Hearts Renewed Read online

  Gretchen looked with disbelief at the three women. "What do you want? Someone to do your chores?"

  Wendy squeaked. "She should have to sing for her supper."

  "Oh, no," Gretchen objected. "I am not singing. Forget it." Their smiles told her they were serious and she stuffed her things carelessly into her sleeping bag.

  "You don't have to sing," Noreen comforted her. "Unless you want cobbler."

  Gretchen set her jaw firmly as they continued to tease her. When they saw she wasn't going to be any fun about it, they spilled out of the tent to inform the rest of the camp. Gretchen pounded on her sleeping bag, but didn't feel any better. She resigned herself to not getting any of the special dessert and refused to leave the tent until breakfast was ready.

  ~***~

  Chapter Four

  Gretchen kicked rocks and used a stick to swat at the tall grasses along the shore. When she reached the previous day's beach, she sat down to sulk. First had been her inadvertent commitment to stay in camp the next day, then the ribbing over what she would sing after dinner, followed by a 10 minute argument with Brooke over the size of the lunch she was taking. Considering that she had not eaten at camp the day before, she felt perfectly justified. They had more than enough food, but Brooke seemed to feel that Gretchen was snatching the food right out of her mouth. No one else seemed to have a problem with it so Gretchen finally hefted her pack, turned her back on Brooke and left. The down side was that she now felt frustrated with life in general.

  To top it off, Linda had smugly announced that she was too chicken to sing for them and Gretchen felt obligated to prove her wrong. The only camp type songs she knew were Kumbaya and This Little Light of Mine, but damned if she was going to sing either of those. They could eat their stupid cobbler right in front of her-see if she cared!

  When she felt a little better she took off her clothes. By some miracle she had not burned in the sun yesterday and she folded her clothes on top of the lunch in her pack. Settling the pack back on her shoulders she set off. It took another twenty minutes to reach the spot Carrie had suggested. If the willow tree-it really did grow out of a split rock-hanging over the river had not been enough to point it out to her, Carrie had apparently stopped on her way back to camp and used rocks to put an X on the sand.

  The beach was just a strip of sand roughly 10 feet deep and 25 feet long. A wall of rock surrounded it and just downstream from it was what looked like a decent swimming hole. Gretchen couldn't tell how deep it was, but it was a beautiful place. If she had not stopped out of an excess of caution the day before, she probably would have chosen this very spot to spend the day.

  From the beach, the willow was magnificent. It seemed to lean towards her: wispy tendrils dipping into the river's current only to pull out and dip again. Gretchen waded through the branches and into a cavern of cool stillness. It seemed like a good place to leave their lunch so Gretchen pulled her towel free and left the pack in a dry spot. The day had not yet become hot and she waded back to the beach to stretch out on the sand and wait.

  When she thought about the time she had spent with Carrie, her clearest memories were of what Carrie had said and done rather than the shape of her breasts, the ripe fullness of her lips or the length of her legs. Granted, she hoped to get a little closer to that body today, but she looked forward to the feeling of transcending herself that she had felt in Carrie's company. There was something compelling about the way she felt with Carrie. She felt vital and free and inspired like never before.

  It was hard to tell time with nothing to mark its passing, but it seemed that she had waited for an hour or more and she began to feel foolish. Am I insane? What am I doing? Here I am, sitting naked in the middle of nowhere waiting for a woman I barely know to show up and make me feel good. Does that make any sense? How stupid do you have to be to put your hopes on a stranger? Even if all you hoped for was one more perfect day?

  She probably changed her mind. She seemed to be excited about today, but maybe her family talked her out of it. I know Rachel and the others would have done the same if I had told them what happened yesterday. I shouldn't have told her that I was with a support group. She probably thinks I'm crazy and she's likely right. Maybe I should go back to camp and help pick berries. At least then I wouldn't have to sing or look like a coward.

  The X made out rocks seemed to mock her and she idly rearranged them. A big fat zero. That's what this day has been. Maybe if she comes back here tomorrow or the next day she'll see this and know that I waited for her and she'll feel bad. It's childish, I know, but if she thinks I'm crazy I've got nothing to lose.

