Reluctant Hope by Erin Dutton

Author:Erin Dutton [Dutton, Erin]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Lesbian
ISBN: 9781602822283
Google: YGmncQAACAAJ
Amazon: 160282228X
Publisher: Bella Distribution
Published: 2011-06-14T00:00:00+00:00

cHapteR twelve

Monkeys!” Ramsey exclaimed as she released Addison’s

hand and ran ahead. She practically skidded to a stop at

the fence around the large enclosure. Inside, three big orangutans sat

on the L-shaped limbs of thick trees.

Addison scanned the map in her hand as she strolled toward

the exhibit. Ahead of her Charles and Brooke walked together,

engrossed in conversation. Brooke said something she couldn’t hear

and Charles laughed. Addison had been nervous about the outing

for two days, ever since extending the invitation to Brooke. She

didn’t realize until now how much she wanted Charles and Brooke

to like each other. However, it shouldn’t matter because as soon as

the fund-raiser was over Brooke would probably run away from her

as fast as she could.

Addison caught up with them at the exhibit. Ramsey talked

to the orangutans and pretended their chattering meant they were

responding to her.

“What’s next, Mommy?” Ramsey turned around, squinting

against the sun as she looked up at Addison.

Addison consulted the map. “The meerkats are on the corner

over there.”

“They have cats in the zoo?”

“Well, yes, they do. But not the kind you’re used to seeing. The

lions and tigers are a kind of cat. But meerkats are different. Let’s

go look at them.” Addison took her hand and led her around the

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eRin Dutton

path until they reached a large Plexiglas wall. Inside, what looked

to Addison like large rodents poked their heads out of holes in the

ground.

“Look, babies.”

In one corner of the exhibit, two larger meerkats huddled close

to five tiny ones. Ramsey pressed her hands against the glass and

angled as close as she could. “Aren’t they cute?” she asked.

“Yeah, they are.” Brooke squatted down next to her to look

inside. Ramsey stood on her tiptoes, trying to get a better view.

Addison watched the two of them cooing over the babies, their

faces close together, Ramsey resting her hand on Brooke’s bent leg

for balance. This was what she’d always had in mind when she was

younger and thought about having a family. She’d done things the

way she had because she’d felt time was running short, and she didn’t

regret it. Her arrangement with Charles worked out wonderfully.

But, sometimes, Addison missed the intimacy of having a partner in

every sense of the word.

Brooke and Ramsey took off toward the next exhibit, although

neither was excited when Addison told them it was the reptile house.

She wasn’t sure if they would actually get Ramsey inside, given her

fear of snakes.

“You okay?” Charles asked, as he fell into step beside Addison.

“What? Yeah, why?”

“You seemed a little far away back there.”

“I was just lost in thought for a moment.” Up ahead, Brooke

and Ramsey stopped to peer over the side of a bridge into the stream

running below it. Brooke rested against the top rail while Ramsey

ducked under the lower one. Ramsey leaned a little too far over

for Addison’s liking, but before she could call out, Brooke reached

down and grabbed the back of Ramsey’s jeans, holding her up.

“Whatever it was, it looked pretty serious.” Charles glanced at

Brooke and Ramsey. “Want to tell me what’s going on between you

two?”“Not really.” Addison sighed. “I kissed her.”

“Yeah? Shouldn’t that be a good thing? You said it as if you

gave her some kind of communicable disease.

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