Behind the Pine Curtain by Gerri Hill Read Free Book Online Page A

all I get? What about after high school? Did you go off to college?”
    Kay shook her head. “No. I . . . I worked in the café for awhile. And then . . . well, I got married.”
    “Yeah? Who was the lucky guy?”
    Kay met her eyes, then looked away. “I really don’t want to talk about this now, Jackie. Okay?”
    “Hey, sure. I’m sorry. Just trying to catch up.”
    “What about you?” Kay asked, changing the subject. “I’ve read your books, by the way. You’re very talented. I don’t remember you ever writing when we were in school.”
    Jacqueline blushed slightly. In fact, she’d always written, she just never shared her stories with anyone, afraid they would laugh at her.
    “I secretly dabbled in it,” Jacqueline admitted. “When I started college, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, so I took some writing classes, and it just fell into place. I was very lucky.”
    “And your love life?” Kay surprised herself with the question. It was something she’d thought about often, in the beginning, when she’d first found out.
    Jacqueline smiled. “You want to talk about my love life? What? I’m the only lesbian you know?”
    “Actually . . . yeah.”
    “No closeted spinster women hanging around town?” Jacqueline teased.
    “Well, you know, Ms. Cutter never married. Does that count?”

    “She’s still here? Damn, she must be in her eighties by now.”
    “She was only in her forties when we were in school. In fact, she’s still teaching.”
    “And lived alone all these years?”
    “Well, she does go out of town on weekends quite often.”
    “There you go. She’s probably sneaking off to some deviant affair she’s been having. Some other spinster woman in another town, maybe.”
    They laughed and Rose walked up, linking arms with both of them.
    “What’s so funny?”
    “Nothing,” Kay said. “Just catching up.”
    “Uh-huh. You two cannot hide over here all night talking. God, I used to hate that when you were together. You’d lock me out of your room, and I could hear you talking and laughing for hours.”
    “It was big-girl talk and you were just a little squirt,” Jacqueline said.
    “I was not. I’m only four years younger than you guys.”
    “That makes you twenty-nine. God, Rose, you’re twenty-nine and you’ve got four young kids? You know what causes that, right?”
    “Very funny. But I’m certain you don’t,” Rose teased. “And anyway, Mama’s given up on Kay giving her grandkids, so the rest of us are all having one extra.”
    Kay playfully punched her arm. “Thanks a lot, sis.”
    “Hey, I can’t help it if you didn’t get my maternal instincts.”

    “Girls? Come on over and be sociable. We didn’t drag Jackie all the way over here so only you two could have her.”
    “Come on. Mama’s put her foot down.”
    “I want to hear all about Jackie’s life in California. It must be very exciting.”
    Jacqueline turned and winked at Kay. “Should I leave out the part about my love life?”
    Kay smiled, watching as Jackie was absorbed into her family once again. For the first time in years, Kay felt true happiness.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    “It was so great seeing Jackie again, wasn’t it?” Rose asked while they were helping their mother cleanup.
    “Yes, it really was. Almost like old times,” Kay said. She found it very surprising that after fifteen years of separation, they could talk and tease like they hadn’t missed a day.
    “Did you . . . did you tell her anything?”
    Kay shook her head. “We didn’t have much time alone. Besides, do I really want to bring all that up?”
    Rose grabbed her arm as she walked past, squeezing lightly. “You told me yourself, Jackie was the only one you’d ever been able to talk to.
    And I know for a fact you haven’t talked to anyone about this.”
    “It’s been what? Six years? I think I’m over it by now,” Kay insisted.

    “Bullshit. You’ve kept it bottled up inside, as if you could put the cork