Rainey hugged Bladen. “You look great. How’s the colonel?”
Bladen laughed, something she had learned how to do again. “He’s fine. He’s outside. He’s never going to let me out of his sight again. I keep telling my parents they can go home now.”
Rainey chuckled. “Give them time. They’ll come around.”
Bladen waved at Katie, who had been left behind with Constance. “Katie has been so kind to me. The shelter is a Godsend, and I can’t thank you enough for answering my late night phone calls, both of you.” Bladen included Alana with a nod. “I’m going to be okay, I think. It will take time. One step in front of the other, right?”
“Yes, and this was a big step,” Rainey said. “You’re safe here. Have some fun, meet some people. You’re doing great, Bladen.”
Katie had slipped from Constance’s clutches and made her way over to Rainey. She hugged Bladen. “You look stunning. I’m so glad you could be here.”
Alana saw some other young women she knew. “Bladen, come with me. I’d like to introduce you to some of the other volunteers.” She turned to Katie. “Bladen is thinking of becoming one of the volunteer teachers at the shelter school.”
“That would be fantastic,” Katie said. “We would love to have you. Go enjoy yourselves, now.”
Bladen hugged Rainey again. “I really can’t thank you enough.”
Rainey hugged her back. “No. Thank you. I wouldn’t be standing here without you.”
Katie got the next hug and didn’t wait for a thank you from Bladen. “I owe you, young lady. You saved my girl for me.”
Bladen accepted the hug with a chuckle. “You’re welcome,” she said, as Alana swept her into the party.
“Is she going to be okay, Rainey?” Katie asked.
“I think so. Medically, she’s done with restorative surgery. She should make a complete physical recovery. Mentally, only time will tell.”
Katie sipped her champagne casually, but her question wasn’t casual. “And how are you doing? Have you forgiven yourself for not seeing what no one else saw either?”
“I let that woman into our home, Katie. I should be upset about that.”
“Brooks and Danny both said there was no way you could have accessed that file as a private citizen. Brooks only found it because she was looking into Michael Perry’s adoption for Danny. You couldn’t have known, Rainey. No one did.”
“That’s the thing about these people. They could be standing right beside you and you would never know it, until they show you their hand.”
“Well, hopefully the Rainey season is over and we can rest for a while,” Katie said, slipping under Rainey’s arm.
Katie was forever an optimist, but Rainey had no such illusions. Someone was probably out there right now, trying to figure out a way to get to her. The danger in Rainey’s life, like the real rainy season, would cycle through again. Rainey smiled down at Katie, unable to spoil her good mood with the truth.
“I think we’re good for a bit. It’ll take the wackos sometime to recognize me with no hair.”
Katie grinned and grabbed a handful of Rainey’s ass. “I think that haircut is sexy and if you play your cards right, you might get lucky.”
“I’m calling that bluff,” Rainey said, with a chuckle. “It’s already past your bedtime, Cinderella. I’ll be lucky to get you up the stairs before you fall asleep.”
“Well, the babysitter is spending the night, so just let me have a nap and wake me up,” Katie said, grinning.
Rainey started moving them toward Molly. “Let’s just say our goodnights. Everyone knows we have triplets. They won’t think it’s rude that we need sleep. No one would ever guess we’re slipping off to have sex.”
“So, are you ever going to tell the soon-to-be deputy you hired to babysit that she is your sister?”
Rainey laughed. “I think she knows. She said she was glad that Constance wasn’t her mother.”
“I’m glad you warned Constance not to say anything. She surely would have let the cat out of the bag by now.”
“It’s not my mother that I’m worried about,” Rainey said. “It’s Weather that’s going to give it away. She keeps calling Wendy, Nee-Nee.”
“You know you’re going to have to tell her.”
Rainey knew that. She also knew why she had to tell Wendy King who she really was. The conversation would go something like this. “Because we share DNA, your life is in danger. Welcome to Rainey’s world.”
#
“May I see your license?” The patrolman asked.
“Yes, officer. Here you go.”
“May I ask why you’re pulled off the road here?” The officer moved the beam of his big flashlight over the passenger area of the box van.
“I ran out of gas. My gauge isn’t working. My roommate is bringing some out to me right now.”
The rain started coming down heavier. The officer, not seeing any reason to be suspicious, handed the driver’s license back through the window.
“You stay inside until your friend comes. It’s dangerous to stand out by the road. I’ll check back by here in a bit, make sure you got along all right. Stay safe.”
“Thank you. I will.”
The man watched the officer walk back to his patrol car and drive away, before he opened the laptop again to resume watching the evening’s choice of entertainment. A person wearing a lapel camera carried a tray of hors d’oeuvres through a party of only women.
“Now, where were we Agent Sexy?”
About the Author...
Lambda Literary Award Finalist, R. E. Bradshaw, a native of North Carolina and a proud Tar Heel, now makes her home in Oklahoma with her wife of 25 years. She is the proud mother of Jon, a very fine young man raised by lesbians. (Authors note: “Bite me, Family Research Council.”) Holding a Master of Performing Arts degree, Bradshaw worked in professional theatre and taught University and High School classes, leaving both professions to write full-time in 2010. She continues to be one of the best selling lesbian fiction authors on Amazon.com.
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