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  Billie wrapped her arms around Cat and with her feet, pushed them both toward the headboard. She grasped Cat's T-shirt. "Off with this."

  Cat made short work of her T-shirt and panties and melted into the circle of Billie's arms. She explored Billie's neck and chest with her tongue, encouraged by the moans emitting from Billie's throat.

  Cat realized she had the upper hand. She abruptly rose to her knees and knelt between Billie's legs. Slowly, the leaned forward and placed feather-light kisses from Billie's neck to her navel as her hands explored her body.

  Cat paused and was nearly overcome by the look of near orgasmic pleasure on Billie's face. "You are so beautiful," Cat whispered. Cat's hand sought out Billie's pleasure point.

  Billie's bottom rose completely off the bed as the intensity of the erotic assault increased.

  Billie pushed herself closer to Cat. "Now, Cat. Please. I need you."

  Cat complied and deeply penetrated Billie.

  Billie's head pressed deep into the pillow and she released a long guttural moan from the depths of her throat.

  Cat realized that Billie was very near the precipice and increased her ministrations. Soon, both women fell into a rhythm and before long Cat could feel Billie's body tighten around her hand.

  "Let it go, love. I want all you have to give," Cat whispered.

  Cat was overcome with emotion as she watched euphoric desire flush across Billie's breasts, shoulders and neck.

  Billie soon found herself suspended in a place between reality and dreams as she clung to the edge of desire—so close, yet clinging on for dear life—wanting desperately to sustain the moment for as long as possible. Soon, the choice was no longer hers. Her body gave in. Waves of passion carried her away and deposited her safely into the arms of her beloved.

  Several moments later, blue eyes met green and a silent message of love passed between them. Billie was captivated by the creature within whose arms she lay. She couldn't get enough of this beautiful woman with hair the color of autumn leaves. She blinked and allowed a few captive tears their freedom.

  "Sweetheart, what's wrong? Did I hurt you?" Cat asked softly.

  Billie caressed the side of Cat's face. "Cat, that was the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced. Thank you so much for choosing to love me."

  Cat smiled and placed a delicate kiss on Billie's lips. "It wasn't a choice, my love."

  Billie smiled and tried desperately to stifle a yawn.

  Cat pulled down the sheet and motioned for Billie to climb in. "Come here."

  "But, Cat, what about you?"

  Cat placed two fingers on Billie's lips. "There will be time for that later. You're tired. Come."

  Billie gave in and snuggled against Cat. Cat pulled the blankets over both of them and wrapped her arms around Billie. Within moments, Billie was fast asleep.

  CHAPTER 7

  Brrrrrrring! Brrrrrrring!

  "What the hell?" Billie shot upright in bed.

  Cat immediately followed suit. "Oh, my God! What time is it?" She reached for the clock on the bedside table.

  Billie fumbled with the receiver in the dark. "Who could be calling at this hour?"

  "No one calls in the middle of the night unless it's bad news," Cat said. She sat rigidly beside Billie and clutched the blankets to her chest while she listened to Billie's end of the conversation.

  "Hello?" Billie said into the receiver.

  "I just thought you'd like to know that we're on our way to the hospital."

  Billie's head snapped up. "Jen?"

  "We're bringing Stevie to the hospital for stitches," Jen began again.

  "Jen? Jen, what happened?" Billie asked.

  "Your son happened, that's what!"

  "Whoa, wait a minute. What are you talking about?" Billie demanded.

  "Billie, what is it?" Cat asked urgently.

  Billie covered the receiver with her hand. "Cat, go check on the kids...please."

  Cat quickly scurried off the bed, grabbed her robe to cover her nakedness and she ran toward the door.

  "Stevie just got home. Apparently, Seth got him drunk tonight then pushed him down a set of stairs," Jen explained, bitterly. "He has a gash three inches long on his backside!"

  Billie ran her hand through her hair. "Jen, you must be mistaken. Seth wouldn't do something like that."

  "Oh, yeah? Go check his room. I'd venture to guess he isn't home yet," Jen said sarcastically.

  Billie looked beyond the bedroom door into the hallway. Fear gripped her insides as Cat ran back into the room.

