Ice

by Lyn Gardner

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jean Campbell glanced at the clock on the wall again. Letting out a sigh, she heard the coffeemaker finally go quiet, and pouring herself a cup of the steaming brew, she walked to the kitchen table. She had barely slumped into a chair when she heard the front door open. Going to investigate, she let out a breath of relief seeing that her husband had finally returned.

  “How was your walk?” she asked, watching as he removed his jacket. “I was starting to worry. It’s been a few hours.”

  “Sorry. I lost track of time.”

  “Apparently.”

  “I just needed some time to think,” Douglas said quietly, walking to the kitchen.

  “Coffee is made, but if you prefer tea, I’ll make you some.”

  “No, coffee’s fine. Thanks,” he said, grabbing the pot and quickly filling a mug. Wrapping his hands around the ceramic to warm them, he sat at the table and looked up at his wife. “Where’s Maggie?”

  “Alex called. She went over to see her.”

  “So much for worrying about me.”

  “It was my idea. I thought it would give us some time to talk.”

  “Oh.”

  “So, do you want to talk?”

  “What’s there to talk about?” Douglas said, running his fingers through his hair. “My daughter thinks she’s in love with a woman. I’ve never tried to run her life, so until she comes to her senses, I’ve just got to stand by and watch her make a total fool of herself!”

  Sitting down next to her husband, Jean reached across and took his hand. “Douglas, she’s in love with Alex. This isn’t some…some experiment. It’s the real thing.”

  “Oh, you’re daft!” he blurted. “And how in the hell would you know that anyway?”

  Amused by her husband’s incredulous expression, Jean said, “Because when Maggie says Alex’s name, she gets a certain look in her eye. It’s the same one that, over the years, I’ve grown accustomed to seeing in her father’s eyes.”

  “Jean—”

  “Let me finish, Douglas,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze. “I know that you love me, but the look I see in Maggie’s eyes when she talks about Alex is the same look you get…when you talk about her mother.”

  Instantly, Doug’s head snapped up, his green eyes staring back at his wife in shock as the color drained from his face. “Jean—”

  “It’s all right, darling,” she said, offering her husband a soft smile. “Like I said, I’ve had years to get used to it.”

  “I do love you, Jean,” he whispered, holding her hand tightly. “You’ve got to know that.”

  “I do, but I’m not the love of your life.”

  “And you think this…this woman is Maggie’s?”

  “I know she is,” Jean said. “Doug, surely you noticed how jovial Maggie was at the airport. She almost died up in that cabin, yet she steps off a plane as if she just came back from her honeymoon. She’s walking on air, and that smile that she wears was put there by a woman. A woman named Alex Blake. All you need to do is see her eyes when she talks about Alex, and you’ll know I’m right.”

  “She’s only ever dated men,” Douglas said flatly. “Why did she keep this a secret?”

  “I don’t think she did, at least not consciously.”

  “I know that your views have always been open about things like this, but this is my daughter we’re talking about. I’m just worried that…that…damn it, Jean, the world can be a cruel place at times.”

  “I agree, so I don’t think that parents should add to the cruelty, do you?”

  His eyes filled with tears, and he nodded his head. Leaning back in his chair, he finished what remained of his coffee and then looked at his wife. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “It’ll take some time getting used to.”

  “I would think so.”

  “So what now?”

  “Well, I think that you and I should go out and get some take-away, and then go over to Alex’s flat and get to know her.”

  “What!”

  “Doug, it took a great deal of courage for Maggie to tell us about this, and I think we should take the next step.”

  “That’s one hell of a step, don’t you think?” he grumbled, all the while knowing that his wife was smarter than him in so many ways.

  “Not if we take it together.”

  ***

  They had dozed, then showered, then dozed again, and the afternoon was lost to love and dreams. Sandy had visited once or twice, scampering up for attention as her pups slept soundly in the pen, and both women had cooed at her kisses and giggled at her insistence to receive more scratches behind the ears.

