Flashpoint, page 5
part #8 of Commitment Series
"What kind of things has she said?" Billie asked.
"Just that she acts kind of weird."
"Weird? You're making me nervous here, Jen. Weird, in what ways?"
"Karissa says she kind of acts like a boyfriend would act. You know, she holds hands with Tara, and rubs her back sometimes, but then Karissa also says she's seen Kelly do that to other girls as well, so she's either a cheat…or that's just the way she is with everyone."
"Seth made a comment to Tara at dinner last night when we were talking about our vacation. He said it might be good for her to take a break from Kelly for a while. Tara was kind of upset that we wouldn't take Kelly on the trip with us."
"Maybe it would be good for them to be apart for a while," Jen suggested.
Billie lowered her face into her hands. "How I wish we could just wave a magic wand and bypass the teenage years. Being the parents of teenagers is not for sissies."
"Don't I know it?" Jen said.
"Cat is really worried about her. She doesn't want her to be gay."
"Seriously? How can she say that when she's gay herself? Isn't she being a little hypocritical?" Jen asked.
"Apparently, as a young adult, Cat had some traumatic encounters and negative treatment—primarily in school and in her church. She doesn't want that for Tara…or for any of the kids for that matter."
Jen nodded. "I can understand that. Have you talked to Tara about it?"
"Not yet. We plan to speak to her while we're on vacation."
"Do you want me to ask Karissa if she's noticed anything?" Jen asked.
Billie sat back and sighed while she cupped her coffee cup between her hands on the table. "As tempting as that is, maybe you shouldn't. Heck, we don't even know yet if Tara leans that way. As I pointed out to Cat last night, Tara may not even know yet. I don't want Tara to think we're talking to her friends behind her back."
Jen reached across the table and wrapped her hands around Billie's. "I understand. But know that I am here for you…and so is Fred. If you need to talk, you know where to find us."
Billie smiled. "We love you, Jen. I hope you realize that."
"Ditto, Big Guy. Ditto."
***
Billie grabbed the newspaper from the mailbox on the way into the house after her run. She threw it on the table and then set up a cup of coffee to brew. While she waited, she perused the news but found nothing of interest, so she set the paper aside in favor of the research material she had printed out the previous day. She was specifically interested in the package of information on Yellowstone National Park.
She sat at the table and spread out the information on Yellowstone, organized into piles…one for general campground information, one for park amenities and highlights, and one for activities. One activity item in particular, caught her eye.
"What's this? Hey, cool!" Billie uncovered information on the Junior Ranger program. "Sky will love this!"
"Sky will love what?" asked a voice from the living room doorway.
Billie turned around in time to see Cat enter the kitchen. A rush of heat and overwhelming emotion filled her chest at the sight of her wife. Billie had long believed Cat to be an amazingly beautiful woman…slight in stature, with golden-red hair cut in a pixie style, piercing green eyes, and perfect curves, but the first thing in the morning, when Cat's guard was down and her hair was messy and her eyes still droopy with sleep, was when Billie thought she was the most sexy.
Cat walked directly to where Billie was sitting and planted herself on Billie's lap. Billie wrapped her arms around Cat's supple body and held her close. "Good morning, my love," she said into Cat's neck. "How did you sleep?"
"I've had better nights. What are you looking at?" Cat asked.
"I was just looking over some of this information on Yellowstone." Billie picked up a sheet of paper she thought would particularly interest Cat. "Look. They offer a Junior Ranger Program. Skylar's the perfect age for it. Why don't you read it out-loud while I fix us each a coffee?"
"Okay."
Cat stood and allowed Billie to get up, then sat in the same chair she vacated.
"Two coffees coming up. I'll be right back." Billie kissed Cat's cheek and then went to fetch the coffee.
"Listen to this: 'Yellowstone National Park has a Junior Ranger Program for children ages 5 - 12. Children are introduced to the natural wonders of Yellowstone and their role in preserving the park and the environment for the future. Participants receive an official Yellowstone Junior Ranger vest and patch featuring a stylized bear track. Requirements include attending a Ranger-led program, hiking on a park trail, and completing activities on geology, park wildlife, and fire ecology.'" Cat read directly from the Internet article. "You're right, Billie, I think Sky will love this."