  "Billie, Seth isn't in his room. My, God, it's after three. Where is he?"

  Billie closed her eyes and composed herself. "Jen, I have to go," she said into the receiver. She did not want to admit to her friend that her son indeed was not yet home.

  "He isn't there, is he?" Jen insisted.

  "I'll talk to you in the morning Jen," Billie replied.

  "Yeah, well, maybe that's not a good idea, Billie. Maybe our families need a break from each other for a while," Jen remarked.

  "Maybe we do." Anger fueled Billie's response. "Goodbye, Jen."

  Billie put the phone on the nightstand and faced Cat. "Cat, that was Jen. She claims that Seth got Stevie drunk tonight, then pushed him down a set of stairs. They're bringing Stevie to the hospital for stitches right now."

  Cat folded her arms across her chest and started pacing. After crossing the room several times she stopped to look at Billie. "He wouldn't do that, would he?"

  "I don't know, Cat. I hope not. But if he's in the same condition as Stevie, I'm more concerned about him driving his car drunk. I'll kick his ass from here to kingdom come and back if he is!"

  Cat nodded her head in silent agreement.

  "Look, I can't just sit here and wait for him to come home. I'm going to look for him." Billie grabbed a pair of running shorts and a T-shirt and slipped them on.

  "I'm going with you," Cat insisted. "I'll wake Tara and let her know what's going on. She'll need to keep an eye on Sky if we're not back before they get up."

  ***

  The tips of Cat's fingers were raw as she chewed at her nails. She and Billie drove all around the vicinity, looking for their errant son. It was now nearly five o'clock and the sun was making its way over the horizon. Billie was a nervous wreck as all sorts of horrible scenarios ran through her mind, including the possibility that he had been in a drunken accident and was now lying dead by the side of the road.

  Deciding to return home to call the police, they were met by the sight of Seth's car in the driveway.

  Cat let out a muffled cry of relief.

  Billie reacted with anger. She brought the car to an abrupt halt, just inches behind Seth's car. She threw the door open and quickly emerged, slamming the door behind her. In three long strides, she reached Seth's door. Unfortunately for him, he was passed out across the front seat.

  "Billie! Billie!" Cat quickly made her way around the front of the car, just in time to see Billie pull Seth out of the car by two handfuls of his shirt.

  Still in a drunken stupor, Seth offered no resistance. Billie dragged him out of the car and roughly laid him over the trunk on his back. Without releasing the hold she had on his shirt, Billie leaned in very close, the expression on her face clearly indicating her anger. Cat stood by, desperately wanting to intervene, but restrained herself.

  For long moments, Billie held eye contact with her son, who realized, despite his inebriated state, how much trouble he was in.

  "Mom..." he began.

  "Don't you 'Mom' me!" she spat into his face. "You are so in trouble, young man!" she hissed. "Hand them over." She held out her hand.

  Seth looked at her blankly.

  "Now!" she nearly shouted.

  Seth's brow crinkled and he looked at Cat…clearly confused.

  "Your car keys, Seth. Hand them over," Cat said.

  Seth looked back and forth between his mothers. His eyes opened wide as realization crossed hi
s face. "No, way!"

  "Yes, way!" Billie returned. "Put them here." She held her hand close to his face.

  "But Mom!" he whined.

  Billie grabbed his shirtfront again and pulled him closer. "Look Seth, you violated the number one rule...no drinking and driving. For Christ's sake, Seth, you're only sixteen years old. God damn it! You could have killed yourself and Stevie too."

  Billie abruptly released him and walked away to compose herself. She turned back to her son, who was busy adjusting the front of his shirt, and again held out her hand for the keys. Seth begrudgingly gave them to her. "For the foreseeable future, you drive only to work and back. At all other times, the car is mine. Is that understood?" Billie said sternly.

  Seth refused to answer. He stood there with his hands on his hips and his gaze on his shoes.

  Billie knew she wouldn't get a response from the young man. "Now, don't think for one moment that this is over. You and I are going to have a long talk once you've had a chance to sleep this off. I want an explanation, including where you got the alcohol, and just how Stevie ended up needing stitches."

