by Rhavensfyre
“She’s very sweet. How old is she?” Allyse asked, stroking Callie’s fur.
“Not sure. The vet thinks maybe three years old. I’ve only had her for about six months, or more precisely, she’s got me. I got a call from a friend at the local shelter. Tina told me that a Collie had just been dropped off and figured I might be interested. Her owner had died, and the family didn’t want her so they turned her in.” Dani leaned against the counter and twirled the deep burgundy liquid around until it perched dangerously close to the rim. She couldn’t keep the sadness and disdain for the families decision out of her voice. She knew how it felt to be unwanted by family. When her parents died, no one had wanted her either. It was only fair that she did the same thing for Callie that her uncle had done for her.
“So you took her in.”
“Yeah, I did. It turned out to be a match made in heaven.” Dani patted her leg and Callie eagerly trotted over to her. Her reward was a thorough scratching behind her ears that ended in a ridiculous display of grunting and leg tapping before Dani stopped.
With Dani busy at the sink, Allyse had nothing to do but sip her wine and observe. Like the rest of the house, the kitchen was impeccably set up. Allyse loved to cook when she had time, and she could definitely see herself puttering around in here. The kitchen was more modern; all brushed steel and professional grade appliances. It was something she would expect to see in a restaurant or bed and breakfast, or featured in one of those garden home magazines.
Allyse turned her focus on Dani as she moved around the kitchen with silent efficiency, lighting the burners on her cook top and setting up the grill to handle the steaks and vegetables. She frowned into her glass. One minute they had been chatting, the next, Dani just shut down and went back to what she was doing. It was abrupt, not to the point of being rude, but it was strange behavior. And that look? A part of Dani had just wandered away to some place inside her when she had talked about rescuing Callie. An itch at the back of her skull said there was something important about this, but she didn’t have enough data.
Allyse put her glass down, then winced at how loud it sounded when she misjudged the distance to the flat surface and the glass reverberated in protest. It was funny. She could carry on an animated conversation in a busy restaurant and not blink an eye at the cacophony surrounding her. She had never realized how much noise stillness made and she had to fill it. Anything would do, but polite conversation was what she had to work with. She cleared her throat, determined to find out more about Dani and secretly needing the dialogue.
“Your kitchen is magnificent,” Allyse said. “Do you have visitors often?”
“No. Just me, and of course, Erick when he comes by.” Dani stuck her head in the fridge and pulled out a wax paper package.
Like any dog, Callie knew instantly when meat was pulled out of the fridge. Her nose went up, snuffling the air around her and the tapping turned into a begging dance as she tried her best to convince her owner she was a person, too.
“Sorry girl. No steak for you.” Dani laughed, holding the package up in the air. It was a familiar game they both enjoyed playing. Dani knew Callie would never steal food, even if she dropped it on the floor.
“Would you mind feeding her?” Dani asked. Callie had abandoned her after she told her no and was now back at Allyse's side. Hmmm, I wonder what's up with that. Callie was a great dog, but she was generally reserved around new people. In the short time that Dani had had her, she had never seen Callie take to someone so quickly, other than herself.
“Sure, where’s her food?”
“In the pantry. You will see a large bin with her food in it. Her dish is right there next to it, just fill it up please.”
Allyse scooped up enough food to fill the bowl and set it down. Callie looked down at it, and then up at her with those big brown eyes before sneezing, once.
“I don’t blame you one bit, silly dog.”
Dani looked up and caught the whole exchange. “Callie, be good,” she warned. Callie ducked her head and gave a look at them so pitiful they both started to laugh. Of course she wouldn’t want the dry food, not with steaks grilling in the kitchen.
***
Dani had outdone herself on dinner. The meal and wine had complimented each other perfectly. In Allyse’s opinion though, none of it compared to her dinner companion. While they enjoyed their dinner together, Allyse took advantage to study the young blonde.
