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PART TEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN – LORI'S STORY
Lindsey walked into her house, completely exhausted. Her father was up already and eating breakfast. Leslie was still sleeping, as she didn't have to be to work at the day care center until 10 o'clock.
"Did you have a rough night at Scully's ?" Hiram asked.
"Yeah," Lindsey said, the lie coming easily after so many years. "I was so tired after working at The Old West Town and then having the Christmas choir practice and going to work at Scully's afterwards, that I crashed on the couch in the office for just a little bit. I fell asleep and didn't wake up till a little while ago. I'm sorry I didn't make it home last night."
"You shouldn't work so hard, Lindsey," Hiram said. It was not the first time Lindsey had fallen asleep at Scully's . "You don't have to work, you know."
"I know, daddy, but it gives me something to do, and I like working at these two jobs."
She didn't want to go into a long detail at this hour of the morning about how her work was going. She knew she wouldn't be working at Scully's much longer and had no desire to see the glee register on her father's face when he learned of the news.
"I'm going upstairs to take a shower and change clothes and then head back out to The Old West Town . When I'm done there for the day, I'll probably come home and take a nap before I go back to work at Scully's ." Her mind was running around in circles, wondering how she could see Sarah today. Last night was unbelievable .
As she showered, she went over the events of the past ten days or so. She hardly knew Sarah. She had no idea that Sarah was so explosive in bed! She remembered a saying that went, "When you've met your match, you've met your mate." Lindsey had definitely met her match, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for anything like a mate . She had been footloose and single all of her life. Climbing into bed with any willing female was part of her lifestyle. Could she really settle down with only one woman? Would Sarah want her for a partner? Sarah had lost her previous partner ten years ago in a car accident in which Sarah was driving. Would Sarah be able to lay that aside—which must have been devastating—and take Lindsey into her life now? These were all valid questions that Lindsey pored over as the hot water streamed down her back, rinsing off the soapy suds. She didn't have any answers right now. She only knew that she had to see Sarah again.
* * * * * *
Sarah leisurely dressed after her shower. Sylvia had left with the three kids right on time to take them to school, and Lori was still sleeping. The doctor's appointment to have the stitches on Lori's forehead removed was at one o'clock. Sarah was still pissed off about that, to think that Sylvia would lie to her about Lori falling down the front steps instead of telling her the truth that Lori herself had told her—that she actually fell down the staircase that led up to Sarah's deck.
After Sarah threw some clothes into the washer and tidied up the kitchen, Lori got up and came wandering into the kitchen. Sarah fixed her breakfast, asking how her head felt.
"Fine," Lori said. "Am I going to school after I get my stitches out?"
Sarah replied in the negative and told her the doctor would probably want her to stay home tomorrow, too. Then next week Christmas vacation started, so Lori wouldn't have to go back to school at all until after New Year's.
"Yeaahhh!" Lori hollered.
"I thought you liked school," Sarah said.
"No! That's my sister Lilly who likes school. I don't."
Sarah needed to get at her job for Lars Tours . There didn't seem to be any alternative but to bring Lori up onto her deck while she worked. She had a number of e-mails to answer concerning inquiries. She couldn't leave Lori downstairs by herself.
Lori brought up a couple of her dolls and doll clothes to Sarah's deck to occupy her time. She happily played around Sarah's feet, pretending that the space underneath the computer desk away from Sarah's feet was a house where the dolls lived. Sarah didn't mind. Lori wasn't in the way.
"Aunt Sarah, why do you and mommy fight all the time?" she asked.
Sarah didn't have a ready answer, surprised at Lori's question. "I guess sometimes we just need to get it out of our system, because there are so many things that make us angry."
"Mommy and daddy fight all the time," Lori said. "I'm glad he's not here now."
"Why do you say that, Lori? He's your daddy."
"I know. But they get so mad at each other. Sometimes I just go into my room and shut the door and hide. Lilly stays and listens to them and then comes back and tells me what they said. After you came, I decided whenever mommy started fighting with someone, I'd come up here to hide where your computer is, because it's high up above the ground—like I'm sitting in a tree house looking down. The yelling doesn't reach up here."
