Ready for Love (10 page)

“Kylie, I didn’t spend all those days taking care of you when you were young not to know when you are troubled by something.”

Kylie blew out a breath. Her mother was right. Granny was as sharp as she ever was. “I’m in a quandary, Granny.”

“Thought so. What’s got you so confused?”

“Why do you think I’m confused?”

“Kylie, I can see it in your face. You’ve got that line-between-your-eyes thing going on. Now out with it.”

“I kissed someone and I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“Kissing is a good thing, and I highly recommend it. So why are you confused?”

Kylie sucked in a breath. She could see only love and kindness in her granny’s face. “Because I kissed a woman.”

Her Granny laughed. “Child, do you remember Rosie who lived with me after your grandfather died?”

“Yes. She always told me she was my other granny. What about her?”

Granny chuckled. “We did a lot of
kissin
’.”

Kylie’s eyes widened. “You and she were lovers?”

“Everyone, even your parents, thought she was my companion and nothing more—still do—but she was much more than that.” She sighed, and sadness filled her eyes. “Rosie’s been gone for a year now, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss her.”

“Oh, Granny, I remember how distraught you were when she passed.” Kylie smiled at her granny and spread out her arms. “This is me giving you a big hug.”

“Thank you. I want you to know you are not alone.”

“What should I do? She doesn’t want me.”

“Does she know how you feel?”

“I kissed her.”

“But did you tell her?”

“No.”

“Child, Rosie and I danced around the issue for years until one day I told her that I loved her like a man loves a woman. I was amazed to find out that she had the same feelings for me.”

“I wish it were that easy. This is complicated.”

“Life is complicated, Kylie. If you don’t take any chances, the best parts of it will pass you by.”

“I know you’re right, but still I don’t know what to do.”

“You’ll know. I suspect you already do.”

“Yes, I do. Thank you for talking to me and trusting me.”

“I will be here for you as a sounding board whenever you need me, child.”

“I know. Good night, Granny. I love you. Sweet dreams.” Kylie blew a kiss, and her granny caught it just as she did every time they spoke.

“I love you too, my sweet girl. Good night.”

Kylie watched as the image of her granny disappeared, and for the first time since kissing LJ, she felt a sense of peace.

Chapter Ten

At six a.m. as she did every weekday, LJ arrived at work on Monday. Max, along with the work in the field, had been just the tonic she needed. Her mind wandered back to the night she spent with Max. It had been exhilarating and terrifying at the same time, since every time she’d looked at Max, she’d seen Kylie. Now in a few hours she would have to face the woman whose kiss still lingered in her memory.

She’d had time at the dig on the weekend to bring things into perspective, and for the moment, her cool exterior was back in place. She resolved not to allow her emotions to rule her mind or body. She would conduct herself in a businesslike manner, starting with making no mention of the previous Friday night. She brushed her lips and closed her eyes. But how could she forget? Kissing Kylie was exactly what she’d wanted to do from the first moment she’d seen the woman.

“Forget it. You aren’t doing yourself or her any favors by dwelling on what happened. It’s over and done with.”

With her coffee in hand, she entered the workroom, looking for other clues that might lead to what the curious glyph meant. Finding the piece that Kylie was working on last Friday, LJ put on her gloves and inspected it. She immediately recognized why Kylie had had a problem. Then she began picking up various photos and scrutinized them, trying to find something that looked similar to the glyph or to the fragments she was putting together.

Over the weekend with the students and volunteers, LJ realized she hadn’t taken enough time to teach Kylie about the purpose behind the work she was doing. Sure, on occasions she would talk to her about the Wari’ or give her suggestions on improving her work, but she hadn’t done any real mentoring. Kylie had taken a few undergraduate courses, but years had passed since she’d actually had any hands-on experience. LJ resolved to act like the educator she had been trained to be and began studying the artifacts to see what she could teach Kylie about them.

A thought forced its way past her defenses, and she shivered.
What if Kylie quits?
LJ couldn’t believe how devastated the idea made her feel. Not paying attention to anything but the piece in front of her, she swallowed hard and tried not to focus on the panic that filled her mind.

†

Standing at the door to the museum, Kylie debated whether to go inside or not. Just thinking about her actions on Friday night made her blush. The feel of LJ’s kiss was still fresh in her mind.
So soft…stop it!
How could she ever face LJ again?
What a fool I was.
She sighed deeply.

