by C D Cain
“Why no not at all. The way you struggled up those rocks, I don’t doubt they are screaming at you. But if you don’t want to freeze your ass off tonight, I better bring in as much wood as I can. The weather predicts a more typical New Hampshire April evening. It’s going to be a cold one.” Gentry stacked the wood in the bin Lou had built. She ran her hand along the welded frame. “I’m surprised you didn’t bail out for a comfy little hotel room when we passed that B&B in Lincoln.”
“Nope. I’m sticking with you. If you can tough it out then, so can I.” Sam reached into the bag at her feet and pulled out a thick Flume Gorge sweatshirt she bought at the visitor’s center of their last hike.
“Is that a fact?”
“Fact, it is.” She pulled the sweatshirt over her head. “I worked hard for some of that wood,” she said as she ran her hands through her hair in a failed attempt to straighten it. “I thought you had lost your mind when you yelled out for me to pull the car over.”
“Hey, we were lucky to come up on that utility company as they were cutting back the trees. This is good wood…not rotten or bug infested. You don’t come across a gem like that every day.” Gentry patted the side of the log as she stacked it onto the pile. “Although, I wouldn’t mind seeing your reaction if one of those bugs crawled across you in the middle of the night.”
Sam pointed her finger at Gentry. “Don’t even play.”
“Truce.” Gentry put her arms up. “Seriously though, we really were lucky. It’s not like you can just go chop down a tree in the forest, you know? These woods are protected.”
“Ummmm. Yeah so, that’s why they sell it in the little bags. All chopped up nice and pretty for you. We spent almost two hours chopping these logs.” Sam rubbed a knot in the muscle of her shoulder. “With that and the hikes, I’m probably not going to be able to move in the morning. I’ll just lay here scared to breathe deep or cough for the pain it could cause. The headlines will read, ‘Women Found Dead from Starvation and Dehydration on Couch of Big Blue Bus.’”
“Nah, I’d feed and water ya.”
Sam laughed. “Gee, thanks.”
“You may be able to afford to throw money away on nicely prepackaged wood, Ms. Mercedes-Money-Bags, but I can’t. Something tells me you’re doing all of this belly-aching about sore muscles to try to weasel a massage out of me.”
“Oooh. I hadn’t thought of that. Is it working?”
Gentry looked over her shoulder as she placed some kindling in between the logs in the heater. “As a matter of fact, no. Not at all.”
“Damn.” Sam snapped her fingers. “Tough luck for me.”
With the fire built, Gentry lit a match, tugged it next to the kindling and closed the latch. “Cross your fingers. I’ve used this stove once one winter back home. It nearly ran me out of here it was so hot. Mind you, it was a Louisiana winter all of thirty degrees. So, we’ll see how good she does here.”
“Do you think we’ll be warm enough?”
“I do. I built this thing with northern winters in mind. I was never going to stay in the South.” She ran her hand alongside the wall behind the wood stove. “I used a high-quality, closed-cell spray foam when I insulated. Plus, those curtains,” Gentry said as she pointed to the window, “are energy efficient and thick. They’ll help hold in the heat. All of the windows have been tightly sealed so no cool air will blow in while they’re shut. I may have to get up through the night and stoke the fire but we should be plenty warm. My hope is we’ll actually get a little too hot. This baby has got to keep me warm through the Maine winters too. That’ll be the true test.”
“Are you worried?”
“Not in the least.” Gentry’s voice was determined and sure. Yet Sam saw a hint of questioning in the expression of her eyes. Can’t hide the eyes.
She sat down next to Sam and stretched her legs out in front of her. Their feet were nearly side by side. Sam could smell the remnants of the outdoors on Gentry’s skin and clothing as she sat down next to her. She was beginning to love the scent of the outdoors filled with pine and sweat from a good hike on her clothes when she came in from the outside. It didn’t remind her of any of the memories she was trying to leave behind.
Gentry softly cleared her throat. “Speaking of Maine, the plans are to pull into Mt. Desert Island tomorrow. It’s the final destination of this road trip. Have you given thought to what you’ll do when my traveling ends?”
