by Gerri Hill
“Hi, Brenda. Miss Winters,” Lee greeted.
“It’s Kate, please. You’ll have me looking around for my mother if you continue with Miss Winters.”
“Of course.”
Twinkling eyes captured Kate’s without trouble and she mentally kicked herself for not being able to pull away. This woman was a player, she reminded herself. And as soon as they were alone, she was going to make it perfectly clear to the sex maniac sheriff that she was involved with someone. Robin was no doubt sitting at home, alone. It was only then that Kate realized they had not spoken since Robin had dropped her off at the airport the previous morning. She had not even thought to check her cell phone for messages much less service.
“I brought you some wine, Brenda.” Lee held up a jug. “You mentioned the other night that you were running low.”
“Oh, darling, how sweet of you.” Brenda took the jug, then showed it to Kate. “Sangria wine. Lee makes the best.”
“You make your own wine?”
Lee shrugged. “Secret recipe.” Then she winked. “But it’s got some kick.”
“Why don’t you have a taste before you go?” Brenda offered.
Kate shook her head. “No, thanks.” Did she just wink at me?
“Maybe after our tour, she’ll feel like a glass,” Lee said, her twinkling eyes still able to hold Kate’s.
“Where will you take her this evening?” Brenda asked.
“Oh, we’ll just do the cliff road. Won’t have time for much else before it gets dark. I thought maybe Saturday, we could go out earlier and do a real tour.”
Kate watched the two as they planned her week. Brenda had something up her sleeve, Kate was almost certain. And if it had anything to do with trying to set her up with this . . . this sheriff person, Kate would kill her.
“Well, you should go before the suns gets too low. The colors are still good,” Brenda said as she nearly shoved them out the door.
Kate glared at her. “We need to talk,” she hissed just as the door was shut in her face. She found herself alone with Lee Foxx. She smiled, hoping it looked more genuine than it felt. “Lead on, Sheriff.”
“The Jeep hasn’t seen a top since winter. I hope you won’t get cold, but the temperature drops once the sun sets.”
Kate paused, glancing at her own bare legs before looking at Lee’s.
Lee smiled, a smile that made her eyes twinkle and Kate was again held by them.
“I’m used to it. But we won’t be out long, so you should be fine.”
Soon, Kate was sitting in the dusty Jeep, bouncing down the dirt road toward the cliffs. There was no door to hold on to, so she grasped the dash with one hand and the seat with the other. Lee finally slowed.
“Sorry, but I wanted to try to catch it before the sun set, but I guess we’re too late.”
Kate looked to the west, still seeing the orange sun barely hanging on to the day. “Catch what?”
“There’s a spot where it overlooks the river. The cliffs reflect beautifully at sunset.” Lee too looked to the sky. “Might have to catch it another day though.”
Kate relaxed a little, the rocks outside her opened door not speeding by quite as quickly.
“Have you started writing yet?”
Kate blinked. “Excuse me?”
Lee shrugged. “Brenda says you have writer’s block.”
“I swear, is there anyone here she hasn’t told?”
“I liked the first few books. The last few, well, no offense, but they sucked.”
Kate’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe this woman, this stranger, had just said her writing sucked.
“You’re a literary critic, I take it?” Kate asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
But Lee laughed. “No. I just read them. And I think I’ve figured out what the problem is.”
Kate forced a smile. “Well, please tell me.”
“Jennifer. She’s the problem.”
“What’s wrong with Jennifer?”
“Well, there’s nothing wrong with her, except she’s still pretending to have an interest in Paul. And Paul, he’s a nice guy and all, but he just doesn’t get Jenn’s juices flowing.”
Kate’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
Lee grinned. “Jenn is obviously a lesbian. Why are you holding her back?”
“A lesbian? Where in the world did you get that idea?”
“Oh, come on. She’s strong, she’s cute as hell, she can kick butt and she’s in her thirties and never married, never had a steady boyfriend. And you try to make us believe that she’s got a romantic interest in Paul? Hell, if it wasn’t for the forced flirting with these characters, I’d think Paul was gay too.”
