A Baumgartner reunion

“She’ll graduate at the end of this year, won’t she?” I smiled. “We’re not moving until over the summer. She can come stay with us then.” She didn’t say anything, but I could see her thinking about it. “I was just thinking, it would be the perfect arrangement. She could provide childcare for our daughter in exchange for room and board…and she’d be in New York, where she could make connections, get an agent, even get published…”

Carrie put down her coffee cup. “Does she want this?” Did she? I hadn’t asked her. I hadn’t even suggested it to her. But I knew.

I just knew. “Yes.”

“Let me talk to Doc about it, okay?” Carrie got up from the table, deep in thought. She put her cup in the sink and ran water in it, glancing at me. “I’ll let you know.”

I nodded, following her to the sink, putting my plate in. “Are you coming swimming?”

She slid her arm around my waist, pulling me close and kissing me tenderly on the mouth. I gasped at the press of her body, the sweetness of her lips. When she broke the kiss, she hugged me tight.

“I can’t think of anyone I’d trust more with my daughter,” she whispered, and then she was gone, heading upstairs to change. I stood there for a moment, stunned, thinking about the past, but more about the future and the potential it held for us all.

* * * *

“Who is that with Brian?” I asked Carrie as we stood at the bar, waiting for Captain Tony to mix us two fresh strawberry margaritas. She glanced in the direction I was looking and smiled, her eyes narrowing, cat-like.

“That’s Lola!” Captain Tony had to practically yell to be heard over the music, and I turned my attention back to him as he set one of the margaritas on the counter. “She’s my cousin!”

Captain Tony’s cousin Lola was a tall, leggy blonde wearing a skin-tight leopard print dress and boots that came up to mid-thigh. She had herself draped nicely on Brian’s arm and I bristled at the thought of him finding someone again so soon after his treatment of Janie and Liz. I looked at our table and saw them sitting together, their heads, one blonde, one red, bent close. Janie pointed to Brian-she’d obviously seem him-and laughed. I waved to TJ-he was sitting on the other side of Janie. Henry got up and pulled Liz out on the dance floor as I watched. Doc and Gretchen were already out there.

“Lola likes the pretty boys,” Captain Tony said with a wink, putting another strawberry margarita on the bar next to the first.

“I’m sure he’ll be very photogenic.” Carrie laughed, picking up her drink and taking a sip. She winked back at Captain Tony. “I owe you one.” Captain Tony waved her comment away with a grin, turning to his next customer, but I looked at her, puzzled, as we moved back toward our table.

“What was that all about?” I asked as we threaded our way through the people. I looked for Brian and Lola at the bar, but they were gone, and a brief scan didn’t turn them up.

Carrie took the chair Henry had vacated, and I took Liz’s-they were dirty-dancing out on the floor under the old-style disco ball, the changing lights mirrored in their hungry eyes. Henry and I had passed in the hallway or smiled at each other over dinner a few times, but he hadn’t been away from Liz much since they’d first hooked up, and I considered that a good thing, for both of them.

Carrie smiled cryptically. “You’ll see.”

“Come dance with me!” Janie grabbed TJ’s hand and pulled him toward the dance floor. He shrugged helplessly at me, but I just grinned and waved him on.

“What are you up to?” I nudged her, sipping my margarita-god, it was strong! It made my eyes water.

“Me?” Carrie watched as TJ danced with her daughter. Janie was pressed closer than convention should allow, and she was whispering something in his ear. “What are you up to?”

I shrugged, flushing, wondering just what Janie was whispering to my husband. Two weeks ago, it would have made me crazy with jealousy.

Now…now it just made me crazy with lust. Watching the two of them together made my ass clench and my nipples tingle.

“Did you talk to Doc?” I asked, my gaze shifting to them out on the dance floor. They were a sweet sight, Gretchen’s head resting on Doc’s shoulder.

“I did.” Carrie nodded, taking a long, hard sip of her drink.

I hadn’t expected to bring it up. I wanted to wait for her to tell me, but I was so anxious to know. I wanted to tell TJ. And Janie. I wanted it so bad I could taste it.

“If it’s really what Janie wants…” Carrie slid a hand under the table and squeezed my thigh. “We’re all for it.”

“Really?” I gaped at her, my heart hammering in my chest. I’d hoped, of course, but hadn’t really expected them to agree.

“She’ll love it.” Carrie looked at her daughter, turned in TJ’s arms now, her bottom pressed to his crotch as she wiggled back against him. “We can’t protect her forever.”