by Nat Burns
Groaning inwardly, she looped her plastic grocery bags over her arm and rose clumsily from the car.
Mander shouted a cheery hello from the open truck window. “I thought you might like a little company tonight,” she called. “See? I brought wine.” She held up a dark green bottle and wagged it back and forth.
Nina was disarmed by her enthusiasm and smiled.
Taking this as encouragement, Mander leapt from the vehicle and waited with an anxious air in front of the cottage door. She appeared to be fresh from the shower, her hair still damp, and she wore a Hawaiian-styled shirt and denim shorts.
Nina sighed with something akin to vexation but nevertheless moved to the door and ushered her in.
As Nina put away her purchases, Mander roamed the small cottage, criticizing the poor construction points which had totally escaped Nina’s notice. She had thought the small house charming and so her reply was caustic.
“I suppose you’ll just have to offer your services to Ms. Duncan so some measure of perfection can be obtained.”
Mander’s puzzled frown quickly faded and she answered, “You’re right, I should. Old man Leppard and his cronies had a part in building this place and none of them have a reputation for framing a house plumb.”
Nina busied herself folding the cumbersome grocery bags so the other woman couldn’t see her annoyance. Was she talking about the kind woodcarver she’d met earlier that day? She hoped not, for she had no wish to argue that point with Mander. In fact, she was beginning to heartily wish she’d just go home and leave her to the peace of the ocean.
The ocean. Perhaps she could divert Mander as well as herself.
“Mander,” she said, turning from the cabinets. “Why don’t you and I go and sit on the dock. We could relax and talk out there.”
Mander was opening the wine. Fetching two glasses from the cupboard, she replied, “Oh no, let’s stay inside. The wind is up and I’d much rather be cozy in here with you.” She moved close and handed her a full glass of rose-colored wine. “Let’s sit here on the sofa and talk a little.”
Mander proceeded to take a seat in the center of the sofa and took a long swallow of the wine.
Nina could not tolerate sitting so close. Stalling, she tasted the wine, then crossed to the door and looked out across the channel. The lighthouse had just come to life and was winking cheerily at her from the other island.
It made her feel unaccountably sad, a deep sense of loneliness washing over her. She sighed. Maybe she was simply feeling sorry for herself because of Rhonda’s poor treatment of her.
With a start, she realized Mander had been talking for some time.
“...and I really would like to see us develop a close relationship. I’m sure it would be satisfying to both of us.”
“Who?” interjected Nina with some alarm.
“Why us, you and me,” Mander answered, looking at her in momentary confusion. “Look.” She raised her hands, palms toward Nina, the glass of wine held precariously between thumb and forefinger of her right hand. “I know what you said the other day, about not wanting this, but once you get used to me and to living here on the island, you’ll be fine. Why don’t you let me help you get over Tom’s death and this bad relationship you’ve had? I can make you happy, you know I can.”
Nina was touched as well as bothered by her speech and still couldn’t bring herself to sit next to her.
She turned her attention back to the light and spoke slowly, thoughtfully.
“It’s not a matter of making me happy, Mander. I am happy, basically. I do hope to settle down someday but right now I’m being cautious. I’ve been hurt…”
“Well, so have I,” Mander interrupted quickly. “Most people have. You’ve just got to get over it and go on with your life. Being alone is not the answer.”
“That’s not always so,” Nina protested hotly, “sometimes being alone can be a much-needed time of healing. And that healing is what I feel I need right now.”
Mander said, “I really feel you need someone you can be with to help you over the bad times. I’ve given this a lot of thought and I’m sure I’m right.”
Nina was angered and her voice was clenched as she answered. “Who are you to know what I want, Amanda Sheridan? I am Nina, not Mander, and I feel what Nina feels, not what Mander feels. Surely you have enough intelligence to realize that?”
