Share the Moon, page 2
Kali walked to the couch, threw her legs over the back, and rode the cushion down to the seat. She snatched the empty glass waiting for her, grabbed the bottle, and poured.
Kate started clapping slowly. “I’m impressed. Record time tonight.”
“Seriously?” Jamie frowned. “You’re encouraging this?” She turned to Kali. “The next time you feel the need to get off, could you please check with us first? You know the wiring in this house is worse since the last storm, and every time you use your vibrator, it messes with the TV.”
“Or at least wait until a commercial break.” Kate winked.
“Maybe it wasn’t me. Maybe Charlie’s messing with the TV.” Kali chuckled as she downed her glass in three gulps and poured another.
“Nah, Charlie just haunts the vineyard. Never seen him lurking around the house.” Kate tossed a folded cheese slice to Buddy, who batted it around a few times before devouring it.
“See?” Jamie pointed to Kali. “Don’t be putting this on Charlie.”
Kali laughed as she stuffed a thick slice of cheese between two crackers and shoved the entire thing in her mouth.
Charlie was the name given to the resident ghost of the vineyard who, according to family rumor, was a young horse thief who received justice at the end of Great Grandpa Hank’s rifle. At first, the ghostly sightings had only happened during a full moon. On those evenings, Hank had drunk himself into a stupor, had stood on the front porch, and had yelled, “We didn’t know,” into the night.
As the months passed, the sightings had increased and so had Hank’s drinking, until one night, he’d downed a bottle of whiskey and had never woken up. The land had passed to Jamie’s Grandpa Fred and eventually to her dad and his sister, Nora. By then, the rundown house and overgrown land were in dire need of attention. But where Jamie’s dad had seen hard work, a waste of money, and “too much trouble,” Aunt Nora had seen endless possibilities and magic. In the end, they’d agreed Nora would be the sole recipient of the land, and Jamie’s dad had received all other family possessions, including stocks, an antique automobile, and a sizable bank account.
By then, sightings of the boyish figure had become daily occurrences around the vineyard. Most days, Charlie could be seen walking, keeping to himself, and doing nothing in particular. Nora tried on multiple occasions to approach him, but he would disappear before she even got close. Her brother had suggested they hire a ghost hunter, a medium, or perform a séance to try and rid the land of him, but Nora wouldn’t hear of it. She thought having a spirit on the land was a good omen, and as such, should be left alone.
Eventually, Nora named the ghost Charlie and said anyone who had been hanging around the land for that long was like family and needed a proper name. Jamie’s father thought she was nuts, and when they came to visit Nora, forbade Jamie to go anywhere near Charlie, especially if they happened to be visiting the vineyard during a full moon. On those evenings, he would sit at the far southeast corner of the land, arms wrapped around his bent knees, rocking back and forth. Nora didn’t know why the moon seemed to bring out this unusual behavior. Charlie was a ghost; ghosts, like everyone else, apparently did weird things.
Jamie had learned she and Kate were next in line to inherit Charlie, along with the vineyard, last year when Aunt Nora had been on her deathbed. “The place belongs to you and my beloved Kate now,” Aunt Nora had weakly whispered. “Get out of that damn job you hate so much and come enjoy the land. Kate and I have had the best years of our lives there.”
Jamie had squeezed her aunt’s hand, “I know you have.”
“And don’t you even think about selling it.”
“I won’t, Aunt Nora.”
“And don’t let anyone mess with Charlie. He has a right to exist in peace.”
When Jamie was a child, her aunt would talk about the wonders of the world and how she thought most people were ignorant assholes for not believing in the possibilities of the unknown. Nora had thought Jamie’s father fit into that category, and his views on ghosts and the paranormal were a combination of horseshit and arrogance. The only reason Charlie creeped him out so much, Nora said, was because he was scared he would get stuck as a ghost and have to live his pathetic little life over and over again.
“The vineyard is a magical place, Jamie, who knows, maybe it’s where you’ll finally find what you’ve always been looking for.”
A cracker flew with skilled accuracy across the couch and beamed Jamie in the middle of her forehead as Nora’s words faded from her mind. “Ouch, Kali.” She rubbed the spot where the cracker hit.