Billie returned to the table with two cups of coffee. "We'll have to sign her up for it as soon as we get there. It looks like it may be a week-long program," Billie said.
Cat sipped her coffee. "Hmm, this is good. Thank you, love."
"It's kind of hard to screw up coffee pods," Billie joked. "I'm glad you're enjoying it."
"I am. Have you found any details yet on the camping facilities?" Cat asked.
Billie looked at Cat and noticed how tired she looked. "The research can wait. I want my chair back…up with you."
Cat stood and surrendered the seat to Billie, and then reclaimed the space on Billie's lap.
"That's more like it." Billie wrapped both arms around Cat. "How are you feeling this morning?" she asked.
"Tired, but okay," Cat answered. "Thanks for listening last night."
"You know you can talk to me at any time about anything, right?" Billie asked.
Cat nodded and then placed a kiss on the end of Billie's nose. "I know I can. Thank you, my love," she said.
"Why don't you finish your coffee and then go back to bed. I'll keep the kids quiet so you can sleep as long as you want," Billie offered.
"No, I'm up now. I'll be all right, sweetheart—that is, after I put away at least two more cups of coffee. I see by the styrofoam coffee cup that you stopped on your way home from your run," Cat mentioned.
"Yeah, it's become a ritual for Jen and me," Billie replied.
Cat rose from Billie's lap and made herself a second cup of coffee. "How is Miss Jennifer this morning?"
"Jen's fine. We talked a bit about the trip," Billie explained.
"Speaking of which, what does Yellowstone have to offer for campsites?" Cat asked.
Billie picked up the pile containing general campground information. "It says here that there are twelve campgrounds within the boundaries of the park, most of which are on a first come, first serve basis. Apparently a lot of people drive through and camp just for a night or two. The campgrounds are intended mostly for RV's but there are cabins in some of them."
"Maybe we should make reservations before all of the cabins are taken for the week we plan to go," Cat suggested.
"Probably," Billie began, "but I'm not sure the campgrounds are what we are looking for."
Cat retrieved her coffee cup from the brewer and returned to the table to look over Billie's shoulder. "What do you mean?"
"It says here that in addition to the campgrounds, there are frontier type pioneer cabins in an area they call the 'backcountry'. That actually sounds more intriguing than staying in a campground," Billie explained.
Cat placed her hand on Billie's shoulder. "Okay, stop right there. Didn't you say you wanted all the comforts of home on this camping trip? A frontier pioneer cabin doesn't exactly sound like a four-star hotel. I'll bet there are no facilities, no water, no electricity and maybe not even a bathroom," she warned. "By the way, do you want a fresh cup of coffee?" she asked.
"Oh, yes. Thanks, love," Billie handed the styrofoam cup over her shoulder to Cat who took it to the counter for a refill. "Look, Cat. I know I was adamant about camping in luxury, but after reading this material, I'm pretty excited about staying in one of these cabins. Listen to the description: 'Located in remote parts of the park, the cabins are accessible only by foot and horseback. Each cabin is rectangular in the "Rocky Mountain" style with a covered porch. The roofs are cedar shingles, but were originally sod. Floors were originally dirt, but have been replaced with concrete. Cabins are one or two rooms incorporating sleeping, cooking and work areas. Cabins have both wood heat and cooking stoves. Interior furnishings are typically sparse and include bunk beds, bookcases, table, and many have desks.' Doesn't that sound cool?" Billie asked.
"Only accessible by foot or on horseback?" Cat asked incredulously. "Sounds like total isolation to me. We'll have to rent horses and ride them anywhere we want to go. Maybe it's a good thing that Jen and her family won't be joining us," Cat chuckled.
"Total isolation sounds pretty good after what we've been through this summer. Being away from the hordes for some much needed family time may be just what the doctor ordered. So, what do you think?" Billie hoped Cat would be as excited about it as she was.
