Ryan was very playful and lighthearted that evening, and it was obvious that she needed to release some energy. It was unlike her to remain indoors as much as she had the last two weeks, and she continually ran ahead of Jamie and sprinted back just to burn up some power.

About halfway to the ice cream shop, she started to muse about their upcoming trip to Pebble Beach, and by the time they got there they both needed a little cooling off. They hadn't been very intimate for the last two weeks, and Jamie knew she was ready for some action. They sat in the small shop and stared at each other with desire-suffused faces. Jamie resigned herself to another night of self-pleasuring, but Ryan got a fiendish look on her face and asked, "Can I borrow your phone?"

After she dialed an obviously familiar number, she paused for a second and said, "Weight room, please." She looked up and made a cute little face while she waited to be connected. "Hi, is Ally working tonight?" Her face lit up as she paused again and winked at Jamie. "Hey, it's Ryan," she said with a big smile on her face. "No, no, I'm keeping the faith, how about you?" Another pause while her friend spoke. "Excellent! I'm glad it's going well. I'm actually calling for a tremendous favor. Could I possibly use your apartment for a hour or so?" She blushed a little and said, "I know an hour isn't very long, but it's more than enough for what I have in mind." She nodded happily and said, "I'm just down the street. Can you leave the keys at the front desk?" She stood up and motioned Jamie to join her as she said, "Thanks a million, Ally. You're a pal."

Jamie grasped her hand as Ryan practically pulled her down the street. After the quick stop at Castro Fitness, they climbed back up the hill to Ally's neat little apartment. As soon as the door was closed Ryan was on her like a tiger, locking their mouths together with a passionate fury as she pushed her against the nearest wall. "Hey, hey, slow down a little," Jamie soothed as she pushed Ryan away and tried to catch her breath.

Ryan looked a little chagrined as she blushed and said, "I'm sorry, I'll try to control myself."

"It's okay," she assured her as she absently patted her shoulder and looked around warily. "I just have to get my bearings a bit. It feels odd to be in someone else's apartment. Especially somewhere that you've obviously been a lot," she added, getting to the real issue.

"Is this okay with you?" Ryan asked gently. "I guess I didn't consider that this might be uncomfortable for you."

"No, I'll be okay," she said as she looked around. She immediately noticed that the room was obsessively neat, but also that there were no books or any personal items to identify the owner. "This place is kind of cold," she said.

Ryan looked around and had to agree with her lover, "I guess I never noticed," she said.

"Have you been here often?" Jamie asked, trying to fish for information without being too obvious.

"I've told you about Ally," she patiently reminded her.

"You've told me some things, but not a lot," she protested. "How often would you say you were together?"

"Um…define together," Ryan hedged, not really in the mood to have this particular discussion.

"What is this, 20 questions?"

"No, but I've told you how it was with us. We saw each other for sex. So are you really asking how many times we had sex, or do you want to know something else?"

Jamie pursed her lips as she flopped down on the sofa. "I want to know what she meant to you," she asked softly as she met Ryan's gaze.

Ryan joined her on the sofa and tried to banish thoughts of how well used that piece of furniture had been in their sex play. "She meant a lot to me," she replied slowly. "I met her not long after the Sara debacle, and she really helped me a lot. If she had been willing, I could have loved her, but she wasn't interested."

"Why not?" Jamie asked indignantly.

Ryan laughed at her defensive reaction. "Not everyone thinks I'm all that hot, Jamie."

"Oh don't be ridiculous, Ryan. If she wasn't attracted to you, why would she have had sex with you so often?"

"Okay, I admit that she liked me, she probably even cared for me, but she absolutely did not want to have a relationship with me. I'm not sure why, to tell you the truth," Ryan said, even though she thought that Ally's molestation had a lot to do with it. "When we got too close or too intimate, she would pull away and refuse to see me for a couple of months."

"Months!"

"Yeah. It was hard at first. I really felt kinda used. Over time I came to accept that all she could give me was as much sex as I could handle, as long as it wasn't too emotionally charged. So I accepted her terms, and we had a nice sexual partnership for over five years."

"Five years!"

"Yeah, I said it was right after Sara. It was the end of the summer after my senior year. A month or two before my 19^th birthday."

"And you've seen her consistently ever since then?"

"Yeah. I last slept with her the day I broke up with Tracy."

"Did you love her, Ryan?" she asked softly.

Giving the matter the serious consideration that it was due, Ryan sat quietly for several minutes. "I don't think so," she said reflectively. "I was infatuated with her, and I loved having sex with her. She had my number like no one else I had ever been with. I didn't really know her well enough to love her, Jamie. We probably had five meals together outside of her house. We never even went to a movie together!"

"It just amazes me that you could have sex with her dozens of times and not form a deeper attachment."

"I took what she was able to offer, Jamie. You don't always get to choose what someone can give you," she said seriously. "If I wanted her in my life, I had to take her on her terms. And I'm glad that she was in my life. She was a good friend when I really needed one, and she really helped set me straight on safer sex. If not for her I'd probably have contracted a couple of dozen venereal diseases, if not worse," she added ominously.

"Is it painful to think of the time when you wanted more but couldn't get it?"

"Not really. Over time she helped me realize that sexual chemistry wasn't enough. I don't think we could have been a successful couple, and if we had tried, we probably would have lost what we did have. So I think it worked out well in the end. She still means a lot to me, Jamie, and I plan on keeping her as a friend."

"I'd like to meet her," she replied with a small smile. "I should spend a few days with her and pick her brain," she added wryly. "I'd like to have your number too, you know."

"Oh, you've got my number. Believe me, you've got it," she promised as she placed a scorcher on Jamie's lips and unsteadily got to her feet.

"What are you doing?" Jamie asked in surprise.

"This wasn't a good idea," Ryan declared as she extended her hand. "I want the places we caress each other to be as special as the experience." Looking around with a smirk firmly attached to her face she added, "This place has far too many miles on it!"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

On the way back home Ryan broke the silence, "I have good news," she said, rather solemnly.

"Really, what is it?" Jamie inquired.

"I'm HIV negative, and I don't have any sexually transmitted diseases."

"That's really nice, Ryan," she said tentatively. "Are there any other diseases that you don't have?"

"Lots of them I hope," she laughed. "I had to go to the doctor to get my medical release for the ride, and as long as I was there I had him do an AIDS test and check me for STD's."

"Were you concerned?" Jamie asked.

"No. Not really. I've been pretty careful with safer sex practices, thanks to Ally, but I absolutely refuse to take any chances with you, my little gem," she said as she pinched her cheek.

"That is so thoughtful of you, Ryan. Would you like me to do the same?"

"Well, you only have to worry about Jack, so it depends on how confident you are about his status," she said logically.

"I'm quite confident. I made him have a test before I would sleep with him, and then I made him have another six months later. He wasn't very happy about it, but he did it."

"Did he also get checked for STD's?"

"Yep. All clear," she said happily.

Ryan cleared her throat nervously as she brought up a sore subject. "What about when you…um…started to see him in April?"

"No problem," she said confidently. "No bodily fluids were exchanged." Oops, I guess I should clarify that he got my bodily fluids that one day but I never got his. Mmm, that's not something she needs to know, she thought judiciously.

"Then I guess all systems are go," Ryan said with a leer.

"Pebble Beach can't come fast enough for me," Jamie agreed.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

On Sunday morning at eight a.m. on the dot, the big, black Dodge Ram crew cab pulled up in front of Jamie's home. Much to her surprise, her curly-haired roommate came running down the stairs before she could even make a move to go fetch her.

"Hi, guys!" Mia said brightly, as she opened the front passenger door and climbed inside. "Oooh, who's my best friend?" she gasped in delight as Jamie handed up a steaming hot latté.

"I am, and don't you forget it when you're gone all summer," Jamie warned as she leaned over the seat to give her a kiss.

"You're my goomba forever!" she declared, reverting to her mother's Italian slang. Turning to Conor she asked, "Have you been sailing before?"

"Nope. Even though our relatives came from the coast, neither of us has been sailing. We've both been on more fishing boats and row boats than we can count, but we're sailboat virgins."

Mia shot him a look, guessing that was the only area in which he could make that claim. "Well, you're gonna love it," she promised. "Jamie's really a pro. Her dad loves it when she crews for him 'cause she's so good. And now that she's got those muscles, she's really gonna be in demand."

"Uh-uh," her friend corrected. "I'm the captain today. I've got tons of O'Flaherty muscle here for the crew, and I'm gonna use it."

"I shoulda known you had an ulterior motive for choosing a strong girlfriend," Ryan chided her.

"Oh yeah, I had an ulterior motive all right," she agreed as she leaned over and took a little nibble of a soap-scented earlobe.

"Are we gonna have to watch you two smooch all day long?" Conor whined.

"Don't worry, Conor," Mia assured him as she patted his thigh in a friendly manner. "If they get too irritating, we can focus on something else."

He shot her a quick glance and was pleased to find a sultry gaze that belied her deceptively cherubic countenance.

"Looks like a great day for sailing," he decided with a return leer.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

It was just a short drive to the Berkeley marina where Jim Evans kept the boat. He'd begun sailing when he was dating Catherine, and took to it like a duck to water. Something about the freedom of the ocean and the inherent risk in the sport formed an attractive combination for him.

Catherine's father had been a sailor, and he had enjoyed having his young son-in-law crew for him on his yacht. It was a few years before Jim could afford his own boat, and it was an important sign of his independence for him to pay for his hobby with his own money. Eventually he began to work his way up, trading in his small boats for progressively larger ones. He had owned a 45-foot Swan for about four years now, and he thought he would probably stick with it, not needing any more length or speed to feed his habit. This was just what he had always wanted—a large boat, built for speed, but with enough amenities to easily sleep six or eight people for overnight trips. It was far from luxurious, but that wasn't an issue for him; he wanted as little excess weight as possible so he could stay competitive in his frequent races, and the Swan fit the bill perfectly.

Normally a boat as large and as nice as his would be berthed in one of the marinas in the city. Catherine's father had kept his boat in Berkeley and when he died Jim had taken over his slip as a small tribute to the man who sparked his love for the hobby.

Jamie had been sailing with him since she was a tiny child--much too tiny for Catherine's more cautious nature. She loved the ocean as much as she loved being with her father and, up until this year, had never refused an invitation to crew. She knew he'd been disappointed when she had begged off several times this year because of training rides, but he seemed to understand.

The marina parking lot was nearly empty, as always, but the few prime spots were taken this morning so they had to walk quite a way with all of their gear. The girls had prepared a large, if not gourmet, lunch the night before, and Ryan now lugged the big bag they had packed it in. Conor carried a cooler filled with beer, wine and bottled water, while Jamie carried nothing but a large thermos of hot cocoa. Mia came up beside her on the walk and snaked an arm around her waist. "Thanks for arranging this, Sweetie. I can't think of a better send-off."

