At precisely 7:58 a.m., a disheveled-looking blonde appeared in the kitchen, smiling when she caught sight of the coffee, tea, and choices of orange, tomato, and grape juice on the counter. She picked up the note: "Good morning, sunshine, I wasn't sure which was your poison, so I thought I'd cover my bases. After all, this is a five-star resort. Follow the light to your right and open the door to a world of total fitness. K."

Jay turned to the right and noticed an open door leading to a set of stairs, struck immediately by a sense of dÈjà vu as she descended. From above, she had a perfect view of a well-equipped gym and a magnificent body in a pair of short running shorts and a cropped t-shirt, perfectly sculpted abdominal muscles glistening with sweat. She smiled as she thought about the first time she had seen that sight, the very first time, in fact, that she had ever laid eyes on Kate so many years ago in school.

"Still is," Jay sighed. "You have a complete Nautilus circuit in your basement?"

"Well, what kind of five-star resort would this be without one?"

"You have a point there. Good morning, Kate, thanks for the coffee and juice, by the way."

"You're quite welcome. Did you sleep well?"

"I made it through one and a half comics before I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. Where in the world did you find those, anyway?"

"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. And I hate to be violent so early in the morning, it interrupts my routine."

"You have lost your mind," her guest laughed, noticing that her friend's gaze was glued to a television strategically placed on a wall that could be seen from every machine. Reaching the bottom step, she guffawed, "You mean to tell me you're watching reruns of Charlie's Angels?"

"Naturally, what else would you work out to?"

"Is that why the workout is scheduled at precisely 8 a.m. and the run at 9:01? I wondered about the timing."

"It might be," Kate pretended to be defensive.

"Okay, favorite Angel."

"That's easy, Farrah Fawcett; Cheryl Ladd was a close second."

"No, no, you've got it all wrong; Jaclyn Smith had it all over those two."

"Hey, to each her own, missy. Most disappointing development?"

"Simple, losing Cheryl and Kate and adding Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts."

"Can't disagree with you there, that's for sure."

Having settled that critical piece of business, the "fitness trainer" handed her guest a set of workout gloves and the two women set about their routines. It wasn't easy, since each had one eye on the other, and the second on the television where Farrah was chasing down one of the bad guys on a racetrack in her mustang. Kate had to work hard to keep from drooling at her workout partner, who was appealingly tousled and wore a form-fitting sleeveless workout top and a brief pair of nylon shorts. "Good Lord," Kate thought to herself, "As if I wasn't having enough trouble controlling my libido. Well, I could always blame it on Farrah if my drool starts to show."

She helped Jay adjust the machines to fit her stature, and tried to refrain from making too many short jokes in the process. The petite blonde only called her companion "stretch" once, and they considered that they were even. At 8:58 a.m. as the credits rolled, the hostess turned off the television and gestured for her friend to precede her up the stairs. The two spent several minutes stretching side-by-side before heading to the front door.

Once on the street, the writer thought to ask, "Just how far are we going, anyway?"

"I usually go five miles, but we can go shorter or longer as you like. What's your pleasure?"

It took much self-control for Jay not to tell the blue-eyed woman exactly what her "pleasure" would be right then, as it sure as shooting wasn't in keeping with the phrase, "professional detachment." Out loud she said, "Five is fine." In truth, that was her usual distance, as well, and she was inordinately glad that she had kept up with her fitness regimen since college; matching Kate's long stride was going to be no mean feat.

The long-legged woman led them through tree-lined streets and onto a path that followed along the Mohawk River. Along the way, she pointed out spots of interest and explained a bit about the history of the area.

"It's beautiful, Kate, I can only imagine what it's like when the leaves are changing in the fall."

Before she could think about what it meant, Kate said, "Guess you'll just have to see for yourself, then."

Jay felt a happy thrill go up her spine at the prospect. "Yes, I guess I will," she smiled up at her companion.

As they looped around to head back toward the house, a man appeared out of the shadow of a large oak tree, brandishing a long butcher knife and waving it at the anchorwoman menacingly. His eyes glazed and spittle forming at the corners of his mouth, he didn't seem to take any notice of the other runner. In one easy move, Kate put herself between the man and Jay.

"I told you you were going to be mine, cunt, and I meant it. All those nights you been taunting me in my livin' room, begging me to take you. Well, here I am, are you ready?"

Jay was frightened beyond words, but her mind registered that this maniac knew exactly who her friend was. How did he know she would be here at this moment? He must have been watching her; the thought made her blood run cold.

Needing to buy them some time and keep him as far away from them as she could, Kate addressed her assailant as her mind flashed on the thought that being confronted by him might set off Jay's memories of that night in college. That angered her more than having to deal with this lunatic. "I got your letters, what is it that I've done to offend you?"

Becoming enraged, the man took a step closer. Kate reached behind her and put one hand on Jay's waist to make sure she knew precisely where she was and to let her companion know to stay behind her. "I seen the way you look at that bastard. I ain't stupid, you know. I know what's going on between you two."

"You mean Gerry, my co-anchor? What is it you think is going on?"

He took another step, and Kate put subtle pressure on Jay's waist letting her know to back up a pace, which they both did. Now the foam was flying from the deranged man's mouth. "Don't play with me, cunt," he roared, "I'm gonna put an end to it right here." Lurching forward, he began to come at her, still seemingly unaware that there was another person present.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate caught movement to her right, coming from the direction of the street. As the maniac took one last lunge at her, she used the hand she had resting on her friend's waist to throw her to the side, out of harm's way. At the same time, she pivoted in the opposite direction, and her assailant stumbled past her. Within seconds, two uniformed police officers and a detective had tackled the man and disarmed him.

Running to where Jay lay several feet away on the grass, Kate reached out her hand and pulled her to her feet and into a hug, "Are you okay?"

Jay nodded into the chest she was pressed against.

"It's over now, can you stay here by yourself for a second?"

Another nod.

Kate walked over to where the detective was speaking into a two-way radio. The uniformed men already had the suspect on his feet and were leading him up to the street and the waiting squad car. "Hi Bob, that was a little close for comfort."

"I'll say," the detective wheezed, clearly out of breath. "It took us a while to figure out where he was hiding. We saw him watch you leave the house, and then we lost him in the trees for a few minutes. That was some fancy footwork there, for a desk jockey, Ms. Kyle."

"Thanks...I think. You're sure this idiot was acting alone, right, is it finally over now?"

"Yes, we're confident that we've got him and you'll be safe now."

"Good work, detective and thanks, I owe you," she smiled at him.

The plainclothesman blushed and scuffed his shoe on the ground, "Just doing our jobs, Ms. Kyle. Thanks for your patience, we'll be in touch." And with that, he, too, headed off in the direction of the street.

Standing several feet away, Jay heard the entire exchange. When her friend turned to her, she said, "This wasn't random." It was a statement, not a question, "You knew he was stalking you."

"No, Jay, I knew he had been threatening me," Kate corrected gently. "I had no idea he would take it to that level, or I never would have had you anywhere near me." She was cursing herself for not thinking of her friend's safety.

The emerald eyes flashed with anger, "Me, you're worried about me? Katherine Kyle, that man wanted to kill you!"

"He didn't know what he wanted, he wasn't rational, Jay."

"He could have killed you," Jay said softly, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

"Hey," Kate lifted her friend's chin, gently wiping the tears away with her thumbs. When the green eyes finally met blue, she continued. "Hey, the point is that nobody got hurt, and he'll get the help he so desperately needs. I was well protected, as you can see."

"How did the police know to come here?"

The anchorwoman blew out an explosive breath; she wouldn't lie to Jay. "I've been getting letters from this guy for months now. Lately they've been getting more violent and more explicit. When the rhetoric escalated, I went to station management and the police were brought in." She shrugged her shoulders, "When you're in the public eye like I am, unfortunately sometimes things like this happen. Usually it isn't this serious."

"Thank God for small favors," the blonde mumbled, adding with a hint of sarcasm, "I feel much better now. You still didn't answer how the police knew to come to this spot."

"I'm pretty much a creature of habit, Jay, I follow the same routine almost every morning. The police have been watching my house and me for weeks now, just in case something like this happened. I knew they wouldn't be too far away."

Jay still was not satisfied, "That was too close; he could have killed you before they had a chance to get here."

Kate looked into sea green eyes that brimmed with more unshed tears and obvious concern. "He didn't, and he won't be hurting anyone now, I promise. Let's just go home, okay?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

*********

When they arrived in the kitchen, Fred was waiting for them, tennis ball in mouth. Kate looked at Jay apologetically. "I usually spend a few minutes with the big guy playing ball in the back yard before breakfast; I know you must be starving." In truth, she thought a good, fun distraction might be just the thing to take her friend's mind off of what had just happened.

"Are you kidding me," Jay said gamely, "Nothing like a good game of fetch to get your blood pumping in the morning when nothing else has."

"Uh huh," Kate rolled her eyes at Jay's sarcasm. "In that case, smarty pants, you can be the one to play with him, I'll just come along for the entertainment."

Fred led the way to the atrium door that opened onto a two-tiered wooden deck. In front of the deck was an expanse of lawn that stretched nearly as far as a major league baseball park; the entire thing was fenced in with privacy fencing. "My God, Kate, I didn't notice this before. It's incredible, it's so big."

"Coming from someone who lives in the middle of the City where there are no lawns, and who grew up in the desert, I suppose I should take that with a grain of salt."

Jay bumped her with her hip. Fred, meanwhile, was waiting none-to-patiently, pacing back and forth in front of the pair, and eagerly pointing his nose to the spot where he had dropped the ball at their feet. His mistress made the first throw most of the way to the back fence, while moving to step off the deck onto the lawn.

"Nice arm, there, ace. So, from this I take it she not only plays tennis, but she plays softball, too."

"Oh, brilliant deduction, my dear Watson," Kate intoned in an awful British accent, adding, "The Governor always tells me I'm the best left-handed shortstop he's ever seen. I always answer that I'm the only left-handed shortstop he's ever seen."

"You know the Governor that well?"

"We've had some 'friendly' games of basketball in his driveway and we've played softball on opposite teams. And occasionally we have some fascinating conversations about politics and religion. He's a very bright guy, very interesting to debate."

By this time Jay's mouth was hanging open. "Kate, you knew I was writing an in-depth piece on him. Why didn't you tell me you knew him so well and share your insight?"

Kate shrugged sheepishly, "I didn't want to influence you in any way. Like I told you before, I love your work." At this she looked directly into the emerald depths. "I thought your piece would be better if you had a chance to make your own judgments." More quietly, she finished, "You didn't need me to write a great story; I can't wait to read it."

Jay's face blushed an appealing shade of pink at the compliment. At that moment, 73 pounds of fur ball was headed directly for her at a dead run. Her eyes opened wide.

Kate laughed, "Um, Jay, you'd better spread your legs in a hurry."

That earned her a fully raised eyebrow, but the younger woman complied; which was a good thing, because right about then Fred flew into the space she had made for him, his tail wagging vigorously.

Still chuckling, Kate instructed, "If you scratch his haunches, he'll march in place for you, it's his favorite thing to do." And sure enough, Fred was true to form.

