Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any related characters. Thy Neighbor's Wife is originally by Georgia Beers.
Chapter Three
LILLY BLINKED IN surprise when she opened her eyes the first Saturday morning of the annual First Picnic of Summer party. The weather in Upstate New York was fickle, to say the least, and the chances of having good weather in the summer, on a weekend, when something's been planned are slim to none. When she realized the sun was shining and the sky was blue, she actually wondered if she might be dreaming.
Even Kinsey did a double take out the window. Then he yawned, his pink tongue impossibly long, and did his morning stretch—first his front legs, then his back legs. Next, he padded onto Lilly's chest where he stood on her like he was the king of the mountain—or mountains in that case—and proceeded to give her a wake-up bath. It had become a morning ritual that Lilly adored, though she didn't tell many people about it for fear of embarrassment; not everybody understood the value of doggie kisses. Kinsey had been with her for five years and there had been more than one time in her life when she'd felt like he was her only friend.
"Hey, leave my eyeballs in the sockets, pal," she scolded with a chuckle as he became a tad overzealous in his washing. "We've got company coming today. Gotta get moving." She stretched her way out of the queen-size bed, made a quick detour to the bathroom, and then tossed on some cleaning sweats. Although they'd most likely spend the better part of the day on the deck, it would be the first time her friends would see the lake house since it had officially become hers and she wanted it spotless.
It was a small house by lake standards—less than half the size of Miley and Jake's—but it was valuable by sheer location alone. It had started out as a cottage decades before, but was gradually refurbished and solidified so that it became suitable for year-round living. It was only one level. The L-shaped deck supported two entrances—a sliding glass door from the back, facing the water, and a regular door from the side. Both entered into the kitchen. The front door led to a good-sized living room with a small fireplace. A hallway off the living room led to the master. Whenever she'd stayed with Aunt Margie growing up, she'd slept in the guest bedroom, so the adjustment was strange, even after several months.
Exactly one hour before the party was to officially start, Kinsey began to bark. Lilly, smiling, came out of the bedroom in fresh jeans and a white t-shirt. She knew it would be Joannie and Mikayla. They always arrived early so Lilly could have extra time with their daughter. Kinsey continued to bark excitedly as Lilly opened the side door and clipped his chain onto his collar, as she watched her friends clamor out of their minivan.
"Wiwwy!" The beautiful baby girl voice of her goddaughter never failed to melt Lilly's heart.
"Anna Banana? Is that you?"
No sooner had Joannie set the toddler on the ground, than her little feet carried her as quickly as they could to her godmother's outstretched arms. Lilly swooped her up, smothered her giggling face with kisses, and inhaled the incomparable toddler smell of baby powder and sweetness.
"Nothing warms the heart like a three-year-old who thinks you're the Queen of All Things, does it?" Joannie asked with a wry grin.
"Not a thing."
"How's it going, Lil?" Joannie kissed Lilly's cheek.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. You?"
"It's all good."
The resemblance between Joannie and Anna was remarkable, given that they did not share the same blood. Mikayla had been inseminated with sperm from a donor she and Joannie had picked together. Mikayla had wanted the father to be as similar physically to Joannie as possible. As a result, both mother and child had fine, chestnut hair, big, blue eyes, and long, thin frames. Mikayla, with her mostly Hispanic background, had given Anna her fiery temper and hr passion for the things she loved. The child was the perfect mix of Lilly's two dearest friends and it couldn't have worked any better if they'd been heterosexual and conceived her the old fashioned way.
Joannie glanced up at the house, hefting a diaper bag over her shoulder as Mikayla approached from the vehicle with a large bowl in her arms. "It's really yours, huh?"
Lilly sighed and set Anna on her feet so she could go pay attention to Kinsey, who was still barking. "Yup. All mine. I still can't believe it."
"So tell me how this came about," Mikayla ordered. "Joannie didn't give me any details."
"I did, too," Joannie whined.
"'Lilly's aunt gave her the lake house' doesn't constitute details, my love," she said sweetly, an unruly dark curl hanging over one eye.