"You're starting the flirting a little early, aren't you pal?" she teased, referring to Mia's earlier comments to Conor.

"Hey, I don't want him to get the wrong impression," she said rather defensively. "I've only got one day to make an impact!"

"Oh, I think you made an impact. He gave you the same look Ryan gives me before she jumps me!"

"He's following my evil plan perfectly then," she grinned mischievously.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The boat was docked near the edge of the marina with the other large vessels. The two strapping stevedores had no trouble climbing aboard, even with their loads, and within a few minutes they had everything stowed away and were ready to sail.

Mia had been sailing many times. It seemed that most families on the Peninsula sailed, and she had frequently accepted invitations to spend a day on the ocean. While not nearly as competent as her friend, she had enough experience to make her a perfectly acceptable first mate.

The first order of business was a short lecture on the basic elements of sailing. Since both O'Flaherty's were practical people, with a good understanding of the natural world, they immediately grasped the basic concepts. "I've got it," Ryan said. "You can't sail directly into the wind, but you can sail directly with the wind. If you don't want to go the way the wind is blowing, you have to cut across it and use the sails and the rudder to provide lift and thrust."

"Uhh, maybe you should give the lecture," Jamie mumbled.

"No, no, not at all. You just explain it very well," Ryan said with a grin. "It makes it obvious."

"Riiight," she drawled. "Anyway, let's cover some basic terms. The sails are pretty obvious, but the ropes that move them are called sheets."

"Shouldn't the sail be the sheet?" Conor asked, his forehead wrinkled in question. "It looks like a big sheet."

"Ahh, probably," she agreed. "But they're not. The big pole down the center of the boat is the mast. You put the mainsail up the mast via this rope called the mainsheet. A very important piece of equipment is the boom," she said as she slapped the heavy canvas-covered piece that stuck out at a right angle from the mast. "The term is important, because that's just what it feels like if it hits you."

"Why would it hit you?" Ryan asked.

"Well, remember how we have to 'tack' across the wind?"

Two dark heads nodded.

"The boom moves from side to side, holding the sail out to catch the wind. You 'trim' the sail by moving the boom using the sheets. The boom moves independently, and rather abruptly, if the wind changes unexpectedly. So it's best to never let your attention wander too much if you're in the path that it travels."

"Got it," Conor stated. "Don't get hit by the boom."

"A few more terms are mandatory," she instructed. "The front of the boat is the bow, but if you're going towards the bow you're also moving fore. Likewise the rear of the boat is the stern, but moving towards the stern is aft."

"Huh?" Ryan asked, actually scratching her dark head. "Why not just say bow and stern?"

"Umm, think of fore and aft as signposts leading you to the destination of the bow and stern."

"If you insist," she replied, casting a dubious glance at her teacher.

"Two more must-knows. Port is the left of the boat when you face forward. And starboard is the right."

"What is the left of the boat when you face the stern?" Ryan asked, obviously trying hard to lock this information into her brain in some semblance of order.

"It's the starboard," Jamie said slowly, now casting a dubious glance at her student.

"OH! I get it. You just meant that each side has a fixed name no matter which way you're facing!"

"Well, yeah," she said slowly.

"She could have just said so," Conor muttered a little under his breath.

Jamie ignored his grumbling and started to discuss casting off, but was once again stopped by her partner. "What is the term for going towards the port or the starboard?"

"Uhh, just port and starboard," Jamie replied confidently.

"Shouldn't they have signposts too?" Ryan asked sincerely.

"Let go, Ryan, just let go," she said soothingly as she massaged her temples.

"All right," she agreed as she shrugged her broad shoulders. "Just trying to get some consistency here."

Jamie continued to instruct her small class for a few minutes. It wasn't important that they learn too much at first, since she really only needed them for one task. "Okay," she said as she handed each O'Flaherty a pair of leather-palmed gloves with shortened fingers. "Your main job is to be my grinders. You keep the sheets taut by sticking those big cranks in the winches here and grinding for all you're worth when I tell you to."

The bright blue eyes shared a glance and then fixed upon Jamie again. "So you and Mia do the fun stuff, and we work our asses off?" Ryan asked.

"Pretty much," she said brightly.

"Sounds good to me," Conor said happily.

"Me too," his little sister agreed.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Since they knew the drill, Jamie and Mia inspected each line, shackle, bolt, screw, winch and strap they could get their hands on. When they were certain the boat was shipshape, Jamie instructed Conor to stand on the dock and cast them off. After checking the fuel tanks, she started the surprisingly powerful inboard engines. Conor's eyes bugged out a bit as she motored the Swan out of the slip. "Wow, why learn all this sailing stuff if you can just hit those babies hard and cruise around the Bay?"

"These are just big enough to get us in and out of the slip and help us get in if we can't sail in. The fuel tanks aren't really huge anyway, Conor," she called over the growling of the engines.

He released the lines, one at a time, and hopped back on just as she started to clear the dock. Mia showed them how to remove the small bumpers that protected the boat in the dock, but looked rather unsightly when under sail. When all of the gear was stowed away, they were clear of the marina and ready to rock.

"Okay, Buffy," Jamie called to her partner. "Ready to hoist the mainsail?"

"Aye, aye," her lover answered happily. Following the instructions that Jamie had given earlier, Ryan did an admirable job of hoisting the huge piece of fabric up the very tall mast. The halyard that pulled the material up was engineered to make the work fairly easy, but she used most of her arm and shoulder muscles in the task. When the mainsail was secure, Conor got to work on the jib.

Mia helped him secure it properly, and then scampered aft to await instructions from the captain. "Okay, we're going to start off on a port tack. Mia, set the sails," she ordered. With a small salute, Mia quickly reminded Ryan how to trim the main and sat next to Conor to help him with the jib. Just to keep them on their toes, Jamie executed a few little tacking drills, forcing them to grind almost constantly just to keep up.

"Hey! Make up your mind!" Conor called as he stopped to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"Just a little test," she called back, satisfied with the rigging. "Come on back, Ryan," she called.

Ryan walked back to the stern, grinning a bit when she paused a moment to take in her lover. The day was warm and dry on shore, but the always-brisk wind of the Bay constantly required plenty of clothing. Jamie's head was covered by an orange nylon baseball cap, its closure pulled snug to keep it secure in the breeze. A wind and waterproof navy blue anorak covered a bright yellow turtleneck, and under her matching navy blue pants, she wore a silk thermal union suit that Ryan had teased her about when they were getting dressed. She had never been too warm while on the Bay, and she doubted that this day would be any different. Her navy blue leather topsiders, which obviously had a lot of miles on them, covered two thin pairs of nylon socks.

To Ryan's appraising eye, she was the cutest thing on water, and her approving gaze told Jamie just that as she approached. "What's that look for?" the blonde asked, knowing full well what that look usually meant.

"Just thinking that the Sirens' song wouldn't mean a thing to me if I could just get one look at you," she said with a lovesick grin on her sweet face.

"Come sit down and let me sit on your lap, you sweet thing," she demanded.

Ryan did just that, happily nuzzling her lover's neck while Jamie expertly steered the boat, using the very large wheel. "Wanna take over?" the blonde's voice carried back to the human chair.

"Yeah! Can I?" she asked with all of the excitement of a seven-year-old at Christmas.

"Absolutely. Come stand in front of me, and I'll let you get a feel for the action," she instructed. Ryan did so, and after a few moments of resting her hands on top of Jamie's, she was given control of the big boat. Jamie would have given anything to have a camera at that moment. Her broadly grinning lover was standing comfortably on widely-splayed legs, her proud face staring into the wind, dark hair streaming behind her. Surprisingly, she did not wear a hat; her hair was unrestrained. She wore a white turtleneck under the bright blue wool sweater that was a favorite of Jamie's. Her yellow nylon windbreaker covered both, but it was unzipped enough to show both of her sweaters. Her ever-present jeans and running shoes completed her outfit that did not have Jamie's approval. The blonde had strongly suggested that they buy proper sailing gear, but her proud lover would not let her buy it and was reticent to buy it for herself until she was sure she would enjoy the sport. "I might be hanging over the side the whole time," she had joked the previous evening. Jamie let her win the round, but she was determined to have an outfit for her the next time they went out. She knew from experience that wet jeans were no fun when the brisk wind hit them, but she had decided to let Ryan find that out for herself.

As acting captain, Ryan, of course, had to make her brother jump from port to starboard several times to trim the sails, but she knew he would get her back at some point during the day. The wind was picking up, making the Bay a little rough, but neither sibling seemed to mind. In fact, Ryan seemed to smile wider and wider every time they hit a depression, making the boat thump hard against the water. "Wanna do something really fun?" Jamie asked as the wind gained even more velocity.

"I'm in!" Ryan stated dramatically, hardly caring what the event was.

"Hey, Mia!" she called, interrupting her friend's flirting.

"Yo!"

"Show our guests how to ride the rail!" she called out over the howling wind. "Get them some foul weather gear and life jackets first," she added.

Mia scampered below and retrieved two bright red rubberized overalls for Ryan and Conor. They both looked adorable in their matching gear, which covered them to mid-torso. Jamie turned the boat just a bit, causing the starboard side to lift off the water at a dramatic angle. Showing, rather than explaining, Mia sat on the deck and wedged her torso between the two rubber-covered safety lines that ringed the boat. Her butt was resting right on the toe rail, her small feet dangling over the waves. It was a fairly dangerous move, given the conditions, but she seemed totally confident so the O'Flahertys followed suit.

There was something so elemental and free about the experience that Ryan wished it could last for hours. The ride was jarring and rough and very wet, and she knew that she would be chilled to the bone in a short time, but she just loved it. Looking at the smile on her brother's face, she knew that he felt the same. When she turned back to Jamie, they locked eyes for just a moment—just long enough for Ryan to experience a stab of connection right in the pit of her stomach. Having Jamie understand what this felt like, and having her know that Ryan would totally love it, was a very powerful experience. She wanted to wrap her arms around her partner and give her a big squeeze, but that would require climbing back up on the deck, and she just was not ready to give up her perch.

Catching Mia's eye, Jamie signaled that she wanted to tack again. Mia informed the siblings, and they scrambled to trim the sails and jump to the port side to ride that rail.

They continued in a similar vein for almost half an hour. They looked like they were having a very good time, but Jamie was worried that they would freeze if she left them out there much longer. A small adjustment righted the boat, and the rail sitters slid from their positions and crawled along the now-slick deck to join Jamie at the helm.

"God, that rocked!" Ryan cried, tossing her arms around her lover. "I could stay out there all day!"