  Gretchen felt disgusted with herself and she shook out her towel before wading across the river to retrieve her pack. There just didn't seem to be any point to waiting. As she ducked between the willow's branches, she thought she heard something and turned to look downstream. She had not been able to see very far from the beach and now that her perspective had changed she could see that Carrie was less than a hundred yards away. Her heart lifted immediately and she stepped back into the sun and waved.

  Carrie was wearing her pack and dragging an inner tube through the water with something in it and it was slowing her down. Gretchen wanted to run to her, but that felt foolish, too, so she waited. With each step Carrie took, Gretchen's mood lifted until she was almost laughing as Carrie stopped in front of her.

  "Sorry I took so long," Carrie sighed. "I had to run an unexpected errand of mercy and then my great idea," she pointed at the inner tube, "turned out to mean slogging through the current and…"

  "I'm just glad you're here," Gretchen giggled. "I was giving up. I was going to leave and now you're here."

  Carrie very deliberately looked her over from head to toe and Gretchen felt her skin tingling in response. "I thought I dreamed you," Carrie said somberly. "I don't think I really believed that you would be here."

  "You went to an awful lot of trouble for a dream," Gretchen quipped.

  "Some dreams are worth it." A heartbeat later Carrie blushed as if she had just realized the implications of her words. She stepped quickly through the branches and tied the inner tube to the trunk. "I brought beer, water and plenty of ice."

  Gretchen leaned over to look as Carrie flipped the top off the ice chest. "Maybe I should put our lunch in there."

  "Good idea."

  Gretchen tossed sandwiches and fruit in the chest and took out a bottle of water before closing it. Carrie was still wearing her pack and Gretchen gestured at it with her eyes. "What have you got in there?"

  Carrie grinned. "Come on. You'll like this."

  Gretchen followed her across the river and knelt in the sand. Carrie crouched with her pack between her knees and Gretchen saw her eyes go to the circle of rocks.

  "I could have sworn I left a hug for you."

  Gretchen realized how the O complemented the X and at the hopeful invitation in Carrie's eyes, she slowly leaned over the pack and pressed their lips together. As kisses go it was chaste, but definitely promising and Gretchen sat back on her heels with a smile. From the smile on Carrie's face she knew that it was just a beginning.

  Carrie unzipped the pack and pulled out a blanket. She stood and shook it out to lie on the sand and Gretchen helped to secure the corners with rocks. Carrie moved the pack onto it and they both sat. "I kept thinking about the things you claimed to miss. I couldn't manage a bed so I brought this."

  Gretchen laughed out loud as a blow up air mattress was taken from the pack.

  "I know it's not much," Carrie admitted, "but it was the best I could do on short notice."

  "You're so sweet." Gretchen's heart melted.

  "There's more." Carrie reached back into the pack and pulled out a paper sack. "This is why I took so long."

  Gretchen peeked inside and then upended the bag onto the blanket. Razors, shaving gel, soap, shampoo and a body scrubber tumbled out.

  "I made a run down to that little mini mart/bait shop at the bottle of the hill.
They didn't carry books and the magazines were limited to Field Stream and Penthouse. Sorry. If you're really desperate I could tell you stories."

  Gretchen was dumbfounded. It had to be a 45-minute drive down to the store over bad road. This wasn't just a spur of the moment gift. Carrie had gone to a great deal of effort to do something nice for her. It wasn't the money she had spent that affected Gretchen so deeply. There was only about 10 dollars worth of merchandise on the blanket. She tried to remember the last time someone had done something so considerate. "I don't know what to say."

  Carrie shrugged. "You don't have to say anything. I wanted to do something to thank you for yesterday. It's been a long…long time since I felt so happy and free. I just wanted to give something back to you for that."

  "But, you already gave me more than I gave you. You rescued my clothes and fed me and made me feel safe. It was a perfect day because of you." Gretchen waved at the jumble of travel-size hygiene products. "This is too much."

  "I only spent about twelve dollars."

