Small Town Angel

by K'Anne Meinel

  Abby was touched by the gesture. She leaned up so she could put her wine glass down too and she turned to take Amy in her arms, tucking her in rather nicely. She fit beautifully into the embrace and she leaned down to kiss her, opening her lips slightly to taste the wine on her tongue. It tasted better this way.

  Gently they shared kisses until it got heated and Abby determined her resistance was waning. She didn’t want to tempt fate, she didn’t want to push it, she didn’t want… “Why don’t you tell me about your tattoo?” she asked, continuing on their conversation from earlier.

  Amy, bemused by their kissing and it’s sudden halt had to blink for a moment to make sense of the question. “Don’t you want to…” she began and seeing Abby’s determined look and slight shake of her head realized this must be part of the ‘dating.’ She sighed gustily, putting all her frustration into it. “It’s a reflection of my name,” she told her honestly. She figured she could hide within the truth. “Grams used to call me her ‘little angel.’ I guess it stuck.” She turned her foot so they were both looking at the beautiful Seraphim angel. It was tall and thin, and beautiful in appearance.

  “So why this angel, why not a cherub?” Abby asked, trying not to notice Amy’s legs. She wanted to take her hand down them and back up, perhaps stopping to….she concentrated on Amy’s answer.

  She shrugged slightly. “I guess because this,” she gestured at the tat. “Embodies an angel, it’s what people expect to see.” There was a world of meaning behind that statement and Abby wondered at it as Amy continued on. “If you see a cherub you think cute and sweet. An angel is supposed to be tall and idyllic and almost holy,” she laughed at it. “I just wanted an angel to show off to Grams, she hated that I punctured my God-given body.” She turned the smile on Abby to show her joy over upsetting her grandmother, her rebellion.

  Abby smiled in return. This was the kind of story she wanted from Amy, the little things so she could get to know her better. “Did you ever think of it as a guardian angel?” Abby asked to keep the conversation going. She was still holding Amy, just not as heatedly as a few moments before.

  Amy considered for a moment. “I don’t know, I never thought of it that way. I mean, I know I’ve been lucky. I’ve thought before I might have a guardian angel or two watching out for me. I always assumed that was my parents.”

  “Do you want to talk about your parents?” Abby asked, she was cringing inside as she saw Amy close it down immediately.

  Shaking her head her answer was one syllable, “No.”

  Abby sighed inside. Here they had finally shared a story and she’d gone and ruined it. She pulled from where they were sitting companionably on the couch in preparation for getting up.

  “You aren’t leaving are you?” Amy pouted prettily, almost mournfully. She knew that Abby was exasperated with her inability to share her life from before. She knew someday that would come between them.

  “It’s getting late. I should go,” she said automatically as she got up off the couch.

  “Don’t go. I’m sorry,” she apologized as she too got up to face Abby, her height never bothering her before. At this moment though what she wouldn’t give for a few more inches so she could face Abby.

  “Sorry? For what?” she feigned

  Amy sighed, aloud. “I’m sorry I can’t share what you want to know.”

  “And why can’t you?” she ventured to ask.

  “It’s complicated. It’s…” she hesitated and seeing that Abby was so willing to leave she almost desperately added, “it’s dangerous.”

  “Dangerous?” Abby cocked her head sideways as though to hear the word better.

  “Look, it’s just in the past. It’s better that it remain there. Don’t you have secrets or things you’d rather were left…buried?” She had hesitated over that last word, infinitesimally and Abby had caught it.

  “No, my life is an open book. You get what you see. I’m not hiding anything,” she said it almost bitterly. She was angry. She wanted this woman. She was frustrated. Getting to know her though was like pulling teeth.

  “Well bless your heart,” she replied caustically. “I guess your life has just been charmed,” she added meanly, knowing full well that it hadn’t been charmed, or easy. “I’m sorry that you need to know every livin’ thing about me.”