Sam looked around the cozy space. “I haven’t.” She pulled a pillow from behind her back, brought it to her lap, and played with the stitching designed in the shape of a pine tree. “I guess the question is, are you ready to get rid of me?”
Gentry let her head fall against the side of the bus. She felt the indecision roll over itself until it felt like a ball in the pit of her stomach. Sam could end her journey here. She could. If she did, Gentry knew she would be fine. Although she would feel it. She would sense the twinge of missing and loss. A part of her thought it may be best to encourage Sam to go. Yet it carried the least amount of strength in her. The stronger side seemed to yearn for Sam’s company. It waited for her to awake in the morning so it could hear her voice with the conversations she would bring up. On a lucky day, it may even get to hear her laugh with her child-like humor. That side also liked to revisit the glimpses of Sam’s body she was gifted. She rolled her head to the side to look at Sam. Filled with the image of Sam’s nude body in a glow of light under a pitch-dark sky, she looked at her. She made no attempts to hide or suppress her thoughts.
“Never mind. Don’t answer that. I’ve invaded your privacy too long.”
“I didn’t say that.” Gentry’s voice was low and deep. She watched the blue of Sam’s eyes dart back and forth as she studied her expression.
“You didn’t.” Sam swallowed hard under Gentry’s stare.
“Say what you want and mean the words when you say them.”
Sam looked down at the pillow. The intensity of Gentry’s stare was making her nervous. She was having a hard time understanding it. There was such a seriousness to it that Sam wondered if maybe she did want her to go but yet none of her words told her that. Nervously, she fiddled with the stitching of the pillow.
Gentry slid her hand over the top of the pillow and pulled it gently from Sam’s lap. “What do you want, Sam?” She tucked the pillow in between them. “Don’t think about how you think I want you to answer or what I may be thinking. Just you. How you feel. What do you want?”
Sam rubbed her palms across the top of the sweatpants she had changed into when they returned to the bus. Again, she swallowed hard. “I want to stay with you. Even though I don’t have any idea where I’m going or what’s next in my life…with you, I don’t feel lost. I’m not curled up in a bed somewhere crying my eyes out. I feel like I’m living again when I’m with you. I’m not ready to let that go.”
“Then don’t.” The truth in Sam’s words struck Gentry. They were exposed, vulnerable even. Something in Gentry stirred.
“It does matter what you think though. This is your home. So, I have to wonder if you do want me here with you or if you’re ready to be alone again.”
“Does anything about my actions or words tell you I want that?” Gentry’s voice hadn’t changed. Her words were slowly spoken with a hoarseness found in them.
“I don’t think so.” Sam leaned her head against the couch to match Gentry’s. “What do you want then?”
Gentry watched the flames from the wood stove flicker in the green of her eyes. She saw the skin of Sam’s neck tighten with the clench of her jaw. “Right now?”
Sam nodded.
“Right now…” Gentry paused. Her thoughts swarmed. Her body ached with need and want. “I’m having a hard time not kissing you.” Fuck resolve. Gentry pulled the pillow from between them and tossed it onto the floor.
Sam sat up quickly. Her eyes were filled with
surprise.
Gentry didn’t move. The sound of the crickets outside was loud in the silence between them. Sam’s heartbeat quickened and began to pulse in her ears. She felt heat rise from her neck up to her cheeks and realized she was blushing. Samantha LeJeune was actually blushing.
“You’re blushing.” Gentry ran her finger along the redness of Sam’s cheek. “Did I make you uncomfortable?”
Sam shook her head no.
Gentry brought her hand from her cheek to lay it flat on Sam’s chest. She tucked her index finger under the collar of Sam’s sweatshirt and gently pulled her toward her. As Sam’s upper body got closer, Gentry turned to lay her back flat against the couch. Their faces, their lips were inches apart. Gentry could smell the day upon the skin of Sam’s neck. Sam’s face was filled with doubt and uncertainty. The child-like questioning stopped Gentry from pulling her closer.
“I’ll stop if you want. If there’s any part of you that doesn’t want this, I’ll stop. Just tell me.”
“Don’t,” Sam whispered, “stop.”
