Thoughts of Renee suddenly came to her and Ginny very nearly blurted out her story but she stopped herself. There was absolutely no need for Kara to know about Renee.

"Never mind," she said again.

Kara stood and took her empty plate into the kitchen, but called over her shoulder. "It’s okay to ask, you know. It’s only natural to be curious about things you don’t understand."

Ginny rested her head in her hands. Curious? Much too curious, she told herself.

Kara stood in the kitchen and watched Ginny as the candlelight flickered around her. She had been clearly surprised by her question. She wondered how she would have answered it.

Ginny nodded when Kara returned with the bottle of wine and she watched her pour, her eyes locking on long fingers that held her glass lightly. She had really nice hands, Ginny noted.

"That was a delicious meal, by the way," she murmured, pushing her plate away.

"Thanks." Kara searched for a safe topic, something to put them both at ease, but nothing came to her.

"I am curious about one thing," Ginny finally said and the words were out before she could stop them. "What kind of women do you find attractive?"

Kara nearly choked on her wine. Darkness had settled and the candle flickered between them. Ginny met Kara’s gaze shyly but did not look away.

"Why?"

"I was just wondering," Ginny said.

Kara let out a deep breath, knowing she was dangerously close to crossing that line. And telling herself that Ginny was straight was doing absolutely no good.

"Okay. You mean physical appearance or what?"

Ginny was aware of the sound of her heartbeat and her hand trembled as she set her wineglass down. But she asked anyway.

"If I were a lesbian, would you be attracted to me?" Ginny asked quietly.

Jesus. She actually expects me to answer that?

Kara twirled her wineglass nervously in her hand, desperately searching for a safe answer to the unexpected question that hung between them. She leaned forward slightly and rested her elbows on the table.

"You want me to honestly answer that question?"

Ginny was swallowed up by blue eyes and she knew she had crossed into dangerous territory, but yes, she wanted her to answer it honestly. And she realized she wanted the answer to be "yes".

"I’m just wondering what kind of women you find attractive," she murmured.

"You’re very… attractive," Kara said softly as she took in every detail of Ginny’s face. "And if you were a lesbian, we wouldn’t be sitting at this table talking. We’d be in my bed, making love until dawn."

Ginny’s breath caught in her throat and she swallowed with difficulty, knowing Kara could see how much her words had affected her. She forced her eyes away and took her wineglass, nearly spilling it as she brought it to her lips.

"But, since you’re not a lesbian, it doesn’t really matter, does it?"

Ginny shook her head but refused to meet Kara’s eyes.

She slept fitfully, images coming to her in the night, images of a woman, touching her, kissing her. Images of Kara as she laid beside her, her naked body warm to her touch, her naked body sliding over her own. And Ginny went to her willingly, her own hands seeking, her own mouth opening under Kara’s.

"God," she whispered and she sat up, perspiration glistening on her body and she buried her face in her hands, embarrassed by her dreams. She brushed her damp hair away from her face and closed her eyes, pushing Kara away from her.

It wasn’t even yet five, but she got up, her feet carrying her numbly to the kitchen and she made coffee, then stood under the cool spray of the shower, washing away the last images of her dream.

"You were up early," Nana accused later.

"Couldn’t sleep," Ginny said and she looked away, afraid her eyes would reveal her thoughts.

"You need to get more exercise. Why don’t you walk with me in the mornings?"

Ginny laughed. "Someone’s got to open up the store."

"Well, then, do it in the evenings. You ought to ask Kara. I’m sure she would walk with you," Nana said.

Ginny nearly blushed and shook her head. "I would hate to disturb her work," she managed to get out.

"Did you have fun last night?" Nana asked.

"Yes. We just had dinner and visited," Ginny said carefully.

"She’s a nice girl, isn’t she?"

Ginny nodded. "Yes. She is." Very nice.

"Did you get a chance to see any of her paintings?"

"No. I didn’t think to ask," Ginny said.

"Well, what do you talk about, if not her work?"

Ginny stared at her, at a loss for words.

"Ask her sometime, will you?" Nana continued.

"I will," Ginny promised. She bent to kiss her cheek. "Enjoy your walk. I’ll see you later."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

KARA STAYED AWAY. For three days, she worked on her painting, finishing up the sunrise at the lake and continuing on the sunset she had shared with Ginny. Ginny. She had occupied her thoughts day and night, but Kara refused to call her. She refused to go by the store. She needed time away from her. Never in her life had another woman crowded in on her so, making her nearly crazy with wanting her. It had been so long since she had known this kind of desire.

"She’s straight," she said again. Isn’t she? She lit a cigarette, her sixth, and slumped down in the lawn chair. Smoking and drinking, she had done much more of both since she had met Ginny, she thought, as she lifted the beer bottle to her lips. She tried not to picture the two of them together, as they had been in her dreams last night.

She shook her head slowly, absently knocking ashes from her cigarette. It wasn’t as if she were looking for someone. She had realized in the last three years that she didn’t really need anyone in her life. If she got lonely, if she got the urge for someone’s touch, there were always willing women in Seattle. Casual sex was much safer on the heart than going through all that silly courting anyway.

She had found a lake on the map that she wanted to look at, but she had been putting it off. She glanced at the sky, clear and blue. This evening would be a good time, she thought. Only, it was at the other end of town, past the general store, and she had not wanted to even be near there, for fear Ginny or Louise would be out front. Then she would feel compelled to stop and visit and she would be forced to look into Ginny’s green eyes and she would be lost all over again.