  "That's not what I mean, Carrie. It's not the money. It's the time and thought you put into it. I'm flattered and I thank you for it, but it wasn't necessary."

  "That's what made it fun. Look," Carrie said earnestly. "I did it because I wanted to. Not because I thought I had to or that you expected it. Let's not make it into a big thing. Just enjoy it. If it's going to make you uncomfortable, I'll put it back in my pack and we'll forget it."

  Gretchen picked up the body scrubber and rubbed it between her hands. "I don't want to forget it, but now I feel indebted."

  "Damn," Carrie sighed. She rubbed her face with both hands before looking into Gretchen's eyes. "My motives were not entirely…pure."

  "What do you mean?"

  Carrie looked embarrassed and put one hand over her eyes while she spoke. "There's something incredibly erotic about watching a woman bathing and shaving her legs. I only went to all the trouble in hopes that I could watch and now you know what a pervert I am."

  Carrie's admission wiped away all of Gretchen's discomfort and replaced it with sexual excitement. The certainty that they would make love before the day was over settled on her like the warmth of the sun. "In that case, I accept." She picked up the shampoo and headed for the river. She stopped ankle deep in the water and daringly turned to look over her shoulder. "If you're going to be a voyeur, you might as well have a front row seat. You can be my shower caddy."

  Gretchen watched long enough to see Carrie frantically gathering everything else into her hands and then waded into deeper water. She dunked and wet her hair thoroughly. Putting a generous amount of shampoo in her hand, she handed the small bottle to Carrie and began to lather her hair. Gretchen closed her eyes and tried to pretend she was alone. She knew that she was acting out a fantasy for Carrie and she wanted it to be worth the long drive she had made. She could feel Carrie's eyes on her breasts as she vigorously scrubbed her scalp and it made her warm.

  After rinsing her hair, Gretchen took the hand soap and body scrubber from Carrie's hands and washed her face before moving to shallower water. She rubbed the soap liberally on the scrubber and set the bar on a rock. Ignoring Carrie's presence as she walked around in front of her to watch, Gretchen started with her arms and hands. She tried not to think about what she was doing and let her body move through its daily cleansing ritual. It was hard to ignore the fact that her every move was being watched. Her breasts seemed especially sensitive to the rough surface and she took her time, pleased to see that Carrie's gaze was spellbound.

  Gretchen just didn't have the audacity to finger her own genitals for someone else's benefit in broad daylight: at least, not on a second date. She did what was necessary and moved on to her legs, hoping that Carrie wouldn't feel cheated. When she had scrubbed everything she could reach, she held the scrubber out. "Would you do my back?"

  Carrie all but threw the razors and shaving gel onto the rock and took it from her hand. Gretchen lifted her hair out of the way and gave her access. She closed her eyes in order to magnify the sensations Carrie's touch evoked. The longer it went on, the more she wanted. She was breathing heavily through her mouth when Carrie finished. Her heart rate was still steady, but it was beating much more forcefully than usual.

  Gretchen staggered forward and dove beneath the surface to rinse off. The current carried her further than she wanted to go and she turned to swim back upstream. Wringing her hair out, she walked past Carrie and her soapy hands. Making room on the rock to sit, she picked up the shaving gel and reached for Carrie's hand.

  Carrie dropped to her knees and swished her hands in the water. Gretchen squirted gel into her palm and let Carrie lift her foot to place it between her breasts. She took a deep breath as Carrie's hands began turning the gel into lather on her calf. When Carrie stopped at her knee, Gretchen guided her hands to mid-thigh with a smile.

  Her own hands were shaking as she picked up the razor and Carrie took it from her fingers. "Let me."

  Gretchen let her head fall back and shook her hair to let it dry as the razor was cautiously drawn over her skin. Carrie's touch was gentle and meticulous, but Gretchen could feel her heartbeat under the sole of her foot and she had to wonder how Carrie could keep her hands so steady while her heart was racing so. The gel left behind a soapy film and Carrie's hand searched over it diligently for any stray hairs. When she was satisfied, she lowered Gretchen's foot into the water and rinsed the film away.