Cat carried Billie's coffee to the table and set it in front of her. She then rested her upper body on her elbows, directly in front of Billie. "I think you've lost your mind, my love, but I have to admit, it does sound kind of fun. It could be a real learning opportunity for teaching the kids self reliance," she added.
A wide smile split Billie's face as Cat agreed with her plan. "We have a ton of planning to do. We'll need a separate suitcase just for pots and pans, dishes, survival gear and what not. Oh, and we'll all have to pack light. As it is, we may need to drag a litter behind a horse to carry all our luggage and supplies."
Billie jumped to her feet and ran out of the kitchen. She returned within seconds with a pen and paper to begin making her list. "This is going to be so cool!" she exclaimed again as she sat down and totally absorbed herself in planning their back-to-nature trip.
A warm fuzzy feeling filled the pit of Cat's stomach. She was thoroughly enjoying the excitement radiating from her wife. This was going to be one memorable vacation.
CHAPTER 6
Tara lay across her bed on her back, with her head hanging off the side so that she had an upside-down view of her room—including her friend, Kelly. "You won't believe what my mother has planned for our camping vacation."
"Yeah? What's that?" Kelly pulled her T-shirt off over her head.
Tara's eyes nearly popped out of her face at Kelly's boldness.
"Tara? Tara?" Kelly asked.
"Huh?" Tara stammered as her attention was drawn back to the moment.
"You were saying something about your mom's plan for your camping trip," Kelly reminded her.
"Oh, yeah! Well, for starters, we're going to live like hermits for a week," Tara replied sarcastically. She watched Kelly's shirt hit the floor.
"Sounds like fun. My dad and I have been camping before with nothing but a tent. We had to live off the land for nearly a week. It's amazing how you can survive with the ordinary things you can find in nature when you have to." Kelly began to search through Tara's closet.
Tara sat up quickly in the middle of her bed and crossed her legs in front of her. "You don't understand, Kel. We're talking about my Mom here. Your dad is a Marine. He's had survival training. My mom can't even boil water. Thank God Ma can cook. We went tent camping a few years back and it as horrible. We all got poison ivy. It rained cats and dogs. A bear attacked our campsite and ate all our food, and to top it all off, Seth and Stevie burned their tent down with fireworks. It was the worse camping trip ever."
"Well it still sounds like fun. I wouldn't mind going myself," Kelly said.
"I wish you could go too. I asked my parents if you could come along, but they want this to be just our immediate family," Tara explained.
"Well, I guess that makes sense." Kelly held a sweater in front of her and she admired herself in the mirror. "So, what exactly does living like hermits mean?" she asked.
"Mom has it in her head that it'll be fun to stay in an old pioneer cabin with no electricity or water. We'll have to use oil lamps for light and a wood stove for cooking. There won't even be a bathroom! Can you believe it?" Tara asked.
"I'm sure there'll be an outhouse." Kelly pulled the sweater over her head and modeled it in front of her friend. "Whadda ya think?" she asked.
"It looks better on you than it does on me," Tara replied and then quickly turned the subject back to the family camping trip. "I don't know how I'm going to take a bath with no running water."
"You can bathe in the lake, or maybe there's a well where you can pump water into a big tub. It really does sound like fun, Tara," Kelly offered.
Kelly reached for the hem of the sweater and pulled it off over her head. She placed it neatly back on the hanger before she returned it to the closet and reached for another.
Tara watched her friend disrobe with interest. She was especially intrigued by the way Kelly's tanned abdomen was accentuated when she lifted her arms over her head to remove the sweater. There was very little Tara didn’t like about Kelly's looks: blue eyes, short, boy-cut, dirty blond hair, athletic build, and a swagger that screamed confidence. She was also quite enthralled with Kelly's nonchalant attitude about undressing in front of her.
Tara cleared her throat. "Anyway, she wants us to live in this cabin with no electricity, no water and no bathroom…and it's so far away from everything that we'll have to ride in and out on horseback. We won't have the internet either, and probably no cell signal, so our phones won't even work. Sometimes I wonder what she's smoking."