"I was quick and to the point," Joannie said.
"Hope you're not like that in bed," Lilly teased.
"Funny."
Lilly took the bowl from Mikayla's arms and led them into the house. "As you know, I was staying here on and off, keeping an eye on the place for Aunt Margie while she was away with Rafael. The lease on my apartment was up at the end of February and Aunt Margie suggested I just move my stuff in and live here indefinitely. I didn't want to, really, but after the fiasco at school, things were getting tight money-wise so I took her up on it. Earlier this month, I got a call from her. She said she was going to stay in Cancun with Rafael." She could still remember the giddiness in her aunt's voice.
"Permanently?" Mikayla asked incredulously. "Aunt Margie's become a one-man woman?"
"Apparently." Lilly nodded with a smile. "She sounded so happy about it. Anyway, she said that since I was in need of a place and she didn't really want to go through the hassle of getting a realtor and trying to sell, that I should just have it."
"No way!" Mikayla shrieked.
"I know! I couldn't believe it, either. I told her I'd be glad to take care of selling it for her, but she said she knew how much I loved it when I was growing up and if I wanted it, she wanted me to have it."
"Oh my God," Mikayla said.
"I tried to argue with her," she turned to Joannie, "but you know what it's like to take on Aunt Margie when she's got an idea in her head."
"Yeah. Impossible. I spent enough time here as a kid to know that."
"Her lawyer contacted me with all the paperwork the next day, the deed was transferred into my name, and that was that."
"Free and clear?" Mikayla asked in disbelief as she unloaded some of Anna's toys and got her settled on the floor with her crayons.
"Well, I have taxes and utilities, but nothing I can't handle." The tone in Lilly's voice made it clear that she too was still in awe.
Joannie helped herself to a beer from the fridge. "What does Heather think of all this?"
At the mention of her mother's name, Lilly rolled her eyes—her usual reaction. "What do you think?"
Joannie smirked and swigged from her bottle.
"What?" Mikayla asked. Not hooking up with Joannie until after college, she had missed the pleasure of growing up around Lilly's mother.
"She's pissed off and upset that Margie gave the house to Lilly and not her," Joannie predicted.
Lilly tapped her forefinger to the tip of her nose. "Bingo. That phone call was fun. Not."
"Wiwwy, will you cuwwer wiff me?" Anna's sweet little voice drifted up from the floor where she was spread out with her coloring books and crayons.
"I would love to color with you, baby." Lilly stretched out on her stomach and picked up a burnt sienna crayon.
"You cuwwer dis one," the toddler directed, pointing to the opposite page.
"Yes, ma'am."
Lilly looked up and smiled at her friends. The house was set up so that the kitchen looked across the small dining area and into the living room. Mikayla had made herself at home near the sink, as she always did, taking it upon herself to cut up different cheeses and veggies and laying out several varieties of crackers. Joannie fondly watched her daughter and best friend, sipped her beer as she leaned against the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining area, and propped her foot on one of the chairs.
"So, this writing thing." She always referred to Lilly's writing as such. "How's that going?"
"Very well. I came up with what I think might be a good tale. Something new. Not the one I told you about before." She stopped and continued working on her picture.
"Yeah—?" Joannie prompted, making continuation motions with her arm.
"A little mystery, a little romance…"
"And—?"
Lilly took a big breath, trying to decide on how much to reveal. "It's about a guy who falls desperately in love with the new girl next door. Problem is, she's married."
Joannie blinked at her for several seconds, waiting. Finally, when it was clear Lilly would say no more, she whined, "That's it? That's all I get?"
"For now." Lilly smiled and went back to her picture as Joannie grumbled on and on about how she was the best friend and she of all people should get a full synopsis of the story and so on and so forth. Lilly kept coloring and smiling, noting Kinsey with amusement. He had settled next to Anna, his snout resting possessively on her butt as she colored. Her swinging feet occasionally bonked him in the head, but he didn't seem to mind. He was enamored of her as Lilly was.
