by VK Powell
She turned back to her merlot, took a sip, and searched the room for someone she knew to get a ride home. The romantic music changed again to a pounding bass, and the erotic dances of arousal and intimacy morphed into movements of vitality and urgency. Grace swayed to the beat and slowly sipped her wine for several more minutes before deciding to order an Uber.
“Can I get you another drink?” a man next to her asked.
“No thanks, I’m good.”
“Would you like to dance?”
Grace shook her head and suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous. The walls of the club vibrated and seemed to contract and expand. She couldn’t make out faces or even body shapes. When she tried to grab the bar for support, her arms felt weighted and dropped back to her sides. Her legs shook and threatened to give way. “Wha’s long wif me?” Her words slurred.
The man who’d offered her a drink put his arm around her waist. “Why don’t you let me take you home? You don’t look well.”
Grace was vaguely aware of sinking toward the floor. She tried to stop the fall but instead felt strong arms around her. She struggled, but someone picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She pounded on the muscled back. “Lemme go.” A blast of hot, sticky air. Buckled in a seat belt. Total darkness.
* * *
Dani searched for a nearby hospital on her phone while Grace mumbled and struggled against her seat belt. Dani’s hand ached so badly she could barely hold her phone. It didn’t feel broken, but she hoped the guy’s nose she punched was. He’d been groping an obviously incapacitated Grace, and Dani hit him without thinking twice.
“Not dunk…drunk.” Grace’s words were slow and garbled.
“Grace, you’re going to be okay now.”
“Need hep…help.”
“I know, babe. I’m helping you. I’m taking you to a hospital.”
“No! No hos—pital. Damn. Who you?”
She cupped Grace’s hand where it rested in her lap. “It’s Dani.”
“Dani?” Grace stared at her hard as if trying to remember who she was but her eyes were glassy and unfocused.
“Yes, I’m going to take care of you. Please, let’s go by the hospital for a checkup. I don’t know what he put in your drink.”
Grace shook her head vigorously and then grabbed the sides as if regretting the intense motion. “Wadder…jus’ water.”
Dani placed a bottle of water with a straw between Grace’s hands in her lap. “The good thing is, you’re still conscious, mostly, and you’re making more sense than I’d expect. Drink lots of water.”
Grace probably didn’t understand a word, but Dani felt better saying them. She had to believe Grace would be okay. She couldn’t live with any other outcome. When she’d seen the man dragging Grace toward the front door, her whole world shifted. Grace was all that mattered.
“Only two dink…drinks.” Grace leaned forward over the bottle and wrapped her lips around the straw, but some of the water ran down her chin. She turned her head slightly and stared as if unsure of what she was seeing. “Dani?”
“Yeah, babe.” Dani pulled a napkin from the console and dabbed at Grace’s wet chin. “Keep drinking.”
Grace took a few more sips, rested her head against the seat, and closed her eyes. She needed a thorough exam by a doctor along with a tox screen but adamantly refused. What if Dani took her anyway? Would being drugged by a stranger in a bar affect Grace’s job? Should she at least tell Mary Jane? How about Trip and Clay? Grace deserved the best care, but her friends weren’t here. She had to decide what was best for the woman she…the thought froze in her mind as she pulled up to Grace’s cottage.
When Dani stopped her car, Grace was still out. Her breathing was steady, not labored or shallow, and her skin tone was good. She simply looked like a sleeping beauty, resting after an evening of dancing. But some asshole had tried to take advantage of Grace, and Dani would find out who he was and deal with him further after she took care of Grace.
As she considered her next move, her headlights cast Grace’s cottage in a ball of light. “We’re home, Grace.” Home. Her growing bond with Grace could hurt her deeply, and she’d taken the coward’s way out. She’d run from this place panicked the other night, but now she couldn’t wait to get Grace inside and shut out the world.
