Wildflower (15 page)

With a sigh Abby heaved herself from the
chair and returned to the kitchen. Hubby raised his head, then
slowly got to his feet and followed. Flopping down on one of her
old sweaters that served as a day bed for him, the big dog was
instantly asleep again. “Man I wish I could do that,” she grinned
as she continued to organize her new decorations.

For the next several days Abby concentrated
on decorating her home. Henry and Alfred were pressed into service
to put up all the outside lights. Hubby and Keith carefully
supervised their work as they moved the ladder around the house.
The next day Keith arrived with a tall tree for her. “There’s no
need to buy one in town Abby,” he smiled. “There’s plenty growing
along the power lines and they will just be cut down or sprayed in
the spring anyway.” Abby thanked him with tea and a huge plate of
short bread cookies.

It took her all the next day to get the tree
set up and decorated, but she did it all by herself. Smiling with
pride and delight she called Wanda and Keith to come over and
inspect her work. She took pictures of them and Hubby by the tree,
then they took turns having pictures with Abby and then Keith took
several of Abby and Hubby by the tree. Abby drove back into the
city the next day and had them developed. She also had Christmas
cards printed from one of the pictures. Proudly she showed them off
to Edna over dinner.

A few days later Abby had gotten her cards
ready to go as well as her packages. She mailed them off and was
told that she had just made it in under the wire on the ones going
to the USA. Later that evening she was sitting by the fire, leafing
through her copy of the book she had bought from the young man at
the grocery store.

“Oh my god, it’s you,” she gasped as she
found a small insert photo she hadn’t noticed before. It was a
picture of the author, Hazel Fillmore. It was also a photo of the
dark haired woman she’d seen on the street. “Well now, just where
do I find you Hazel Fillmore?” Eventually she gave it up with a
sigh. Try as hard as she could there was no contact information to
be found. “So how am I supposed to write you a fan letter Hazel?”
Later that evening, as she snuggled into bed, Abby got a naughty
grin on her face as she called up the image of Hazel Fillmore and
let her fingers drive away her blues. This time Hazel followed her
into the land of dreams.

Christmas came and went without any real
difficulty at all. Abby spent the entire holiday season visiting
first one new friend then another. Billy drove Edna out on
Christmas Day and Wanda and Keith came as well. In truth Abby had
to admit it was one of the best Christmases she had ever
experienced. She actually left the decorations up until the first
week of February.

It was in mid February that the storms began
with a vengeance. One after one they came and Abby was virtually
trapped in her home. Each time there was even the slightest break,
Keith would plow her driveway with his tractor and she would make a
quick escape for the mail and a few overpriced groceries at the
general store in Pike’s Cove. Even the slightest break was an
excuse for her to pull on hiking gear and take Hubby for a long
walk along the beach. She was resorting the medication far more
frequently now than she would like, but there was no other way.
Suicide was no longer an option; she had sworn to care for Hubby,
and as long as the dog was alive she had to live up to that
promise.

By mid March she was nearly driven mad by the
confinement. Abby had taught herself to play the piano somewhat,
knit several sweaters, read half her library, and spent countless
hours on the internet. Finally there was a small break in the
weather and she escaped to the city for two days. She shopped, had
her hair and nails done, visited with several friends, spent the
night at Edna’s, stocked up on groceries, and made it nearly back
as far as Pike’s Cove before the worst storm of the winter hit.

Abby cursed and swore like a mad woman as she
crawled along the road, fierce blue eyes trying desperately to
pierce the swirling gloom. Several times she encountered white outs
and had to stop until she got another glimpse of the road. Thank
the gods for those spiked tires. Abby was plowing through deep
drifts of snow by the time she reached home, but she got there safe
and sound.

The wind howled and shrieked as she and Hubby
fought their way the few short steps from the car to the house.
With a loud bang the door slammed behind her as she entered the
warmth of her own kitchen. “Care for some tea?” asked Keith as
Hubby shook the snow from his back all over the floor.

“Love some,” replied Abby as she struggled
out of her coat. “What the heck are you doing over here on a day
like today Keith? Why aren’t you all snuggled down with your lovely
wife and her cats?”