Conor echoed her sentiments, adding, "The only thing I still have to do is steer, and I'll be happy," as he gazed at Jamie with puppy dog eyes.

She smiled back and crooked a finger, beckoning him to join her. "Come on, Mia, you help out here, and I'll tend the sails with Buffy."

Conor did well at his task, carefully piloting the boat. Ryan had ditched her overalls--claiming they had more water in them than they had repelled--and judging from her now dark blue pants, Jamie thought she might be right.

Conor didn't really take advantage of his position, but they still had to scamper back and forth a few times to keep up with his tacking. They had just gotten the sheets set after one such tack when he began to turn in the opposite direction. Ryan jumped to her feet to help her partner, but she forgot the cardinal rule for just one short moment. A moment was all it took for the boom to come flying at her so quickly that she only had time to grab on and let it yank her off her feet, her long body dangling precariously over the choppy water.

Jamie was well used to situations just like this one, and she did not panic. She slowly began to pull on the sheet, reeling her partner in. She yelled as loudly as she could to Conor to maintain his position, but he obviously didn't hear her or couldn't make his body follow her instructions. He did what most beginners would do--he yanked the wheel in the opposite direction, thinking that would bring his baby sister back. Instead, it jerked the sail so abruptly that Ryan's tenuous grip failed, and she slid into the ocean with a small splash.

"JAMIE, HELP!!!" he cried, stunned and panicked.

She wanted to take the time to reassure him, but she couldn't waste a second. She grabbed the closest life preserver, tossed it in the general direction of her partner, and then ran back to the helm. "Drop the sails!" she ordered, Mia and Conor scrambling to obey her command. While they made a mess of the deck, with yards of sail billowing around them, Jamie started the engines and quickly turned the boat around.

She knew that Ryan would not drown, since she was wearing a buoyant life vest, but she was terribly worried about her being in the frigid water for any length of time. The ocean was about 58 degrees during the spring, and she knew that hypothermia could set in quickly, especially with the cold wind that was still blowing fiercely.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

When the unbearably cold water rushed over her head, Ryan thought for one panicked second that either her heart would stop, or she would be unable to take a breath once she surfaced. To her eternal gratitude, neither happened, but the painful shock of the water nearly made her wish they had. Actually, it had taken a few seconds to be able to feel anything, but once her heart stopped beating double time, she was able to feel the terrible needle-like sting of the frigid water on every square inch of her body. Ryan had been in the ocean in May on many occasions, but had been wearing a full wet suit each time. This experience was a unique one, and she made a promise to herself that it would be a once-in-a-lifetime treat.

She could see the sails drop and a question formed in her mind, but when she saw the boat turn quickly she realized that was the only way for Jamie to come back into the wind. Faster than she would have imagined, she started to feel her mind disconnect from her body, which felt so terribly heavy that she knew she would be useless in the rescue effort. Thank God Conor's here, she thought as the boat raced towards her.

She was aware of being pulled up to the hull by the long rope that attached to her life ring, but she was unable to help as her anxious friends tried to haul her in. Conor finally leaned over the deck so far that Mia had to sit on his legs to stop him from going over as well. He used every ounce of his substantial strength to drag his limp sister onto the deck.

Adrenaline was still pumping through his system, giving him the strength to pick her up and carry her below decks with Jamie right on his heels. Mia stayed topside to tend the wheel as the threesome descended.

"What do we do?" Conor asked, his skin ashen from fear and shock.

"Get her clothes off and wrap her in blankets," Jamie said briskly. "She'll be fine once she's warm." Looking down at her partner, who shivered painfully, she asked, "Won't you, Honey?"

Ryan nodded, but her entire body was shaking so hard that it was hard to tell what was nod and what was shake. Jamie looked up at Conor for the first time and saw how devastated he was. Summoning all of her composure, she took a deep breath and did her best to reassure the shaken man. "This happens all the time, Conor," she said soothingly. "I swear she'll be fine. Go in the forward cabin and change into some of my father's warm clothes," she commanded. "Then go get me the hot cocoa."

He obeyed her orders, but with a slight change. He ran up to get the cocoa first, handing the large mug to Jamie with shaking hands.

"Go change and then help Mia," Jamie repeated firmly.

"But…"

"Go," she said firmly. "I can undress her just fine. I've been getting lots of practice you know," she added, trying to draw a smile from the poor man.

"Okay," he said softly, gently patting his sister on the leg as he departed.

As he left, Jamie leaned over and asked, "How are you, really?"

"G.g.gotta g.g.get out of these c.c.clothes," she stuttered, unable to hold her chin still to speak clearly.

"I'll do it, Honey, drink some of this and then just try to relax." Jamie set about the normally fun task of undressing her partner that, in addition to not being fun, this time, was damned difficult. Ryan was often weak with desire, but this was much more extensive. She was barely able to help at all, and the soaked garments were so ungainly that Jamie gave a quick thought to cutting them off of her. The life jacket came off easily, as did the wool sweater. The turtleneck was a little tougher, and as soon as she got it off she tucked a blanket around Ryan's shaking shoulders, not having the patience to deal with her sports bra just yet. With persistence and patience she finally had the shoes, jeans, and socks off, and she could feel Ryan's body start to relax a bit as the ice cold clothes were removed. Taking a break, she wrapped the second blanket around shivering legs and gave in to her overwhelming need to wrap Ryan in a fierce hug. "God, you scared me," she whispered.

"I scared me too," she agreed, her voice sounding much more normal. "Do me a favor?"

"Anything," Jamie promised.

"Go tell Conor and Mia that I'm okay. I know he's worried."

"Okay, Honey. Be right back," she said with a wan smile.

"Jamie?"

"Yes, Honey?"

"I've heard the best thing for hypothermia is to snuggle with another warm body while you're both naked."

A fond smile greeted that suggestion. "You are feeling better," she said with a genuine grin.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

They followed Ryan's suggestion, but their approach was a little more chaste than the purported life-saving prescription. Ryan had taken off her soaked undergarments while Jamie was topside. She had quickly snuggled back into the blankets after turning them to their dry sides, and when Jamie returned, she shucked her jacket and pants and climbed in with her.

It was an odd feeling, cuddling a stark-naked Ryan while in thermal underwear and a turtleneck, but Jamie quickly put aside her discomfort and snuggled closer, allowing her body heat to warm her partner.

"That was the oddest feeling," Ryan mumbled, her voice now completely normal, if a bit sleepy.

"It's happened to me several times," Jamie sympathized. "It's amazing how quickly you become helpless, isn't it?" she asked, knowing that the feeling would be very uncomfortable for her powerful lover.

"Yeah, I felt like I'd been given a big dose of Novocain right into my central nervous system. I couldn't feel my hands at all, and I couldn't pick my arms up to help you guys get me out."

"I know, Honey," she soothed. "It's okay now, Baby. Just close your eyes and feel safe for a little while. I've got you, Honey. Just relax." Her hands were slowly rubbing her partner through the blanket, comforting and relaxing her simultaneously.

"Can Mia handle the boat?" she asked, jerking awake abruptly.

"Yes, Honey, she's fine," she soothed. "The sails are down and we're just motoring slowly. We've got plenty of fuel, and the wind is behind us, so we'll be fine."

"Okay," she muttered wearily as she fell asleep in Jamie's protective embrace.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

When Jamie woke up a short time later, she was immediately aware of the stillness of the boat. The engines were clearly off, and she hoped it was because Mia had turned them off. She got her answer a minute later when Conor stuck his head into the cabin.

"Everything okay?" she whispered.

"Fine. But Mia doesn't want to blow all the fuel, so she shut off the engines. She thinks it's safe to just drift for a while. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, but you should at least raise the jib in case you need to get out of trouble," she said. "I want Ryan to sleep as long as she can, so go ahead and have lunch if you're hungry."

"That was my second question," he grinned.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Moments after he departed, Ryan started to wake. "Mmm, this is nice," she mumbled as she snuggled a little tighter against her lover's body.

"You feel okay?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah," she replied as she stretched languidly. "I actually feel fine. I mean, I wasn't hurt or anything—just really cold."

"Well, you certainly feel warm now," Jamie whispered as she ran her hands up and down her partner's body through the blanket. "This is a terribly delicious feeling, you know."

"Our attire is a little discordant," Ryan agreed with a chuckle.

"I wouldn't change a thing," she breathed right into her ear.

"I would," Ryan complained as she tried to snake her hand under her partner's clothes only to be stopped by her all-encompassing union suit.

"Everything I need is readily available," she insisted as she turned Ryan onto her tummy and started to kiss her neck.

"N…no, Jamie," she muttered into the pillow. "Too much emotion."

Clambering up to cuddle behind her, Jamie asked, "Are you all right, Honey?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "Falling into the water freaked me out a bit. I don't feel like I'm in control."

And in that instant Jamie not only knew just what her lover meant, she agreed with her fully. "Let's just snuggle and try to get our equilibrium back, okay?"

Ryan nodded, and they spent the next 15 minutes nuzzling and kissing lightly. Things were just starting to escalate when they heard a terribly amused voice say, "Look who feels better!" Two heads jerked to attention to focus on the open door of the cabin. Mia stood with her arms folded across her chest, a wide grin plastered on her face. "Sorry girls, I just came down to check on you and use the head. I take it that moaning was not from pain?"

Her quick reflexes allowed her to dodge the pillow that her roommate tossed at her, but the laughter of the two women assured her that there were no hard feelings.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Luckily, Jim Evan's clothing was the perfect size to fit Ryan's large frame. She pulled on proper sailing gear, without complaint this time, even agreeing to the thin navy blue Polarfleece stocking cap that Jamie insisted she wear. She put it on in the same quirky style that Jamie had seen her adopt for other hats; rather than have the cap rest on the rear of her head, she pulled it straight down her forehead so that it rested an inch or so above her eyebrows. It was an odd affectation--and it would have looked stupid on Jamie--but Ryan pulled it off beautifully with her strongly planed face and square jaw line.

When they climbed up the few stairs to the deck, they both cleared their throats a few times to announce their presence. Conor tore his mouth from Mia's and gulped, blinking a few times to get his bearings. "How do you feel, Ryan?" he immediately asked.

"Just fine," she assured him. "No harm done."

"You scared me half to death!" he said emphatically, as he pulled away from Mia's embrace and went to wrap his sister in a hug. "I'm so sorry I did that to you," he whispered sincerely.

"It's okay, Con, really," she soothed as she gently patted his back. "Jamie says that happens all the time, even with really experienced crews."

"I've gone over three times," the smaller woman piped up.

"Just once for me," Mia added. "The guys I was with were so drunk they almost couldn't turn the damn boat to come get me!"

