Case of the Gold Retriever

by Erik Schubach

  Their eyes were locked on each other as they still shook, Jess almost purring out, “A pleasure? I can show...”

  Jane and I barked out in unison, “Jessie, behave!”

  Both girls released their grips and chuckled. Wait, when Jess turned to reclaim her seat, did Kerry just take a look at her ass?

  Then I held my hand out, grasping at Jane who stepped forward to take it and lace our fingers. I could feel her relax a bit at that. She wasn't really jealous was she? I felt a blush burning as I announced with a touch of pride in my voice, “Kerry, this is Detective Jane McLeary, my girlfriend.” I searched Kerry's eyes for approval. I know it would be a shock to her and I hoped she didn't judge me.

  But the surprised smile she gave us was genuine as she shook Jane's hand energetically, looking her up and down, then over to me to say, “Dayum Tempe, you did gooood. I didn't know you rode the rainbow.”

  I felt my cheeks burn as Jane rolled her eyes, her smile giving her amusement away as she said, “Pleased to meet you, Kerry. Whenever I can get Fin to talk about her childhood, Kerry stories keep popping up.”

  I could see approval in my girl's eyes too, and I almost sighed in relief. The last time I saw Kerry, was our first year of high school, then her father got stationed in Texas. We tried to stay in touch, writing letters from time to time, but we slowly drifted apart. The last I heard was she was in college.

  How can two people who were basically connected at the hip while growing up, grow apart like this? It was sort of sad, and I was a little upset with myself for letting it happen. I vowed right then, never again.

  I asked as I dragged her to a chair, “What happened? You used to be tall, but this?” She was an Amazon like Jane and Jess now. She had been maybe five foot six when I saw her last, now she was almost six feet.

  I sat back down with Jane on the loveseat again, and she hugged me to her and kissed the top of my head as Kerry shrugged.

  She kept glancing over at Jess, who was watching her intently as she said, “Had a growth spurt in high school, about when puberty made me her bitch.” She explained to Jess as she held a thumb to her own chest, “Late bloomer unlike our Temperance here.” Then to me, she prompted, “Still wearing the dresses I see.”

  Jane supplied, “Her entire closet is packed with them. She's almost criminally cute.”

  Hey, why is everyone chuckling like that? I shot them all the stink eye. Then told Kerry as the dogs investigated the newcomer, “That handsome boy there is my dog, Calvin. And the retriever is Goldie, we're watching him for a bit.”

  As she made doggy talk with them, mom gave a warm smile to us all and the popped back down the hall to the kitchen.

  We spent a bit catching up. I wanted to hear everything. I had missed so much of her life. She had gone through college and enlisted in the Air Force. Became a helicopter pilot and flew an Apache in Qatar, flying out of the Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base. She had flown two tours of duty there and now was reassigned.

  She supplied to Jess, “I had some time before I had to report for duty, so I thought since I was in the area, I'd drop by Mrs. May's to get Tempe's address. She told me she'd be here today for their weekly family get together and we thought we'd surprise her.”

  Then she spread her fingers as she turned her attention back to me. “Surprise.”

  I chuckled at her, she was still the sarcastic joker she had been, but I could see the surety and a sense of purpose she had gained as an adult. It suited her.

  Excusing myself to go help mom in the kitchen, I supplied, “I go by Finnegan now, Ker.”

  Without looking, I could almost hear the eyebrow cocking as she called after me, “You hated your name when we were kids.”

  I called back as I slipped into the kitchen, an odd melancholy in my voice, “People change.”

  Mom supplied to me as she pointed a spatula at the oven. “They certainly do, sweetie.”

  Grabbing a pot holder from the drawer, I smiled at the peeling label there, then opened the oven to pull out the fresh rolls. They smelled like heaven. I hesitated when I saw the sad look on mom's face as she looked toward the hall.

  I hesitated and looked that way, toward where Kerry was with the family. “What?”