"All we need now is a John Phillip Sousa march," Jay muttered under her breath, laughing at the dog's antics. He finished going all the way through her legs then, and came back around, depositing the ball at her feet and staring at it. Reaching down, she grabbed the soggy sphere, and launched it almost as far as his mistress had before her.

"Ah, a fellow ball player, I do believe."

"Mm hmm, I play in a league in Central Park in the summer."

"What position do you play? NO, wait, let me guess." She pretended to size her friend up, "I'm fairly confident that it's not first base."

"Wise ass."

"So I'm told. Let's see," Kate scratched her chin. "You look quick enough to be an outfielder."

"Nooope," Jay was enjoying the flustered look on her friend's face.

"No?"

"Right."

"Hmmm, well, you've obviously got a good arm; third base?"

Jay made a sound like a buzzer, "Oh for two there, Stretch."

"Okay, okay, you don't play the outfield and you don't play first or third." She looked at her companion sideways, "Are you sure?"

The emerald eyes sparkled with amusement. "Positive. You'll never get it, Kyle, so why don't you just give up?"

"No, no, one more shot, I still have one strike coming to me. You play shortstop, too?"

"Ooohh, I'm sorry, you lose!" But she didn't sound sorry at all.

"Well," Kate said exasperatedly, "Aren't you going to tell me?"

"Oh, okay, since you can't seem to figure it out yourself...I'm a catcher." Jay looked up guilelessly.

"You've got to be kidding me, at your size?"

"Yes," Jay straightened up to appear as big as possible. "Size isn't everything, you know, you've never seen me block the plate!"

"That, I'd love to see."

"You're on, wise ass; this summer." As the words escaped her lips, Jay realized she had just assumed that the two would have an ongoing relationship.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when Kate said, "I can't wait."

*********

Making their way back into the house, Kate asked her guest whether she wanted to shower before or after breakfast.

"I'm famished, if you can stand the smell of me a little longer, I'd opt for food before cleanliness."

"You're on. What do you say to the house special; cinnamon French toast and a side of bacon."

"I'd say it sounds like Heaven."

"Coming right up."

After a few minutes during which the hostess concentrated on mixing up the batter and starting the bacon to cook, Jay spoke. "Kate, I know it's none of my business, but I'm worried about your safety. And before you say anything, I'm willing to bet that he isn't the first nutcase to bother you."

Kate was about to give a glib reply when she snuck a peek at her friend's face. Jay seemed disturbed. For some reason, Kate didn't want to be the source of even the slightest worry for her. "I tell you what," she said at length. "I'll give my friend Peter a call right now, he's a security expert. He's been bugging me for a while now to install a state-of-the-art security system here at the house. I'll let him come over today and go to town, if he has the time and the inclination. Okay?"

"Yeah." Jay brightened perceptibly.

In truth, her lack of security had been the cause of one of the only fights Kate and Peter had ever had. He was appalled that she wouldn't take him up on his offer to put in a motion-sensitive detection system that he had specially designed. As recognizable as she was, she was a sitting target for just about any fanatic with the will to find her. She had always rejected his offer, not wanting to admit that she might be vulnerable.

After today it would be hard to argue that he hadn't been right; she had just been kidding herself. Still, she might not have given in except for the fact that she wanted to make sure that Jay would be safe in her house. That was enough to make her pick up the phone.

*********

Now the two women were showered, dressed, and on their way to the station to pick up Gene, Phil and the station car with the equipment. They had a bunch more interviews lined up for late this morning and early this afternoon before Kate had to be in the newsroom to get ready for the six o'clock broadcast.

Into the comfortable silence, Jay said, "I'm glad your friend agreed to come over to put in the system today; I don't want to have to worry about you. Not that installing security in your home will prevent everything, but at least it will cut down on the chances of something terrible happening."

"If you're happy, I'm happy."

Jay looked over to see if she was being tweaked, but the blue of her companion's eyes revealed only sincerity. She smiled in return.

"By the way, if it's okay with you, I told Peter that in return for doing the work today, we would take him out to dinner on my break tonight. I really want you to meet him; he's a neat guy and one of my best friends. I trust him with my life. If I were ever in trouble, he's the man I'd call."

"I can't wait to meet him." Jay had the distinct feeling that her friend didn't bestow her trust lightly; she was curious about the kind of man that could inspire that feeling in Kate.

*********

The day had been flying by. The anchorwoman and her crew had conducted six more interviews by the time 3 o'clock rolled around and the still photographer for Time had shown up in time to take some pictures of the last interview. Now they were all headed back to the station; the writer so that she could conduct some interviews of her subject's colleagues, and Kate so that she could prepare for the six o'clock newscast. Tomorrow, she explained to Jay, she would attend the funeral of the little boy who had passed away the day before, and then spend the bulk of the day in the editing booth, putting together the special that would air Thursday night in prime time.

The news director had agreed to allow the Time photographer to take pictures of Kate on the set during the early newscast, provided the shots included the station logo in the background, of course. He also snapped some film of her in an editing booth, pointing out some footage on the screen to an editor that she wanted included in one of her stories.

As soon as Kate stepped off the set following "the six," as they called it, she collected Jay and pushed her out the side door to the parking lot. "C'mon, Scoop, or we'll be late for our dinner date."

"Scoop? Did you just call me Scoop? Nobody calls me Scoop," the small blonde mock growled as she hurried to catch up to her long-legged companion.

Kate hadn't seen Jay in hours, since she was caught up in getting ready for the broadcast and the writer had been busy digging up dirt on her. The anchorwoman was surprised to realize just how much she had missed her friend in that short time. "Look's like I just did. Whatcha gonna do about it, short stuff?"

"Oooh, aren't we full of ourselves. Just don't forget, the pen is mightier than the sword, and this 'Scoop' hasn't even put pen to paper about you yet. You'd do well to keep that in mind and be nice to me," Jay smirked.

"Well, don't I just feel suitably threatened. Why, I do believe my hands are shaking." Kate held up her hand and wiggled it as though it were trembling in mock fear. In response, she got hip-checked into the car door.

"Hey, young lady, that was a little uncalled for."

"Hardly," Jay snorted as she settled herself in the passenger seat.

In ten minutes time, they were sitting at a table in a tavern on the outskirts of town near the State University. The smell of beer and burgers was almost overwhelming and co-eds were everywhere. Jay looked around and laughed, "Wow, Stretch, you take him to the nicest joints, don't you?"

"I gave him his choice," Kate answered defensively, as a shadow fell over the table and she felt herself lifted into an embrace from behind.

"That's right, she did give me a choice...this place or McDonald's."

"Listen, if the two of you are going to gang up against me, you can just eat by yourselves."

At that, the man came around the table, grasped Jay by the elbow with a gleam in his eye and said, "Shall we?"

Jay played along and got up, grinning from ear to ear. "I believe we should," she nodded her head at him.

"Wait a minute," Kate interrupted, looking pointedly at Jay. "You haven't even been introduced to this letch yet and you'd just go off with him? You floozy!"

Peter and Jay looked at each other mischievously. They each stuck their hands out at the same time.

"Peter."

"Jay."

"You ready to go?"

"Yep."

"Just like that?" Kate exclaimed indignantly.

In unison, both the writer and the security expert said, "Yep!"

And from there, dinner turned into a raucous affair. Peter regaled Jay with stories of his exploits with her friend, and Kate revealed some of Peter's more embarrassing moments. It was obvious to Jay that these two shared a real affection for each other; almost like a brother and sister. She liked the older man right from the start. It was so clear how much he cared about Kate.

When Kate excused herself to go to the restroom, Jay turned to him urgently. "Will that security system that you installed today really keep her safe?"

The security expert looked at her appraisingly. He had taken a shine to her right from the beginning, which was most unusual for him. And, observing her with his good friend, it was as plain as day to him that there was some serious chemistry at work here. The thought made him happy. Heck, if he couldn't have the blue-eyed vixen, this petite spitfire would do just nicely for her.

At first, Peter had tried hard to get the anchorwoman to fall for him. Finally, as delicately as she could, Kate had explained the facts of life to him. He had reddened, chuckled, and said, simply, "Aaaahhh, I get it now." And that had been the end of it; except for the endless jokes, asides and friendly contests to pick out the prettiest women everywhere they went. But deep down, Peter knew that his tall friend kept herself too far apart from the rest of the world. She was lonely and she didn't even know it, which broke his heart. He could see, though, looking next to him at this pint-sized woman, that he wouldn't have to worry too much longer.

"As long as she's in the house and the alarm is set, she'll be as safe as a babe in her mother's arms."

"Good, because what happened this morning scared the living daylights out of me for her."

When Peter looked at her oddly, Jay said slowly, "She did tell you what happened, didn't she?"

"Nooo."

"She was attacked this morning by a stalker. She didn't mention that?"

"Nooo." Now he was angry.

Jay noticed the shift in mood and reached out to place a gentle hand on her new ally's arm. "She's fine, not even a scratch. The police caught him after his first pass at her. It must have slipped her mind."

"I'll just bet it did," he said ominously. "It's okay, Jay, she probably didn't tell me because she knew I'd go down there and beat the tar out of the jerk."

"That's right," a low, sexy voice rumbled from behind him.

"Geez, you sure know how to ruin a guy's good time."

"Yeah, I know, I feel so sorry for you. Listen, Technowiz, it's not that I'm not having a great time, because I am, but we've got to run. Some of us have a job to do." Kate winked at him, "Thanks again for taking care of the security system so quickly."

"No problem, Anchorbabe, I'll meet you at the house at midnight so that I can set the system with your code. That's how you set and disable the alarm."

"Great, we'll see you there."

As she made to leave, Peter held her back just a little. In her ear he said, so that only she could hear him, "I can set it to recognize a different code for Jay, too, if you want her to be able to get in and out of your place."

Kate started to protest, but the look on Peter's face told her that he wasn't trying to jerk her chain.

The security expert said, "I really, really like her, kiddo, she's special. And, whether you know it or not, you've got amazing vibes going on between you. I think it's fantastic, now just don't mess it up."

"I'll try not to, thanks for the vote of confidence." But behind the light-hearted tone, it was obvious that his opinion had meant a lot to her. She jogged a few steps to catch up to Jay, and they disappeared into the parking lot to retrieve the car and head back to the station.

*********

True to his word, Peter met the two women in the driveway at midnight as they pulled into the garage. Showing them the system, he explained its features at length, taking them to the main control panel in Kate's office so that he could individualize the program. He punched a sequence of numbers and symbols in the blink of an eye, and told the anchorwoman to enter the four-digit code she wanted to use on the keypad on the console. Then he entered another string of numbers and the system beeped. Next he turned to Jay, who was watching the process with interest.

"Okay, half-pint, your turn."

The writer didn't move. "Are you talking to me?" she asked incredulously.

"Are there any other vertically challenged individuals in this room?" Peter, who stood 6'4", was fairly confident of the answer.

Jay looked from one of them to the other. Kate nodded at her and said, "Let the man do his job, Jamison." Her eyes sparkled.

"Yyyou want me to be able to arm and disarm your security system?"

