Turn Darkly (5 page)

“I nearly hit a wolf driving back last night, and then I got a flat.” Regan didn’t want to tell the woman about the growling pack, or how it seemed like the one wolf had saved her. She wasn’t sure what had happened versus what the blow to her head had triggered.

“Jesus. Were you hurt?” Lily stepped toward Regan, but then seemed to think better of it, and continued to linger near the door.

“Peachy.” Regan poured the ground coffee into the French press, and flipped the electric kettle on. “Coffee?” She looked at Lily who stood quietly near the door. “Oh, sorry, did you need something?” Regan walked across the room, and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” The woman now stood in front of Regan.

Running her fingers through her tussled hair, Regan yawned. “Evidently.”

“I thought we could go for a hike, but it looks like you need to rest.” Lily knelt on her haunches in front of Regan. Even in her slightly dazed state, Regan couldn’t help but notice the woman’s perfectly shaped legs.

“Can you give me a half hour, and I can meet you downstairs?” No matter how crappy she felt, Regan wasn’t going to skip an opportunity to see Lily.

Smiling, the woman stood. “Sure. Come to the restaurant.” She walked toward the door, and before leaving, turned to Regan. “I’m glad they didn’t hurt you.”

Regan’s brain was moving slower than usual, and it wasn’t until she was pouring her coffee nearly five minutes later that Lily’s comment struck her as strange.
They?

Shaking her head, Regan took a sip of coffee. The hot bitter liquid coated her throat, and brought a smile to her face. Certain she was reading too much into Lily’s unexpected visit and odd comment, Regan began getting dressed.

Grabbing a banana, and bottled water, Regan was feeling more like herself as she trotted down the stairs.

“Good morning, Vera.”

The leathery old woman stood behind the counter with a cigarette in her hand. “Sure. Why not.” She took a long drag from the Lucky Strike, and Regan gladly hustled out of the stifling stench.

The brightness of the day helped to further clear Regan’s head as she walked the short distance to the Last Stop. Lily was standing on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant with her brother Trent, who was standing close to his sister, his head bowed as he whispered something in her ear.

The woman pulled her head back as if shocked by what the man was saying. Then seeing Regan approaching, she took a step back.

Trent followed his sister’s gaze, and turned to face Regan as she approached. “Regan. How are you this morning?”

Regan looked back and forth between the siblings, an obvious tension radiating from them both. “I’m good. How are you?” She didn’t think much of the man, but had found rudeness rarely helped a situation.

“I can’t complain.” He took a step towards Regan, the tip of his tongue darting across his lower lip. The smell of licorice and whiskey was radiating off of him. “Lily tells me you two are going hiking this morning.”

Regan looked over the man’s shoulder at a silent Lily. “Seems so.”

She wasn’t sure what the man was getting at, but his tone verged on lascivious and her indifference to him was rapidly turning to outright dislike.

“Well, you two be careful.” He looked off into the distance toward the Chinati Mountains. “All kinds of wild animals are out and about.”

Backing away from the two women, he looked at Lily. “Be back by dusk - please.” Winking at Regan, he turned and meandered down the sidewalk.

“Ready?” Lily stepped next to Regan.

“Ah, don’t take this the wrong way, but your brother is a bit - odd.” What Regan wanted to say was creepy and verging on lecherous, but she knew better. Though she was an only child, she knew siblings could be vicious in their critiques of one another, but rarely took kindly to a third party’s criticism.

“He’s an asshole, Regan, but thank you for not saying that.” Lily exhaled. “Shall we?” She nodded toward her truck parked on the street. “I’m happy to drive.”

Regan couldn’t help but smile at the woman’s candor, and felt the threads of her attraction to the beauty strengthening.             

“Where are we going?” Regan looked out the passenger window as the mountains faded in the distance.

“You mentioned dinner in Marfa, but I thought we could do an early lunch instead.” Lily looked at Regan and smiled. “Is that technically brunch?”

Laughing, Regan leaned her head back against the headrest, her headache from earlier lingering. “If there’s fruit and a mimosa, then we are definitely in the clutches of a brunch.” Looking down at her baggy running shorts and loose fitting Texas A&M t-shirt, the woman felt both elated, and a little awkward. “Is there a dress code?”

Running her fingers through her short locks, Lily chuckled. “It’s Marfa.”

Regan nodded, and leaning her elbow on the window seal, closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, and was relieved that her crappy night was turning into a great day.

“What are you thinking?” Lily asked as she glanced over at Regan.

“Nothing really. Just enjoying the drive.”

“Why aren’t you staying at Addison? Don’t most researchers live on site?”

Regan nodded. “I opted not to live in a dorm room with three men.” She cringed. “Just didn’t feel right.”

Lily huffed. “I understand.”

Regan’s brow arched as she studying the woman’s profile. “Where do
you live?”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Sadly, with my brother. Our parents died several years ago, and left us the family ranch and restaurant.”

“I’m sorry.” The sting of her own loss caused a well of compassion to spring up, and Regan fought not to cry as she remembered her own parents’ death. “Is Trent your only family then?”

Lily’s brow furrowed as she looked at Regan, the brunette’s distress obvious. “Ah, yes.” Hesitating, Lily refocused her attention on the road. “Are you okay?”

Regan nodded. “Perfect.” She wasn’t ready to have an emotional outpouring with a practical stranger. It wasn’t that she didn’t talk about her parents, but she generally made a point to prepare emotionally for the exchanges. Today, with Lily, she hadn’t imagined the topic would come up.

Sensing a subject change was in order, Regan looked at Lily with a glint in her eye. “So small town aside, what is up with Vera?”

Lily laughed.  The sound filled the truck cab, and triggered a surge of heat to Regan’s stomach. “Christ, Vera. She’s - well, different.”