  Seth looked up suddenly. "Steve needs stitches?"

  Billie just nodded.

  Seth leaned against his car, still somewhat intoxicated. It was obvious to Billie that he was struggling with the news that his best friend needed medical attention.

  Cat approached Seth and rubbed his back. "Go on up to bed. We'll talk about this later, okay? I'm sure Stevie will be fine."

  Seth looked at his mother through moist eyes. He nodded slightly and headed for the house, purposely avoiding Billie's gaze. Billie and Cat stood there and watched their son shakily negotiate the steps. When he was safely inside the house, Cat turned to Billie and raised her eyebrows.

  Billie immediately became defensive. "Now don't tell me I was too hard on him, Cat. He could have killed himself or someone else. This is one mistake he will pay for dearly with his freedom."

  Cat stepped into Billie's personal space and raised herself on tiptoe. She placed a gentle kiss on Billie's lips. "Actually, I agree with you," she said. "Now, we have about two hours before Sky gets up. What do you say we try to get some sleep now that all three of the kids are home, safe and sound?"

  ***

  Billie leaned against the wall. She held the receiver to her ear and she listened to it ring three times before being answered.

  "Hello?" a masculine voice responded.

  "Fred? Fred, this is Billie. Is Jen home?" she asked

  "Yeah, but I don't think she wants to talk to you," Fred replied.

  "Fred, this is bullshit and you know it. We can't let our friendship go to hell over something our kids have done. Now let me talk to her," Billie demanded.

  "Billie, let me have the phone," Cat insisted after listening to Billie's end of the conversation.

  Billie reluctantly handed the receiver to Cat.

  "Fred, honey, this is Cat. How is Stevie this morning?"

  Billie silently berated herself for not asking about Stevie's health before asking after Jen.

  "Stevie will be fine," Fred replied. "He has a gash in his backside that required about a dozen stitches. He'll be sore for a while, but it's nothing debilitating."

  "Good. Give him our best, okay? Look Fred, Seth is still in bed, so we haven't had a chance to hear his side of the story. Has Stevie said anything about what happened last night?"

  "I'm afraid Stevie wasn't making a lot sense himself last night. He was pretty much incoherent. He said something about the graveyard, and whiskey, and then something about a boat. I don't know. I'm sure it was the alcohol talking," Fred explained.

  "Graveyard?" Cat asked. She looked at Billie with raised eyebrows. "I knew I saw something last night!"

  "You saw them?" Fred asked.

  "Coming home from dinner last night around ten, Billie and I passed the graveyard, and I was sure I saw some movement in there. If we had known it was the boys, we would have stopped."

  "Well, its water under the bridge at this point. Look, Jen and I think the boys need some time apart. We need to send the message that this kind of behavior is unacceptable," Fred stated.

  "I agree that this behavior is unacceptable, but keeping the boys apart isn't necessarily the answer Fred," Cat replied.

  "Look Cat, we've made our decision. I've got to run," he replied haltingly.

  "Fred, please let me talk to Jen," Cat pleaded.

  "Good bye, Cat."

  Cat stared in disbelief at the receiver in her hand. "He hung up on me! I can't believe he hung up on me!"

  "I'm going over there. Something else is going on here that they're not telling us about. We've had spats before over the kids and they haven't led to this kind of hostility. Heck, remember that disastrous camping trip several years ago?" Billie asked. "The kids fought like cats and dogs nearly the whole time."

  "Billie, maybe we should let them cool off for a while. I can understand them being angry with Seth if they think he's caused Stevie harm. Anyway, we need to hear Seth's side of the story before we confront the Swensons."

  "Did I hear Stevie's name?" came a husky voice from the doorway.

  Billie and Cat turned to look at the source of the question and saw a bedraggled Seth half standing, half leaning against the kitchen door frame.

  Billie's eyes narrowed at her son, who winced under the scrutiny. "I think you have some explaining to do," she said.

  Seth walked across the kitchen, dragging his feet along the way, and dropped heavily into a chair. He propped his elbows on the table and lowered his head into his hands. "Where would you like me to start?"

  "Try from the beginning." Cat sat in a chair opposite Seth. Billie paced the floor behind her son.

