Uncommon Emotions Read online

  “We’ll be passing right by your place. Plus, it’ll give me another chance to drive it.”

  I could hear the smile in her voice. Looking around at my friends, I thought they might help ease my humiliation over the reminder of yesterday when I saw her. “If it’s no trouble, that would be great.”

  “Perfect. We’ll be by soon,” she signed off.

  I turned back to a rapt audience. “What?”

  “Who was that?” Stuart asked.

  “The truck thief.”

  “The one whose horse bucked your skinny ass off yesterday?” Kayla teased.

  “Hey!” I exclaimed in mock horror. Okay, I didn’t have much of an ass, but there was enough there to keep me from hurting when I sat down at least.

  “We get to meet the person with the sassy horses?” Stuart asked.

  “Why don’t I take you all over there and they can buck your no-riding asses off, too?” They laughed at my threat, and I couldn’t help feeling more relaxed about seeing Raven in the glaring daylight of my humiliation. With a few clicks of the remote I had the other WNBA game started for the group. We settled in to watch with far less interest than the previous game.

  Fifteen minutes and one more fight between Stuart and Trinity about another “smoking hot” player later, I heard the engine roar of my old truck heading toward the house. I jumped up and stifled the shriek of pain I felt in my ankle when I forgot about not putting all of my weight on it.

  Limping ungracefully, I went to the door to greet my visitors.

  “Hi.” Raven’s smile brightened the brown of her eyes to bourbon color. Since first noticing them, I started thinking I might have a little alcohol problem. At minimum, an obsession and maybe not just with alcohol.

  “Hi there, welcome. How’s it going, Ray?” I greeted the younger woman standing beside her aunt. I gestured for them to follow me inside where the dogs eagerly greeted them.

  “You’re up and moving, although, not very well I see,” Raven indicated after making sure to give some love to each of my dogs.

  “Better than yesterday when I couldn’t ride a horse, or walk, or drive, or even think unassisted,” I reminded her, setting off a shared smile.

  “Ray? Hey, girl, how you doing?” Kayla jumped off the couch to greet Ray with a hello kiss and hug, surprising the rest of us. “Trin, remember Ray from my community theater group?”

  “Sure. Hey there, Ray.”

  Ray turned to introduce her aunt, but Raven waved her off. “We’ve already met. Nice to see you both again.” I gestured to Stuart. “This is my good friend Stuart. Stu, this is Raven and her niece, Ray.” He greeted both with handshakes. “Won’t you stay for a while?” I invited, hobbling back toward the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Siddown,” Stuart ordered with exasperation and took over getting beverages for the new arrivals.

  Settled around the couch and easy chairs facing the television, we broke off into two conversations with intermittent overlap of commentary on the game that was on. Trinity and Kayla occupied Ray, while Stuart and I talked mostly to Raven. Without needing to ask, I knew Stuart was captivated by her. Who wouldn’t be? She was beautiful and vivacious. If she stayed another hour, I was willing to bet a year’s salary that Raven would rival his favorite Storm player as Stuart’s imaginary girlfriend.

  “Did you find out about Annabeth’s game, Stu?” I asked of his daughter’s all-star Little League tournament.

  “It is next Saturday, so I’m out.”

  “They won’t let the pitching coach off the hook for a Storm game?” I prodded.

  “I tried to plead extenuating circumstances, but twelve-year-olds are so unforgiving.” He flipped his hands in a helpless gesture. “Sorry to leave you hanging for the game.”

  “That’s okay. I can usually find someone who wants to go,” I assured him. I knew he felt bad now that I didn’t have Chase as my automatic backup. Glancing at my visitor, I remembered our earlier discussion. “What about you, Raven? Would you like to sit with us next game?” Her head whipped around from the television.

  “Absolutely. Thanks, I’d love to sit there.”

  “What’s happening?” Ray spoke up from the other side of the sectional. “Where are you going?”

  “Joslyn just invited me to sit courtside with her at the next Storm game.”