She stopped her thoughts. She couldn’t just keep avoiding her. She came out here to work. If there was a lake she wanted to go to, she would go. She was acting like a teenager with a crush, for God’s sake! With that, she stubbed out her cigarette and drained the last of her beer. She would go, take a look and if the colors were good, sketch another sunset and be on her way.

She drove quickly, with good intentions not to even glance at the store, but her eyes were drawn to it. She saw Ginny sitting on the porch and she cursed when Ginny lifted a hand in greeting and, without even thinking, Kara turned her Toyota into the drive and stopped beside her.

"What are you doing?" Kara asked through the opened window.

"Just sitting," Ginny explained. "You?"

"There’s a lake, out on Mill Creek," she said, motioning up the road.

"Potter’s Lake," Ginny supplied.

"You’ve been there?"

"Many times."

"Any good?"

"Quiet. Lot’s of trees," Ginny said, her eyes on Kara. "The fishing’s not great."

"Oh, darn," Kara said with a smile.

They stared at each other and Ginny couldn’t pull her eyes away, even when she felt her pulse begin to pound nervously. Her eyes dropped briefly to Kara’s lips, remembering all that those lips had done to her in her dreams. She blushed crimson and found Kara’s eyes again, trying to read them.

The screen door opened and Ginny finally broke Kara’s hold on her.

"Why, Kara," Nana said.

"Hello, Louise."

"Going out sketching again?"

"Yes."

"Why don’t you take Ginny? I think she’s feeling cooped up."

Ginny looked from Nana to Kara and back again. "Oh, I couldn’t leave the store just yet," she said.

"Nonsense," Nana exclaimed.

Nonsense? Ginny rubbed her temples, trying to think of an excuse not to be alone with Kara.

"We’re not busy. You run along. I can lock up."

Ginny looked up and met Kara’s amused eyes that just hinted at a challenge. "You don’t mind?" she asked weakly.

"Not at all," Kara lied. Of course she minded. She didn’t want to be alone with her. But she said, "I’d love your company."

Ginny crawled up in her Land Cruiser, resisting the urge to cling to the door, and she made herself relax. It was short-lived, however. Kara’s arm slipped along the back of the seat behind her as she turned to back up and Ginny could almost feel it caressing her shoulders. She shivered from the heat of it.

"How have you been?" Kara asked when they pulled away.

"Fine. You?"

"Okay."

"Have you been working?" Ginny asked.

Kara glanced at her, aware of her nervousness. And of her own.

"Should I apologize for the other night?" Kara asked.

"For what?"

"For what I said."

"Don’t be silly," Ginny said with a lightness she wasn’t feeling. "I asked the question."

There were no other cars at the lake and Ginny glanced at the sky, mindful of the approaching evening and how utterly alone they would be. She shouldn’t have come, she thought. She shouldn’t be out here alone with Kara. She felt confused and all mixed up inside whenever she was near Kara. Whenever she found Kara’s eyes on her.

She watched as Kara got out, sketch pad tucked under her arm, and she looked at her through the opened window.

"Coming?" Kara asked.

Ginny nodded and her eyes followed Kara as she walked away but she was still sitting there when Kara turned back around to glance at her questioningly.

"Coming," Ginny said and she finally opened the door.

"Don’t be afraid of me," Kara said as they walked. "I would never . . .."

"I know you wouldn’t," Ginny said sharply. "I’m not afraid."

"Aren’t you?"

"Not of you, exactly," Ginny said.

"Then what?"

"Nothing," Ginny murmured. "Let’s don’t talk about it, please."

Kara nodded. "Okay. We won’t talk."

They walked along the path, Ginny following Kara as the trail narrowed toward the water. Kara looked overhead, trying to pretend that she was interested in the colors, but she wasn’t. Her mind wasn’t on sketching. She was thankful for the trees. They blocked out the setting sun and the lake reflected only the forest as it darkened with only a hint of the colors of sunset.

Kara knew she should simply tell Ginny that the colors were no good and that they should turn back. Go home, where it would be safe. Where she would not be tempted. But she didn’t. They were completely alone and her pulse raced at the thought. She wanted to be alone with her, she realized and she felt foolish. Ginny wanted nothing from her, she reminded herself.

They walked to the shore, the lake surface smooth as glass in the still evening. Ginny noticed that Kara made no move to take out her sketchpad, but Ginny made no mention of it. She wasn’t sure she could speak. She felt her heart pounding and she took in a deep breath of air, trying to still her racing pulse. What was she expecting? That Kara would sweep her into her arms and kiss her? That she would say she had been dreaming about her, too and she just had to see what it would be like to kiss her? Is that what she wanted? Did she want Kara to take her in her arms? God, of course not! She wanted no such thing!

Oh, she brought a trembling hand to her throat, feeling her pulse beat wildly and she knew that she had probably worked herself into a frenzy over nothing! Surely, Kara was having none of these same feelings. Surely, Kara was not the least bit attracted to her. Was she?

They stood there, the silence nearly deafening as they both looked out over the lake. When Ginny turned, Kara’s eyes were on her, and her own lifted and met her questioning stare. What was she thinking? What was she feeling? Kara tried to find the answers in her eyes but failed.

Ginny touched a hand to her chest, feeling the tightness, wishing her heart would slow to normal. She felt the pull between them and wondered if Kara felt it, too.