Dani was quite beautiful. Allyse was familiar with her face from Erick's photographs, but the camera too easily missed all the small details that could turn a lovely woman into something more or less. She wasn’t beautiful in an artificial, make-up assisted way, nor was she perfect. Allyse had spent too many years in an industry that expected perfection, even if it was only skin deep. Dani was real. Her mouth was just a little too wide, and her cheekbones a little too strong to be considered “model” material. But when she laughed, small lines crinkled at the corner of her eyes and the corners of her lips that spoke of hours in the sun—of living without worrying about freckles or sunburns or premature aging—and Allyse found it a refreshing change from her world.
A braided leather necklace held a silver pendant just below that point where the neck and collarbone met. The shiny metal medallion flickered with light whenever she reached for her wine. Dani was slim but not willowy, an observation that Allyse could appreciate. Too many models starved themselves to the point of being ready to faint at any time. There was nothing about the way that Dani carried herself that reflected weakness. She had the long, graceful neck and strong shoulders of a dancer, and moved just as lightly. Her long fingers were nimble and rarely stopped moving. When her hands had nothing else to do, she would spin the only ring that she wore around and around. The action was an obvious nervous tick, she didn’t even seem aware she was doing it. The ring Dani wore seemed odd for a woman, it was heavy and silver and she wore it on her thumb of all places.
Allyse turned her attention to the knife in Dani’s hand as she deftly sliced through what was left of her meal. She knew a dozen women who would probably choke on hunger driven hatred if they were forced to watch Dani eat her steak and potato dinner and still manage to look amazing.
“Allyse?” Dani’s voice broke Allyse out of her reverie. She raised her eyes to Dani’s face and tried very hard not to look guilty.
“Yes, I’m sorry. I guess I zoned out.”
“I was just saying that if you make a list tonight we can go and get whatever you need tomorrow, that is, if you want to see all the farm has to offer.”
“Thank you. I really didn’t do a very good job of packing, ah, certain necessities.” Allyse blushed at the admission, then blushed even harder when the lacy bras and panties she preferred came to mind, all neatly tucked away in her luggage.
“Wait, what?” She searched Dani’s face for any sign that she had meant anything more than what was offered, then kicked herself for letting wishful thinking hear a double entendre where none was intended.
“The farm? Since you’re here, I thought you’d like to do more than just hang around the house all day,” Dani said.
“Ah, yes. That does sound like fun.” Allyse felt overly warm. A small trickle of perspiration tickled her neck, and she had to take a sip of wine to cover her embarrassment. “I had to ask Erick for advice. He said to pack comfortable clothes and I’m not sure if that advice was as helpful as he thought it was.”
Dani laughed at that bit. “Erick can be a bit of a jokester. I’m sure your wardrobe is impeccably stylish and perfectly coordinated, but I doubt if any of it would get you anywhere around the farm. Not without breaking an ankle. I was surprised when you showed up down here in tennis shoes.”
“Really? I guess I haven’t seen that side of him,” Allyse said. Curiouser and curiouser, she thought, trying very hard not to be suspicious. She had grabbed the shoes at the last minute, after she had finished packing. “I will have to have a chat with him very soon about his idea of a jo
ke.”
“Mmm. Glad it’s not me,” Dani replied wryly, mentally going over everything she needed to do in order to clear some time. The farm was far enough out in the country that a trip to the mall became an all day excursion. “So I am going to assume we do need to do some shopping tomorrow, then.”
“That would be lovely. I am sorry for taking time away from…whatever you do here. Actually, what do you do?”
“I train, breed and show quarter horses.”
“That’s it?”
“Trust me, it’s enough.” Of course, Dani didn’t mention the fence maintenance, the farrier work or all the other things that came up on such a large farm.
“I’m sure there is a lot I don’t know about running a horse farm,” Allyse ceded with a graceful nod towards Dani. “Your name. Dani. Is it short for something else?”
“Yes. Daniella.”
“That’s a beautiful name. I’ve never heard Erick call you that.” This time she didn’t blush at her boldness, then blamed it on the wine.
“How long have you known Erick?” Dani asked, changing the subject quite suddenly.