  “I’m not asking for everything about you, but when you shut yourself off like that it hurts. It shows you don’t trust me. I feel like you are hiding things from me!” she nearly shouted in return. At the hurt look in Amy’s eyes she knew she was on to something and she turned to leave.

  Amy was frightened. She hadn’t gotten angry like that in a long time. Afraid yes, but angry, no. She wouldn’t let Abby badger into saying something she didn’t want to share though. She watched as the tall cop left, banging the screen door behind her. She sat down on the couch with a thump, angry at the brunette, at the fates…at herself.

  * * * * *

  “Still mad at me?” Abby asked as she came up beside the chair that Amy was reclining in on the boardwalk outside her store.

  “Was I mad at you?” Amy sat up slightly in order to shade her eyes from the sun.

  Abby grinned as she sat down on an adjoining chair, admiring the redhead’s ability to sit in the sun and not worry about it. Most redheads burned in her experience but this one tanned nicely, and had the figure that…she stopped her inappropriate thoughts. “Coulda sworn you were,” she commented idly.

  “Nope,” she drawled succinctly.

  “Well that’s good,” she answered, dropping the sore subject. She’d been sure she blew it with this little spitfire. She knew what ‘bless your heart’ from a southern gal meant.

  “You going to the bonfire?” Amy asked. The Emporium had a booth at the park to give patrons a treat. During the day it was Art in the Park and at night there would be the bonfire.

  “Yep, but not on duty. I got the night off and the kids and I are going. Bonnie didn’t want to go and I have all those extra officers. Might as well use them. You going?”

  Amy nodded. “I’ll be manning a booth for part of the day but a few of the others will come on board later so I should have some free time to enjoy it all.”

  “Want to join us?” she offered generously.

  “I don’t want to impose,” she quickly said. She didn’t want Abby to feel she had been hinting. She was just curious if she was going to be there and in what capacity.

  “You won’t be imposing. The kids were complaining the other day they don’t see enough of Toby,” she lied.

  Amy cocked an eyebrow at that one. She knew a whopper when she heard one. The kids came over to The Emporium at least once a day, specifically to see Toby, and to take him for well-needed walks.

  “You’re bringing him right?” she finished lamely, knowing she was caught out.

  Amy smirked and nodded. “He’ll be there, where else would he be?”

  “Well you might have gotten rid of him like you did those kittens. Bailey isn’t happy with you by the way,” she smiled to take the sting off her words.

  “Well, they had to go. That was too many kittens and you wouldn’t take one!” she pointed accusingly at the officer of the law.

  Abby shook her head at how neatly Amy had turned that around on her. “I was never asked,” she said slyly.

  “Well no one told me that the cat was pregnant when I took her in,” she pointed out.

  They bantered back and forth for a while, each enjoying it immensely. Each knowing that the underlying hurt from their fight was at least salved. “So, I’ll see you Friday at the park?” Abby finished with; she had to get back to patrolling the streets of their little town. She was dressed in khaki shorts with plenty of pockets, her badge on her belt, her gun in the holster, and she wore a dark blue polo shirt that had the sheriff’s department embroidered over where a pocket would normally go. She looked…fit.

  “I’ll see you then,” Amy agreed. She was glad that Abby didn’t hold gru
dges.

  * * * * *

  The night of the bonfire was perfect. It was a hot August night with plenty of people, both locals and tourists alike. It was an annual event with booths for arts and crafts and people from all over. The local fire department was there. They had their hoses in the lake so they could pump the water through their apparatus and have water fights with the various local townships who participated. The object was to shoot a barrel along a suspended cable, your opponent; the opposing fire department was shooting at it too with their high pressured hose. Both teams were bound to get soaked from the deluge as they waged their war. Watching children frequently fell in love with the idea of being a firefighter from this event alone.

  “Ma’am, I asked for a chocolate cherry ice cream. This is not a chocolate cherry. This is a chocolate with a cherry,” a man got in Amy’s face.

