“You mean that she’s self-absorbed,” Jane said. “And if that is what you are saying, I completely agree with you.”
“Some people are like that,” Jack said, her eyes looking over at Martha’s table. “It’s a shame really.”
“It sounds like you still have feelings for her,” Jane told the woman, looking at her carefully.
Jack tore her eyes away from the table and looked at Jane, laughing. “No, I don’t get hooked that easily, but I do wonder about that woman sometimes,” Jack chuckled. “I never knew a woman that repeatedly turned down Jack Donovan.”
Jane looked at the other woman, trying to gage if she was serious. The women in this town sure had a lot in common. They were either arrogant or had exemplary self-esteems, but whatever it was, Jane didn’t find it attractive. “You sure are confident,” Jane said, looking at the other woman to see how she responded.
“I’m sorry,” Jack said, her expression turning serious. “I didn’t mean to…”
“Jack Donovan,” a voice said, interrupting her. “I didn’t plan on seeing you here.”
Both Jane and Jack looked at the woman who had found herself at the side of their table. “Martha Wilson,” Jack replied, looking at the familiar woman. “Where’s your date?”
Jane looked back at the table where Blake and Martha had been sitting and saw that Blake was trying to hobble her way towards their table as Martha had left her in her dust. “Yeah, it seems like you left someone behind,” Jane said, not at all happy that Martha was too self-absorbed to think of Blake before she wandered over.
“Oh, she will find her way over here,” Martha said, without any concern. “And anyways, we are not on a date.”
“We’re not?” Blake questioned from behind Martha. She had made her way across the restaurant, but it was clear that it had taken a lot of work.
“No, silly,” Martha said, looking Blake in the eyes. “We are just two old friends, enjoying each other’s company.
Jane could see Blake’s face fall, but she knew that the other woman wouldn’t say anything. Blake was clearly embarrassed, and Jane was upset for her. She didn’t like Martha Wilson, and she couldn’t understand what the other woman saw in her, but she knew that Blake had to make her own decisions.
“Did you want to sit down?” Jack asked Martha and Blake.
Jane tried to throw her a warning look, but Jack was oblivious and completely focused on Martha. Blake picked up on the cue though and tried to decline, but Martha had already pushed herself next to Jane at the table. Jane and Blake exchanged a disgruntled look, and Blake sat down next to Jack, setting her crutches down next to her. “Do you want to switch me places?” Jane asked Blake, knowing that she might want to sit next to Martha.
“No,” Blake said, irritation in her tone. “It’s okay.”
The awkward feeling that Jane and Blake shared didn’t transfer onto the other two. Martha and Jack began to talk like they were old friends, not even considering the fact that Jane and Blake were no longer involved in the conversation. Jane was ready to go, but she didn’t want to leave Blake alone. She knew that the other woman was hurt that Martha had yet again let her down, and even though Blake had ruined Jane’s original plans for the night, she couldn’t let her be treated the way that Martha was treating her. Jane sat there, trying to figure out what to do. They had sent the waitress away twice now, and she knew that if she ordered, she would be stuck like a third wheel while Martha and Jack enjoyed their night.
“Want to get out of here?” Blake asked, clearly not caring whether Jack and Martha would be offended.
“Sure,” Jane replied, getting up.
“You don’t have to leave,” Jack said, a distressed look on her face. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to leave you out.”
“It’s okay,” Jane said. “You two catch up. It’s probably better that we get home anyways. I have to get up early in the morning.”
“It’s Saturday,” Jack stated with a confused look.
“It’s the rodeo awards celebration,” Blake chimed in.
“I see,” Jack said, giving Jane a hug. “I hope that we can spend time together at another time. Are you sure that you are okay?”
“She’s okay,” Martha replied, pulling Jack’s arm until she sat back down. “Now, let them get some rest. I’m sure that I will be able to occupy your attention for the rest of the evening.”
“Bye,” Blake said, shaking Jack’s hand. Martha was too busy talking to get up and tell her goodbye.
“Come on,” Jane said, wrapping her arm in Blake’s. “It’s a beautiful night out there.”
“Yeah, the weather has been nice lately,” Blake replied.
“Do you want me to call Walter to pick us up?” Jane questioned as they got to the door. The other woman already had to walk to the restaurant, and walking home would be a lot of work.
“No, I will be fine,” Blake said. “I got here. Didn’t I?”
“Yes,” Jane sighed. “I still can’t believe that she didn’t pick you up. It’s obvious that you are injured. I just find that rude.”
“That’s Martha for you,” Blake stated. “She probably didn’t even think about my leg. She is a little old-fashioned. She views it as my position to pick her up, take her out, and pay. She likes to have some sort of chivalry in her relationships.”
“You can be chivalrous without putting your own best interests at risk,” Jane said. “How did you meet her anyhow?”