“Twenty years or so, I guess. What was he like when you were younger?” Allyse fired back. Turnabout was fair play in her book.
“I don’t understand. You’ve known him longer than me.”
“Yes, as a friend and co-worker, but he was more of a father figure for you. That’s a little different, don’t you agree?”
“I guess.” Dani shrugged.
“Well, what was it like growing up with him?” Allyse pushed her plate away and steepled her fingers beneath her chin. “I’m all ears.” She found herself enjoying their revived conversation immensely, even if Dani seemed disengaged once in a while. Erick had said she spent a lot of time alone at the farm—perhaps her conversation skills were just a little rusty from lack of use.
“I don’t really know how to answer that. I only saw him on the weekends and whenever he could take vacation time…and all the holidays, of course. I know he loved my Uncle Jay a lot and hasn’t gotten over his death yet. I guess that’s why he doesn’t come here as often now.” Dani stood up to start clearing away their dishes. She didn’t like being reminded that Erick preferred his life in New York even more now that her uncle was dead.
Allyse was at a loss. Dani had flipped again, shutting down and removing herself from the conversation and the table without explanation. Now she stood at the kitchen sink, her back to her and taking her anger out in the clash of dishes. Anger? No, the intense emotions radiating from her like the heat from the grill felt closer to disappointment and intense sorrow.
Allyse closed her eyes and mentally berated herself. They had been talking about Erick and then Dani had brought Jay’s death up.
She shivered at the memory of a cold breeze blowing across a cemetery hillside dotted with men and women in mourning black. Everyone huddled together in that collective way the living seemed to gather amongst the dead, except for one woman. That was the clue she needed. Dani had kept her distance from everyone on the day of the funeral, including Erick. There were definitely some unresolved issues going on there—problems that Dani was still dealing with on a deeply emotional level.
Her next conversation with Erick was about to get even more interesting. She was curious as to why Erick didn’t come here as much as he used to. He loved Dani. That was obvious from how much he talked about her, so what was keeping him away? What bothered her more was Dani’s statement. Erick had loved Jay. Period.
“Dani?” Allyse asked tentatively. When Dani didn’t answer, she tried again. “Daniella?”
“Dani.”
“What?”
“I don’t answer to Daniella.” Dani stopped and turned around to face her. “Not for a long time. Jay always called me Dani.”
“Oh, Okay. Dani it is. Would you mind if I were to retire early? I saw the soaking tub earlier, and it looked absolutely divine. It would be nice to unwind some before bed.” And I need to step back for a while and give Dani her privacy before I do something stupid and try to hug her. Jesus, she looks so damn alone.
“Of course, it’s your vacation. Feel free to use whatever you need if you don’t have it in your stuff.”
“Thank you,” Allyse said, then retreated from Dani’s presence for the second time that day.
***
Dani spent a little while cleaning up the kitchen after dinner before settling down to watch some TV and check her emails. She felt restless and tired and was having trouble getting into any of the shows on the television. She tossed the remote down on the couch hard enough for it to bounce across the cushion.
“I give up. Let’s just call it a night, huh, girl?” Dani ruffled Callie’s fur, then hauled herself off of the couch. She poured herself a small glass of spiced rum and took it upstairs.
She grabbed a quick shower instead of her normal hot bath. As good as the hot water heater was, it hadn’t had enough time to recover from Allyse’s bath and she really hated soaking in tepid water. Dani flipped on her TV and settled into her bed, ignoring the mind numbing sitcom that played almost every night at midnight. She wasn’t interested in watching the show but the background noise helped her relax and gave her brain something to chew on long enough to let her sleep. Dani sipped at her drink then stared into the glass and contemplated the last few hours of her day. The burning sensation of the liquid sliding down her throat was a familiar comfort that left a warm glow in her stomach and helped to settle her nerves. Erick had invited Allyse De Leon to stay in her house. She didn’t like it, but she couldn’t refuse his request without a reason either.
