Getaway - SF7 Read online

  Getaway

  Jamie returns from a stressful visit with her East Coast relatives to reconnect with Ryan, who's been at an intensive volleyball training camp. They're both in need of a break and they decide to take a trip with Ryan's cousin, Caitlin.

  Jamie's mother Catherine surprisingly asks to join the trio, and they gladly user her connections to make the trip all the more special. From the Teacups to Space Mountain, the foursome grow closer in the enchantment of the Magic Kingdom.

  But not all of the thrills and spills come from the rides. Jamie and Ryan experience some ups and downs from long-buried secrets and surprising revelations that may cause a disruption in the Fantasyland they share.

  PART ONE

  A little past seven on a bright, cool August morning, Catherine Evans walked down the long hall of the second floor of her home, eagerly anticipating beginning her day. Her usual waking hour was around nine, but she was so excited to have Jamie, Ryan, and little Caitlin visiting that she found herself wide awake just after the sun rose.

  She had showered and was fully dressed in what was, for her, a very casual outfit—navy blue cotton slacks and a mint green cotton blouse, the long sleeves rolled up a few times. Approaching the door to Jamie’s old nursery, she pressed her ear to the door to determine if the baby was already awake. When she heard nothing, she opened the door stealthily and blinked in surprise when she saw that the crib was empty. Oh…the girls must have taken her into their bed. I hope she didn’t keep them up all night, she worried. Ryan looked absolutely exhausted yesterday, and she’s going to need to be well rested to enjoy our little trip.

  The soft sounds of inchoate speech caught her attention, and she walked to the door that joined Jamie’s current room to the nursery. Poking her head in just a few inches, she had to stifle a laugh at the scene that was playing out on the bed. Ryan was lying on her back, a pillow pressed over her face and held in place by one long, bare arm. Jamie was cuddled up against her right side, arms and legs haphazardly entwined with her partner. A bright blonde head peeked out from between their merged bodies as the baby reclined against Ryan’s torso, her little feet rhythmically kneading Jamie’s belly. She was fully awake, seemingly quite content to lie in her little nest as she sang an atonal song of her own creation.

  Catherine was about to back out of the room when the baby caught sight of her. Immediately the contented little song turned into a grunt of dismay as the little pea struggled to extricate herself from her pod.

  Averting her eyes from what she assumed were nude bodies under the sheet, Catherine crept over to the bed and held her hands out to the grasping infant. The sunny smile that immediately suffused Caitlin’s face filled Catherine with joy, and the two blondes cuddled each other for a moment. No sooner had Catherine taken a step with the baby than the pillow was shoved away from Ryan’s face and the dark head lifted in confusion, her expression comically stunned. Placing her hand on Ryan’s shoulder, Catherine said softly, "Go back to sleep, Dear. I can keep her occupied for a while."

  With a massive sigh, Ryan fell back to the mattress, muttering, "I worship you," as her eyes closed once again. Obviously missing the full-body contact, Jamie snuggled closer to Ryan, mumbling something in her sleep as she draped her arm across her body and wrapped her hand tightly around the tall woman’s shoulder, effectively trapping her.

  Shaking her head in amusement, Catherine carried the baby from the room, the little blonde head swiveling just a bit to see if the rest of the gang would join them. To Catherine’s great pleasure, Caitlin accepted their decision to sit this one out and focused her attention on the thin gold chain that Catherine had made the mistake of wearing. The twosome walked down to the sunny kitchen, ready to start the day. Now if only one of us knew how to make breakfast, Catherine mused, deciding that it was never too late—nor too early--to learn.

  When Ryan entered the kitchen two hours later, she was a little surprised at the mess but quite pleased to see several plates with remnants of adult and baby food. It’s good to know that Catherine isn’t so helpless after all, she mused. Unless she borrowed one of the neighbors' cooks…

  She could hear Caitlin’s delighted laughter from somewhere in the back yard and went in search of the pair, finding them playing in the formal gardens behind the pool. Catherine was obviously introducing Caitlin to the great variety of flowers in the well-tended space, holding her little face above the various plants and allowing her to sniff the multitude of aromas. Caitlin seemed to be enjoying herself thoroughly, continually looking to Catherine to mimic her actions.