She riffled through Grace’s purse, found her house keys, and once again lifted Grace over her shoulder to carry her into the cottage. Making her way through the space with one free hand, she switched on a lamp in the bedroom, threw back the covers, and eased Grace down onto the mattress. Now what? Grace’s emerald dress fit her so beautifully, but she needed to be out of it to rest properly.
Dani had plenty of experience getting women out of their dresses, but not while they were unconscious. She’d fantasized undressing Grace the first time and how exciting it would be, but now her heart ached for Grace’s health and her pulse raced with anger that someone had harmed her.
She moved behind Grace and straddled her on the bed, grabbed the hem of her dress in both hands, and worked it up her body—past her shapely thighs, to the edge of her black undergarment, beyond the top of the bikini brief, across her bellybutton, and under her breasts.
“What’s happ’ning?” Grace mumbled.
“You’re okay, Grace. I’ve got you. Can you raise your arms for me?”
Grace tried to comply, her arms reaching only shoulder height, but it was enough for Dani to slide the dress off. She threw it to the floor, eased from behind Grace, and lowered her head onto the pillow. Her nearly nude body showed no signs of injury, so Dani leaned over and placed a single kiss on her forehead and covered her. “Sleep now, Gracie. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Dani pulled an upholstered chair from the living room to Grace’s bedside and placed two bottles of water on the nightstand. She retrieved a blanket from the hope chest at the end of Grace’s bed, took her shoes off, and tucked her feet under the edge of the mattress. She’d be nearby if Grace called out or tried to get up. When she woke, Dani would discuss with her what happened next—about Mary Jane, her friends, a doctor, the police, and the two of them.
“D—Dani?”
Grace’s voice was scratchy and deep, a sound Dani associated with painful dryness. She must’ve fallen asleep because when she pulled her feet from beneath the mattress, the muscles behind her knees felt tight and sore from the uncomfortable position. “I’m here.”
Grace swallowed hard, winced, and reached for the water on the nightstand.
“Let me.” Dani held the bottle close and brought the straw to Grace’s lips.
“Why are you here?” She drank deeply and a relieved moan escaped her lips. “So good.” She glanced at the bedside lamp and then out the window. “What time is it?”
“Almost daybreak.”
“Thursday?”
“Yes.”
Grace tried to sit up. “What happened?”
Dani eased her back in bed and pulled another pillow to prop her up. “Don’t you remember?”
“I remember you saying you’d see me around and running out of here.”
“I was hoping you’d forgotten that part. I’m really sorry.”
“I can’t forget. So, why are you here, Dani? You’re freaking me out a little.”
“We were at a club in Savannah.”
“Together?” Grace frowned and looked around as if nothing Dani said made sense.
“No. I went alone. You were with some vertically challenged blond butch.”
“Jay. So how did we get here, and where is Jay?” She grabbed the sides of her head. “I feel seriously hung-over.”
Dani stuffed her hands in her jeans pockets and rocked back and forth. “Don’t you think we should save this conversation until you feel better?”
Grace placed her hands beside her on the bed and breathed like she was hyperventilating. “If you’d stop rocking, I’d be fine.” She sounded harsh, but she searched Dani’s face with a pleading look. “Sorry. I don�
�t mean to snap. I just need answers.”
“Short version. You were dancing with the butch blonde. A brunette busted in. You went to the bar for a drink. A guy slipped something in your wine and tried to leave with you. I stopped him and brought you home.”
Grace stared, her eyebrows scrunched together as if she was trying to recall even a snippet of Dani’s story, but then she shook her head. “Nope, I got nothing. So…I was drugged?”
“I’m pretty sure.”
“Do you know who did it?”
“No.”
Grace pulled the sheets out and looked down at her body. “Did you undress me?”
Dani nodded.
For the first time since she’d woken up, Grace studied Dani closely. “Your eyelids are heavy. You’ve got black circles under your eyes. And your clothes are a wrinkled mess. How long have you been here, watching over me?”
“A while.”
“You saved me from a really bad situation.”
Dani shrugged.
“You brought me home. Undressed me. Put me in bed. And stayed with me. All night?”
