Free Ember Flowers by April Worth

captured
breath released. Jo resisted the urge to nuzzle into her, she
didn’t even know what this was. They shifted slightly, a burr as
the sleeping bag zipped up around them.
     
    ***
     
    The cop awoke
first. The creeping sun having triggered the timer on her body
clock. A moment of heightened self awareness, aware of the arm
looped around her waist. The warm body pressed against her back.
Soft breaths feathering against her neck.
    The horses
nickered somewhere nearby. Early morning just before dawn, no
painting of gold, the air was still cool.
    The hand
resting on her stomach stroked her belly through her t-shirt. A
yawn as the older woman woke behind her.
    “Morning Jo..”
A cautious greeting. A weary stretch of denim covered legs. They
had slept fully clothed, an unusual occurrence for either of them
but neither had wanted to move.
    “Good..morning
Jean.”
    A barely felt
kiss pressed against the blonde’s neck. “Everything OK?”
    “Y-Yes.”
    Jean propped
her head on her knuckles. Her calloused hand rubbed the blonde’s
shoulder gently. “Sleep OK?”
    “I think so.
Neck is sore. Must have slept funny?..”
    A little grin.
“Actually, you used me as a pillow for most of the night.”
    The blonde was
horrified, she sat up and rubbed her face, groaning. The sleeping
bag bunched as she moved.
     
    ***
     
    The rest of the
hour they spent organising themselves, a kettle on the fire for hot
water, Jo got changed in her tent. Emerging in a fresh t-shirt and
long cargo shorts.
    Jean was
pouring them tea when Jo joined her on the log. They hardly spoke.
Both deep in thought.
    The ride back
was equally quiet, not tense, just thoughtful. Neither knew where
this would lead, only that it had been a very pleasant, revealing
evening. Jean held the reins when Jo mounted up. They both left the
clearing a little confused.
    The house was
as they left it, Jean dismounted first, with a chivalrous exchange
she offered to take Jo’s hand as she got back to the ground. The
blonde responded with a twitch of her brow.
    “So old
fashioned Jean..”
    “Are you
complaining?”
    A little over a
half hour later, the policewoman stood by the car door, looking at
her with an apprehensive smile. The horses brushed and let loose to
wander the paddock.
    “Thanks Jean,
for the ride, for everything.”
    A few steps
crunched in the gravel of the drive. Jean stood beside her. A hand
raised to her cheek, the blonde didn’t move away. Dextrous fingers
slipped the sunglasses off the fair angular face.
    Nothing was
said, the back of her fingertips stroked Jo’s cheek gently. “Drive
carefully home, OK?”
    “I will.”
    A smile, the
sunglasses were given back to her. The blonde slid into the
driver’s seat and pressed the button for the window. Jean leant on
the open sill with her forearms.
    “Jo?”
    The blonde head
was looking over her shoulder checking the drive was clear. She
looked back to see warm eyes looking at her.
    “You know where
I am, you, your little girl. You know you’re always welcome here
right?”
    She smiled and
nodded. “I’ll speak to you soon Jean.”
    “OK.”
    Jean bit her
lip. At the risk of seeming too keen, the brunette leant through
the car door and gave her a soft peck on the lips. Jo smiled in
surprise, and brought the glasses back down over grey eyes.
    “Speak soon.”
Tanned knuckles rapped on the roof and the blonde was driving
away.
    A shake of her
head and a smile as she made her way back into the house.
     

Chapter
13
     
    Jo had been in
and out of deep thought since their camping trip together. Even a
few days later it still played on her mind. Their shared attraction
had shaken her foundations. Before Jean’s arms were around her, she
could rationalise her feelings by saying they were friends. She
knew she wanted more. If she wasn’t so petrified of all these new
feelings, the confident, outgoing part of her might have taken
things further. If Jean had been a man she would have woken naked.