"Is there some reason I shouldn't trust you?"

"Well, no, of course not, but..."

"Then follow the man's instructions. After all, it's your fault I'm stuck with this damn thing now, anyway." Kate hid her smile behind her hand at the look of befuddlement and wonder on Jay's face.

Within minutes, the programming had been completed and tested. Remote consoles inside the front door, inside the garage door and in Kate's bedroom would each allow the system to be activated and deactivated with the proper code sequence. Peter already had taken the time during the day to ensure that the laser beams on which the system functioned would not be set off every time Fred came bounding through the house.

The exhausted women bid the security expert goodbye, and headed into the living room.

"Peter seems like a great guy," Jay began.

"Yeah, he's the closest thing to a brother I have. And he's pretty handy to have around, as you can see."

"I guess. Does he work for the police?"

"Technically, no, his main job is with the New York State Department of Correctional Services; in other words, the state prison system. He's their technology, tactical and weapons expert; he knows more about explosives, weapons, electronic surveillance wizardry, and security than any one else in the country. Which means he does a lot of freelance work on loan to other agencies and companies. He designed the security systems for the White House and the Governor's Mansion, for instance. And anytime there's a bombing anywhere in the country, it's Peter they call to come figure it out."

"He sounds like a good guy to know."

"Mm, he can be your best friend, or your worst enemy. Let's just say I'm glad he's on my side, I'd sure never want to piss him off."

"I'll try to remember that."

Kate fidgeted for a minute, wanting to ask Jay her plans for the rest of the week, but suddenly getting nervous. She couldn't believe how quickly the woman was becoming a part of her life that she didn't want to be without. She was fun, companionable, intelligent, compassionate and beautiful. The anchorwoman wasn't sure how much more material the writer would need in order to put together her story, but she didn't imagine it could be much. And that would mean that she didn't need to be here, with Kate.

For her part, Jay was interpreting her friend's fidgeting in an entirely different way, wondering if perhaps she wasn't overstaying her welcome. In truth, she had more than enough material to write the story right now, but she didn't want to leave. She could justify staying to experience her subject's reaction to the funeral of a boy she had saved and the editing of the special, both of which would take place tomorrow, but beyond that...

Jay had never met anyone remotely like Kate. She enjoyed everything about her; her sense of humor, her passion for everything she did, her intellect, and her unconscious elegance and beauty. She had a toughness and strength about her that belied her thoughtful, caring, gentle, and compassionate nature. Jay wished she could find a way to prolong her assignment, and was desperately afraid that Kate might not want her to.

"Um, how's the story coming along, Jay?"

"Good, good, your co-workers have given me some interesting material to work with," at this the writer smiled, which scared the pants off of her companion.

"You're not going to write anything embarrassing are you?" she asked uncertainly.

The emerald eyes danced and Jay let her friend sweat for a minute before she let out a full, throaty, laugh. "This isn't the National Enquirer."

"Oh, right," Kate seemed to relax a bit.

Jay continued, "And some of the families and victims have helped me to see how much what you did that day meant to them. It puts a completely new perspective on what makes a good journalist and where the lines are between professional objectivity and inserting humanity into a story."

"Sounds like you've got most of what you need then, huh?"

Lost in her own train of thought, Jay didn't catch the note of wistfulness and disappointment in Kate's voice, she only heard the words. "I guess so. I was going to stay for the funeral and the editing of the special tomorrow, and then I could get out of your way. I'm sure you'd like to have your life back." She couldn't even look up.

"NO," Kate's mind screamed, "I just want you." "Um, actually, I was planning on taking Thursday off, and I wanted to ask you if you could take the time, too?" Now that she had started, she wanted to finish in a rush before Jay could turn her down. "I know you have to have the story in on Monday morning, but I would love it if you could spend a day off with me. If you needed to, you could even start writing here. I promise Fred and I wouldn't bother you at all."

Jay couldn't believe her ears. Was this amazing woman asking her to spend a day off with her, as in a date? She needed confirmation. "Are you asking me for a date?"

Kate found something interesting to study on the rug. "Yes," she answered so quietly her companion wasn't sure she'd said anything at all.

"I can't think of anything I'd rather do." Jay's face split into a grin from ear to ear, a look that mirrored the one facing her. "I can go home and start writing on Friday, and finish on Saturday morning before I have to come back up here."

"You're coming back up here this weekend?" She didn't know what to make of that. "Has she met someone up here already and she's going on a date Saturday night? That was quick; one of my co-workers? Well, duh, Kyle. She's a knockout and everybody in the world wants to be around her, of course she's found someone." Kate's heart dropped into her stomach.

Jay, who was busy calculating ways to make the schedule work in her mind, answered distractedly, "Didn't I tell you? The Governor invited me to join him and his wife for something called the Legislative Correspondents' Association Show. It's this Saturday night."

"You're going to the LCA Show?" Kate tried to sound nonchalant as her heart found its way back up into her chest.

"Well, yeah, the Governor invited me. Do you know anything about it?"

"Sure, sure. It's sort of a spoof of state government put on once a year by the journalists who cover the Capitol beat. It's supposed to be pretty good, I'm sure you'll have a great time."

"Do you know what I'm supposed to wear? I have no idea."

"It's formal. Are you sitting at the Governor's table?"

"Yes."

"Wow, that's amazing." Kate tried to kick start her brain. "You know, Jay, that show ends pretty late. You're not going to want to travel back to the City afterwards. Why don't you just plan to stay here Saturday night? You could go home Sunday morning, if you want."

"Oh, Kate, I don't want to be an imposition."

"Are you kidding me? Didn't we go through this once before? Fred and I would love to have you. I've got plans Saturday night, but I should be done right around the time that you are, so it should work out fine. In fact, if you can catch a cab to the show, I could pick you up and take you home."

"She's got plans Saturday night?" Irrationally, Jay was jealous. "Get a grip, Parker, of course she's got a life. She's gorgeous; she's perfect. You think she sits home on a Saturday night? Get real." "I don't want you to have to cut short your plans just for me."

"Trust me, Jay, the timing will work out perfectly. I'll pick you up outside the Convention Center when the show lets out, okay?"

"Okay."

"Well, now that that's settled, I'm beat." Kate's announcement was punctuated with a yawn. "The funeral's at 11 a.m., so the activities schedule for tomorrow morning will be the same as today's, if you're interested. Or, you could sleep in."

"What, and miss an episode of Charlie's Angels? No way. I'll see you in the fitness center at 8 a.m. sharp." The blonde smiled tiredly at her friend.

"Sleep well, Jay."

"You, too, Kate. G'night Fred."

With that, both women toddled off to their respective bedrooms for some much needed shuteye.

Sneaking back into the house at 7:15 a.m., Kate sighed; one more day and she wouldn't have to be up before the sun anymore. She couldn't wait. This burning the candle at both ends stuff was for the birds. She scratched her faithful canine behind the ears and made her way quietly upstairs to change into her workout clothes, glad that her houseguest seemed to be a sound sleeper.

*********

As she had the previous day, Jay found freshly brewed coffee and orange juice on the kitchen counter. She smiled at the notion that her friend had observed her choices of the day before; gone were the tea, the grape juice and the tomato juice.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs in the basement/gym, she said, "Good morning. How did you know I wouldn't want something different to drink today?"

"That's easy. You ordered coffee and orange juice when we had breakfast in the City, you accepted coffee gratefully at the Today Show interview, and you chose coffee and orange juice yesterday. Do I need to say anything more?" Kate was inordinately pleased with herself at having noticed the little things. In truth, she noticed everything about this gorgeous woman.

"I can't believe she was paying that close attention!" "Hmmph. I guess I need to work at being less predictable."

"I don't know," Kate replied, "I think there's something to be said for being steady and reliable."

"What about boring and mundane?"

"Jamison Parker, those are two words I would never use to describe you. Now get your butt the rest of the way over here. Your girl Jaclyn is just about to lay out one of the bad guys."

The rest of the workout was spent in companionable silence with the exception of occasional comments about the action on the television screen.

As the two women headed out the door for their run, Kate turned to Jay. "Do you want to take a different route today? Is it going to bother you?"

"No, I think it will be fine. It's such a pretty run, I don't want to let anything spoil that."

But as they reached the spot of yesterday's incident, Kate could feel her friend tense up. She reached out, touching her on the arm. "It's okay, Jay," she said softly, "He's in a very secure place and he can't hurt me anymore. Please don't worry."

Jay smiled a half-smile up at her long-legged companion, "I know you're right, it's just..."

"I know. But we can't spend every minute worrying about what might be around the next corner, or we'll forget to live in the moment, right?"

"Right," Jay agreed.

Completing the rest of the run without any difficulty, they spent a few minutes playing ball with Fred, eating breakfast, and showering in preparation for the day.

Once they were in the car on their way to the funeral, Jay looked over at her friend. "This is going to be hard for you, isn't it?" She had seen the other night how deeply affected Kate had been by the news of the little boy's death.

"It just seems so damn senseless. The kid goes on a fieldtrip to learn about the history of his state, and he ends up crushed under the rubble of the Capitol. Why? All because some nutcase somewhere has a beef with someone or something that has nothing to do with this poor little boy, who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Knowing there wasn't anything to say to that, Jay merely reached out and wrapped her fingers gently around Kate's arm in mute comfort. The contact lasted only for a few seconds, but it made both women feel better. Blue eyes met green in a look of silent thanks.

*********

The church was packed. Kate stopped to give some instructions to Gene, who was already set up in an unobtrusive position with his camera. Then she and Jay made their way midway up the aisle and chose seats on the end of a row, barely sitting down before Joey's father approached them from the front of the church. "Ms. Kyle, I know it's short notice and a lot to ask, but we'd be greatly flattered if you would say a few words about our Joey. He was so taken with you and so excited to meet you. It was all he talked about the last two days of his life." Tears coursed down the man's cheeks.

Kate didn't know what to say, the request caught her so far off guard. Her eyes welled up with tears, also. Quietly, she said, "I'd be honored, thank you so much for asking me."

Seemingly pleased and satisfied, the man went back to his seat, his head bent close to his wife's. She looked back at the dark-haired angel and smiled. The anchorwoman smiled sadly in return.

As the service began, the writer noticed that her friend's breathing had changed. She chanced a glance upward and saw that Kate was struggling with her emotions. Without hesitation, Jay reached out and slid her hand into the larger one resting next to her on the seat where no one else could see. God, it was getting harder and harder to keep from touching this remarkable woman. She got a squeeze of the hand in return and a quick look of gratitude.

When it was her turn to speak, Kate straightened to her full height and made her way gracefully to the altar. A buzz of recognition went through the crowd of mourners, but Kate noticed none of it. She had not known what she would say until the moment she looked out across the sea of faces.

"I look at you all today, united in your grief and sadness for the loss of a small boy who had his whole life in front of him, and I share your pain. I only got a chance to know Joey for a brief moment in his young life, and even in that short time, I knew there was something special about him. He had a light: a vibrant curiosity about the world around him. Lying there, trapped under the rubble, we spoke of baseball and his favorite teams. He showed no fear, just bravery and maturity well beyond his years. We here on Earth may have been robbed of his presence, but I know that his spirit and courage will live on for me as an example to be followed for the rest of my life. I hope he has touched you all in a similar way. I know that I am a richer person for having had the opportunity to meet him. Good rest, Joey, thank you."

