Cat looked at her friend and smiled. "Thanks, Jen," she said, holding the grin, and Jen's hand, all the way to the airport.
The Charlands arrived at the airport with just fifteen minutes to spare before boarding. Billie picked Skylar up and sprinted to the bathroom while Cat and Jen checked the luggage and validated their boarding passes. They were supposed to have met Doc and Ida at the ticket counter, but were told the older couple had already boarded the plane.
Billie came running across the terminal, Skylar riding on her back, hanging onto her mother's neck for dear life as the last boarding call was made for their flight. Moments later, after several hugs and kisses for Jen, they were buckled into their seats and sighing deep breaths of relief as the plane taxied to the runway.
They were on their way to Charleston.
CHAPTER 4
Cat, Billie, Doc, Ida, and the kids were met at the airport by a very relaxed Josephine and very fidgety Alexandra. Jo insisted on driving one of the cars, while their chauffeur, Chet, drove another so there would be plenty of room for the party of seven. Hugs and kisses were exchanged for several moments before Cat commented to Alex about her emotional state.
"Grams, are you all right? You seem a bit nervous," Cat said.
"Well I'm glad somebody noticed how upset I am," Alex said in a thick South Carolina accent as she shot impatient looks toward Jo.
"What is it, Grams?" Cat asked.
"For cryin' out loud, Alex," Jo interrupted, "It wasn't that bad!"
"Josephine Wycliffe, you nearly killed us on the way here!" Alex exclaimed. "I told ya to wear your spectacles!"
"I don't need any damned spectacles to drive Alex," she replied.
"Well I beg to differ, Josie," Alex returned.
"You can beg all you want. I ain't wearing them!" declared Jo loudly.
"Ah, Mom, Nona, let's just head home, okay? Why don't we let Doc drive so we ladies can sit together in the back seat and do some catching up on the way," Ida suggested, stepping in between her mothers.
"Now there's a smart woman!" Jo exclaimed. "Takes after her mom, she does," she added.
"I do declare. If she took after you, she'd be smokin' cigars and swearing like a sailor. I'm inclined to think she takes after her Nona," Alex countered.
Cat and Billie grinned as they watched Ida lock arms with both her mothers and lead them to the car.
"Grandpa, can I ride with you so I don't have to be in a car full of girls?" Seth asked Doc.
"Sure you can, scout. You can keep me company while the old biddies in the back seat catch up on their gossip," he said jokingly, earning him a shot in the arm from Cat.
"Daddy!" she exclaimed. "What a thing to say. Don't you be filling my son's head with such ideas."
Doc grinned and winked at Seth, who winked back as they walked to the car.
***
"Wow!" Seth exclaimed as SpireClyffe Acres came into view.
"It's so big!" Tara exclaimed. "I can't wait to explore."
All three children climbed out of the car when it came to a stop in front of the mansion. They stood there, side by side, staring wide-eyed at the massive structure.
"Is this only one house, Mama?" Skylar asked.
"Yes, it is, love. Grandma Jo and Grams live here with about a dozen people who help them take care of it," Cat explained. "Your aunts and I spent many summers here as children."
Billie lifted Skylar onto her hip then walked over to throw an arm around her son. "Pretty cool, huh?" she said.
"I'll say," Seth replied.
"This will make a great place to play hide and go seek," exclaimed Tara, who was standing in the circle of Cat's arms.
"Yes it will, as long as you play it outside," Cat replied. "There are a lot of valuable antiques, furniture and paintings in this house. There'll be no throwing yourself on the furniture here with your shoes on either. You got it?" Cat asked, looking at all three kids, who nodded in agreement.
"Can we go inside?" Seth asked, his voice cracking.
Billie looked at Cat and grinned at her son's subtle pubescent sign. Cat tried her best not to grin back, as Seth had asked that question while looking directly at her.
"Sure, honey. We'll need to ask Grams which rooms she's putting us all in. Go on inside," she urged.
Skylar ran inside after her brother and sister as soon as Billie put her down.
Cat hip-checked Billie.
"What was that for?" Billie asked.
"For almost making me laugh in Seth's face when his voice cracked."
