She rolled off the large four-poster bed where she’d tucked Royal under her grandmother’s handmade quilt and headed to the bath for a good soak. It took a little effort to ready the bath before she settled into the tall-sided claw foot tub. The gauzy fabric of the curtain in the window nearby fluffed softly in the warm, early afternoon breeze, and the call of a blue jay caught her attention. The only other sound in the large quiet house was the intermittent drip from the faucet at the end of the tub near her feet.
Lovey rubbed soap over the curve of her stomach and up over her breasts, slowly stroking her nipples. She closed her eyes, imagining that the touch on her delicate skin was Royal’s. She groaned and sank further into the tub at the very thought of Royal’s hands on her naked flesh. Such a thought surprised her, and she felt her cheeks flame hotly. She was sure she was blushing.
And then she was struck by a surprisingly unpleasant thought. She sloshed quickly upright in the tub, her senses on high alert. What if her father came home early and she had to explain why Royal, the most boyish looking woman she’d ever known, was picking her up on a Saturday afternoon? Surely this would strike him as odd. Lovey was annoyed at herself for not anticipating such an encounter sooner. Why hadn’t she planned to meet Royal in some neutral spot, away from father’s judgmental view?
What had her father said? He’d be away most of the day. If she was lucky, most of the day meant well after four o’clock.
Lovey decided to finish her bath and get ready. In the event that Royal was early, she didn’t want to be responsible for any excuse to delay their departure.
Chapter Ten
Reverend Edwards had not returned home by the time Royal picked Lovey up for their afternoon outing. Lovey had been instructed by Royal to wear shoes she could walk in so Lovey could only assume they weren’t going anywhere too fancy. And even if they’d wanted to she wasn’t sure there was anywhere elegant to go locally. That sort of evening would require a sixty-mile drive to Atlanta, the nearest city.
They drove for about twenty minutes from Lovey’s house and pulled off and parked along a dirt road. Royal had packed some things in a knapsack, and they were now headed up a sloping footpath surrounded by mixed hardwoods. The temperature would spike and then recede every time they stepped from sun to shade along the trail. In certain spots the trail passed through thick carpets of lush ferns. The walk was gorgeous. Lovey realized she’d been close to this natural beauty but just had not had the energy or the inclination to venture into the woods on her own. Plus, she didn’t really know where they were going. The route seemed familiar to Royal, and a few times along the way she stopped and pointed out details. Like an ancient fencerow, partially swallowed up by the understory. Or she’d point to where an old home place had once stood, usually marked by a pile of granite stones that had at one time been a chimney.
As they walked farther, the path began to zigzag, cutting back and forth across the steep grade so as to make the climb easier for whoever might be traveling this way. At one point there were some large boulders they needed to navigate. Royal stepped up first and then reached back for Lovey’s hand. It was the first time they’d touched each other since their outing began, and even that small physical connection between them sent a warm electric surge throughout Lovey’s entire body. The sensation was so sudden and so strong that she almost stumbled.
“Are you okay?” Royal held her hand firmly as she looked down from her elevated perch.
“Yes, sorry, my foot just slipped.” Lovey felt silly that Royal had such a strong effect on her. “Where is this place you’re taking me?”
“It’s called Church Rock.”
“Why? Because people pray that they’ll reach it?” Lovey was breathing hard. The last few switchbacks had been even steeper. Royal laughed.
“No, it’s because ministers used to preach up here.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, but I guess they started to lose too many parishioners along the trail due to the climb. Not enough souls made it to the top to be saved.”
“You’re making that up.” Lovey accepted Royal’s hand again as they climbed over a few more rocks.
“No, that’s a true story.”
Royal grinned at Lovey in such a way that Lovey wasn’t completely sure it was a true story, but Royal was so damned adorable when she smiled that Lovey forgot to care about the climb. And in a few moments the trail emptied out onto a large granite outcropping that overlooked the entire valley. The view was so captivating that Lovey had to lean against Royal to steady herself and catch her breath.
“Oh, Royal, it’s beautiful here.” She felt Royal’s arm slide around her waist.
“Just like you,” whispered Royal.
Lovey turned to see that while her attention had been captured by the view, all of Royal’s attention was focused on her. She leaned into Royal until their lips met. After a moment, Lovey pulled away. She realized they were in the wide open and that anyone could walk up at any time and find them kissing.
“Don’t worry. No one is going to see us here.” Royal spoke with the tone of sincere concern in her voice, as if reading Lovey’s mind.
Lovey smiled and kissed Royal lightly on the lips before turning to breathe in the view again. She hugged herself and inhaled deeply. A few small puffs of white clouds drifted overhead, and row after row of blue-ridged mountains extended as far as she could see. Behind her, she heard Royal rustling through