As the regal woman made her way back down the aisle, she searched for a pair of shining emerald eyes. What she found there was a haven of compassion and understanding in a world that made no sense. When she was seated again, Jay leaned close and whispered, "That was beautiful, I can't think of a better tribute to such a special young man. I'm sure you brought many people comfort with your words."

Kate could only nod a thank you, unable to speak around the lump in her throat and unwilling to lose her composure here. Sensing that, her companion said nothing further.

They were almost to the car when Joey's parents stopped them. "We just wanted to say thank you one more time," the mother said, tears blinding her vision. Reaching out, she grasped Kate in a hug. "What you said about our Joey was so true, and so beautiful. He will always live in our hearts."

"Mine too," the blue-eyed woman said as she pulled back a little. "I'm so sorry for your loss, I hope you find peace."

"God bless you, Ms. Kyle," the father said, as he put his arm around his wife and led her away. "We'll never forget you."

Ducking quickly into the driver's seat before her emotions could get the best of her, Kate drove around the corner and down several side streets before pulling over in a small, deserted alleyway. "I'm sorry," she said to Jay, "I just need a minute." She would never have allowed herself to let down her guard in front of anyone else, but with this wonderful, gentle soul sitting beside her, it was different. She felt safe. She bowed her head against the steering wheel, tears running down her cheeks.

Jay moved the center console and scooted over closer to her friend, running a hand up and down her back in a comforting motion, just trying to be there for her. After a few minutes, Kate straightened up and gave her smaller passenger a watery smile. "Thanks, I needed that."

"Anytime, Kate. I'm glad I could be here for you."

"Me too." And with that, she started the car again and drove them to the station.

*********

Settling herself in front of her word processor, Kate began writing the introduction to her special. She had explained to Jay apologetically that she would be tied up for several hours putting together the verbal part of the one-hour show. After that, the writer could join her, Gene and one of the editors as they combed through the mountains of taped material that would yield the pictures to go with the words.

The process fascinated Jay. In the meantime, she had made an appointment with Gene to go through old footage of the anchorwoman's stories. She wanted to get a better feel for her subject's reporting style; she also was curious to see if that style had changed and evolved over the five years that Kate had been a broadcast journalist. And, of course, the thought of spending two or three hours watching that gorgeous woman on tape didn't bother her a bit.

By 2:30 p.m., satisfied with what she had written, Kate went in search of Jay, finding her holed up in one of the back editing rooms with Gene looking at a story she had done four years earlier about the discovery of toxic waste contamination at a local manufacturing plant. She groaned as she looked at herself on the screen.

"If you two are quite finished, can we get started on some real business here?" Kate smiled into the somewhat bloodshot emerald eyes that met her blue ones.

"Ready when you are, boss," Gene said. Grabbing the editor, the three of them moved down the hall to one of the new, spacious, state-of-the-art editing rooms.

The anchorwoman handed each of them a copy of the script so that they could get a sense of what she had in mind, and so that they could all be looking for the pictures that would tell the story as much, or more, than the words could. Gene, who had shot all of the footage they would be using, proved to have a phenomenal memory when it came to finding specific shots and the interviews Kate had indicated she wanted to use. Jay was mesmerized watching the journalist and the cameraman work together to make the words come to life. It was as if they had a language all their own; the reporter seemed to know exactly what they had on tape, and the talented cameraman knew where to find it. Each piece of footage was clocked for time, so that they would know if they had enough to cover the words in the script.

Once they had all the footage they thought they would need, Kate put on a set of headphones, sat down in front of the microphone that hung down from the ceiling, and laid down her voice on tape. In those spots where an interview was to be put in, she paused, indicating the correct interview to be slotted, and counting down from five to one. She explained to Jay that the countdown was so that the editor would know where to insert the interview and wouldn't have to worry about running over, or "stepping on," the anchorwoman's words. The countdown would be deleted in the editing process.

When Kate was satisfied with her delivery and speed, the editor gave a listen and indicated that the quality was fine, explaining to the writer that the reporter's voice had been recorded on audio channel one. The interviews and ambient sound would be laid down on audio channel two, and the two tapes would be melded together into one master audiotape, which would then be matched with the video images.

With the anchorwoman's initial part of the process complete, she left to deliver the six o'clock news. Jay chose to stay with the cameraman and editor, sitting transfixed for the next hour as they took the selected images and matched them to the words from the script to tell a compelling story.

By the time Kate returned from the set, the preliminary draft of the special was ready. She suggested that they order dinner in and watch while they ate. Everyone agreed, the pizza order was placed, and the viewing began. Every so often, she would make the editor stop the tape and make a comment, or suggest a small change, or the addition or deletion of a piece of video. Two hours and two large pizzas later, everyone was satisfied with the finished product.

The special would include footage taken from home movies of Joey at his last birthday party and again at a little league game last summer. Then the scene would shift to the eight-year old trapped under the rubble of the explosion and his parents at his funeral just this morning. Finally, an image of Joey's parents standing together, strong in their faith, would deliver the message that their son would live on in their hearts and the hearts of many others as a beacon of courage and bravery. Similar segments with other victims and families would drive home the theme of the triumph of the human spirit over terror.

When the last credit rolled and silence filled the room, Kate turned to Gene and the editor expectantly. "Well, what did you think?"

The cameraman weighed in first. "I think it was edgy and powerful. Fast in the places it needed to be, and slower and more subdued where it had to be. I like the pacing."

The editor agreed. "You know, everyone is expecting a rehash of what happened; the who, what, where, when, and how. Anybody could have done that. What you did here is far more potent; it gets past the mechanics and material issues and into the emotional stuff. I love that."

Kate merely listened to the comments, processing the information. Finally, she turned to the person whose opinion mattered most to her. "Jay, what about you?"

The writer was surprised to be asked as she had planned only to stay in the background and observe, but she was pleased beyond words that Kate wanted to know what she thought. "Well, I can't speak to the technical aspects of the piece like these guys can. But as a viewer my gut reaction is that it's alternately the most depressing and uplifting story imaginable. Watching it I felt the helplessness and hopelessness of the moment. And then, I was so moved and inspired by the ability of these victims and their families to bounce back and take something positive from the most devastating of horrors. In the end I was left with a warm, powerful feeling inside my heart about the strength of the human spirit. Wow."

Kate simply nodded when Jay was done talking, but a slight blush was creeping up her neck. She couldn't have asked for a better reaction. Turning to the cameraman and the editor, she said, "Great work, folks, thanks for making it so good. I think that's a wrap." Then she took the master dub and walked down the hall to hand it to the news director.

An hour and a half later, shortly before she was getting ready to go on the air, her boss appeared at her desk. Without preamble he said, "Nice job, Kate, that showed great vision. I loved it."

Shocked by the compliment, which was rare at best coming from the news director, Kate mumbled her appreciation and thanked him again for giving her the day off the next day. Then he was gone, and she was off to the set. Jay decided to go with her to get one more look at Kate at work, although she wasn't foolish enough to think that it was anything other than a personal desire to be close to this amazing woman for as long as she could be.

*********

At midnight they were once again walking through the front door of the house, both of them beyond exhaustion and barely able to hold their heads up. Kate turned to Jay, saying, "I've got some ideas what we could do tomorrow, but I'm also flexible if you've got something else in mind."

"Try me," Jay said as she stripped off her suit jacket.

"Okay, I thought maybe we could skip the workout and run in the morning. You could sleep in a little longer, and then we could go hiking instead for part of the day; there are some beautiful trails in the Catskill Mountains that I'd love to show you. We could pack lunch and have a picnic, take our time, then come back here, shower and relax a little before I take you out for a fabulous dinner at a wonderful place I know."

The blonde sighed with pleasure, "That sounds fantastic, I can't think of anything I'd rather do. The only drawback is that I didn't think to bring my hiking boots with me."

"That's okay, the hike isn't too terribly difficult. You could do it in your sneakers, or we could stop and I could buy you a new pair of hiking boots if you'd be more comfortable."

"No, no," Jay replied, "my sneakers will be just fine."

"Great then, that's settled. There's no rush to get going in the morning, so whenever you wake up is perfect."

At that the writer smiled, and the two walked up the stairs together. "I'm glad you liked the documentary, Jay."

Emerald eyes looked up to meet dark blue. "I thought it was incredible, Kate. I was moved to tears; you did a magnificent job with it."

"Thanks." They had reached the top of the landing. "I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well, princess."

"You, too, Stretch."

*********

Two hours later Jay was sleeping soundly, dreaming of lying in the taller woman's arms. This was a recurring dream for her; one she'd been having off and on since their first real encounter on the ski slope. It always brought a smile to her face.

So caught up in the dream was she that it took her several moments to register the sensation of her hand being tossed up into the air. At first, she thought it was part of the dream. Shortly, however, a whine made it clear something else was going on. Finally, as more of her senses awakened, she figured out that Fred was trying to get her attention. The canine was pushing his nose under her hand and throwing it up into the air in an effort to wake her.

As her brain began to kick in, Jay registered the dog's agitation. He was poking his nose at her and tugging at her clothing. In the several nights she had spent in Kate's home, the faithful companion had never left his mistress's side at night. Jay sat up quickly.

"What is it, buddy, what's wrong?" As she talked to Fred, trying to calm him, she heard a noise. She was quiet for a few moments, and then she heard it again, this time more distinctly. It was Kate, and she was screaming.

Within seconds, Jay was down the hall and pushing her friend's door open further. The light in the hallway that spilled into the room combined with the bright moonlight filtering in through the skylight to allow her to see clearly. Kate was thrashing around, screaming and crying in her sleep.

Jay experienced a moment of uncertainty; the last time she had tried to awaken her from a nightmare, Kate had pushed her away, growing cold and distant. That was the last thing Jay wanted to have happen, but she couldn't stand by and watch her friend suffer.

She moved to the bed, gently grasping the struggling woman by the shoulder and shaking her. "Kate, please wake up. Kate, honey, you're having a bad dream. Please, sweetheart, wake up."

As the dark-haired woman moved toward consciousness and her eyes began to flicker open, Jay backed away from the bed. Not wanting to risk the reaction she had gotten before in this situation, she started to move toward the door, apologizing as she went. "I'm sorry, Kate, Fred came to get me. You were having a nightmare; I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Even in her confused state, Kate could sense Jay's discomfort. "It's okay, Jay." Looking into the fearful green eyes before her, it took her another few seconds to understand her companion's reaction. She hated that her behavior had put that look there. This time, she vowed, she would handle her embarrassment differently. "Come here, please," she motioned for Jay to sit on the bed. More softly she added, "I could use a friend right now."

No more invitation was required, the writer moving to join Kate and sitting on the side of the bed close to where the blue-eyed woman was just propping herself up against some pillows. Tentatively, Jay reached out and took hold of her friend's hands, which were shaking. "What was it about, do you want to talk about it?"