"Well, Mama, what do you think of our little boy?" Billie asked, holding Cat in the circle of her arms.
"I'd say he's more like our little man. He's growing up Billie. I feel so old," Cat groaned, resting the top of her head on Billie's chest.
"Well, we'll grow old together then we can be crotchety like Alex and Jo. Aren't they cute?" Billie asked.
"They certainly are. If we're lucky, we'll be just like them some day," Cat replied.
"I hope so, love. I certainly hope so," Billie said, referring to the obvious love that still ran strong and true between the ladies after fifty years together.
***
"Grams, what time did mom say she'd arrive?" Billie asked Alex as she helped her grandmother prepare sandwiches for lunch.
"Laurel should be here on the six o'clock flight, just in time for dinner. I'll send Chet after them around five," Alex added.
"I'll go after them, Grams," Billie volunteered.
Alex placed a hand on Billie's arm. "Are you sure, Billie? You do know that Jim is coming too," she said.
Billie looked down as she cut the sandwich in half. "Yeah, I know. That's why I want to pick them up. I've never actually met Jim face to face. I'd rather do that without an audience," she said. Then, looking at Alex, she grinned and added, "Besides, he still has to meet you and Grandma Jo. Do you think it's fair to throw all four of us at him at the same time? Especially Josephine Wycliffe?"
Alex raised her eyebrows into her hairline. "You got a point there, darlin'," she said, grinning.
Billie placed her final sandwich on the platter then handed it to Alex while she grabbed the tray of chips and drinks. "Time to feed the animals," she said as she led the way to the patio where Jo and the kids were happily playing Marco Polo in the swimming pool.
Moments later, the patio table was surrounded by wet bodies, all clamoring to fill their dishes with sandwiches and chips.
Alex hovered around, filling glasses with soda and making sure everyone was served, when Jo snuck up on her from behind, and wrapped her arms around the taller woman. Within seconds, Jo's wet bathing suit had soaked through Alex's floral print dress.
"Ah! Josephine Wycliffe, why you have to be so ornery, I'll never know!" she yelled. "Now look at what y'all done to my dress. My word, you are goin' to be the death of me yet," she scolded.
Jo just stood there, looking at Alex with an evil glint in her eye.
"Josie, what is that look for?" Alex asked suspiciously as all eyes turned to the elderly women.
Jo took two steps toward Alex.
"Josie, I don't know what you're plannin' but...," Alex stammered, hands clenched in front of her. Her gaze darted around looking for an escape route, as Jo continued her approach.
Alex backed up, one step at a time, until she finally spared a glance behind her. "Oh, no you don't. Josephine Wycliffe, you get that idea right out of your head," she warned as she glanced at the pool and then steered herself toward the patio furniture behind her.
With every step Jo advanced, Alex looked backward. Finally, Jo had her backed up against the patio table. Leaning her wet body against Alex for the second time, she bent the woman backward over the table and reached out with her right hand beyond Alex's shoulder. While she had her bent over the table like that, she planted a long wet kiss on Alex's mouth then retrieved what she had been reaching for. Standing erect again, she shoved one of Doc's cigars into her mouth and winked at Alex, who was
still half-reclined over the table, and quite flush from Jo's kiss.
"Your dress is wet, sweetheart," she said to Alex before wiggling her eyebrows up and down like Groucho Marx and walking away, cigar planted firmly between her teeth. "Last one in is a rotten egg!" Jo challenged as she and the children jumped back into the pool, cigar and all.
Cat, Billie, Doc and Ida just looked at each other grinning, amazed at Jo's boldness, while Alex finally composed herself enough to settle into a patio chair, wet dress and all, where she spent the next hour watching her wife play with the children, a most curious look on her face.
After cleaning up the lunch mess, Cat approached Alex, who was still sitting there watching the crew in the pool. She leaned close to her grandmother's ear and whispered knowingly, "You're gonna thank her proper-like later, aren't you, Grams?"
Alex just smiled, her eyes never leaving the woman in the pool. "Oh, yeah," she said, "Oh yeah!"
***
Billie paced back and forth in front of the arrival gate, alternately wringing her hands and chewing her fingernails.
