"I'm sure you'd have been fine," Kristine said, laughing. "I can't tell you how excited I am to have this opportunity. I'm used to picking up all sorts of a.s.signments on the fly, so I am confident that I can step in here to help the students through the rest of the semester."

"Another quality I think makes you well suited for our department," Stettner said, smiling. She glanced at the clock. "We have a lot to do to get you legal, but I'm worried folks are going to start to disappear. Let's take a quick tour and get you acclimated to the facilities and see if Mark Briggs, the full-time professor is still hanging about."

Even the quick tour impressed Kristine. She couldn't wait to return to spend more time checking out the studio, traditional darkroom and computer lab where they did their digital work. For a smaller department, she was pleasantly surprised by the setup. Natalie introduced her to many faculty who taught art history, ceramics and drawing but was disappointed not to find Mark on campus.

With promises to introduce her on Monday, Natalie returned Kristine to the office. When he saw them, Aaron immediately jumped up from his desk with a stack of papers in his hands. Before he whisked her away, Natalie shook her hand. "I have to remind you that this is a temporary full-time a.s.signment. I can't guarantee what next semester looks like. We can rush the paperwork for this emergency hire, but for spring, I'll have to go through the formal steps."

"I understand completely," Kristine said.

"Aaron will get you started on the paperwork and make sure you know where you need to be on Monday."

"Thank you, again. I can't tell you how excited I am."

"Trust me," she winked at Aaron who was waiting for her, "you're not the only one!"

So began the whirlwind of tasks to complete. Aaron dragged her up and down campus, through human resources and security, the library for a temporary faculty card and finally back to her office where he weighed her down with the books, syllabi and a flash drive containing course materials and a.s.signments for the cla.s.ses she was taking over. Hours later, they returned to the department office. Natalie emerged from her official office.

"How did it go?" she asked.

Kristine took a deep breath. "I have a long weekend in front of me to prepare for Monday."

"But you don't look like you're scared, that's good." She smiled at Aaron.

"Feel free to email either of us with questions over the weekend. It's going to be a tough week, but I'm certain you'll settle in quickly." With a quick squeeze to Kristine's shoulder, she slipped back into her office.

Kristine walked into the fog creeping in from the bay as she descended the hill and collapsed behind the wheel, closing her eyes to try to soak in the enormity of the day. A wave of anxiety pa.s.sed through her when she thought about seeing Gloria. She glanced at her watch, gauging whether she'd be likely to find her at the brewery with her friends yet. Hoping she'd made the right decisions over the course of the day, she cranked her key, turning over the old engine. As it roared to life, so did her confidence. Her heart beating home, home, home, as she pulled onto the highway, closing the distance between herself and Gloria.

Chapter Forty.

Gloria sat on the edge of her bed, her head in her hands, trying to find the strength to change and make it to the brewery. She checked her cell again even though she knew it was working and didn't really figure she'd missed a call while she sat there feeling sorry for herself. She hadn't been able to reach Kristine all day, which probably meant that she was still driving. She pictured Kristine excited about her new job, giddy with antic.i.p.ation, and couldn't help wonder about the other opportunities she might find. Should she have asked Kristine to give up the job? Adam and Jim had given her a hard time all day, telling her that she should have lobbied for her to choose love over her job, but Gloria understood her need to prove herself in her field. She couldn't ask her to turn down a job when she, herself, wouldn't have been able to.

She flopped back on the mattress, wishing she could just stay home, but she couldn't stand up the guys. Not after she'd spent all of the lunch break defending Kristine's decision, convincing them as she tried to convince herself that the long-distance relationship could work and was worth keeping. Doubt crept into her thoughts, though, when she wondered what would ever change. If it was true that she loved the Northcoast and Kristine loved her job, shouldn't they just break up instead of drawing out the inevitable?

Maybe she shouldn't go. Surely, they wouldn't miss her one night. No. If she missed, they would know she was lying. She had to put her happy face on and get over there before they suspected.