If Mander was taken aback by her tone it was not for long. She crossed the room to her. “Come on, Nina, just give it a try. You’ll see I’m right.” She wrapped an arm about her shoulders. Nina immediately moved away. “Just stay away from me, Mander. I’ve asked you nicely not to push me. I need time. Any hope of our having some type of friendly relationship depends on you respecting my wishes.”
“But Nina,” she pleaded, moving slowly toward her. “Let’s just hang out together, get closer, give it a try.”
“Mander.” Nina’s voice was cool steel and had a deadly ring. “If you come any closer, you’ll get this glass of wine full in the face. I am not kidding.”
Mander paused and eyed the upraised glass uncertainly.
A firm knock at the screen door broke the tension. Nina moved to the door.
Hazy stood just outside, hands in the pockets of her denim shorts and her head and neck tucked down into her open collar like an apologetic child.
“Hello Hazy,” Nina said gratefully. “What can I do for you?”
“Need to check that stem so I can order the right knob from the mainland is all,” she told her, squinting up from her position at the bottom of the steps.
Nina, silent a moment, suddenly realized the woman was aware of the problem she was having with Mander.
Hazy smiled as if she sensed Nina’s realization and Nina returned the smile with unusual warmth.
“Come on in,” she invited, standing aside.
Hazy’s presence filled the small room then and she nodded politely to Mander.
She moved on to the bathroom and Mander, visibly miffed by the entire turn of events, slammed her wineglass onto the table, muttered a farewell and stomped off.
Nina collapsed onto the sofa with a deep sigh.
Hazy found her there a few moments later.
“Comfortable, are you?” she asked, a grin highlighting her features.
Nina smiled warily, wondering what sarcasm was coming next. “Yes, glad to relax. It’s been quite a day.”
“Umm hmm,” she agreed. “Well, I’ll be off now.” She moved across the room and opened the screen door.
“Hazy.” Nina said the name softly. “Thank you very much.”
Hazy turned and gave Nina one of her rare warm smiles as she left.
Chapter 19
Much later that evening, as stars and wispy clouds decorated the night sky, a restless Nina wandered out to the boat rental docks.
The tide was high and little sea creatures of all types were skittering over the lower dock which was already covered by shallow water.
Aimlessly, Nina strolled along the waterfront toward the office and its attached dock. She passed one young couple who greeted her, but otherwise had the night all to herself.
Walking toward the office, Nina entertained thoughts of Hazy. She half wanted Hazy to join her here on the dock, to have her standing there with her listening to the slap and whisper of the waves caressing the wooden planks.
But how could she want this—the woman was a complete bitch, a woman who absolutely hated the rest of humanity. And she belonged to someone else. There was Mama New and the children they had. The children they were raising together.
She leaned her forearms on the railing and let the heated ocean breeze waft through her hair and T-shirt. Why did she feel drawn to Hazy in such a way? Never had she felt such a deep and inexplicable attraction. It seemed as if it were manifesting on some primal level, one that had never before surfaced. Rhonda, over a period of years, had certainly never touched a level that Hazy had, and during just the past few days.
&nbs
p; Subtle sounds behind her made her aware that Hazy had come onto the dock. Nina closed her eyes and held her breath. She really didn’t need to see her right now when she was feeling so vulnerable. She stiffened her resolve. She’d just have to remain uninvolved and ignore that part of herself that yearned for Hazy.
“Care for an ale?” Hazy asked, joining her at the railing and offering a dark bottle of beer.
Nina accepted it with a mere nod and they watched the night ocean together in silence.
After both bottles were almost empty, Hazy stretched her arms high over her head.
“How about a swim while the water’s warm?” she suggested, inclining her head toward the water.
Nina smiled and nodded. “I’ll run and get into my suit.”
“Ah no,” Hazy said, her tone arresting Nina as she moved toward her cottage. “That’s not the way you enjoy the ocean.”
Nina searched for merriment and found it dancing in Hazy’s blue eyes.
“You mean…”
“Aye, gotta go buck naked to get the full benefit.”