Cat had been trying desperately to concentrate on the magazine in her lap, but was quite unsuccessful as Billie’s pacing was a major distraction that she could not ignore. Finally, she put the magazine down and approached her wife.
Cat stood in front of Billie and grabbed her hands. One by one, she brought them to her mouth and kissed each one.
"Billie, calm down. Wearing a path in the tiles is not going to make this any easier," she said.
Billie's brow drew together in concentration. "Cat, this is my mother's husband, we're talking about here. You know... my step-father?" Billie said a bit sarcastically.
"Billie, honey, what he thinks about us is unimportant. We are who we are, and no one has the power to change that except you and me. I happen to like us just the way we are, thank you very much, and I don't give a rat's ass for what Jim Stafford thinks. I love you Billie. I love our children. I am happier now than I've been in my entire life, and I have you to thank for that," Cat professed. "How can that be wrong when it feels so right?"
Billie smiled and took a deep breath. "Maybe you're right, Cat," she said just as the flight from Flint, Michigan was announced. Billie looked nervously at Cat, then leaned down and gave her a tender kiss. "Thank you for loving me, Cat," she whispered.
"Ditto," said Cat in return.
Billie took Cat's hand and led her through the crowd to the waiting area outside security, closest to where Laurel's flight was docking. They stood on the fringes of the crowd and watched each passenger exit the secure area while waiting for the familiar dark head to appear.
"Do you see her yet, Billie?" Cat asked, standing on tiptoes and straining to see over the crowd.
Billie scanned the passengers once more. "There's Dylan...and there's mom," Billie said, waving her hand above her head to catch their attention.
Dylan saw them first. "Sis!" he called, making his way through the crowd and enveloping Billie in a bear hug when he reached her. "I've missed you, Billie," he said, planting a sloppy kiss on her cheek.
"I've missed you too, Dyl," Billie returned, hugging her brother close. God, it feels good to have a brother, Billie mused.
"Hey, shorty!" Dylan teased as he turned his attention to Cat. He picked her up and twirled her around in a circle before placing her feet back on the floor and hugging her hard.
Billie stood by and watched her brother's antics, her heart swelling with sisterly love for this young man.
"Just as charming as ever, hey, Dylan?" Cat replied, kissing her brother-in-law on the cheek. "It's good to see you, sweetie," she added, hugging him back.
"Look, I'm going to find the luggage while Billie meets Dad. Wanna come?" he asked Cat.
"I'd love to, Dyl, but I really should stay and support Billie during this meeting," Cat replied.
"No, Cat. Go on with Dylan. It might be better if we didn't overwhelm Jim right away with both of us standing here gawking at him. I'll make my introductions first then we'll introduce you when you come back. Okay?" Billie suggested.
"Honey, are you sure?" Cat asked
"Very," she said, bending down to give Cat a quick kiss. "Go on, I'll see you in a few minutes."
As Cat and Dylan ran off to collect the bags, Billie turned her attention to Laurel and Jim, who were finally making their way through the crowd toward her.
Laurel stopped directly in front of Billie while Jim held back a short distance. She reached out with her right hand and cupped the side of Billie's face. "Hello, sweetheart," she said.
Billie immediately enveloped her mother in a warm, affectionate hug. "Hi, Mom. I've missed you so much."
Mother and daughter held each other for a long moment, each fighting the tears that were making their way down their cheeks. After what seemed like an eternity, they broke apart and wiped each other's cheeks, laughing through their tears at their own foolishness.
Finally, Laurel introduced a very nervous Jim to Billie. Reaching back, Laurel took Jim's hand and pulled him forward toward her daughter. Jim's eyes locked on Billie's as though he was drawn to them, unable to break the gaze.
Wow! He's more nervous than I am, Billie thought. Maybe I can use this to my advantage.
"Jim, this is my daughter, Billie Charland. Billie, my husband Jim," Laurel said, a little awkwardly.
Jim was still unable to break the gaze.
Billie smiled most disarmingly and extended her hand to her stepfather. "Jim," she said congenially.
Jim continued to stare. Finally, Laurel elbowed him in the ribs.