  Returning from the kitchen with two bottles of water, Alex slid between the sheets and handed one to Maggie. “So let me get this straight. You got rid of Glenn and told your father about us?”

  Quickly taking a gulp from the bottle, Maggie placed it on the nightstand and rolled on top of Alex. “If there’s one thing you need to learn about me, sweetheart, it’s that when I make up my mind to do something, I do it.”

  “Yeah,” Alex said, leering at Maggie’s breasts pressed against her own. “I seem to remember a night not too long ago when you did exactly the same thing.”

  A sexy chuckle slipped from Maggie’s lips as she shifted a bit, and when her leg made it between Alex’s, Alex said, “You’d best be careful, darling, or you’re going to start something, that I’m going to finish…again.”

  Smiling, Maggie rolled to the side. “Better?”

  “Not exactly, but it’ll do for now,” Alex said. Thinking for a moment, she asked, “Do you think there’s a need for us to have two flats?”

  Maggie’s eyes opened wide. “Are you asking me to move in with you?”

  “I’d actually like to ask you to marry me, but I realize that may be a bit presumptuous. So, I thought that living together might be a less scary proposition.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “About shacking up or getting married?”

  “Both.”

  “Yes.”

  Sitting up, Maggie stared back at Alex. “Now who’s moving fast?”

  “Me,” Alex said with a grin. “Look, I know that there is a plethora of lesbian jokes out there about bringing a moving van on the first date, but this isn’t a joke. This is real. This is how I feel and what I want. You’re not the only one that fell in love three years ago – remember? But if you want to wait, that’s fine. I understand.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Okay?”

  “Do you want children?”

  Laughing out loud, Alex said, “I can’t tell you how many jokes there are about that subject in the lesbian journals of comedy.”

  “I’m serious. I want to know,” Maggie said cautiously.

  Hearing a hint of worry in Maggie’s tone, Alex sat up. Studying her face, Alex reached over and held Maggie’s hand. “Yes, I do…as long as they’re yours.”

  Maggie’s face lit up, and leaning over, their lips met in a slow, tender kiss. “Ask me again,” Maggie said as she pulled away.

  “Ask you about moving in…or getting married?”

  “Actually, it doesn’t matter.”

  “No?”

  “The answer will be yes to both.”

  Smiling wide, Alex leaned back against the pillow, gazing at the woman she loved. The sheet had dropped enough that Maggie’s chest was exposed, and Alex unconsciously licked her lips at the sight of nipples in desperate need of a nibble.

  “You’re incorrigible,” Maggie said, covering her chest with the sheet.

  “No, I’m not. I’m horny, and in case you’re wondering, I so want to have you again like I had you earlier.”

  Maggie’s mouth dropped open and laughing, Alex said, “What? I’m just being honest.”

  “Yes, and your honesty can be quite unnerving at times. I just need to get used to you speaking your mind.”

  “Does it bother
you?”

  “No, it’s just…it’s just…I need to get dressed,” Maggie said, fighting the urge to give Alex what she wanted.

  After placing a quick kiss on Alex’s lips and successfully avoiding her wandering hands, Maggie jumped out of bed. Grabbing Alex’s knickers from the floor, she tossed them into her outstretched hands, and then proceeded to gather her own clothes from around the room.

  Paying no attention to Alex, Maggie stepped into her knickers and took her bra from the chair. Pulling the straps over her shoulders, she looked up to see that Alex was now wearing knickers, but absolutely nothing else. Stretched across the sheets, her arms folded behind her head, Alex seemed quite comfortable in ogling Maggie as she got dressed. Their eyes met for a moment, and Maggie instantly blushed. Alex didn’t need to say a word; the intensity of her glare said it all.

  Noticing Maggie’s heated cheeks, Alex asked, “Am I embarrassing you?”

