Tailspin Read online

  DEDICATION

  I dedicate this book to families everywhere, but especially to my two sons, Heath Louis Badger and Dane Andrew Badger who are the role models for two of the children in this series. These two boys have been the source of my greatest worries and my greatest joys and pride throughout their childhoods. They are largely responsible for my very close friendship with Miss Clairol, I might add! We have had our own share of tailspins over the years, but we always found the strength to pull the nose up before we crashed.

  Heater and Dane-o, thank you for your unconditional love and acceptance over the past 30+ years as our lives transitioned into what it is today. I love you with everything that I am, and despite the trials and tribulations of raising children, I would do it all over again.

  I love you, my sons.

  Mom

  ALSO WRITTEN BY KAREN D. BADGER AND

  AVAILABLE FROM BADGER BLISS BOOKS:

  ON A WING AND A PRAYER

  YESTERDAY ONCE MORE

  THE BLUE FEATHER

  ALL MY TOMORROWS

  1140 RUE ROYALE

  The Billie/Cat Commitment Series:

  IN A FAMILY WAY

  UNCHAINED MEMORIES

  HAPPY CAMPERS

  COLLECTIVE IDENTITY

  SWEET ANGEL

  RELATIVE-LY SPEAKING

  TAILSPIN

  NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be

  aware that it is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and

  destroyed to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher

  has received any payment for this stripped book.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, locales, and events are either

  products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

  TAILSPIN

  Copyright © 2017 by Karen D. Badger

  www.karendbadger.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any

  manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher,

  save for brief quotations used in critical articles or reviews.

  Cover design by Karen D. Badger

  A Badger Bliss Book

  Published by Badger Bliss Books

  Georgia, 05468

  www.badgerblissbooks.com

  Print book ISBN 13: 978-1-945761-22-5

  Print Book ISBN 10: 1-945761-22-9

  Ebook ISBN 13: 978-1-945761-23-2

  Ebook ISBN 10: 1-945761-23-7

  First Edition, December, 2017

  Printed in the United States of America and in the United Kingdom

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I am blessed and honored to have a fantastic group of beta readers and editors…Carol Poynor (Chief Eagle Eye), Chris Parsons (our friend from across the pond), my 83-year-old mom, Ellie Atherton (my number one fan), and my loving wife, Barb Sawyer (aka, Bliss), to name a few. You all bring so much to the quality of the story…not to mention the reputation of the author – LOL! Without you all, I would look like a literary idiot! Seriously, though, I appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you for all you do!

  I also want to thank my sons and grandkids for providing me with endless fodder to use in this series...and to my childhood friends for helping me to create memories of the adventures we embarked on as children. If our moms only knew...just sayin'!

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  About the Author – Karen D. Badger

  Other Titles from Badger Bliss Books

  Coming Soon from Badger Bliss Books

  FLASHPOINT

  CHAPTER 1

  "Do you see them?" Cat strained to see over the heads of the crowd at the airport. As usual, her short stature put her at a disadvantage.

  Billie scanned the area until she caught sight of corn silk yellow hair atop the head of a tall, slender young man. "There they are." She reached for Cat's hand and drew her through the crowd waiting at the gate.

  Billie waived excitedly. "Seth…kids! Over here."

  A broad grin broke out across boy-man features as Seth noticed his mother. He took his little sister's hand and shuffled her along in front of him while keeping a watchful eye on the young lady who walked by his side. "Come on, Tara, keep up. I don't want to lose you in this crowd."

  Tara clamped down on his arm to avoid being separated from her siblings.

  Sixteen-year-old Seth, fourteen-year-old Tara, and nine-year-old Skylar were returning from their yearly month-long summer vacation with their great grandmothers, Josephine Wyclyffe and Alexandria Spirakas in Charleston, South Carolina. The family tradition had started three years earlier during an emotional family reunion.

  Finally, the distance between the mothers and children closed as warm embraces quelled feelings of yearning and homesickness.

  "I missed you so much." Cat embraced each child lovingly. Her voice was choked with emotion.

  Seth endured the wet kisses Cat placed on his cheeks. "Sheesh, Ma. You'd think we were gone for a year instead of a month."

  "Well, it feels like a year," Cat replied.

  Billie was amused by the humorous sight before her. At sixteen, Seth was six-feet tall and bristly-chinned. Billie watched as he bent nearly in half in order to submit himself to the attentions of his very excited, and vertically challenged mother. As for herself, she was accosted by Skylar, who launched into her Mommy's arms the moment she was within reach.

  "Mommy, I missed you." Skylar burrowed her face into Billie's neck.

  Billie wrapped her arms around the child and held her close. "I missed you too, kitten."

  Cat turned her attentions to Tara. "Come here, you."

  Fourteen-year old Tara Charland was already promising to be a stunning beauty. As tall as Cat, her slim figure was developing shapely curves that she tried very hard to camouflage under baggy jeans and oversized T-shirts. Short, spiked, red-gold hair provided stark relief against a peaches and cream complexion.

