R. E. Bradshaw - Rainey Nights (13 page)

“Well, anyway, I’m not sorry I left the school. I’m glad I went and faced everyone. I’m sure, between all the publicity from this summer and moving in with you, I was the talk of the teacher’s lounge for a while. It felt good to hear people say I never looked happier.”

A smile seized Rainey’s lips. Of all the things in the world that Rainey wanted, the most important was for Katie to be happy. “I’m glad you went then. And you know you can always go back to teaching when you’re ready. I’d hate not having you around as much, but anyone who ever saw you with those kids knows you were born to it.”

“Oh, I’m going to be too busy for a couple of years, at least.”

Katie said this so nonchalantly that Rainey almost missed it, but her investigator’s ears caught the implications. Yes, they had discussed having a baby. Rainey said she would be a willing participant in the parenting, but it still made her nervous. Katie was so sure of what she wanted and was prepared to be a parent. Whether Rainey was in Katie’s life or not, there was going to be a baby. Katie had been very clear about that before they began their relationship. Rainey wished she were as positive that she could be a good parent. She wanted to have a family with Katie. She just feared she would screw it up somehow. Her own family history wasn’t exactly “Ozzie and Harriet.” Katie’s statement hung in the air, while they ate.

After a moment, Rainey said, “So, are you going to tell me what the doctor said or not?”

“I wanted to wait until we’d eaten, but okay. He said everything was fine and I could start the procedure whenever we’re ready.”

Rainey, finished with the food on her plate, sat back, holding her wine glass. She looked at Katie, not commenting. Katie cocked her head to one side, wiped her mouth with her napkin, and sat back, as well. Silence fell over the room. Rainey had known this moment was coming, but now that it was here, she was unable to say anything.

Katie rescued her by saying, “This is all so fast; are you sure you want to go through with it, or are you just trying to please me?”

“Ernie asked me the same question today.” Rainey took a sip of wine.

“Well?”

“Yes, Katie, I’m trying to please you.” Rainey leaned forward. “I can’t tell you it doesn’t frighten me. I’ve barely gotten my feet back under me and this life with you is so new. I don’t want to make a mistake here. On the other hand, I can’t imagine life without you, and life with you means children. So, there you have it.”

“Children.” Katie’s eyes sparkled. “Let’s try for one and see what happens.”

“Well, we need to know if we’re building a three or four bedroom house.”

Katie stood up without answering and started cleaning off the table. Rainey reached out and took her hand, pulling the smaller woman down on her lap. She kissed Katie sweetly on the lips and said, “Thank you for the wonderful meal and all the preparations. Now, tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

“I’m being selfish. Forcing this on you. You told me you never thought about having a baby.” Katie said.

“I also told you that none of my relationships ever went that far and my job took precedence over everything else. I just never had the time to think about it before, but I know I want children with you.”

“There you go, with that children word again.”

Rainey laughed and pulled Katie to her, hugging her tightly. “Honey, you would have a whole classroom full if you could. I know that. I’m thinking three would be more reasonable, but I’m about to turn forty-one, so we need to get started.”

“I love you, Rainey Bell,” Katie said into Rainey’s neck.

“I love you, too,” Rainey said, feeling her body wake to Katie’s touch. She pulled Katie’s mouth to hers and kissed her thoroughly.

Katie’s cell phone rang and vibrated on the kitchen counter. She pulled away from Rainey. “I have to get this. It’s my mom.”

“Really?” Rainey said. Katie’s mother could wait, as far as Rainey was concerned.

Katie went to the phone, turning to Rainey before answering it. “Don’t pout. It’s not attractive. This will just take a minute.”

Katie answered the phone. “Yes, mother. I do remember your number,” Katie said into the receiver. She listened and then replied, “What time do you want us there? … That early? Let me talk to Rainey and I’ll get back to you…. I love you, too. Bye.”

Katie’s mother was throwing a birthday party for her father and Rainey was expected to be there, along with Katie’s two sisters and their significant others. This was to be their third full-on family gathering. Rainey’s experience with the sisters portended a lively family discussion, with Rainey as the main topic. Katie was the darling youngest daughter and the last person anyone in her family expected to begin a lesbian relationship. All the money had been on the middle sister, Helena, to do something so shocking.

