That was why it wasn’t working out at the hospital, they wanted to capitalize on the fact that the owner of Kearney Pharmaceuticals was working there. The notoriety alone would bring in world-class doctors to their facility. Deanna had thought to go back to being Doctor Cooper many times, but that name had died painfully ten years ago and she wouldn’t be revived. It had been a necessary name at the time, but Deanna really was proud of the name Kearney and always had been. She wouldn’t allow the hospital to use her anymore. The conflicts that had arisen already showed her that she needed to move on. Her only hesitation was Madison, now that she had found her.
To Deanna, Madison was ‘the one that got away.’ To find her after all this time was kismet, fate, she didn’t know what, but she believed enough in the mystic side of medicine that she knew they had to have met again for some reason. She knew what she wanted, but she was still so unsure about her Maddie…
She drove her Rover up the driveway, the large steel gates closing automatically behind the vehicle. Turning around in the cobblestone drive, she backed into the garage easily. From the garage she effortlessly walked into the house, not worrying about the rain at all as she had mentioned to Madison. She checked the mail that the maid had left on the counter and most went into the recycling bin. The few bills she would take to the roll top desk in her office where a larger packet that came daily was waiting for her.
First, she put down her keys by the garage door along with taking off her jacket. She pushed a button on the microwave after seeing the note that read ‘push me’ left there by her housekeeper. She grinned at the simple message, so warm and cozy, and she laughed, grateful she had people to take care of her and to make her life easier. The large house was quiet, but the maid and the housekeeper had the night off. Deanna preferred the silence. Only on the weekend was the house in an uproar, and the maid and housekeeper spent the week cleaning up after her weekends. Right now, she was looking forward to the quiet evening of eating, going over Kearney Pharmaceuticals’ paperwork, the computer, and perhaps catching something on the television. A nice, quiet, evening. She had thought of inviting Madison out, but without notice, that was a no-no because of her children. She wondered once again what Madison’s husband had been like and then dismissed it. She wasn’t with him anymore.
Slowly she ate the pot roast, carrots and potatoes…one of her favorite meals and Aura, her housekeeper, knew it. She had probably made the meal months ago, then portioned it out and defrosted it today for Deanna’s evening meal. It was still fresh and delicious. It was also convenient because she could read her paperwork or the newspaper at the dinner table without any interruptions. She enjoyed it enormously. It was, however, lonely.
Tonight she was restless. She knew she was coming to the end of her time at the hospital. She already knew where she was going next. She’d taken weekend drives further up north on the coast to decide and find her next step. She’d even bought some real estate in anticipation of the next phase in her life; however, she hadn’t discussed any of this with Madison. She’d like the redhead to join her, but they weren’t at that point in their relationship and she wondered if Maddie—she kept thinking of her that way—knew she was being courted? She’d made no moves that would be misconstrued, but she’d made sure to see her daily at work, even if only in passing, and eaten out with her at least weekly, work allowing.
She paced through the large house, looking at the rich woodwork, the dust-free shelves that held first edition books she had brought out from the family library in Boston.
“Why don’t you move home?” her mother had asked time and time again.
“California feels like home, Mom,” she had answered.
“That house hasn’t been lived in by anyone in years,” she pointed out.
“I’ll make it my home.”
“You could work anywhere in the world….”
“Yes, but you didn’t like it when I was in South America much less Africa.”
“The less said about that place the better,” she spat angrily, remembering when Deanna had been in Africa, she had stayed far too long, far too long!
“Okay, okay. I’m not going to argue with you about it.”
“I do prefer you in the States,” she conceded.
“I kinda like it too.”
“But you could do your work in Boston,” she pointed out again, an endless and persistent need to have her close.
“California suits me better.”
“It’s a woman, isn’t it?”
Deanna had laughed. Her mother ‘got it.’ “Yes, Mom, there’s a woman.”
“Do I get to meet this one?”
“I don’t know yet, Mom.”
“Well, is she decent?”
“I only date decent ones.”
“That woman in South America was totally indecent…” she began and then stopped herself. She knew if she antagonized Deanna again she would pick up and move back to the jungle…she’d never see her again.
“She healed me when I needed it, Mom,” she pointed out quietly.
“Nothing but a savage!” she tried to spit out and then stopped herself. She was doing it again and she had promised herself if she got Deanna back she wouldn’t do that. She had gotten her only remaining daughter back and whole again, if different. She’d been a mess after Africa and that woman; it was all that continent’s fault that Deanna had been in the state she had been in when she got back to Boston. She’d only been able to keep her there for a year before she left for the Amazon, and that due to….