  Ryan left the hiding place from which she had been observing the two, and when her feet hit the gravel pathway, Caitlin screamed in delight and held out her little arms to go to her cousin. "How could you ever be in a bad mood when someone was so happy to see you in the morning?" Ryan asked rhetorically, sharing a dazzling smile with the baby.

  Caitlin cuddled up to her contentedly, nuzzling against Ryan’s warm body for a few minutes while Catherine looked on. "I don’t think I’ve ever had a more enjoyable morning, Ryan," the older woman mused while watching the cousins reconnect. "It’s impossible not to see the world through new eyes when you have such an inquisitive little soul in your arms."

  "Isn’t that the truth?" Ryan agreed. "I learn something every time I’m with her."

  "Would you like some breakfast?" Catherine asked. "I made a large serving of the world’s most expensive oatmeal while you two slept."

  "Most expensive…?"

  "Well, the oatmeal wasn’t expensive," Catherine allowed. "But the 45-minute call to Spain certainly helped drive up the cost."

  "Spain?" Ryan gaped.

  "Marta’s with her family in Spain this month," Catherine explained. "Luckily, she’s a very patient woman, and she didn’t mind telling me where everything is located and walking me through the process. I’m not sure I made the oatmeal correctly, but Caitlin and I both rather enjoyed it."

  "You’re wearing a good bit of it," Ryan observed, picking a hunk of the congealed cereal from Catherine’s hair.

  "That’s where that last spoonful went!" the amused woman cried. "I looked all over for that! When Caitlin gets a spoon in her hand it’s best to take cover!"

  Ryan pushed back from the table, her mood bright and her stomach pleasantly full. "I don’t know about the rest of you, but nothing would feel better to me than a nice swim."

  "Not for me, but I’m sure Caitlin would accompany you," Jamie suggested. "After you two play for a while, we can go home and get packed for the trip. I suppose we should sleep here again if you don’t mind, then we can all go to the airport together tomorrow."

  "That’ s fine," Ryan decided. "I think Caitie slept well here, and it was nice to have a real room for her. I think she does better when she can’t lie in her crib and watch us all night." Realizing how that sounded, she hastened to add, "You know, she stays in her crib and plays quietly in the morning if she has her own room."

  "Yes, Dear," Jamie smirked, catching the grin her mother tried to stifle. "We knew exactly what you meant."

  Rolling her eyes, Ryan got to her feet, stretched languidly for a moment, but stopped short when she realized, "I don’t have a suit."

  "Neither does Caitlin, and that didn’t stop her," Jamie said, batting her eyes at her partner. Ryan continued to gaze at Jamie, not saying a word, a patient smile on her face. "Okay," the smaller woman laughed, "you can wear one of mine. Second drawer, left hand side of my dresser."

  "Be right back," Ryan promised, heading for the door.

  "I don’t think Ryan will get much swimming in if Caitlin is with her," Jamie observed, "but she had more than enough activity down at her training camp. I wish she would just take it easy for a few days, but trying to c
onvince her of that is like taking to a wall."

  "She does seem to have a determined personality," Catherine agreed. "I’m surprised that you don’t fight more. You’re not exactly a pushover either, Honey."

  Acknowledging the truth of the statement, Jamie nodded contemplatively. "It’s funny that we don’t fight much. I suppose it’s because neither of us tries to change the other. I mean, I really want Ryan to relax and lie in a lounge chair all day, but I know that she won’t. I try not to bug her to get her to do what I want—mainly because I know it won’t work. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I won’t try to talk her into a nice long nap later," she grinned. "I just have to use the right enticements."

  "Did someone say enticements?" Ryan asked, popping her head around the corner.

  "Yes, Love," Jamie said. "I was just telling mother that I was going to entice you to take a nap with me later."

  Entering the room, Ryan strode across the floor and picked Caitlin up from Jamie’s embrace. "That will not be a tough sell," she grinned. "I’m really dragging today."

  "Didn’t you sleep well?" Catherine asked.

  "I slept well," Ryan informed her, "just not long enough. Caitlin woke me three times, and I spent almost an hour with her at around four."

  "I didn’t know that!" Jamie exclaimed. "I thought she slept through the night."