Maria, the oldest sister, was the most vocal about her dismay. Was it homophobia or Maria’s fear of what people might think of her having a lesbian sister? Rainey had not decided. Katie’s mother, Melanie, as it turned out, knew Rainey’s mother and stepfather. It made her accepting Katie’s sudden shift in sexuality a bit more palatable, but she still seemed mystified by the whole thing. Katie’s father had long since given up any semblance of control or understanding of the women in his life. Katie’s family was handling her leap into this relationship, each in their own way. No one was openly hostile to the idea, but the astonishment really hadn’t worn off. Rainey was not looking forward to another outing with the Meyers clan.

“Rainey, my sisters are coming in Friday night and Mom would like us to come for brunch at ten thirty on Saturday, before the party that afternoon. I know that makes for a very long day with my family, but we are so rarely all in the same place. I want them to get to know you better.”

“I’m not so sure I can last that long in the same house with all three of you sisters. Christmas was almost a deal breaker, or have you forgotten Maria asking me which one of us was the boy?”

Katie started whipping herself with laughter. “I loved it when you said, ‘Depends on which day of the week it is, but Katie is kinda attached to that role so I let her wear the equipment, know what I mean?’ When you winked at her I thought she would die right there.”

Rainey chuckled. It was not her finest moment, but she’s had a few drinks and Maria just got on her nerves. She said, “Besides, I don’t know how your parents did it. It’s so noisy. Remember I was an only child.”

Katie laughed. “Do what my dad and Maria’s husband do, drink and watch sports on TV.”

Rainey laughed. “So I’m relegated to the husbands’ room to smoke cigars and drink brandy.”

Katie put the phone on the table and stood in between Rainey’s legs, her arms draped over Rainey’s shoulders. “You can drink scotch or bourbon, if you prefer. Let’s face it, Rainey, you’re not one of the girls. You have more in common with my second-amendment-loving father and brother-in-law, than with my Hollywood sisters and globetrotting mother. By the way, are you going to wear your holster this time?”

Rainey grinned. “It depends. Is Maria going to wear a muzzle?”

“Oh, don’t worry. You and I are old news. Helena is bringing a boy toy that is the same age as Maria’s oldest daughter. He’s twenty. Remember Helena is forty-two. It’s making Maria crazy.”

Rainey would never get used to the way these sisters went at each other, only to join ranks if attacked by an outsider. Rainey learned quickly that she was not one of them. She measured her words carefully when speaking of the sisters. She was genuinely surprised the muzzle comment hadn’t met more resistance, but Maria could be a bitch, and this afforded Rainey a little leeway.

“Now, that might be worth going to watch,” Rainey said, chuckling.

Katie pecked Rainey on the cheek and started clearing the table. “Maria called this morning ranting about it. I told her to be careful, her moral superiority was showing.”

Rainey laughed. “I am delighted that Helena’s new boyfriend now tops the list of things Maria thinks are her business.”

Maria vacillated between total disbelief and quoting scripture, to mild acceptance of Katie’s relationship with Rainey. In the meantime, Maria kept them informed of her every thought on the subject. Hell, Rainey didn’t understand how it happened anymore than Maria did; she just didn’t spend every waking moment trying to figure it out. For once in her life Rainey walked straight into the unknown willingly, giving her heart freely to a woman she barely knew.

Rainey was helpless to do anything else. If it made Katie happy, then what choice did she have? She smiled up at Katie. “Whatever you want to do is fine with me.”

#

“Katie, come on. Open the door.”

Rainey had been pacing up and down the hallway for five minutes. Jesus, how could she have been so stupid? Now she was faced with a locked bedroom door and a very angry woman on the other side. Katie locked her bedroom door before, but not to keep Rainey out. She used this tactic on her husband. Rainey was experiencing this particular form of dismissal for the first time.

She knocked again. “Katie, this is childish. Open the door.”