  “Oh cripes, you and that basketball team.” She rolled her eyes at Kayla. Apparently, they both held the same take ‘em or leave ‘em attitude about our team.

  “Wait a minute now, young lady,” Stuart scolded.

  “Those games are the only social life I have outside of work and carting my kids around. Plus my girlfriend plays for the team.”

  “She. Is. NOT. Your. Girlfriend!” Trinity bellowed at him, starting another round of laughter from everyone in the room.

  “Well, we better get moving, youngster,” Raven spoke to Ray when the laughter died down. She turned to me.

  “This was fun, and thanks for the invite to the game. Are you sure you’re doing okay?” Her concern felt like it physically touched me.

  “I was planning to work from home tomorrow anyway, so I should be fine with another day off my feet.”

  “I remember when I spent all my work days off my feet.” Stuart fluttered eyebrows suggestively.

  “Man-Ho,” Trinity accused.

  “Gigolo, please. I was so high-end you would have had to take out a mortgage to even talk to me, girly,” Stuart taunted, starting the laughter again. Sometimes it struck me how much those two acted like kids even though Stuart hit the big 4-0 last month and Trinity just cleared her twenty-ninth birthday.

  “You wish,” Trinity dismissed him.

  When I turned my head back from watching their interaction, I noticed Raven’s intent stare. She looked like she didn’t believe me about my state of health. I gripped her arm and nodded my head. “I’m fine, really.” She reddened slightly, obviously embarrassed that I’d read her concern so easily. “Good. I guess I’ll see you Tuesday in the office if you’re not in meetings all day.”

  “Probably.” I stood carefully this time and waited for Raven and Ray to say their goodbyes to the crowd. We moved slowly toward the door, hindered by my limp and the eager dogs. “Thanks for bringing back the truck. One less task.”

  “You’re lucky you got it back,” Ray said. “I’ve never seen Aunt Raven as happy to drive a car before.”

  “You should have seen her driving my Vette. I didn’t think she’d ever get out from behind the wheel.” Ray’s smile was almost as wide as her aunt’s. “See you around, Joslyn,” she tossed out before walking outside.

  Raven touched the truck keys to my palm. I shivered when her fingers brushed my upturned wrist. “Until Tuesday.” Raven’s gaze moved downward briefly before colliding with mine again. With a nod, she joined her niece at her car.

  I watched them drive off before returning to the living room. Stuart was making excuses about needing to leave, too. Trinity gave him a hard time about being a fair-weather fan, but she understood his usually jam packed schedule.

  After another journey to the door and fake sappy goodbyes exchanged all around, we resettled on the couch.

  Trinity shot a meaningful glance at her girlfriend before she cleared her throat. “You know, um, I mean, ah, you’re aware…”

  I turned my attention away from the game over to the usually verbose Trinity. “What?”

  She looked at Kayla again before rushing to say, “You know she’s family, right?”

  The first time she’d used this term, I’d thought she’d been talking about a sister that she’d never mentioned. After a few stupid questions that made them both laugh, they’d offered a translation. Now, I could stay afloat in nearly every one of their conversations. “Ray?”

  “Her, too, but I meant Raven.”

  My eyes widened at her revelation. “I’m not completely versed in etiquette, but if she’d wanted me to know that, don’t you think she ou
ght to be the one to tell me instead of you spilling her business?”

  Trinity blanched at my lighthearted reprimand. The realization of her statement crashed down on her. “Oh, crap, I’m a moron!”

  “Take it easy,” I let her off the hook. “I knew already, not that she told me.”

  “Who told you, other than moron here?” Kayla threw an arm around her girlfriend.

  “Don’t freak out,” I started, knowing how they’d react to this story, “but a few weeks ago, someone hauled me into a dark room at work and kissed me thinking I was Raven.”

  “A woman someone?” Trinity couldn’t hide her intense interest. “You kissed a woman?”

  “More like she kissed me.”

  “So? How was it?” Trinity jutted her chin forward.

  I laughed at their excitement and thought about my answer. “Soft … unexpected.”

  “You kiss a woman for the first time and that’s it?” Kayla bemoaned. “So, it’s true, you’re hopelessly straight.”

