by Lydia Rose
Ann looked into her best friend’s eyes wondering what she would say if she told her the truth. Would she turn away from her? Taking a deep breath, she said. “I fell in love.”
“Then why don’t you look happy?” Marion squeezed Ann’s hand.
“I fell in love with Kayla.” She waited for a laugh or shock, but when she looked at Marion’s face she was smiling.
“I’m happy for you, Ann. I really am, but why doesn’t it make you happy and why the hell is she not here? Or why aren’t you with her?”
“You’re not shocked or repulsed?”
“Why would I be either of those things? Love is love, Ann. If Kayla makes you happy, that’s all that should matter.” Marion looked at Ann. “You’re having a hard time with this new revelation of yours?”
“Yes. I was never attracted to a woman before.” Ann laughed. “Although my sister reminded me that I was in love with my best friend when I was thirteen years old.”
“Now you’re embarrassed to be thought of a lesbian?”
“Not embarrassed, but unsure. When I was in Alaska it was just Kayla and me. We were isolated from the outside world.”
Marion allowed Ann to continue without comment.
“My publisher wants me to acknowledge that Kayla is gay. He wants to know what Kayla’s future is.” Ann grumbled. “How can I write Kayla’s future when I’m the one controlling it?” Ann’s hands went up in defeat. “Kayla may not even want me by the time I make up my mind.”
“Can you live without Kayla the way you’ve lived without Gary?” Marion asked.
Marion’s words struck a chord. Could she go on with her life without Kayla in it? “No.”
“Then you have your answer, Ann.”
“It can’t be that simple?” Ann asked.
“Yes, it can. It is that simple. You both love each other and nothing else matters.”
“Thank you, Marion. Thank you for not judging me,” Ann said taking a deep breath. “Thank you for accepting me.”
“I hope I’ll be invited to the wedding?” Marion asked with a smile.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ann worked hard on her book over the next few weeks. The words came easily now that she was being honest. She was holding nothing back. In the evening she tried Kayla. The last few times she called, Kayla never picked up the phone. She had emailed Ann telling her what was going on at the cabin, but she never picked up the phone. Ann listened to the phone ring and ring. Kayla was still ignoring her. “I’m not going to stop calling until you pick up the phone, Kayla. We have to talk.”
Kayla continued to ignore Ann’s calls, but she called every day hoping this would be the day she would answer. Today, she left on the voicemail. “I guess you don’t want to hear from me anymore. I guess you’re over me. Well, I’m not over you. I never will be.” Ann slammed the phone on the counter.
She walked into Charles Benson’s office with the rewrites for her novel. Ann sat there quietly while he read the pages. After an hour, he looked up.
“You’re finally being truthful. This is what was missing from the original manuscript. Honesty.” He went to the last page. “But it’s not finished.”
“I won’t know the ending until I see Kayla. I’m leaving for Alaska early tomorrow morning. I’ll write the last chapter after I see her.”
He stood up. “I wish you luck. Send me the pages when you find out.”
Ann spent all day flying before she made it to the small town. The car she hired would only take her as far as town and now she needed to find someone to drive her out to Kayla’s cabin. Ann went into the café for something to eat and ask. “Are there any cabs in this town?” Ann asked the waitress.
“No, honey. We don’t really have a need for that.” The waitress answered.
Ann ate her food and walked over to Carrie’s shop. “Hello, Carrie. Do you remember me?”
“Yes. You’re Kayla’s friend.”
Ann smiled. “I’ve called Kayla, but there’s no answer. Do you think you can give me a ride to her cabin?”
Carrie looked at Ann. “Maybe she’s not there.”
“She has to come home sometime, Carrie.”
“Maybe you should wait until she picks up the phone,” Carrie said.
“No. I have to get out there,” Ann said sounding desperate.
“You’re the reason her paintings have taken on a darker look. There is no longer any light. It’s because of you, isn’t it?”
Ann stared at the painting Kayla had given Carrie. There was no life to her scenery, there was only darkness. “Yes, but I hope to change that.”
“Let me get my keys.” Carrie went into the back and got her keys.
As they reached the cabin, it looked deserted.
“It doesn’t look like she’s home. Are you sure you don’t want to stay in town?”
“No. I’ll wait for her,” Ann said already opening the car door. “Thank you for the ride, Carrie. I really appreciate it.”
“How will you get into the house?”
“I know how, Carrie. Don’t worry about me.”
“Tell Kayla I said hello and I want some new paintings.”
“I will, Carrie. Thank you again.”
Carrie pulled out of the driveway and Ann went to the door with her suitcase. Of course, the door was locked. She walked over to the garage and looked in the window. Kayla’s truck was gone and she went back to the porch to look for the spare key. Finding it, she opened the door. The cabin was dark and chilly from being closed up. The phone that Ann had given her was sitting on the counter along with her laptop. She scrolled through the phone and seen Kayla hadn’t heard any of her messages in the last month. Ann went over to the fireplace and started a small fire to take the chill out of the cabin.