"See?" Ryan asked as she pulled away to get a good look at his eyes. "It's not a big deal."

"Okay," he conceded, nodding briefly. "You're never going sailing in jeans again. If you hadn't grabbed that ring and weren't wearing your life vest you couldn't have tread water that long with those heavy pants on."

"But I did, and I was and you guys rescued me easily," she reminded him. "Let it go, Conor. It's really okay."

"Will you let me buy you sailing gear and call it even?" he asked, looking down at her with a sweet smile.

"Deal!" she happily agreed. "Hey, I'll jump over for a nice set of golf clubs!"

"Don't press your luck, Sis," he warned as he playfully thumped her on her cap-covered head.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Jamie sat on Ryan's lap as the dark haired woman lovingly fed her bites of a delicious turkey sandwich. They were steering the boat together using only the jib. Not trying to get anyplace in particular, and not caring how long it took them to get there, they were just enjoying the solitude of the now calm day. Their companions had gone below, ostensibly to use the head, but after fifteen minutes the girls assumed they were engaged in some sort of merger.

Much to their surprise, Conor's dark head popped out of the hatch, his face looking green around the edges.

"I don't feel so hot," he muttered, looking at them pathetically.

"Come up here and breath some fresh air," Jamie urged. He complied, climbing over the gear to sit right next to his sister.

"How could you stay down there so long?" he moaned, as he took several deep, cleansing breaths.

"Uhh, I hadn't just had lunch and," she leaned over to count the empties, "Three beers."

"This fresh air makes you thirsty," he argued.

"Yeah, but going below after a few beers makes you sick," she reminded him. "So you can either be thirsty or frustrated. Take your pick."

"Shoulda picked thirsty," he grumbled as his sister and Jamie burst out laughing.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

When Mia returned to the group a few minutes later, they decided to hoist the mainsail and prepare to return. It was about two o'clock, but the wind wasn't terribly favorable, and Jamie predicted--accurately, as it turned out—it would take a while to get back; it took a full two hours to return to the marina. Conor offered to jump onto the dock to secure the boat, and they all had to stifle a laugh when it took him a moment to get his land legs. His stumbling gait only lasted a few steps, and he smoothly secured the big boat to Jamie's satisfaction.

It took much longer to put the boat to bed than it did to take it out, and by the time everything was perfectly ordered, it was after five. Mia still had a ton of things to do to get ready for her departure, so she declined their invitation to join them for dinner. Conor walked her to the door and stayed inside for several minutes, but he returned with Jamie's mail and a few phone messages, so he was forgiven.

Martin wasn't at home, so they were left to forage on their own. By the time the pizza arrived, they were all dozing on the big bed in Martin's room, Ryan across the bottom with Duffy curled up against her chest and Jamie and Conor in the traditional position.

Their lethargy was such that they barely finished a medium sized pizza. By nightfall, all three were snug in their separate beds, Duffy being the happiest of the group since he got his mistress all to himself.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Monday morning found them lounging around the dining room table, surveying their options for the week. Jamie was content to just lie around the house as long as Ryan was with her, but she knew that her lover needed a lot of stimulation to keep her interested. She was also learning that Ryan needed at least a general idea of her schedule, or she became a little anxious.

Rather than switch clients around too much, Ryan had decided to work at the gym from 3-6, her normal hours. Since Mia was leaving and Jamie no longer needed a formal session, Ryan had tinkered with her schedule to compress it into her preferred time period. The 15 hours of full- fare clients gave her an income that far surpassed anything she had ever dreamed of, and gave her the financial security to take two weeks off without worry.

The only downside was that her work prevented them from ranging very far afield during the week. Jamie would have preferred spending a few days up in Napa or Mendocino, but Ryan's financial autonomy obviously meant a lot to her, and she decided not to challenge her strict work ethic.

"Okay," Jamie said, as she stood to clear the breakfast dishes. "We've got to be back by one for you to get to work. It's almost eight so we have five hours to play with. Since you didn't run today, I assume you want to spend the morning doing something energetic?"

"I've got a few suggestions," Ryan said, obviously having thought this through earlier in the day. "I really enjoyed being at the Marina on Friday. Why don't we go back and do our workout there."

"Oh, like we did at the track that time?"

"Kinda," she said with a twinkle. "I think it's time you learned the rudiments of kickboxing little girl," she added as she pinched her partner rather hard on the butt.

Jamie looked up to the heavens for assistance. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to wind up bruised?"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

A short while later they were warming up on the broad, grass-covered lawn that fronted the Marina. The day was bright and warm for May, and it seemed like every baby in town was out on the green with their mothers or their nannies. Ryan decided to teach Jamie the basics of the cardio-kick class that she used to teach at Castro. She had a small boom-box resting on the ground, along with some lightweight padded gloves and a big blue padded mitt.

They followed their usual warm-up routine, and then Ryan gave her some instruction on proper kicking technique. Jamie was now muscular enough to brace herself on one sturdy leg while kicking out forcefully with the other, a required element for kickboxing. She took to the instruction very well, kicking the padded mitt with some force, and after just 15 minutes Ryan pronounced her ready to begin.

She switched on the music and led the way, showing Jamie at half speed how to execute the series of kicks and jumps timed to the music. She added the punching moves that made the exercise a full-body workout, and then started the tape again.

This time they went through the moves at full speed, kicking, jumping and punching the air in a graceful series of moves--rather, Ryan was graceful, and Jamie just struggled to keep up. But when she led the way through the series again and again, Jamie started to catch on. By the time she fully understood and could follow the signals, however, she was so tired she could hardly move.

Her arms felt like she had ten-pound weights attached to them and her legs were heavy and slow. "God! You really had weights in your hands, but I'm the one who's pooped!" she cried when she surveyed Ryan's calm, even breathing.

"I've been doing this a lot longer than you have," Ryan reassured her.

"Oh please! That has nothing to do with it, and you know it, Buffy. You're just amazing, and I won't accept any other explanation!"

"Well," she drawled, "I guess I am rather remarkable." But she gave her partner such a goofy look when she made this statement that Jamie had to just laugh at her good-natured teasing. "And that reminds me," Ryan said. "What's with this 'Buffy' stuff? Is that like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Buffy like Buffy, and Muffy and those other rich girl names?"

"Neither, Silly," she laughed. "You don't look even a little bit like Sara Michelle Gellar, and you could never pull off the preppy rich kid thing."

"So…why do you call me that?"

"Because of these," Jamie said as she ran her hands down Ryan's arms, trailing her thumbs over the smooth dips and protrusions of muscle. "You're terribly buff, you know."

"Ahhh, Buffy," Ryan nodded, fairly satisfied with the name now that she knew its origin.

"Buffy, indeed," Jamie nodded in concert, leaning in for a sweet kiss. "But right now, I've gotta find a bathroom. Is there one around here?" she asked, looking around aimlessly.

"Yeah, but it's pretty far," Ryan warned, indicating the building in the distance. "Want me to pack up and go with you?"

"No, I like this spot. Why don't you sit by that tree and take it easy. I can tell you're really beat. You're just hiding it well."

"Good idea," Ryan agreed. "You always know best."

She watched Jamie jog, admiring the way her firm little butt looked in her navy blue Lycra shorts. Deep in concentration she did not hear the footsteps that approached her from behind. "Police officer," the rather deep but decidedly female voice boomed. "Don't make any sudden moves…just keep your hands right where they are."

Ryan's heart started beating so fast she could actually feel it in her chest. She knew she had done nothing wrong, but the thought of having a police officer call her out was terribly alarming. "What's the problem, officer?" she asked, as calmly as possible.

"You answer the questions," the woman snapped. "I ask them." The rough tone and brusque treatment were not making Ryan feel one bit better. "Get on your knees and put your hands behind your back," she ordered.

Ryan had every intention of obeying the command, but she had a momentary flash of doubt that this really was a cop. "Let me see your badge," she said with more conviction than she really felt.

"Been in this situation a few times, huh, tough guy?" the officer growled. She produced a badge that she flashed right in front of Ryan's face. It certainly looked authentic, having the same general style as her father's Fire Department badge, but even though Ryan was reassured that she wasn't an imposter, she didn't feel a hell of a lot better with this confirmation.

She followed the officer's instructions to the letter, getting to her knees and docilely placing her hands behind her back. She had not heard handcuffs opened before, but she got a crash course in the distinctive sound when the cold steel was slapped first on one wrist and then the other. Ryan had been in many testy situations in her young life and had gone up against some very tough guys, but she had rarely felt as powerless as she did at that moment. The fact that she could not defend herself, either physically or verbally was combining to make her absolutely panic-stricken.

A jumble of thoughts raced through Ryan's mind as she considered her options. As the daughter of a civil servant, she had been taught since she was a toddler that police officers were the guardians of the city. Her father had always stressed that when she was in trouble, she should never hesitate to ask an officer for help, and her personal experience with the police had been uniformly positive. But she also knew that members of the force were trained to demand complete obedience from suspects, and that when they didn't get it they sometimes reacted badly. She had no interest in being booked for resisting arrest, and even less interest in being goaded into assaulting an officer, since that would definitely land her in serious trouble. So she ignored every one of her instincts to defend herself, and tried to be as docile as a kitten.

"I don't want you to move one muscle," the officer growled, seemingly right into her ear. "One move, and I slap another pair on your ankles and hog-tie you."

Now Ryan's discomfort was turning into panic. Trying to keep her wits about her, she tried again, "What do you want with me?"

"Did I tell you to talk?" she spat. When Ryan meekly shook her head, she added, "Good girl. Following orders is the only way you're going to get out of this in one piece."

The officer grasped her around her upper arms and pulled her easily to her feet. "Lean your head against that tree," she stated as she pushed Ryan in the general direction. "And spread your legs shoulder width."

She managed the move, but it caused her to lean up against the tree in a very ungainly position. Even with her strong abs and thighs, she doubted that she could stand up again without assistance. The officer began a thorough pat-down, maintaining a cool professional attitude throughout. But another stab of panic shot through Ryan when the officer lingered longer than was necessary on her crotch.

Is this some renegade lesbian cop rapist? she wondered as she was pulled into an upright position. "We're gonna go for a little walk now," the officer stated. "You're gonna move nice and slow and go just where I tell you."

Another docile nod was Ryan's only response. The cop placed a surprisingly small hand on the back of Ryan's neck and started to push her in the direction of the street. "My stuff," she weakly protested, not wanting anyone to wander off with her gear.

"We'll be right at the squad car," she declared, indicating a car parked next to a maintenance building. "Nobody will touch your stuff."

Ryan's panic was building, as they got closer to the car. It was parked in such a way that it was hidden from both the street, and the people on the green, by dense shrubbery. The thought hit her that it was just the way you would park the car, if you didn't want anyone to see it.