“Have you been into Kate’s pot?” Kali sat deep into the cushion, arms folded across her chest in an accusatory posture.
“What? No, why would you say that?”
“You were totally spacing out as I was talking. If you’re not stoned, then let’s hope this isn’t some early onset thing you’ve got going on.”
Jamie threw a slice of cheese at her. “I was thinking about Aunt Nora.”
“Am I going to have to separate the two of you?” Kate said.
“She started it.” Jamie pointed to Kali, who promptly stuck out her tongue. Jamie giggled as she reached for her glass of wine. Memories of the endless nights she’d spent sobbing in Kali’s arms after Nora had passed danced in her head. You are my rock, my friend, and I can’t imagine my world without you. “Anyway, what were you saying?”
“I have a meeting tomorrow morning at Legacy Lesbians. I’m going to talk about adding the vineyard to their website. Under venues that host weddings and receptions.”
Jamie was speechless and impressed. When Kali had first mentioned she wanted to expand the reach of the vineyard to weddings, Jamie wasn’t convinced she could pull it off. If Kali could actually get Legacy Lesbians to sponsor them, that would be a huge win for the vineyard.
Legacy was the brainchild of two ex-lovers who’d started sponsoring lesbian-themed events around the west coast but predominately in California. They eventually teamed up with several B-level corporations and semi-well-known lesbian celebrities. As their success grew, so did their reach, which now included a variety of luxurious travel trips and all things wedding.
Jamie nibbled on some cheese. “Kali, that’s fantastic. How did you manage that?”
“I may or may not have once slept with Paige, the woman who was just hired to handle their west coast marketing.”
“I’ll put money down on the ‘may have’ option. And this is awesome, I must say. I’m really impressed. Getting exposure on their website could really help elevate the status of the vineyard from life support to just critical.” Jamie had promised her aunt she would take care of the vineyard for her. She knew what the land had meant to Nora, and she also knew if she lost it on her watch, she would never forgive herself.
“Hey, don’t write this place off. It still produces a damn good product,” Kate said as she shook her finger at Jamie.
“That it does,” Jamie stood and arched her back to stretch. She was tired and sore from working all day on an irrigation leakage in the north field. They needed to replace several of the lines due to leaks in the tubing, but for right now, all they could afford to do was patch it with tape. Why does it feel like everything about this house and vineyard is being held together with duct tape and a prayer? “And on that note, I think I’m going to take my ass and my glass outside and enjoy the beautiful evening.” Jamie grabbed the wine and topped off her glass. “Anyone want some more?” Kali and Kate both shook their heads. “All right then.” She looked around. “Anyone see the cork?”
“Buddy!” Kate pointed to what was left of a completely chewed cork next to slobbery pieces of half-eaten cheese.
“I’ve got this.” Kali jumped up and motioned for the bottle. She walked over to her backpack, pulled out a tampon, and pushed the extra absorbent end in the neck of the bottle.
Jamie scrunched her face in disgust. “Okay, wow, now I’ll never be able to un-see that.”
“What? It makes the perfect cork. And see?” Kali grabbed the string. “It even comes with a built-in uncorking device.”
“That’s disgusting.” Jamie rolled her eyes as she walked toward the screen door. “I’ll be on the porch if anyone needs me.”
“Enjoy.” Kate half-heartedly waved as she reached for another slice of cheese.
The screen door squeaked in rusty protest as Jamie pushed it open. Is there anything in this house that doesn’t need fixing? It was a daunting thought, and it weighed heavy on her at times. In the last few years, care for the vineyard had come in a distant second to the care of her Aunt Nora’s deteriorating health. If it were not for Kate tirelessly tending to both, Jamie feared the place would have gone under by now. What money the vineyard currently brought in barely covered expenses. What was left was being funneled back into the land. Repairs on the house weren’t going to happen in the foreseeable future. Why did I leave a steady and predictable job for this?