Her granny’s words ricocheted in her mind, and she knew she had two choices—quit or stay. In her heart, she knew if she quit now, she’d spend the rest of her life regretting the action. This was her brass ring, and thanks to her granny’s advice, she knew reaching out and grabbing it was her only option. After sucking in a breath, Kylie opened the door.

Once inside, she quickly hung up her jacket in her locker and went to the workroom, where she had been piecing together what looked like a plate. If she kept a low profile, maybe LJ wouldn’t see her or her embarrassment. No such luck. LJ was standing at her worktable.
Shit, can this day get any better?
She coughed slightly and flushed in embarrassment as LJ turned in her direction.

“Good morning. I…I didn’t expect to see you in here this early. You usually don’t come in here until lunchtime.” Kylie avoided looking at LJ as she went straight to her current project. She began working immediately, desperately trying to ignore the woman’s presence or her gaze.

LJ moved to where she was sitting. “Is this the piece you had trouble with on Friday?” she asked softly.

“Yes, it seems to be missing some parts.” Kylie still avoided looking at her blue eyes. It would be her undoing.

LJ picked up a pencil and started to sketch something on a pad of paper on the table. “It’s supposed to look something like this. You have to look beyond what you think you see to what is. It is kind of like looking outside the box. If you haven’t any preconceived ideas of what it is and just look at the parts for what they are—parts—then you may have an easier time of it. From what I can see, there isn’t enough here to make a complete piece. It looks to be some sort of plate or tray. Why don’t you try to form something that resembles this and then see what you need? It is not often that we can find all the pieces like you did on some of the other artifacts.”

LJ was too close to her. The bitter disappointment and embarrassment of Friday was still fresh in Kylie’s mind.
I won’t be doing that again anytime soon.
“I see. I will try that. Thank you.” She kept her head down, refusing to look directly at LJ.

LJ put the fragile fragments down and moved to another area. “When you are done with that, I want you to look over here and see what you can do.”

Kylie could feel LJ’s eyes on her and nodded in acknowledgement. “Okay, I’ll do that. Anything else?”

“No.” LJ started for the door. “Keep up the good work.”

“Thank you.” Only when she heard LJ’s footsteps fading did Kylie look up to see the back of the woman disappear out the doorway.
What just happened?
She was acting as though Friday never happened.
Kylie shrugged and raised her eyebrows. “So was I,” she murmured. Kylie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to get a handle on the recent occurrence. “If I try to figure it out it will drive me mad.” With a shake of her head, she looked at the artifact, and it wasn’t long before she became lost trying to visualize the object LJ had described.

When LJ returned with lunch at noon, Kylie’s stomach roiled, and it had nothing to do with being hungry.

“How’s it going?” LJ put the lunch bag on the now-customary stool.

“I did what you suggested, and it is taking shape.” Kylie lifted the object.

LJ gave her a rare smile, then took a step closer to her, and Kylie closed her eyes, relishing in the pleasure the simple move gave her.

“Well done. It all has to do with perspective and expectations.”

“I can see that now.” Kylie wondered if LJ knew she made an analogy for the events of Friday night or if it was a coincidence. “Would you like to share the turkey wrap with me?”

LJ moved around the table and pointed to one of the artifacts. “Remember that I want you to work on this one next.”

Kylie nodded and looked away. “I remember.” As hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep the disappointment out of her voice at LJ’s non-answer.

Kylie then realized LJ might be just as uncomfortable as she was about the kiss.
This is her way of distancing herself from the incident and me.
Whether or not LJ was really doing that, Kylie could live with that plan. She too needed to feel a sense of detachment regarding LJ, just as she suspected LJ needed to feel that from her. Or so she thought until she touched her lips.

“Okay. Keep up the good work.”

After LJ left the room, Kylie let out the breath she’d been holding and began to tremble. Being that close to LJ made her feel things she wasn’t ready to acknowledge. Or had she? Wasn’t that what she and her granny had spoken about? “Maybe I should talk to Granny again.”

†

The next month was intense for LJ. Kylie restored more pieces of pottery on which the unknown glyph appeared partially and sometimes fully. The number of pieces intensified LJ’s need to discover the glyph’s meaning, which required her to spend the morning mentoring and working alongside Kylie in the resurrection of the artifacts.

“Maybe you should hire a few more people,” Kylie said.

“I wouldn’t have to hire anyone. I can always get some graduate students from the university to come in several days a week.” She shook her head. “But what we are doing is far too important to trust the restorations with them. You are the only one I feel comfortable with doing this job.”