  "Did I knick you anywhere?"

  Gretchen shook her head and lifted her other foot to place it over Carrie's heart. Carrie pushed into it a little and picked up the gel. Gretchen watched her hands at work and tried to imagine what they would feel like when they touched her most tender places. It was all she could do to keep from sliding down into Carrie's lap and finding out right then.

  Carrie continued as though content to do nothing else all day. Gretchen watched her closely as she lifted her free foot up to rest in the curls between Carrie's legs. Her hands stilled and her eyes closed as Gretchen smiled knowingly.

  "I'm almost done," Carrie whispered.

  "Okay." Gretchen obediently lowered her foot and held her growing desire in check. Carrie's hands went about their task and she was rinsing her leg in short order. Gretchen eased into the water and into Carrie's hungry kiss. It took a moment for their mouths to learn each other and then everything was right in the world.

  Carrie was the one to pull back and lead her out of the water. They fell to the blanket and their bodies intertwined as hands began to roam. Gretchen lost track of who was doing what to whom. It all felt so good that it didn't matter.

  At some point it changed and Gretchen was hovering on the edge. Carrie wasn't quite where Gretchen needed her to be, but then Gretchen reached down and guided her fingers. "There," she urged.

  "I thought you might be too sensitive," Carrie said soft and low.

  Gretchen shook her head and lifted her hips to encourage her. "Don't stop," she moaned.

  Carrie snuggled into her side and ran her tongue around a receptive nipple. "I won't."

  Gretchen fell into pleasure like she had waiting for it all her life. It built beyond its normal boundaries and she held her breath as it lingered for a moment and then flung her over the edge. "Stop," she panted. "Stop." Carrie moved to lie on her and Gretchen put weak arms around her slim body.

  "Was it okay?"

  Gretchen smiled at the worry in her voice. "Oh, it was good. It was very good."

  "You were so quiet. I wasn't sure…"

  Gretchen rolled over and put Carrie under her. "And how will you be? Will you be silent or will you echo from the hills?" Carrie blushed and Gretchen set about finding out.

  ~***~

  Chapter Five

  She woke up spooned into Carrie's back, the memory of her sweet moans still singing in her ears. A wave of desire made her whimper and she pressed her lips into Carrie's shoulder. It wasn't enough and she raked her teeth over the spot. She heard Carrie
hiss in pain, but her hips wriggled back into her. Encouraged, Gretchen carefully nipped her way down to slender hips. She lifted Carrie's leg and bit her inner thigh, then buried her lips and tongue in Carrie's sweet flesh. She tried to make it last, but Carrie came a short time later.

  Gretchen lay her head on Carrie's thigh. "Did I hurt you?"

  "Not much."

  She smiled at the lie, but let it go. "You shouldn't have let me sleep. I don't want to waste a single moment of this day."

  Carrie's fingers brushed through her hair. "It wasn't a waste for me. It was so sweet having your arms around me while you napped."

  Gretchen played absently with the dark curls inches from her face. "I hoped for this, but I had no idea how perfect it would be. I would have been content to spend another day just talking."

  Carrie stretched languorously. "I'd like it if we could do both."

  "What did you tell your family about me?"

  "Nothing, but they knew anyway."

  "How?"

  "They're my family. They know me too well. And then there's Bruce."

  Gretchen looked up at Carrie's face. "What about Bruce?"

  Carrie sat up with a nervous expression. "I have to tell you…He probably knows we've been making love."

  "How could he know that?"

  "I don't know," Carrie shook her head. "He says it's like being aware of your big toe. For the most part, you don't think about it. It's just there. But if it hurts or feels especially good your awareness of it increases. Apparently he has an awareness of me inside of him and when I'm happy or sad he knows it."

  Gretchen sat up and thought about it. She placed her hand on Carrie's breast and looked into her eyes. "So, he can feel this?"

  Carrie shook her head. "I don't think so. He's never admitted it anyway. What he feels is…emotional intensity. He knows I'm happy and he may know that part of what I feel is sexual."

  "That must be pretty uncomfortable for you at times."