“Oh my God! I cannot believe you are even saying this. Paul is in love with Jennifer.”
“In love? You call that love? Have they even kissed? It’s gotten to the point where I’m not sure they even like each other. And that’s why I haven’t been able to finish your last book. I want to scream at them, I want to scream at Jennifer! Get a clue! You’re a dyke!”
Kate was too shocked and angry to even notice the laughing eyes of this . . . this maniac. If the Jeep had been going any slower, she would have thrown herself out! Instead, she turned, glaring at Lee.
“You obviously have no idea how to weave a story together,” she said through gritted teeth. “The little escapades you have with your young, straight girls cannot pass as life experiences that you want to share in book form. Jennifer Masters is no lesbian.”
Lee slowed the Jeep, the grin on her face showing the laugh lines around her eyes. Despite her anger, Kate wondered how old this woman was. She’d assumed, at first meeting, that Lee was barely twenty-five.
“Escapades? What in the world has Brenda been telling you?”
“She didn’t have to tell me much. Besides, I was there today when your little friend showed up. Car trouble?”
Lee laughed. “Oh yeah. Forgot about that.”
“I take it you were able to help her.”
“Whew, it was fast and sleek.”
“I don’t need details,” Kate said dryly.
“I’m talking about her car. Candy apple red, two-door sports car, ragtop. She let me take it for a spin.”
“No doubt. I guess the car trouble wasn’t serious.”
“Battery cable was loose. Didn’t take but a second. Then we had a spin. It was fast.”
“Hope you enjoyed it.”
“Oh, I did. She could fly.”
Kate stared out the window, biting her tongue. It didn’t matter in the least what this woman did in her spare time. If she chose to fuck every eighteen-year-old tourist that visited the county, what business was it of Kate’s? And if the locals didn’t mind their sheriff cavorting around like the sex-crazed woman she must be, why should she?
“There’s the river over there, the Rio Pueblo,” Lee said, pointing to their right. “We’re too late to catch the full effect of the sunset though.”
Kate turned her head, looking over her shoulder, her breath leaving her at the beauty of it.
“It’s beautiful,” she murmured, her anger fading. “What is it we’re missing?”
“If we catch the full sunset, the reflection off the water and the cliffs is so magnificent, it’ll bring you to your knees.”
Kate turned, surprised at the sincerity in Lee’s eyes. This woman, who she imagined to be conceited and full of herself, seemed genuinely touched by the beauty of their surroundings.
“You like?” Lee asked.
Kate nodded. “Yes. Very much.” She met Lee’s eyes. “Do you take your young women here?”
Lee laughed, her eyes sparkling. “No. I don’t think they’re all too interested in the natural scenery around here. They’re more into the nightlife.” She drove on. “We can drive down to the river. There’s still time. It’ll be cooler, though.”
Kate nodded. “I’m fine.”
They drove in silence for awhile, then Lee turned, watching h
er. “Brenda says you’re seeing someone.”
“Yes I am. We live together.”
“It’s that serious? Brenda acted like it was a passing thing.”
“She would. She doesn’t like Robin.”
“So, your Robin is okay with you being gone?” Kate smiled. “I didn’t really give her a choice.”
Lee nodded. “A woman in control of her own life. I like that.”
Chapter Eight
“So where did you go?”
Kate stared at Brenda, wondering at her curiosity. Again, she felt the woman had something up her sleeve.
“On the cliff road until the sun set. Then we drove down to the river. It was nearly dark, though, so the views weren’t very good.”
“I don’t know why she came so late,” Brenda said. “Saturday will be better.”
“So she says.” Kate accepted the glass of sangria wine that Brenda offered her. Sweet, with a definite kick. “But you were nice to her?”
“No.”
“No?”
Kate moved to the sofa, curling her bare feet under her as Brenda settled in the giant recliner that faced the deck. It was full dark outside, but with the French doors opened, they were able to see stars twinkling over the canyon.