“Because you’ve felt more alive the past seven months than the last thirty-two years,” Jamie said as she shuffled to an old wooden bench, a souvenir from one of the many trips Nora had made south of the border. Jamie plopped down, leaned back, and stared at the full moon. She took a sip of wine, sighed, and for the first time in a long time, thought about Cheryl.
They had been together five years and had been separated over three. What a waste. Jamie exhaled as she took another sip. Cheryl was a struggling musician, well-liked in her circle of friends. They’d met at a New Year’s Eve party thrown by a mutual acquaintance, and by the time the ball had dropped, their fate had been sealed. Promises of forever and you’re the one had been exchanged within the first month. The U-Haul had come in the third month, and by the end of the sixth, they had merged every aspect of their lives, and Jamie had never felt more settled. With Cheryl, Jamie had hoped to finally create the home life she’d never had growing up. One that was lasting and predictable.
The first signs of trouble had been apparent early on. What had started out as backhanded comments by Cheryl soon morphed into sarcastic criticism and eventually, flat-out verbal abuse. Apologetic “It won’t happen again,” “I was stressed out,” and “you took my words out of context,” became common as months turned into years. When the apologies and flowers had stopped coming, and Cheryl’s mysterious unaccounted blocks of time had become the norm, Jamie had had enough. Her world was unraveling, and it was taking her down with it. The stable life she had so desperately sought had alluded her once again. The never-ending story of my life.
Never again, Jamie promised for the millionth time as she took a gulp and looked over the land. Why are relationships so difficult? She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. The slight cool breeze felt wonderful. “Never again,” she repeated as she finished her glass, placed it on the floor, and allowed the fatigue of another long day carry her into a peaceful sleep.
“I know you’re not reading because the TV’s messing up again.” Kate’s loud words traveled onto the porch, waking Jamie. Kali really needs to find herself a girlfriend. Jamie chuckled as she yawned and slowly opened her eyes.
“Holy shit!” Her foot caught on the bench as she jumped up, and she fell hard. Her heart was racing, and a moment of fear gripped her as she tried to focus. “Charlie?” Jamie cocked her head at the familiar figure sitting on the bench, smiling.
“Well, actually…my name’s Ruth.”
Not a teenage boy but a woman. Jamie took a moment to scan her. She was dressed in the same outfit Jamie had always seen her in; gray tweed pants, black suspenders, white collared shirt, and boots. Up until this moment, Jamie had assumed like everyone else that their vineyard ghost was a teenage boy. An easy assumption to make, based on Ruth’s short hair and men’s attire, but up close, Jamie could clearly see the woman under the guise. And it caused a flutter in her stomach that she hadn’t felt in years.
Jamie stared at Ruth’s flawless, life-like complexion, the choppy way her short dark hair was layered, as though she had cut it herself, an ear to ear smile that was both shy and confident…and those eyes. Those beautiful, sparkling, crystal gray eyes that held Jamie in a trance. Ruth looked so…real, so…alive, so gorgeous. The fact that she was a ghost was momentarily forgotten as Jamie’s nipples hardened in response to the woman in front of her, who was looking as alive as she was.
“I’m sorry I startled you and um…” Ruth gestured to an area on her forehead. “You have something right here.”
It took a moment for Jamie to register what Ruth was saying, as though her words were floating in the air, just out of reach. “Oh, I…” When Jamie’s brain finally arranged the words in an understandable sentence, she gently scrubbed a cracker crumb from her forehead. “Thanks…wait.” She tilted her head. “How is it that I’m hearing you?”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“I hear you talking.”
“I hear you talking too.”
“Yeah, but you’re a—”
The rusty squeak of the screen door startled her. She looked over her shoulder as Kate peeked out from behind the door. “Girl, what the hell you doing on the floor?”
“Talking to…” Jamie gestured toward the bench, but Ruth had vanished, along with the butterflies that had been fluttering around her stomach. “Um, huh, I…” There was a part of Jamie that wanted to jump up and share the excitement of the interaction, but she hesitated. There was something that felt intimate about the exchange. Something that for now, she wanted to keep private. She needed to sit and analyze the emotions that were still lingering within her. Emotions she didn’t want to let go of. “Never mind,” she mumbled, lost in thought as she stared at the bench.