  "That’s because you slept through the night," Ryan averred, tweaking her partner’s nose. "Come on, Little Bits," she said to Caitlin, "let’s go swimming."

  "Did you find a suit?" Jamie asked, gazing confusedly at Ryan’s outfit—the same one she had left in.

  "Yeah. But I didn’t have anything to put on over it. Your robes were all too small."

  "It’s okay, Babe. You don’t have to be modest here. It’s just us girls." Surveying Ryan’s rumpled clothes, Jamie offered, "Give me your clothes, and I’ll wash them and Caitlin’s dress while you play."

  "You sure?" she asked, casting a hesitant look in Catherine’s direction.

  "Sure. Hand ‘em over, Buffy."

  Sensing that Ryan was uncomfortable undressing in front of her, Catherine stood and announced, "I’m going to go to my office and start making some phone calls about our trip. I’ll be there if you need me."

  As Catherine left the room, Ryan returned Caitlin to Jamie and quickly dropped her slacks to the floor. Jamie’s eyes grew in size as the buttons on Ryan’s blouse opened, revealing a dazzling display of womanly pulchritude. The smaller woman blinked as she slowly trailed around her partner, a low, soft whistle escaping from her lips. "My Lord, Ryan! How did you manage to even get that on!"

  The microscopic bikini that Ryan wore was at least three sizes too small for her, but Jamie was the last person on earth to complain. The bandeau top strained to contain her full breasts, the creamy flesh spilling over the top of the bright blue fabric. It truly looked as though one deep breath would rend the material, and Jamie fought with her conscience to stop herself from poking Ryan in the stomach to elicit the gasp she hoped for. The tiny bottoms weren’t much more successful at reining in the bounty, and Ryan’s smooth cheeks protruded from the fabric in a nearly scandalous fashion.

  "This was the best of the bunch," she blushed, turning her head to look over her shoulder, trying to assess whether she should just scrap the idea. "The other ones were one-pieces, and they were so short I couldn’t stand up straight."

  "You know, you’d look less tantalizing if you went swimming in the buff." At Ryan’s slightly perturbed glance, Jamie hastened to add, "Don’t get me wrong, Buffy. You’re fantastic naked—it’s just that this tiny little suit makes it look like you’re intentionally showing off your wares." She ran her thumb over Ryan’s firm nipple, giving her a sexy smile as she did so. "Please don’t take that as a criticism. You can show off any old time for me."

  "Never mind," Ryan grumbled, turning to go back upstairs. "We can just go back home and pack."

  "No way, Love," Jamie insisted, placing a restraining hand on her arm. "Take that little thing off before you cut off the blood flow to some vital part, and get out there. Mother will be in her office, which does not face the pool. I’ll tell her that you need a little privacy. No big deal."

  "You sure?" Ryan really did want to swim, and she loved swimming in the nude, so the offer was tempting.

  "Positive. Now scoot."

  Without another word, the suit was peeled off, Jamie’s mouth watering when Ryan’s breasts jiggled as they were set free. "Maybe we should take that nap now," the entranced woman murmured, leaning forward to wrap her lips around one hard nipple.

  "Swim first," Ryan decided, pulling away with a "pop" as she broke the suction of Jamie’s hungry mouth. "Keep that thought," she advised, patting her partner’s cheek as she ran into the yard with Caitlin in her arms, both swimmers shouting for joy.

  Having a built-in excuse, the two cousins stayed in the pool until Jamie came out to announce that their clothes were washed, dried and ironed. "This is the life, eh Cait?" Ryan asked conspiratorially as she carried the gurgling baby to the steps. "What’s that you say? Oh…I guess this is the treatment you’re used to, isn’t it?" Looking at Jamie, Ryan shrugged her shoulders and informed her, "Caitie says you’re gonna have to work a little harder to impress her. I, however, think you’re fantastic."

  "Thank you, Sweetheart. I think you’re both fantastic, too. Ready for a shower? I waited for you."

  "Uhh, sure," Ryan agreed, knowing that she shouldn’t let the chlorine-infused water remain in her hair. "Can I go in the house in just a towel?"

  "Sure. But you don’t have to. Let’s shower in the pool house. I’ll bring your clothes in."

  "You have a shower in there?" Ryan asked, gazing at the neat square, two-story house that stood perpendicular to the main house.

