Edge of Awareness Read online

  Table of Contents

  Synopsis

  Acknowledgments

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  About the Author

  Books Available from Bold Strokes Books

  Synopsis

  Marija Spencer is in the middle of her third divorce. She doesn’t know what it is she wants, but she knows there’s something she’s missing. When Marija brings her Dachshund into a grooming school and meets Dana, an out lesbian, something shifts for her. Torn between her church teachings and her emerging truth, she embarks on a journey to find herself as a single woman of God.

  Dana struggles to trust that Marija isn’t going to decide to go back to men, and Marija strives to understand her budding feelings for Dana. When a disturbed woman becomes obsessed with Dana, they find themselves having to deal with her following their every move.

  Can their mutual attraction and growing connection become too strong to deny and draw them into each other’s arms?

  Edge of Awareness

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  Edge of Awareness

  © 2014 By C.A. Popovich. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-62639-246-5

  This Electronic Book is published by

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, New York 12185

  First Edition: September 2014

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editors: Victoria Oldham and Cindy Cresap

  Production Design: Susan Ramundo

  Cover Design By Sheri ([email protected])

  Acknowledgments

  Where do I begin to acknowledge the people who guided and encouraged me along the path to fulfill my dream of writing?

  There was my second grade teacher, who fought to get a remedial reading class, and my college English teacher, who introduced me to Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning while insisting I write more than one version of the book reviews she assigned.

  There were my parents who offered their never-ending support, even when I came home with average grades.

  There is my sister, who never ceases to correct my grammar, and my friend, Fran, a retired eighth grade English teacher who’s been pointing out my stilted dialogue since my first short story.

  There is my friend, friz, who encouraged me to “hit that send button,” for my first Author’s Challenge and my friend Sandy T. for her honest reader feedback.

  Then there are all the wonderful authors at Bold Strokes Books who patiently answered my questions about the craft I love, and the fantastic BSB editors, who helped make this work the best it could be.

  I thank you all.

  Last but not least, thank you to Len Barot and Bold Strokes Books for taking a chance on this newbie.

  I will do my best to live up to your confidence in me.

  Dedication

  For Ellen

  The awareness of us fills my heart with joy.

  Chapter One

  Maria smiled at the brilliant summer sunlight streaming through the spotless window of her little shop. It was more than a beauty shop to her. It was a safe place to live, to make a living, and to display her crafts. Most of her clients lived in the senior mobile home park that bordered her parking lot, but she had a few clients who traveled long distances to appreciate her skill as a beautician and to check out her latest creations. She sat in the natural light carefully stringing Swarovski beads on a thin elastic band and sighed with satisfaction as she created her own personal design. She practiced for her next church choir solo by humming along to songs playing in her head.

  Mentally calculating the upcoming month’s expenses and considering her meager income, Maria anticipated fewer groceries. She’d have just enough money to take care of her first priority, tuition for her son’s next semester of college. She was grateful she’d had the sense to keep her little shop in her name. She’d made a mistake marrying a man who wasn’t what he seemed, but she still had her work and she still had the shop she’d worked so hard for. Had it really only been six years since she opened the place?

  She pushed away from her task, pleased with the day’s work. Each bracelet or necklace she finished seemed to take less time. She’d have plenty of items ready for the fall arts and craft show. The tiny jingling bell on her glass entry door announced the arrival of her perm appointment. She checked her reflection in the large mirror opposite the door, and ran her hand through her shaggy hair. She couldn’t remember when she’d last taken time to cut her own hair.

  Maria settled her client into her styling chair and began the perm process. “How’s your baby quilt coming along? Your daughter is due next month isn’t she?” she asked.

  “I’m almost finished with it. I’ll bring it to choir practice Wednesday so you can see it.”

  “Sounds good.” Maria thought about the choir she’d recently joined at the local Assembly of God. It was nothing like the choir at her father’s tiny church. She couldn’t imagine membership in any church would satisfy her as his did. She certainly wasn’t going back to her philandering, soon-to-be ex-husband’s church, but she was never going to quit singing.

  Maria continued chatting with her client, sharing bits of their lives. She rolled, rinsed, and clipped, and two hours later, her client left with a perfect perm. She rinsed the perm rods and threw the wet towels into her washer before sweeping up. Her life hadn’t turned out exactly as she’d planned, but she welcomed the feeling of contentment that moving forward on her own terms brought her.

  *

  Maria coaxed Frankie through the front door of the small storefront located on the end of a strip mall. Her efforts to cut her dachshund’s nails had resulted in a struggle that ended with Maria fearing she’d hurt him if she continued. Her repeated attempts with the same results prompted her to call her friend Angie to get the number of the dog grooming school where she took her dog. Dana, the woman she’d spoken to, indicated that they didn’t usually do just nail trims, but if Maria brought him in early, she’d take care of him. Dana’s mellow contralto voice intrigued her, and she wondered if she sang. Their short conversation convinced Maria that Dana had Frankie’s best interest at heart, and her calm directness reassured her. Between the lovely voice and the fondness for animals, she sounded like someone Maria would like.