"Is that what happened Sunday, Lori? Did you come up here to get away from somebody fighting?"
"Yes. I knew I wasn't supposed to be up here, but mommy was fighting with someone over the phone, and she was so loud ! So I came up here, and after I heard mommy hang up the phone, I started to come back down and fell."
So that's what happened! But why would Sylvia lie about it? She would probably never get to the bottom of it.
"Have you hidden up here before this time?"
"Yes," Lori said, hanging her head. "One time when my brothers were fighting. I'm sorry."
"Lori, you don't have to be sorry for that. I'm just sorry about what happened to you this time. But maybe we should find a better and safer place for you to hide when your mommy or brothers fight. And I'll try not to fight with your mommy anymore. Okay? My steps and deck are not the best place for you to be."
"I know that now," Lori said. She continued playing with her dolls. That was the end of the conversation as far as she was concerned.
Sarah had stopped working at the computer when Lori was talking to her. She was sitting there with her fingers not moving on the keyboard. Who was Sylvia talking to on the phone that made her so angry that it caused Lori to hide up on her deck? And if it was Rich, what could they have been talking about that made her so upset?
Her phone jingled. "Hello," she said. "Oh, hello, Lindsey," she happily responded again when she found out who it was. "I was thinking of you earlier."
"Earlier?" Lindsey questioned, teasingly. "You mean you're not thinking of me now?"
"Uhh—" Sarah said, hesitating. "Actually, Lori was just talking to me, and I found out that Sylvia was arguing with someone over the phone on Sunday. Lori overheard her and came up to my deck to hide , to get away from the arguing. After her mother hung up the phone, she started to go back down the stairs and tripped and fell and hit her head. So it was an accident. But Sylvia told me Lori fell down the front steps when she went out to play in the snow. I'm trying to figure out why Sylvia would lie to me about something like that."
"I don't know, Sarah. From what you've told me, Sylvia seems like a very unstable person."
"I'm beginning to think that, too," Sarah said.
"Well, I didn't call to talk about Sylvia. I was wondering if you wanted to pick up some take-out in town and bring it out here to The Old West Town . We could have lunch together," Lindsey said, on a happier note. "I want to see you again."
"There's nothing I'd like better, sweetheart," Sarah said. "Unfortunately, I'm babysitting Lori today. Remember? In just over an hour I have to take her to the doctor's to get her stitches removed. She'll probably be home tomorrow, too. Then next week Christmas vacation starts, and all of the kids will be home."
"Oh, that's right. I forgot you had to stay with Lori today." Sarah could hear the disappointment in Lindsey's voice. "Well, I guess I'll see you Friday evening, then? Karin said we could come any time after 7 o'clock."
"Yes...most definitely!" Sarah said with enthusiasm. "But call me tonight from Scully's if you get a chance." She added softly, so Lori wouldn't hear, "I want to hear your voice."
"I want to do more than talk to you," Lindsey said. She called me sweetheart , she thought, her heart soaring. "Maybe Friday night—" Her voice trailed off as she heard Sarah's sharp intake of breath.
"Yes," Sarah said softly. "Absolutely!" She couldn't stop her voice from trembling with desire.
When Sylvia got home from work, Sarah had already planned an excuse so she could to go Scully's tonight. But Sylvia seemed so tired and worn out, she thought she'd better stay home. Sylvia went to bed early, the same time as the kids. Sarah remembered she hadn't gotten any sleep herself the night before, so reluctantly went to bed early, too.
Just before she hopped into bed, she started to call Lindsey at work, but then decided she'd wait for Lindsey to call instead. Sarah didn't want to interrupt her if she was busy. She had told Lindsey to call if she got a break. She climbed under the covers and fell asleep instantly.
Somewhere in her dream she heard a far-off tune that sounded like music coming from the calliope on the merry-go-round she was riding. But she was deep into her dream, and finally the calliope stopped playing its music. She disembarked from the merry-go-round and went on to the next amusement ride—all alone.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT – THE APARTMENT ( Friday, December 16 )
Sylvia was late getting home on Friday. She opened the front door and found Sarah pacing the floor, waiting impatiently for her. She said a friend asked her to dinner after work. She had tried to call Sarah from the restaurant to let her know she'd be home late. They'd gone to a fancy place called The Underground , and cell phones wouldn't work there—as the restaurant was actually underground.
