Page 40 of Learning Curves

“Not if we can laugh about it now.” Audrey grinned. Her fingers were still moving. The feel of her tracing hearts on Michelle’s skin might be her new favorite thing.

“Still,” Michelle pressed because this had been bothering her even before Audrey confessed her college crush.

“It sometimes worries me that I met you when you were so young, that you were my student. It feels ... forbidden, even though it was so long ago. I have a tendency to overthink things, if you hadn’t noticed. ”

Audrey squeezed her hip. “I noticed. But in this case, there’s nothing to worry about.

We’re colleagues now. I’m thirty. That teenage girl who crushed on her professor is so far in the past, it’s not even worth thinking about, except to appreciate the irony that we’re here together now . .. as fully consenting adults.”

“I think this conversation has actually made me feel more conscious of it.” Michelle sighed. “Sorry.”

“You apologize too much,” Audrey said, her voice gentle.

“Please don’t be sorry for voicing your concerns.

I’m glad you told me so we can figure out a solution, and I think the answer here is communication.

Let’s just try to be extra open with each other about what we’re feeling and check in with each other a lot. ”

Michelle felt the tension drain from her muscles. “Yes, I like the sound of that.”

“Good.”

“Do you have plans today?”

“I need to spend some time at my pottery wheel. I’m working on a few holiday gifts.”

Michelle smiled. “I bet your friends and family love your gifts. I know I still treasure the teacup you made me.”

“Aww.” Audrey leaned in to kiss her cheek. “They do, but I try to mix it up and give them store-bought gifts sometimes too. Most of my family members are already completely overloaded with ceramics I’ve made them.”

“I can’t imagine having too many.”

“You’re sweet.” Audrey gave her another kiss. “But if you were asking if I need to leave soon, the answer is no. Actually, I’d love to get a better look at some of your art, if that’s okay, because I’m absolutely swooning over your home collection.”

Michelle was extremely proud of her home collection, not that she shared it often. She didn’t open her home to many people, but for Audrey? “I’d like that.”

With that decided, they got up, dressed, and had breakfast at the table in Michelle’s kitchen. It overlooked the downward slope behind her house and provided sweeping views of the mountains beyond. She’d lived here over a year, and it still dazzled her every time she looked out the windows.

“I’m a little bit in love with your house.” Audrey sipped coffee and looked out at the mountains. It was a beautiful early-December day, with a dusting of snow on the ground, just enough to make everything shimmer beneath the blue sky above. “This view is seriously incredible.”

“It was a big part of what sold me on the house,” Michelle told her. “I have trails out there too. Would you like to go for a walk after you’ve seen my art collection?”

“I’d love to.”

And so, an hour later, they walked down the back hill together. Audrey had borrowed boots and a hat, and she looked so happy . It must be contagious because Michelle felt awfully joyous herself.

“Oh, look! Deer prints.” Audrey crouched to look at the hoofprints in the snow. “That’s so cool.”

“I get all kinds out here,” Michelle told her. “Deer, coyote, bear, and lots of smaller prints I can’t tell apart ... fox and raccoon and such.”

“Amazing. I’d be out here looking at animal prints every day. Aren’t the bears asleep for the winter, though?”

“Probably, but with climate change, they don’t always hibernate all winter anymore.

When we get a warm snap, I’ll see evidence that they’ve been up and about.

I had to stop putting up bird feeders because I couldn’t keep them out, and it’s not good for them to associate your house with food.

It leads to nuisance bears. Then they cause damage, and sometimes they have to be put down, which is unfair, if you ask me, since we caused the problem, not the bear. ”

“You sound like such a Vermonter.” Audrey’s expression was fond. “Not many Brits could give such an elegant speech about black bears, I bet. But you’re right. It’s sad when our actions have negative impacts on wildlife.”

“I have a healthy respect for all the animals out here. They leave me alone, and I leave them alone, but I do love looking at them from my windows.”

“And you have that gorgeous painting of them in your office.” Audrey stood, sliding her hand into Michelle’s and giving it a squeeze.

“Yes.” She had a whole collection of paintings by local artists, including a winter scene with several deer. It reminded her of her own backyard.

“I still can’t believe you have a Cassatt and a Bonheur in your living room.

” Audrey held tight to her hand as they reached the bottom of the hill and headed into the woods on one of the paths Michelle had created.

“And a St. Claire in your bedroom. That’s so badass.

You, Michelle Thompson, are extremely badass. ”

“Oh, I don’t know about that ...”

“You are.” There was something fierce in Audrey’s tone, and this wasn’t the first time she’d come to Michelle’s defense. Honestly, she had no idea what to make of it, except that she never wanted their time together to end.