"Oh, oh, sorry," he said extending his hand. "Jim. Jim Stafford. My God, you look exactly like Laurel," he exclaimed, staring once more.
Billie locked arms with her stepfather and gave him a crooked smile as she started leading him, arm in arm, toward the luggage claim area. "You know, my wife says the same thing. You'll meet her in a few minutes, but right now, I want to know more about you. Mom tells me you're a stock analyst. Tell me Jim, exactly what does a stock analyst do?" she asked, pretending to be totally absorbed in the one thing most men like to do, talk about…themselves.
Laurel held back and watched her daughter and husband walk away, arm in arm, grinning, and very proud of her daughter for finding his weak spot so readily.
Billie, my girl, how is it you know so much about men, when you obviously prefer women? she questioned happily as she followed them through the terminal.
Halfway to the luggage claim area, the trio met Cat and Dylan coming toward them, pushing a cart full of baggage. Billie looked across her stepfather to her mother and asked, "Sheesh, Mom! Did you bring your whole wardrobe?"
Jim grinned broadly and gave Laurel an I told you so look before patting the hand that Billie had hooked through his arm.
Billie flashed him another disarming smile.
Billie-girl, you're charming the pants right off him! thought Laurel excitedly. This may be a fun reunion after all.
As Cat and Dylan approached Billie, Jim and Laurel, Cat once again marveled at how much Billie looked like her mother, and how she was looking forward to Billie aging into the wondrous beauty they saw approaching them right now. "Damn, she's beautiful. They both are," she said to Dylan.
Dylan raised his eyebrows and nodded. "If they weren't my mom and sis, I'd sure be interested," he replied.
Cat elbowed Dylan in the ribs. "Sorry, curly, but the younger one is mine," she teased, causing her brother-in-law to chuckle under his breath.
Finally, the two parties came face to face. Billie released Jim's arm and went to stand by Cat. She wrapped her arm around Cat's shoulder and pulled her in close to her side while she introduced her to Jim.
"Jim, this is my wife, Caitlain, Cat for short. Cat, sweetheart, this is my stepfather, Jim Stafford," Billie said politely.
Jim was once again very nervous as his palms began to sweat. He found himself liking Billie very much, but seeing the way she was with Cat, hugging her, and ca
lling her sweetheart just caused his stomach to do funny things. Reaching out his hand, he shook Cat's quickly, then let go abruptly wiping his hand on his trousers when he did.
Cat's eyes opened wide at the implied insult as she tightened her hold on Billie's arm. Billie and Laurel both had seen the gesture.
"Let me give you a hand with those bags, son," he said to Dylan as the two men went ahead of the ladies to deliver the bags to the curb.
Cat was livid and shaking with anger. She looked at Billie with tears of frustration in her eyes.
"Cat," Billie whispered, pulling her in close. "I'm sure he didn't mean it as an insult," she soothed.
Laurel too, wrapped her arms around Cat. "Cat, sweetheart, his palms sweat when he's nervous. He didn't mean anything by it," she added.
Cat just nodded through her sniffles and wiped her face dry, as she allowed Billie to lead her out of the terminal and to the car.
It was going to be a long week.
CHAPTER 5
The ride to SpireClyffe Acres was tense. Jim and Dylan sat in the front seat while the three women sat in the back with Billie in the middle, one arm around Cat's shoulder and the other holding Laurel's hand. Dylan sat sideways in the seat so he could talk to the ladies while Jim drove. Jim had volunteered to drive, taking directions from the GPS. During the ride, the car's occupants sat absorbed in their own thoughts.
How did I get myself involved in this situation? Jim thought to himself as his eyes focused on the road ahead of him.
He’d nearly freaked when Laurel told him she had an adult daughter. That alone was hard enough to take, but he considered himself an understanding man and found it in his heart to accept that Laurel had lived through a traumatic childhood. He was sure that some of her choices, although difficult, were probably the right ones for her at the time. What he was finding very hard to accept was the fact that his stepdaughter was gay. To top it all off, Laurel had found her mother as well, and she was also gay! All this homosexuality in his wife's family was making him wonder about Laurel. He and Laurel had argued vehemently about it for the past week or so. He felt totally ill at ease around people like that.
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