By nine o’clock, Ann was exhausted from traveling and went up to Kayla’s bed. She was asleep instantly.
*
In the morning, Ann sat up listening for noise. “Where are you?” Ann asked the empty house.
For the next two days, Ann sat alone in the cabin awaiting Kayla’s return. She called her mother. “Hi, mom. How are you feeling?”
“Wonderful, honey. I can finally walk around the house without assistance.”
“I’m really happy, mom.”
“Kayla stopped by to see us over the weekend.”
Before Susan could continue, Ann interrupted. “She was there?”
“Yes, honey. She wanted to make sure I was okay. Didn’t she tell you?”
“No, mom. I haven’t talked to her in a month.”
“Why?”
“Because she won’t take my calls.”
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, me too, mom.” Ann chuckled. “As a matter of fact, I’m at her cabin.” Ann chuckled again. “I’ve been waiting for her for two days now.”
“Oh, Ann. Have you made a decision?” Susan asked.
“Yes, mom. That’s why I came back, but I guess Kayla’s given up on me.”
“Oh, honey.” Susan chuckled. “A mother has great intuition and her eyes can’t hide what that woman is feeling. Kayla is still in love with you.”
“Then where is she?”
“I don’t know, Ann, but I think you should wait for her.”
“I will, mom. Hopefully, she waited for me.”
*
Back in Seattle, Kayla knocked on Ann’s apartment door. A man came out of the apartment across the hall. “Hello,” Kayla said softly.
“If you’re looking for Ann, she left a couple of days ago and she had a suitcase. I thinks she’s away.”
“Thank you,” Kayla said walking back to the exit. She sat on the front steps and wondered if Ann had gone back to her parent’s home or is she at the cabin. Why didn’t you bring that damn phone? Kayla went back to the airport.
She pulled into the cabin’s driveway seeing the house as dark as she left it. Her heart sank as she went to the back door. Kayla flipped on the kitchen light and saw typed
pages lying there. She began to read.
The writer of this book fell in love with the woman she is writing about. Kayla’s zeal for life brought me to life. She made me feel things I only dreamed about, but now it was up to Kayla. Did Kayla forget her? Did the writer make a mistake for making her wait? Only Kayla could answer those questions.
Kayla walked quietly up the stairs to the loft and sat on the edge of the bed. Her hand went to the sleeping form.
“Kayla?”
“Yes, honey, I’m here.”
“Where have you been?”
“I went to see you in Seattle.”
Ann flicked on the lamp. “You went to my apartment?”
Kayla nodded. “Your neighbor told me you were away. I prayed the whole way back hoping you were here.”
Ann fell into Kayla’s arms. “I’m sorry I took so long to come back to you.”
“I read your pages downstairs. Or some of it.”
“I didn’t forget about you, Ann. I can’t forget about you. I love you, Ann.”
Ann squeezed Kayla tight. “I love you, Kayla and I can’t live without you.”
“I’m glad you remembered the spare key.”
“Me too.”
“How did you get to the cabin?”
“Carrie. She said you owe her some new paintings.”
“I do, huh?”
“Yes, she didn’t like the one you left with her.”
“I know. I was in a dark place.”
“Why didn’t you take my calls?”
“I was afraid you were going to say it was over.”
Ann pulled Kayla down on top of her. “It will never be over for us, Kayla. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Good because I want that too.” Kayla sat up. “If you want to spend winters in Seattle or Texas, I’ll follow you anywhere. If you want me to sell the cabin, I will.”
“I love the cabin, Kayla. I want to live with you here. Forever.” Ann’s hands went to Kayla’s shirt and began to unbutton her shirt.
While Ann worked on Kayla’s shirt, she used her toe to remove her boots. As their naked bodies touched, Ann began to cry.
Kayla lifted up off Ann. “Why are you crying?”
Ann wiped her tears. “Because I thought I’d never feel this again.”
Love making forgotten, the two women laid in each other’s arms holding onto to each other worried to let go.
“I’ll never let you walk away again,” Kayla said as Ann’s crying progressed.
This time Ann’s tears turned to sobs. All the anxiety of wondering if she still had Kayla’s heart was being released from her body. The two women fell asleep in each other’s arms not wanting to let go even in sleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
As the morning light began to poke through the windows, Kayla’s fingers were making a circle across Ann’s stomach. She felt Ann’s stomach flutter under her finger tips and moved her fingers up toward her breasts. As her finger touched a nipple, Ann stretched.
“Good morning,” she said stifling a yawn.
“Good morning to you,” Kayla said as her lips left tiny kisses along Ann’s stomach.
“I slept wonderfully,” Ann said reaching for Kayla’s mouth. Her tongue plunged meeting its mate as their bodies came together.
Their arousal was mutual. Kayla’s hands moved over Ann’s body as if she were trying to memorize every inch of her skin.
