Beyond the Breakwater

by Radclyffe

  “But she’s all I can think about—”

  “It’s natural for you to fear for your lover’s life. There’s nothing to feel badly about.”

  “I understand now what you must have gone through when you left,” Reese said softly.

  Kate drew a swift breath. “Oh, Reese, sweetheart. Thank you.”

  Smiling faintly, Reese cleared her throat and made an effort to focus. “Did you say Bri was here?”

  “Just outside with her girlfriend.” Kate stood. “Shall I get them?”

  “Yes, please. Where’s Jean?”

  “On her way—she was in Orleans. I reached her on her cell phone. Tory’s sister Cath is flying in, too.” Kate turned toward the door. “I’m going to call Jean again. I won’t be far.”

  “Good.”

  A minute later, Bri and Caroline entered.

  “Hey,” Bri said quietly, stopping a few feet from Reese, her hands in her pockets.

  Caroline leaned down, kissed Reese on the cheek, then settled close to her on the couch. She rested one small hand lightly on Reese’s forearm. “Any word on Tory and the baby?”

  “Not yet.”

  When Caroline linked her fingers through Reese’s, Reese held on gratefully, then met Bri’s eyes. The young officer looked worried but steady, and Reese found her familiar presence a comfort. “Who’s working?”

  “I called Dad. He said not to worry, it’s covered.”

  “Thanks for contacting everyone.”

  “No problem.” Bri didn’t know what the hell else to say. It made her insides turn to water to see Reese looking so scared and trying to pretend she wasn’t.

  Caroline must have seen the edge of panic in Bri’s expression, because she held out her other hand. “Sit down, baby.”

  Bri reached for Caroline and did as she was told. The three of them were sitting pressed together in silence when K.T. appeared in the doorway.

  “Reese.” Bri noticed the surgeon first and urgently pointed.

  Reese jumped to her feet and rushed across the room. The surgeon murmured something and Reese sagged, then steadied herself with a hand against the doorjamb. After a second’s hesitation, K.T. put a hand on the back of Reese’s neck, leaned close, and spoke into her ear. Reese nodded, squared her shoulders, and disappeared around the corner.

  “Oh fuck.” Bri stared at Caroline. Her voice was high and tight. “What do you think is going on?”

  “It will be okay, baby,” Caroline said gently, putting an arm around Bri’s waist. She kissed her temple. “Nothing will happen to Tory.”

  Bri closed her eyes and leaned into Caroline’s certain strength. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered.

  “Me, too.” And I always will be.

  *

  Tory was the only patient in the small recovery room. Reese stepped inside, a yellow cotton cover gown over her uniform, and swallowed hard when she saw how pale and still her lover appeared. Slowly, she crossed the green tiled floor to the side of the steel-enclosed bed, reached over the rail, and lifted Tory’s left hand in her palm.

  “Tor?” she whispered softly.

  Tory moaned faintly and opened her eyes with effort. Her pupils were dilated and unfocused.

  “Re…Reese?”

  With her free hand, Reese smoothed Tory’s damp hair gently back from her forehead. “We have a baby daughter.” Reese managed a smile. “K.T. says everything went fine.”

  Tory and the baby are stable. Tory bled heavily but the hemorrhage has stopped for now. If we can keep her pressure down, she might make it without a transfusion. The baby was a little slow to breathe, but she seems okay now. The neonatologist is evaluating her.

  “What…was…her…Apgar?”

  “I don’t know what that is, love.” Reese stroked Tory’s cheek. “You just rest, okay?”

  “Have you…seen her?”

  “Not yet. The pediatrician has her right now.”

  Tory blinked, and her eyes seemed clearer. “Can you get me some water?”

  “I’ll ask one of the nurses.” Reese started to move, and Tory tightened her grip on Reese’s hand.

  “No. Not yet. Just stay here. Tell me about…our baby.”

  “I’m going to go see her in a few minutes. The doctors have to check her out first.” Reese leaned over and kissed Tory’s forehead. “You did great, Tor.”

  “Might have been better…if I’d waited a bit longer,” Tory said with a weak smile. “Maybe…next time…I’ll do better.”

  Reese’s heart lurched. Oh no. Never. I’m not risking you ever again.

