a 241 a "There's only one way you'll know, Sarah. Ask her. That way you'll have a clear head, and even if it's bad news, and it may be, you'll know which way the flag's blowing."

"The flag's blowing? Just ask? My brain freezes up every time I even think of talking to her. I suppose you're right. I'll never know if I don't ask."

a 242 a

ChAPTER TWENTy-EighT.

A cold wind blew snow across Sarah's headlights as she pulled into Annie's driveway just as it had the first night she had driven Annie home from the airport. It felt like a thousand days ago.

She turned the car off, leaning back for a moment. If Annie refuses to live in fear, what's wrong with me? All I have to do is ask.

Stepping into the kitchen, she saw Annie bending over the oven, her cute little bottom up in the air. "Honey, I'm home," Sarah said.

"What did you say?"

"I said, honey, I'm home," Sarah repeated, hanging her coat on the hook beside the door. A spicy aroma tickled her nose. "Is that enchiladas I smell?" Sarah asked, starting for the stove, but Annie stepped in front of her, oven mitts on both hands and dish towel over her shoulder.

"Did you forget something?"

"Just following my nose," Sarah said, taking another breath, but Annie stood fast.

"Pay the cook first, and then you get fed."

Sarah dropped her hands to Annie's hips and backed her into the wall, planting every bit of herself onto each piece of Annie that she could touch. She kissed her mouth hard and put her hands up under the bright yellow sweatshirt, groaning softly at the feel of skin. Annie kissed her back and put her gloved hands on Sarah's shoulders. Sarah finally pulled back.

"I can't move." Annie let her head fall back. "Guess I asked for that, but give me a moment here."

a 243 a "I've been thinking of this since the moment I left," Sarah whispered into her ear.

Annie moved, taking one of Sarah's hands in her oven mitt, pulling her past the table and to the carpeting. Oven mitts fell to the floor as hands jerked her shirt out of her pants and fingers undid her bra.

"Annie, just a minute..." Sarah said and then groaned as warm hands covered her breasts, teasing the nipples. Then Annie began to tickle her. Both of them laughing, they slowly slid to the floor, Annie on top, and finally, when there were no more buttons, zippers, snaps, or clothes, Annie kissed her, hands everywhere.

"I want you, now," Annie muttered, biting Sarah's ear, moving down her shoulder with tiny nips. She began to tickle her again.

Sarah's mind blurred, somewhere between laughter and raw desire. She somehow got Annie's sweatshirt off, then started working on the jeans with shaking hands just as Annie's fingers slid inside her. She almost went over the edge and grabbed Annie's hand.

"Wait, wait...just a minute, let's do this together," Sarah said, getting Annie's jeans off and pulling the warm body onto her.

Annie was almost panting. "Hurry, I'm ready," she said as Sarah's fingers slipped inside, and somehow they managed to come together.

"Sweet mother, Annie." Sarah was Jell-O. "Sex and tickling. On the floor?"

Annie rolled over, pulling Sarah on top and looked up into her face, eyes wet, almost gray. "Don't move."

Sarah's head fell onto Annie's shoulder. "I couldn't move if I wanted to. Where did that come from?"

"I'm just waking up," Annie said, wrapping her legs around Sarah.

"I'm cold," Sarah said.

"Then I'll just have to warm you up again."

"Here," Sarah said, bracing her back against the wall and pulling Annie into her lap. "You keep surprising me, sneaking up on me. You know I won't stop." She ruffled the brown-gold hair.

"Please don't stop." Annie's breath was warm on Sarah's skin.

"We'll starve to death together. They'll find our bones."

"I don't care. They can have my bones. Besides, we're not going to starve. We're only a few feet from a huge meal. I have to feed you, keep your strength up."

a 244 a Sarah's stomach rumbled at the mention of food, and they started to sort through the clothing strewn around.

"See what I've cooked for you. Although it might be a little cold now." Annie pulled Sarah up, gesturing at the table. Tex-Mex chicken enchiladas, refried beans with Annie's dad's hot sauce, and more.

"This is beyond astonishing," Sarah said, popping the cap off a beer. She watched Annie pull her sweatshirt over bare breasts and drew a shaky breath.

Annie propped her elbows on the table and put her chin in her hands, trying for a smile but ending up with a kind of dreamy look on her face.

Sarah took a bite and closed her eyes. "Wonderful."

Annie beamed as she put food on her plate, avoiding her dad's hot sauce. They talked between bites of food, hunger trumping polite eating.

"Did you finish up at work?" Annie asked. "And what does that mean in your world?"

"It means we tie up all the loose ends, and that probably will take a while. It's so complicated. Don coordinates the two cases."

"What about the Web site?" Annie asked.

"From now on that will be handled by the New York office as they continue to coordinate with other foreign agencies. They'll keep Don in the loop, but you are officially off the radar as of this afternoon, thank God. We both have to give formal statements tomorrow, but that's all."

"Am I allowed to say that you catch bullets with your teeth?"

"Only if I can say you leapt buildings in a single bound." They looked at one another across the table. Sarah gathered her courage.

"Annie, are you going back there?"

"Why?"

"No fair answering a question with a question."

"I thought we could talk about that tonight," Annie said tentatively.

Sarah's heart hammered in her chest, watching Annie's face.