  After several death-grip hugs, Cat held her daughter at arm's length. Her smile quickly evaporated. "Tara, what have you done to your hair?!"

  Tara grinned ear to ear. "Grandma Jo took me to get it done. Cool, huh?"

  "Very cool, Tare," Billie said. She gave Tara a high-five, and leaned in close to a fuming Cat. "She's your grandmother." Billie winked at Tara, and acknowledged the silent 'thank you' her daughter sent her way.

  Still in Billie's arms, Skylar leaned forward and put her arm around Cat's neck. Cat had no choice but to take the little girl from Billie's arms.

  "Oomph! Goodness, Sky-baby, you're such a big girl. Pretty soon you'll be bigger than Mama."

  "Ma, you don't have to be very tall to be bigger than you," Seth teased.

  "Why you little rugrat," Cat replied. "I ought to—"

  "Ought to what?" Seth towered over Cat and glared down at her, while he tried to keep a straight face.

  Cat put Skylar down and started tickling her son mercilessly. After ten years of being his stepmother, she knew exactly where the sensitive spots were around his middle.

  "Okay. Stop. I give." Seth conceded defeat to the much smaller woman.

  "Smart man," Billie said. "Now why don't you and your sisters go fetch the luggage before round two begins?"

&n
bsp; The kids headed toward the luggage carousel while Billie and Cat waited.

  "Billie, did you see her hair? How could you tell her it was cool?" Cat said.

  Billie placed her hands on Cat's shoulders. "Look, love, if our daughter wants to look like a punk rocker, then fine. She's just expressing herself. She could be doing a lot worse than spiking her hair and wearing baggy clothes."

  Cat looked into Billie's expressive face and remembered the marijuana incident with Tara and her cousin Crystal in the park two years earlier. She silently chided her wife of eight years. God, Billie, I hate it when you're right. Outwardly, she shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right, but if she keeps this up, I'm buying stock in Miss Clairol." She ran a hand through her own red-toned mane.

  Billie laughed. "Count me in!"

  Cat rested her head on Billie's arm and looked across the terminal as their children approached them, laden with luggage. All three wore golden tans, their hair lightened by the South Carolina sun.

  "Skylar looks healthy, doesn't she?" Cat remarked. "Three years ago I thought for sure we were going to lose her. I'm so happy the low dose chemo rid her body of leukemia."

  "She looks very healthy, Cat. She's been cancer-free for nearly a year now. I'd say she's won that battle," Billie rested her head atop Cat's.

  "I can't believe how tall she's grown in the past month."

  "Cat, everyone looks tall to you." Billie grinned unashamedly at her wife.

  Cat flashed a crooked smile at Billie. "Now I know where your son gets it. You will pay for that later."

  "I'm counting on it," Billie replied.

  Cat hip-checked Billie then quickly scooted away before revenge could be administered. She took Skylar's duffel bag and hung it over her shoulder then offered her hand to the little girl. "Let's go find the car and head home," she said.

  On the trip home, the kids were full of questions about Steve, Karissa and Missy. Having been gone for a month, they were anxious to get home to spend the rest of their summer vacation with friends.

  Cat and Billie sat side by side in the front seat of the family station wagon and sent nostalgic glances toward each other as they listened to the children talk. If felt good to be together again.

  ***

  "Do you think dinner will be edible?" Cat asked.

  Jen set the last paper plate on the picnic table and glanced at Billie and Fred, who were diligently tending the burgers and hot dogs on the grill. "Well, unless they charcoal them black there's not much they can do to kill them." Jen chuckled. "At least there'll be salads and chips if we do end up calling the morgue."

  Cat joined her friend in laughter as they put their heads together to enjoy their private joke.

  "I know you guys are talking about us," Billie shouted from across the yard. She turned to Fred. "They think we can't cook. If they only knew we pretend to be lousy at it so we don't have to do it very often." She snickered at her own joke, but stopped when she realized Fred wasn't laughing. "You can cook, can't you Fred?"

  Fred's eyebrows arched upward. "Nope." He grinned. "And from what I hear, neither can you."

  "Can too," Billie countered.

  "Can not," Fred replied.

  "Can too." Billie shook the spatula at him.

  "Not."

  "Kids," Billie yelled to the five heads bobbing up and down in the pool. "Tell Fred I can cook."

  "Oh, sure you can, Mom," Tara said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes at Karissa.

  "Well, you can heat up a pretty mean can of soup," Seth added. Stevie nodded his agreement.

  "Mommy makes good microwave popcorn," Skylar offered helpfully.

  "Madame Microwave! It takes a lot of skill to operate such a complicated piece of equipment. And to think you actually produce mouth-watering dishes at the same time. Well, I'm impressed," Fred said teasingly.

  Billie was steaming. Not only had her kids betrayed her (the ungrateful wretches), but she had to endure culinary jokes from someone who couldn't even boil water.

  "Oh, yeah? Impress this!" Billie shoved Fred into the pool, chef's hat and all.

