both such good friends.”
“Really, Tess, I wasn’t—”
“Not now. Let’s just get her upstairs.”
Maggie stopped halfway up the first flight of steps. “Are the twouv you fightin’?”
“No, sweetie, we’re just taking care of you,” Tess said, sounding nice again. “Just keep walking with us, okay?”
Maggie had to concentrate to get her feet moving. She placed one on each step then felt the muscles in her leg tighten as she pressed upward. She was fascinated by her awareness of the feeling in her body. She felt the solidness of the floor beneath her bare feet, the play of the fabric of her friends’ shirts under her fingers, the warmth of being sandwiched between them. She noticed the carpet give way to tile as they stepped onto the third-floor landing. Suddenly, she remembered the conversation. “You two can’t fight. We all havta love each other,” she said, trying to focus. “I loved Addison, but I didn’t do it well enough. I shouldna fought with her when she was havin’ trouble.” They passed through the doorway of her bedroom.
“Just a little farther, sweetie,” Tess said.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Dusty said. “Addison was going through some stuff.”
Tess and Dusty lowered Maggie onto her bed.
“There’s no point in trying to talk to her while she’s drunk,” Tess said to Dusty. “Even if she hears you, she won’t remember it.”
“I’m not drun’.” Maggie fell backward onto the mattress. She laughed. “Maybe I am. What was I sayin’?”
“I was saying it wasn’t your fault,” Dusty said. She coaxed Maggie to a sitting position, and Tess tugged the covers out from under her. “I tried to talk to Addison about what she was doing with Victoria, but she wouldn’t listen to anything. Rebecca says she needs to do this to learn something.”
Maggie gazed up into Dusty’s eyes and stroked her cheek. “You’re so sweet.” Then she realized through the alcoholic fog what Dusty had said. “You knew?” Her hand stilled on Dusty’s face.
“What?” Dusty tried to ease Maggie’s legs onto the bed, but Maggie stiffened.
“You said you tried to talk to her about what she was doin’. You knew.”
Dusty’s eyes widened.
The dragon woke, this time not in a languid stretch but in full, flaming rage. All the anger Maggie had been stifling reared its head. “How could you’ve known and not warned me? You’re not a friend.” She raised her hand to strike at Dusty.
Tess caught it. “Maggie, it’s okay. Calm down.”
“She knew.” Maggie pointed a shaking finger.
Dusty backed away. “I’m sorry. I was trying to help.”
“Get out,” Maggie yelled. Her head pounded. “Pack your stuff and get out of my house.”
“What? You mean—”
“Dusty, just go,” Tess said over Maggie’s tirade. “Let me handle this.”
“Yes, just go, Dusty Renee Gardner.” Maggie’s voice rose higher. “Get out.”
Dusty left the room and closed the door behind her.
Maggie stilled. The silence crashed in on her. What had she done? She began to sob.
Tess eased down beside her and took her in her arms. “Shhh.” She stroked Maggie’s hair.
“She knows that,” Tess murmured. “It will all be fine.”
“No. I have to go apologize.” Maggie tried to pull away, but Tess held her firmly.
“You have to get some sleep, Maggie. Dusty knows you didn’t mean any of that. She knows you love her and would never kick her out. And I’m sure she knows not to listen to the tequila in anyone.” Tess’s voice was warm, her words soothing in their reassurance. “Please lie down and go to sleep. It will all be better in the morning.”
A wave of exhaustion overtook Maggie, and she slid from Tess’s embrace and onto the pillows. “I’ve made such a mess of things.”
Tess brushed her thumb over Maggie’s forehead. “No, you haven’t, and you’ll know that again in the morning.” She continued the caress.
Maggie felt her eyes close. “You sound so sure.”
Tess laughed softly. “I’ve had my share of drunken miasmas. Nothing we think during them is ever true the next day.”
Maggie released a sigh of deep surrender. “Okay, I’ll trust you,” she whispered.
“I’ll be downstairs if you need anything,” Tess said quietly.