“Because she drove me out to make tea for
you,” he laughed easily. “Edna called as soon as you left, and when
you hadn’t made it home before the storm hit we got a bit worried.
I called the folks at the store and they were watching for you. As
soon as they called back and said you were on the way, I came over
to make the tea.”

“My hero,” sighed Abby as she sank into a
chair and took a sip of tea. “Keith, without you and Wanda for
neighbors I would never have survived the winter, that is, assuming
I do.”

“Don’t give up now Abby, we’re almost there.
By mid April most of the storms will have settled down and by mid
May much of the snow will be gone.”

“And then comes spring, blessed spring,”
sighed Abby.

“You should have flown out to California or
somewhere for a few months Abby,” he grinned as he poured himself
another mug.

“I used to live there Keith,” she replied
softly, a puzzled look on her face. “Didn’t Wanda tell you?”

“No Abby, she said that you had shared some
of your story with her, but that’s all.”

“I didn’t expect her to keep it from you
Keith.” She went on to tell him the whole story.

“Son of a bitch,” he breathed softly. “Some
folk have very small and twisted souls Abby. Please don’t judge all
men by the likes of those two.”

“I don’t,” she smiled. “Between Harry, you,
and Billy Parsons, I have a few good men on my Christmas list.”

“Abby, I’m sorry to have brought that back to
you on a day like this.”

“No sweat neighbor. Every blizzard I live
through takes that several more years back into the past. By June
it will be as though it actually happened to someone else.”

“If there is anything I can do…”

“Help me get the groceries out of the car?”
she asked, batting her eyelashes at him and looking as cute as
possible.

“I had to ask,” he grinned. “Ok, there’s a
trick to it. I’ll get the groceries and you work the kitchen door.
I can carry twice as much if I don’t have to worry about working
the doorknob.”

“I’ll help,” said Abby, reaching for her
coat.

“It’ll be more help if you work the door,”
repeated Keith as he pulled on his boots. In far less time that
Abby would have believed, Keith had the car emptied and was on his
way home with her thanks and blessings ringing in his ears. Abby
put away the groceries, tucked away her purchases then promptly
sank into a blinding depression, watching from her chair as the
storm raged outside. Fortunately she had picked up a refill of her
happy pill prescription.

Through much of the darkest days of the
winter Abby hadn’t had a scrap of work to take her mind off her
troubles. It was mid April before Harry called with another
contract, but it was a big one and it took her several weeks to
complete it. It had carried her through to the end of May and Abby
was now filled with hope as the last of the snows melted away and
the promise of spring began to be fulfilled.

“Hello Abby, I haven’t seen you all winter,”
laughed the small gray haired woman as she hurried Abby into the
chair. “What have you been up to?”

“Nothing mostly,” smiled Abby as she relaxed.
“I made it in once, but you were in Florida or some other
despicable place like that.”

“Jealousy will get you no where my dear,”
laughed the woman. “So what are we doing to you today? Dying it
black?”

“Bite your tongue,” gasped Abby in mock
horror. “Cut and style please Carol. Take it up to about shoulder
length.”

“Yes my dear,” replied Carol as she set to
work. They chatted easily for some time as she worked and Abby
relaxed completely. Carol was nearly finished when a young woman
came in asking if she could put up a poster and if Carol would sell
tickets for her.

“Tickets to what?”

“The all woman dance, it’s the first one of
the year.”

“Sure thing, my ducky, just leave it there on
the counter and I’ll see to it for you.”

“What was all that about?” asked another
customer.

“The all woman dance,” replied Carol as she
finished up with Abby’s hair. “It’s the first one this year.”

“Count me in,” replied the woman. “I’ll take
three tickets. My sister will want to go for sure.”

“You should get a ticket too Abby. This is
just the thing to get rid of the old winter blues.”

“No thanks, male strippers don’t do a thing
for me. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.”

“Oh my dear, there’s no male strippers at
this dance. The dance is just for women. It was started several
years ago by some of the lesbians as a way to get out and meet
other women, but it caught on like wildfire and now folks are
fighting for tickets every time.”