“If you like animals, I know which path we should take,” she deflected.

“Okay, but I thought we agreed we prefer seeing wild animals from inside the house?” Audrey glanced cautiously around them.

“We did.” Michelle smiled, purposefully playing coy, but she wanted to see Audrey’s face when they reached their destination. She had a feeling it would be worth it.

“Okay. I’m trusting you not to lead me to an angry bear’s den,” Audrey said playfully.

“Good. This is actually my favorite time of year to hike. It’s cold enough that there are no bugs.

You can even walk through thick vegetation and not worry about ticks, but it’s not so cold that it’s miserable, and there’s not much snow on the ground yet.

This light covering makes it so easy to see animal tracks, though. I think early December is perfect.”

“I probably wouldn’t have thought to hike in December at all, but you’re right. This is really nice.” Her hand was still in Michelle’s.

“It’s so quiet. Another reason I love hiking in December.” Michelle gazed through the trees ahead. Their branches were mostly bare now, although a few brittle brown leaves still clung, rustling in the breeze. The trail parted before them, and she made a left turn.

“Are we still on your property?” Audrey asked. “Did your house come with these trails?”

“Yes, and no. I made them myself.”

“Well, holy shit. That’s impressive. How? I wouldn’t know where to start.”

“First, I came through the woods with little colored flags to mark out potential routes. I did that last year this time, when it was safe to walk through the underbrush without picking up ticks. Then I used a brush trimmer to remove vegetation along my new trails, and I brought out the chain saw to take down a few small trees that were in the way. Now they just require maintenance. During the greener months, I have to come out here once a month or so and trim it all back so nature doesn’t reclaim her land. ”

Audrey gave Michelle a heated once over. “Okay, now I’m picturing you out here with a chain saw, and let me tell you, that is one hot mental image. Please tell me you wore flannel to get the job done.”

“I might have. I honestly don’t remember, but I do own flannel.” Michelle hadn’t thought of herself as hot in such a long time, and it was undeniably good for her self-esteem to know that Audrey did.

Audrey used the hand that was holding Michelle’s to haul her in for a kiss. “Promise me that next time you come out here with the chain saw, you’ll invite me along?”

“To help or to watch?” Michelle’s hands were on Audrey’s waist now, and kissing in the woods was yet another new thing she loved.

“Either. Both. I’ve never used a chain saw.”

“Clearly, you haven’t lived in Vermont as long as I have.” Michelle pressed her lips to Audrey’s again, and then they continued down the path, their boots crunching delightfully over the snow-covered leaves.

“That’s true. You’re an interesting dichotomy, the prim and proper Brit who wears tweed while she sips tea and collects art, but who’s also at home with a chain saw while dodging bears on the trails she built herself.”

“I suppose I’ve lived here longer than I lived in London,” she mused. “I hadn’t thought about that before.”

“Where do you feel more at home?”

Michelle shrugged. “I don’t know. I still think of London as home, but it’s been so long since I truly lived there.”

Ahead, she could see the end of the trail, her neighbor’s field visible through the trees. Audrey didn’t seem to have noticed yet, so Michelle let the surprise build for another moment.

“The Boston area will always be home for me, I think,” Audrey was saying. “Although Vermont feels familiar in a nostalgic way since I spent four years here during college. I was in such a different place in my life, though. I’m learning the area as an adult for the first time.”

“Ready for your surprise?” Michelle asked.

“Yes. Oh!” Audrey had finally spotted the wooden fence ahead. “Wait, what is this?”

“Animals, and you can even pet them. I visit them at least once a week when the weather’s nice.

” Michelle walked to the fence and looked out into the field.

Her neighbor’s horses immediately began plodding over for face rubs.

They were a pretty pair, sleek and brown during the warmer months, although their coats were impressively shaggy right now to protect them from the winter air.

“Why are there horses in a pen in the middle of the woods?” Audrey asked, sounding vaguely outraged.

“Because we aren’t in the middle of the woods. My neighbor’s house is just over there.” Michelle pointed to the structure barely visible along the tree line. “The road wraps around on the other side of those trees.”

“Oh.” Audrey grinned at the horse in front of her, then gave it a cautious rub. The horse snorted, bobbing his head.

“That one is called Max,” Michelle told her.

“Aww, you know their names?”

“Yes. I even have permission to bring them the occasional carrot.”

Audrey gave her an aggrieved look. “Why didn’t we bring treats for them today, then?”

“Because I didn’t know we were heading this way until we were already in the woods.” She paused, summoning her courage for what she was about to say. “Next time?”

Audrey beamed at her. “Definitely.”