When they were about ten feet from the car, Jamie was just drawing close enough to see her lover being led away by a police officer. Oh shit! Now what? she cried to herself, as she began running.

When the officer had Ryan right up against the car, she unlocked one cuff. Reaching around her, she quickly moved both arms to the front and cuffed her back up. "What are you doing to me?" Ryan finally cried in frustration.

A low laugh was the officer's response. She opened the rear door, pushed Ryan roughly and laughed again when the larger woman fell face first against the seat. In a flash, the officer jumped in, landed on top of her, and murmured in her normal, higher-pitched voice, "I always told you I'd be on top someday, Ryan."

"Carolyn?" Ryan squeaked as the front door flew open to reveal 110 pounds of outraged fury.

"Oh-oh," Carolyn mumbled, when Jamie began to yell at full volume.

"Yeah, oh-oh is right," Ryan fully agreed, to the not-so-fresh smelling vinyl seat that her face rested against.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Who the fuck are you, and what are you doing to my girlfriend?!" the little dynamo shrieked.

"Girlfriend? When did you get a girlfriend?" the chagrined officer demanded of the back of Ryan's head.

"Umm, Jamie?" Ryan mumbled, unable to speak clearly due to her position. "This is my friend Carolyn." After a beat she added, "She's a police officer."

"You know each other?" Jamie stuttered as she turned around and sank into the passenger seat.

"Shit!" Carolyn muttered, "I'm so fucking sorry, Ryan!" She was frantically sticking her hands into her various pockets, looking for the elusive key to the handcuffs.

"Uh, wouldn't that be easier if you got off of me?" Ryan tactfully suggested.

"Oh, fuck," she cursed, as she crawled back out of the car, blushing furiously. "I don't have any idea what I'm doing right now." She quickly found the key and rolled Ryan onto her side to unlock the cuffs.

"Is anyone going to tell me what in the hell is going on here?" Jamie finally demanded.

"I don't know what's going on, so Carolyn's in charge of that one," Ryan said as she sat up, rubbing her wrists.

"Um…Jamie, is it?"

"Yeessss," she drawled, staring right into the small woman's shifting eyes.

"This was all a really big misunderstanding," she began.

"It better have been," the little dynamo grumbled.

"Hey! I'm blameless in this!" Ryan protested.

"You're never blameless," Jamie corrected. "There's always some degree of culpability when you're involved."

"No fair!" Ryan cried. "I was just sitting by the tree minding my own business. Actually," she corrected, "I was busy watching your butt as you ran across the green. My attention was so focused that I didn't even hear Carolyn approach."

"See, you were partly to blame," Jamie said rather pointedly.

"No, no, this was all my fault," Carolyn insisted. "Um…Ryan and I have been uhh…friends for a couple of years now," she said. "We don't see each other often or anything, and I just didn't know she had a girlfriend."

"Is Carolyn one of your 'special friends', Ryan?" the small blonde inquisitor demanded.

"Yep. Carolyn is most decidedly special," she admitted, with a wolfish grin at her old friend.

"You know about her um…friends?" Carolyn asked, truly surprised that Ryan would tell her new girlfriend about her past.

"Yes," Jamie dryly informed her. "But I don't know how many there are. 'Were,' and I stress the 'were,' you friends for long?" hoping this wasn't another member of the five-year club.

"Uhh, yeah," she admitted. "But I had a steady girlfriend for a while, and we haven't seen each other since…when was it, Ryan?"

"No, that's okay," Jamie interjected by holding her hand up. "I'm going to question you separately. You tell me when it was, Carolyn."

"Ahh, I think it was um…some time in the fall. I'm not sure exactly when though."

"That's acceptable," Jamie pronounced. "I've only had dibs since April."

"Oh, it was lots longer than that," she assured her, with a look of obvious relief. "Anyway, I broke up with my girlfriend a couple of weeks ago and I was just about to get back into the dating scene. I finished my shift at ten and was driving home when I caught sight of Ryan here. I thought it would be fun to um…play a game with her."

"Have you played this little game before?" Jamie asked as she turned her attention to her blushing lover.

"I like a woman in a uniform," she squeaked, blushing furiously.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

After Jamie assured Carolyn that she was mostly joking, they all said goodbye. "Now don't forget to lose her number," Jamie reminded the chagrined officer as they parted.

They stood together, watching the squad car depart. Ryan slid her arm around her partner and said, "Would you ever consider…?"

"In your dreams, Buffy," she snapped as she strode over to reclaim their gear with Ryan's bemused chuckle just tickling her ears.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

On the way back to the car, Jamie absently kicked a rock. "Why wasn't she on your list to call?" she asked Ryan.

"Huh?"

"You told me that you went over to Alisa's to tell her about us. You said you were telling your 'special friends' that you were off limits."

"I started to," Ryan said, "but I didn't really enjoy having Alisa give me a hard time about dating a straight woman."

"So…you're gonna do what?" Jamie asked as she looked up at her partner. "Just wait until they call you…or jump on top of you?"

"Jamie," she began, but her obviously miffed partner just shook her head and moved ahead of her to walk to the car alone.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The short ride back to the Noe Valley had never seemed so long to Ryan. An uncomfortable silence had descended upon the car as soon as they climbed in, and Jamie gave no signs that she was going to end it anytime soon.

Ryan had always prided herself on her ability to bide her time when she knew there was trouble brewing. She'd always thought that it was best to let the other person figure out what was bothering them, and then talk about it. As with so many things, her budding relationship with Jamie was changing her attitude. She wanted nothing more than to jump right in and make her partner talk about it—ready or not. She was just about to blurt out her question when Jamie turned to her and said in a very quiet voice, "That scared me, Ryan."

"Scared you?" she asked, totally caught unawares by the statement. "Because she was taking me away?"

"No," her partner replied quickly. "That was frightening for a moment, but that's not what scares me."

Ryan immediately picked up the change in tense. It was obvious that whatever had bothered Jamie was still bothering her. Pulling the car to the curb, she shut off the engine and turned in the seat as much as her long body would allow. "Tell me, Jamie," she urged as she reached over and lightly grasped her hand.

It was clear that Jamie was embarrassed. Her mist green eyes refused to meet Ryan's, even though the dark haired woman tried to engage her. "I worry about pleasing you," she finally said in such a quiet voice that the gentle, muted sounds of the cars passing by almost obscured her words.

"Pleasing me?" Ryan asked, still confused—both by the direction the conversation was taking, and the tone of her partner's voice.

"Sexually," she clarified, beginning to blush.

"But why...what about Carolyn...why now?" Ryan stumbled.

The green eyes finally shifted and locked onto Ryan's, accompanied by one arched blonde eyebrow.

"Because of the way I teased you?" Ryan finally guessed.

"No, well, not entirely," she said. "Umm, that's part of it, but not all of it."

"Come on, Jamie," Ryan gently urged. "This is important to me because it's obviously bothering you. Please tell me what's going through your mind."

"You've just done so much," she finally said in frustration. "I worry that I won't be able to please you like you're used to being pleased. I mean, I don't even really know what you're talking about when you implied that you wanted me to be in a uniform."

"Jamie," she said softly, obtaining and holding eye contact. "You're right about one thing. I know that you will never please me like I'm used to."

The mix of hurt and shock that flew across the younger woman's face was nearly heartbreaking, but Ryan had a point to make and she wanted to make sure it sank in. "I just wish I had some way of convincing you that I don't want to be pleased the way I used to be."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her lower lip trembling slightly.

"I probably had sex with Carolyn two dozen times," she said gently, still holding one small hand. "She has touched my vulva every way imaginable, and I've got to admit that she did a damn good job of it. But she never, not once, touched my heart. She never made my chest feel like it would burst with love. She never made my knees weak with emotion. My point is that it's really not that hard to make me come, Jamie."

Her partner had to smile at that characterization.

"Yeah, you already guessed that, huh?" she asked with a grin.

"Kinda," Jamie admitted with a smile.

"If I let a woman touch my vulva, I will eventually have an orgasm. No big deal. But I have almost never let a woman touch my soul, Jamie. I've kept a very tight lock on my heart. I swear that you're the only woman who has that key." A single tear had escaped from her lover's eye, and as she reached over to catch it, she pressed her lips against Jamie's mouth, savoring the taste. "Sex between us is going to be so much more than manipulating genitals," she vowed, not moving her head an inch. "It's going to be tender and sweet and passionate. Most of all it's going to be loving, Jamie; it will always come from love."

"Are you really sure that love can make up for inexperience?" she asked timidly, dearly wanting to believe Ryan but having a difficult time of it.

"Really," Ryan vowed, placing a kiss on her smiling lips. "Truly," as she placed another. "Absolutely." The final kiss, punctuating her sentence, lasted longer than either had planned. The kiss got wetter and hotter and deeper, ratcheting up the desire between them until Ryan pulled away with a whimper. She shook her head so roughly that her bangs flew from side to side. "Jesus, Jamie, you make me hot just sitting in a car having a conversation!"

"Um...sorry?" she said in a teasing tone.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for, Love. It's all good. You know," Ryan murmured, continuing to speak softly right into Jamie's ear. "I really need to sleep with you tonight. Do you think we could sneak into your house?"

Jamie gazed at her in thoughtful silence for a few moments. Pursing her lips she replied, "I don't have any way to check on Cassie now that Mia's gone. I know she's not supposed to leave for New York until the middle of June, so there's a pretty good chance that she and Chris will stay at my place now that Mia's gone."

Ryan tried to hide her disappointment with a casual tone but was largely unsuccessful. "That's okay, maybe I can get my snuggle quotient before we go to bed."

"Umm, if you really want to we could go to my dad's apartment," she offered tentatively.

"That sounded significantly less than sincere," Ryan said with a furrow in her brow.

"Well, it would probably be okay but the last time really bothered me. I guess I'm a little hesitant to stir up those feelings."

Ryan considered this for a moment, nodding her head briefly. The thought occurred to her that the woman Jim Evans had been with might have a key to the place too, so even if he was gone, there was a tiny chance that she might show up. "That settles it," Ryan stated firmly, deciding not to risk either Jamie's comfort or her illusions about her father just to satisfy her own needs. "We'll be on the ride soon, and from then on we're stuck together like glue—24/7."

"How about a hotel?" Jamie ventured, unwilling to let the issue die.

"No," Ryan said quickly, not even taking the time to consider the question. "It was hard enough for me to let you pay for the room during finals. I think it would bother me too much."

"DUH!" Jamie cried as she slapped her head with her open hand. "I've got just the place! Private, quiet, no roommates, free and convenient!"

"Where?"