“Mom,” Deanna said warningly, and that was enough to stop the rigid woman from mouthing off about Africa or the woman she knew had broken her daughter’s heart. She didn’t know the whole story and that was Deanna’s fault. She couldn’t share the whole story of everything that had happened there. The love she had found she had shared, but the implication that the woman had left her heartbroken had been blown out of proportion. Deanna had known she was emotionally immature when she had known Maddie back then and now was hoping to make up for it. It had, after all, been ten years. She wasn’t the same woman she had been back then.
She thought about starting a fire in the large fireplace in the den. Her Kearney Pharmaceuticals work waited for her, both in the packet that she had read through over dinner, and now on the computer. Her phone went off and she struggled to answer it, the damn numbers and letters too small for her finger to punch correctly and she frequently made mistakes in answering it. Technology wasn’t that important to her, she preferred field work. “Hello? Hello?” she finally answered, but she must have hung up on them. They would call back if it was important. Sighing at the way her life had gone, she finished her work without lighting the fire and headed upstairs to the massive bedroom that was her own, intent on a warm, hot bath.
She walked into the Roman bathtub, big enough for two people to practically do laps. Filling it with water nearly to the rim, she felt decadent as she floated in it. It allowed her to fully relax and she let her thoughts wander. They frequently wandered to Madison and her desire for the redhead, something that had never waned. The thoughts turned sensual and her hand crept down her body, still basically girlish, with a small paunch of flesh below her belly button that came with age, and further down to her clit, where she rubbed as she remembered making love to Maddie back all those years ago. It didn’t take long before she was able to cum, but it was hollow. Nothing like the feel of having someone else do this to her body, the feel of flesh against flesh, the sensuality of touch. She missed having someone in her life so bad that she had been tempted to date others, but, having found Maddie again, she couldn’t imagine anyone else. She had to give it a good try and so far she was failing miserably. After months of eating out regularly, they were not beyond the ‘friend’ stage and she had no idea how to suggest it. She didn’t know if she would lose Maddie if she did. Time was coming to a head though and she knew she couldn’t waste any more of it. There was so much Maddie—she corrected herself
mentally—Madison didn’t know about Deanna and she wanted her to know it all.
She was abruptly brought out of her daydreams by her cat joining her in the tub, exuberantly splashing in the water that it loved so much. She shook her head as she sat up and laughed at its antics. For a cat to love water as much as this one did was unnatural, but he enjoyed it as much as a dog and played in it at every opportunity. She’d had to keep the pool locked against his attempts to get into the house where it was kept. The chlorine wasn’t good for his skin and he was only allowed in the large pool when Deanna was in there entertaining. For now, he contented himself with sharing her baths. She’d tried to keep him out, but the scratching at the bottom of the door and the resulting damage held her hostage and it was easier for her to share her tub than to keep him out. He entertained her and she was just thankful she’d had some peace and quiet during dinner, which led her to speculate where he had been in the large house while she was eating and working. She’d have to take a walk around and make sure he hadn’t damaged anything while she was at work. She knew her housekeeper and the maid cleaned up after her during the week anyway, but asking them to keep watch over the large cat was a little much. Deanna cleaned the cat pans herself, electric things that only required her to remove the hopper where the debris from this large cat was raked.
That night she went to sleep with his purrs echoing in her ear as she snuggled up to his tawny coat and threw a leg over his long body, imagining how much nicer it would be to sleep with a woman, but wondering if any woman would put up with the large cat. She didn’t want just any woman. She wanted Madison back and in her bed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Hey, I brought you hot chocolate and an Egg McMuffin. Didn’t know if you’d had time for breakfast?” Deanna greeted her.
“Thanks so much for picking me up. Oh, God, that smells heavenly,” she answered as she got in the Rover. It was overcast today and looked like more rain, but that’s what happened twice a year in southern California. You got rain in November and February, and sometimes it lasted longer in the spring; however, it was cold! Madison got in and wrapped her hands around the hot chocolate. She knew that hot chocolate from Starbucks was very over-priced and something she never indulged in, but she didn’t mind that Deanna had bought it for her. It smelled incredible and tasted even better. The Egg McMuffin was a bonus. She hadn’t had more than a slice of toast this morning between cleaning up after the exuberant puppy who had pulled the fifty-pound bag of dog food off the counter and all over the kitchen, feeding the kids, and getting them off to school.
“Buckle up,” Deanna warned, watching as Madison enjoyed the treats she had brought her. She thought nothing of bringing them either, she just thought of it as ‘taking care’ of her girlfriend, something she wished she could do more of as she fantasized about what it would be like if they were together permanently.
“Oh, yeah,” she murmured, trying to buckle up one-handed as she juggled the hot chocolate and sandwich. Deanna laughed at her and grabbed the buckle she had in one hand and clicked it into place.
“You okay?” she asked, a familiar refrain.