"Why didn't you call me before you went to dinner?" Sarah asked. "At least, you could have extended me that much courtesy."
"Well, to tell you the truth, I never thought of it!" Sylvia exclaimed. "I had no idea you'd be worried. It wasn't my fault my cell phone wouldn't work!"
"You knew I was going out tonight, didn't you?" Sarah said.
"Ohhh..." Sylvia said. "Well...you know, little sister, I completely forgot about that. I'm sorry. It's too bad you had to cancel your plans." She smiled sweetly.
"I didn't cancel my plans, Sylvia," Sarah said, motioning to Lindsey, who had been sitting in the family room. "We'll just be going to see that apartment a little later than we planned."
Lindsey confidently walked over to where Sylvia and Sarah were talking, bringing both their coats with her. Sylvia stood there with her mouth open. Since it was dark already, Sylvia hadn't noticed the monster truck parked in the street when she drove up. She'd been thinking of the dinner she'd just had with Will.
"Let's go, Lindsey," Sarah said. They put their coats on and went out the door to Lindsey's truck, leaving a deflated Sylvia standing there watching them go.
It didn't take Lindsey long to find the apartment complex. It was only fifteen minutes away from Sylvia's house. The apartment was on the ground floor of a three-story complex. There was a note on the door. She read it by the light coming from the lamppost at the corner of the walkway.
We've gone grocery shopping. Be back shortly. Go to the office to get a key and go in and look around. Tell the manager who you are. We left a message with him that you'd be coming to look at the apartment. We'll try not to be too late. Don't leave before we talk to you. Karin and Evelyn.
"I'll go around to the office and get the key," she said, pulling the note off the door, checking her watch at the same time. It was 8 o'clock. "Wait for me here. I'll just be a sec." She followed the signs along the well-lit walkway to the office, in a separate building not far from the apartment.
While she was gone, Sarah thought about the decision she had come to by the time Lindsey picked her up. She knew she couldn't desert Sylvia—no matter what faults she had. And her sister was right. She hadn't consulted with her before she made the decision to move. So she wasn't entirely fair to her. She probably should have cancelled her plans to look at the apartment, but thought maybe looking at it might change her mind. Now she didn't think so. The guilt she was feeling was too strong. She wondered how she was going to tell Lindsey.
"This is beautiful!" Lindsey remarked as they walked through the apartment. "Look how much room there is!" She was going from room to room, talking about how happy Sarah was going to be living here. She could visualize the extra bedroom becoming Sarah's office already.
Sarah had been following her around, nodding her head at Lindsey's remarks. Lindsey seemed to like it more than she did—though she had to agree it was a nice place. Extremely nice, and something she would have snatched up at first sight. However, she had already made up her mind not to move out on Sylvia.
"Well, what do you think?" Lindsey turned to her as they came back out into the living room after inspecting the spacious bathroom. Lindsey had remarked that the apartment was large enough that they could have parties here. That is, if the landlord didn't mind. There was a city ordinance that required one to 'turn the noise down' after 10 o'clock at night. She was sure her women friends would keep the noise level down.
Listen to me , Lindsey thought to herself after she had talked to Sarah about the parties. My women friends! This is Sarah's place. Maybe she wouldn't even want to have parties.
"It really is nice," Sarah said half-heartedly. Lindsey couldn't help but notice she wasn't very excited about it.
"What's wrong, Sarah?" she said.
"I don't know how to tell you this, Lindsey," Sarah said, "but I can't move out on Sylvia. I can't do that to her."
"But you said—" Lindsey started to say.
Sarah put her hand over Lindsey's mouth. "I know what I said, but things have changed. It just wouldn't be fair to her. I can't do it."
Lindsey took Sarah's hand, held it to her mouth and kissed it. Her mind was racing, decision-making churning in her mind. She loved this place already.
The door handle turned, and Karin and Evelyn walked in. Hellos and introductions made the rounds, and Karin asked, "How long have you been here?"