“What were you like before all of this? Who were you before her?” she whispered against Sam’s lips. She saw a glimmer of change in Sam’s eyes. “Kiss me like that woman would have kissed me.”
The blue of Sam’s eyes darkened with the expansion of her pupils. She took Gentry’s lips with assertiveness and sureness. She didn’t feel the hurt of lost love or the pain of her broken heart. Instead, she felt the warmth of Gentry’s lips against hers and the softness of her tongue as she entered her mouth.
There was no hesitation or shyness to Gentry’s kiss. She kissed her with raw need as she gripped the collar of Sam’s shirt tighter and pulled her deeper into her mouth. Their kiss was feverish which took Sam’s breath. She pulled away from Gentry.
A smile slid across Gentry’s face. “That’s exactly who I thought you were.” Her breath was labored as she spoke. “Hi, Sam. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Hi,” Sam mumbled against Gentry’s lips before taking her again in a kiss.
Gentry grunted into her mouth with the twinge of pain she felt as the weight of Sam’s chest pressed against her sensitive breasts. Gentry felt the urgency in Sam’s kiss. The need to feel everything between them and nothing that wasn’t. She felt Sam’s heart beating forcefully against her chest. She felt the heat of Sam’s breath on her cheek as her tongue searched her mouth. She released Sam’s shirt to wrap her arms around her. In one moment, she rolled Sam’s back against the couch and straddled her waist. She wanted more of Sam. She wanted all of Sam. She rocked her hips against Sam with the strength of their kiss exciting her need for more. She felt Sam’s hips press up into her with each movement. Gentry pushed away from Sam and put her hands flat across her chest. Sam’s chest rose and fell rapidly against them. Gentry searched Sam’s eyes for any hint of hesitation. For any sign that she wanted them to stop. There wasn’t one. Instead, Sam jerked the sweatshirt over her arms and reached up to quickly unbutton Gentry’s shirt. Gentry’s head fell back as Sam pushed the shirt off of her shoulders and slid her hand around her back to unfasten her bra. Gentry grabbed Sam’s hand from behind her and brought it to the top of her bra-covered breast. Sam squeezed hard, causing another wave of pain to course through Gentry. She sucked the air between her teeth as she felt every bit of pleasure it sent soaring through her. Sam leaned up and breathed in deeply the smell of Gentry’s skin between her breasts. She cupped each of them and let her thumb trace the nipples that rose beneath the lace material. She massaged them as she kissed along the sides of each breast. Gentry rocked against her again as she ran her fingers through Sam’s hair to pull her tighter against her. She leaned over to envelope Sam into her arms. Eucalyptus mint filled her senses as she inhaled Sam’s scent. She reached down to lift Sam’s T-shirt over her head. Removing her bra, Gentry pushed Sam against the couch and ran her hands over her chest. She watched as Sam’s lip quivered with the exploration of her breasts.
Sam looked from Gentry to the bed. “Let’s go to bed.”
Gentry didn’t follow her gaze but shook her head. “No.” She unfastened and unzipped her jeans. She leaned into Sam and murmured against her lips. “Here. Right here.” As she began to kiss her again, Sam felt her take her hand and guide it to the opening of her jeans.
Sam slid her hand inside of Gentry’s jeans and underwear with the same intensity of Gentry’s kiss. Gentry inhaled sharply and bit Sam’s bottom lip as Sam entered her. She rose back on her knees, placed one hand behind Sam’s neck and the other on the side of the couch to steady herself. She rocked her hips in rhythm with Sam’s hand. Gentry’s eyes were closed as she dipped her hips down to let Sam enter her deeper and deeper. As their rhythm quickened, Sam felt Gentry’s fingers curl into a ball in the back of her hair. She sucked in air to both the pain and pleasure of it. Gentry opened her eyes to look deeply into Sam’s. She removed her hand from the couch and slipped it into the waistband of Sam’s sweats. The elastic band gave no hindrance to reach her fully. She felt Sam’s excitement on her fingertips which heightened her desire to touch her more. She began to explore her fully. Sam moaned through parted lips. It had been so long since a woman touched her. Gentry’s touch was sure and confident. Not one of a woman touching another for the first time. Gentry wasn’t thinking of Sam being a woman. Rather, she was swarmed with the feeling of how good it felt to touch her. How much it excited her to feel the response in Sam as she touched her. Gentry began to feel the change in her. It wasn’t that Sam’s touch alone hadn’t been exciting for her but to feel Sam on her fingertips increased every sensation in her. Sam moved her hand to touch Gentry in the same way. They circled each other with like rhythm. Sam felt Gentry’s arousal grow as they did. Gentry let out a deep groan as she entered Sam for the first time. The warmth and softness of being inside of Sam caused her to push harder into her. She couldn’t stop the groans from increasing into lusty cries as she convulsed against Sam’s hand inside of her. The cadence of Sam’s hips grew to the speed of Gentry’s. Gentry’s thumb swept over Sam, sending her over the edge along with Gentry in the moment of her final moan. Sam felt Gentry quiver against her as her legs relaxed across her lap.