  "Yep. A really nice one," Jamie informed her interested partner.

  "My sweet Lord!" Ryan exclaimed, purring sensually as the warm water cascaded down her body. "I have never been in a shower that felt better than this. Can we move here?" Before the words were fully out of her mouth, she grimly reminded herself that Jim would probably not be wild about that idea, and that she needed to tell Jamie about his visit as soon as possible.

  "Sure. It would be a tough commute to school, but if it would make you happy—we’re here."

  "I guess this is better as a getaway than as a full-time residence," Ryan decided, knowing that Hillsborough was too far from home even if Jim didn’t hate her.

  Jamie was holding Caitlin, who was having as good a time as her big cousin. The waterfall-type showerhead propelled a foot-wide stream of water onto their heads, and the baby laughed while she sputtered and spit, trying to get the water out of her eyes. Taking pity on her, Jamie moved back in the stall, where she immediately shot a puzzled glance down at her leg.

  Ryan saw the look on Caitlin’s face and knew that she was relieving herself on Jamie’s leg, but she wasn’t about to break the news if Jamie didn’t notice it. Regrettably, Jamie caught her in mid-stream, making a disgusted face as she grasped the baby and held her at arm’s length. "Gross!" she cried, maintaining her sour face.

  Please don’t add any solids, Caitlin, Ryan thought, wisely keeping that thought to herself. "Does this mean that you won’t indulge in my fetish for golden showers?" Ryan asked, trying to look innocent.

  "I’m not absolutely certain what that means," Jamie admitted, "but given the context, I’d say that’s a resounding no!"

  "You’re no fun," the taller woman muttered, adopting a look of dismay.

  "Speaking of fun," Jamie asked, "what do you want to do with Munchkin the rest of the day? Should we take her back to the city with us?"

  "Well, if I had my choice, I’d like to cut her hair," Ryan suggested. "She looks like a nut with this goofy haircut, and I’ve been itching to get my hands on it for months. Annie gave me carte blanche to do anything I want, including shaving her head."

  Jamie pretended to be considering that option. "I don’t think t
hat would flatter her," she decided, "but she does need some help here."

  Getting out and drying off, Jamie tried to slide a wide-toothed comb through the baby’s wet locks, which featured at least 16 different lengths. The very fine hair on the back of her head was short, but permanently tangled from sleeping on her back, and it was clear that Annie had declared the area a total loss. Very long strands of golden hair grew from the crown of her head. They were not bad looking, but they were uneven and they blew around Caitlin’s head in the smallest breeze. The worst part of the cut, however, were the very short, annoyingly uneven bangs that zigged and zagged haphazardly across her forehead, looking more like they had been chewed than cut.

  "Da has a set of clippers at the house," Ryan suggested, seemingly in earnest.

  Jamie’s eyes grew round as saucers, as she stared at her partner in horror. "Absolutely not!" she cried. "Neither of us knows how to cut hair with a clippers! I will not have this adorable child look worse when we’ve finished with her."

  Ryan scratched her head pensively, shaking it slowly. "I don’t think she could look worse, Honey."

  "Ryan, the child needs a good haircut, and she’s going to get one." With that, the determined woman strode across the pool deck, baby in her arms.

  I do believe this is one of those, "Give up, Ryan" kinda days, the brunette mused as she watched the blondes head for the house.

  Ryan sat at the kitchen table, watching her partner make arrangements to take Caitlin to Giancarlo for her first official haircut. "Three o’clock is fine," she said into the phone. "No, just a cut. Great. See you then." Turning to Ryan, she announced, "Let’s go home, get packed up and then head over to Berkeley."

  "Okay. Let’s go tell your mom."

  Catherine was pleased with the plan, and she offered to take the baby separately so that Jamie and Ryan could get packed up more efficiently. That settled, Ryan decided that she needed a little lunch, so they repaired to the kitchen for the noon meal. The day was getting away from Ryan, and she knew that she had to talk to Jamie, but she found herself trying to think of another reason to delay. Deciding that she was just making matters worse by waiting, she sat down at the table with the baby and cleared her throat. "Um…Jamie?" she said, getting a questioning glance from both mother and daughter. "I mentioned this to your mom last night when you were gone, but I’ve been putting off telling you something."