  She shook her head. “It isn't for me to say. You'll have to get it from her.” But then she brightened. “It was such a joy when she showed up on the doorstep last night. I didn't even recognize her until she spoke. I insisted she stay to surprise you. I let her stay in your room... hope you don't mind.”

  I shook my head and assured her, “No that's great mom. I seriously thought I'd never see her again.”

  Mom smirked and asked nebulously, “She remind you of anyone?”

  I shook my head as I thought on that, and she chuckled. “Jane is a lot like her.”

  Cocking my head and squishing up my face, I just couldn't see it. Sure, Kerry and I argued about everything, and she was always stronger and more sure of herself than me, and she was always championing the underdog, and... ok, I can see it now.

  Shut up.

  I looked back at the hall. Was that why I was so attracted to Jane? She had so many of the same traits as my old best friend? I smiled at the thought that they had both chosen to be protectors and warriors. But as similar as they were, they were worlds apart in so many other ways.

  Mom's smirk told it all. I smiled as I shook my head and threw a green bean at her. “Shut up.”

  She sighed dramatically, placing the back of a hand on her forehead. “And here I thought I raised my children to be intelligent and insightful.”

  As I grinned at her antics, I started straightening things up in the kitchen and reorganizing things, mom narrowed an eye at me.

  So what if I cleaned when my emotions were high, everyone does that, right?

  She pointed back toward the living room. “Out. I've got this. You need to spend some time with your friend before the Air Force spirits her back to God knows where.”

  I muttered, “Fine,” then trudged out of the kitchen, fighting the urge to organize the open silverware drawer as I passed.

  I hesitated as I went down the hall as I heard Jess asking. “So, Kerry, you didn't say where your new duty station was. Jersey and Massachusetts have the closest air bases.”

  There were a few heartbeats of hesitation before my old friend said, “Actually, here... in New York. Times Square actually.” If you didn't know Kerry, you would have missed the pain in her voice she hid behind a cheerful tone.

  I stepped out with a big smile on my face as I chirped out, “You're going to be living in the City? The Air Force recruiting office is in Times Square isn't it?” It was exciting she would be so close by. That was just twelve blocks from my place.

  I saw the flash of resignation on her face as she slumped into her chair a bit. “Yes. Yes, it is. That's my new assignment for the next two years before I get out. Then there's three years of reserve duty.”

  Jess was the one to prompt her, “You don't sound too thrilled about that, Fly Girl. Why they got a veteran pilot riding a desk job?”

  I started to interrupt, knowing that whatever it was, Ker didn't want to talk about it, “Come on, MJ, leave Ker...”

  The blonde just sighed and stopped me with a calming hand, and a cock of the head that brought back so many childhood memories. Believe it or not, I was a bit hyper and excitable as a young girl... no really, it's true.

  Oh, don't be that way, let me tell the story my way.

  Ker was sort of the calming force back then and could get me to settle down with that look. “It's ok Tem... Fin. My time in the cockpit is over. On my second tour, I was getting headaches... light sensitivity. When I got checked out, they found that I was losing some of my peripheral vision... cone rod dystrophy they say. It affects my night vision a bit too. I guess I have mom's genes to thank for that.”

  She shrugged as we all listened in silence. “So that was the end
of my military flying career. Now I'll be flying a desk until I get discharged at the end of my enlistment. I had a choice between pushing papers in some supply warehouse or recruiting brave young men and women to serve our country. I had my choice of duty stations. And since New York was my first home.”

  She looked at Jess when she said that last part. I exchanged a quick look with Jane to see if she knew what that was all about. She just gave me a wicked smirk. Ok, what was I missing?

  I offered, “Sorry to hear that. Sounds like you loved flying.”

  She gave a crooked smile. “Oh, I'm not giving up flying, just for the military, they have higher standards for fighter pilots and rotary wing attack pilots like me. The civilian requirements are much laxer about it.”

  She looked from me to Jane to Jess saying, “You should come for a ride with me in a civilian helo once things get settled, I have to put in flight hours to keep my license valid.”

