Radclyffe - Safe Harbor

Reese nodded. "It was good working with you, Dr. King. Im going to head on home to change into a uniform that isnt filled with sand."

"Youve still got sutures that need to come out," Tory reminded her.

Reese fingered the row of nylon stitches in her brow. "How about if I come by the clinic later?" she offered.

Tory smiled ruefully. "Im sure Ill be there. Tonights my late night anyhow."

Reese stood looking down at her, her face partially shaded by the brim of her hat. She was an imposing figure outlined against the clear blue of the sky. Tory had to work not to stare at her taut, sleek body.

"Ill be by," Reese informed her.

"Good," Tory said as Reese strode away. Tory couldn't resist watching her go. She moved with a fluid self-assuredness that suited her vigorous personality. There wasnt a single thing about her that wasnt attractive, and that was enough to warn Tory to be on her guard. Every unattached woman in Provincetown, and not a few of the married ones, would be taking a second look at this new addition to the scenery. That was exactly the kind of woman Tory needed to stay far away from!

Chapter Seven

Marge greeted Reese with a grin when she walked into the gym that afternoon after work. "I thought you might not make it," she said.

Reese glanced up at the clock behind Marges head. It read five-thirty, exactly the same time she arrived for her workout every evening.

"How come?" she asked in surprise. "I said Id be here."

Marge shrugged elaborately. "Silly me! I should have known that was as good as a guarantee!!"

Reese just shrugged at the gentle chiding and set about her routine. She finished three sets of leg and back exercises in ninety minutes, then went to the locker room to shower. She put on pressed tan chinos, a navy blue denim shirt, and a light beige blazer that covered the holster she secured under her left arm in a shoulder rig. She checked the mirror - the gun didnt show - and went out to meet Marge.

They walked down Commercial Street toward town and turned in at the Cactus Flower. It was still too early in the season to worry about reservations, but that would change within the next few days. They got a good table at the front windows overlooking the street, so they could watch the slow stroll of passersby as they dined. They both ordered margaritas while they looked over the menu.

"This isnt a date, you know," Marge announced after they had given their orders to the waitress.

Reese sipped her drink - it was strong and tart, and gazed at the woman across from her calmly. "It hadnt occurred to me that it might be."

Marge laughed. "This is Provincetown, Sheriff! When one woman asks another woman out to dinner, its usually a date."

Reese nodded solemnly. "Then why isnt this a date?"

Marge stared back, totally nonplussed. The startling handsome woman across from her was impossible to figure out. She gave nothing away in her expression, or her voice. Nothing seemed to surprise her, or throw her off stride. Marge wondered what, if anything, could shake her calm control. She also wondered what price that kind of control exacted.

Reese seemed completely without pretense, and Marge answered in kind. "Its not a date for two reasons - my expectations, and my intentions."

"How so?" Reese inquired. She voiced no challenge, only honest interest.

"Id be a fool to think youd be interested in me. For one thing, Im twenty years older than you-"

Reese smiled at that, shaking her head. "Hardly," she said, studying Marges tanned, well-developed form.

"Close enough," Marge grunted.

Reese waited while the silence grew. "And the other reason?" she asked quietly.

Marge blushed as she said, "Youre too damn butch to go for an old jock like me. I figure your tastes run more to the femme type."

Reese leaned back while the waitress slid their plates in front of them, contemplating Marges words. Marge was the second person in as many weeks to say that to her. She had never thought of herself as butch, and tried to imagine how she appeared to others. It was something with which she had no experience. Up until this point in her life, her rank had determined how others related to her, and how she related to them. The rules of conduct, including who you could "fraternize" with, were clear. They were frequently circumvented, but not by Reese. It wasnt that she agreed with the rules so much as she had no reason to challenge them. She had spent her life either preparing to be, or being, an officer. Her professional and personal life was one and the same.

"Im not so sure about the butch thing, but Im pretty sure I dont have any particular "type" of anything," she said after a moment.

Marge snorted as she busied herself with her food. "Trust me on this, Sheriff - if you go in for the politically incorrect terminology, you are as butch as it gets. Dont let it bother you."

Reese smiled. "Well, whatever you call it, it comes naturally to me. So - this is just a friendly dinner then?"

"Yes."

"Fair enough."

"Since were being all revealing here," Marge continued, "howd you end up in our little town?"

"I needed a job, and this was the right one for me," Reese remarked.

"So you didnt come here looking for love?" Marge asked half-seriously.

Reese smiled a little ruefully. "Not precisely."

"And you didnt leave anybody behind? No attachments?"

"No," Reese replied. "I dont have any attachments."

Marge shook her head. "You are definitely something of an oddity around here. Most people come here to find someone, or to escape something."

"Im not all that different. Its just not what youre thinking."

"And I dont suppose youre going to fill me in?" Marge prodded gently.

Just as gently, Reese replied. "Not tonight."

They finished their dinner in easy conversation. When Marge saw Reese glance at her watch for the second time, she asked, "You have to be somewhere?"

"The clinic," Reese replied. "Im supposed to stop by there and have some stitches removed. The doctor said shed be there until ten."

"Dont rush. Shes always there late. I live just down the road. She doesnt seem to do much except work!

"It must get pretty busy, especially when youre the only doctor in town," Reese commented, remembering Victoria Kings resolute determination to make that dangerous journey over the rocks to aid the injured man. Her dedication was clear, and admirable.

"Sure its tough, especially if you use it as an excuse to avoid a social life! Dont you think there are plenty of doctors who would just love to live up here during the season and work for her?"

Reese regarded her silently. She felt a strong desire to come to Victorias defense, and a strange surge of anger at Marges criticism. Both responses confused her.

Marge didnt miss Reeses sudden withdrawal. "Hey, I like her," she said seriously. "I always have. Shes a great friend to the people of this town, and there are more than a few who would like to know her better, if shed let them." She shrugged as she reached for their check. "She doesnt seem to trust anyone to get too close, and thats a damn shame."

"Im sure she has her reasons," was all Reese said.

**********

Randy was on his way out the front door when Reese walked up.

"All through?" she asked the receptionist.

" I am," he said petulantly. "The last patients are in rooms, but at the rate shes going it could take her another hour. She can barely walk, and it serves her right - traipsing out on that jetty like some macho superhero! I wouldnt be surprised if she isnt on crutches tomorrow! And it wouldnt be the first time either!!"

His obvious distress belied the criticism in his voice. He was clearly worried about Tory, and Reese immediately liked him. He continued to fuss while he unlocked the door for Reese.