Her lips were incredibly soft and oh, so arousing. Shann felt weak, as though only Angie’s touch was holding her together as she drowned in the velvety softness of her mouth. Angie drew back a little, and Shann swayed toward her. She nuzzled Angie’s bottom lip, teased it delicately between her teeth, and sucked it gently. Then she drew back again and Angie took Shann’s guitar and leant it against the wall before kissing Shann again. She ran her tongue tip over Shann’s lips, paused at the corner of her mouth, then sought the sweetness within. Shann moaned softly, at least Shann thought it was her. But it might have been Angie. Then they were straining together, their kiss deepening, breast to breast, stomach to stomach, thighs to thighs. Shann slid her hands inside Angie’s denim jacket, her fingers luxuriating in the smooth warmth of Angie’s skin. Eventually they drew slightly apart again, both breathing raggedly. “I don’t think I could have gone another night without doing that,” Angie said thickly. “I thought it was only me,” Shann managed to get out. Angie gave a soft, throaty laugh. “Oh, no. Believe me. It wasn’t just you.” She slid her fingers into Shann’s hair, cradling her face, and kissed her slowly, deeply, again. Visit Bella Books at BellaBooks.com or call our toll-free number 1-800-729-4992 AAllwwaayyss AND Forever Lyn Denison       2010 Copyright© 2006 by Lyn Denison Bella Books, Inc. P.O. Box 10543 Tallahassee, FL 32302 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper First Edition Editor: Anna Chinappi Cover designer: Sandy Knowles ISBN-13: 978-1-59493-049-2 For Glenda, my LT And For Lorelle F cousin and friend and the very best supporter of women’s literature and music You are greatly missed by us all About the Author Lyn Denison lives in a renovated old “Queenslander” house in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia’s Sunshine State. Before becoming a writer Lyn was a librarian. Lyn and Glenda, her partner of eighteen years, enjoy reading, modern country music and traveling. Lyn is also obsessive about scrap- booking, but she can’t convince Glenda to get involved in that. CHAPTER ONE “What if they don’t like me?” Shann drew her not so comfortable thoughts back to the pres- ent. She turned sideways in the stationary car and looked at the young boy in the passenger seat beside her. “What’s not to like?” She touched his upturned nose with its sprinkling of light freckles. “Cute nose. Big blue eyes. Trendy hairdo. Definitely Mel Gibson material. They’ll love you.” Corey grinned. “I think you’re a bit prejudiced, Mum.” “You think so?” Shann took a bite of her sandwich. “I reckon.” He sobered. “I hope they do like me, though.” “They will.” Shann forced her own disquiet aside. She desper- ately hoped they would accept her son. For Corey’s sake. He was the innocent party in the total mess she’d made of her life back then. He was only nine, or almost ten, as Corey would remind her, and there was no need to burden him with the intricacies of the dysfunctional Delaney clan. Well, they weren’t all dysfunctional, but those who were did a pretty good job of it. 1 “Tell me about them again.” Corey munched on his apple. “Oh, love, I’ve often talked about them,” she began, and Corey gave a disbelieving laugh. “Yeah, right, Mum. I didn’t even know I had a grandfather until Aunty Liz came down that first time.” “Your aunt first saw you the day after you were born.” “Well, when I first remembered,” he emphasized, “her visiting us.” Shann sighed. “Corey, there’s a lot of stuff that goes on in fam- ilies, most of it good, but sometimes, some’s not so good. Before you were born, well, there was some bad feeling between your grandfather and me.” “Like you were pregnant with me and not married to my dad?” Shann hesitated, not wanting to think about that time, about the pain of it all. “Your grandfather was,” she paused again, “disap- pointed I wasn’t married.” “Didn’t he know you were a lesbian?” “Not exactly. And I’d rather we just kept that for discussion between ourselves while we’re visiting. Okay?” “You mean you haven’t told them?” “Not in so many words,” Shann said. Corey regarded her levelly. “Why not?” “Things were, well,” she made a helpless gesture with her hand, “they were different then.” Corey shrugged. “But it’s who you are. Can’t they see that?” “Not everyone’s as open-minded as my wonderful son,” she said and gave him a hug. “And you know I told you some people don’t understand about all that.” “Yeah.” Corey nodded. “But I still don’t see what all the fuss is about. You’re pretty neat no matter what, and even if I could I wouldn’t swap you for a different mother. Honest. Not even a really, really rich one,” he added with a cheeky grin. “I’m glad you wouldn’t, you old smoothie.” Shann ran her hand over his spiky dark hair. “Besides, you lucky guy, you’re stuck with me.” 2 “I know.” Corey gave a theatrical sigh. “I’m just making the most of it.” Shann chuckled. “So, Mum. Maybe they, the family, I mean, were confused because you were with my dad. Do you think?” Shann almost choked on her mouthful of sandwich. “Maybe they were,” she finally agreed feebly. What could she say in the face of that sort of logic? “So tell me about them again,” Corey persisted. “Who’ll be there, besides Aunty Liz and Amy?” “Well, Aunt Liz will be in the hospital for a while, so we’ll be looking after the house for her and Uncle Rhys and your cousins, Gerard and Amy.” “And Grandpa with his hip replacement?” Shann nodded. “And your grandfather. Ruth, my stepmother, is away in England visiting her mother.” “Will Aunty Liz be okay?” Corey frowned. “I mean, it must be pretty serious this operation she’s having.” “It is a fairly big operation so she’ll need some time to recuper- ate. That’s where we come in. We’ll be chief cooks and bottle washers.” “There aren’t any kids my age, are there?” “No. Amy’s fifteen, but you got on pretty well with her when she came down with your aunt last year. Gerard’s seventeen, and he’ll be tied up with his schoolwork I’d imagine so we probably won’t see much of him.” “And Uncle Pat’s not coming home?” Shann’s brother Pat and his wife and daughter had called in to see them on their last visit home. Pat had worked overseas for the Australian Embassy since he finished university. He’d met and married his wife in London and their only daughter had been born in Canada. “I like Uncle Pat. He’s funny.” Corey laughed. “He told some great jokes.” Shann smiled. “He was always like that. The family jester.” Pat 3