"You just wait and see, Baby. I'll pick you up from work at six."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Jamie was waiting for her partner at six on the dot. The sweaty, dark-haired woman came out, looking the worse for wear.

"Were you working out, too?" Jamie asked.

"Kinda," she admitted. "My five o'clock is a new client, and she doesn't have a clue what I'm talking about. I have to show her every single exercise, and she still has trouble. I wound up doing as much as she did today." Shaking her head in exasperation, she added, "I've never had a client like that. It almost seemed like she just wanted to see me work out. Weird, huh?" she asked, with a totally ingenuous look on her face.

"Yeah, really weird," Jamie said with an internal smirk, having a very good idea why a woman would want to watch her buff lover work out. "Hey, good news," she cheerily announced. "I went to the house to get my mail and ran into my soon-to-be ex-roommate."

"That's good news?"

"No. The good news is that she was leaving for a movie. She won't be home for a couple of hours so we can stop by there to get you showered."

"That is good news," Ryan agreed as she delicately sniffed under her raised arm.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

As they were getting out of the car, Ryan looked on questioningly as her lover popped the trunk and pulled out a duffel bag. "What's that?"

"A change of clothes for you," she smiled. "You do have a tendency to ruin a perfectly clean outfit in a very short time, you know."

"Hey, why are we here anyway? Couldn't we go to our destination and get showered and changed?"

"Not really," the smaller woman replied. "This is much easier."

Ryan decided to take her partner at her word as she hoisted the heavy bag from her grip and toted it inside.

A few minutes later, when Ryan emerged from the shower, she smelled something delicious wafting up from the kitchen. Jamie had laid out a complete outfit for her so she put on the clothes, smiling to herself as she considered how butch her young lover liked her to look. She shrugged into the shorts and faded jeans, then added the red hooded sweatshirt, smiling to herself that Jamie had not provided a bra. She then sat down to lace up the tan suede work boots. When she was finished, she slipped on the jeans jacket from which she'd removed the sleeves after she'd seriously ripped one of them while trying to leap a barbed wire fence during the AIDS Ride several years before. I'm glad we're not going to a nice hotel, she mused as she ran her fingers through her hair and grinned at her reflection.

Trotting down the stairs, she stood in puzzled silence as she watched her lover work at the sink. "So where we're going has no adequate shower, no adequate kitchen, and is casual enough for me to look like a big dyke?" she asked, as she stood in the doorway with arms crossed, nearly filling it with her size.

"That about sums it up," the blonde laughed as she turned her head just enough to take in her tough-looking lover. "Nice outfit, Buffy," she added with a definite leer.

"Just trying to keep the customer satisfied," Ryan joked as she crossed the room and leaned over to get a look at the dinner preparations, as well as nibble on a tempting neck.

The giggles that greeted her attack only served to increase the ferocity of her nibbles. "Mmm, let's skip dinner and just munch on each other," she murmured.

"Ohh, you are hot tonight," Jamie teased as she pushed her butt out just enough to rub it against her partner's thighs. "When you want to skip a meal, it's obviously a serious problem."

"Mmm, is that shrimp and mussels you're cleaning?"

"Yep."

"Then I can wait to nibble on you," Ryan decided with a small chuckle as she gave her partner a playful swat on the butt.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The fruta de mare over pasta was a thing of beauty. Once again Ryan ate far more than was wise, finally leaning back in her chair and unbuttoning the top two buttons of her jeans.

"I've wondered why you always wear button-fly jeans," the smaller woman teased.

"Yep. It's hard to let a zipper down just a little. More than once I've stood up after a meal only to have my pants stay seated when I had the zipper down."

"Well in a few weeks, you're never going to have pants on while we're in the house, so it won't matter," the feisty blonde threatened.

"That day can't come soon enough for me," Ryan said as she gazed at her partner with her best lovesick look.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

It was almost nine o'clock when they arrived at their destination. "Uhh, isn't it a little late to go sailing?" Ryan wondered aloud, as the car pulled up right next to the entrance to the docks.

"Yep. But it's not too late to sleep on a nice private boat," she informed her with a grin.

"You just keep thinking, Jamie. It's clearly what you do best."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

It didn't take long to load their gear since all they had was a duffel with warm coats and a bottle of wine. The night was cool, but not really cold given the time of year. The fog had not yet come in, and the stars were clearly visible as Ryan stood on the deck and leaned her head back to gaze at them. "I hate to go below on a night like this," she mused, as her partner walked up and snuggled against her side.

"We don't have to," Jamie said with a twinkle in her eye as she dashed down the stairs. A few minutes later she was back, lugging a very large cylindrical duffel. "As requested," she said with a flourish as she presented the bundle to her partner.

Ryan's quizzical expression turned into a delighted smile when she dumped the large, bright blue canvas hammock onto the deck. "Where do we hang it?" she asked excitedly.

"One end on the mast and the other goes on this standard my father had installed for just this purpose." She motioned for Ryan to hook up the mast end while she tugged her hook into place. "It's funny, though, he had this set up a couple of years ago, and I've never seen him and mother get into it," she said. "It might be one of those things that sounds better than it feels."

"One way to find out," Ryan said with a waggling eyebrow as she climbed in and patted the space next to her.

"I think I'd better get the wine and a blanket," Jamie mused. "Because I have the feeling we won't want to get out once we get in."

"I think you're psychic," Ryan smiled. "Let me help you."

They decided to go all the way and bring not only a blanket but a couple of pillows also. Ryan carried the bedding and tossed it all on the deck right next to her feet. "I think we'd better get in first and get comfortable, then add the blanket and pillows," she decided. She sat down first, bouncing a little to get the feel of the contraption. "Nice," she said with another wiggling brow.

"You lie down and then kinda hold it steady for me," Jamie instructed. Her partner did so, managing to maintain the stability of the hammock even as she was getting elbowed and kneed in various sensitive places.

"Geez, you've got sharp elbows!" Ryan cried as her partner finally got settled.

"Give me that mouth, and I'll take your mind off your pain," she smaller woman purred.

Only too happy to oblige, Ryan wrapped her arms around her lover and they spent quite a long time kissing and relaxing against one another. "I don't feel a thing anymore," she smiled when they broke their embrace.

"That's certainly not the reaction I was looking for," Jamie purred as she started to work on her neck.

"Oh, don't get me wrong," Ryan corrected as she leaned her head back sensuously as the nibbles and bites continued. "I feel plenty in all the right places. But I'm getting a little chilled. Blanket?"

"Sure."

Ryan leaned over a little farther than she had planned, causing the hammock to teeter on the edge of tossing them over. But she righted it with her arms and made another, more prudent attempt. Seconds later they were wrapped in the thick, warm blanket, pillows behind their heads, glasses of a rich red Cabernet in their hands. "La dolce vita," Jamie murmured, as they began to slowly rock the hammock while they sipped at the wine.

"This is pretty fine," Ryan agreed. The hammock actually made them feel like they were being cuddled while they were cuddling each other. Ryan was mostly on her back with Jamie nestled up against her side, her head resting on Ryan's strong shoulder.

"Can we just stay here until the AIDS Ride?" the smaller woman asked, her voice so soft it was nearly a whisper. "I feel so perfectly content."

Ryan knew the question was mostly rhetorical, so she didn't point out all of the logical reasons why that was impractical. Rather, she indulged in the fantasy herself. "It would be nice to just rock in this hammock under the stars every night," she mused. "Even though the city is right behind us, it feels like we're far away from everything."

"I'm terribly close to the only thing that matters," Jamie murmured softly against her neck. "When we're together like this, I feel so perfectly safe and protected. Like nothing can ever hurt me."

"I'll do everything in my power to make that dream come true," Ryan pledged with a kiss to her smooth, unlined forehead.

They rocked for a long while, sipping contentedly on their wine. Neither spoke, each caught up in her own dreams. They could hear the water gently lapping at the hull of the boat, and the gentle wind caused various parts of the vessel to clang and thump, but the overwhelming sensation was of a deep, intense stillness. Nearly a half-hour passed before Jamie broke the silence. "What are you thinking about?"

Ryan's low chuckle rumbled against her ear for a moment. "I was actually thinking about our honeymoon," she admitted. "Just kinda daydreaming about how it was going to be between us."

"Anything in particular you were thinking about?" Jamie asked in a seductive tone as she snuck her warm hand under the red sweatshirt and began to tease the soft skin her fingers found.

"Umm," Ryan said slowly, her lids fluttering a few times as she tried to maintain her focus. "I was just thinking about what a fantastic lover you're going to be."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she murmured. "Mostly that."

"What else?" the lips situated next to her ear demanded.

"Well, umm, I was thinking about things I'd love to do with you," Ryan said, her voice rising a bit as Jamie's hand crept beneath her waistband and snaked down her belly.

"Tell me," the smaller woman insisted. "Tell me just what you'd like to do to me."

Ryan actually giggled a bit as she considered her answer. Even though she laughed loud and long and often, Jamie had almost never heard the girlish giggle that now tickled her ear. "It's funny," she explained. "I keep trying to picture us in bed together, but I can never get past being stunned into paralysis by your body. In my fantasies, we're both naked and you're lying on your stomach. I keep trying to kick-start my brain to make my body react, but I just sit on my heels, staring at you, and I always find that I'm too overwhelmed to do anything!"

"I think you're going to be a bit disappointed in that area, Buffy," Jamie said with a chuckle. "My body's really nothing to go nuts over."

"Are you crazy?!" Ryan cried, pulling up on one arm so abruptly that they almost tumbled out again. "I've seen most of you, and I've got to tell you that your body just knocks me out! Even without seeing your hidden assets, my mouth goes dry sometimes when we work out together. And sometimes the sight of you in a little black dress just makes my knees week. You've got one smokin' hot body, girlfriend, and I can't wait until my mouth gets to taste every bit of that gorgeous skin."

Ryan couldn't see the color of her lover's skin, but she could feel the heat of her cheek where it rested against hers.

"Do you really feel that way, Ryan?" she asked in a very quiet, almost childlike voice.

Ryan smiled to herself, terribly relieved that her thoughts on the topic were completely sincere. She had complimented many women in the past and had always gone out of her way to praise body parts that really were not very attractive, if she sensed that her partner was insecure about a particular area. But she could be completely honest about Jamie's body. She leaned over the edge of the hammock and placed her glass on the deck to free up her left hand. Raising it to grasp Jamie's chin, she turned her head and held it steady so she could look directly into her eyes. "Jamie, I'm going to tell you the complete and unvarnished truth about my feelings."

She noticed that her partner's eyes grew large, and she looked as though she was preparing for a blow to the face.