She shucked off her uniform and grabbed an old pair of jeans and a tee from the closet, not caring what she looked like. For a moment, she hesitated, considered really dressing up and tempting the crowd, just to feel picked by someone. She discarded the idea immediately, knowing that she really wanted for Kristine to pick her and that it wasn't productive or mature-satisfying, maybe-but definitely not fair to play that kind of game just because she was feeling melancholy. Instead, she pulled Kristine's belt on, pressing her hand against the buckle, wishing that she was back in the cabin at the Aspens using it to pull Kristine toward her.

The band was already in full swing by the time she made it to the brewery, and she found the guys at their favorite spot on the second floor by the rail where they could watch the band and the crowd but not be pulled easily onto the small dance floor below.

"Told you she wasn't bulls.h.i.tting us earlier," Jim said loud enough for Gloria to hear as she joined them.

"We wondered if you'd changed your mind. I thought you'd at least be to Fort Bragg by now."

"No, I'm not chasing after her. She's worth trusting."

"Well, since you did make it, I'll get the pitcher," Adam said, heading off to the bar.

"There are really good opportunities down in San Diego," Jim said. "I don't see why you're holding onto the headache of management when you could be doing something with wildlife. Working with people all day..." he shivered. "That alone would make me want to relocate. You could find something on the sly, surprise her. You don't really think she'd say no if you showed up on her doorstep, do you?"

"You forget again, my friend, that I like my job, the power, the responsibility..."

"Still think you're the biggest liar ever." He smiled.

"Think what you want," Gloria said, accepting Adam's pitcher of Downtown Brown Adam. After pouring a round, she turned to watch the band. She hoped that Jim would get the message and let the topic of her extended long-distance relationship go. He didn't.

"I can't believe you changed out of your uniform into that," he said. "Lots of women are into the uniform."

She rolled her eyes but kept her chin inclined toward the music, really not in the mood to engage in his working the crowd.

"Unbelievable," he said.

"What?" Gloria asked.

"Even looking like she does tonight, she still caught the eye of the hottest woman in the place."

"Where?" Adam asked.

"There at the bar. She's been staring at Gloria since she got here. Every time I look over..."

Adam interrupted, "...hoping she'll be looking at you."

Jim nodded. "Hoping to get her to look at the person who is actually available at this table, she's got her eyes glued on Gloria. I think she's your type, too. She's got cowboy boots on."

"Will you please shut your trap?" Gloria said, finally exasperated. "No more talk about long distance, about hooking up, about cute girls. I'm not in the mood, okay? I just want to have a good beer and listen to the music."

The men eyed each other. Adam shrugged.

"Your loss," Jim said. "I'm not telling you to cheat on Kristine. I just thought that a dance with a pretty lady might make you feel better."

"Good company might make me feel better, too," Gloria muttered. She finally turned her head, meaning to suggest that good company might be found somewhere other than their table, and her eyes locked with Kristine's. Her Kristine. Sitting there at the bar in cowboy boots, her trademark tight blue jeans, s.e.xy tank top tucked in and yet another belt buckle. Her breath caught.

"Told you," Jim said in a congratulatory tone. "It doesn't matter who you are, what's going on in your crazy mixed-up love life. A woman like that should not be ignored. You should so go talk to her."

His jaw dropped when Gloria responded by pushing back from the table. Adam hooted encouragement as she walked away from them. She could barely feel her legs as she walked to the bar. She kept waiting for her eyes to reveal the trick they'd played on her, that there was someone there who looked like Kristine. But then she stood right next to her, and unmistakably, the woman who should have been in San Diego rose to her feet.

"I'm such an a.s.s," Kristine said.

Gloria stared at her, unsure of what to make of the woman standing in front of her. Maybe she'd just decided to take the scenic route on her way to San Diego. She'd be gone in the morning, making Gloria even more heartsick. Though she wanted to throw herself into Kristine's arms, the unanswered questions kept her an arm's length away. "Knowing how the family business relies on a.s.ses, I'm not sure how to take that."