“You needed me.” Dani glanced down at the floor and then back at Grace, her face burning, her heart aching to say the words she’d been thinking since she brought Grace home. “And I liked being needed.” The truth of her statement hit Dani full force.
Grace reached out, and Dani took her hand without hesitation. She settled lightly beside Grace on the bed and traced her knuckles with her thumb.
“Thank you, Dani. I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened if you hadn’t stepped in. I can never repay you.”
“It’s not necessary. I care about you, Grace. Really care.” Grace appreciated being taken care of, and Dani liked doing it. Was this what a relationship felt like? Give and take? Sharing? Looking after each other in good times and bad?
Grace stroked the side of her face and let her fingers linger near her lips. “Maybe we should talk about what that means sometime.”
“Maybe we should just do something about it,” Dani said and grinned. “Woman of action, remember?”
“We need to talk, Dani, but when I’m a bit more coherent.”
She wanted to tell Grace exactly how she felt, but now wasn’t the right time. When she finally said those words, she wanted Grace fully conscious and able to understand what she meant. “You should think about going to the hospital for a blood test. When we catch this guy, you’ll need evidence that you had drugs in your system.”
“Did you see him put something in my drink?” Grace gave her a skeptical look.
“No, but it had to be him because he tried to make you leave with him.”
“Why not someone else close by?” Grace was playing cop, throwing out all the options, and Dani found it both impressive and totally frustrating.
Dani shrugged, and Grace said, “You make a good point, but the law is very specific about those type of charges. We don’t have a case.”
“Damn it, Grace, I still think you should let me take you to the hospital.”
“No way.”
“But don’t you have to go to work tomorrow?”
“Took a couple of days off. Good thing too. All I need is more sleep and lots of water to flush that crap out of my body.” Her eyelids were slowly drooping.
Dani stood and picked up her boots. “Then I guess I better let you get to it.”
Grace’s expression shifted, her eyes large, scared looking. “I have no right to ask anything after what you’ve already done, but would you please stay with me? I don’t want to be alone after
what happened. I’m still groggy and a bit rattled by the whole situation.”
Dani grinned and dropped her boots beside the bed. “Do you snore?”
Grace play slapped her on the arm. “What a horrible thing to ask a Southern lady. Of course not.”
“Then push over. I’m coming in.” Dani set the alarm on her phone so she wouldn’t be late for work, shucked her shirt over her head without unbuttoning it, and peeled off her jeans leaving only boxers and a sports bra. “This okay?”
“I’d prefer skin, but under the circumstances that’s perfect. Get in.” Grace flung the covers back and patted the bed beside her. “You need sleep.”
Dani snuggled under the covers but kept a respectable distance from Grace. If she touched her, she’d never be able to stop. “I’m not sure I can sleep like this.”
“Give me your hand.” Dani complied, and Grace pulled it across her body, bringing Dani’s head to rest on her shoulder. “How about now?”
“This is great. I might be able to…” Dani yawned. “You’re so…warm. Nice.” Grace fit perfectly against her, and Dani felt a tingling of arousal, but it diverted to her heart instead of lower. She sighed, and Grace kissed the top of her head and said something about a shero. For the first time in Dani’s life, the woman beside her felt like forever.
Chapter Fourteen
“Grace, wake up,” Dani said, trying to extract herself from the warm tangle of arms and legs. “I have to go to work.”
“Not yet.” Grace pulled her tighter.
“Trip is taking me on an exotic animal tour this afternoon so I have to do all my regular work and any walk-ins first. I don’t want to miss what passes for exotic in Pine Cone.”
“She’ll understand if you’re late.”
Grace wasn’t waking as quickly as Dani wanted. Damn. What drug had that asshole put in her drink? A normal roofie only lasted eight to twelve hours, but he could’ve laced it with something else. “Maybe I can put it off. I’m worried about you. Look at me, Grace.” She gently shook Grace’s shoulders, needing to check her out before leaving her alone.