“She had the audacity to tell me my books sucked. And then she accused Jennifer Masters of being a lesbian, of all things.”
Brenda laughed, nearly spilling her wine. Kate glared at her.
“Well, she is a bit of a dyke, darling.”
“My Jennifer is no dyke! What books have you been reading?”
“Let’s just say, compared to Paul, she’s a bit butch, you have to admit. How many times has Jennifer been the one to save the day, while he sits idly by in his designer suits, hoping not to get dirty.”
“That’s because I’ve tried to portray Jennifer as a strong role model for women.”
“Exactly. One that doesn’t need a man around to save her.”
Kate shook her head. “That doesn’t make her a lesbian.”
“No, of course it doesn’t. But if she had sex with a man occasionally, that might make it more convincing. And I don’t mean Paul. As you said, they are almost like brother and sister.”
Kate sipped her wine and stared out the window, wondering what she was going to do with her characters. She’d painstakingly created them years ago, turning Jennifer into a hero that women of all ages could look up to. Paul was the dashing, charming man in her life, the man who supposedly ran their agency, the man who pretended to be her husband. And a man who Kate had unknowingly turned into a flaming queen!
Brenda stood, sensing that Kate wanted some alone time. “I’m going to take a long bath and read a bit before bed, darling. Help yourself to more of Lee’s wine, if you want.”
Kate looked up, nodding. “What are you reading?”
“Oh, local history. I have a book on the Native Americans who lived here. The Anasazi and Pueblo Indians. It’s so fascinating. I’m learning about medicine wheels now.”
Kate smiled. “You’ve really taken to this area, haven’t you?”
“Yes, I have. In fact, I’ve been thinking more and more of simply selling everything in Dallas, including the company, and moving here permanently.”
Kate stared at her. “Are you serious?”
“What is there for me in Dallas, darling? A thirty-room estate that I share with no one? Business associates and old friends of Al’s that I have no desire to spend time with but I’m required to? Or perhaps the charity events that I attend because it’s expected of me when in reality, I loathe them.” At Kate’s stricken look, Brenda smiled and tipped her wine glass at her. “Oh, kiddo, I’m just thinking about it. By the time winter comes, I may be dying to get back to Dallas.”
Kate watched as Brenda walked from the room, her moccasins silent on the tile floor. Yes, she didn’t doubt that Brenda had been thinking of moving here permanently. She was a different person up here. Kate had never seen her more relaxed. She seemed to be at peace with herself, with her life. Which for Brenda, was quite unusual. In Dallas, nearly every day was spent at some event or other representing her late husband. Brenda’s life was a total whirlwind and her lone escape was when she and Kate got away for their weekly dinner date.
Kate had never really thought about it before, but it must have been exhausting for Brenda, having to dress the part, play the part, day after day. Her husband’s oil company and subsequent holdings made him a very prominent Dallas businessman. And even though she had little say in how the company was run today, she still owned it. And with that, came responsibilities and commitments that Brenda had apparently grown weary of. No, Kate couldn’t blame her if she wanted to escape from it all. She grinned, imagining the frumpy ladies of Brenda’s bridge club finding her on a rock, chanting.
Chapter Nine
Friday morning after Harmony and Simone left for their art class, Kate took Brenda’s advice and decided to explore the area around their house. But as Kate stumbled over a rock in her walking shoes, she decided her first purchase was going to be a nice pair of hiking boots. And maybe a pair or two of those cute hiking shorts that everyone seemed to wear around here.
As she followed the trail Brenda had pointed out, she let her mind clear and simply absorbed the beauty around her. The smell of the piñon pines and junipers was intoxicating, and she took deep breaths, wondering if she’d ever smelled air as fresh before. She stopped when the trail parted the piñons at the edge of one of the small canyons. Her eyes widened, the yellow and red rock cliffs across the canyon seemingly on fire, contrasting beautifully with the nearly cobalt sky that surrounded them, not even one cloud to mar the perfection.