  “You okay, sweetheart?”

  “Yeah.” Reese’s voice was husky. “Fine.”

  A nurse approached with a practiced smile. “I’m sorry. Dr. King needs some rest. You can come back in a little while.”

  “All right,” Reese replied, although she made no move to leave. She was uncertain if she would be able to force herself away from Tory’s side. She wasn’t yet convinced that something wasn’t going to happen to take her away. “You’ll be okay?”

  Tory smiled again and squeezed Reese’s hand harder. “I’ll be fine. Go see our daughter…come back…and tell me.”

  “I love you,” Reese whispered.

  “Love you, too.” Tory barely got the words out as she closed her eyes.

  *

  In yet another sterile anteroom, Reese scrubbed her hands and donned a green gown. This time when she stepped into the neonatal intensive care unit, she stopped in shock and not a little bit of trepidation. There were as many nurses as bassinets in the crowded room, along with a mountain of blinking machines and beeping monitors. It was intimidating in the extreme.

  “Can I help you with something?” A dark haired, middle-aged nurse in pale blue scrubs sounded just a bit suspicious.

  “I’m looking for…uh…baby…uh…baby girl King.”

  “And you are?”

  From behind them, a deep alto voice answered, “The other mother.”

  “Oh,” the nurse exclaimed brightly, her smile genuine. “She’s in the isolation room with Dr. Newman.”

  “The isolation room?” Reese repeated. Now the knots in her stomach tied themselves into yet another configuration. What now?

  K.T. put her hand on Reese’s shoulder. “It’s standard, especially with a baby this small. Come on. I’ll take you back…unless you don’t want me to.”

  Reese met K.T.’s eyes. “I owe you. And I think Tory would like you to see the baby.”

  K.T. blushed, an almost reportable event where she was concerned. When she spoke, her voice was low and thick. “I’d like that. I was too busy earlier to do more than hand her off.”

  A minute later, the two of them stared wordlessly into the heated, plastic-enclosed bassinette at the tiny red face, nearly obscured by the small knit cap on her egg-sized head and the cotton receiving blanket dwarfing her miniature body. An IV ran into her impossibly small foot, which was taped to a wooden tongue blade no bigger than a Popsicle stick for support.

  Reese blinked and then unself-consciously wiped at the tears that suddenly appeared on her cheeks. “She’s beautiful.”

  “Yes. She is.” K.T. cleared her throat. “I’ll check with the pediatrician and give you an update in a minute or two. Congratulations, Reese.”

  “Thanks,” Reese said, her eyes still fixed on the baby. When she looked up, K.T. was gone.

  *

  Upon awakening, Tory was immediately aware of the sharp pain in her abdomen. She drew a surprised breath. Then she remembered. C-section. Incisional pain. Okay. Not too bad.

  She opened her eyes. Reese was in a chair by her bedside, her head back, eyes closed. There were circles under those eyes. She wore jeans and a scrub shirt. She was gorgeous.

  “Sweetheart?”

  Reese jumped, her lids flew open, and she blinked. Then she grinned—a blazing smile that set every worry in Tory’s mind at ease.

  “Is she all right?”

  “She’s gr
eat,” Reese exclaimed, sitting forward and taking Tory’s hand. “She weighs almost four pounds. The doctor says her lungs are mature, and she’s absolutely perfect.”

  Tory bit her lip, but she couldn’t stop the tears.

  Reese eased onto the edge of the bed and put her arm behind her lover’s shoulders. She kissed Tory’s forehead, her eyes, her lips. When she drew back, she murmured, “You want to go see her?”

  “God, yes.”

  Reese rang the bedside bell and when a nurse appeared, she asked for a wheelchair. Very carefully, the two of them helped Tory from the bed into the chair.

  “Ready?” Reese leaned down and smiled at Tory.

  “Let’s go lights and siren for this trip, Sheriff.”

  Reese laughed. “Anything you say, Dr. King.”

  *

  Reese squatted on her heels, scarcely breathing. There were some things so beautiful they hurt to look at. Tory’s face as she gazed at the baby in her arms was one of them.

  When Tory finally raised her head, her eyes were filled with wonder. She reached out her free hand and stroked Reese’s cheek. “Can you believe it?”