“I’m fine, really. A bit groggy. Go. Work.”
“Are you sure?” She didn’t want to leave Grace at all much less if she wasn’t well.
“Go.” Grace waved her away and almost immediately fell back asleep.
Grace could still give orders so that was a good sign. Dani covered her, kissed her forehead, and dashed across the lawn to the B and B to get ready for work.
The morning passed quickly as Trip chipped in with the usual rounds. More than once, Dani thought about telling her what happened to Grace at the club but changed her mind. She didn’t want to blab Grace’s business, until they’d had a chance to talk and figure out what Grace wanted to do about it. Around noon, Trip nodded toward the back where her truck was parked and led the way out.
Dani eyed her from the passenger seat. “You’re certainly in a great mood. Is that because of Petunia’s diagnosis?”
“Some of it. An easily removable benign tumor is a pretty good outcome. Jamie’s grateful, Petunia will get better, and it’s a beautiful summer day…too nice to be stuck inside.” Trip grinned at her. “And today is the day you understand why I picked you
over a dozen other qualified applicants.” Trip turned off the highway onto a long drive with a black iron sign arched over the entrance that said Green Acres. She nodded toward Dani’s swollen and abraded knuckles. “I meant to ask you earlier, what happened?”
Dani slid her hand under her leg, unwilling to share Grace’s story until she was ready. “Bar fight. You know how it is.”
“Used to.” Trip didn’t push and pointed toward a pasture to the right. “Isn’t this great?”
A dozen bison populated the pasture on one side of the drive, and a mixed herd of miniature cows and horses on the other. “Is this a petting zoo or something?” Dani asked.
“Sort of. Tom and Betty King are the clients. They’re partnered with the Livestock Conservancy and raise several old breeds of chickens, rabbits, and other livestock designated as heritage stock. The bison are just a fancy of Tom’s. The miniature horses and cows are Betty’s indulgence.”
As Trip drove past the log-style house and parked beside a large, traditional red barn, Dani took in the rest of the property. Four other long barrack-style barns with signs that identified the residents of each—rabbits,
chickens, cattle, horses—finished the complex. “This is a big operation.”
“They operate traveling petting stations for county fairs and other venues. Right now, there’s a brisk market for the heritage breeds. The free-range and organic farmers like the idea of raising the same chickens their great-great-grandparents did. And they supply zoos all over the country and beyond with some of the more exotic breeds. Today, we’re here to see a rabbit.”
A woman in a dirty T-shirt, baggy khakis, and knee-high rubber boots emerged from the rabbit barn and walked toward them. Trip waved, and they both got out of the truck.
“Hey, Trip.”
“Hey, Betty. You and Tom doing okay?”
“Doing fine.” The woman wiped her hand on her pants and held it out to Dani. “I’m Betty King.”
Dani shook her hand. “Dani Wingate.”
“Dani’s my new associate veterinarian,” Trip said. “I hired her because of her experience with exotic animals. She worked in a zoo in Baltimore.”
“Well, we won’t hold being a Yankee against her if she knows her stuff.”
“I appreciate that,” Trip said, smiling at Dani. “So, who’s our patient today?”
“Thumper. I’ve got him in the red barn. You’ll need sutures. His ear is shredded.”
“Big Wig get him?”
“Yep. The youngster is full grown now and made the mistake of challenging the old man over a doe. The North Carolina Zoo wants him and a doe, so we’ll keep them separate from the others until Thumper’s healed and we can ship the pair out together.”
Dani marveled at the smooth back-and-forth between Trip and Betty, old friends, familiar with the rhythm and stories of life in a small town. She followed them toward the big red barn where the doors in front and back were open and fans hummed over the pens. It was obviously set up for a petting zoo, but most of the pens were empty.
“We figured this would be the best place for him to recover since school is out and we don’t have any groups scheduled for tours until August,” Betty said. She led them to a pen in the back corner where a Flemish giant rabbit sprawled on fresh straw and nibbled on a large carrot.