Three Little Words

“We are. She still drops comments about me becoming a doctor, but she knows I’m serious about journalism. Besides, she has Kara and Gina. Two out of three isn’t bad, right?”

“Three out of three,” I said firmly. “Three awesome daughters: smart, beautiful, and determined.”

“You’re biased.”

“True. But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”

Her eyes crinkled with affection. Then they relaxed and she studied Christy for several heartbeats. “How much does she know? About us?”

“You and me? Or the group secret?”

“Both.”

“She knows we’ve slept together. And she notices a lot more than I give her credit for, so I’ll probably be answering some questions tonight. As far as the other thing… she doesn’t have a clue.”

Leah arched a dark eyebrow. “Do you really think you can make it work?

With her? If she’s not… one of us?”

“Believe it or not, I think she’ll come around. Wren thinks so too.”

Leah nodded speculatively.

“We’re taking things slow, though. One baby step at a time.”

Erin returned and saw that we were talking, so she joined the others and added another distraction in case Christy turned our way.

“What can I do to help?” Leah asked, her voice still low.

“Just be yourself.”

“Is that all?”

“Yeah. I don’t want her to feel like we’re railroading her or anything. She has to come willingly. You know?”

She nodded.

“But in the ‘be yourself’ category, don’t worry if you feel a little frisky, especially with Erin. Christy has serious feelings for Wren, although she hasn’t really come to grips with the idea. She has, sort of, but she needs to realize it’s normal with us.”

“Okay.”

We watched Mark use a spoon to build the shots while he explained the process to Christy and Erin.

“Anything else?”

I thought about it for a moment. “Maybe talk about sex. She’s getting used to the idea that we’re a lot more open about it, but it wouldn’t hurt to reinforce it.”

“You don’t ask for much, do you?” Leah teased.

“Hey, I really like this girl—”

“I can tell.”

“—and I want to make it work with her. I think she’ll come around, but it won’t happen overnight.”

“I hope you’re right.” She nodded at the small blonde. “And I hope she understands what you’re giving up if not.”

“I think it’ll work out. I have faith.” I chuckled at my choice of words.

“What?”

“Long story. Just… she’s changing me as much as I’m changing her.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Mark’s doing the same with me. It’s weird sometimes, but I like it.”

“Me too. For both of us.”

Her hand found mine and clasped it. We both felt a spark, but it was different somehow, subdued yet stronger than ever, like a deep current that connected us.

“For the record,” I said, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

We stood in companionable silence for a moment and then let go of each other’s hand at the same time.

“Yeah,” she said, “we’d’ve been good together.”

“Totally.”

Mark glanced at us. He must’ve known how much Leah and I cared for each other—he wasn’t stupid—but he’d never said anything.

“Time to join the party,” I said.

She smiled and brushed her index finger against mine, the briefest of touches but full of meaning. Then she stepped forward and deliberately moved to Mark’s other side.

I touched Christy on the small of the back and smiled when she looked over her shoulder.

Mark handed me a shot glass with distinct layers of liquor. He raised his own glass.

“To old friends and new,” he said. “May we always be true. Cheers!”

“Sláinte,” Christy and I said together. She grinned at me when she heard it. Then we sipped our drinks. We both shivered as we downed the Kahlúa.

“Oh, God,” Erin said to her, “you’re turning into him.”

“What’s wrong with that?” she asked.

“She can’t help it,” I said. “I’ve been giving her special injections.”

The others burst into laughter.

“I bet you have!”

“Lucky her.”

“Oral, I’m sure.”

Christy blanched. “Oh my gosh.”

“Come on,” I said to her. I grabbed a four-pack of wine coolers and tossed my head toward the patio door. “I’m surrounded by beautiful women with too many clothes.”

“We should do something about that,” Mark agreed.

So we headed out to the patio, where Christy hesitated.

“You okay?” I whispered.

“I can do this,” she said, more to herself than me. Then she kicked off her shoes and unbuttoned her jeans. “I can do this.”

I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and knelt to untie my shoes.

The light from the hot tub bathed us with a cool glow, and I watched Christy check out Leah and Mark as they undressed. Her eyes widened when she realized that Leah was shaved too.

Did she do that for you? she asked silently.

I nodded.

But…? Are you…? Is she…?

“She likes it,” I told her quietly. “Mark too.”

“Oh. Okay. I thought… Well, you probably know what I thought.”

“That maybe I had another girlfriend you didn’t know about?” Her guilty look was answer enough. “No, just you.”

“I don’t know why I get jealous,” she said. “I’m really not. I mean, I am, sort of, but… not. Ugh! I hate that I can’t use words like you. At least you know what I’m talking about most of the time.”