Free Autumn Leaves by Barbara Winkes Page A

was distracted. There was still a light on over at Callie’s.
    She should just go over and face the music, admit she’d made a fool out of herself at the brunch and before, when she’d tried to tell Callie how to write her books. The lives they had chosen for themselves differed greatly. Big deal. It didn’t mean that they couldn’t be friends, did it?
    The nights had been cooler lately, and Rebecca put on a coat before she stepped outside on the porch, hesitating just a moment longer.
    A car was slowing down, coming to a halt on the other side of the street. The woman who emerged was familiar: Asha Malik. Rebecca took a hasty step backwards even though she was pretty sure she couldn’t be seen on the dark porch. She should have gone back into the house, try another time, but for some reason she didn’t move, and stood watching as Callie opened the door to Asha. In the lit doorway, the two women kissed. Not like somebody would greet a friend with a kiss on the cheek. Rebecca remained in the same spot, spellbound, even when the door was closed. She stood in the dark, unable to face the feelings that she couldn’t dare to name, unable to keep them away.
    * * * *
    “Are you feeling better yet? I’m warning you, the wrong answer could be disastrous for my ego.”
    “Better” was an acceptable term, Callie decided. She was warm and comfortable with Asha curled around her. She was no longer alone. She wasn’t feeling great, but that probably wasn’t what Asha had expected.
    “Thank you for coming here.”
    “You’re welcome. Maybe you should just come back with me.”
    “I told you I’ve had enough of the city. Leave it alone, okay?”
    “It wasn’t the city you needed to leave behind. It was Nicole,” Asha reminded her softly.
    “No difference. I’m okay here.”
    “Yeah, I can see that. You could file charges against that bitch.”
    “Nicole?” It wasn’t fair that after all this time her heartbeat still sped up with apprehension.
    “No, that stripper person.”
    Callie couldn’t hold back the giggle that was bubbling up inside her, even though the situation was far from funny.
    “You better not repeat that in front of anyone.”
    “Come on. If Rebecca keeps company like that, she’s as much of a bitch.”
    “Well, she didn’t get all hands on.”
    “Much to your disappointment, that is.”
    “Asha. Give it a rest, please.”
    In answer, Asha tightened her arms around Callie, kissing her neck softly. The caress made her shiver pleasantly, encouraging Asha who ran her hand over Callie’s hip.
    “You didn’t actually mean to rest did you?”
    Callie looked up at Asha, now poised above her, eyes dark with lust, her dark hair falling forward. It wouldn’t be hard to just close her eyes and pretend…She wasn’t that crazy though. “Let’s see what you’ve got,” she breathed.
    “Oh, I know you like what I’ve got,” Asha said confidently. Her kisses were slow and soft, a trail of gentle fire down her body. Too much. Not enough.
    Reality and fantasy blurred as she was finally able to let go, but only for a moment.
    * * * *
    At ten in the morning, the shutters of Callie’s house were still closed. Rebecca sighed as she took a look at her watch. She didn’t have any minute to spare for meeting Father Langdon to inform him about her progress so far. Next on the list was getting Dina back from Anna’s. It would be afternoon by then, time for laundry. Those mundane things never stopped. It had to be today, though, because she didn’t want to be stuck with ironing all day tomorrow when David and Maggie would be coming home. Betty didn’t pick up the phone, damn caller ID. Rebecca still had no idea why she’d gone to see Callie, and somehow that irked her. Stupid, right? It wasn’t like Callie couldn’t spend time with other people, talk to Betty, or go to choir practice with Maria. There was absolutely no reason for Rebecca to feel left out. Not even when Callie had a friend over for