  “Fly... like in the sky, with nothing but air holding you up?” Was she crazy? I may or may not have a problem with flying, as in, I've never done it. Intellectually I understand the physics of it all, but I can't get over the fact that is just air that is keeping aircraft that weight tons from plummeting to their fiery doom. I snuggled into Jane on the loveseat, Cal jumping up to join us.

  Jess was first to respond. “Sign me up Fly Girl. I was wanting to do some skydiving before it got too cold out, but a chopper ride could be a blast too.”

  My eyes widened. I knew Jess was a thrill seeker but... “Jess? You jump out of planes and trust a piece of fabric to stop you from the old squish splat?”

  She gave me a slow smirk and prompted Jane with her eyes, “Who do you think introduced me to it.”

  My eyes widened as I looked at my girlfriend in incredulity, my voice was almost a whine in disbelief, “Jane?”

  She assured me, “It's perfectly safe. And a rush. You should join us.”

  I blurted out, my eyes wide, “Why would you do something that insane? And you want me to go up... in the air? There are plenty of things to do down on terra firma for fun which don't involve falling to my death.”

  She offered helpfully, “Like standing on a step-stool and cleaning the draperies.”

  By the holy tug rope and sacred squeaky toy, she was embarrassing me in front of my oldest friend. And yes, cleaning the drapes was one of my joys.

  I narrowed my eyes and made an astute assertion, “Jerk cop.”

  She chuckled at me and kissed the tip of my nose, and I blushed as I crossed my arms petulantly, “Just don't think you'll ever get me up in one of those death traps.”

  “Fine.”

  “Fine!”

  “Fine!” Then she said in a calm tone, “Supper almost ready? Is that why you came back out?”

  I sighed in resignation. “No. Mom kicked me out.”

  We looked over as Kerry leaned toward Jess, talking behind her hand like we couldn't hear, “Are these two always so cute?”

  Jess, the traitor, offered up, “Worse... so very much worse.” Then she stuck a finger in her mouth to mock vomit.

  Everyone laughed at our expense, and I smiled at the camaraderie. Even if the laughter was at our expense. But I loved Jane, so the joke was on them.

  I was about to ask Ker about her adventures after she moved to Texas when Jess stood up and walked to the window to look between the curtains to the driveway, “Show a girl your bike? It's a beaut, Kerry.”

  The blonde stood with a grin, she obviously loved her motorcycle like Jess and Jane loved theirs. Jess has taken me on a couple rides on hers, and Jane says she will when she buys a second helmet for me. And I have to admit, after the first few seconds of abject terror, it really was an incredible feeling... maybe that was what flying felt like.

  Ker gave me an apologetic look, knowing I wanted to catch up and she led Jess out to look at her Indian. Garett was exchanging smirks with Bek. “What?”

  My brother told Jane blandly, “And I used to think my sister was intelligent.”

  What? Was I missing something?

  Jane hugged me to her for some reason in good humor, then we suffered through a story Garrett told about the trouble Kerry, and I would get into, in excruciatingly embarrassing detail. Well really it was Ker getting us into mischief, I was always trying to talk her out of it. I could never seem to talk sense into her. She was a thrill seeker back then.

  We had a good laugh and then I shared one about the one-time Ker and I were following Garrett around with his friends when we were ten. They thought they were all cool with their mullets, thinking they could spark an eighties revival. News flash, they couldn't, and they looked like dorks for three months until they had the good sense to get a decent haircut.

  Mom popped her head in and called out, “Time to eat, children.”

  We all stood, and I realized Jess and Kerry were still outside. They were likely in some intense argument over whether the Indian was better than a Harley. I know Jessie had some pretty vocal views on the subject, after hearing her and Jane argue about it back at our place when she heard my girl was looking to replace her bike.

  I told the others as they all moved toward the dining room, “I'll get the biker girls, back in a jiff.”

  I slipped out the front door before the dogs could join me, but they were too interested in the savory smells the rest of our pack were moving toward. I looked around the driveway, and the girls were nowhere to be seen.