“Really,” said Abby mockingly.

“Yes really, Miss snobby Abigail MacKai,”
retorted Carol, shaking a hair brush at Abby. “We get out away from
the men for an evening and have a great time. There are a lot of
the lesbians there for sure, but everybody is on best behavior. It
is just a way to meet folks and dance, that’s all.”

“Ok, Ok,” laughed Abby. “What the heck, I’ll
go. Where is it anyway?”

“Probably at one of the bars downtown; the
address, date, and time will be on the ticket. Want to come with
us? There will be most of us from the salon here as well as some
friends of ours.”

“Sure Abby,” laughed the manicurist, “we’ll
protect you from those nasty old lesbians, don’t worry.”

“That sounds so reassuring Gwen,” purred
Abby, winking at Carol, “but who says I want to be protected?” Her
rich laughter filled the salon as Gwen blushed to her roots. She
walked over to Gwen putting lots of sway in hips as she did.
Licking her lips lasciviously Abby rubbed her hip against Gwen’s
shoulder. “Remember sweetie, you promised me a slow dance.”
Everyone was laughing heartily as Gwen blushed crimson.

“I’ll get you for that, Abby MacKai.”

“Promises, promises,” grinned Abby, causing
Gwen to blush even deeper.

“For god’s sake Carol,” begged Gwen, “throw
her out before I die of embarrassment.”

“Lord, Abby, you’re sure full of it today,
are you heading right home or are you staying in town?”

“I’m having dinner with Billy and his
grandmother,” smiled Abby as she paid her bill and for the ticket
to the dance. “Billy’s taking me to the movies afterward. I could
introduce you to him Gwen, he’s really cute.”

“Go away Abby, I’m not talking to you
anymore,” retorted Gwen with mock indignation.

“You started it.”

“Yes, and I am very sorry that I did,”
laughed Gwen. “Just for being so mean to me it would serve you
right if I did steal your boyfriend.”

“You don’t have to steal honey,” purred Abby,
“I’ll share.”

“Out,” exclaimed Gwen as she pointed to the
door, “get out.”

Abby was still giggling as she headed for the
car. “June eighth,” she mused as she pulled away from the curb.
“What the heck, it might be fun.” She didn’t see the tall brunette
who had stopped to stare at her from the sidewalk, but in less that
two weeks they would finally meet.

The Invitation

A gentle breeze floated across the rocks high
up on the windswept bluff. The warmth of the sun slowly dried the
drops of dew that clung to the brightly colored flowers which
hugged the ground just out of the main path of the winds. There
wasn’t a lot of soil up here among the barrens, but where there was
there appeared an abundance of life each spring. Tiny delicate
wildflowers clung tenaciously to the rocks and bloomed with
unbridled enthusiasm.

On this particular day, something unusual was
about to happen. This tiny cluster of vibrant pink blossoms was
about to have a visitor. Moving slowly, almost stealthily, a tall
dark haired woman with a camera in her hand stepped as carefully
and gracefully as a hunting cat. “So there you are,” she smiled as
she spied the small clump of blossoms. “I knew if I could be
patient enough I’d find you.”

Carefully she positioned herself and focused
her camera. Checking the light and sources of shadow, she took
several shots from different angles before she was completely
satisfied. With a deep sigh of contentment Hazel Fillmore sat on a
rock and admired the small blossoms for a while before taking up
her camera and backing slowly away. Carefully, gingerly, she made
her way back to the main trail without stepping on a single flower.
Once on the trail she broke into an easy run. An hour later she
reached the main road once again.

Taking her cell phone from her pack, Hazel
placed her call. “I’m all clear Tommy, come and get me.”

“On my way sweetie, but I’ll be a few
minutes.”

“Just stop flirting with the boys and pick me
up,” laughed Hazel as she closed the connection and folded up her
phone. She took a deep breath and sighed with pure pleasure. It was
such a beautiful day and she was very pleased with herself. Today’s
flowers had been a rare and beautiful find. All she would ever ask
of life was a day as good as today, and then her day suddenly got a
lot better.