Dani was aware of the other woman's reputation, of course. Erick had told her so much about the woman and the business they owned together. From what she could gather, it was Allyse who had been behind their every success. Driven, hardworking, and so obviously in love with her work that everything else took second fiddle. That was the woman that had walked up onto her porch this morning with those ridiculous heels wearing an outfit that was probably worth more than her best broodmare. Dani snorted and took another sip of her drink. I wonder what she would do if a horse snotted on that fancy silk?
Still, she hadn’t been as horrible as Dani had expected. Perhaps a bit full of herself, but not nearly as intolerable as she had anticipated. She was also younger than Dani had originally thought. At the funeral, she had only seen Erick’s business partner from afar. Warm brown, almost russet hair with a shocking streak of white along the temple was all she had noticed then. And today? The woman who walked up onto her porch earlier was not some wizened older woman, and that white streak wasn’t white, it was sandy blonde. And where Dani was pale beneath her tan, Allyse’s skin was naturally dark. Add pale green eyes and the woman was strikingly handsome if not a bit disconcerting.
Dani finished off what was left of her drink in one swig and grimaced at the burn before stumbling out of bed to turn off the light. She was half way across the room before she realized that something was missing, or rather someone.
“Callie?”
“She's in here with me.” Allyse’s voice drifted in from across the hall.
“Oh, okay. Is she bothering you?” Dani asked. The guest room was dark and she couldn’t see much more than even darker shadows, but she was impressed by how different the room felt now that Allyse was there. Her presence seemed to fill the room, much like the smell of her perfume that hung in the air around her. Inhaling deeply, she found the heady scent already familiar and strangely soothing.
“No, she's fine. I don’t mind having her in here.”
“Okay, have a good night. I’ll see you in the morning.” Dani turned away but left her door open. She hated sleeping with the door closed; it made her feel claustrophobic. She almost missed the last bit of Allyse’s response as she walked across the hallway.
“You too, Dani and thank you again,” Allyse said, her voice thick with sleep. Then she murmured, almost as an afterthought. “I think Erick wa
s right.”
Chapter Three
The next morning Dani woke up to the torturous smell of coffee. Torturous because there was no way to keep sleeping past the enticing aroma. It wafted up the stairs, crawled up her nose, and demanded that she greet the day. Groaning loudly, Dani rolled over and covered her face with her pillow. She wasn’t ready to get up yet. Kicking violently against the tangled blankets, she turned bleary eyes towards her alarm clock then cursed beneath her breath when the numbers came into focus.
“8am?” she grumbled, squinting at the clock in disgust. “Christ, that’s too early to be awake.”
Dani had set her farm up so her workers did the morning chores and she would be allowed to sleep in. It might seem odd, but what was the use of working for yourself if you can’t indulge just a little? One of the best perks of being your own boss was making your own hours. Dani scrubbed the sleep out of her eyes and yanked the blankets away. She was awake now. Evidently being your own boss didn’t mean squat when you have a guest waking you up earlier than you preferred.
Dani stumbled out of bed, pulled on yesterday’s jeans, then a ratty looking grayish sleeveless hoody that had started its life years ago black and sleeved. She didn’t care what it looked like now, it was her favorite and it was comfortable. The lettering on the back was faded and cracked but still legible, emblazoned with the Saxon Family Farm name and crest. She ran into the bathroom to make a quick pit stop before padding down the stairs. The coffee called to her like a caffeinated pied piper, and she was powerless against it.
Dani found Allyse sitting at the kitchen table. She was fully dressed and impeccably made up. She was also reading Dani’s kindle and drinking coffee out of Dani’s favorite mug. How did she even find it? Dani asked herself, then remembered she had left the Kindle on the charger in the living room the other night.
Dani grunted something she hoped sounded close to “morning” and headed for the coffee maker. A soft whine caught her attention, and she looked down. Callie was lying at Allyse’s feet, halfway under the kitchen table. She barely managed to lift her head and wag her tail at Dani in greeting before flopping back down again with an overdramatic sigh. Dani shook her head at the turncoat pup. Evidently, Dani wasn’t the only victim of Allyse’s early morning routine.