Kate shrugged, "I just can't seem to get the images out of my head," she began. Looking into the concerned emerald depths facing her, she said, "It was the same thing I saw in my dreams last week, right after the bombing; something I saw while I was in the building. I had been crawling through the remains of the first floor, helping some of the kids who had been in the lobby when the explosion happened. In fact, I had just finished freeing Joey, and had moved maybe another ten feet or so when I stumbled across something. I looked down, and there was this young boy, he was probably a classmate of Joey's. His eyes were fixed and staring unseeing at the ceiling, as if in a silent plea. Part of the first floor roof had collapsed on him." Tears began to stream down her face. "I haven't been able to get his face out of my mind, and I wonder if I ever will."

"Shhh. Oh, Kate, it's okay, sweetheart." Jay moved closer and took the anchorwoman into her arms. "It's going to be all right." Rocking and comforting her friend until all her tears were spent, she reached to the bedside table and handed Kate the box of tissues that had been sitting there.

Pulling back a little, Jay used her thumbs to wipe the tears from the face in front of her. Impulsively, she leaned forward, replacing her thumbs with her lips, placing light kisses on the softness of Kate's cheeks and eyelids. The combination of the feel of the silky smooth skin and the scent of Shalimar that had been etched in her memory for so long was almost too much for Jay.

Slowly, she reached up and ran her fingers through the raven hair, pulling Kate to her. Their mouths met in a kiss that was at first gentle and undemanding. As their lips became better acquainted, it was Jay who deepened the contact, wanting to express with her kiss the feelings she had never spoken.

Kate moaned at the sensation of this extraordinary woman's tongue mingling with hers, united in a dance of welcome and desire. She ran her hands up and down the smaller woman's back, reveling in the delicious texture of the sheer satin nightgown as it brushed against her palms. Feeling the aroused state of Jay's nipples where they pressed against her, it was all she could do to hold herself back.

Breathing raggedly, she pulled away from the kiss. Looking into deep green eyes darkened with passion, she teased, "Aren't you afraid you'll compromise your professional objectivity?"

Jay growled, "I don't care any more, I'll make it work. 'Professional detachment' is driving me crazy."

Kate laughed, "Glad to hear it's not just me, but you'd better be getting back to your room or I won't be responsible for my actions."

Reluctantly, Jay agreed. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I am now."

Jay leaned over one last time as she stood, bestowing another passionate kiss on the perfect lips below her. Then, with a small smirk and the raising of an eyebrow, she turned and made her way across the room to the door. "I'll see you in the morning." She winked at Kate, who was still reclining on the bed with a wondering look on her face.

"I can't wait," came the husky reply.

Both women fell asleep dreaming about what the next day would bring.

Jay continued her pacing in the kitchen, back and forth, back and forth. Running her hands through her hair, she worked hard to stay calm, but it had been over an hour since she had first gone to check on Kate and found no sign of her. She had searched everywhere she could think to look. What if something had happened to her; where could she possibly be at this hour? For the fourth time in as many minutes, she checked the clock on the wall: 7:32 a.m. From his vantage point on the floor in the doorway, Fred watched his new buddy with interest.

At 7:45 a.m. Kate let herself into the house quietly from the garage. As soon as she stepped into the kitchen and saw Jay, she froze. The younger woman wore a look of such abject fear and despair on her face that it broke her heart. She barely had time to open her arms as the blonde threw herself into them, burying her head in Kate's chest.

Not knowing what else to do, Kate held on and tightened her grip, rubbing Jay's back and kissing the top of her golden head. She couldn't begin to fathom what had prompted such a reaction. At length, she pulled back enough to see Jay's face. "What's wrong, are you okay? Did something happen while I was gone?"

Jay shook her head "no" and fought for her composure. What was wrong with her, anyway? "I was worried about you after your nightmare, and I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would just check on you to make sure you were okay. That was at a little after 6 o'clock this morning, and when I didn't find you in bed, I began to wonder where you might have gone. I searched the whole house and then, when I realized you weren't here, my imagination started running away with me and I was afraid something bad had happened to you. It sounds so stupid now when I say it out loud," she finished meekly.

Kate smiled down into the shimmering emerald eyes. "It doesn't sound silly to me at all, Jay; it sounds as if you care, which is a foreign concept to me. No one has ever worried about me that way before, and I'm deeply touched. I'm sorry I gave you such a fright, I didn't mean to, I just wasn't thinking; I should have left a note. Forgive me?"

Looking up into those pools of blue, Jay knew she would have forgiven this woman almost anything. She nodded her head.

Kate said, "Now, can we start the day off properly?" Putting her hands on either side of Jay's face, she looked deeply into eyes that reminded her of a beautiful summer day. Just as she was about to lower her mouth to Jay's, she knew a moment of uncertainty. She asked, "May I?"

"Please," the writer breathed.

The long, slow, thorough kiss that followed wiped all thought from both women's brains, leaving only sensation in its wake. Every nerve synapse in Kate's body was standing at attention, begging for more, but she was in no rush. She would not push Jay too far, too fast. She wanted to be sure of her friend's feelings for her rather than make assumptions; Heaven knows she knew what she felt. She sighed, "Now that was the way a day like today should start."

"I'll say," Jay seconded dreamily, her senses reeling from the taste of the softest lips imaginable. "Oooh, I'll take some more of that, thank you very much." Out loud she said, "So where were you, anyway?" She caught a flicker of something in the other woman's eyes, but then, just as quickly, it was gone.

Kate wanted to be completely honest, at least as far as she was willing to go. "I stopped by to see Barbara before her day got too busy so she could take my stitches out. See?" She held out her hand and arm for her companion to examine. Indeed, the tiny rows of X's were gone, leaving only healing pink scars in their wake.

Jay ran her fingers over the thin lines that bisected Kate's palm and the other marks that marred her perfect forearms. "God, her skin is like velvet." Not content simply to let her fingers explore, Jay lifted one of the injured hands and kissed the palm gently.

Kate tried hard to contain the involuntary shiver of pleasure the contact evoked, knowing that if she were to pursue her impulses, they would never get out of the house today. Still, her eyes revealed the desire that was building in her, and the emerald orbs that held her gaze sparkled with the knowledge.

Finally, the magic of the moment was broken when Fred pushed between them, unceremoniously depositing his ball at their feet. Both women laughed and shook their heads. Kate moved off to entertain her canine while Jay took a shower. Within an hour, both women were clean, dressed and sitting at the kitchen table over coffee and Raisin Bran.

"Ready to go?" Kate asked as she cleared the bowls and glasses from the table. She was anxious to show Jay the beauty of the Catskill Mountains and it was the perfect day for it: sunny with just a sprinkling of clouds and 72 degrees.

"You bet. Where are we going, by the way? And what, pray tell, is in that huge backpack?"

"In keeping with your love of American Literature, I thought I'd take you to one of the most oft described vistas of the romantic era. Is it safe to assume that you've read James Fenimore Cooper's The Pioneers?"

Intrigued, Jay said, "Of course; 1823. Natty Bumppo and all that."

"Right, well, if you go back and look at the book, you'll find that Natty gives a wonderful description of the view from one of the spots we're going to hike to today."

"Really? Now I'm going to have to dig out my old copy and reread it."

"No need," Kate smiled indulgently. "I've taken the liberty of marking the passage and bringing along my copy, which is one of the things in that backpack." She motioned with her head to the large framed pack that sat in the corner of the kitchen by the mudroom. At Jay's raised eyebrow, she added, "Hey, I've got all the essentials. Lunch, water for humans and Fred, binoculars, and James Fenimore Cooper."

Jay laughed, "Who could ask for anything more?" Then, after a minute, she added with a note of suspicion, "You read The Pioneers?"

Kate gave her companion one of her full-fledged-intimidating-arched-eyebrow-looks. "Just because I'm a television news anchor doesn't mean I'm illiterate, ya know. You'd better be nice to me or I'll start spewing Shakespearean soliloquies from Macbeth."

"Oooh, we wouldn't want that, now would we, Fred?" The canine wisely chose to remain silent, and followed his mistress, who had shouldered the pack and was heading out the door.

*********

The drive was a relatively conversation-free affair, since, with the top down, it was virtually impossible to hear. Fred happily occupied the back seat with the backpack and left the driving and navigating to the humans.

Almost an hour into the drive, Kate was startled out of her reverie by the feel of a warm hand covering hers where it rested on the gearshift. Tentatively, slowly, smaller fingers wrapped around her larger ones and she glanced over to see Jay looking at her, a question in her deep green eyes. Smiling broadly into that beautiful gaze she picked up their joined hands, placing a delicate kiss on the back of the smaller one and bringing them both to rest on her thigh. Both women sighed happily.

*********

A little more than half an hour later as they neared their destination, Jay reluctantly released her hold on Kate's hand so that she could downshift and guide them to a stop. "Where exactly are we?"

"North Lake to be specific. The hike we're going to take is a five mile loop encompassing Kaaterskill Falls and the Cliff Walk. I really wanted to share this with you because it's one of the most scenic, peaceful, least populated trails around here, and a personal favorite of mine. I hope you'll like it as much as I do; the views are sensational, especially on a clear day like today."

Kate hoisted the heavy pack onto her back as if it weighed nothing, cinching the chest and waist straps and shifting the weight until it was balanced perfectly. Fred, waiting impatiently for his mistress to give him the signal that he could begin blazing the trail, leapt with glee when her hand gesture finally indicated that he was free to go. She checked her watch and turned to Jay. "How hungry are you?"

"Is that a trick question?"

Kate laughed, "No, in this case it's not. We can either hike to the Falls first, in which case lunch will be in half an hour, or we can hike the Cliff Walk first, in which case lunch will be in two and a half or three hours. The choice is yours."

"Hmm, decisions, decisions. Do I want to eat first and then walk it off, or do I want to work up an appetite first and feel as if I've earned my meal? That's a tough call, Stretch."

"I have faith in your ability to figure it out and come up with the perfect solution, Scoop."

"Oh you do, do you? In that case, I say we go to the Falls and eat first, since I want to make sure I have an appetite for dinner tonight."

"Wise choice, young lady, as dinner will be a spectacular affair; the Falls it is. Right this way." She swept her hand in the correct direction, indicating that Jay should lead the way and set the pace. As they walked, Kate explained that the Kaaterskill Falls were once as popular as Niagara Falls, and, at 260 feet, represented the highest falls in New York State, including Niagara Falls. The Falls consisted of two tiers, the upper, which was a 175-foot vertical drop, and the lower, comprising the other 85 feet.

Jay was impressed with her friend's knowledge of the area and its historical value, and she loved listening to her talk; Kate's deep, melodious voice flowed over her like honey. The day was still fairly young, but already it was shaping up to be one of the best she could recall having in a long, long time.

A short time later the trail led through a stand of virgin hemlock trees, emerging at the lower basin of the Falls. When the two women arrived at their destination, Jay was struck speechless. Standing at the bottom of the Falls looking up, the roar of the water crashing down was overwhelming and, even from a good distance away, the spray proved powerful enough to coat them with a light mist.