Kelly drew another sweater over her head and pulled it down snugly around her waist. "Stop complaining, Tara. I wouldn't mind spending a week in a rustic old cabin. Where's your sense of adventure?"
"I left it at Happy Trails Campground a few years ago."
"How about this one?" Kelly asked. She modeled the sweater back and forth across the room. "I think it's a little tight."
Tara climbed off the bed and approached her friend. She eyed Kelly closely. "You're right. It's way too small. Turn around and let me look at the tag."
Kelly turned round and waited patiently while Tara turned the collar down to see the tag. "Well that explains it. This is Skylar's sweater."
"Really?" Kelly asked. "Well then, maybe I should take it off." Kelly grabbed the hem and struggled to pull the sweater up and over her shoulders.
"Here, let me help," Tara offered. Tara reached for the hem and with Kelly's help, managed to pull it up to her friend's neck.
Just then, the door to Tara's room opened and Cat walked in.
"Tare, is Kelly staying for lunch?" Cat stopped dead in her tracks. There before her were Tara and Kelly, both of whom were removing Kelly's shirt, leaving Kelly bare to the waist except for her lacy white bra.
"Ah...ah...," Cat stammered.
Kelly and Tara looked at each other, and then at Cat before they finally managed to remove the sweater.
"I think this is Sky's," Kelly said. She handed the sweater to Tara, quickly grabbed her own T-shirt and pulled it over her head.
Stunned into silence, Cat just looked at the sweater then back at Tara.
"It was in my closet, Ma. I don't know how it got in there. Kelly was just trying on my things," Tara admitted.
"Lunch?" Cat suddenly remembered why she was there.
"Sure," the two teenage girls replied together. They giggled and blushed when their eyes met.
"Lunch," Cat said again. She backed out of the room and pulled the door closed behind her. Cat stood in the hallway and stared blankly at Tara's door. She barely remembered the conversation inside the room. Her mind simply registered what she had seen. "Billie!" she yelled, and ran toward the stairs to the first story.
Tara and Kelly stood inside the door and stared dumbfounded at each other as they simultaneously realized what Cat thought she saw.
"Oh shit!" Tara said out loud. A shocked expression graced her features.
"Oh shit, indeed." Kelly grinned ear to ear.
***
"Wow! This vacation sounds like fun," Seth shoved the last bite of sandwich into his mouth. "I kind of like the idea of camping in the wilderness...all alone, no crowds, no noise...just peace and quiet."
"You don't mind that we won't have electricity or running water?" Billie asked.
"Heck no! It'll be cool to live like the pioneers did."
"Being in the wilderness probably also means your cell phones will have no signal," Billie pointed out.
Seth frowned, but then shrugged it off. "I won't deny I'll miss my devices, but heck, it's only for a week—right?" Seth looked at his watch.
"Do you have to work this afternoon?"
"Yeah. I gotta be there in about an hour."
"You did secure the time off for this trip, right?" Billie asked hopefully.
"Sure did. I can't wait. I'm looking forward to a break from bagging groceries." Seth gulped down the rest of his milk.
"Good. Speaking of groceries, I need to put together a shopping list for our trip." Billie tore a sheet of paper from the memo pad hanging near the phone.
"Sheesh, Mom. Chill! We're not leaving for two weeks yet!"
"It never hurts to be prepared," Billie said in her own defense. "Now let's see...bread, canned soups, jerky..."
"Billie! Oh, my God!" Cat scurried down the stairs, through the living room and into the kitchen. She stopped short when she saw that her wife was not alone.
Billie jumped to her feet. The tone of Cat's voice struck fear in Billie's chest. "What is it Cat?" she asked quickly.
Cat looked back and forth between Billie and Seth as though debating with herself about what to say in front of her son.
Billie looked at Seth. "Scout, could you give us a moment?"
Seth began to rise to his feet, but Cat stopped him. "No, stay right here. You probably know more about this than we do."
Billie took Cat by the shoulders. "Sweetheart, what is it?"