  Amy was tired. One of her relief’s hadn’t shown up and dealing with hot and cranky customer’s all afternoon hadn’t been fun. Plus, one of the generator’s had quit working and they nearly had a literal melt down of ice cream in the portable freezer until Thomas fixed it for her. She was eternally grateful and gave him and Carol credit for the beer ice cream she had created, adults only.

  “Well sir, I’m sorry but we don’t have chocolate cherry ice cream and as you’ve eaten over half of that portion I can’t refund you the money,” she told him sadly.

  “I need to talk to the owner,” he nearly shouted.

  “I am the owner,” she said quietly.

  “You should keep your customers happy!” he informed her as if she didn’t know this. He made a gesture and she involuntarily flinched.

  “Look sir, I’d have been happy to refund you the money you spent on that ice cream but you ate most of it. It is not my fault you didn’t understand what you got there,” she pointed out, angry at her previous reaction. She wasn’t going to back down now though.

  He looked her up and down as though seeing her for the first time and it wasn’t to his taste. Lacking something to say he said, “I shoulda figured.” He then turned and walked away, still eating his chocolate ice cream with cherries.

  “What was that about?” Abby asked as she came up. Toby rose from where he was cowering from the angry man. Abby had seen the man and his anger and hurried over to diffuse the situation but now saw that Amy had it well in hand. She had seen her flinch though and wondered if the man had tried to hit her.

  Amy was all smiles as she hid her thumping heart. “Oh, just an unhappy customer,” she said and then glanced beyond Amy to see her replacement coming up. “Oh hello Brandon. Ready to work?’ she asked the young man as she reached behind her to untie her apron that read The Emporium in cute embroidered letters.

  “Yes ma’am.” He looked around. “Where’s Lydia?”

  “She didn’t show. Do you think you can handle it by yourself?” she asked worriedly as she got ready to leave.

  “I got this,” he assured her. “You go have fun.” He looked at the chief standing there and wondered, as had several others who noted their friendship, if they were dating.

  “We will,” she said as she took Toby’s lead. She knew there was speculation around town. Who could help it, it was a small town.

  “You okay?” Abby asked concerned as she fell into line walking with Amy.

  “I’m great!” she assured her friend. Peering around she asked, “So where are Bailey and Heather?”

  “Well, Bailey is trying to act all cool with his friends over there,” she pointed. “And here is Heather,” she sing-songed.

  “Hello,” Heather cooed but not to her mother or her friend but rather the dog who enthusiastically wagged his tail in greeting to one of his favorite people.

  “Heather, don’t you think you should say hello to Amy?” her mother asked exasperatedly.

  “Oh hi Amy,” the child said as though she was unimportant.

  “Hi Heather,” Amy greeted the child with a laugh. The children really amused her and she enjoyed their enthusiasm. They and their friends in The Emporium almost daily really made her day. Toby’s too, she noted as he wagged his tail exuberantly.

  They all enjoyed the bonfire. The fire department, on hand for their annual contests, were also on hand to make sure the fire didn’t get out of control. It was still overly large and people had sparklers besides. A few kids had firecrackers but Abby’s officers soon confiscated those and issued citations. Any child who was caught with those illegal things was given detention at the local school, they had to help clean it in preparation for school in September, it was a fate almost worse than death.

  Amy loved the sense of community. Even the tourists brought that. They came here year after year and she was looking forward to being a part of it in the coming years. The Emporium was a real success. The micro-brewery catered to a great following and they were growing. Thomas already had inquiries about opening other micro-breweries elsewhere. She was happy for him and Carol, they were happy with their success.

  “I’ll walk you to your car,” Abby promised much later as she watched Amy quickly help Brandon and one other employee pack the ice cream back into The Emporium from the mobile refrigerator. Amy had pulled it behind her SUV and in quick order they were unpacked and the refrigerator washed out and stored.