Blake looked at her and then back into the night sky as they walked away from the restaurant. She was quiet for a moment, almost as if the memories of the past were stirring in her head. “It was a couple of years ago,” Blake stated. “Her father was trying to hook her up with some of the local men. He thought that it was important for her to have a good man by her side, and she had just signed up to help him with his campaigns and political activities. Martha wasn’t interested in dating any of the men in town though, and she kept messing up her dates. Her father eventually got mad, and he gave her an ultimatum. He told her that if she kept sabotaging her relationships, she would be cut off from the family’s money and have to live on her own. Martha was young and argumentative at the time, so one night, she just moved out. I didn’t know her like I do now then. In fact, we had went to high school together, but we hung out with different people. Besides that, most people knew that I was gay, and a lot of the women in town avoided me back then, because they thought that I would hit on them. That didn’t stop Martha though. The first thing that she did when she left her father’s house was call me and ask me if she could stay with me. She told me what had happened with her father, and even though I didn’t know too much about her, except for what I learned about her in school, I let her stay.”
“That must have been difficult for her,” Jane said. “I can’t imagine my whole family turning their backs on me just because I was gay.”
“It’s a different culture out here,” Blake said. “I was lucky.”
“Me too,” Jane replied. “So, then what happened?”
“So then, she moved in,” Blake told her. “I had been living in my grandfather’s house after he moved out, and she moved in. We bonded, and I wasn’t lonely anymore. I had been the only out lesbian in town for so long that it had been depressing. I hadn’t dated a lot of women back then, and the ones that I did date were from different towns, making the relationships long-distance and complicated. Martha was just there. She had a lot of her own struggles to deal with, and I tried to do the best that I could to help her.”
“Were you in love with her?” Jane questioned, looking at Blake and noticing how sentimental that she had gotten while speaking of the past.
“I thought I was,” Blake said.
“What made you think any different?” Jane inquired.
“Actually, I thought that I was still in love with her until tonight,” Blake told her. “Then, after spending the evening with her, and remembering how she was, I started to think that maybe I didn
’t understand love back then.”
“And you do now?” Jane said.
“Yeah,” Blake replied, stopping in the middle of the starlit country road. “I think I am starting to get it.” Blake ran her hand softly across Jane’s cheek, caressing it gently and pulled her closer to her.
Jane cooperated, feeling her lips touch the other woman’s. She could tell Blake was nervous and felt her lips tremble as they danced with hers. Jane pulled the other woman closer, her heart beating steadily in her chest, and she felt Blake put her strong arms around her. She knew that they were in the middle of the road, but everything just faded away. All she could see was the other woman and the stars that twinkled around them.
Chapter Eighteen
Blake hobbled home with Jane at her side. The two had been quiet for the last couple of minutes, clearly taking in the kiss that had just happened between the two of them. Blake could feel her blood pumping and her heart beating hard in her chest. Her arms hurt from having to hobble along the road, but she ignored the burn, focusing on the happiness that was filtering through her as she walked next to Jane. Blake snuck a look at the other woman, noticing that Jane was smiling and looking down the road. She wasn’t sure if she should say something or even address the situation, so she just embraced the moment.
The house came into view, and Blake followed Jane up the drive and through the door. “It’s nice to be home,” Blake finally said, curious to see what Jane would say back.
“It sure is,” Jane said, turning on the light and reaching around her to lock the door.
Blake felt the other woman’s body heat permeate around her as she reached past her, and she did what she could to control herself from pulling Jane back in towards her body. “Are you hungry?” Blake asked, trying to break the silence. “We didn’t exactly eat.”
“I am,” Jane said, looking her in the eye. “But there’s something that I want more than food.”
Blake began to ask what she was talking about, but Jane shushed her with a soft kiss on the mouth. Blake let herself sink into the other woman, and the two hobbled towards the couch. Blake heard her crutches crash to the floor, but she didn’t care. She pulled Jane towards her, stroking the woman’s hair and feeling her soft lips move with hers. Blake moved her lips down Jane’s soft skin, trailing her way down the other woman’s neck and pulling her shirt off to reveal two perfect breasts canvassed in a simple bra. Blake removed the bra easily, exploring the other woman. Her body was just as perfect as her personality, and Blake couldn’t help but want more.
Blake felt Jane unbutton her pants and relaxed as the pair of blue jeans fell off her body and onto the floor. The two swayed together, discovering each other. Blake trailed her lips down Jane’s soft skin, kissing her stomach and down the fragile area around her warm center. Jane moaned, arching her head back with every touch, and Blake finally gave the other woman sweet release, teasing the bundle of nerves between her legs. Blake felt Jane stiffen and finally the woman let go, trembling as she did. Blake moved towards her to hold her while her body adjusted, hugging her close to her chest. Jane hugged her closely, eventually looking up, but there were tears in her eyes.
“Is everything okay?” Blake asked, worried that she might have hurt her or went too far.
“Yes,” Jane said, a tear running down her face. “Everything is perfect.”
“Then, why are you crying?” Blake inquired, rubbing away the other woman’s tears with a stroke of her thumb.
“Because I have never felt the way that I do now with anyone else,” Jane told her. “Everything just feels like it was supposed to happen.”