"About fifteen minutes," Lindsey replied. "Couldn't get here any sooner."
"How do you like the place?" Karin said, turning her attention to Sarah.
"It's very nice," Sarah said, "but I've changed my mind. I won't be able to take it."
"Oh...that's too bad," Evelyn said, putting her shopping bags on the coffee table. "I guess we'll have to let the landlord know, then, so he can pass the word around."
"Wait!" Lindsey said abruptly. She looked at Sarah. "You really like this place, don't you?"
"Of course, Lindsey. I never said I didn't. But I just can't do that to my sister."
Lindsey turned to Karin and Evelyn. "Then I'm going to take it. I'll talk to the landlord tomorrow." She turned and looked at Sarah, not knowing what her reaction would be.
Sarah was staring at her, hardly believing what she heard. "But you said you couldn't afford to live on your own."
"I couldn't . But I can now, Sarah. I have all that money I was saving up to buy into Scully's , and now that's not going to happen. Remember? So I can afford it now!" She looked for another reaction from Sarah.
"What can I say, Lindsey? It looks like you've already made up your mind." She reached out for her, while an astonished Karin and Evelyn watched from the sidelines as the two women came together warmly.
Karin and Evelyn looked at each other. Karin said, "Uhh...we were going to go to a movie as soon as we unloaded these groceries. But you're welcome to stay here for a while, if you want, and look around some more, just to make sure you want the apartment, Lindsey. We'll be gone a couple of hours. Won't we, Ev?" She nudged her partner with her elbow.
"Yeah. At least a couple of hours," Evelyn answered, looking at Sarah and Lindsey, still wrapped in each other's arms. "And we'll probably go and get something to eat afterwards."
Lindsey looked up at Karin and mouthed a "Thank you" as Sarah settled into her arms.
True to their word, as soon as Karin and Evelyn finished putting the groceries away, they were out the door, telling Lindsey to lock up when they left. Sarah sat down on the couch, and Lindsey turned the lock on the door after the two women left.
"I'm surprised at you, Sarah," Lindsey said, coming to sit next to her. "You were so sure you wanted to get your own place. What happened?"
"Lindsey, I think my sister is in trouble."
"What trouble could she possibly be in?"
"I don't know. If I confronted her, I don't know that she would even tell me. But I can't leave her under those circumstances."
"Come here," Lindsey said, pulling Sarah to her. "Let's not talk about Sylvia right now. We only have a couple of hours till Karin and Evelyn get back. Let's not waste words." She knew exactly what she wanted to do with Sarah.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE – ALL THE WAY
Lindsey immediately felt Sarah's quickening response as she shakily fumbled with the buttons on her coat. "We're alone again," she said, bringing her lips closer to Sarah's mouth.
"Yes, we are, aren't we?" Sarah said, breathlessly.
"Do you know what I like about you the most?" Lindsey said, nuzzling Sarah's ear while she took Sarah's coat off.
"What?" Sarah asked back, trying to get Lindsey's coat off, too, and ultimately succeeding.
"That you want me as much as I want you." Sarah's coat was finally off. Lindsey was putting her hands underneath Sarah's sweater and lifting it up.
"Oh...how can you tell that?" Sarah asked and then planted her lips on Lindsey's before Lindsey could answer. Lindsey stopped what she was doing, and instead circled her arms around Sarah's back underneath her sweater and began hungrily opening Sarah's mouth to take her tongue inside. She was met with the urgent desire of Sarah's tongue. Sarah put her arms around Lindsey, molding their bodies together fiercely.
Then they parted, rapidly breathing, and began to take off their clothes from the waist up. When they were both bare-breasted, they came together, breasts matching breasts, each aware of the other's increasing arousal, while they continued their deep kissing.
"Let me help you with your pants," Sarah said as she began undoing buttons. Lindsey stood up, slid her pants off and then sat down on the couch. Sarah leaned over her, placing one knee beside her and reached down inside Lindsey's panties to where her wetness was. Lindsey gasped as Sarah's fingers found her—too surprised to do anything else. She was supposed to be the aggressive one and take the lead in this sexual experience. Nevertheless, she leaned back on the couch, letting Sarah's fingers do what they insisted on doing—parting her folds and moving rhythmically up and down on her clit.