  “No,” Reese whispered. She edged closer, resting one hand on the baby’s back as Tory cradled her. “I can’t. If I look at her too long, I’m afraid something is going to explode inside of me, the feelings get so big.”

  Tory brushed her fingers through Reese’s hair. “I love you so much.”

  At that moment, the infant’s eyes, unfocused but a brilliant blue, opened wide.

  Tory stroked the baby’s cheek. “Hello, Regina.”

  “Hey, Reggie.” Reese grinned large.

  Epilogue

  August, Provincetown, MA

  Nelson looked up as the door opened, then frowned in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

  “Chief?” Reese appeared equally confused.

  “I thought you were going to get the baby.”

  “Oh!” Reese couldn’t suppress a big smile. “We are. But they aren’t signing her out until after morning rounds, so I’ve got a few hours.”

  “Jesus, Conlon, you don’t have to come to work every day, you know.” He shook his head in mock disgust, but he was smiling, too.

  “Well, Tory and my mom are out getting last-minute baby things, so I didn’t have anything to do anyhow.” She tossed her hat on her desk. “Bri around?”

  He hesitated. “Took Caroline to the airport.”

  “Right,” Reese said quietly. “She leaves—what? For Boston now, then tonight for France?”

  “Uh-huh.” He cleared his throat. “I already said my goodbyes early this morning. Hate to watch the plane take off.”

  “You think I have time to catch them?” Reese checked her watch. “Things have been so busy since Reggie was born, I completely forgot Caroline was leaving so soon. What with Tory needing to be at the hospital so much of the time, and then the pediatrician telling us that the baby was going to be able to come home two weeks sooner than we thought, I lost track of which end was up.”

  Nelson snorted. “You have no idea how bad it’s going to get. For years.”

  “Well, Bri sure was worth it.”

  “Yeah,” he said softly. “She was.” He looked at the clock. “You should make it if you use the siren.”

  “I’ll call in later.” She grabbed her hat and darted out.

  *

  Reese pulled her cruiser into the tiny airport parking lot beside Tory’s Jeep and sprinted toward the small terminal. Once through the doors, she easily picked out the group she was looking for. Tory and Kate stood with Bri and Caroline on the far side of the room. Bri and Caroline appeared to be glued together.

  “Hey,” Reese called as she hurried over.

  “You just realized, too, huh?” Tory kissed Reese on the cheek.

  “Yeah.” Reese turned to Caroline. “You all set?”

  “Yes.” Caroline’s eyes were red-rimmed and her voice feathery. One arm was wrapped tightly around Bri’s waist, her thumb hooked over Bri’s belt at the hip.

  The PA system crackled to life and the flight to Boston was announced.

  “That’s you, babe,” Bri said unnecessarily, since it was the only departing flight scheduled. She had her hand on Caroline’s neck, stroking her softly.

  “Well,” Tory said with a smile, stepping forward to slide an arm around Caroline. “Have a wonderful time, sweetie. Send us pictures.”

  “You, too. I want to see Regina photos every week.”

  “I’ll take care of that,” Kate said. “You have a good flight, honey.”

  To Reese’s surprise, Caroline released Bri and threw her arms around Reese’s neck. In a voice too low for anyone else to hear, she murmured, “Take care of Bri, okay?”

  Reese hugged her, then kissed her cheek. “You bet I will. Don’t worry.”

  Then Bri and Caroline were in each other’s arms, and Tory, Kate, and Reese all studied the tarmac while the two young lovers kissed. Finally, Bri stepped away and reached for one of Caroline’s carry-on bags. “I’ll walk you out.”

  “Don’t forget how much I love you, baby,” Caroline whispered as they approached the small plane.

  “I won’t. You neither, okay?”

  “I’ll miss you so much.”

  Bri bit her lip, then forced a grin. “The time will go fast. You’ll be so busy. Work hard…and have fun. Okay?”

  At the base of the steps leading up to the cabin, they faced one another.

  “I’ll be home for Christmas.” Caroline blinked back tears.

  Bri held her gaze, then traced a finger down her cheek. “I’ll be right here waiting.”