“Ha,” Nina barked, “you’ve lost your mind.”
Hazy stood back, arms crossed across her chest, and studied the younger woman. “So, what are you hidin’, little miss?”
“Why, nothing,” Nina protested. “I’m just not going to take my clothes off in front of a stranger.”
“I’m not that strange,” Hazy replied. She was in a teasing mood and Nina found it disturbing—in a good way. Hazy reached out and gently tugged at her shirt.
“You know, even if you swim in your undies, you’ll probably be better covered than most of the ladies paradin’ around Assateague Beach.”
Nina was weakening under this new charming Hazy. Besides, what she said was true, her undershirt and panties certainly covered more skin than most bathing suits. Her long undershirt would cover more than her modest one-piece suit.
“All right, you’re on,” she said, grinning and unbuttoning her shorts.
Hazy answered with a grin of her own and peeled her T-shirt over her head, revealing a ribbed muscle shirt.
Nina, after dropping her shorts and taking off her own outer shirt, eyed her curiously. “Well, aren’t you going to take off your shorts?” she asked finally.
Hazy’s eyes twinkled merrily in the twilight as if she were thoroughly relishing her next statement.
“That’s as far as I can go, ducks, unless you give me the okay. No panties.”
She slowly reached for the waistband of her shorts but Nina stopped her.
“Oh no, that’s fine, as long as you get the ‘benefit’ of the water,” she replied with pointed sarcasm.
They raced for the edge of the dock but Hazy was first to dive into the warm channel water. Nina followed, diving cleanly into the churning waves.
Hazy surfaced next to her, hair made sleek and darker by the water. Her white teeth gleamed in the beam from the lighthouse. Nina swiped at her face and grinned as she treaded water. “God, this feels good.”
“See yonder buoy?” Hazy said pointing. “I’ll meet you there.”
Nina peered into the dimness. The buoy looked tiny in the distance. She wasn’t sure she could make it. She glanced back at Hazy and saw the challenge in her gaze.
“All right, then,” she said, accepting the dare. “You’re on.”
Nina enjoyed the sleek caress of the waves as her arms speared through the water. And though she sped through as fast as she was able, Hazy waited for her, one arm strung nonchalantly through the buoy struts.
Panting, Nina tried to grasp the buoy but her hands slipped off and she went under. Hazy grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her higher so she could reach the metal supports. She brushed the hair from Nina’s face.
“You okay, ducks?”
Nina saw the concern in Hazy’s eyes and something in her melted. Unable to speak, she only nodded.
They hung there many minutes in silence, the ocean rocking them as gently as any mother. When the buoy had sounded a dozen times, Hazy sighed. “I guess we’d better get back.”
The return swim to Channel Haven was leisurely, part of it spent floating on their backs. Hazy never left her side.
Gaining the dock, Nina swung herself onto the lowest step and, cradling her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them.
Air hot but half an hour ago was now cool on her sea-dampened skin and she shivered.
Hazy, who had followed Nina in, climbed past her and onto the landing. She returned moments later and wrapped a large, thick towel around Nina’s shoulders.
Smiling her gratitude, Nina cuddled into the towel and stared at the lighthouse which every moment or so bathed her in a blushing, yellow glow.
They sat in companionable silence for a long while but soon the memory of sleek, strong thighs glimpsed in passing began to impact Nina. Restlessly she shifted position, trying to jog her mind back to the beauty of the scene before her.
“Are you cold?” Hazy asked. “Need a second towel?”
Why did she have to be so blasted solicitous all of a sudden? This was infinitely worse than dealing with her as an ogre. Nina didn’t know how to react.
“No, I’m fine, thanks,” she choked out between teeth chattering from frustration as much as from the chill.
“Here.” Hazy moved close behind her and using her own towel, began to gently dry Nina’s hair by caressing it with the soft cloth.
Nina, blanking out everything, leaned back between the outspread knees and allowed the pleasurable sensation to wash over her. The small voice of reason hit her and her eyes snapped open. Mama New or anyone else could be watching them from any window.