"Oh, God, Sarah," Lindsey said, between the rising and lowering of her hips. "Do you know how much I've wanted you to do this?" She couldn't believe she was saying that.
"Do you like it?" Sarah said, bringing her head down to focus on one of Lindsey's nipples, taking it into her mouth and sucking. Lindsey grasped Sarah's head with a firm grip and held her mouth to her nipple while Sarah supported herself by her other arm on the back of the couch as well as her knee, thrusting her fingers into Lindsey's cunt ever more urgently.
"I haven't been able to think of anything else for two days." Then she sunk deeply into the sensations. "Ohhh," she said, "just a little bit more—harder—faster. I'm almost there." She moaned as Sarah pressed her fingers down harder and went faster. The tips of her fingers were slightly pushing into the milky-white silkiness of Lindsey's vagina.
Lindsey arched her back as if a bolt of lightning went through her, and Sarah felt the orgasm all the way along her body as she moaned over and over. "God help me—Oh, God, I can't believe this is happening."
Sarah stopped the movement of her hand for an instant until Lindsey's shuddering ended, then she slowly and gently began moving her fingers again.
"If you're not too sensitive, sweetheart, I could do that again," she said, straddling Lindsey and moving her other hand around in circles from one breast to another.
"Oh, God," Lindsey uttered breathlessly, while Sarah continued to move her fingers. There's that word again—Sweetheart! I am so out of control! And no matter how sensitive my clit is right now, I want Sarah's hand to stay there and keep moving!
Lindsey began to breathe heavily again, while Sarah put two fingers into Lindsey's vagina and started moving in and out. Then a third finger joined those two, then a fourth, and still Sarah was edging toward the brink where she would either have to stop completely, or take it all the way.
"Baby, do you trust me?" Sarah said.
"Of course, I trust you," Lindsey responded, her eyes ecstatic with delight. "Why?"
"Because what I'm going to do takes a lot of trust on your part. I need you to lie flat if I'm going to do this right. You're all bent up like an accordion and I can't get my hand in the right position. Can you move around up on the couch a bit?" She slid off the couch, her hand still in Lindsey's vagina, while Lindsey moved carefully so as not to disturb the sensations she was feeling. She was flat on the couch finally, spreading her thighs wide. Sarah knelt beside her.
"It's okay, baby," Sarah said, nuzzling her breasts and then stretching up to kiss her gently. Sheer pleasure began to wash over Lindsey as Sarah slowly and carefully, put her whole hand into her vagina, which had opened up wide now. Lindsey thought how wide her vagina was able to expand after she had used her big blue dildo many times on herself. She could easily accommodate Sarah's hand.
Sarah moved her hand, opened her fingers slightly and moved minutely. A wave of passion engulfed Lindsey as she felt Sarah's whole hand inside herself. She had never felt anything so wonderful before! She wanted this to continue, but she couldn't hold out and suddenly exploded as an orgasm shot through her body again. She was briefly aware that Sarah was removing her hand gently, as wave after wave of exquisite pleasure moved over her whole body. Then Lindsey's body seemed to rearrange itself as Sarah removed her hand completely. Lindsey collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
After a moment, Lindsey reached for Sarah, tears coursing down her cheeks. Sarah rose up from the floor and moved her body over the top of Lindsey, her hips between Lindsey's thighs, and began kissing her gently.
"It's okay, baby. I didn't mean to hurt you," Sarah said, tears starting to run down her cheeks, also.
"You didn't hurt me, Sarah," Lindsey responded. "I've just never felt anything like that before. It was so wonderful. I can't even describe it."
How could I have missed experiencing something like this? she thought. But I have. It must be because I've never let a woman get that close to me—till now. I've never been willing to give myself totally to any woman—till now. She wrapped her arms around Sarah, content to stay there for a while, letting the experience of her first fisting engulf her senses while the tears coursed down her cheeks. Sarah held her tight.