  “Yes…I mean no,” Maggie stuttered, fumbling with the clasp. “I just keep thinking that by the time I get this thing on, you’ll be taking it off.”

  Laughing, Alex swung her legs off the bed and strode over to Maggie. Spinning her around, Alex fastened the clasp. “The thought had crossed my mind,” she admitted as she spun Maggie back around. “But I could use some food, and I really need to take Sandy for a walk.”

  Giving Maggie a quick peck on the cheek, Alex grabbed her clothes and got dressed, looking up to see that Maggie was now leering in her direction.

  “Hey, when I get back, what say you and I go out and get something to eat?” Alex asked, pulling on her boots.

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Trying her best not to step on the tiny terrier dancing around her ankles, Alex walked out of the room, and a few seconds later, Maggie chuckled, hearing the non-stop yapping coming from the front room. “Demanding like your mother, I see,” Maggie said to herself, zipping up her jeans.

  Tidying the bedroom, she checked on the pups and then made her way to the kitchen to find something to quiet her growling stomach. Opening the fridge, she snorted at its emptiness. Unless she wanted dog food or a beer, she was out of luck. Opening a few cabinets, she continued to come up empty, and when she heard the doorbell ring, she smiled. Believing that Alex had forgotten her key, Maggie padded to the door. Deciding to pay back Alex for earlier, Maggie yanked the door open as fast as she could, and her jaw nearly hit the floor.

  “Dad! Jean! What are you doing here?” she exclaimed.

  “Well, your father and I were getting a bit hungry, so we picked up some Chinese take-away,” Jean said, glancing at her husband to see if he wanted to join in the conversation. Seeing that his eyes were focused solely on the floor, Jean continued, “And we thought what better time to invite ourselves over to meet Alex than now. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “What? How—”

  “You left her address on the paper in the kitchen,” Jean explained. “Can we come in?”

  “Oh, sorry,” Maggie said sheepishly, stepping out of the way. “Of course.”

  Jean stopped in the entryway to remove her coat while Doug took a few extra steps toward the lounge, distancing himself from his daughter. With the box of food still in his hands, he stood silent, hoping that his wife would keep up the conversation. Unfortunately, Jean had other ideas.

  Sensing the tension in the room, Jean took the box from his hands. Giving him a quick wink and a knowing smile, she walked in the direction of what she assumed was the kitchen without saying a word. Whatever needed to be said, Doug would have to say it.

  Dumbfounded and nervous, Maggie walked into the lounge. Looking at her father, she had no idea what to say. Other than the shocked look on his face when she had opened the door so swiftly, her father’s expression had been nothing short of brooding.

  “Tell me about her,” Douglas said, removing his coat and placing it over a chair.

  Jerked from her thoughts, Maggie said, “What?”

  “Tell me about her,” he repeated as he sat on the arm of the chair and crossed his arms.

  “She’ll be back in a minute and—”

  “No, Maggie,” he said, intently watching his daughter’s eyes. “Tell me something about the woman who’s supposedly stolen your heart.”

  Feeling as if she was being tested, Maggie cocked her head to one side and smiled. “What would you like to know?”

  Douglas shrugged his shoulders. If his wife was right, once Maggie began to talk about Alex, she wouldn’t be able to stop. Thinking for a moment, he asked the simplest of questions, “What does she look like?”

  In the blink of an eye, a smile appeared on Maggie’s face that was the widest and happiest he had ever seen on his daughter.