  “I’ll see you both tomorrow,” Amy called to the two young men who had helped tonight at the bonfire. She got a friendly wave in return. Amy was known as a generous and sweet boss. She had lost very few employees, only a couple and that was due to them leaving for college or elsewhere. Everyone enjoyed working at The Emporium and for Amy Adams.

  “Do you want to come over to the cabin?” Amy asked shyly up at the brunette who was escorting her back to where she had parked the SUV. What she was really asking was, was it time yet to consummate their relationship? They’d been dating awhile. They both knew it had been long enough. It was time to take the next step.

  Abby looked down at Amy, wondering if she was really too tired. She had a spring her step that belied the fatigue she had to be experiencing from the full and busy day. She stopped a moment, waiting for Amy to look up and when she did she smiled down into the green eyes. “I’d like that,” she said quietly.

  Under the pretense of making one last check around with all the revelers, Abby followed Amy home to the cabin. Amy jumped in the shower before she got there, a five minute lead, and Abby used her key to let herself into the cabin. Toby greeted her and then Tabby came over to give her a thorough sniff. She swallowed frequently, nervously. Her hands she wiped on her jeans. She didn’t know why she was so nervous, but she was.

  “Hi there,” Amy said quietly as she looked out from the bathroom. She was dressed in a merlot colored satin robe that covered her from head to toe. By the way it hugged her warm and damp body, she had nothing beneath it.

  Abby’s mouth went suddenly dry at the sight. Amy’s red hair was plastered to her head but it was obvious she had run her fingers through it, it was very untidy. It suited her perfectly though. The site of her lush body in that robe had Abby trying to swallow once again. “H…hi…” she said in return as she got up off the couch to confront her. The few feet separating them seem to be a chasm.

  “Are you nervous?” Amy asked, her drawl never more apparent than at this moment.

  Abby nodded. “You?” she asked in return. She hoped Amy was as she couldn’t handle that much confidence.

  Amy nodded in return, relieved. “I shouldn’t be should I?”

  Abby shook her head and took a hesitant step forward. “We can do this another time if you want?” she offered tremulously.

  The redhead shook her head to the negative. She wanted this. She had instigated this. Yes, she was curious. She had pursued this. But she wanted this woman. She knew she did. She wouldn’t let anyone stop her if she could prevent it. She was her own woman and she was determined to find out what this was all about. Lord knew she had played with herself often enough imagining what it would be like to be with
a woman, but not just any woman, this woman. “Have you changed your mind?” she asked fearfully, she didn’t know what she would do if Abby rejected her now.

  Abby shook her head. “There’s no going back,” she warned with a smile.

  “I don’t want to go back,” she said cryptically. “I want to go forward,” she smiled. “With you.”

  Abby loved the sound of that and the promises it implied. She took another step forward, Amy took one towards her as well. Then, noticing that both of them weren’t being very brave she took another and then another until she stood in front of the tall officer of the law. Reaching up, Amy drew the brunette’s head down for a kiss.

  Abby wasn’t feeling shy anymore. She knew what she wanted but she had also wanted to give Amy a way out. She didn’t want to play games; they had courted for a while. It hadn’t been a typical courtship, but they were ready for this next step and she hoped Amy wouldn’t regret it. She hoped she wasn’t the science experiment in this redheads schooling. She didn’t care, as she kissed her deeply.

  Amy had always thought that kissing someone straight down to their toes was just a saying. The kiss that Abby bestowed upon her had her standing on her toes, reaching for more as Abby slid her hands around the petite woman. It was made easy by the satin, it felt smooth, it felt sexy, and Abby appreciated that it hid nothing from her.

  “You smell wonderful,” she commented as she came up for air, the inadequate amount she was getting from her nostrils causing her to take in great gulps of it through her mouth.

  “Apple shampoo,” Amy teased as she smiled up at the taller woman. “I remember you telling me once you liked apples so much that you’d wear their blossoms as a child.”