The sweat upon Gentry’s forehead dampened Sam’s skin as she leaned in to rest it against hers. “Holy hell,” she said between breaths. “That was freaking hot.”
Sam moistened her lips with a sweep of her tongue. “You can say that again.”
Gentry slowly brought her hand from Sam’s waistband. “I don’t think I can go again but give me a few minutes and I might.”
Sam’s eyes widened.
Gentry laughed and rolled off of Sam onto the couch. “I’m joking.” She picked her shirt up off of the floor and carefully buttoned each button. She laid Sam’s shirt over her chest to cover her breasts and ran her finger over the beads of sweat found there. “I’d say the stove is working.”
“Or something,” Sam muttered. She turned her head to look at Gentry but her body was too spent to move, much less try to put her shirt on. “I had no idea. No clue.”
“No idea about what?”
“That you were a lesbian. You know, into women.”
Gentry gave her a quizzical look.
Sam shrugged. “I just mean I didn’t know you had been with women before. We’ve never talked about it but I just didn’t know you had.”
“I’ve never been with a woman like this before.” Gentry turned her head away from Sam. “Not like this.”
“Then wow. That was amazing.”
Gentry was quiet as they got ready for bed. She even dressed for bed in the nook where the commode was so that she couldn’t be seen.
“Goodnight, Sam,” she said softly. She pulled the covers over her and laid on her side with her back to Sam.
Sam curled in behind her but felt Gentry’s body stiffen. She moved her shoulder away from the touch of Sam’s hand.
/> “Do you want me to sleep on the couch?” Sam asked.
“No. Stay. But can we not do that?” Gentry scooted farther away from Sam in the bed. “The cuddling part?”
“Sure. Anything you want.” Sam rolled over and curled up on her side of the bed. “Goodnight, Gentry.”
Sam blinked her eyes to adjust to the sunlight pouring in from the window. Her body shivered with the chill in the air. She reached across the empty bed and pulled the covers tighter over her shoulders.
“It’ll warm up in a minute. I just added another log to the stove.”
Sam sat up to see Gentry sitting on the couch. The steam from the coffee mug rose up around her nose as she held the it close to her face. “Want some coffee? It’s fresh.”
“Yes, please.” Sam stretched her arms over her head and ruffled the back of her hair. “What time is it?”
“A little after nine. You’ve been sleeping hard.”
“You’re kidding. It’s nine a.m.? I’ve not slept that good in a long time.”
A smirk crossed Gentry’s lips. “Hmmm…I wonder why it is you slept so soundly.”
Sam gave a nervous laugh and felt herself blush. “I have no idea.” She stepped over Gentry’s feet on her way to the coffee pot.
Sam poured a cup of coffee and looked around for the sugar.
“To your right. I bought a five-pound bag just for you.”
Sam felt nervous around Gentry. Even as impressive as Big Blue was, it was definitely limited on a selection of seating. There was the bed where Gentry had pulled away from her the night before and the couch where Gentry sat. The difference in Gentry between the bed and couch were quite different. Neither looked like the best place to sit to drink her coffee. Sam caught the site of the two cloth stools under the wooden ledge and reached to pull one out.
Gentry pulled back the blanket and patted the couch. “You know you can sit next to me. I’ll try to behave myself.”