Kylie blushed, and LJ thought it was cute. Kylie motioned to the multitude of artifact pieces waiting for attention. “Surely others can work on some of these. Otherwise it will take years.”

LJ put down what she was doing. “You’re forgetting one of the basic tenets of archaeology—patience.” She fixed Kylie with an intense gaze, and not for the first time warmth spread throughout her body. “We will get there.”

“Not if all of them are as difficult as the one I’m working on now.”

LJ got up and went around the table to stand next to Kylie. When she leaned in to look at what she was doing, the closeness overwhelmed her. A month earlier, she would have denied her feelings by turning and running away. Now, just being that close to Kylie was exhilarating. It was a feeling that she could not deny or give up.

“Let’s see what you’ve got.”

“Do you see this part here with the rounded edge and the indentation?”

“Yes.” LJ inhaled the fresh, clean scent she now associated with Kylie. She couldn’t identify what it was, but it was intoxicating.

“It makes no sense. Even if I try to envision this as something other than what it looks like—a plate—I see no place that it belongs.”

LJ rested her hand on Kylie’s shoulder as she leaned in to take a closer look through the magnifying glass. When Kylie trembled beneath her touch, she removed her hand. “This is a prime example of why I don’t want anyone else working here. It does not belong to this piece. Some idiot wasn’t meticulous. That’s what happens when I let….” She waved her hand, realizing what she was about to say about unqualified people could also apply to Kylie’s technical lack of qualifications “I loathe incompetence.”

“Perhaps all that’s needed is a great teacher. I’m so fortunate you took a chance on me, gave me this job and taught me so much over the last months.”

LJ took a step back, needing to remove herself from the tender feelings that were demanding attention.
So much for distancing myself from her.
“You’re doing a great job, Kylie. At times I think
I
am the fortunate one.”

Kylie immediately felt bereft when LJ moved away. Her attraction to LJ had rapidly increased after LJ began spending her mornings in the workroom. LJ did nothing to give away her feelings about the situation though. On many occasions, it was as if she wanted to say something but would immediately school her features. Kylie wished she could read LJ’s mind and know what she was feeling.

Kylie had spoken with her granny three times, trying to figure out all the emotions being around LJ was evoking in her. She recalled the conversation they had the night before on FaceTime.

“Granny, I don’t know what to do.”

“Why, child? It seems to me it should be pretty straightforward.”

“That’s just it…it isn’t. Yes, we kissed, but we dance around it like it never happened.”

“So why haven’t you told her how you feel?”

“Oh, I couldn’t do that. What if she tells me to get lost or fires me?”

Her granny shook her head and smiled. “Do you really think that will happen?”

“I don’t know.”

“You know I went through the same debate with myself when I was trying to figure out how to tell Rosie. I was certain she’d go running for the hills. She didn’t.”

“But LJ isn’t Rosie.” Kylie shrugged. “There are times when I just want to shake her and say, ‘Look at me.’ Other times I hide from her, afraid she’ll see my true feelings.”

Her granny smiled. “You never have been one to hide how you feel. Don’t you think she knows?”

Kylie laughed. “If she does, then I can only come to one conclusion…she’s not interested.”

“Does that mean you should give up?”

“No. Not at all. I just have to get it all figured out, that’s all.”

“If you do what your heart tells you, then you can’t go wrong.”

“Even if she walks away?”

“Is that what your heart is telling you?”

“No.”

“Then listen to your heart, child, and trust in what it says.”

As usual her granny was right. She needed to devise a plan to get LJ to socialize with her, at least. When LJ touched her shoulder, Kylie’s whole body tingled with pleasure, making her want to lean in and ask for more. The time they were spending together was becoming comfortable, and she didn’t want to upset that feeling with unwanted advances. She’d settle for dreaming and fantasizing about LJ in those private moments before falling asleep.

She looked at LJ, who seemed focused on the dilemma of sorting through of pieces. “LJ, would you like to come for dinner tonight? We’re having lasagna.”

LJ looked up. “Sounds fantastic, but I have to pass. The only time I can speak to my colleagues around the world about this glyph is in the evening or early morning.”

“Maybe just for one night you can relax.” Kylie smiled. “Aren’t you the one who tells me to take a step back and return with new eyes?”

A deep, rich laugh filled the room. “That I do, but tonight I’m speaking with Yuri Andropov, who I’ve been playing phone tag with for a week.”

Kylie tried to hide her disappointment and smiled. “Maybe if you can’t do dinner, we could go out for a drink and discuss the next steps in solving the mystery.”