Kristine belly laughed and pulled Gloria into an embrace. As they parted, her eyes wandered down Gloria's frame, filling Gloria with desire. When she reached Gloria's waist, Kristine smiled and reached out to touch the belt buckle. "I wondered if you'd been wearing this." Her eyes found Gloria again, and Gloria saw hesitation in her gaze. "Sit with me?"

Gloria nodded. She glanced back at her friends who looked utterly awed by what they were watching. She pointed, mouthed "Kristine," and watched both of their eyes widen. She sat, her heartbeat competing with the band.

"Everything I said on the phone, I meant. I know you belong here, and I know that a professional job is what I've always wanted," Kristine said. She reached for Gloria's hand, and Gloria closed her eyes at the touch, her heart breaking.

Kristine traced the back of Gloria's hand with her thumb. It felt to Gloria that her whole body was being touched in a way no one ever had before. She knew that Kristine had realized what she did too, that they were only drawing out the inevitable split-up and she had come to do the honorable thing by breaking up in person. She took a tight hold on Kristine's hand and felt tears threatening. She didn't want to let go, ever.

"Gloria, look at me. I came to say that I was a fool to tell you that we could be long distance."

Gloria swiped at a tear that escaped, still trying to avoid Kristine's eyes, not wanting to hear what she feared Kristine would say out loud.

"Would you please open your eyes and look at me? I want for you to have a say in our future." She grabbed a newspaper off the bar and waved it in front of Gloria's face. "I want you to help me find an apartment. For us."

Gloria blinked. "What?"

"I want the next place we live to be our place. I don't want to live alone. I want something like the cabin at the outpost, a place that I know when I come home, you'll be there."

Gloria stared at the paper in front of her blindly. "You're not breaking up with me?"

Kristine sat back, surprised. "Of course not. What makes you think I drove here to break up with you?"

"Your card. I thought you were reminding me not to get attached. I thought you were saying you were happy to have a memory."

"Didn't you see that you were in the frame? I needed you to know I want to be where you are. You were right. You've always been right. This," she waved her hand in between the two of them, "is the most important thing."

"So you're saying you want me to go with you?" Gloria asked, unsure how that made her feel.

Kristine gently shook the newspaper in her hand. "I'm saying help me pick an apartment. Here. Please."

Gloria finally registered the words on the newspaper in her hand. The local paper. Why was she holding a local paper? Kristine, she realized looked equal parts radiant and scared. "I don't understand."

"I signed a temporary contract with Humboldt State. I start Monday."

"You start in San Diego in ten days."

Slowly, Kristine shook her head. "I couldn't accept it. A wise horseman told me it was a long way in the wrong direction, and I finally listened."

Gloria felt like she was floating, like the number of emotions she was experiencing finally took over and suspended her above herself. It sounded like she got to have everything she wanted, the girl, her family, her job, her friends. Did she deserve all of that? She felt like if she moved or breathed, the fragile bubble that was keeping everything together would pop.

Kristine squeezed Gloria's hand. "Could you please tell me I didn't do the wrong thing?"

"What about regret?" Gloria whispered.

"What about faith?" Kristine answered.

"What about your dreams?"

"She's sitting right here in front of me refusing to kiss me. Punish me for being stupid, but please tell me you want me here."

Gloria did better. She showed Kristine. She wove her fingers through Kristine's hair and pulled her into a deep, deep kiss, a new kiss, one full of promise.

"Really?" Kristine said, coming up for air.

"Forever. I want you here forever."

"You better be sure about that. I'll be stuck on you like a mule stuck on a bell mare."

Gloria swatted Kristine. "You are my everything. You're supposed to be stuck to me."

Kristine smiled. "Just making sure." Her eyes left Gloria's and drifted across the room. "I think you'd better introduce me to your friends."

Gloria flushed red. She'd forgotten all about them. "Only to tell them that they're on their own for the rest of the night. I have other plans."

"I think I like the sound of your plans," Kristine answered.

Gloria kept hold of Kristine's hand as they wove back through the crowd, finally on the same trail, one that they would travel together.

Bella Books, Inc.

end.