“No.” Maggie opened her eyes. “You’ve got a date with JoAnn.”
“I’m going to cancel it. She’ll understand.”
Maggie grasped Tess’s hand. “No. I’d feel horrible if you did that on account of me. I’ll be fine. I’m so worn out, I know I’ll sleep till the mornin’. You go and have a good time.”
Tess smiled. “Okay, but I’m not leaving until you’re asleep, and I won’t be late.” She resumed her gentle caress of Maggie’s brow.
Maggie closed her eyes again and within minutes found herself in a dream, kissing Addison at the waterfall.
Chapter Twenty
Dusty followed Baxter as he ran up the steps leading to the front door and readied herself to enter the house. She’d taken him for a walk around the neighborhood and let him drag her up into the pines and underbrush of the mountainside to keep herself out of Maggie’s room. In her initial guilt and panic, she’d wanted so much to barge back in to make sure Maggie hadn’t really meant what she’d said about Dusty packing her stuff and leaving. She was pretty sure it was the emotion of the day and the tequila speaking, but she wanted to hear it. Now that she’d gained some perspective, she trusted she was right, and though she still felt bad, she could wait until morning.
Tonight, she was more concerned about clearing things up with Tess. She didn’t want Tess mad at her, believing she’d been getting Maggie drunk. Tess had been acting weird since the Halloween party, though, so who knew what was really going on there?
The sun had just set, and someone had flipped on the porch light, probably on their way out as was the habit of the household. She hoped Tess was still home. As she let herself in, she heard noise from the kitchen. “Tess?” she called, heading in that direction.
“No, me,” Eve said as Dusty entered the room. She stood at the counter, spreading cream cheese on a cracker.
“Wow, you look great,” Dusty said, taking in the low-cut, tight-fitting red dress and strappy, black, f-me shoes. “If you and Sammi have a date, she doesn’t stand a chance if she’s playing hard to get.”
Eve turned and smiled. “Thank you. I’m glad you think so.” Something in her tone wasn’t quite right. “Actually, it’s you I wanted to take out to dinner.”
“Me?” Dusty opened the refrigerator and examined the contents. “Why?”
“I’d like to talk to you about something,” Eve said. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Can’t you just ask me here? I don’t really feel like going out.” She opened a Tupperware container and took out a fried chicken leg. She loved Maggie’s fried chicken. “I wanna talk to Tess.” She took a bite.
“Tess isn’t here.”
‘Mm.” Dusty chewed. “She say anything before she left?”
“Just that Maggie’s asleep. She was up all night with Pete and his family.” Eve paused. “Dusty, please? It’s really important.”
Dusty swallowed. “What is?”
Eve sighed. “The favor.”
“Ask me, then.” Dusty clutched the container against her chest and grabbed a carton of orange juice with her free hand.
“I don’t want to just ask you.” Eve’s voice tightened. “I wanted to…”
Dusty stepped to the cupboard and set the chicken on the counter. “Wanted to what?” She took another bite from the leg in her hand. “Why all the intrigue?”
“Will you stop eating? I want to take you to dinner.” Eve’s voice rose to the pitch of a discontented girlfriend winding up for a tantrum. The only thing missing was a foot stomp.
Dusty laughed. “But I don’t wanna go out to dinner. I wanna eat cold chicken and wait for Tess to get back. In the meantime, you can ask me anything you want. Why won’t that work?”
Eve folded her arms in front of her. “I had a plan.”
Dusty filled a glass with juice. “What kind of plan?” She took a long drink.
“I was going to seduce you.” Eve actually stomped her foot. “Okay?”
Dusty choked. Orange juice shot out her nose, and she bent over and began to cough.
“Oh, my God.” Eve pounded Dusty on the back. “Are you all right?”
Dusty’s eyes watered and she gasped for breath. “You were gonna what?”
“I’m sorry.” Eve slumped against the counter. “See, that’s why I didn’t want to just tell you. I wanted to…you know.”
“No, I don’t know. What the hell are you talking about?” Dusty turned and got a second look at Eve’s outfit. A new awareness seized her like a bad cramp. “Don’t tell me you dressed that way for me.”
