Small Town Love Read online

  Small Town Love

  By M.M. Shapiro

  Published by JMS Books LLC

  Visit jms-books.com for more information.

  Copyright 2019 M.M. Shapiro

  ISBN 9781634868778

  Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

  Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

  All rights reserved.

  WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

  No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

  This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Published in the United States of America.

  * * * *

  Small Town Love

  By M.M. Shapiro

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 1

  Gabby slowed for the red light at Eleventh Street and Highway 101. “Shit!” She saw the accident about to happen and reached for her cell phone and dialed 911.

  The two vehicles slammed into each other, and the pickup with the California license plate spun around once as it crashed into a pole. She asked for an ambulance and a police officer. Reaching into the glove box of her pickup, she grabbed a set of handcuffs, donned her cowgirl hat, put her four-way flashers on, and raced to the car. She was certain it was Bill Wilson’s.

  Bill shook his head, got out, and haltingly jogged away from the scene.

  Gabby called to him, “Bill, stop. You just had a collision.”

  He looked over his shoulder, ignored her, and continued to flee.

  “Stop, damn it. You’re under citizen’s arrest.”

  He had to be drunk again. She had no trouble catching him. Hell, he was over fifty, and she was a spry thing at thirty. She grabbed his wrist, and he pulled away. She did a leg trip take-down and had him in cuffs, stood him up, and brought him back as a Bandon police officer rolled up with emergency lights flashing. Bill smelled like a brewery. She nodded to Officer Sheldon Winchester, opened his back door, and tossed Bill in.

  She said, “I want my cuffs back, Shel. I patted him for weapons, and he’s clean.”

  An ambulance and fire rigs pulled up for traffic control and first aid. In the pickup, she spied a sexy young thing, looking confused and shocked. They got her onto a stretcher, strapping her down. Yes, sir, a sexy young thing. Was she Japanese or Chinese? With so many people around her, Gabby couldn’t tell. They whisked her away. Gabby waited patiently as Sheldon handled the scene, called for tow trucks, and did everything himself. Hell, this was Bandon, and they could only afford one officer on duty most of the time.

  She finally got to give Sheldon her statement and how she arrested Bill.

  Sheldon shook her hand and returned her cuffs to her. “Thanks, Gabby, you should become an officer. You kick ass.”

  She laughed. “Of course, cowgirls kick ass.” As she turned, she saw a wallet in the street. She opened it and read the license from California. Aneko Watanabe, certainly Japanese. A tingle ran through her. She told Sheldon.

  “Crap, I already have to process and book Bill for DUI and write the report.” He handed her a blank supplement page for his report for her to write on.

  Gabby said, “She went to the local hospital. I can drop it off to her, and if you want, get all her details for the report. If you want.”

  “Gabby, you’re saving my ass here. At least become a reserve officer. We need you.”

  “Not in this lily white, heterosexual, male-obsessed little community.”

  She grabbed the driver’s suitcase from the cab of the truck, jumped in her truck, and sped off. At the local general hospital, she walked in the ER door past the sign saying it was for patients only. She went to the nurses’ station.

  “Hi, Amanda, I need to see the accident victim. Sheldon is alone again and has to book Bill Wilson for DUI. Sheldon asked me to help him out.”

  Amanda smiled. “Sure. She’s in bed number one in the ER, waiting for X-ray results.”

  Biting her lip, she headed in, hoping against all hope. She slowly pulled the curtain back and walked in. “Hi.”

  The young woman seemed to be staring at nothing. “Hi. Who are you? Obviously not hospital staff.” She looked at the cowgirl hat.

  “No, I’m not, I’m Gabby. I witnessed your accident, called it in, and arrested Bill, the other driver, for DUI and hit and run. He wasn’t sticking around. Again. Local town drunk. Officer Winchester was alone, as usual, and asked me to return your wallet. We found it in the street at the scene. He also needs all your information, full name, address, and so on for his report. If you want, I’ll take your statement, too, and write it up.”

  She winced as she moved. “You’re a police officer?”

  Gabby shook her head as she tried not to stare at the wonderfully sexy lass. Hard to tell with her lying on the gurney, but she couldn’t be over five-foot-three, maybe one hundred twenty pounds? Gabby cleared her throat, moved closer, and handed the wallet over. “Um, no, not an officer, just helping. I grew up in this town and know pretty much everyone. We’re a small town. Only one cop on duty most of the time.” She shrugged. “So, I’m helping.” She hoisted the suitcase. “I brought this, in case you wanted anything from it.”

  The girl shrugged. “Okay, I guess. Thanks for my wallet. And suitcase. Yes, I’m glad it’s here.”

  Gabby got a pen from the staff and wrote down Aneko’s vital info and her statement, which basically was she had a green light on Highway 101 and got hit.

  “Yeah, I saw it. Bill ran the red at over sixty mph. It’s like his fifth DUI. He’s always drunk. I feel sorry for him, but his license is suspended and he shouldn’t be driving.” She moved closer and got a tiny scent of floral perfume. “That’s a nice perfume. Pretty.”

  “It’s not too much, is it?”