“Maybe it was,” Blake said, kissing her gently on the forehead. Blake held the other woman close, taking in the moment. Everything felt right, and she wasn’t sure why that was or even how to explain it, but she did know that she didn’t want the moment to end. Blake closed her eyes, taking in the silent moment and realized for once in her life, she wasn’t thinking about anything but what was happening in the present. She kissed Jane softly, noticing that her heart was racing. She had never felt this way with another woman. She never even imagined a feeling this good, but she knew one thing. She wasn’t going to take it for granted.
Chapter Nineteen
Jane walked to work, taking in all of the beauty that the morning brought. She found herself smiling a lot more these days, and she knew that it was because of Blake. After the night at the restaurant, the two had grown closer. They had spent the last few weeks learning about each other’s habits and personalities and generally how to live together. This wasn’t the easiest stage in a relationship, but she found that it was still exciting. The romance between the two had blossomed, and every day was a new learning experience.
The romantic part of the relationship was unforgettable as well. The way Blake touched her and loved her was like nothing she had experienced. Blake was so gentle and kind, and she wasn’t selfish when it came to intimacy. It wasn’t just a physical relationship. Jane felt emotionally connected to the other woman. She was comforted by her presence and felt blessed that she had found her. Though it seemed like such a simple thing, Jane felt like she could live like this for the rest of her life. It was odd how one person could mean so much to her, but she appreciated every moment that she spent with Blake. It seemed like everything was finally working out for her. Jane saw the office in the distance and opened the door. She greeted Darla and began to walk to her office, when Darla stopped her.
“Jane, I have some bad news,” Darla said, holding a paper in her hand.
Jane stopped and looked at her co-worker, wondering what could have possibly gone wrong. She was up to date with all of her licenses as far as she knew, and she was certain that she hadn’t missed an appointment. “What’s wrong?” she asked, trying to look at the paper in Darla’s hands.
“This is a letter from Mayor Wilson,” Darla replied. “It says that the town might not have the money to support the clinic in the coming months.”
“What?” Jane said, taking the letter from her and reading it. “How can this be? This is one of the most successful clinics in the area.”
“I’m not sure,” Darla told her. “I can’t believe that he is thinking about closing us down. A lot of people around here are going to be disappointed. I just don’t understand.”
“We haven’t had any complaints or anything, have we?” Jane inquired, trying to think back on even one occasion that might have affected the mayor’s decisions.
“Not to my knowledge,” Darla said. “Maybe, you can set-up a meeting with him or something. This doesn’t sound like something that he would do without any reasoning.”
“That might be something that I have to do,” Jane sighed, giving the letter back to Darla. She forced a smile and started off towards her office for the second time.
Just as she was opening the door to the hallway, the front door of the clinic opened, and she heard her name being called. Jane looked around, irritated. She was already disappointed about the letter, and now, she was behind in her appointments. Jane heard her name again and found herself face-to-face with Martha Wilson. “How can I help you?” Jane sighed, trying to keep her composure.
“That’s not the way to talk to one of the town’s most influential people,” Martha told her with a smile. “I’ll let it pass for now, but don’t make it a habit.”
Jane closed her eyes, trying to hold back the words that she wanted to say in response to the woman’s arrogance, and when she thought that she had herself under control, she opened them, looking straight into the woman’s eyes. “How can I help you, Ms. Wilson?” Jane inquired once again.
“I thought that you might have a moment to speak with me,” Martha said, directing her attention towards the hallway that led to Jane’s office.
“I’m quite busy today,” Jane told her, hoping that she would leave.
“Well, I can understand that,” Martha said. “I’ll just let my father know that you were too busy to talk to
me when I reached out to you.”
“Your father?” Jane questioned. “What does he have to do with this?”
“Didn’t you get the letter from the city?” Martha asked. “I’m sure that you did by the look on your face.”
“You had something to do with that?” Jane stated, feeling her face grow into a grimace “Why? The clinic helps so many people. Why would you do that?”
“Again, I came here to talk to you,” Martha reiterated. “If we could have this conversation in your office, it would be appreciated.”
Jane sighed and waved Martha towards the hallway that led to her office. She didn’t know what this was about, but she wasn’t happy that the other woman was the one that was threatening her business. Jane entered the office and waited for Martha to follow and then closed the door. “So, what is all of this about?”
“Blake,” Martha said with a smirk on her face. “I heard that you two have gotten closer, and I am not happy about that. I think that you should break things off with her. I was here first, and Blake is mine.”
“Aren’t you dating Jack?” Jane asked, looking at the irritating woman.
“Jack and I are just friends,” Martha replied. “Besides, I have moved on from that situation. She wanted to have a relationship, and I am not really into that idea.”
“So, you want me to stop seeing Blake so that you can keep her at your beck and call, but you don’t want anything serious?” Jane inquired, looking at the other woman to see if she would admit to the selfish intent.
“Yes,” Martha said without blinking. “I was here first. Blake is mine.”
“She’s not property,” Jane laughed, hoping the other woman would see how ludicrous her proposition was. “Don’t you think that she deserves to be happy?”
“She was happy before you, and I was happy with the relationship that her and I had,” Martha said. “Now, she sees something with you, and she’s not there when I need her. I don’t think that is fair.”
The Heart of the Rodeo Page 7