It wasn't long before slamming car doors could be heard and Kinsey jumped up to bark at the sound.
"More guests," Joannie commented. "Whoa! What have we here?"
Lilly looked up and tried to follow Joannie's gaze out the window, but couldn't from her spot on the floor. She stood up, much to Anna's annoyance.
Across the way, Miley was out on her deck working on some flowerpots. She wore a tight, red, scoop-neck t-shirt and snug, ripped jeans. Her chestnut hair was pulled back into a loose, casual ponytail and she looked good enough to eat. Lilly swallowed hard, wondering why she couldn't quite catch her breath.
"That's Miley, my new neighbor."
"New neighbor?" Joannie smiled at her knowingly. Lilly grimaced, hating the feeling that Joannie could see exactly what was in her head. "Well, at least you'll have some inspiration for the story, hmm?"
Lilly felt herself flush a deep, deep red.
—
THE DAY HAD somehow managed to stay gorgeous, which was a miracle in itself. Lilly and her guests sat on the deck eating, drinking, and shooting the breeze, soaking up the rays of sunshine and planning the upcoming summer. In addition to Joannie and Mikayla, there was Lilly's good friend Oliver and his girlfriend, Becca. At the end of the deck on one of the lounges was Lilly's ex, Ashley, and her girlfriend Amber. The atmosphere was one of fun and anticipation and laughter surrounded them.
Throughout the afternoon, out of the corner of her eye, Lilly kept unintentional track of Miley as she practically landscaped her entire yard. She was sure Joannie caught her once or twice, but wisely said nothing. She was also sure Joannie would use it against her later.
"Hey, volleyball starts in a couple weeks, you know." Oliver was one of Lilly's most cherished friends. The two of them had worked together while in college making pizza for Vito's in an attempt to cover the unexpected costs of college life—like food and beer. They had a lot in common and became instant buddies. It was during college that Lilly had struggled with her sexuality, and when poor Oliver had pursued her romantically, she ran away screaming like the last female left in a horror movie, leaving him dazed and confused. Fortunately, she'd accepted things readily and Oliver was the first close to whom she had ever come out. He had always remained sweet and supportive and she couldn't imagine her life without him. "We would get in a couple practices. Work out the kinks." His dark, unruly hair always looked like it needed to be cut and he regularly tossed his head to the side, temporarily flinging his bangs out of his eyes.
"Kinks?" Joannie teased. "Getting old, Ollie my boy?"
"I'm afraid so," he responded with an easy smile. "I spend a lot more time stretching these days."
"Those early thirties are a killer," Mikayla commented. At thirty-nine she was the eldest of the group.
Lilly smirked. "Apparently, Becca's not giving you enough of a workout."
"Hey!" Becca protested from her spot at the table. She was a petite blonde who had been with Oliver for three years and simple adored him. "I give him plenty of workouts. It's not my fault he can't keep up anymore."
That earned Oliver a couple of sympathetic pats on the shoulder and many pitiful looks. He blushed, even though he knew Becca was just teasing him. He was so easy to embarrass.
"We still need a setter," Lilly said as she flipped a burger on the grill. "I don't think three days after giving birth is enough time for Tina to come back, do you?"
Joannie chuckled at the mention of her work friend who had served as their setter last year. "Are you kidding me? I talked to her on the phone yesterday. She's so in love with her son, we may never see her again. You sure you don't want to play, Amber? We could use you."
Lilly cringed, but hid it well by pretending to fuss with a burger.
Amber turned her sunglassed face toward Joannie as she sat on the lounge, her feet in Ashley's lap. "Nah, I don't think so."
Kinsey wandered over to them, sniffing. Amber blatantly pushed him away and he moved on to Ashley, who scratched his head sweetly. "You'd be a great setter, honey," she said to Amber, smiling gently.
"Yeah, I know I would. Volleyball's just not my thing; never has been. They wanted me to play in school, too, but I turned them down. It's kind of boring."
