Page 115 of September

Juliet lifted up to stare down at her, loving how Gwen’s face looked when she was about to come. She really wished they could stay in this moment forever because there was still that traveling threat hanging over them if she didn’t take care of it soon.

After Gwen came down, Juliet thought about making her come again, but Gwen seemed content to just hold her in place on top of her and rub her back.

“I guess that’s what the old woman meant,” Gwen said into the silence.

“Huh?”

“She said good things would happen if I bought the van. She must have meant sex, which is weird, but it was good, so she was right.”

“Babe, you would’ve gotten sex with or without the van. If fact, if you want to get dressed and go upstairs, we can do this some more,” she replied, kissing her collarbone.

Gwen chuckled and said, “Well, then I don’t know what she meant, but I’m glad for it. She just had this way about her that felt very trusting; like I needed to listen to her because she wouldn’t steer me wrong. She was like someone’s grandma. You know how grandmas have superpowers.”

“Will we get superpowers when we become grandparents?”

“Probably. I think we get the mom ones first, though.”

Juliet kissed her cheek a few times and asked, “Should we get dressed?”

“In a minute,” Gwen replied. “I just want to hold you.”

Juliet didn’t mind that at all. Despite being a little cold, she had the warmth of Gwen’s body helping with that. Then, athought hit her. She was going to talk to her boss about work. Her girlfriend’s excitement over her new business, sparked by this plain white van and, apparently, an old woman who had convinced Gwen to look further instead of just getting to it later, had Juliet wanting to be excited about her own job again.

It was impossible, of course, because a random woman couldn’t have known anything about either of them, and she couldn’t have known that Juliet had been pretty miserable at work lately and needed to speak up and say something about it, but maybe that was the good thing the woman was referring to without even knowing about it. Juliet hadn’t had the courage to do it before, but lying here with Gwen now, thinking about how this van won’t be empty for long, had her picturing herself helping Gwen groom dogs when she could and driving with her whenever she had a day off or just wanted to go along for the ride. She couldn’t do that if she weren’t in town.

“You’re quiet,” Gwen said after a few minutes.

“I’m happy,” Juliet replied, meaning it.

CHAPTER 32

“So, this is it,” Gwen said, motioning at the van’s interior.

“And you just bought it?” Logan asked.

“Notjust. I got it checked out and everything first,” she said.

“You want it to be turned into a mobile dog grooming business?”

“Yes. I was hoping you would help with the plumbing and stuff like that. I’d pay you, obviously.”

“Just pay for the materials, and I’m good,” Logan told her. “I like putting stuff together and fixing things, too.” She then climbed into the back of the van and asked, “Is that a sock?”

Gwen’s eyes went wide when she saw Juliet’s white sock that they had finally taken off after having another round in the back of the van before heading up to Juliet’s apartment and spending the rest of the night in the bedroom.

“Mine. I was… moving things in the van, and it must have fallen out of the bag,” she lied.

“Are you moving?” Logan asked.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Um… You know how it is when you’re doing the back-and-forth with your girlfriend. Some of my stuff is at her place. Some of hers is at mine.”

“I’m so glad I’m done with that,” Logan shared. “Now that I’m living with Rory, I don’t have to do that back-and-forth thing again.”

“She’s the one, huh?” Gwen asked, climbing into the van with her.

“Yes. You know, earlier in the year, I was in a pretty bad place. I was going through some stuff – and still am, in some ways – but I knew I wanted more. I just didn’t think I’d ever get to have it. Then, I got a job at Candace’s and met Rory, and everything changed for me after that. I talked to my parents for the first time in a while, gave up the whole sleeping around thing to try to feel something that I wouldn’t ever actually feel, made up with my best friend, and I went back to work doing what I love while I still work at the bar where I met the love of my life and where I get to see my new friends.” Logan smiled. “I’m buying her that ring one day, and I hope I always make her happy.”

“I think I’m falling for Juliet,” Gwen confessed abruptly.