  “No, no, no, just that I have a keen sense of smell, and I’m sort of close.” She bit her lip. “It’s nice.”

  She offered a hand, one that didn’t have an IV in it. “Thanks very much for all your help.”

  The doctor walked in. “Hi, Gabby. What’s up?”

  “I witnessed her crash and arrested Bill again. He tried to escape.” She looked to the doctor, to Aneko, and said, “I guess I’ll go. Gotta give this info to Sheldon.” She nodded and walked out with a tingle in her love box. She used her hand to wave air over her face. Aneko is one sexy lady. What are the odds she’s gay or half gay? “Close to zero, and she lives in California. Duh.” Gabby headed to her truck.

  Later, she called the hospital and was told that Aneko had a concussion, and since she had no one in town, they kept her overnight for observation.

  The nurse she talked to said, “And, of course, Gabby, I didn’t tell you all that. Confidential patient info and all.”

  When Gabby went to bed, she played with herself, thinking of Aneko.

  The next day, Gabby woke, t
hinking of Aneko, and headed to the hospital on her way to work. She found Aneko having breakfast. She was in a room for two but the only one there. It was roomy for a tiny hospital and nicely decorated with pictures of the ocean on one wall and mountains on the other. It smelled clean but not sanitary.

  Gabby said, “Hi. How are you?”

  Aneko gave a weak smile. “I’m sore, but otherwise okay, aside from the concussion when I hit my head on the side window. I didn’t die overnight, but they want to keep me one more night.”

  Gabby slipped closer. “Probably for the best, especially if you have no one local.” She handed a business card over. “This is where your pickup was taken. It’s hurt pretty badly.”

  “Oh, thanks. Again. So, why are you here now?”

  Gabby bit her lip. “Um, no one should be in the hospital without a friend to look in on them. That’s all. And to tell you where your truck is. I drive a truck, too. A 2007 Toyota. It’s purple.” She smiled.

  “I have a 2015 Toyota. Red.” She put her fork down and extended a hand. “Thanks for all your help. Again. I’ll call my insurance and see how fast my truck can be fixed.”

  “So, are you a tourist or what?”

  “More like ‘or what.’ Technically, I live in San Jose, California, but I need to move. It’s too polluted, congested, expensive.” She looked off. “And too many bad memories there.”

  Gabby turned on her wise-ass. “You’re not wanted by the cops, are you?”

  Aneko laughed and winced. “Oh, I’m sore all over. And no, I’m not wanted by the cops. Thanks for the laugh. Look, I didn’t get your name or anything yesterday. I’ll have to figure out how to thank you.” She stared. “That’s an awesome dragon necklace you’re wearing.”

  Gabby shivered at being in Aneko’s presence as she touched the necklace. Her first girlfriend in high school gave it to her, but the girlfriend couldn’t take being a lesbian and crawled back into hetero land. “Thank you.” Aside from the wonderful beauty the woman had, Gabby just sensed she was a good person, her energy flowed in a positive way. “No thanks necessary, unless you’re rich.” She laughed.

  “I’m not poor.”

  “Oh, sorry. I’m not looking for money or anything. Sometimes I’m a wise-ass. Really, no thanks needed.” She checked her watch. “I need to be at work. I hope you feel better. Call if I can help you with anything.” She wrote her phone number for Aneko.

  Aneko shook her head. “Oh, no, you’ve gone way beyond the call of duty, and I appreciate it.” She held her hand out, and Gabby took it. Aneko covered it with her other hand and kissed. “Thanks, again, Gabby. You’re a good soul. There’s a special place in heaven for you. I bet you do a lot of good in this community.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” Another warming chill gushed through her body. “I need to be at work.”

  She drove with a silly grin plastered on her face. There was a hole in her heart and gut that volunteering and doing good in the community didn’t fill. She needed a good woman in her life. She planted a few girlfriends but none took root, and she was alone. Again. Aneko seemed special, but she lived out of state. Long-distance relationships never produce success.

  She worked all day at the local farm supply store just south of the city limits. Her boss and store owner, Matt Jensen, went to her in the afternoon.

  “Gabby, you seem especially happy today. Anything special going on? Did you get laid? You’ve said it’s been a while.”

  She play-slapped his shoulder. “No, just in a good mood. Haven’t been laid yet.” She sighed. “Just not too many lesbians in this tiny town.”

  Matt looked her in the eye. “I want you to know that in the last two years, your anniversary is tomorrow, you’ve been a stellar worker, and I appreciate it. It’s not a lot, but I want to give you a fifty-cents an hour raise.”

  She smiled large. “Matt, thank you! That’s great. That works out to about twenty dollars a week or over a thousand dollars a year.” She lifted on her tippy toes to raise her five-foot-eight-inch height and kiss his cheek.

  “You’re always so positive. Most people would say I’m being cheap.” He shook his head. “Hell, let’s make it an even one dollar an hour raise. I’m glad to have you working for me.”

  “Wheeeeeee. Thank you, so very much.”

  After work, she stopped at the Chocolate Mart in Old Towne Bandon and selected a small assortment and had them gift wrapped. They were far from cheap, but it should brighten Aneko’s day. She waltzed into the hospital.