"My God, Kate, this is amazing. I've never seen anything like it." Jay regarded the scene with a sort of child-like wonder, turning around in a circle to take in the entire view. "And there's nobody else here."

At that last comment, Kate smirked, knowing that she had picked this spot in which to picnic for that very reason. She had been fairly confident that, this early in the season on a weekday, the place would be relatively empty of tourists and day hikers. She was glad beyond words that she had been correct.

She led them further down the trail, far enough away from the Falls that the noise was minimal and the spray non-existent, yet the view of the Falls was still breathtaking. They were standing on the edge of Spruce Creek, which featured a number of huge stones and some pieces of the upper segment of the Falls that had fallen to the creek bed long ago.

"Come over here and give me your hand, Jay."

"Why?"

"Has anybody ever told you, you ask too many questions?" the taller woman mock growled.

Jay chuckled and moved closer, making a grand show of presenting her hand. At that, Kate grasped the hand, pulling the smaller woman to her and scooping her up in one smooth motion, supporting her under her knees and her shoulders.

"Wha," the writer sputtered, "What are you doing?" She latched on to Kate's neck reflexively.

Kate smiled down at her mischievously. "Well, I assumed that you didn't want to get wet, and since our picnic spot is over there..." With her head, she gestured to a huge, flat rock in the center of the creek, "I thought this might be the best mode of transportation for you. Now if you'd prefer..." She made as if to set Jay down in the water.

"NO," the petite blonde screamed.

"I didn't think so." With little effort, Kate picked her way across the rocks that populated the creek and over to the designated dining area carrying Jay in her arms. Since the water wasn't particularly deep at that point and her hiking boots were waterproofed, unlike her companion's sneakers, she wasn't concerned about her feet getting wet. When she reached the giant boulder, she set her date down gently on top of it. "How's that?"

"Mmm, great." Jay knew Kate was asking about the lunch spot, but she was actually thinking more about being swept up into those strong arms.

"Glad you like it," Kate chuckled. She proceeded to remove the pack from her back and spent several minutes looking around inside for the items she wanted. First, she pulled out a red and white checkered tablecloth, which the two of them spread out on the rock. Then she produced two paper plates, napkins and silverware, which she arranged on the makeshift table. Next, she unloaded several sandwiches, bags of chips and pretzels, fruit, and carrot sticks. Finally, she removed two bottles of water from the pack and hoisted herself up onto the surface of the boulder.

"Wow, this is quite a spread."

"I wasn't sure what kind of sandwiches you liked, so I got a bunch of different ones for you to choose from; you get first pick. There's turkey with mayo, roast beef with Russian dressing, grilled chicken breast on a hard roll, and a lettuce, tomato, and cheese sandwich with mayo in case you don't like meat."

Jay was flabbergasted. "You are amazingly thoughtful, you know that? I can't believe you went to all this trouble and carried all this stuff in that pack, it must weigh a ton!"

"Nah, it's not too bad, and besides, since I didn't work out today, this will substitute nicely."

Jay selected the turkey sandwich, some fritos, a handful of carrot sticks and an orange and arranged them on her plate. Kate handed her a bottle of water, took the roast beef sandwich, some of the remaining carrots and the other orange, and the two women sat side-by-side watching the Falls and laughing at Fred, who had taken to hunting for rocks on the creek bed.

When they had finished eating, Kate collected the plates, orange peels, chip bags, and silverware and placed them in a plastic bag before putting them back in the pack. Then they folded up the tablecloth and she stuffed that in, as well. With everything cleaned up and put away, she leaned back against a shelf in the mammoth rock, motioning for Jay to lean against her. The writer happily complied, fitting herself in the space her taller friend had made between her legs and resting her back against the convenient chest.

Kate wrapped her arms around Jay's waist and rested her cheek on the fair head. The smaller woman placed her arms on top of her companion's and turned her head slightly. "That was a fantastic lunch, thank you for putting it all together. This is a beautiful spot."

"Mmm, almost as beautiful as you, but not quite." She smiled as a blush crept up Jay's neck and into her cheeks.

"Yeah, right," Jay said dismissively and shifted uncomfortably.

Kate put her fingers briefly to the lips below her and tightened her grip around the blonde's waist, bringing them into even closer contact. "Don't, Jay. Don't do that. You are without question the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I'm not known for giving idle or false compliments. Please don't dismiss or discount how incredible you are; you need only look in the mirror to know that I'm right."

Jay was quiet for a moment before saying, "My father used to tell me that I was ugly and nobody but him would want me and that I was lucky to have him. I guess I believed him, and, even though you'd think I should know better by now, part of me still believes him."

Once again, Kate was glad she'd never met the man, because she would have strangled him if she could have. "Your father was a sick man, Jay, the things he told you were designed to lower your self-esteem and keep you under his control. They weren't the truth." She let her words sink in for a few seconds before continuing, "Do you trust me, Jay?"

The younger woman was surprised by the question. "More than I've ever trusted anyone in my life. Why?"

"Because I want you to know that you can always, always trust me to tell you the truth, and the truth is that you are gorgeous, and amazingly desirable, and that, right now, I'm having a really hard time keeping my hands to myself." Kate's eyes had darkened with longing; the urge she felt to touch this woman was nearly overwhelming.

Jay shifted in the circle of Kate's arms, burying her hands in the dark mane of hair, urgently drawing the taller woman to her mouth. This kiss was filled with passion, promise, and desire, igniting a fire deep inside both women. Time stood still for several long minutes and the rest of the universe ceased to exist, until reality finally intruded as they became aware of the sound of hikers in the distance.

They both pulled back at the same time, breathing heavily, eyes locked on each other. Kate ran her finger along Jay's jaw line and across her lips, and gently disentangled herself. Without a word, she stood up, shouldering the pack and settling it, and hopped down off the rock. Picking the smaller woman up into her arms, her sapphire eyes never losing contact with the sea green ones, she carried her back across the creek to the trail where, reluctantly, she set her back on the ground.

"Shall we go on?" Kate asked huskily. "It's a magnificent hike from here along the Cliff Walk."

"I'm all yours," Jay said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"I can only hope," Kate murmured, so softly the petite woman wasn't sure she'd heard her correctly. "C'mon Fred, let's go." With that, the canine bounded out of the water and back onto the trail, shaking himself off and managing to spray his mistress in the process. "Gee, thanks buddy, I guess you could tell I needed some cooling off."

Jay just laughed.

They moved along the trail at a comfortable pace, with Fred running ahead several hundred feet and doubling back to check on the humans' progress every now and again. The two women estimated that by the time the day was over, he would have covered twice the ground that they had.

After a short time they came to a series of open overlooks atop steep outcroppings of rock. On two sides were clear vistas of mountains, and below was the Kaaterskill Creek, which led to the Hudson River. They stopped for a few minutes to enjoy the view and to allow Fred to rest and get a drink, since his tongue was hanging out the side of his mouth.

"Let's keep going," Kate said. "The view gets even better when we get to Sunset Rock and Inspiration Point." And, true to her word, as the pair approached those landmarks they came upon a riot of wildflowers lining the path, along with colorful butterflies and several varieties of birds.

"Oh, Kate, it's amazing."

"Yeah, this is my favorite time of year to hike up here because all the wildflowers are in bloom. I sometimes spend hours up here just looking out at the mountains and flowers; it's a great place to get away from it all and just 'be.' I've never brought anyone else here before."

Jay soaked up her companion's words like a sponge; she wanted to learn everything about her, including the things she liked to do and how she liked to spend her time. The writer reached out and took Kate's hand. "Thank you so much for sharing this with me. I feel so privileged that you wanted to show me this place."

Kate squeezed the smaller hand and began moving again, not letting go. The trail was wide enough here to accommodate them walking side-by-side, and they continued on through forest until they came to a grassy knoll and the taller woman brought them to a stop. Jay looked around, not seeing anything but the junction with another trail. At her inquiring look, Kate explained, "This was the site of the Kaaterskill Hotel. It was built in 1881 and burned to the ground in a fire in 1924. At its peak, this area was the place to see and be seen by the rich and famous. Presidents, movie stars and socialites all gathered here in the Catskills to play and vacation."

"I think you missed your calling, Stretch. You should have been a tour guide."

Kate rolled her eyes and tugged on Jay's hand and they resumed their hike. The trail led them through open fields with views of the surrounding mountains and through dense forest where the smell of pine trees assaulted their senses. Twenty-five minutes later they emerged from the forest into a large open space.

"Let me guess," Jay said, "Another hotel site."

"Very good, Watson, but not just any hotel. This was the famous Catskill Mountain House."

"You've got to do something about that British accent, woman. Either do it right or give it up, because I gotta tell ya, ya just ain't got it."

"Everybody's a critic. Just for that, maybe I won't share this with you." She waved the copy of James Fenimore Cooper's book in front of Jay's face.

Jay did her best to look contrite. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I promise I'll try to behave."

"That's better." Kate turned her friend slowly in a full circle so that she could appreciate the view of the entire valley as it stretched below her, and then she began to read a passage from The Pioneers.

Jay closed her eyes and listened to that low, smooth voice, and then opened them to take in the scene depicted by one of the greatest writers in American literary history. "Wow. It still looks the way he described it 150 years ago. That's incredible!"

"I thought you might appreciate that. Just think, someday one hundred years from now, people like us will be walking along on a hike, quoting from a classic great American novel by a giant of her time named Jamison Parker." At the incredulous look on the smaller woman's face Kate added, "If you dream it, it can come true, Jay. Don't ever give up on your dreams, they're too important and you're too talented."

Jay was about to make light of the compliment, and then, remembering what Kate had said earlier about selling herself short, said simply, "Thank you."

"Are you ready to go? We're almost at the end of the hike, and if we go now we'll have a little bit of time once we get back to the house to relax for a bit and shower before dinner."

"Sounds great."

Once settled in the car and on the road, they held hands all the way back home, each woman reliving some of the magic of their day together and content just to be in each other's company. Fred was sound asleep in the back seat, having gotten his fill of exercise for one day.

*********

As Kate was putting the finishing touches on her outfit for the evening, the front doorbell rang. She smiled to herself and called out, "Jay, could you get that please, I'm not quite ready yet."

"Sure," came the answer from downstairs.

Jay opened the door to reveal a deliverywoman carrying two long rectangular boxes. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Jamison Parker."

The expression on Jay's face was one of shock. "I, I'm Jay Parker."

"Well then, I guess these are for you. Somebody must like you a whole lot, that's for sure. Well, have a great night." And with that, the delivery person was gone.

Kate, watching the entire exchange from just out of view, grinned to herself.

Jay slowly untied the ribbon and opened the first box. "Oh, my, these are gorgeous." She put the bouquet of twelve blood red roses to her nose and gave an appreciative sniff. Then she reached inside the box and found the card that had come with them.

"Wow, you are something else, Ms. Kyle," she said to herself, "Aren't you?" Her curiosity peaked, she unwrapped the second box. Inside were a dozen perfect yellow roses, and another card.

"Fred," Jay addressed the canine that was busily scouting out the new scents, "Your mother is a closet romantic. The more I learn about her, the more I want to know."