"I have looked at thousands of women, and I've touched…well, I've touched a lot," she said, blushing a little when she even tried to guess the number. "And I've been very aroused by different parts of different women. I also have the ability to find something arousing about most women. It might just be their eyes or their legs…heck, one time I got turned on by a woman's feet! But I have never been with a woman whose total package was so pleasing to me," she said softly as she gazed deeply into her lover's eyes. "I mean that sincerely, Jamie," she insisted while leaning forward to gently kiss her lips. "I truly love your body, and I can hardly wait to explore all of the uncharted territory." Her waggling eyebrows caused her partner to laugh at her antics.

"You are so good at reassuring me about things," the smaller woman said with a note of amazement in her voice. "Will you always be able to do that?"

"I'll always try," Ryan vowed. "But I want to stress that I'm not just reassuring you. I meant every word that I said."

"I don't know why I'm so insecure," Jamie muttered. "I've got to admit that I feel beautiful when you look at me with that gleam in your eyes."

"This one?" Ryan asked, willing her eyes to take on their hungry, love-starved look.

"Oooh, that's the one," her lover murmured as she leaned forward to kiss the rose-tinted lips.

Jamie began kissing her partner with a slow, gentle, emotion-filled touch. In a very short while they were moaning into each other's mouths, their hands roaming all over each other's bodies. Ryan felt her control slipping dangerously, and she had to force herself to finally pull back. "We've gotta slow down!" she gasped, panting a bit.

Her lover buried her head against her chest and squeezed her so hard she nearly broke a rib. "I don't wanna slow down! I want to touch you everywhere, Ryan! Jesus!! This is just getting too hard!"

"I know, Honey," Ryan soothed. "It's really hard not to go further when we're in a nice quiet place like this." They rocked and held each other gently for a while, both of them throbbing with desire. "I think we've got to cut back a lot on the kissing and touching, Jamie. It's getting too hard for both of us. I mean, I'm just throbbing right now, and it doesn't feel so hot to just stay frustrated."

"Okay," Jamie agreed. "Let's try to keep it a little lighter between us. I still need to kiss you a lot, but let's sleep apart until the ride and let's try not to get so carried away."

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Ryan asked, making eye contact.

"Yeah," Jamie replied, nodding her head briefly as she closed her eyes. "Perfectly sure. Unhappy as hell, but perfectly sure," she added with a wry chuckle.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

They went below to sleep in the big berth in the bow of the boat. It took a while for Ryan to adjust to the rocking motion, but she found that she enjoyed the sensation once she got accustomed to it. The nicest part for her was to be able to smell the salt water and feel the heaviness of the air in her lungs. It was almost like camping under the stars, but a lot more comfortable.

"I think my seafaring heritage is kicking in," Ryan murmured as they snuggled in the cozy berth. "This just feels very, very comfortable for me…sort of like it's something I've done thousands of times…it feels a bit like home."

"Are both sides of your family connected to the ocean?" Jamie asked, realizing that Ryan had never mentioned what her family in Ireland did for a living.

"Yeah, pretty much. My mother's father was a fisherman, and near as I can tell, that was the family profession for many, many years. Their little town is very close to the water, so it makes sense that would be the choice."

"What about your father?"

"Well, his people come from Tralee, which is a bit inland, but still close to the water. His great-grandfather was a fisherman, but his grandfather wanted nothing to do with it and that's why he became a fighter. Career options were pretty darned limited for people from the lower classes, but he must have really hated fishing to choose bare-knuckle brawling over it."

"What did your grandfather do?" Jamie asked, realizing that Ryan was in a loquacious mood, and that she had better make good use of it.

"As little as possible," the dark woman said briefly in a tone that let Jamie know the door was closed. "Sleepy?" she asked, making it even clearer.

"Yeah, a little," her partner answered, knowing that pushing her lover was an exercise in futility.

"Come here," Ryan demanded, stretching her arm out for Jamie to curl into. When they got settled, the warm, soft tones of an old fishing song served as a gentle lullaby. Jamie wondered briefly if her lover had learned this song from her grandfather, but no more than five lines into the song she unconsciously lapsed into a very thick Irish accent. I've never heard that one, Jamie thought to herself with an internal chuckle. Guess that answers my question.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Thursday morning found them bundling Caitlin into a thick jacket for a walk to the playground. Annie was home, but she appreciated the little break and jumped at the chance to do some grocery shopping alone for a change.

Rather than take the stroller, Ryan strapped the baby in a sturdy backpack for the six-block walk. Jamie entertained their passenger, walking behind her partner and making faces at the baby. The park was rather full despite the cold foggy morning, and Caitlin immediately found some likely-looking playmates.

When Ryan was a child, the neighborhood was filled with working-class people and lots of stay-at-home moms, but the Internet boom had brought many young professionals and their families into the Noe Valley. Many of them hired babysitters or nannies—often Spanish speaking immigrants--to watch their children. Ryan mused about this phenomenon while she watched Caitlin make some tentative overtures to another baby about her age. That's exactly how young Irish women started out in this country in the late 19^th century—minding people's children and cleaning their houses. I wonder if Latinos will one day be as welcome here as the Irish are now? There were ads in the local paper every week for agencies that promised au pairs from the British Isles, but she didn't see many young colleens from the Emerald Isle at the park this morning. A group of about six young Latina women chatted while they sipped cups of coffee and ate sweet rolls.

The kids at the park were all playing nicely, and everything was calm and peaceful in the cold morning. "That coffee looks delicious," Ryan said, looking longingly at the steam rising from the cups.

"You had your coffee, young lady," Jamie said pointedly.

"I can dream, can't I?" Ryan asked sweetly as she batted her eyes at her partner.

Her companion stood and held out a hand. "Gimme some money," she said with a mock scowl as she shook her head.

"You don't have to go," Ryan said unconvincingly.

"I don't mind, Love. I can get a cocoa and pick up a biscotti for the baby. She's nuts for the almond ones."

"Well if you're sure you don't mind…"

"I'd do anything to please you, and you know it," Jamie teased. "You and the little blonde one both have me wrapped around your little fingers."

"You're just a sucker for the Irish lassies," Ryan chided. "I'm just lucky I claimed you before some Kelly or O'Reilly or Shaunessy got their paws on you."

"Not a chance, Babe. I'm a sucker for O'Flahertys only." A little kiss on the forehead and she was gone, leaving Ryan to her musings.

Ryan generally tried to hang back and let Caitlin play with the other kids when they went to the park. She knew it was the right thing to do, but she still felt a little left out when the baby would spend ten or fifteen minutes totally ignoring her. Guess I'd better get used to that, she considered. Someday she'll be a teenager and have no use whatsoever for her old cousin.

While she was considering her cousin's adolescence, an older woman appeared with a baby about Caitlin's age. The baby was cranky and out of sorts, and the woman looked like she'd had more than her fill of the child for the day. She dumped her onto the sand right next to Caitlin and plopped down on a bench about ten feet away. Ryan observed both of the newcomers, paying particular attention to the babysitter. The woman seemingly had no connection to the child. She barely looked in her direction and just seemed glad to be a few feet away from the wailing infant. The baby looked like she was having a bad day, but she obviously was not bonded in any way with the woman. Ryan sat down in the sand and tried to comfort the baby. The sitter certainly didn't seem to mind Ryan's attempt, but it was largely unsuccessful also. The baby was crying so loudly that the other kids seemed bothered by it. The other nannies cast a disapproving glance at the woman, but she was not paying enough attention to even notice their stares.

Some of the other kids now started to cry and, one by one, the other nannies buckled their charges into their strollers and took off for quieter playgrounds. Only Ryan, the seemingly deaf babysitter, and the two babies were left at the park after the others departed, and Ryan would have left if she weren't waiting for Jamie. The crying baby, while probably about nine months old, didn't have the motor skills that Caitlin had, and she kept falling over, getting sand in her face time and again. Ryan propped her up a few times, then finally held the baby on her lap. Still she cried, actually managing to increase the volume and the incessant sobs and gasps for breath.

After a while, she couldn't take it any more. Caitlin was getting annoyed and looked like she might cry at any minute. Actually, Ryan herself felt a little weepy, and she decided to ask the babysitter to take over. She carried the baby over to the woman and placed her on the bench next to her. "Maybe she needs a bottle or something," she lamely suggested.

The woman looked up at her with a look of total shock. "Pardon?" she asked in a clipped British accent, unaware that Ryan had even been holding the child.

"Your baby seems to be having a tough time today. Do you have anything that might calm her down?"

"Thank you for your concern," she said briefly, as she turned away from Ryan's gaze.

But the nanny made no move to provide comfort for the infant so Ryan persisted, "Don't you have a bottle for her? She seems hungry."

"Listen to me young lady," she said in a very sharp tone. "I'm trying to put this child on a schedule, and that schedule does not call for feeding at this time. Now if you have no further business with us, I'd prefer that you entertain your own child."

Ryan knew that this was truly none of her business, but she had a hard time allowing this woman to treat the poor little girl with such rigid disregard. She began to make another point, but as she did so, the baby started to teeter on the bench. Ryan made a grab for her, but the babysitter grabbed her first. She grasped her arm and yanked sharply, making the baby stop her crying for a few seconds. But when she started again, the sound that came out was unlike any Ryan had ever heard from an infant. She was nearly hysterical in a matter of seconds, and Ryan quickly realized that this time she was crying from pain. The babysitter just sat and stared as she wrung her hands in a helpless gesture. So Ryan quickly unzipped the little jacket and immediately realized that the baby's arm had come out of the socket.

The two women seemed to understand the severity of the injury at exactly the same time. The nanny looked at Ryan with very wide, terror-filled eyes, got to her feet and started running, covering ground at a surprising clip for one her age. Ryan's mouth dropped as her eyes bugged, but the screaming quickly brought her back to focus on her task. She now had two babies, one with a dislocated arm, the other crying from lack of attention. "I'll be right there, Caitlin," she soothed as she tried to focus completely on the child in her arms.

"What in the hell?" she heard over her shoulder and almost cried with relief at the sound of her lover's voice.

"Can you get Caitlin?" Ryan cried over the shrieks.

Jamie hustled over and did just that, setting the drinks on the concrete surround of the sand pit. "What in the hell is going on?" she repeated, shouting to make herself heard.

"Long story," Ryan said in a more normal tone as Jamie carried the Caitlin around to face Ryan. "Her arm is out of the socket." Ryan was bent over, carefully examining the little arm, seemingly determined to take some action on her own.

"What are you going to do?" Jamie asked, astounded that her partner would try such a thing.

"I'm gonna try to put it back into place," she muttered, not very happy to be interrupted.

"You can't do that!!" she cried.