  The nurse on duty, Maria, stopped Gabby. “Gabby, you’re a wonderful friend. Aneko can’t stop talking about you, and she’s not taking much pain meds. You should become a nurse.”

  That brightened her. “Thanks, Maria. May I see her?”

  “Sure. Go on in.” She began to turn and faced Gabby. “I haven’t been able to find out her status, but she is beautiful and not married and no kids.”

  Gabby grew a crooked grin. “Thanks, Maria, you’re a sweetheart.”

  She walked in. Aneko was asleep in bed with a book opened over her chest. Gabby put the box of chocolates on the table and picked up the book and read to kill time, and it shocked her. The cover was two women kissing, one in a police uniform, and the title was Lesbian Love in Louisiana. She was putting the book back when Aneko’s eyes opened and stared at the book. Both were silent.

  Gabby said, “Sorry. I was just curious what you were reading.” She swallowed at her heart that jumped in her throat. “Lots of straight women read gay or lesbian stories.”

  Aneko’s face went flat. “I don’t hide who or what I am. I am a lesbian. I hope that doesn’t upset you.”

  Gabby’s head and face heated. “I came out in high school.” She took her cowboy hat off. They stared. “I think you’re very pretty, but that’s not why I came back and befriended you. I think everyone in the hospital needs a friend to visit them.” She handed the box of treats to Aneko. “And I convinced myself the odds of you being so bodaciously pretty and being a lesbian were greater than the odds of winning the lottery.”

  Aneko held her hand out. Gabby took it, and Aneko reeled her in and down, kissing her cheek. She opened the box and said, “Oh, I love chocolate. Thank you so much, and after all you’ve already done for me.”

  A tingle ran through Gabby’s body and ended in her love tunnel, which moistened.

  Aneko said, “I get discharged tomorrow. Surprisingly, my insurance company has talked with the tow company, which also does body work, and they have authorization to do the repairs. I called the body shop, and they said four weeks to get the parts and do the work. I have to go to Coos Bay to rent a car. My insurance will pay for it.”

  “I can drive you there. A taxi would be too expensive. It’s twenty-five miles one way.”

  “I also need to get a motel for the duration. Can you recommend one?”

  “I like The Bandon Inn. It’s off the main highway on a hill with awesome views of the river and ocean. Pretty reasonably priced, too. But there are less expensive ones, and—” She stopped talking. Their eyes locked.

  Aneko hushed, “I think you are most awesomefully pretty. I love cowgirls. May I have a kiss, please?”

  Gabby leaned down, and their lips met, tentatively at first, and then they locked down. Aneko held the back of Gabby’s head, and Gabby did the same. Gabby had stopped breathing, and she huffed a breath in.

  Maria, the nurse, walked in and said, “Oh,” and walked out.

  Time passed, and they broke the kiss but held hands.

  Gabby said, “I love Japanese women.”

  “Thank you. I love cowgirls.”

  Gabby leaned down again, and the resulting kiss ended in tongue use. When she stood, Gabby giggled. “We haven’t even had a date yet, and we’re kissing.”

  “I want to have a date with you. You’re friendly, energetic, altruistic, and pretty.”

  “Thank you. I want to date you, too, but you won’t be here long. I hope we don’t fall in love.” She l
owered the side rail to be closer. “I don’t even know what kind of work you do.”

  “I’m a computer programmer. I work from home a lot, but I’m due in Washington state in three weeks for a temporary job. It’s supposed to take about three months, but things often run over. I left early so I could explore, try to figure out where I want to live. I know I want a smaller community, certainly under twenty-five thousand people.”

  “I can’t offer for you to stay with me. I live with a guy, and his place is old and only a two bedroom.” She bit her lip again. “Oh, the guy is pushing ninety. I’m sort of his caregiver. He doesn’t charge me rent, so that’s easier on my savings, and I am saving everything I would normally pay for rent. I’m practical.”

  “Are you so old-fashioned that you want to be married before having sex?” Aneko blushed as she said that. “I know I’m blushing, and I don’t care. I want you.” she winced as she rolled to her side.

  “You’re too sore for sex right now. And no, I don’t need to be married to have sex, but we need to use condoms. I don’t want to get pregnant.”

  “I like your sense of humor.”

  Maria returned and asked Aneko, “How are you? Need pain meds? Need anything?” She looked to Gabby, grinned, and back to Aneko.

  “It only hurts when I move but not that bad. I don’t like pharmaceuticals, and I’m happy right now. Gabby is my new friend.”

  Maria grinned. “I used to babysit her when she was a little kid. She’s been awesome since then. She volunteers a lot around town, is honest and hardworking, and will give you the shirt off her back if you need it. She’s also a volunteer firefighter and does as well as any man. My brother is also a volunteer fire dude.”

  Aneko said, “If she’s single and rich, I’ll marry her.”

  Maria checked Aneko’s vitals and left.

  Gabby held her hand. “I don’t have to work tomorrow, it’s Saturday. I can pick you up and take you to a motel. And to Coos Bay to rent a car. The place is open on Saturday.”

  “I haven’t told you what company it is.”