"I hope so," Kate said as she strode into the room.

"These are so beautiful, I can't believe you did this." Tears sprang to Jay's eyes. "In my whole life, no one has ever treated me like this."

"Their mistake." Kate moved forward another step and enfolded her companion in her arms. "You look magnificent," she murmured into the strands of golden hair. Jay was wearing a rich, rust-colored silk pants suit with a cream-colored button-down silk blouse that revealed just a hint of cleavage. "Now, are you going to tell me which color you preferred?"

"Are you kidding, when I could keep you guessing and continue to get double the amount of flowers? What do I look like, a fool?"

"Jamison Parker," Kate growled menacingly, "What makes you think you'll ever get more if you don't state a preference now?"

"Um, because I'm irresistible? Charming? Witty?"

"Full of it," the older woman finished for her.

"Hey, I resemble that remark!"

"Yes, you certainly do, but I'll forgive you this time." She kissed the blonde head and released her.

"You look pretty sensational, yourself, there, Stretch." Kate wore a jet-black linen pants suit with a scooped-neck pale blue silk camisole underneath that Jay thought picked up the color of her eyes perfectly. "Are you going to tell me where we're going yet?"

"Thank you, and we're going out to dinner."

"Oh, that was helpful and informative."

"Well, excuse me, Miss-I-won't-tell-you-what-color-roses-I-prefer, if I'm somewhat less than forthcoming, but two can play that game."

"Oh, you are such a brat!"

"Yep, that's just what my mother used to say. Now come on, or we're going to be late."

"Wait," Jay said as Kate began to push her out the door. "I want to put these in water first. Do you have a vase?"

Obediently, Kate went to a cupboard in the kitchen and removed two cut crystal vases as Jay trimmed the stems on the yellow and red blooms. She arranged them to her satisfaction, leaning over one more time to take in their spicy fragrance, and then allowed herself to be herded out the door.

*********

Within half an hour they had pulled up to a well-lit mansion with a wrap-around driveway. A valet parking attendant greeted each of them and helped them out of the car. Kate took Jay's hand, placed it in the crook of her arm, and escorted her up the front steps.

"We're eating at someone's house? You're taking me to dinner at someone's house?"

Kate chuckled, "Not exactly, but you're close. This was once the home of General Burgoyne during the Revolutionary War; it has been preserved in its original style. Have you ever heard of the Battle of Saratoga? It was one of the turning points of the war."

"You know, being around you is an education. I can see I'm going to have to read up on my history."

"Actually, no need, you can read the abbreviated version on the menu once we sit down."

"Ah, Ms. Kyle, it's so nice to see you this evening. Everything has been arranged for you as you requested." "Ma'am," the tuxedoed man turned to Jay with a nod and a bow in polite greeting. "Please, come right this way."

Jay's ears perked up; what in the world was her friend up to? She followed along like a curious puppy as they were led through the stately foyer, past the great room, the library, and the sitting room and into a private dining room overlooking the river. There was a single antique mahogany table set for two, with two antique pewter candle sticks, white tapers burning in each. A single red rose sat in the center between the two candles. The cutlery was sterling silver and the plates fine china; cut crystal glasses rounded out the scene. A waiter pulled out Jay's chair and motioned for her to sit down with a bow. When she was seated, Kate sat as well.

The waiter handed each woman a heavy, leather bound menu and asked Kate if she wanted him to open the bottle of champagne. "Jay, do you drink champagne? I didn't know if you did or not, so I had them chill a bottle just in case. Is there something else you'd prefer?" For some reason, she was suddenly nervous. Wanting so much for the evening to go well, she was feeling uncharacteristically insecure about her choices.

"I'm not much of a drinker, but a nice glass of champagne would be great, thank you."

Kate motioned for the waiter to fill their glasses, which he did before discreetly disappearing.

She held up her glass and proposed a heartfelt toast, "To a very special, very beautiful woman, thank you for the most fabulous day I've spent in a very long time."

A blush crept up Jay's neck and face as she touched glasses with her companion. "I should be the one thanking you, Kate. I feel like a princess in a fairy tale; this has been the most wonderful day I can ever remember, and believe me, I have a pretty good memory."

They opened the menus, concentrating for a few minutes on the choices. Jay settled on the Seafood Newburgh and Kate opted for the Salmon in Glazed Orange Sauce. The writer spent a few extra minutes reading the description of the battle and the history of the mansion in which they were sitting.

Finishing, she looked up, "They've turned the General's house into a restaurant, what about historic preservation and all that?"

Kate glanced at her friend shyly, "It's not exactly open to the public; I pulled a few strings and called in a couple of favors. And the room you're sitting in was the General's own private dining room where, legend has it, he used to sit and watch the progression of the fight across the river."

They spent the remaining time while waiting for dinner to be served talking of favorite places they'd traveled, sights they'd still like to see, and the most significant influences in their formative years. As the food was served, they were still chatting, completely absorbed in learning more about one another.

In between courses, long minutes were spent gazing into each other's eyes. Jay was mesmerized by the play of the light from the candle off the deep blue of her companion's irises, and, for her part, Kate was captured in the swirling depths of the emeralds that sparkled as they looked at her.

As dessert was cleared and coffee served, Kate took Jay's hand and asked, "Have you enjoyed this evening so far? Is there anything more you want right now?"

To herself, Jay thought, "Oh, yeah, there's definitely something more I want, but not here." What she said was, "Let's see, you've called in favors from curators of historic landmarks and topflight chefs in order to provide the ultimate romantic, private dining experience. Gee, I'm sure there must be something you've forgotten," she laughed. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

Kate laughed, too, "Um, got run over on a ski trail?"

"You had to remind me, didn't you? It took months for my leg to heal, hell, I missed the entire lacrosse season that year." More seriously, Jay said, "But it was more than worth it to meet you." She debated whether to reveal her secret, and, after a second's hesitation, decided that if she really wanted this woman, and God, did she, then she needed to come clean. "In fact, I've always thought of that as one of my luckiest days; the day I found my muse."

Kate's eyebrow hiked into her hairline, "Me?"

Jay chuckled, "Oh yes, you." Sheepishly she admitted, "You were the cause of the only real fight my girlfriend at the time and I ever had." She was too embarrassed to hold Kate's gaze, so she lowered her head to take in their joined hands and began fidgeting. "Sarah read some of the, um, writings in my journal and accused me of having an affair with you in my heart, if not in fact."

"She did?" Kate's voice was full of wonder.

"Yep, and with good reason, too. I got really mad at her for invading my privacy, but it should have occurred to her that I never argued whether or not the substance of her accusation was correct." Quietly, she added, "I couldn't argue that; she was right." Jay hazarded a look up into Kate's face.

"She was?"

"Mmm hmm, she most definitely was. That was when I started to realize that what I had with Sarah wasn't the real thing. I felt more when you held me, innocently trying to warm me in your jacket on that ski trail, than I had ever felt in the midst of making love with her."

"You did?" Kate knew she sounded stupid, but she couldn't help herself, she had never imagined that Jay had given her more than a passing thought.

"You turned a switch on for me; it was as if, in you, I had found something that I had been searching for my entire life, and I never even knew I'd been looking. But I figured I didn't stand a chance with someone like you, so I shrugged it off, except in my dreams and my journal. Sarah and I stayed together until graduation, but my heart wasn't in it. Since then I've sworn off relationships; I never wanted to cause the kind of pain that I caused her again."

"And now?" Kate asked hesitantly.

Looking up directly into those fathomless cobalt blue eyes, Jay knew that these might be the most important words that she would utter in her lifetime. "And now we're here, and you're so much more than I ever imagined, and I know that I must be dreaming, but if I am I don't ever want to wake up again." She took a deep breath, and decided to go for broke, "You may think I'm crazy, but I've known from the very first time you held me in your arms five years ago that you were the one for me. Being with anybody else would have been a sham. I don't know if you believe in soulmates, but I do, and I have been waiting for you forever, Katherine Kyle, and I'm so glad I've found you again."

Kate let out a shaky breath; she knew that Jay had taken a huge leap of faith in confessing her feelings, the least she could do was do the same. "The night that you were attacked on campus my girlfriend was the EMT that helped you. She broke up with me a short time after that; she said that she'd been waiting two years for me to look at her the way I looked at you when I held you in my arms that night. At the time, I didn't understand what she meant. But the night of the explosion, when I looked up and saw you standing there, I finally got it. No one has ever made me feel the way you do just by looking at you, Jay, and she must have seen that mirrored on my face. I guess what I'm saying, sweetheart, is that I feel that connection between us, too; I've always felt it." She picked up their joined hands and reverently kissed the smaller one.

"I can't believe this is happening to me; it's too good to be true," Jay mumbled in awe.

Kate was charmed beyond words, and offered her most engaging smile. "Ms. Parker, may I take you home now, before I make a scene and ravish you right here in the middle of this historic establishment?"

A brief shadow of fear shrouded the beautiful green orbs, and then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone. "By all means, I can't have you ruining your reputation with such a public display of wonton lasciviousness, now can I?" "You know this is everything you've ever wanted, Jamison, so why are you scared all of a sudden?"

Despite her companion's light tone, Kate had noticed the quickly hidden kernel of apprehension and mentally kicked herself for making the writer even the slightest bit uncomfortable. Oh, there was no question that she wanted Jay, more than she'd ever desired anything or anyone in her life. But she had no intention of scaring her, or pushing her, if she wasn't ready yet.

As they made their way out of the mansion and to the waiting car, Kate said, "You know you're safe with me, right Jay? You know you don't ever have to be afraid that anything will happen that you don't want, right?"

"Of course." But the blonde inwardly cursed that tiny, irrational, part of her that was terrified for no logical reason.

The drive home was made in contemplative silence.

*********

"Can I get you anything else to drink?" Kate asked as she led Jay into the family room.

"No, I'm fine, thanks."

Moving over to the fireplace, Kate lit a match to the wood that she'd placed there before they'd left for dinner. Almost immediately, the fire began to cast a warm glow throughout the dimly lit room; she opened the French doors leading to the deck and stepped out, inviting Jay to join her. For a few moments they stood there, gazing up at the profusion of stars above and the full moon that hung overhead.

"It's a gorgeous night, isn't it?" Kate asked.

"Mmm, it most certainly is that. I can't remember when the last time was that I saw this many stars this clearly."

"That's the price you pay, living in a big city; you tend to lose the sky, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess you do, although until now, I never gave it that much thought." Jay shivered slightly as a light breeze buffeted her.

"Are you cold?"

"Just a little."

"Come here." Kate opened her arms and surrounded Jay with her warmth. After a moment she asked, "Is that better?"

"Mmm, you're like a walking electric blanket. How do you do that?"

"Just warm-blooded, I guess. Would you like to go inside? We can leave the doors open to enjoy the night and take advantage of the fireplace to take the edge off the chill."

The two women walked back through the doors and into the family room.

"Do you like to dance?"

Jay smiled, "I love to dance, but I haven't had much chance lately."

Kate was at the stereo, selecting a homemade tape out of her collection. "We can fix that." Holding out her hand for her date to take, she moved them to the middle of the floor as the first notes to the Bee Gees' 1977 megahit How Deep Is Your Love began to flow out of the speakers. "Do you know how to swing?"