“I have missed you so much,” Ann said kissing Kayla deeply.
“I’ve missed you too, Ann,” Kayla said with a squeeze. “Please don’t leave me again.”
“I’ll never leave you, Kayla unless you know I’m coming back.”
Kayla rolled off Ann and looked at her. “What do you mean if you’re coming back?” She took a deep breath. “Where are you going?”
“I have to go back to Seattle to get rid of my apartment and if the book is a hit, I may have to promote it.” Ann rubbed Kayla’s arm. “You could go with me.”
Kayla kissed her mouth gently. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“Good.” When they broke the kiss, Ann asked. “So why did you go see my parents?”
Kayla sat up. “Because I wanted to make sure your mother was okay.”
“And?”
“And what?” Kayla looked at Ann who frowned. “Okay. I wanted to know if you said anything to your family about me.”
“If you had listened to my messages, you would have known I was coming back.”
“Yeah, about that. I’m sorry I was too chicken to pick up the phone.”
“You had me so worried. I thought you were done with me and all my drama.”
“I’m sorry you felt that way.” Kayla took Ann’s hand and rubbed it gently. “You know we can spend winters in Seattle or Texas with your family if you want to.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“I would do anything for you, Ann,” Kayla said softly.
“My mother told me that when you said you were leaving their home back in the spring.”
“You didn’t listen to her.” Kayla laugh was loud.
“No. I didn’t, but I would like to spend another winter with you here.”
Kayla squeezed Ann to her. “I would really like that too.”
“Can I ask you why your super power of intuition didn’t know I would come back?”
“I don’t know. It seemed the farther you got away from me, the less I knew. Maybe I was too screwed up with emotions that the signs never penetrated my brain.” She shrugged. “I was totally lost without you, Ann.”
“I was lost too, Kayla. I didn’t know what I was going to do. My friend Marion asked if I could walk away from you and never look back like I did with Gary.” Ann smiled. “I knew I couldn’t. I knew if you weren’t in my life, I would never be the same again.”
Kayla squeezed Ann close to her. “It’s over now, Ann. You’re here and I couldn’t be any happier.”
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
The Following Spring
Ann was working on her new book. This one was a fiction and it was about a healer. In her story, the woman travels from state to state helping people. Each one keeping her secret as she moves on. The book about Kayla Hopkins was selling well since its release. Kayla now had enough paintings to stock all the galleries with a healthy dose of her work.
“I just got an email from the New York Gallery,” Kayla said. “They want to do a showcase of my work this summer.”
Ann walked over to Kayla and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. “That’s wonderful, honey. Are we going to New York?”
Kayla nodded. “Only if you want to?”
“Yes. Maybe my parents can meet us and spend a few days.”
“I’d like that. How about we spend Thanksgiving through New Years at your parent’s home. Your mom has been hinting to me about doing that for a while now.”
“She has?”
Kayla nodded. “They miss you, Ann.”
“How will we get back here in January?” Ann knew the snow would be too deep to get through with Kayla’s truck.
“We can take a small plane back here from the airport.”
“The plane would land in the lake?” Ann asked swallowing hard.
“Sure. Why not?” Kayla took Ann’s hand. “What do you think?”
“I think you have been working on this plan for a while.”
Kayla smiled. “Yeah, I have. I thought we could invite the Harris’ over before we leave and celebrate Christmas with them at that time.”
“I’d like that.”
“How’s your book coming along?” Kayla asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.
“Good. I’m having fun with it, but whether it will make money or not.” Ann shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“I know it will,” Kayla said with a smirk.
“And just how do you know that?”
“I saw it. You make the best sellers list.”
“I do?” Ann asked s
till not believing.
Kayla nodded smiling.
“What else do you see in our future?”
“I see Karen and Josh getting electricity and running water in their cabin.”
Ann’s mouth dropped open. “I’ve been thinking about giving them as a gift. I had been saving every penny for my mom’s care and now that I don’t need that money, I want to use it on their home.” Kayla walked over to Ann and took her in her arms. “Do you think they’ll get insulted by the offer?”
“Not insulted, but embarrassed. You and I will make them feel comfortable in accepting our help.”
“You think we can?”
Kayla kissed Ann’s mouth. “I think you and I together can accomplish anything.” She grabbed Ann’s hand as they headed out the door to walk the land they both loved feeling love all around them.
THE END
If you enjoyed reading my book, please take the time to write a review on Amazon or Goodreads. As a self-published author, we depend on reviews to continue writing new stories. As always, I appreciate the support my fans have shown for my work.
Other Books by Lydia Rose
The Summer of Our Love (2014)
What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? (The Summer of Our Love Sequel (2014)
Stay With Me (2014)
The House on the Lake (2014)
The Country Girl (2014)
Coming Home (2014)
Are you the One (2014)
The Story of Annabelle & Alison (2014)
Love Comes to Alaska (2015)