She pulled away and whirled to face Hazy. “Please, what are you doing?”
Hazy watched Nina, her expression gentle and soft. “What is it?”
Nina was at a loss. There was a war raging within, between sensation and common sense. She was sincerely beginning to doubt her sanity. How could she let herself be so easily swept away by this manic woman?
Then Hazy leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Nina’s trembling lips.
Nina pulled back, escaping Hazy for a moment, but Hazy stayed close, so close their breath mingled then captured her lips again. The kiss was gentle but possessive and the combination of Hazy’s tongue and firm mouth ignited a slumbering giant within Nina.
Nina could only respond. She felt drugged by Hazy’s nearness, her head swimming from a sudden onslaught of pounding blood in her veins. Crisp, startling fear was engulfing her as well; the fear of losing control and the resultant havoc this could bring to her calm, healing life.
Hazy pulled back and studied the face so close to her own. Her gentle expression changed, became hooded.
“Oh, hey, I’m sorry, Nina. I lost control. Too much ale, too much...I da know.”
Nina could not reply but after a brief time was able to rise on wobbly legs. She pushed past Hazy, grabbed her clothing and raced to her cottage, the towel floating to the dock behind her.
Chapter 20
Although Nina tried very hard to read and critique the Shaner novel the next morning, her head just wasn’t into it.
Erotic images of Hazy Duncan’s face just an inch from her own, of those strong, tanned thighs pressing close to Nina’s shoulder as Hazy moved the towel across her hair, the hot beer-scented breath across and in her mouth—these sensual images kept her distracted from the task before her.
She was bewildered by her reactions to this enigmatic woman. Nina seemed to have no control when she was near, no sense of propriety, and this shocked her. What had happened to the self-contained, controlled person she always believed she was?
Hazy Duncan. It was her fault.
Nina strode to the screen door and watched as her tormenter carefully applied a coat of blue paint to the equipment shed across and to her left.
The rogue was probably toying with her deliberately as she’d heard many married women on the prowl were wont to do. It was
classic stereotyping, like a dime-store novel, and Nina felt soiled for having been a part of it.
She watched Hazy’s every move as she applied the paint in a slow, orderly fashion. She seemed thoughtful, emanating a calm, peaceful manner and Nina suddenly found it hard to color her as blackly as she deserved.
Or did she act the part well? An outside observer might think she wasn’t even attached to Mama New. Nina knew better though; she’d witnessed the closeness of their bond and the way Hazy acted with her partner and with Heather. This seemed to be a lovely relationship and being with Heather certainly brought out Hazy’s beautiful mothering side.
A new idea interjected itself. Why had Hazy let her see their closeness? A sudden scowl twisted her features. Why had she been so mean to Nina about her hair? The answer was now obvious.
It was a ploy to keep her partner in the dark about her infidelities and clearly she wanted Nina to accept this marriage and still dally with her on the side.
Because of Rhonda, Nina was vulnerable right now. That’s how Hazy had managed to squirm her way into her sensibilities. Rhonda had done much more than just leave her at the altar, she had left her with a vulnerability that vultures like Hazy Duncan could feast upon.
Moving back again to the kitchen table, she idly fingered the manuscript as her mind again relived the delicious events of the previous evening.
Sighing in frustration, she left the work and changed into her swimsuit. Maybe some sun and sea would cleanse her mind.
Hazy heard Nina leave the cottage via slamming the door and her heart dropped low in her chest. She was still angry, no doubt about that now.
Hazy had debated going to her and apologizing, wanting to somehow bring Nina’s dimpled smile back. Embarrassment kept her away, also procrastination over doing something so awkward. Now it was too late.
Her chin fell and she let out a breath slowly. She never should have lost control that way. But there seemed to be no help for it.
Actually she had wanted to do much more and had to forcibly hold herself in check. What was it about Nina that drew her mind and her body so strongly?