  *

  “Are you sure she’s okay back there?” Reese asked anxiously as Tory slid into the passenger seat of the Jeep.

  They both turned and surveyed the tiny bundle in the car seat belted into the rear. The pale yellow blanket moved faintly as their daughter kicked and stretched her miniature limbs.

  “Maybe you should sit with her,” Reese muttered. “In case she needs…anything.”

  “I just fed her.” Tory rested her palm on her lover’s thigh. “She’s fine, sweetheart. It’s safer back there, and she’s going to go to sleep as soon as you start driving.”

  “Okay.” Reese pulled out onto Route 6 and wished for the hundredth time that she’d brought the patrol car so she could put the lights on and make the traffic ahead pull over and out of the way. She didn’t like having moving vehicles anywhere near them, not with Reggie in the car. What if some idiot runs into us? “This is awful.”

  Tory laughed. “Honey, she’s not made of glass. She’s one strong little girl. Look how quickly she made her minimum safe weight. Almost three weeks early.”

  “You think she’s gonna do everything early?” Reese dared a quick glance at Tory. “’Cause I’m still playing catch-up. Am I ever gonna be prepared?”

  “Probably not.” Tory linked her fingers through Reese’s. “That’s part of the fun.”

  “Yeah, right.” But Reese was smiling.

  “I was thinking that Women’s Week might be a nice time,” Tory mused. “Regina will be settled in by then.”

  “For what?”

  Tory brought their joined hands to her lips and kissed Reese’s fingers. “For the wedding you promised me.”

  “Oh.” Reese slowed for a light, then met Tory’s eyes. Her voice was suddenly husky. “That.”

  “Mm-hmm.” Tory’s face was soft with love and contentment. From behind them came a small hiccough, and then what sounded very much like a tiny laugh.

  “And they say honeymoons don’t last forever,” Reese whispered.

  About the Author

  Radclyffe is the author of numerous lesbian romances (Safe Harbor, Innocent Hearts, Love’s Melody Lost, Love’s Tender Warriors, Tomorrow’s Promise, Passion’s Bright Fury, Love’s Masquerade, shadowland, and Fated Love), as well as two romance/ intrigue series: the Honor series (Above All, Honor revised edition, Honor Bound,
Love & Honor, and Honor Guards) and the Justice series (Shield of Justice, the prequel A Matter of Trust, In Pursuit of Justice, and Justice in the Shadows), selections in Infinite Pleasures: An Anthology of Lesbian Erotica, edited by Stacia Seaman and Nann Dunne (2004) and in Milk of Human Kindness, an anthology of lesbian authors writing about mothers and daughters, edited by Lori L. Lake (2004).

  A 2003/2004 recipient of the Alice B. award for her body of work as well as a member of the Golden Crown Literary Society, Pink Ink, and the Romance Writers of America, she lives with her partner, Lee, in Philadelphia, PA where she both writes and practices surgery full-time. She states, “I began reading lesbian fiction at the age of twelve when I found a copy of Ann Bannon’s Beebo Brinker. Not long after, I began collecting every book with lesbian content I could find. The new titles come much faster now than they did in the decades when a new book or two every year felt like a gift, but I still treasure every single one. These works are our history and our legacy, and I am proud to contribute in some small way to those archives.”

  Her upcoming works include the next in the Provincetown Tales, Distant Shores, Silent Thunder (2005); the next in the Justice series, Justice Served (2005); and the next in the Honor series, Honor Reclaimed (2005).

  Look for information about these works at www.radfic.com and www.boldstrokesbooks.com.

  Books Available From Bold Strokes Books

  Change Of Pace: Erotic Interludes (ISBN: 1-933110-07-4) Twenty-five hot-wired encounters guaranteed to spark more than just your imagination. Erotica as you’ve always dreamed of it.

  Fated Love (ISBN: 1-933110-05-8) Amidst the chaos and drama of a busy emergency room, two women must contend not only with the fragile nature of life, but also with the mysteries of the heart and the irresistible forces of fate.

  Justice in the Shadows (ISBN: 1-933110-03-1) In a shadow world of secrets, lies, and hidden agendas, Detective Sergeant Rebecca Frye and her lover, Dr. Catherine Rawlings, join forces once again in the elusive search for justice.