“Long time no see,” Kate joked. “How’s Munchie?”
“A giant pain in my butt as usual.”
“I don’t believe it. Munchie is the sweetest little Scottish terrier I’ve ever met, including Dorothy’s little dog, Toto.”
Cathy shook her head and laughed. “How is my favorite lesbian shop owner doing?”
“I’m good. How is my favorite smut writer?”
“Not smut, spicy romance. That’s why you haven’t seen me this month outside the pet party. I’ve been on deadline, and I was stuck trying to get this couple to their happy ending.”
“Are you still writing that historical romance series?”
“I’m on book fourteen.”
“Any queer books yet?”
Cathy pinched the bridge of her nose. “Sorry, Kate, they’re all straight books. It’s a heavy lift to have a book featuring a lesbian couple in the Regency era. How can two women have a happy ending when they can’t even inherit property?”
“True, I guess. Thanks for the reminder that things used to really suck for women. Now, if you ever get around to writing some romance about people who aren’t straight, let me know. I’ll preorder that shit.”
“Noted,” Cathy said.
“Got time to hang out for a while? I was about to order dinner from Fuji-Yummy,” Kate said.
Cathy nodded. “I haven’t had their basil stir-fry in ages. Get me that with tofu and a mango lemonade.”
Kate pushed her counter-height chair over to Cathy. “Here, take my chair. I’ll go get one from the back.” Cathy sat down on the chair, her feet dangling a good six inches from the floor. Once she was back and sitting down, Kate called and placed the food order.
Cathy gave Kate a sidelong glance. “You look extra cheery today. Did something happen?” She waggled her eyebrows. “If so, do tell. I need to live vicariously through my youthful friends.”
Kate scoffed. “I’ll be forty next year. That’s hardly young.”
“When you are almost old enough for Medicare, forty is definitely young.”
“Okay, fine, I’ll tell you—but only because you are one of the few lesbians I know in this town.”
Cathy grinned. “I call myself a triple L.”
“Triple L? I know one of those words, but what are the other two L’s?”Cathy ticked off on her hand. “Later-in-life lesbian.”
Kate threw her head back and laughed. And then she pointed at Cathy. “You know, that could be the title of your first sapphicromance.A Triple L Finds Love.Or something like that. What do you think?”
Cathy pulled out her phone and started tapping away. “I kind of like it, not the title so much, but the idea. I know there’s a whole audience out there for books like that.”
“Are you going to dedicate your future book to me?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see.”
After a pause, Cathy said, “Honestly, the reason I’ve stuck with traditional couples for so long isn’t just because it’s my ‘brand’.” She made air quotes. “But because the pain from losing Cindy has hurt so much, I’ve been afraid to write any love stories that hit close to home.”
Kate leaned over and hugged Cathy. She’d known Cathy since shortly after her move to Marley Creek, and Cathy had mentioned her wife had died, but she’d never said anything more when they’d spent time together. “If it’s going to upset you, please don’t feel like you have to start writing it just because I said you should.”
Cathy leaned back in her chair and used the sleeve of her burnt orange cardigan to dry her eyes. “Oh, honey, I don’t do anything because someone says I should. My tears are bittersweet, not sadness. I’ll always miss when Cindy was by my side, but I’ve got this feeling in my gut telling me it’s time to write a book she would have loved.” Cathy took a deep breath and paused. “Now then, tell me all about what has you smiling today.”
“I had a lovely time with someone. A beautiful red-haired girl.”
“Do I know this woman?”