Something Lee said the evening before came back to her. “It’ll bring you to your knees.” Yes. It very nearly did. She almost wished someone was here to share this with her, but then she felt an immediate sense of peace settle over her as she realized how completely alone she was. She spread her arms out, wanting to embrace the beauty before her.
She finally walked on, her eyes sliding again and again to the multi-hued sandstone cliffs. Yes, she could very well imagine Georgia O’Keefe here with palette and paintbrush in hand, painting the very cliffs that Kate now viewed. No wonder Brenda found inspiration here.
“Simone, you’re becoming so bold with your colors. I love it.”
Brenda stared at her canvas, then looked to the cliffs. She couldn’t hide her smile. It was the best work she had produced so far. “It actually kinda looks like the cliffs, doesn’t it?”
Harmony spread her arms wide, both hands clutched in fists, no doubt squeezing a crystal.
“Your positive energy is flowing this morning, Simone. And it’s reflected here on canvas.” She opened one palm, offering the crystal to the sun, and they both watched as the light reflected off the glass-like stone. Then, in a flash, Harmony tossed the stone into the canyon. “For another soul to find one day.” She turned to Brenda. “Next week, we’ll work on your depth perception. Instead of painting just the cliffs, we’ll move it back and include the canyon rim and perhaps a tree or two.”
“Trees? Oh, Harmony, I don’t think I’m ready for trees.”
“You’ll do fine,” she said, as she helped gather Brenda’s things. “I hear that Ariel is going to show your friend around tomorrow.”
“Her name is Kate,” Brenda said. “And yes, Lee has agreed to be tour guide. In fact, she took her out yesterday evening along the cliff road.”
“I’m surprised. Kate is not Ariel’s normal choice for company.”
Brenda laughed. “No, she’s certainly not. But trust me, there’s nothing romantic going on between them. Kate has a girlfriend back home, although I hate to use that term to describe Robin. I despise the woman. And anyway, Kate is very old-fashioned. She finds Lee’s behavior where the young girls are concerned to be a bit boorish, I’m afraid.”
“Sunshine has a theory about Ariel, you know.”
“And what’s that?
” Brenda asked as they made their way back to the house.
“She is a lost soul on a journey, yet she doesn’t know for what it is she searches.”
Brenda smiled, but said nothing, knowing Harmony would continue.
“Sunshine says her eyes look nearly hollow sometimes, as if her very life is being drained.”
Brenda shrugged. “She always seems happy to me.”
“Outwardly, yes. I’m talking about her inner life, her soul. But Sunshine says her journey is nearing its end.”
Brenda stopped. “What? You don’t mean—”
“No. Ariel is fine. I mean she will soon find that for which she has been searching.”
Brenda knew not to question Sunshine’s theories. Harmony called her a seer. And on more than one occasion, Sunshine had proved to be somewhat of a prophet.
Kate looked up when she heard footsteps approach. She smiled at Brenda, then watched Harmony round the corner of the house, presumably to leave.
“What are you doing, darling?”
“Working on my book.”
Brenda raised her eyebrows. There was no laptop, no notebook, not even pen and paper.
Kate smiled again. “Working on it in my head.”
“I see. And how is it coming?”
“I may have a few changes in store. We’ll see.”
“Good.” Brenda joined Kate on the rock, both of them looking out to the cliffs. “Did you enjoy your walk?”
“Very much. There was one part where the sun must have been hitting it just right, but it looked like the cliffs were on fire.”
Brenda nodded. “I know the spot. Once I get my colors down better, Harmony is going to let me paint it.”
“How’s that going, by the way?”
“Excellent, darling! I will actually show you what I did this morning. My cliffs look like cliffs today!”
Kate laughed, remembering the pottery class she suffered through with Brenda. Finally, the woman was able to make a bowl. Everyone else had progressed on to more complex vases and sculptures. “So, I guess this means you are enjoying it?”