  The early morning sunshine glittered through the glass door. The non-skid, cushioned flooring was dry but looked freshly mop
ped. Along with the faint scent of Simple Green, she detected the doggie cologne that Angie’s Lhasa apso came home from the groomers wearing.

  “Good morning.” Maria smiled, a bit unsettled by the unsmiling strawberry blonde with gold-flecked blue eyes appraising her calmly from behind the counter. The royal blue polo shirt she wore with Langdon Dog Grooming embroidered in script, reflected those blue eyes like a deep pool of clear water. “I’m Maria Spencer, and this is Frankie.” Maria bent and lifted him in her arms.

  “Good morning. I’m Dana.”

  Dana walked to the swinging door at the end of the counter to get a closer look at Frankie. “Lithe” would be how she’d describe her, but not graceful, more like coordinated. Still no smile. Intense. Even standing a foot away, Maria could feel Dana’s concentrated attention on the wary dog in her arms. She stood silently, wondering if this was a mistake.

  “He doesn’t look too freaked out to be here,” Dana said, apparently ready to pay attention to her as well as Frankie.

  “He relaxed when I picked him up. Do you want me to put him down?”

  “No, no, that’s fine. I just wanted to see if he’d let me get close to the two of you. He seems okay with it.”

  Dana held her hand out for Frankie to sniff. When there was no adverse reaction, she slowly moved her hand to cup him under his chin. Surprised when his little tail started frantic waving, Maria calmed slightly. If Frankie trusted her, then she’d try to as well. She still needed to know the fee, however. “He seems to like you.”

  “Yeah, I think we’ll get along just fine. Let’s see if he’ll let me carry him to my grooming table.”

  “Um, could I ask how much this is going to cost before you get too far?”

  “I’m sorry. I wanted to meet Frankie and make sure he wasn’t too nervous. I’ll tell you what. Let me take him back and if he’s okay with it, it’ll be ten dollars.”

  Finally, Dana met her eyes and smiled. Maria’s pulse jumped. Unnerved by her reaction, she clutched Frankie to her chest, whispered in his ear, and kissed him on the head before tenderly transferring him to Dana’s outstretched arms.

  “I’ll be careful and as quick as possible. I’ve been doing this for almost twenty years, since I was fifteen. I’d let you come back and watch, but honestly, most animals calm down and do better without the owners there. If he gets agitated, I promise I’ll come get you.”

  Dana’s soothing tone and confident manner inspired trust, and Maria watched her cuddle Frankie as she expertly supported his back and carried him to the grooming area.

  Maria paced along the length of the tiny waiting area, expecting to hear the familiar whine and yelp, but nothing but the occasional sound of Dana’s soothing voice floated out from behind the closed door. Soon, Frankie dragged Dana through the door, pulling on his leash in an effort to get to Maria, his little tail a blur.

  Maria sank to the floor and caught Frankie as he wiggled into her arms. She didn’t have to look hard to notice the neatly trimmed nails, and he didn’t seem any worse for the experience.

  “Thank you.” She looked up with gratitude at the woman who had treated him with such care. Frankie had been her faithful companion since her second divorce, and her heart ached at the thought of anything happening to him. “And God bless you.”

  “You’re quite welcome, Ms. Spencer. Can I help you up?” Dana offered her hand.

  Her warm grip, firm and strong but not crushing, was surprisingly soft. It seemed to Maria she held her hand longer than necessary once they were standing face-to-face.

  “Please, call me Maria.”

  “That’ll be easy. It’s a beautiful name.”

  “Thank you.” Dana not only treated Frankie well, she was charming, too.

  “I’m glad you came in today, Maria. Bring Frankie back anytime.”

  Maria held tightly to Frankie’s leash. She wanted to say something more, but she had no idea what, or why. She paid the ten dollars but hesitated at the door. She looked back at Dana, who tilted her head and smiled, as though waiting for Maria to say something more. Instead, Maria mumbled good-bye, and rushed out, pushing away the unfamiliar feelings.

  *

  “So, how did it go at the groomer’s last week?” Angie and Maria sat waiting for their church’s choir director to arrive.

  “Frankie seems fine. No post-traumatic stress. That Dana woman treated him well. She was gentle, but I got the impression she’d be strong enough to settle him down if he started acting up. He was a perfect gentleman, though. I didn’t hear him yelp once while she was working on him.”

  “I’m glad they took you in. I don’t think they usually do just nail trims. What did you think of Dana?”