“And cranky, and smoke laden and -
cranky
.” Regan teased.

Nodding, Lily shrugged. “I can’t argue with you. She’s lived in Howell since god was a boy, and I’m not sure she even knows about all the Surgeon General warnings.” The woman winced. “Or she just doesn’t care.”

“I vote for that one.” Regan was enjoying the casual banter with Lily, and realized how much she was missing her life back in East Texas.

“Do you hate the town?” Lily’s tone shifted slightly, and she seemed more serious.

Regan thought about the question, and answered honestly. “I don’t care for the town, but I’m developing a deep affinity for some of the people.”

Lily looked at Regan, and then back at the road, a smile on her face.

They drove the rest of the way with comfortable silences interspersed with casual conversation. Regan was pleasantly surprised how easily they were able to talk about an assortment of topics, and if she hadn’t kept reminding herself, she could have imagined this was a date.

“Squeeze?” Regan looked at the small wood sign hanging on the side of what was clearly a renovated house from the 1930s.

Turning the truck off, Lily smiled. “Yep. Best croissants in the county.”

Regan looked suspiciously at the woman. “Considering the county and the low population -”

“Poor choice of words.” Lily interjected as she got out of the truck. “But they do have really good pastries.”

Regan slid out of the truck, and watched as Lily walked toward a small wooden gate. The entrance to the restaurant was through what had been the narrow backyard of the house. It was now lined with several maple trees, and a cluster of wrought iron tables and chairs.

“Are you coming?” Lily held the wood gate open, gesturing for Regan to go through.

Without a word, Regan grinned at the beautiful woman, and walked through the gate and up two steps into the restaurant. The interior was decorated with eclectic paintings and photographs clearly done by local artists.

Each room of the house had been painted a unique color, adding flair and texture to the rooms. Scanning the restaurant, Regan looked at Lily. “You know, in spite of the small space, I don’t feel squeezed in Squeeze.”

Before Lily could respond to Regan’s cheesy attempt at humor, a young woman with short brown hair, wearing a pair of green plaid seer sucker shorts, and a mint green t-shirt appeared behind the oak counter near the register.

“We have never had anyone make that joke before.” She smiled broadly at Regan as she handed her and Lily menus.

“I try to keep my comedy fresh.” Regan quipped.

“Mission accomplished.” The woman was clearly flirting, and Regan couldn’t help but play along.

Looking at Regan’s shirt, the woman shook her head. “Oh, an Aggie.”

Glancing down, Regan shrugged. “Family tradition.”

“What brings you to Marfa?” The woman asked, her green eyes accented by the green in her shirt.

“I’m doing work at Addison Observatory, and -” Regan looked at Lily and smiled. “My friend lives in Howell and was kind enough to bring me into the big city.”

The woman barely glanced at Lily, and Regan’s attitude toward her shifted in a surprising way. She was rarely one to take offense on someone else’s behalf, but regardless of how cute the waitress was, her dismissive attitude toward Lily verged on rude.

“Well, welcome.”

Regan nodded. “Can we sit anywhere?” Looking around, there were five wood tables throughout the restaurant, two taken by other groups.

The corners of the waitress’ mouth turned down slightly as she caught the shift in Regan’s tone. “Anywhere is fine.”

Regan smiled politely as she and Lily made their way to one of the tables near the back of the restaurant.

“She seemed nice.” Lily commented without looking up from the menu.

“You know what they say about small town hospitality.”

Shaking her head, Lily looked over the top of her menu. “No, what?”

Regan chuckled. “I don’t actually know, but I’m sure that wasn’t it.”

The waitress came to their table with two waters and an exaggerated smile. “Have y’all decided or do you need more time?”

“I’m ready, are you?” Lily looked expectantly at Regan.

“Sure. Ah, let me have the ham and egg croissant sandwich, please.”

Lily ordered the same, and a French press for her and Regan to share.

“She was flirting with you.” Lily took a drink of her water.

“Are you asking me or telling me?” Regan wasn’t sure where the conversation was headed, but it felt like it might be leaning toward perilous.

Sitting back in her chair, Lily glanced at the waitress who was refilling drinks at an adjacent table. “She’s pretty.”

“Yes.” Regan wasn’t sure what else to say. The reality was she had just assumed, based on relatively limited interaction with Lily, that she was gay, but she didn’t actually
know
, and wasn’t sure how to broach the subject.

“Have you been with many women?” Lily’s frank question caused Regan to nearly spit her water out.

Wiping at her chin with a paper napkin, Regan was struggling to make eye contact with the woman across from her. Again, this was not a conversation she had imagined happening today. “Many can be a relative term.”
Chicken shit response, Andrews.

“Wow.” Lily’s eyes widened.

“What?” Regan felt her stomach tighten.

“That was the worst answer ever.” Lily’s serious expression lightened, and a mischievous grin found its way to her lips.

Regan felt the breath enter her lungs again. “I’ve dated three women seriously since I was nineteen, lived with one of them during my master’s work. Two one night stands, and a handful of first dates that never became seconds.” Taking a big gulp of water, Regan forced herself to look directly at Lily. “And you?”

Without hesitation the beautiful dark haired woman smiled. “Nothing serious. Few dates, and a couple flings.”

“Well, there you go.” Regan wasn’t sure what else to say, and didn’t want the conversation to devolve into a reminiscence of ex-girlfriends.

Lily looked intently at Regan, her eyes moving from the woman’s mouth to her light brown eyes. “Yeah, there you go.”

Both women smiled knowingly at each other as the waitress returned to their table. “Your coffee.”

“This is your house?” Regan was standing in the middle of a large courtyard, complete with a stone fountain, and a variety of indigenous flowers and plants.