  I stepped out the gate and walked past the bike to look up and down the road, thinking they might have taken a walk. This was, after all, Kerry's old stomping ground. I saw nothing but empty sidewalk, noting the sun was on the verge of setting as the sky was taking on the first hints of reds and oranges.

  Ok, then... I started back toward the house when I heard some noise coming from Jane's SUV. I moved over to it, seeing the windows were all fogged up, the air started taking on the fall chill as the sun got low on the horizon. I reached for the back-door handle when there was a lusty shriek, and a foot hit the inside of the back window.

  My eyes shot wide, and I backpedaled as I heard more moaning, by the seven canine lords of Nebula B, they were having sex in there! My cheeks flared as I felt the heat of the blush that was consuming my entire body.

  I sort of walk-ran to the gate. I saw nothing. I saw nothing. I saw nothing.

  By the time I got back to the door, I paused. Wait... Kerry was gay? I looked back at the car, and I smiled for some reason, then squeaked and ran inside when the SUV rocked again, and I heard Kerry shouting, “Yes!”

  I shut the door behind me. Placing my back and shaking hands against it over my embarrassment at almost walking in on them in the act. I composed myself, suppressing a nervous giggle over the fact that maybe Jessie wasn't exaggerating whenever she teased me about having women spreading their legs and screaming her name.

  What the fluffy foot feathers was wrong with me? I was a little turned on.

  I felt a little flushed as I joined everyone in the dining room, not meeting anyone's eyes. Jane looked at me questioningly, I shrugged and said in a flustered, questioning tone, “Ummm... they'll be right in. They're in the middle... of, something.”

  Mom nodded as she brought out a casserole dish full of pork chops smothered in brown onion gravy, to set on the table with the other food. “Well, that didn't take long. I was afraid the heat between them was going to set the living room on fire.”

  I squeaked out, “Mooom!”

  Gar said, “Oh come on Flea, don't pretend you didn't see it.”

  Jane rolled her eyes at me. “Sometimes, love, you're blind to things right in front of you.”

  Whaaa? Was I the only dense one in the room? Wait, she called me 'love', le sigh.

  Rebecca had seen my confusion and stood to open her arms to me. I let her hug me as she said, “Awwww, honey, you didn't see it, did you?” I shook my head in embarrassment then sat in the chair Jane held out for me before s
he sat.

  “I hate you all.”

  Then Jane cocked her head as she appeared to realize the only place they could be umm... doing it out there. “Wait a minute. They didn't...”

  I nodded grinning like a loon. Take that, you jerk cop. In your own back seat. I offered an olive branch, “Ha.” Ok, so not so olive-y nor branchy.

  She screwed up her 'eww' face, and then right on cue, Jess came wandering down the hall with Kerry trailing behind as she said with innocent enthusiasm, “That's a fine bike you have.” Kerry smiled as she hastily tucked the back of her shirt into her leather pants.

  They both froze when they noted it was silent in the room and all eyes were on them. Jess snapped out, “What?”

  I turned from them to the table as I said to my redheaded friend, tongue in cheek, “Your shirt's inside out, genius.” I grinned to myself as everyone chuckled, causing the dogs to bark.

  It was an interesting meal, to say the least. Since she had just been caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar, Kerry shared that as kids, she had had a crush on me and had just started to understand what that meant for her sexuality before she moved away. I had never known. I just knew that she had always been there, and always had my back just like Garrett had. She had been my best friend.

  Is it pathetic that a part of me had seemed almost a little jealous of Jessie, that my old best friend had found her attractive but not me? But after that revelation from her, I got over it. Besides, I would pay good money to see the unflappable Mable Jessie Freeman, well... flapped like this. Her blush was adorable, especially when Jane informed our redhead that she was going to have to pay to get her back seat sterilized, to all of our amusement.

  Hmm... if my girl ever got off her jerk cop ass and bedded me properly, that back seat could be... umm, I digress, back to the story. What? No, I'm not smiling, you're smiling!