  I chuckled again at her disappointment, but something that felt like denial swam through my system. One more strange feeling that I’d experienced of late. “Honestly, the surprise at being abducted trumped any other emotions I might work through before it ended.”

  “Who kissed you? Was she hot?” Trinity raised her eyebrows.

  “I’m not going to say, and she was pretty enough.” I waved off their interest, intent on getting back to her original declaration. “What made you tell me about Raven?”

  “Oh, um,” Trinity hedged, shifting her green eyes from her girlfriend to me. “I thought you might need a heads up, that’s all.”

  Now really confused, I asked, “About what? Why would it matter that she’s a lesbian?”

  “It doesn’t, except that she has that whole please-God-don’t-let-me-fall-for-a-straight-woman look of doom about her.”

  I stared at Trinity, not quite sure if I understood. “Are you … do you mean … straight woman … me? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “Duh.” Ah, the eloquence of youth.

  “Oh, please, Trin,” I brushed off her shortsightedness.

  “You think every woman is gay and hot for you.”

  “Yeah, but I know this one is gay and she’s hot for you.”

  “Cut it out,” I disregarded her with a puff of breath.

  Raven didn’t act at all like a person interested in me. She acted like a woman making a new friend when making friends was no longer the easy endeavor that comes with youth. No, Trinity was reading this all wrong. But for a too brief moment, my ego inflated with the idea, however false, of someone as incredible as Raven liking me.

  * * *

  The dogs and I started pacing as soon as I’d finished fussing with my hair. I’m not usually a hair fusser, but tonight I was making an effort. Usually on the weekends, I strap my hair into a ponytail or twist it into a bun so that I always know what it looks like. The fifteen minutes I’d scrunched, moussed, and flipped the shoulder length into a manageable wavy do obviously meant that I didn’t think the ponytail would suffice tonight. Miracle upon miracles, the normally medium brown showed sun bleached highlights in all the right places and, without any rain, stayed relatively frizz free. Just before I left the bathroom, I decided that I’d spent my quota of hair fussing time for the month on one night.

  Checking my watch one more time, I switched back and nearly drop kicked Alexandria. “Oh, Dria, sorry, sweets. You guys look as anxious as I feel. C’mon, let’s do something so we stop walking in circles, ‘kay?” Of course, the second we galloped into the living room, the front doorbell rang. The protectors of the bunch barked a soft warning while the others bounded to the door. Several deep breaths and calming orders were taken before I opened the door. The sight was worth all the fuss. Raven stood outside wearing cropped khaki pants and a sleeveless button up shirt over a silky cami. The stylish flip of her collar length hair looked like she’d fussed over it as well, but it was her excited smile that fit her best.

  “Hi there, Jos. Hey, guys.” She took a knee to greet each dog. They’d dropped and rolled to present their bellies for her attention.

  “It’s always all about them.” I joined her in the doggie rub down.

  “As it should be. You look nice. I like that blouse,” she complimented easily. Then with a look of panic rushed, “I thought you’d be decked out in team gear.”

  “I don’t bother, not sitting next to Trin. Not only is she usually head to toe in Storm gear, but she’s been known to paint her face for important games. She’s a walking team shop. I’d only pale by comparison with any effort.”

  “Now, I’m really glad my one team shirt is in the pile for laundry day tomorrow.” She grinned and stood up from playing with the dogs. “Ready?”

  I snapped twice and pointed to get the dogs moving off to their sunroom for the night. Every time it worked, I wanted to shout my thanks to the dog trainer who’d helped me with the whistle and snap conditioning rather than the choke chain yank and praise confusion that other trainers use. “All set,” I responded when I closed the door of the sunroom.

  Once in her car, I continued to regale her with Trinity the Superfan anecdotes. Partly to ready her for the experience she was about to go through, but also to ease my sudden nervousness. At the Key, we bounced out of the car, her excitement as apparent as mine. On our way down to my seats, we stopped by hers to greet her friends. By the time we reached my courtside seats, Raven was practically bursting at the seams with excitement.