After a while, Lindsey's tears subsided. She felt Sarah pull away from her and say faintly from a distance, "I think we better get going. Don't you?" She saw Sarah standing then, and noted her pants were still on, not even unbuttoned yet.
Lindsey looked down at her own body and realized she was naked, her panties having come off when she came up to lie flat on the couch. She was still wondering what had happened to her. She had been so overwhelmed by Sarah's boldness. She couldn't do anything except let Sarah have her way with her. Lindsey had always been in control, and now in the space of a few minutes, she was totally out of control.
As Lindsey sat up and started pulling on her clothes, Sarah leaned over her, took her by the hands and whispered, "I wanted to do that the other night, but you came before I had my hand all the way in." She brought Lindsey's hands to her mouth and kissed her fingers, one by one, then put her lips on Lindsey's mouth.
Lindsey responded by opening her mouth and taking Sarah's tongue in and sucking on it. She reached for Sarah, wanting to help her come to a climax, too. But Sarah pulled back, whispering, "I've already come. I couldn't help it. Your pleasure was contagious."
She added, reaching for her clothes, "But we really need to leave before Karin and Evelyn get back. Don't you think so?"
Lindsey was totally confused as she watched Sarah put her bra and shirt on while she got dressed herself. She was speechless. What kind of a woman was Sarah? Sarah had taken hold of her, body and soul. She was helpless in Sarah's presence, as if Sarah held some sort of spell over her, and she could do what she wanted with her anytime she wanted to. That had always been Lindsey's role. Now all she could do was submit to Sarah and let her have her way!
They washed their hands and then slipped out of the apartment, locking the door behind them. When they got in the truck, Sarah laid her head back on the seat and looked over at Lindsey.
"I'm glad you're going to rent the apartment," she said. "Now we'll have a place to come to and not worry about interruptions."
"Yeah," was all Lindsey could think of to say. Her mind was running everywhere but on her driving. As she drove down Sarah's street, she zipped past Sylvia's house until Sarah's cry of "Lindsey, it's right here!" pulled her back into reality, and she slammed on the brakes. She had to back up fifty feet before she could pull up into the driveway. She turned off the engine and just sat there staring straight ahead.
"Sarah—" she began, turning her head.
"Shhh...don't say anything," Sarah said, placing her fingers on Lindsey's lips. Then she leaned over and gently kissed her. "Pick me up tomorrow afternoon for practice." She opened the passenger door and climbed out, leaving a stunned Lindsey gazing after her as she walked up to the front door and went in.
There was so much Lindsey wanted to say to Sarah, but she couldn't find the right words. Little did she know that Sarah was trembling with uncertainty and wanted to say things to Lindsey, too, but she was speechless as well. The experience they had shared was beyond words for both of them. Sarah hadn't intended on going that far with Lindsey, but Lindsey couldn't find the strength to stop her. Nor did she want to stop her. And Sarah couldn't have stopped herself . It seemed so right.
CHAPTER FORTY – REVISITING THE PAST
"Well, did you get the apartment?" Sylvia asked condescendingly as Sarah walked into the kitchen and threw her coat over a chair.
"What?" Sarah replied, momentarily confused. "Oh...no. I decided not to take it," she continued, looking at her sister. "It's a beautiful place. But you need me closer by. That apartment is too far away from here. Maybe I'll find something later."
As an afterthought, Sarah said, "Lindsey is going to rent it." The minute she let the words slip out of her mouth, she knew she'd made a mistake.
"Oh, really?" Sylvia remarked, surprised. "Did she say why she was going to move?"
"No," Sarah answered nonchalantly. She wasn't in the mood to start another argument with Sylvia, and wasn't in the mood for talking at all, especially when it was so very personal. She knew Lindsey was moving into that apartment because of her .
"I'm hungry," she said, and went to the fridge to look for something to eat. Although it was close to 10 o'clock, she hadn't eaten supper. She and Lindsey had planned to stop to get something to eat after they looked at the apartment, but that was abruptly forgotten. They drove straight home after their lovemaking.
"Oh, I thought you'd eaten already," Sylvia said. Sarah noted the satisfaction in her sister's voice. "You should have told me before you left, and I could have fixed you something to pop in the microwave when you got home."