“Wonderful,” she said as she sank in the heated leather seat. She looked perky this morning after a night’s sleep, but she wouldn’t tell Deanna that the puppy had kept her up most of the night with its whining. She’d finally yelled at it in frustration and it had cowered, which made her feel like a real chump for taking her anger out on the defenseless, dimwitted dog. It had quieted and gone to sleep after she threw it a blanket to sleep on over the cold linoleum. She only hoped it would not tear apart her house during the day while she was at work and before the kids got home from school. She hated that they were latch-key kids, but they were old enough to take care of themselves for a few hours between the time that they got home from school and she got home from work.
“Anything going on today at work?” Deanna asked her to make conversation. She cursed herself for starting that inane type of conversation. They spoke mostly of work, rarely about what had happened the last ten years, and never about Africa. That was never discussed or the relationship that they had had there so long ago. Deanna knew more about what had happened to Madison since then and Madison never asked about Deanna. She’d learned to glean what she could from her stories.
They chatted on the twenty-minute ride back to the hospital and Deanna hopped out and tried the van which barely turned over, but was able to start. She was thrilled.
“Rev the engine a few times, maybe drive it around the lot,” Deanna advised before she went to park her own vehicle in the doctors’ lot.
Madison saw Deanna several times that day and was able to take some time out for teasing her once she got a good look at her.
Madison looked down at Deanna’s rainbow laces and commented, “Nice laces. Do they glow in the dark?”
Deanna grinned as she looked down. “Thank you….um, I think they do,” she answered, puzzled, trying to remember if they did glow or not. She started to laugh and Madison joined in.
“Hey, you know we go out once a week, and I appreciate it,” she quickly added, seeing the look in Deanna’s eye. “Why don’t you come to my house sometime and I’ll cook for you.”
“You cook?”
“Of course I cook! I have to eat, don’t I?” she began protesting before she realized Deanna was teasing.
“I’d love to come over. Just let me know what night so I can make arrangements,” she promised, still smiling at having teased the redhead, who was now blushing.
“I’ll let you know,” she said dryly. She wasn’t sure she shouldn’t be angry over being teased about her cooking.
They finally set a date and Madison made sure it was for a time that was well after the destructive pup had left her home. She was nervous about the invite. After all, what would the well-disciplined doctor think of her children, her home, her cooking….
It wasn’t to be for a while though, as Deanna repeatedly cancelled.
The first time they set a date, Deanna rushed up to her after surgery. “I’m sorry. I won’t be able to make dinner tonight. I can’t explain right now, but I’ve got to go.”
Madison watched with a frown on her face as the doctor nearly ran off.
The second time they set a date, Madison was in the surgery that ran over and knew that it wasn’t going to happen.
“Third time a charm?” Madison asked, to see if Deanna would really come over for dinner that evening.
“I am sorry about the cancellations,” Deanna said honestly.
“Well, just means more for me and the kids,” she answered dryly.
“Your kids are going to be there?” she tried to tease.
Knowing that Deanna had never wanted kids, Madison wasn’t amused at the question. “Of course my children will be there. Where else would they be? Should I send them outside while you and I have dinner?” She sounded a bit prickly.
“Relax, I was just kidding,” she tried to placate her.
Realizing she was overreacting, Madison shrugged it off. “Well, dinner is at seven. I gave you the address that first time. Do you still have it?” She’d completely forgotten the time that Deanna had dropped her off when it was raining and picked her up the next morning.
Deanna confirmed she still had the address and watched as the red-headed nurse huffed off. She grimaced as she realized she had pissed her off a bit.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Deanna pulled up at the house, feeling pretty stressed out by the dinner. She wasn’t sure if it was the actual dinner or meeting Madison’s kids that was making her nervous.
She was dressed in a nice silk blouse, a blazer, designer jeans, and high-tops. Casual and elegant in a nice combination. She’d had to change at work, and while it wasn’t much different than what she wore at work, she had wanted to look nice, to make a good impression. She nervously fluffed her hair to make it stand on end, a funky look she enjoyed. She twisted her nose ring in the mirror, making sure
it was snug against the skin. She checked her appearance, was satisfied with her look, and taking a deep breath, she opened the car door. Grabbing the bouquet of flowers, this time yellow roses with a mix of carnations—something simple, elegant, and nothing to remind her of Africa—she headed to the front door to knock firmly.
“Chloe, would you answer the door?” Madison called from the kitchen where she was putting the last details on the dinner…something she had done a couple of times already for this meal. She couldn’t believe that Deanna was here, actually here, for dinner and to meet her kids. She was actually worried about it.
“Got it,” the little girl answered as she ran to the front door and opened it without asking who it was. She looked at the woman on the doorstep. Her mother had told her that an important doctor was coming to dinner. Instead she saw a woman with blonde, spikey hair, earrings, and a stud in her nose. She was wearing a nice jacket and had on cool high-tops with rainbow colored laces, and she was carrying a bouquet of flowers. “Can I help you?” she asked respectfully.
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