  Seth sat back in his chair and folded his hands on the table in front of him. He hesitated and picked at the imaginary dirt from beneath his nails, all the while, avoiding his mother's gaze.

  "Well?" Cat prompted.

  "I didn't want to do it, but I was afraid I would look like a wuss if I didn't," Seth said. "It wasn't my fault."

  Billie walked around the table and stood behind Cat. She leaned in to address her son. "I don't want to hear about fault, Seth. You are most definitely at fault. You chose to drink. You chose to drive. I'm sure no one twisted your arm."

  Seth lowered his chin to his chest.

  Billie resumed pacing, this time, behind Cat.

  Cat touched Seth's hand. "Seth, where did you get the alcohol?"

  "You know my friend, Timmy Rabidoux? Well, his older brother got it for us," he confessed.

  "What's his name, Seth?" Billie asked in mid-stride.

  "Randy."

  Billie continued to pace. Silence prevailed except for the sound of footsteps crossing back and forth. Long moments later, Seth broke the unbearable silence.

  "So, is Stevie all right?" he asked.

  "Yes he is, no thanks to you. He needed a dozen stitches," Billie ran her hands through her hair. "Seth, what were you thinking?" She placed her hands on the table and leaned toward her son. "What in God's name were you thinking? You are only sixteen. You could have been killed. You could have killed Stevie as well."

  Seth hung his head once more. "I know," he replied softly.

  Billie pushed herself away from the table and crossed her arms over her chest. "I am so angry with you right now."

  Cat approached Billie and took her hands in hers. "Billie, honey, come sit and let Seth explain his side of the story, okay?"

  Billie's gaze met Cat's. The tenderness in Cat's eyes had an immediate effect on her anger. She took a deep breath and silently chided herself for violating the primary rule of her trade…innocent until proven guilty. She realized that she wasn't giving Seth an opportunity to defend himself. She closed her eyes for a moment to regain her composure then pulled out a seat at the table.

  "Okay," Billie said to her son. "Explain yourself."

  Seth cleared his throat and looked from Billie to Cat, and back again. "Ti
mmy suggested to Steve and me that we have a guy's night out and drink a little whiskey. He said his brother could get us the stuff. I really didn't want to do it. I warned them that our parents would kill us if they found out, but they teased me and called me a mama's boy, so I went along with them," he started to explain.

  "They called you a mama's boy?" Cat asked.

  Seth just nodded. "Yeah. It's kind of tough living in a house full of girls. Top it off with two moms, and…well, you get my point. I get teased some times, but I try to ignore it."

  Billie frowned. "Who is teasing you, Seth?" she asked in her best 'I'm gonna kick their asses' voice.

  Seth threw his hands up. "Gee, Mom, are you gonna fight all my battles for me? It's bad enough that I get teased. I don't need you beating their Dads up too," Seth exclaimed.

  A tiny smile crossed Cat's face as she watched her son back Billie off. Billie was taken aback by Seth's directness. She sat back in her seat, with her eyebrows raised high on her forehead.

  "So go on," Cat urged. "How did you end up in the graveyard, and how was Stevie hurt?"

  Seth leaned his forearms on the table. "We went to the graveyard because Timmy said it was one place no one would look for us. Steve cut his butt when he slid down the stairs onto a broken bottle."

  "So you didn't push him?" Billie asked.

  Seth's eyes flew open. "Push him? Why would I push my best friend down the stairs?" he asked unbelievably.

  "That's what Jen told us last night when she called," Billie replied.

  "Where would she get that idea?" Seth asked.

  "She must have gotten it from Stevie," Billie said. "Or at least, that's what she understood Stevie to say."

  Seth stood up and pushed his chair back. He held his hands out to the sides and tried desperately to defend himself. "I did not push Steve down the stairs. If he's telling his mom a lie to shift the blame to me, I'm gonna pound him!" Seth headed toward the door.

  "Get back here, Seth. You're not going anywhere," Billie commanded.

  Seth stopped at the door and turned to look at his mother. "Mom, I can't let him accuse me like that. I didn't do it!" he stated adamantly.