Lilly rolled her eyes. Yes, I can see how a game where you don't physically known down your opponent would be boring for you, she thought—and actually managed to keep herself from muttering it out loud. She shot Joannie a look. Joannie's expression told her to keep quiet, for Ashley's sake.
She flipped another burger and tightly clenched her teeth.
—
MILEY WAS HAVING a hard time explaining to herself why she felt such a pang in her stomach when she realized Lilly was having some sort of party. After all, she'd only known the woman for a very short time, so it wasn't like she expected to be invited. After a long while of listening to the laughing and joking coming from the deck as she worked on her plants, she decided she was simply envious of the good time they were having.
She thought about the get-togethers that she and Jake had thrown in the past; there weren't very many, aside from the house-warming party they'd thrown when they moved into their house in Pittsford. It had included some of their school friends and had been a good time, but they had drifted from that group since. Jake's job required long hours and constant contact with the same group of people in his office, so Miley thought it might be good to get to know some of them on a more personal level. She decided to have a sort of happy hour at their house, telling Jake to invite his colleagues from the office and their spouses to drop by after work one Friday night. It had turned out to be one of the most boring affairs she'd ever been a part of. The people were wooden to say the least, talking only of money and their clients. The group was almost unbelievably stereotypical. If she did her best to picture a room full of snooty, rich people, she invariably came up with the exact group that had occupied her home that night. It was a chillingly sterile party. When the last guest had departed, she and Jake had stood in the foyer, looking at each other in disbelief.
"Wow," he'd said, eyes wide. "That was… frightening."
"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought so," she'd responded. "You work all day long with them?"
He nodded. "Thus the term 'frightening.' Let's not do that again, okay?"
"You've got yourself a deal, babe."
There were still occasions where they had to socialize with Jake's colleagues, but they hadn't invited any of them over since that night.
The party going on next door was obviously not like that at all, and that's where the pang of envy came from. They were laughing. They laughed a lot. Miley managed to keep herself from glancing often in their direction, but she had no trouble picking Lilly's rumbling chuckle out of the air; hers seemed to carry further than the rest and was contagious. More than once, she caught herself smiling at the sound of it.
Finding it difficult to look from the outside as it were, she concentrated on her flowers. She'd filled several flowerpots and flower boxes with various annuals, adding a satisfying splash of color to the otherwise monochromatic deck. That morning, she had taken Lilly's advice and had stood on the deck with her coffee, surveying the entire area. Lilly had been right: the air was fresh and crisp, the lake smooth and quiet. It was incredibly peaceful and she had taken the opportunity to visualize what she wanted the deck and yard to look like, deciding what colors would go where, how she would arrange things, where she would dig. It was relaxing and invigorating at the same time. Having a plan for the day was something that always got her going and helped her look forward to the hours ahead.
She'd spent almost two hours at the garden store, picking several annuals in differing but complimentary shades and vowing to return in the fall for some perennials. She'd had the entire design all sketched out in her head; she could see exactly how she wanted it to look when she was finished.
The day was cool, but cheerfully sunny and she worked for several hours without a break, creating three flowerbeds from scratch. She had decided to stick with pastels and whites, so she planted petunias and impatiens in varying shades of pinks and purples. She lined the borders with white and lavender alyssum and she intended to use some shredded mulch as the finishing touch, saving that for the next day. She sat back on her heels after patting dirt around the very last plant and smiled with satisfaction.
"That looks fantastic!" Lilly's voice surprised her in its close proximity, but it was a pleasant surprise. She looked up to see her neighbor smiling down at her, holding out a bottle of LaBatts. "You've been working nonstop for hours. I thought you could use this."
Miley smiled warmly, accepting the beer. "Thanks, Lilly."
"Listen, we're having a little beginning-of-the-summer party over there. We've got tons of food. Why don't you join us? Eat something. You must be starving by now."
