“I do breakfast from eight to nine. If you miss it, there will be leftovers in the fridge you are welcome to rummage through. Lunch is make your own, but all the food is yours. Sometimes some of the guests get together and make lunch for everyone.”
“Sounds fun,” Jewel murmured.
Azalea shot her a curious look before following Eli up the old wooden stairs to the next level.
“I’ve put you in the Bathsheba room.”
Jewel coughed. Azalea glared. Eli turned around with a grin wide as shit on her lips.
“I’m sorry, what room?”
“Bathsheba.” Eli stood at the top of the stairs. “It’s our biggest suite, but when Azalea called, it was the only room I had open.”
“Bathsheba?” Jewel stared at her incredulously.
“You’ll love it, trust me.”
Azalea’s cheeks heated. She had specifically not shared the name of the room for fear of Jewel’s reaction, but perhaps she should have gotten that out of the way before they got to the house. Then Eli wouldn’t have had to witness it. This moment would no doubt come back to haunt her in some way.
Eli continued to move to the landing and down the hall. “You get your own bathroom in the suite, which is the biggest bonus if you ask me.”
It was in Azalea’s opinion too. Eli opened the door, and they were led into a room that sported one queen sized bed, four-poster, a large window that opened onto the front of the house, and a bathroom off to the left. It was decorated in dark woods and a lilac purple, Azalea’s favorite color. She dropped her bag by the door and took the key Eli offered her.
“Thank you again. I know this was last minute.”
“My pleasure. Really. You know I’d do anything for you.” Eli winked at her.
Azalea’s cheeks heated. If Jewel had known she was attracted to women, this could come off horribly. Ignoring the comment, Azalea focused on Jewel, who looked simply awestruck, but she also read an underlying fear in that gaze.
“I can take you trail riding sometime this week, if you want.”
“We would love that.”
“Good. Until then, I’ve got to get dinner started. You’re welcome to go wherever you want except the basement.” Eli said that mostly to Jewel, but Azalea heard the boundary as well. She could understand it. Eli needed some place that was hers and hers alone.
“Thank you,” Jewel managed to mutter.
Eli left them on their own.
Azalea immediately put her bag on a chair and started pulling out her clothes to put into the top dresser drawer. She folded everything into place and was halfway done before she found Jewel just staring at her. Cocking her head to the side, Azalea halted her movements.
“Are you okay?”
“Uh…yeah. I’m fine.”
Azalea narrowed her gaze. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. How do you know Eli again?”
Gritting her teeth, Azalea sat on the edge of the bed. “Eli was my student, years ago.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes. That’s it. She came out when she was in my class, first to me, then to her friends. I was there when she came out to her parents. She wanted the support, and I told her I’d be there. It was important to her. Since then…well, I guess she just stuck on me like glue, you could say.”
Jewel didn’t respond right away, and Azalea worried she had overstepped her bounds. Not only had she outed Eli to someone who would be a stranger. She normally wouldn’t have, but she wanted to explain there was nothing going on between them. Ever.
Azalea dragged in a deep breath when Jewel still didn’t respond. “Did you want to put your clothes away?”