“Well, yes, but—”
“No.”
“Dusty, wait. It’s not what you think.”
Dusty turned on the water and rinsed off her face. “I don’t even know what I think. You’re crazy. We can’t…no.” She snatched a dish towel and dried herself off. She wiped up the juice that’d sprayed the counter.
Eve grabbed her arm. “Will you please just listen for a minute?” She pulled Dusty to the table and pushed her into a chair.
“There’s nothing to listen to. I’m not gonna—”
“I don’t know what to do,” Eve said over Dusty’s objection. “I want to sleep with Sammi, but I’m afraid to. I don’t know how to…you know…please her. I thought you could…”
Dusty was stunned. She felt her mouth drop open, but the only word she could think of was no.
“I thought you could…teach me.” Eve waved her hand in a vague motion, as though that explained everything.
“Teach you?” Dusty stared. “If you were gonna seduce me, you must already know something. And I gotta tell you, that outfit is a great start. Just go from there.”
“It’s the going from there I don’t know how to do.” Eve dropped into the chair across from her. “I’m afraid I’ll disappoint her.”
“You won’t. She’ll be thrilled just to be with you.”
“I’ll feel like a fool.” Eve’s expression grew serious. Her gaze held Dusty’s. “I want to be good for her, and you could show me how, if you just would.”
Dusty shook her head. “This is crazy. I’m not sleeping with you.”
“Why not?” Eve looked stricken. “You sleep with Tess.”
Yeah, and look where that got me. “That’s different.”
“Why?” Eve asked, genuine bewilderment in her tone.
Because she was in love with Tess. She hadn’t been, though, the first time they’d slept together, or the second, or even the third. She didn’t, in fact, know when it’d happened. All she knew was that it had, and since then, she hadn’t wanted to sleep with anyone else. She couldn’t say that to Eve, though. Could she? She’d told Rebecca, of course—or rather, Rebecca had told her—and she’d told Tess hers
elf even though, as it’d turned out, Tess had slept through her confession, but she’d never actually said it to anyone else. Was there even any point in sharing it with anyone? For a while, she’d hoped maybe admitting her feelings to Tess could possibly lead to something more. She’d even thought she’d felt something from Tess in return, but for the past couple of weeks, things between them seemed to have gone back to how they’d been the first two years Tess lived there. They were just housemates whose paths seldom crossed—until today. Today, Tess had actually noticed Dusty once again and interacted with her, although not in a way Dusty wanted. She was so confused. She just wanted Tess. That was all. “I’m not sleeping with you,” she repeated.
Eve slapped her hand down on the table. “Fine. I’ll find someone else, then. Someone who is willing to teach me.”
“Eve.” Dusty exhaled the name in exasperation. “Just go to Sammi. She’s the one you want, so it’ll be good. I swear to you, you head over there right now, looking like that, and you’re not gonna have to know a thing.”
“You don’t get to have an opinion anymore.” Eve thrust herself to her feet. “I told you how you can help, and you said no, so just never mind.”
“Fine,” Dusty said, raising her hands in defeat. She leaned back in her chair. How’d this day get so messed up? One minute everything was great, the next, Tess was blaming her for Maggie being drunk, Maggie was telling her to move out, and now Eve was furious at her for telling her to sleep with the woman she truly wanted.
Eve stalked to the counter and began wrapping up the crackers and returning them to the box.
“Did Tess say where she was going?” Dusty asked, hoping the change of subject would calm Eve.
“She’s on a date.” Eve put the cover on the cream cheese and smacked it into place with the palm of her hand.
The statement took Dusty as much by surprise as Eve’s plan of seduction. “A date?”
“Yes.” Eve yanked open the refrigerator door and dropped the cream cheese onto the shelf. “With JoAnn.”
Dusty blinked. “Who’s JoAnn?”
“The woman she brought to the Halloween party.” Eve’s tone remained sharp. “They’ve been dating for weeks.”
Threads of the Heart Page 25