Miley was instantly nervous at the prospect of meeting new friends, feeling out of practice and worried about the impression she'd make. Lilly's gentle, welcoming smile, however, shooed those concerns away. "You're right. I am starving." She stood up, peeled off her gardening gloves, and noticed with dismay her brownish knees. She tried in vain to brush them clean.
"Please." Lilly chuckled, grabbing her arm and tugging her toward the gathering. "Don't worry about it. You look great."
—
MILEY'S FEARS TURNED out to be unfounded; Lilly's friends welcomed her with open arms and she was glad she had agreed to join them. Four of the women obviously made up two couples, which made Miley wonder about Lilly's sexuality, but she decided she'd broach that subject at another time.
"Here. Sit down." Lilly ushered her to the table next to Oliver. "I'll get you a plate." Miley was flattered by Lilly's enthusiasm and smiled as she skittered off into the kitchen.
"So, Miley. Lilly says you're new here?" Joannie sat down across from her, balancing her chin in her hand, her blue eyes friendly and curious.
"We just moved in a couple weeks ago."
"We?" This came from the corner, where Ashley and Amber sat. Ashley regarded her openly, waiting for a response, but Miley shifted uncomfortably as she was sure that behind her sunglasses, Amber was giving her a very lascivious appraisal.
"My husband and I, yes."
Lilly returned from inside with a plate and set it in front of her. It was loaded with generous helpings of potato salad, beans, pasta salad, pickles, and pieces of fresh fruit. She smiled gratefully at her, realizing only at that moment just how hungry she really was.
"I can throw a hot dog or a burger on the grill, too, if you'd like."
"This is great, Lilly. Really. I'm fine. Thank you."
Suddenly, Kinsey barked playfully from around the corner of the deck and a friendly male voice could be heard talking to him. Seconds later, an extremely handsome man appeared to the delight of the whole crowd. He was at least six foot three with hugely broad shoulders and smiling eye. He wore wire-rimmed glasses, cargo shorts, and a navy blue long sleeve t-shirt. Miley couldn't take her eyes off him.
"Hey, big guy." Joannie stood up to hug him. She was quite tall, but the newcomer's height made her seem average.
Lilly was next. She practically disappeared in his embrace and his face told Miley that he cared a great deal for her.
"Hey, where's the volleyball net?" he asked.
Lilly chuckled. "It's still a little early in the season for me," she replied as he made his rounds, greeting the rest of the partygoers. "We were just talking about having a practice or two. Think you can get some guys together to scrimmage with us?"
His eyes roamed the deck and rested on Miley. She smiled around her fork.
"Sure. Is this our new setter?"
Lilly followed his pointing finger and chuckled again. "Oh, no. This is my new neighbor, Miley. Miley, this is my dear friend Gabe."
Gabe held out his hand and Miley took it, her own engulfed within his. "Hmm. Nice, strong hands." He turned back to Lilly. "Are you sure she's not a setter?"
"You don't play volleyball, do you, Miley?" Lilly asked playfully.
"Not in quite a while, no," she answered smugly. Lilly's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"You mean you do play?" Joannie looked from Lilly to Miley and back again, her eyes sparkling.
"Well, I did in school. It's been a long time and I'm really rusty." She saw where this was going and it made her a little nervous. She wasn't a bad played, but she wasn't an outstanding player and she didn't want to embarrass herself or Lilly by claiming to be better than she was.
"Rust can be worked away." Joannie smiled. "Just needs a little elbow grease. Right, Lilly?"
Lilly was smiling, too, and Miley soon realized what she'd just gotten herself into.
Lilly sensed her unease because the expression on her face softened and she sat down next to Miley. "Why don't you come to a practice? It's really just recreational. We like to play, but we're not out for blood. We just like to have fun. Come to practice and see what you think. Okay?" Her blue eyes were soft and gentle and Miley felt the complete and total inability to say no to her.
"One practice." She held up a finger to stress her point.
"Terrific." Lilly looked incredibly pleased and Miley grinned back at her.
"What position did you play in school?" Joannie asked.
Miley's grin grew a little wider. "I was a setter."
to be continued