  Everyone in the yard collectively held their breaths as the spray of water from Fred's belly flop settled around them.

  Fred rose to his feet in the shallow end of the pool, soaked to the bone. He struggled to wade to the edge of the pool toward Billie. He wore a wide grin on his face. "Okay, you got me. I guess I deserved that."

  "Yes you did." Billie reached down to pull him onto the deck.

  "And you deserve this!" Fred planted his feet and yanked backward, sending Billie over his head into the pool behind him.

  Billie broke through the surface of the water, spitting and sputtering. She took one look at Fred standing in the shallow end of the pool, the limp chef's hat sitting crookedly on his head, water running in rivulets down his face, and burst out laughing.

  The two friends fell into each other's arms and laughed heartily as the children splashed them. Their wives stood by, shaking their heads at the childish antics of their spouses.

  Suddenly Skylar shouted, "Fire!"

  All heads turned to the grill where black smoke was billowing out of every crack. Jen reached it first and threw the cover open as she turned off the gas.

  Cat approached her friend and looked at the black lumps that neatly lined the rack. "Call the morgue?" Cat asked.

  "Call the morgue," Jen agreed.

  Billie and Fred looked at each and once more fell into peals of laughter.

  ***

  Cat sat at her vanity and carefully applied a thin layer of night cream to her face. Billie approached her from behind, placed her chin on Cat's shoulder and wrapped her arms around her. She grinned at her in the mirror. "You really don't need that stuff you know. Your skin is soft and beautiful all by itself." She planted a kiss on her neck.

  "It's soft because I do this each night, Billie. You ought to try it." Cat dropped a dab of cream on Billie's nose.

  Billie snapped her head back. "Hey!" Billie wiped the cream off and sniffed at it. "Smells nice."

  Cat looked at Billie in the mirror. "I had a good time at Jen and Fred's this afternoon. It was really nice of them to host a picnic to welcome the kids home."

  Billie grinned. "Yeah, it was fun, wasn't it?"

  "They're good friends, Billie. We're lucky to have them."

  "The best," Billie agreed.

  "They'd have to be. Not everyone would put up with your cooking."

  Billie clutched at her heart. "Ouch! I'm wounded."

  "C'mere and let me kiss the boo-boo," Cat said.

  Billie eagerly approached her still sitting wife and dropped to her knees.

  Cat grabbed the sides of Billie's robe and pulled them open, exposing generous, creamy white breasts. Eyes wide, she visually feasted on the sight before her. "Now where did you say you were wounded?"

  Billie pointed to her right nipple. "Right here."

  "Oh, really?" Cat took the erect nipple into her mouth, causing Billie to gasp. "Oh, I can see by your reaction that it really does hurt. Maybe I should kiss it some more?"

  "Yeah, that's it. More kisses," Billie replied, short of breath.

  Cat feasted hungrily for several more minutes then stopped to look at Billie once more. "Are you hurt anywhere else, my love?"

  "Let me see. Oh, yeah, right here. I'm hurt over here too." Billie pointed to her left nipple.

  Cat was more than happy to administer additional first aid as Billie moaned in mock agony. Several moments later, Cat stopped and rose to her feet. She took Billie's hand, led her to the bed and pushed her down onto in the middle of it.

  "Billie, I think I need to do a thorough examination. You know—just to be safe. Is that all right with you?"

  "You're the doctor, Cat, but before you start, tell me, will this be a very expensive house call?"

  "Oh, yes, very expensive I'm afraid. I'm not sure you can afford it."

  "Well, maybe we can work out some alternative method of payment."
/>   Cat rubbed her chin and walked back and forth at the foot of the bed. "Hmm, let me think." After a little more pacing, she stopped and faced Billie. "I'll tell you what. I'll take partial payment tonight, and then we can barter for the rest of the bill. You know—you do something for me—I do something for you. Get the idea?"

  Billie rose to her elbows. "You mean, like taking it out in trade?" Her eyebrows danced wickedly on her forehead.

  "Exactly!"

  "You're on, Doc," Billie threw herself flat on the bed, her arms and legs spread wide. "Go for it!"

  Cat dropped all pretense, dove on top of Billie and began the most thorough and lengthy examination in the history of medicine.

  CHAPTER 2

  Billie answered her intercom. "Yes, Deb?"

  "Billie, your next appointment is here," Deb replied.

  "Send them in." Billie stood and straightened her blazer as Deb opened the door and ushered two attractive women inside. Billie walked around her desk to greet the ladies and extended her hand. "Billie Charland," she said.

  "Billie," the taller of the two women said. "My name is Shannon Nash, and this is my wife, Julie."

  Billie turned to Julie and offered her hand. "Julie." She addressed Shannon once more. "It's common for lesbian couples to refer to each other as wife, married or not. Are you..."

  "Yes," Shannon supplied. "Thanks to you, we can proudly say that we are legally married. That's the primary reason we came to you. Anyone who can pioneer the movement for gay and lesbian marriage should be able to help us with our problem."