Sarah smiled and then continued rummaging around in the refrigerator. Her sister was so damn ingratiating now that she knew Sarah wasn't getting the apartment. Sarah could hardly believe she was the same person she was just a few hours previously. Sylvia didn't need to pretend in order to get on her good side. Sarah had already decided that the damage was done as far as her relationship with her sister was concerned.
"That's okay," Sarah replied. "I'll just have a sandwich." She tuned Sylvia out when her sister continued to ramble on about nothing of consequence. She fixed her sandwich, said goodnight to her sister and took the sandwich and a glass of milk up to her bedroom. After she got out of her clothes, she got into bed, covered up warmly and fell asleep thinking of Lindsey. She completely forgot to eat the food she had set on her nightstand.
* * * * * *
Everyone appeared to be in bed at Lindsey's house when she walked in the door. She was glad she didn't have to explain why she was so late getting home. She hadn't made up any alibis to cover her leaving the house this evening, but had simply walked out without telling anyone where she was going. Resentment had been steadily building up in her over feeling that she had to be accountable to her father for her comings and goings. She thought getting an apartment would break that mold once and for all. She was certain that Sarah coming to Laramie had a lot to do with it.
As she went past her father's bedroom on the first floor on the way to go up the stairs to her own bedroom, she heard a noise. Hiram's bedroom door was slightly ajar and the light was on. Her father normally never went to bed this early. She didn't stop and look in, however, because she knew what was happening.
The noise was her father's bedsprings creaking as he masturbated. She had seen her father in all his naked glory one time a few years ago when she came home from Scully's one night. His bedroom door was cracked open farther than it should have been. She never wanted to see him like that again and should have turned away then instead of watching.
The old reprobate, she thought now. I wonder what old lady he's thinking about from church that he's sticking his cock into tonight.
She replayed that long-ago scene over in her mind. As her father had climaxed, he turned on his side, squirting his seed forcefully out into a towel that was placed there for that purpose. Then when he was finished, he turned back over on his back and started jacking off again. Lindsey felt nothing but disgust!
Lindsey remembered her mother's words to her when they were forced to leave Cheyenne. "Once is never enough for him, and he just couldn't leave the women in the church alone. I had to leave him. I didn't have a choice. He was an embarrassment to the church as well as to me. You understand, don't you, Lindsey?"
Yes, Lindsey understood. There was no other woman but her mother for miles around where they lived on their isolated horse ranch. Then her daddy 'found the Lord' and he became a preacher. He found a church in Cheyenne where he could preach. They moved into town, and here was this church full of women. He couldn't resist them. Yes, she understood why her mother had to leave her daddy, and why her daddy was forced to move from Cheyenne. The church should have taken his license away for indiscretions, but instead inquired about what they discerned was a little nothing of a church where they were looking for a pastor. They allowed him to go there, with stern warnings that he was expected to handle himself properly or he wouldn't be preaching anymore. As far as Lindsey knew, his sexual activity didn't go any further now than pleasuring himself. And she didn't care to know any more!
She dismissed the nauseating thoughts she had of her daddy. Lindsey knew masturbation wasn't a sin, but her father disgusted and infuriated her, pretending to be a man of God, and insisting it was a sin. Yet here he was practicing it himself. He was a first-rate sinner, according to his own words .
Nevertheless, this little church in Laramie had no idea what had happened in Cheyenne. They were so excited to be getting a preacher after a year of being without one that they never asked any questions. They only knew that he preached fire and brimstone, which is what they were looking for. Lindsey wondered how seriously her daddy thought about the fact that the church he preached in now was very fundamental and strict. All it would take would be one little slip-up with a woman in the church, and he would be stripped of his ministerial credentials. He would never be able to preach in a church again.
Lindsey went on to bed, thinking she couldn't get out of this house quickly enough now. She was so glad she had made a spur-of-the-moment decision to rent that apartment. As she fell asleep, her last thoughts were of Sarah and what happened tonight at the apartment. She refused to let her daddy come between her and the woman who was fast becoming the most important person in her life.