  “Like I said, she treated Frankie well. I was glad that he didn’t fight her. She obviously knows how to handle dogs.”

  Dana had put her at ease too, but she didn’t say that out loud. Maria didn’t hand off Frankie to anyone she didn’t trust. The fact that Dana had so easily convinced her that her dog was safe left her feeling a little off balance, which was something else that left her feeling unsettled. “I have a question for you. Did you feel…I don’t know…odd somehow around her?” Maria wasn’t sure what she was asking her friend, but she’d been trying to figure out her reaction to the attractive groomer all week.

  “Odd how?”

  “I don’t know. You remember that man who attended our church for a while last year? He used to make all the women feel creepy when he looked at them.”

  “Yeah. He was a real piece of work. Pastor Mike didn’t even like him. What about him?”

  “Well, it seemed like Dana was looking at me a little like that. Not exactly like that, not creepy. It was more like an appreciative appraisal than an, I don’t know, I’m going to take you behind the barn and have my way with you kind of look.”

  “No, I can’t say that I noticed that with Dana. I’ve heard rumors about her, but I hate gossip and rumors.”

  “If I’m going to trust my Frankie with her again, I want to hear all you know about her, rumors or not.”

  Angie hesitated. “Okay, but remember this is secondhand information. I didn’t see any of it myself.”

  “Just tell me already, Pastor Roland will be here soon.”

  “You know, Annie, our organist. She has a standard poodle she shows. She’s the one who told me about the grooming school. I guess last year when she went to that big dog show in Detroit, Dana had a booth set up. Her mother, Lucy, was there, and Annie swears she was drunk. Annie said Dana spent so much time trying to keep her mom from making a spectacle of herself, that she closed the booth halfway into the show.”

  “I don’t care what Dana’s mom does, Angie. Dana’s the groomer right?”

  “Her mother actually owns the grooming school, but Dana manages it as well as grooms and teaches. So, Annie said that after she took her mom home, she returned to the show without re-opening her booth.”

  “Come on, Angie. Get to the point. Choir practice is going to start any minute.”

  “Okay, okay. Well, the only thing more Annie told me was that Dana came back to the show and she saw her in the grooming area kissing another woman. A handler in the poodle group.”

  “Geez, Angie. That’s it? We kiss each other all the time. Heck I kissed you hello when I got here this morning.”

  “I don’t mean our kind of kissing on the cheek. Friendly kisses.” Angie leaned closer, looking side to side. “This was full out kissing on the lips like…like I kiss my husband or you used to kiss Peter.”

  Maria shuddered at the mention of her soon-to-be ex-husband.

  “Oh.” Maria paid little attention to the gay movement, but she knew many states were allowing same-sex marriage. She couldn’t see any reason why they shouldn’t have the same rights as everyone else, even though her Old Testament bible study indicated that homosexuality was a sin. She just never thought she knew anyone who was gay. Maybe she had and never knew it. She’d been raised by a preacher in a small
town, and she knew she wasn’t exactly worldly. If Dana was a lesbian, what did her own reaction to her mean? Maria worked to sort out her thoughts as the arrival of their choir director interrupted their conversation.

  Chapter Two

  “I’m glad you brought Dale in for his first haircut, Julie. He’s a real sweetie. Airedales can be a handful, especially young ones, but he was a joy to work with.”

  “Thanks, Dana. He’s next in line for my show group. I’m grateful you had time to work him in today. I don’t trust my own grooming skills, and I know you’re the best.”

  “Thank you and good luck with him. I think you have a winner in this one. He took to the grooming process like a pro. If you have time, I’d like to see him again in a few weeks. I’ll just brush him out, check his ears, and keep him comfortable with the procedure.”

  “Cool. Thanks. I’ll bring him in the same time two weeks from this Saturday. Have you decided on my offer for the Winter Classic in January? My financial offer still stands.”

  “I put it on my calendar. Let me know your exact schedule, and if you’re only showing on Sunday, I’ll plan on it.”

  “Great. I’ll have the best-looking airedales in the show.”

  Dana Langdon looked forward to attending the large AKC dog show. The American Kennel Club show drew the best of over one hundred breeds, and she realized she missed the excitement of participating. For the past five years, all she’d done was set up booths at the various shows to try to drum up business. It would be nice to put her artistic talent to use.

  Dana sighed with the relief of turning over the last of her charges. She’d taken Julie Winter’s new airedale terrier pup late in the day because she didn’t like to keep the young dogs getting their first haircut in kennels all day. She preferred to spend time getting them used to the process. Dana was sensitive to the client’s protective nature when it came to their dogs, and breeders with their show dogs were especially particular. Her father’s line of springer spaniels was renowned in the show circles, and he didn’t allow anyone but her mother to touch them with grooming tools.