Page 36 of Is It Casual Now?

thirty-six

“Hey, Harley!” Jamie grinned as Harley opened the front door. She’d only just barely knocked, which meant that Harley must have been waiting for her. As soon as she stepped inside, Harley wrapped her arms around Jamie’s leg. Wait… arms? “Did you get your cast off?”

Jamie bent down so she could look Harley over. Sure enough, the cast that had encased her arm the entire time Jamie had known her was completely gone.

“Yes!” Harley giggled and raised her arm above her head before attempting to stretch it out. “But I can’t straighten it yet.” She pouted. “Mommy says I have to go to PT. What’s that?”

“It’s a doctor that helps you move your muscles better. It’ll be fun. Sometimes they make games that you can play.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” Jamie patted Harley’s shoulder before standing up to her full height. “Did you get to keep the cast?”

“No! It was so stinky! I nearly threw up.”

Jamie laughed. She remembered that from when she’d been a kid and had broken her arm on a trampoline. That was something she’d never wanted to do again, so she’d never stepped foot on one of those contraptions after that. And she still wouldn’t, no matter how hard someone tried to make her.

“Yeah, they can get pretty gross. Where’s your mom?”

“Kitchen.” Harley took Jamie by the hand and led her toward the kitchen, but she didn’t let go of Jamie’s hand when they got there.

That had been one of the hardest things for Jamie to get used to. Harley was so affectionate with other people, physically affectionate in ways that Jamie had never been growing up. Her parents had always held her and Jessie at a distance, their father especially. And seeing Siena and Harley together was really the first time that Jamie wondered if it truly was just her family that was like that.

She’d have to look into it more and talk to Jessie about it.

“Hey there,” Jamie said, catching Siena at the stovetop, cooking something that smelled delicious.

“Hey.” Siena grinned broadly. “She was watching from the window.”

Jamie chuckled. “I figured.” Moving in, Jamie leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips to Siena’s. It was a quick kiss as something crackled in the pan on the stove. She glanced down at it and was impressed that Siena was cooking. “I love that you can do that.”

“Cook?” Siena looked at her in surprise.

“Yeah. My claim to fame is ramen in the microwave.”

“This explains so much,” Siena teased as she went back to preparing the meal.

“How was your new job?” Harley asked, her chest puffing out with how thrilled she was to be able to remember something important.

“It’s good.” Jamie bent down and picked Harley up, popping her on her hip for a quick hug before setting her back down. “I bet not as good as finally being able to scratch your skin.”

Harley giggled. “It’s so good!” She waved her hand in the air again excitedly. “Is your new boss mean?”

“My new boss is Ingrid.” Jamie glanced at Siena. “Do you know her?”

“Mommy’s friend.”

Jamie nodded. “Yeah, so she’s pretty nice.” So far anyway, but Jamie hadn’t really been there that long yet, which meant she still had time to piss off the boss and run into problems of her own making. Although this job already felt far calmer than any other she’d had so far. Something about the office was odd, but she just put it down to the newness.

“Harley, would you go set the table, please?” Siena asked.

“Sure thing, Mommy!” Harley immediately raced to the cabinet where the plates were, skidding to a halt in her socked feet on the tile floor.

Jamie leaned against the counter, eyeing Siena over. She’d missed spending one-on-one time with Siena, but she also loved this feeling that came over her. It was so…settled. That was the word. It brought a sense of joy into her life, and she wouldn’t give that up for the world.

“What are you smiling about?” Siena asked as she plated the chicken and scooped some of the juices onto the plate with it.

“Nothing.”

Siena narrowed her eyes at Jamie. “I don’t believe you.”

Jamie grinned broadly. “I was just thinking that this is nice?”

“Having someone cook you a meal?”

“Well, yes, that.” Jamie rolled her eyes. “I was thinking that this is nice.” Jamie waved her hand out to encompass the kitchen.

Siena looked around, very confused. “The house? ”

“The family,” Jamie settled on that word. “My life growing up was fairly cold, and I was never really the accepted one. Definitely not the golden child like Jessie, but here… it feels so different. So welcome and warm.”

Siena frowned.

“My parents were hard, not just because they didn’t really like me but because I don’t think they wanted Jessie and me, ever. Dad wanted boys, not girls, and he got stuck with girls—two very girlie girls.”

“Ah.” Siena scooped the green beans out of the pot and added some butter and seasoning to them before mixing them up. Harley skidded back in for the silverware. “Don’t run with those, please.”

“Got it!” Harley chimed.

“We’re named after Jessie James.”

“Really?” Astonishment crossed Siena’s face.

“Yeah. Real clever, right?”

“You could say that.”

Jamie stood up straight, debating whether or not she wanted to help Harley finish setting the table. “He never really wanted us, and so he never really loved us.”

“Surely he did.”

“No,” Jamie answered simply. “I really don’t think he did. Mom did, but not Dad, and after a while she stopped fighting him on that.”

“I’m so sorry.” Siena touched Jamie’s arm lightly. “That’s really hard.”

Jamie shrugged. She’d talked to Jessie about it many times over the years, and they’d both dealt with it by cutting their parents off around their twenty-fifth birthday. Jamie had gone first, but Jessie had followed pretty quickly afterward. Their lives were much better that way.

“I think I just always assumed no one wanted me because of that.” Jamie snagged Siena’s hand before she started to bring the food into the dining room. “At least until I met you.”

Siena hummed, stepping right up to Jamie and pressing into her side. “You’re worth it.”