“You sure you haven’t been in my stash?” Kate raised an eyebrow as she stepped onto the porch.
“No, Kate, I haven’t been into your pot. I tripped getting up off the bench, that’s all.” She cocked her head, “Why, what’s up?”
“Kali’s upstairs messing with herself again, and it ruined the big reveal of who the killer was in the show. I swear, that girl’s not normal. Anyway, I figured while she’s up there doing her thing, I’d come out and sit with you if that’s okay?” Kate frowned. “But I ain’t sitting on the floor.”
Jamie waved Kate over and motioned for help up. Kate heaved her up, and the two of them shuffled to the bench. Jamie froze as Kate sat in the exact spot that Ruth had been sitting in just moments ago. The fluttering in Jamie’s stomach returned.
“What’s the matter, did I sit in pigeon shit again?” Kate cocked her left hip as she lifted enough to crane her neck.
“What? Oh no, no,” Jamie said as she sat next to her. “You didn’t sit in anything.”
“Well, then, stop acting weird.” Kate wrapped an arm around her, and Jamie rested her head on Kate’s shoulder. “Beautiful night, huh?”
Jamie nodded. “Kate?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you ever wonder about the afterlife?”
“All the time since Nora died, why?”
“Wouldn’t it be nice to know that after we die, we really can communicate with our loved ones again?”
“Hell, I communicate with Nora every day, and I’d like to think in her own way, she’s talking back. In fact, yesterday I noticed the glass pie dish she always cooked in was cracked. I figured that was her way of letting me know she was pissed because I changed her favorite recipe. I always told her she used too much butter and not enough cinnamon in her apple pie.”
Jamie smiled as she thought of the many days she’d sat with Kate and Nora, eating pie and laughing. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the chance to talk to Nora one more time, like she did with Ruth?
“I hope this place makes it.” Jamie stared into the darkness of the vineyard as an image of Ruth flashed in her head.
Kate patted her shoulder. “It will darlin…it’s made it this far.”
Chapter Three
Jamie bobbed her head and tapped her hands on the steering wheel of a rusty all-terrain golf cart as she mouthed the lyrics to one of her favorite songs blaring from her Bluetooth earbuds. She welcomed the warmth of the morning sun on her skin as she slowly made her way up a narrow row of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Her thoughts quickly drifted to her encounter with Ruth.
Damn, she was beautiful, Jamie thought as her body reacted. It was times like this that Jamie felt the sting of being alone. Strike that, not alone. She had Kali and Kate and a handful of amazing friends, and she had a business that brought her back to her love of nature. Alone was definitely the wrong word.
“Single.” Jamie whispered the word that she had learned to embrace, as though it was something to be ashamed of. A scarlet letter of sorts. “Single by choice,” she reminded herself, then quietly repeated her promise. “Never again.” If being single the rest of her life meant never having to deal with the heartache of watching her girlfriend fall in love with another woman, then sign her up.
She stopped the cart halfway down the row, removed her earbuds, and gently slid them in the front pocket of her jeans. She took a moment to admire the fruit that hung in clusters from vines that were starting their magical turn from hard green grapes to plump purple clusters. In a few weeks, they would be ready to harvest. If the sugar, acid, and tannin levels were good, this crop could put them in the black. Wouldn’t that be nice, Jamie thought as she tried to push the alternative out of her mind. Lately, they had been getting offers from developers to buy the land at top market value, but the thought of the vines being bulldozed to make way for buildings and parking lots made her sick.
Jamie turned off the cart, grabbed a shovel from the back, and started digging. The soil had a soft sandy texture that was easy to penetrate. Two shovels later, Jamie nodded. “That should do.” She leaned into the back of the golf cart and grabbed Kali’s vibrator by the cord. She held it for a ceremonious moment as it swayed in the slight morning breeze. “Sorry, old girl,” she said as she opened her fingers and let the device drop into the hole. Mother Nature, if you’re a lesbian, please accept this gift. She smiled at the thought as she scooped the fresh mound of dirt back into the small pit. Moments later, as she patted it down, a long shadow slid over her.