  “Slyn,” Trinity greeted barely looking away from the court. “Oh, hey, Raven, I forgot Stu crapped out on us tonight. Glad you’re here.”

  Raven looked too dazed by the fact that no one separated us and the players on the court to say hello, but she managed a quiet greeting. Her intense concentration on all the up close action made her nearly miss her seat. I had to pull her closer to get her situated over the right chair before she completed her squat. She grinned so widely she didn’t need to voice her thanks.

  The game passed as if it were on fast forward all night.

  Trinity’s usual exuberance was rivaled by Raven’s complete awe at being so close to the court. When a ball came flying our way, I didn’t expect the player to follow, falling onto Raven. Once the player had righted herself, Raven found the game ball sitting in her lap.

  “You okay?” the player, one of the rookies on the other team, asked Raven.

  “Yeah, thanks,” Raven managed. She tossed the ball back to the ref to be inbounded. Turning to look at me, she wore the biggest smile I’ve ever seen.

  “Pretty cool, huh?” I asked her.

  She laughed, nodding enthusiastically. “So cool.”

  “Told ya you couldn’t beat these seats.”

  “You were so right.” She reined in her smile to speak her thanks for the fifth time tonight.

  Teasingly, I asked, “How much are you digging me?”

  “A lot.”

  My mouth popped ajar when I looked over at the suddenly serious face next to me. She wasn’t kidding anymore, and the dip in her voice made my heart jump. She really wasn’t kidding.

  Trinity’s elbow jutted into me, jarring my stare. “Told you,” she whispered. “She’s into you.”

  “Stop it,” I automatically declined her assessment.

  “Hey, just putting in my two cents.”

  “Keep them, please.” When I turned back to Raven, her eyes were on the game. She gave a quick turn, locking eyes with me and her smile flashed brighter. After a long moment, she turned her attention back to the game. “Forget what I said,” I whispered to Trinity. “I want a whole dollar’s worth at the next game, okay?”

  Trinity nudged my shoulder. “Should I dust off the membership application and toaster?”

  “Shut up!” I said, but we both broke into giggles.

  Chapter 12

  Walking down the hallway on another Wednesday, I passed the infamous supply room and felt a lingering sensation fr
om that day. The feeling was slightly different in my imagining this time, but before I could identify the source of the difference, a voice pierced the lunchtime silence of the deserted hallway. “…straight? Are you sure?” Soft murmurs continued before I moved closer toward the corner office. “…boyfriend. What more proof do you need?”

  “But you like her?” The man’s voice was deep and sure.

  No reply this time. “I’m sorry, Raven. I know how that feels.”

  At the mention of Raven’s name, I stopped dead in the hallway. Luckily, no one was walking behind me or I would have caused a pile up. Raven’s reply was too soft to hear, or maybe it was the voice screaming inside my head to keep moving that hampered my hearing abilities.

  “…one time, Rave. This could turn out differently. I don’t know.” He sounded frustrated. “I don’t want you hurt again, but damn, Rave, you can’t keep restraining your feelings because you were hurt badly once.”

  “There’s being hurt, Dax, and being hurt by the same entirely avoidable thing.” Raven’s voice sounded just as frustrated.

  Leave, leave now! my head screamed and, thankfully, my legs responded by taking me past the office and around the corner. They probably didn’t realize the door hadn’t shut. I wished I hadn’t overheard such a private conversation. I didn’t let my mind repeat the words, nor would I allow it to think about the subject of their conversation. Trinity didn’t need to be elbowing me and whispering in my ear to plant the idea that I was certainly a possibility. Please, how cocky could I be? Trinity was wrong about her own relationships enough times. What made me think she could read Raven, a woman she barely knew?

  “Oh, Joslyn, good.” Kelly intercepted me on my way back to the conference room. She’d stopped blushing every time she saw me now, her mistake all but forgotten, which was a relief. “Raven was looking for you earlier. She thinks she isolated that line item you had a question about.” Her news pulled my thoughts into focus. “Great.”