Ryan gave her one of her best no-nonsense looks and declared, "Of course I can. If I do it, this baby will be spared at least an hour of terrible pain. It's worth the risk." With that, she placed her left hand on the baby's tiny chest, holding her firmly against the back of the bench. With her right, she grasped the little arm and slowly rotated it back and across the child's chest. She could feel a small pop as the bone slid back into place. The child's hysterical crying ceased immediately, though she still cried at a more moderate pace.

The dark head lifted, and the dancing blue eyes blinked up at Jamie. "I think I did it," she said, slightly amazed that she had even tried.

Jamie let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding and flopped down next to her partner. "Do you mind filling me in here?" she asked weakly. "Who is she, and why do you have her?"

"Don't know who she is, and I have her because her sitter yanked her arm out of the socket, got scared and ran!" Ryan said, just now grasping the entirety of the events.

"She ran?!"

"Yep. Like a sprinter," she muttered, turning her attention once again to the slightly quieter baby. "Wonder if she'd like half of a biscotti," she mused.

"I bought more than one, you know," her partner said with a laugh. "I knew there was a chance you'd steal Caitlin's!"

"Ha, Ha," Ryan smirked. She offered each baby a cookie and within minutes they were both contentedly gnawing away. "Now what?" she asked. "I hate to take her to the police station, but we have to report this."

"Let's go to Annie's and see what she thinks," Jamie suggested.

They did just that, and luckily Annie was home from shopping. "I think we should call the Department of Children and Family Services," she advised. "The police will get them involved anyway, and if we go direct she might not have to spend time in the station house. Let me call someone at the hospital and see if we have any good contacts."

She made a few phone calls and finally got hold of a very nice social worker. When Annie identified herself, the woman said they could keep the baby while the paperwork was being written up. Ryan got on the phone and made a complete report, mentioning every detail she could remember. The social worker promised to call back after she had notified the local police station, since that was likely where the parents would begin their search.

When Ryan hung up Annie mused, "I've seen this baby at the park before. I think she lives really close." As she was talking, she sat down at the small desk they had wedged into the corner of the kitchen. She turned on her computer and printer and quickly drew up a notice stating that they had found a brown-haired, brown-eyed baby girl, about nine months old, at Douglas Playground. She listed the number of the police station and her contact at DCFS, and after playing around with the font size, she printed off 30 copies and sent Jamie to ring every doorbell on the two main streets near the park.

An hour later, the messenger returned. "I'm pretty sure she lives on Diamond, right by the park," she related. "A neighbor said there's a baby that fits that description there, and she thinks the mother just went back to work a week or so ago. I handed the flyers out to everyone who was home and taped them to the doors of the houses where I didn't get an answer."

"Good girl," Ryan praised her as she bent to kiss her on the head. The babies were both in Caitlin's playpen, mostly ignoring each other--as babies that age tend to do. The visitor had stopped crying, however, and Ryan was terribly happy about that.

By the time Ryan had to get ready for work, both babies were down for a nap. Jamie decided to stay and help Annie with them, but they promised to call Ryan with any news.

"If the parents don't want her we, could always keep her," she reminded Jamie as she batted her big blue eyes at her.

"First comes love, then comes marriage," Jamie teased in a sing-song voice. "Then comes a long period of nothing but hot sex, then comes Ryan with a baby carriage," she added, spicing up the nursery rhyme a little bit.

"Spoilsport," Ryan mumbled as she walked down the street to pick up her motorcycle.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

When Ryan returned from work, the baby's parents had just arrived to claim her after a trip to the police station to file charges against their erstwhile nanny. The mother, Michelle, told Jamie and Annie that she had just gone back to work after seven months of maternity leave. She claimed that they had thoroughly checked the references of the nanny, but it was obvious that she was too distraught to discuss the matter at much length.

The baby, Taylor, was overjoyed at her mother's return, but everyone in the room knew the joy was short lived. Robert, the father, grasped the tiny child in a tight embrace and spoke softly to her while the women briefly discussed the immediate future. "What will you do until you find another nanny?" Annie asked.

Michelle lifted her hands and covered her face as she shook her head roughly a few times. A deep sigh preceded her answer. "I…I guess I'll just have to stay home," she mumbled.

Robert gave her an incredulous look as he said, "Honey, you have your first trial starting tomorrow! You can't miss that!"

She looked at him with a face full of angst. "What else can we do? You have to go to L.A. for that meeting—they'll have your hide if you skip that."

"No family in the neighborhood?" Annie asked.

"None in the state," Robert informed her as he bounced the baby in his arms. "I work for Bank of America. We were transferred here from North Carolina right after Michelle graduated from the University of North Carolina Law School. She got a job with Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro and things were going great, but we kind of unexpectedly got pregnant and they weren't very happy about that. She wants to be a litigator, and they put her on this important case with some senior attorneys. All she has to do is make the appearances just to get some experience, but if she isn't reliable, I'm afraid they'll pull her off."

"Let me watch her tomorrow," Annie volunteered. "I don't go to work until four p.m."

"We couldn't do that!" Michelle cried, but it was obvious she wished that they could, judging from the hope in her eyes.

"Nonsense," Annie stated in her most nurse-like voice. "Two aren't much worse than one at this age and, since neither can walk, it won't be bad at all."

"We've got nothing planned tomorrow," Jamie piped up. "We'd love to help."

"Oh, I don't know," Michelle wavered.

"Look," Annie said. "We don't mind, it's no trouble, and you need the help. We're all neighbors here and we need to watch out for each other. Give it up, Michelle."

The small, thin, overly stressed woman gratefully agreed. "You're quite persuasive," she laughed. "Maybe you should be the lawyer."

"Nope. I'm an anesthetist at San Francisco General. I only convince people to go to sleep!"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Martin had held dinner for the girls after Jamie called to tell him of their exciting day. When they arrived, he sat at the table with them as they recounted all of the events.

"I'm proud of the lot of you," he beamed with pride. "It's a rare thing to get involved in other people's troubles, and I'm very happy that you three understand what it means to be neighbors."

"I just feel so bad for little Taylor," Jamie mused. "It's hard enough to have your mommy leave you all day long. But to hear Ryan tell it, that babysitter should be found and arrested!"

"Yeah, it wasn't so bad that she yanked on her arm like that, but her indifference was just astonishing! The dog walkers at the park are much more concerned about the pets they watch than she was. To get up and run after the baby was hurt was truly criminal. My guess is that she's in the country illegally, and that's why she ran. She was probably afraid that the authorities would get involved."

"Did the parents take the baby to the doctor?" Martin asked.

"Not yet. She really seemed fine, and her arm didn't seem to bother her at all. Annie said she'd take her with her to the hospital tomorrow and have one of the bone doctors look at it if she acted like it bothered her at all. I didn't know this, but Annie says that's a common thing for some kids. Their ligaments are very stretchy, and a sharp tug can easily yank the arm from the socket," Ryan related.

"Don't forget to tell your father that Annie said you did a perfect job when you popped it back in," Jamie urged.

"She should know how!" Martin laughed. "She's dislocated her right arm twice and her left once. She's such a tough little thing that she watched the doctor when he put it back in every time!"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Sunday morning found Ryan standing in front of her closet, hands on hips, scowl firmly etched on her face. She was grumbling under her breath, but the tone was so low that Jamie had no idea of the content of her quiet diatribe. "Need some help?" she finally offered.

"Love some," Ryan said with a disgusted shrug. "But the department stores aren't open yet."

Jamie got up from her perch on the bed and went to stand behind her partner. "You have some perfectly nice things in there," she reminded her. Turning Ryan around a little, she captured her chin and tilted it until they were gazing into each other's eyes. "Maybe you're just a little nervous," she ventured.

"A little," Ryan muttered softly as she rolled her eyes. "It's worse than meeting the in-laws for the first time."

"Why, Honey? I'm certain my grandfather will love you!"

"Because you love him so much," Ryan explained. "I know his opinion means more to you than your parents', so it's even more important that he like me." She looked so fragile and unsure of herself that Jamie just wanted to wrap her up in her arms and cradle her until she was her normal confident self. She also knew that wasn't what Ryan needed at the moment. So she helped in the way she thought would be most effective.

"Let me help you pick out an outfit, okay?"

"Okay, but I'd really rather not wear that stupid skirt if I don't have to," she insisted with her lower lip sticking out like a five-year-olds.

"All right, Love, no skirt," Jamie soothed as she started assessing the modest wardrobe. "You go brush your teeth, and I'll be ready for you when you're done." As Ryan compliantly walked away, Jamie re-thought her earlier assessment. It wasn't that Ryan didn't have a lot of clothes; she actually had more clothes than Jamie did. Ninety-five percent of them were shorts, t-shirts, Lycra leggings, and sweats--none of which were appropriate for mass at a conservative Episcopal church. Plus, since Jamie was wearing a dress, she knew that Ryan would want to look like she was going to the same event. She quickly pulled out several perfectly acceptable selections and waited for Ryan to return.

"Hmm," her slightly grumpy partner mused when she viewed her choices. "You'll look lots better than me."

"Not at all, Babe. I want you to look like yourself, Honey. Your own personality and your style are part of what makes you unique. I want my grandfather to meet the real you, and these outfits reflect that."

"Oh, all right," Ryan agreed. "Pick one out. I really don't care."

Jamie had on a bright blue and beige cotton print dress that looked very summery and casual.

She chose khaki pants, a white knit shell and a light blue chambray shirt for her partner. Ryan raised an eyebrow but started to drop her sweats and put on the outfit. Jamie studied the pictures on the bookshelves to distract herself, and a few moments later Ryan asked, "Okay?"

Turning around, Jamie gave her a very big smile and said, "Almost perfect." She went to the closet and added a black leather belt and a pair of shiny black loafers that Ryan dutifully slipped on. Then, in one final touch, she rolled Ryan's sleeves up three turns, leaving them at mid-forearm.

"Really?" Ryan asked, doubtful that the casual look was appropriate.

"You always roll your sleeves up," she reminded her; aware of the fact that few blouses in Ryan's size had sleeves that were long enough for her arms.

"I know but…" she muttered as she pursed her lips.

"But nothing, Honey. You don't have to put on a show for my grandfather. You'll feel more comfortable if you're dressed in a way that makes you comfortable."

"Aw, Jamie…" she groused.

"Okay," she said quickly. "I'll tell you the real reason." She bent over and kissed each exposed forearm and traced the protuberant muscles with her index finger. "Your arms make me drool." As she tossed her arms around Ryan's neck, she caught the barest hint of a grin start to peek out of her grumpy face.

"Drool, huh?" she murmured into her nearby ear.

"Definitely drool," Jamie pronounced, thoroughly satisfied with another job well done. Now I have three weapons to fight bad moods: talk about food, sex or her muscles. A smile curled up the corners of her own mouth as she considered, Why shouldn't that work with her? It works for me!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Continued

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