  “She’s beautiful,” Maggie said in a breath, “She’s tall and has black hair, and the most amazing brown eyes. Not just ordinary brown, but more like cinnamon…dark cinnamon. She’s funny and smart, and a bit cocky at times, and when she puts her mind to it, she can be unbelievably stubborn,” Maggie said, laughing out loud. “She’s strong, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at her, and she likes to laugh. With one look, she can make me smile, and with the next, she can make me blush. I’ve never met anyone as courageous as Alex, nor as determined, but that’s only a small part of who she is. She cares, Dad. She cares about people and the fate of the world. She doesn’t just want to sit back and watch it go by. She wants to help change it for the better, for the future…for our kids. When I look at her…” Pausing for a moment, Maggie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “When I look at her, I see in her eyes a love that’s pure and true, and I know that she’ll love me until the day I die. She’ll be my champion when I need one. She’ll be my nurse when I fall ill. She’ll be the person who stands by me no matter what, and the one that I’ll no doubt argue with more than any other person on the face of this planet. And honestly, I look forward to those arguments. I love her intensity. I love her passion for what’s right and what’s wrong, and I can’t imagine living another day if Alex isn’t by my side. I love her, Dad. I love her more than words can say.”

  Standing in the doorway of the kitchen, Jean wiped a tear from her cheek as she glanced at her husband. Looking back, he smiled and nodded his head in silent agreement. There was no more doubt. His daughter was truly in love with a woman named Alex Blake.

  “Well,” he said with a smile, his voice bringing Maggie back to reality, “Then I can’t wait to meet her.”

  Shocked at her father’s apparent quick acceptance of her new lifestyle, Maggie said, “How come I feel like I’ve just missed something really important?”

  With a hearty chuckle, Douglas pulled his daughter into his arms. Kissing her on the top of the head, he said, “You’re my daughter, and I love you, and that’s what’s important. If she’s who you want, Magpie, I’ll be in your corner, just like always.”

  Looking up with tears in her eyes, Maggie said, “Thanks, Dad.”

  Sniffling back a few tears of his own, he smiled. “Now, let’s go give Jean a hand, shall we? We can’t be sniveling like children when your lady gets back. What kind of impression would that make?”

  ***

  A short time later, containers of Chinese food were spread across the counter with plates at the ready, awaiting Alex’s return. As Jean filled glass with wine, Maggie heard the front door open and smiled, but before she could make it out of the kitchen, Alex called out, “You best not still be naked!”

  If she could have fit into one of the kitchen cabinets, Maggie would have crawled inside and latched the door. With her face vivid scarlet and her eyes as wide as saucers, several seconds passed before she forced herself to look in Jean and Doug’s direction. Mortified, she whispered, “I’ll be right back.”

  “There you are,” Alex said, seeing Maggie come from the kitchen. “Oh, I could have told you there’s nothing in there. I haven’t had time to shop yet. Sorry.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” Maggie said with a weak grin as San
dy scampered past her and headed for the bedroom.

  Leaning over for a kiss, Alex said, “What do you mean?”

  “My father is in the kitchen,” Maggie whispered, trying her best not to smile.

  “What!” Alex said, wincing as she realized that he had no doubt heard her jovial greeting.

  “Oh, and my stepmother, too.”

  “Oh, Christ,” Alex whispered angrily. “You could have warned me.”

  “How was I supposed to know that you were going to come in the door and ask if I was naked?”

  “Good point.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What are the chances that I can leave before he sees me?” Alex asked quietly.

  “Not very good, I’m afraid,” Douglas Campbell replied as he stood in the kitchen doorway eyeing the attractive dark-haired woman whose cheeks were as red as the tank top she was wearing.

  Smiling, Maggie winked at Alex, took her hand and led her to the man and woman standing near the kitchen.

  “Alex, this is my father and stepmother, Douglas and Jean Campbell.”

  Holding her breath, Alex held out her hand. “Very nice to meet you, Mr. Campbell,” she said politely with her cheeks still blazing red.

  Briefly glancing at his wife, Douglas smiled and took Alex’s hand. “Nice to meet you, too.”

  Epilogue

  “You need any help with that?” Alex asked, walking into the kitchen to find Jean basting the turkey.

  Glancing over her shoulder, Jean smiled. “No, dear, I’m fine. Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll make you some tea.”

  “Thanks,” Alex said, sinking into a chair.

  “Did you have a good rest?”