"I've seen it many times, and always wanted to try it, but I've never danced with anyone who knew how."

"Well, it's your lucky night; we can solve that, too. Just follow my lead, okay?"

Looking up into those amazing eyes, Jay just nodded her head and smiled; she would have followed this woman anywhere, and she knew it.

Kate took Jay into her arms, steering her expertly around the floor, starting with a series of simple moves and spins and then progressing to more difficult handholds and positions. "You're a natural, Scoop, you move very well; just relax and let the music take you...that's it." She spun her partner one last time as the song was ending, bringing her back into her body and dipping her slightly as the last notes faded.

Jay laughed. "Where did you learn to dance like that, Stretch? That was so much fun! Will you teach me more moves?"

"Anytime you want, but probably not on a full stomach," Kate's eyes twinkled.

"Yeah, that's probably a wise decision," her companion agreed, patting the somewhat stuffed body part in question.

"So for tonight, how about if we keep it nice and slow?"

"Slow sounds lovely," Jay murmured, as the sounds of a brand new Whitney Houston song, Didn't We Almost Have It All, began to fill the room.

Kate pulled her date close and took the lead, moving them gently in a circle to the rhythm of the music. Jay rested her forehead against the side of her dance partner's neck and sighed happily as the now-familiar scent of Shalimar filled her nostrils. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the music and the feel of this incredible woman who was holding her in her arms, smiling when she felt the brush of lips against her hair.

"Is this okay?" Kate breathed into a nearby convenient ear.

"Oh, yes, it's wonderful; a perfect ending to the perfect day, in fact. A beautiful hike, lovely flowers, a truly special, romantic, private dining experience, topped off with dancing in a fire-lit room; you certainly know how to treat the ladies."

Hearing the unspoken question, Kate looked deeply into the green eyes and confessed, "Actually, I've never done this for anyone before; I've never wanted to."

"You haven't?"

"No, I've never had a woman in this house before; there was never anyone I wanted to bring into my home...until now. As I told you earlier, I've never taken anyone on that hike, nor have I ever bought flowers for a woman; only for you, Jay," she tipped the smaller woman's chin up, hoping the emotions behind the words would show in her eyes, "Only for you."

As Whitney Houston transitioned into Lionel Richie and Diana Ross's 1981 duet Endless Love, and intense blue eyes melded with softer green, Kate reached down and caressed the writer's face and neck, drawing her in for a passionate kiss. Jay's hands moved of their own accord, sliding under the back of Kate's jacket as she ran her palms over the softness of the pale blue camisole, feeling the heat of the skin underneath. Moaning into the kiss, Kate deepened the contact, matching the rhythm of the tongue that sought hers as she buried long fingers in the soft golden tresses.

Within seconds a slow burn had started within each woman, and, without ever breaking the kiss, Jay began unbuttoning her companion's jacket, coaxing it from her broad shoulders. She needed to explore more of the delicious body before her.

As she felt the smooth fingers caress her bare arms and roam over her silk-covered torso, Kate redirected her lips to taste Jay's neck and throat, the blonde's head tipping back reflexively to give her better access. Strong hands made short work of the rust-colored jacket, tossing it on the nearby sofa without missing a beat. Through the thin material that still separated them, each woman was acutely aware of the feel of firm breasts and taut nipples aching to be touched.

Taking a sensitive earlobe into her mouth, Kate grazed it with her teeth while using her hands to trace the smaller woman's ribcage through her blouse. As she bit down gently on the earlobe, Jay groaned in pleasure. Grasping the cream-colored material, Kate began tugging it free of the rust-colored slacks, seeking the skin underneath. When Jay immediately stiffened in her arms, she pulled back slightly to look into emerald eyes, seeing unmistakable desire mixed with a small dose of fear that the younger woman tried, but failed, to hide.

Stilling her hands, Kate rested them on Jay's waist, gazing intently into the sea green depths. She leaned forward and placed a nearly chaste soft kiss on the perfect lips below her and then pulled back again. "There's no rush, darling. I'd wait forever for you."

Studying the sapphires above her, Jay expected to find pity or disgust. Finding nothing there save love, passion, tenderness, and understanding, she began to cry and tremble. She shook her head, clearing the tears from her eyes. "Oh, Kate, I don't want to wait; I want you, and this, more than I've ever wanted anything in my life, but I'm scared and I so don't want to be afraid."

In truth, Jay had never been in a situation where she hadn't been in complete control at all times. She had never given herself fully to anyone, always achieving a measure of detachment in her head and her heart, even in the midst of lovemaking. Now she was here, with this woman who had fueled her fantasies and dreams for what seemed like forever. Not only did she know with certainty that she couldn't maintain any distance from her, she didn't want to; and it frightened her to death.

Smoldering blue eyes burned into her, "Tell me what you want, sweetheart, I'll do anything it takes to make you comfortable."

There was nothing to do but to follow her heart: "Make love to me," Jay breathed, sliding her arms around her soon-to-be-lover's neck, pulling her down into a mind-numbing kiss that stoked the burning embers into hot flames.

Reaching down and scooping Jay into her arms, Kate made her way up the stairs by memory alone, never breaking the sweet contact until they arrived in the master bedroom, where she set the blonde back on her feet.

*********

Her hands trembled as she raised them to unfasten the buttons on Jay's blouse. For Kate this was about so much more than sex: it was about freeing her heart and opening it to true love for the very first time. And then there was this beautiful, gentle soul before her against whom sex had been used as a weapon when she was a child. It was no wonder that Jay was scared. Kate was determined to do everything possible to make their first time together perfect for her lover, and to leave no doubt in the smaller woman's mind what was in her heart.

Glancing at Kate's hands, Jay was shocked to notice the tremor in them. The emerald eyes, darkened with desire and longing, sought and found sapphire as she deliberately placed her hands on top of her lover's, helping her to unbutton first her blouse, and then her slacks. She stepped out of the pants, watching the deep blue orbs as they seemed to memorize every inch of flesh revealed.

Kate's fingers were barely a whisper on Jay's skin as she swept the blouse from her shoulders. The taller woman's fingers and lips ran lightly over creamy flesh, caressing shoulders, neck, and throat. Stepping back, she locked gazes with the vision in front of her, slowly removing her own clothes and coming to stand naked before her heart's desire.

Jay was finding it hard to breathe; never had she seen such perfection. Kate's body was all long, lean, sculpted muscle and velvet softness and it made Jay's mouth water just to look at her. Add to that the way the moonlight streaking in through the skylight combined with the dim glow of the indirect lighting in the room to bathe this goddess's form, and it was enough to leave her weak in the knees.

Moving forward, Kate skimmed her fingertips over perfect lips before leaning down to capture them once again with her mouth. She reached behind her lover and unclasped the satin lace bra, sliding it down off of well-developed shoulders and dropping it on the floor at their feet. Then she hooked her fingers in the matching lace underwear and supported Jay as she stepped out of them, as well.

"You take my breath away," Kate murmured, wondering if her heart would start to beat again any time soon. The woman before her was lithe and toned, flawlessly proportioned and balanced and without question the most magnificent creature she had ever laid eyes on.

Jay's eyes sparkled at her lover's obvious appreciation, and an appealing blush crept up her neck to her cheeks. "That's okay, love, because if Michelangelo had had you to use as a model, he could've retired a wealthy man."

Smiling, Kate ran her fingers along the younger woman's jaw line. She mapped out the eyebrows, the cute little nose, the well-shaped lips and the rounded cheekbones before sliding her hand down to stroke Jay's neck and shoulders. Unhurriedly, she threaded her fingers into the golden strands of hair, initiating a soul-searing kiss and bringing their naked bodies into full contact for the first time.

As liquid fire spread through their veins, Kate backed Jay up, gently guiding her down onto the bed and coming to rest beside her on one arm as she continued to kiss her. She began exploring the body beneath her with her mouth and her hands, finding and memorizing especially sensitive spots, taking her time and enjoying Jay's reactions to her attentions. She was completely focused on satisfying this amazing woman, blocking out her own rising excitement, not wanting to be distracted even for a second. There would be time for that later; right now, it was all about Jay.

Bringing her to the edge several times, Kate eased her back in each instance, not wanting her first time making love to Jay to be over just yet. She wanted to imprint each taste, each touch, each look, smell and sound, in her memory forever, because no one had ever made her feel the way this wonderful, gentle woman did. Finally, when she couldn't deny her any longer, Kate claimed her lover with her body, her heart, and her soul.

*********

Jay felt as if she were floating free in the universe, the climax ripping through her in waves of rapture the likes of which she had never known, nor imagined. "Oh, God Kate!"

"Shhh, I'm right here, love. I've got you, shhh." Kate rolled over and pulled her lover on top of her, holding her close and soothing her with her hands and her voice. They stayed like that for several moments, catching their breath, until she felt the moisture on her shoulder where Jay was resting her head. She brushed her thumb gently across the younger woman's cheek and it came away wet.

"Hey, hey, honey, what's the matter?" Kate began to panic, worry coloring her tone. Lifting Jay's chin with her fingers, she tried to look into her eyes as her heart plummeted through her stomach. "Oh, love, I didn't hurt you, did I? Please, God, tell me I didn't do anything to hurt you."

Jay shook her head emphatically, trying to find her voice. "No, no, Kate; it's nothing like that. Quite the opposite, in fact. That was the most incredible feeling I've ever experienced. I'm just completely overwhelmed, that's all; I never, in my wildest fantasies, imagined it could be like that."

"It should never have been otherwise, sweetheart. I wish with all my heart I could change that for you."

"You already have," Jay said, wiping at her own tears. How could she put it in words? For her, it had gone so much deeper than purely physical satisfaction. "You didn't simply make love to my body, Kate; you nourished my soul. I don't know how else to explain it."

"Sooo, you're telling me these are tears of joy, then?"

"Oh, yes, love, that they most certainly are." Smiling a watery smile, Jay planted a small kiss on Kate's forehead.

"Well, I guess that's okay then."

"Okay? I'd say it's a whole lot more than okay, Stretch," the emerald eyes swept hungrily over the body below them, the look sending an involuntary shiver through Kate.

Jay began placing feather-soft kisses on her lover's shoulders, neck and collarbones, running her fingers slowly up Kate's sides until she was nothing but a mass of goose bumps. Then Jay shifted her focus to the finely chiseled abdominal muscles and the cute little navel, licking, tasting and touching everywhere. When she was sure she had her lover's full attention, she bit down lightly on a taut nipple, nearly sending the taller woman into orbit and vaulting herself into space at the same time as Kate arched up off the bed, letting out a groan.

For the next hour Jay explored and experimented, testing for sensitive spots, teasing, and generally driving her lover crazy. Finally, when Kate couldn't stand it anymore and begged for mercy, Jay drove her over the edge, gladly allowing her heart to go with her.

A short time later, uttering twin sighs of blissful contentment, the two women fell asleep on a combined breath, each knowing with absolute certainty that she'd finally come home to the other half of her soul.

Continued - Part 4

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