Something hit the other side of the door loudly. Perhaps chastising Katie had not been the best approach. She tried apologizing, pleading, and downright begging, but none of that had worked. Katie was pissed. There was no use trying to kick the door open. After the gunfight that nearly destroyed the place in July, Rainey had to replace the doors. She planned never to be afraid to fall asleep in that room. She closed in the wall where the sliding glass doors to the deck had been, and replaced the exit with a metal door and high security dead bolt lock. It wasn’t as nice a view but she slept well. The interior door blocking Rainey’s path was solid oak, complete with a sturdy lock and reinforced frame. Rainey never envisioned the lock being used to keep her out.

She tried again to make some headway with the irate woman on the other side of the door. She spoke softly, calmly, trying to become the voice of reason Katie might hear.

“Katie, I know what I said upset you. I am truly sorry. Please open the door and talk to me. This isn’t going to just go away and I can’t fix it if you won’t talk to me.”

Nothing. Not a word. Rainey gave up. She’d try again later, but right now all she wanted was a drink. She had only taken two steps down the hallway when the bedroom door opened behind her. She turned, hopeful that Katie had finally given in, only to see Katie’s arm slipping back inside the door, having dropped a blanket and pillow on the hall floor. Freddie ran into the bedroom before the door closed quickly. Rainey heard the lock slide into place.

“Traitor,” she called after the cat. She felt bad, but bad was turning to angry, pretty swiftly. She shouted at the door, “Good night to you, too!”

Dammit! How had a romantic evening with so much promise turned into such a disaster? Rainey went back to the living room, pulled a bottle of bourbon from the liquor cabinet, and sat on the couch. She didn’t drink much anymore, but this situation called for some real soul searching, and she happened to need a drink to get through it. Rainey’s demons reared their heads at some of the most awkward moments. Tonight they got out and she didn’t rein them in fast enough.

Earlier, when they finished playing grab-ass in the kitchen and went out to the main room, Rainey was ready to skip the surprise and head straight to bed, the couch, the floor… she wasn’t picky. Katie had other plans. She made Rainey sit on the couch beside her and placed a file folder in Rainey’s lap. She kept her hand on top of the folder so Rainey couldn’t open it yet.

“Before you look in here, I have to ask,” Katie paused and then added, “when you said you were afraid to make a mistake earlier, what did you mean? Are you talking about us? Are you afraid this might be a mistake?”

“No, Katie. Not us. I’m afraid I won’t be a good parent. I didn’t have the kind of home life you did. My family just wasn’t normal. I know nothing about raising a kid. I don’t want to screw it up.”

“Oh Rainey, no one knows how to raise a kid. You just do the best you can. Between the two of us, I think we can manage.” Katie lifted her hand from the folder and touched Rainey’s chin, pulling her eyes into focus. “But I’m telling you now, you have to teach the sports stuff.”

Rainey grinned. “How do you know he or she will be into sports?”

“I’m stacking the deck so to speak.” Katie tapped the folder. “If not athletic, the child will at least be coordinated.”

Rainey opened the folder. Once again she was faced with a stack of profiles, only these weren’t of serial rapists or murderers, they were sperm donors. Rainey surveyed the information available. It flooded at her from the pages and pages of facts and interviews. A lump formed in her throat. She couldn’t help but look for the information she knew wouldn’t be there.

Katie prattled on in her ear, “These are longer than the initial donor profiles. These contain all the general information about the donor's main characteristics, like hair color, eye color, height, weight, education, blood type, ethnic origin, plus a three-generation medical and genetic history - their religious affiliations, whether they are athletes, what their interests are, hobbies, stuff like that. I picked these because they look like you. So we’ll look like a family.”

Rainey was sure she was supposed to respond positively to the last comment, but at the moment her mind was occupied with the forms in front of her. Each donor’s file contained extensive interviews, essays, even a childhood picture accompanied a few, but what caught Rainey’s eye were the psychological exam results.

Katie had gone quiet when Rainey didn’t respond to her declaration to have the child’s donor look like her. Rainey turned without thinking and asked, “Who gave these psych tests? Are they legitimate? Most psychos can pass a simple standard test. Do you know we had documented cases where sociopaths donated sperm to reputable places? Can you imagine finding out your sperm donor was a serial killer?”

Katie stiffened. “What if he was? Would you give the child back?”

Rainey tried to defend her comments. “Of course not. I’m just saying you have no way of knowing who this person really is. Whether you believe it or not, genetics can play a big role in some of these malformed personalities.”