Triple Exposure by Jackie Calhoun

Author:Jackie Calhoun [Calhoun, Jackie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Lesbians, Middle West, Lesbian, Fiction
ISBN: 9781562800673
Google: SlhaAAAAMAAJ
Amazon: 1562800671
Publisher: Naiad Pr
Published: 1994-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

IX

She was actually more worried about how she would explain Meg to Nattie than whether Natalie would tell their mother. She took the Massey out of the barn and down the road. As she drove the tractor off the blacktop and into the ditch, she reached down and turned on the power take-off. The heavy blades vibrated, shaking the mower deck as they began whipping around.

A rabbit shot out of the undergrowth and bounded into a field of corn next to her. Knowing the lethal power of the mower blades, she kept an

eye out for movement in the weeds alongside and in front of her. So far she had unintentionally mowed up a few rabbits and one possum. She’d had to finish off the mortally wounded possum with a large wrench out of the tool box — a mercy killing, which she refused to think about.

Bumblebees settled on the purple blossoms of tall thistles, even as the thick stalks fell under the front end of the tractor. The thistles struck her legs, piercing her jeans, leaving prickly chaff stuck to her clothes and ankles. She cringed and pulled her legs in close.

Eventually, the large bees lit in her hair. She felt two of them crawling across her scalp and frantically tried to dislodge them with gloved fingers. Before she succeeded, they each stung her once. When she turned the tractor toward home late in the day, the bee stings — at first numbing —had created itchy lumps.

Filling the Massey at Dan’s fuel pump, she saw neither him nor Natalie. They weren’t around the house either when she slammed the screen door and went straight to the shower without even checking the answering machine.

She left off wondering what she would say to Natalie and thought instead about Beth. Perhaps Beth would sneak out more often during the week for short visits, or maybe she would confront Mark with her need to see Nicky. Knowing that both were just wishful thinking, based on her inability to give up Beth, she glumly considered her miserable options.

Washing her sore scalp thoroughly and scrubbing off the residue of weeds and pollen, she stepped out of the tub and rubbed herself dry. Scrappy’s bark

told her someone was probably in the house. Since Meg’s car had been gone when she returned from mowing, there was a good chance the someone was her little sister.

Turning when Nicky entered the kitchen on bare feet, Natalie said, “I don’t want to talk about it. You want to fuck women, go ahead. I prefer men.”

Startled, Nicky replied, “Tit for tat, huh?”

“I didn’t say that. I just said I don’t want to discuss what I saw.” She looked angry. “But what about Beth?”

Surprised, Nicky asked, “What about Beth?” Then added, “We’re best friends.”

Nattie snorted derisively. “Sure. That’s all the two of you do behind closed doors is chew the fat.”

“I thought you didn’t want to talk about it.”

“I don’t.” She swung toward the stove. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Mom and Dad or Nancy or Neil.

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