Annie moved to Sarah's lap again, snuggling into her, kissing her face, her eyes, and her mouth. "You've made me feel. That hasn't happened in a long time, but I've never felt like this." She kissed Sarah again, slowly and thoroughly. "You said that I was unexpected. Believe me, Sarah, I didn't expect you either. Or to care. Not like this." She took a 245 a a deep breath. "So, to answer your question, the answer is no. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I know what I'm not going to do. I spoke with Bill Simpson after you left today and asked for an extended leave. I have so much vacation that I could be off a year and still get paid."

Sarah put her mouth by Annie's ear. "Want to run away with me?"

"Do you mean that?" Weeks of emotion seemed to slam into Annie, and she leaned back, tears in her eyes. "Where?"

"I mean it, and anywhere you want to go. Like you, I have a mountain of time available, and I got approval today, before I came home. I'm officially off duty for quite a while."

"I don't care where we go, as long as we're together."

"Okay, I know you're probably all traveled out, but I've never seen the Pacific Northwest. Have you been there?"

"Just on business, never for pleasure. What are the chances of that, as much as I've traveled in the last ten years?"

They talked about going to Sarah's home in Arizona. Sarah suggested driving Annie's car, as long as she could drive, of course, making Annie laugh.

"Let's turn the hot tub on and have another beer in there."

"Hot tub?"

"The one in my bathroom."

"Ah, the secret door?" Annie nodded. "Go start the tub, Annie, I'll take care of the dishes."

v Annie hummed all the way into the bathroom. She touched the panel and the walls receded, opening to two large panes of glass that revealed the backyard, down to the lake. Lights twinkled in the clear cold winter night, and she gave a small sigh of happiness. She turned the tub on and then music. Sarah walked in with the beer just as Annie took the last of her clothes off.

The candles cast soft lights and a faint fragrance around the room as Sarah sank into the water with a sigh. Looking out the window, Sarah could see the whole yard, the lake, and a tiny trace of moon.

a 246 a Sarah cleared her throat. "All right, I just have one more question.

Rebecca. Why do you call her Slider?"

Annie started to laugh and told her about her high school softball team that made it to the state tournament. "It was the bottom of the ninth, I'm on second and Rebecca's on first, two out." Annie imitated an announcer's voice. "We're down a run and Rebecca's the one with wheels. The coach gave her the sign to steal. Rebecca looks down the baseline at me, fear all over her face. She had never stolen a base in her life." Annie laughed harder, shaking her head. "I'm trying to be encouraging, but laughing, nodding at her, something like, ac'mon, you can do it.' Rebecca's shaking her head at me like, ano, I can't.' So the pitch goes and we go. I made it to third and looked back. Rebecca's lying in the dirt, a good two feet away from the base." Annie was laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes.

"Did she fall down?"

"No, but she wished she had, oh Lord," Annie said. "She tried to slide, but she just stopped in the dirt, two feet off the bag. Their second baseman caught the ball and just walked over, tagging her out.

Needless to say, we lost." Annie ducked her head in the water, washing the tears off her face. "Poor Rebecca, there are people out there today, myself included, that still call her Slider, and honestly, she's a good sport about it. Well, sometimes."

"Great story, and I promise never to tease her about it." Sarah tipped her beer back for a drink. "I meant to tell you, they talked to your friend, the English journalist."

"Really? I haven't heard a thing from her. She was very good to me. Thanks for following up."

Sarah looked at the clock just as Annie yawned. "Ready for bed?"

v Annie gave her a look and crawled out, snuffing candles and turning off dials. She left wearing only her smile, and Sarah's eyes gobbled her up. I'm going to drool, she thought, and let her head fall forward. She lifted her head just in time to be hit in the face by a towel, laughter trailing from the bedroom.

a 247 a "I'll shut the house down." Annie's voice floated in, along with a scent that made Sarah close her eyes. Annie's perfume.

Sarah walked into the bedroom toweling off as Annie came in wearing absolutely nothing but the painting she was carrying. Annie held it, diagonally, across herself. Upside down. She saw Annie's right breast and left leg.

"You look like a Picasso nude," Sarah said.

Annie was staring into space, not listening. She put the painting down, still upside down.

"Hey, I'm upside down."

"What?" Annie said.

Sarah pointed at the painting. "I'm upside down."

"Oh." Annie giggled and righted it. "I just had the best idea. I don't have to go to the MidEast to report on the war. I can do a series right here, in America. Look what's happened to me, to us. The split in our country, the changes, the possibility of another attack. You could be my inside source and-"

"Oh no," Sarah said, holding out her hand. "Come here."

Laughing, she leapt on Sarah, knocking her back on the bed.

"When I finish that painting, where would you like me to hang it?"

"Right in here so every night when you go to bed, you have to look at it and think of me."

Annie propped herself on an elbow, looking down at Sarah. "Don't you mean, when we go to bed, we have to look at it?"

Sarah looked at the soft skin covering firm muscles, and put her hand on a hip, rubbing softly. "Yes. That's exactly what I mean."

a 248 a

about the author.

Born and raised in the Midwest, C.P. Rowlands attended college in Iowa and lived in the Southwest and on the West Coast before returning to Wisconsin. She is an artist in addition to having worked in radio, sales, and various other jobs. She has two children, two grandchildren, a cat, and an incredible partner of nineteen years. It's a very good life.

Books available from Bold strokes Books truelesbianlove.com by Carsen Taite. Mackenzie Lewis and Dr.

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