“Some days,” Jamie answered, tilting her head up to look into Siena’s gaze. “Other days?—”

“What happened to not talking negative about ourselves?” Siena teased. “It’s a bad example for Harley, remember?”

“I thought some days was a better answer than no days.”

Siena rolled her eyes before leaning in for a longer, deeper kiss. She curled her fingers around Jamie’s cheeks and held her still while their tongues tangled. Jamie’s breathing increased, her nipples hardened, and she tugged Siena sharply into her as she held on for dear life. Suddenly, Siena pulled away, but she stayed so close that Jamie could feel her breath on her lips.

“It’s better, I’ll give you that. But it’s still pretty negative.”

“Fine,” Jamie mumbled. “But if you’re going to kiss me like that every time I say something negative about myself, I might not want to stop doing it.”

“Sneaky.”

“Will it work?” Jamie moved in swiftly, nipping Siena’s lower lip and then sucking it.

Moaning, Siena pushed into Jamie and held her close. “No, it won’t.”

“Damn.”

Siena stepped away as Harley came back into the kitchen. “All ready!”

“Awesome!” Jamie grinned at her, but Harley had a funny look on her face. “What?”

“Were you kissing ?” Harley said it like it was a curse word.

Jamie glanced at Siena, who just shrugged. Well, this wasn’t how she expected the pre-dinner conversation to go. Jamie was nearly at a loss for words, so she just answered honestly. “Yes.”

“JJ says that’s how babies are made. ”

“What?” Siena spun around sharply, her voice echoing through the kitchen. “JJ said what?”

“That you make babies with kissing.”

“Oh God.” Siena’s face was beat red.

“What?” Harley asked.

Jamie had to stifle the laugh behind her hand, but she wasn’t having much luck. Instead, she decided to grab the plate of chicken and make her way into the dining room. She was going to leave that conversation to one of the parents. She was definitely not a parent. Jamie finished setting up the table while Siena continued to splutter in surprise.

When they all finally sat down, Harley was still asking questions. “But if kissing is part, what’s the other part?”

“Oh Jesus,” Siena muttered. “Just eat Harley.”

“But I want to know.”

“There are quite a few ways to make a baby,” Jamie jumped in. “There isn’t just one, but for some people, kissing is involved. For most people, some sort of love is involved.” Did she really mean that though? Especially with what she’d just shared with Siena?

“Yeah, that.” Siena plated up food for Harley and then started to cut her chicken.

“I wanna cut it!” Harley squealed and reached for her plate. “I’m a big kid now.”

“All right. All right.” Siena put her hands up in surrender. “Just let me know if you need some help.”

Jamie made up her own plate and was just about to take a bite when she felt Siena’s leg under the table on hers. It was so rare for them to be in the same room with each other and not be touching in some capacity. It had been difficult at first, when Harley had first been introduced to the idea of them dating, because Jamie had held back and so had Siena. But now that Harley was far more comfortable with the idea, they had these little moments .

They were halfway through the meal when Harley spoke up. “Are you getting married?”

“What?” Again Siena’s voice cut through the din of the room like a whip. “Why would you ask that?”

“Because Mama and Miranda are getting married.”

Jamie bit the inside of her cheek. It was a reasonable question for a five-year-old, especially considering the circumstances. And it was why Harley had been at Siena’s for an entire week straight.

“Mama and Miranda have been together for a long time now. Jamie and I only just started dating.” Siena picked up her wine glass and took a long gulp.

“How long?”

“Oh God. What is with you and the questions tonight, kid?” Siena’s cheeks were a gorgeous shade of pink. “We’re not ready to get married.”

Jamie couldn’t have agreed more. She was just figuring out who this new her was. She really didn’t need to add a wedding and marriage on top of that. She still wasn’t entirely ready to give up all her freedom yet. Or perhaps it wasn’t freedom she was giving up but just life as she currently knew it.

“Will you tell me when you’re getting married?”

“Yes,” Siena answered. “I’ll talk to you first thing when that happens.”

Jamie smiled down at her plate and then caught herself. Suprise washed through her as she took in the specifics of Siena’s words.

WHEN that happens. Not if.

Her smile widened and she had to bite back a small giggle that wanted to make its way out of her mouth. It wasn’t from freaking out, there wasn’t even the hint of panic in her. It was from the joy of knowing that Siena saw their future together. This incredible woman wanted her and loved her without strings or conditions .

“What happens at a wedding?” Harley’s eyes were wide with curiosity as she pulled Jamie back to the table.

“There’s kissing,” Jamie jumped in, unable to hold her tongue any longer. Siena’s glare was enough of a response to get her to bite her tongue on any more though.

“Yes, there’s kissing.” Siena sighed. “It depends on the wedding. Mama and Miranda eloped, so it’s just them and one other person. Very small. They say a few words to each other, usually about love and how they’re wanting to stay together for the rest of their lives, and then that’s it.”

“What about you and Mama? What was your wedding like?”

“We don’t have to talk about that now, Harley.” Siena slid Jamie a glance, clearly checking to see if this conversation was okay for them to have and trying to protect Jamie from anything uncomfortable.

“I mean, I’m curious too. Don’t you have a photo album or something?”

Siena winced. “No.”

“Oh, now that’s a lie!” Jamie pointed at her.

Harley jumped up from the table. “I know where it is!” She raced out of the dining room.

“Harley Quinn Frazee! You get back in here!”

“In a minute, Mom !”

“Oh that attitude!” Siena laughed. “I guess we’re doing this.”

“We’re definitely doing this.” Jamie was going to find out every damn thing she could about this woman and her family. She wanted to know everything, and she wanted to be a part of whatever was to come next.