Beverly had seen a change in Darien’s demeanor when she’d told her about Courtney’s marriage—her back stiffened a little straighter and her jaw clamped tight. She didn’t have to guess who Darien was watching outside..
After Darien excused herself, she nearly ran down the stairs before flinging the front door wide open and taking a huge breath of fresh, country air. “What the hell am I doing?” she whispered. The last thing she wanted to do was go back out to the field near Courtney, so she went into the barn instead and began putting some of the long piping pieces together.
Chapter 15
Over the next two weeks, Darien did everything she could to avoid Courtney, but seeing her was inevitable when they were working in the same field. Courtney went through her daily routine of tending to the harvest, while Darien dug the trenches and laid the piping for the irrigation system.
The summer heat was in full bloom, scorching down on the open terrain when Courtney went inside to make Beverly’s lunch. She happened to look through the kitchen window just as Darien removed her hat, pouring an entire bottle of cold water over her head. Courtney’s stomach tightened in knots as the droplets of water ran down Darien’s face and neck, drenching her tight, green t-shirt with Semper Fi written in large black letters over the front of it.
Beverly stood up and walked over to see what was going on since Courtney had been glued to the window for nearly five minutes, completely ignoring the burning food on the stove. She grinned when she saw Darien standing out in the hot sun in what looked like a soaked t-shirt and jeans.
“You smell something?” Beverly murmured.
“What?” Courtney mumbled. She jumped with surprise when she noticed Beverly next to her. “Shit!” she screeched when she saw the pan full of burned vegetables she was supposed to be sautéing.
Beverly laughed as Courtney ran around the kitchen, cursing and cleaning out the pan, then chopping fresh vegetables to start the meal over.
“There’s no denying what’s going on between the two of you.” Beverly watched Courtney turn to face her. “Honey, that woman out there is already yours whether you want her to be or not.”
She watched a tear roll down Courtney’s cheek. “It’s okay to fall in love again. That’s what Janice would’ve wanted.”
Courtney sighed and wiped the tear as Beverly stood to hug her.
“I love you like you are my own daughter. I always have and I always will. No matter who you’re with.”
Courtney smiled.
“If I were a little younger, I might be giving you some competition, young lady.” Beverly grinned. “I’ve always had a thing for uniforms.” She winked.
Courtney laughed and walked back to the stove.
***
Later that evening, Darien had taken a long, cold shower before lounging on the couch and listening to the radio. Her long deployments overseas and in the Middle East had trained her for a life with no TV, so she hadn’t missed it at all since moving into the apartment on the farm. She was just about asleep when she heard a soft knock on the door. She got up to answer it, dressed in only a pair of black gym shorts and a white t-shirt with the Marines logo on the front.
“Is everything okay?” Darien asked, concerned to see Courtney at her door.
“Yes.” Courtney smiled. “Can I come in?”
“Oh. Uh, sure.” Darien shrugged and backed away.
“I need to tell you something,” Courtney said nervously as she sat down on the couch.
“Alright.” Darien drew in a breath and sat down next to her, not sure what she was about to hear.
“I’m not married…well not anymore,” Courtney sighed. “I’m a widow.” She swallowed hard when she looked up to see Darien’s bright eyes looking back at her.
Darien nodded.
“I was married to Beverly’s daughter, Janice.” She paused. “We had a good life together. She was the love of my life…the only love of my life.”
Darien was slightly surprised by Courtney’s admission. She wasn’t sure what to say to her. She felt the need to hold Courtney in her arms and run for the hills at the same time. She reached out, grabbing her hand, and looked up at Courtney with a questioning expression. The gold band was no longer on her left hand.
“I took it off.” Courtney smiled softly. “It was time.”
Darien rubbed her thumb over the spot where the ring had been.
“I was only twenty when Janice and I met. I was on my summer break from college and working part-time at the hardware store in town, plus part-time at the farmer’s market on the weekends. I’m originally from Iowa City, but I moved to Tipton with a friend from college who was from here. I wanted a change of scenery and I honestly had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.”
“What’s your degree in?” Darien asked.
“Well, I was going for Political Science, but after my summer in Tipton, I never went back to school or back home to Iowa City for that matter. I fell head over heels in love with the farmer’s daughter, or I guess, the farmer herself,” she laughed. “We were married three years later.”
Darien smiled.
“Things were great at first, but they were about as good as they could be during the next couple of years as we experienced a major drought. This farm supplies about forty percent of the inventory for the farmer’s market in town, on top of being the biggest dairy farm around, so everyone was affected. It had finally started to turn around after we had one of the wettest seasons in history.” She stared at the floor. “The farm was making money and everyone was happy for over a year. Then the tornado alarm sounded.” Courtney wiped a tear from her cheek.
“Beverly told me. I’m so sorry,” Darien murmured.
“My life drastically changed that day. Beverly was already sick and no longer working and I haven’t talked to my own family in years. They sort of wrote me off after I dropped out of college. Who knows what they’d say if they knew I was a lesbian,” she sighed. “Beverly is my only family, well her and Jason, so I stayed here and sort of took Janice’s place, running the farm and taking care of Beverly.”
“That’s understandable. This is your home,” Darien said.
Courtney smiled and shook her head. “Life had just about gotten back to some semblance of normal when you showed up and turned it up upside down again.”
“I’m sor—”
“Don’t,” Courtney whispered, putting her finger to Darien’s mouth. “Don’t be sorry for making me feel alive again.”
Darien ran the back of her knuckles over Courtney’s cheek and watched her close her eyes. She leaned in, closing the short distance between them as their lips met softly.
Courtney ran her hands under Darien’s shirt, feeling the ripple of her stomach muscles. Darien’s chest tightened when she felt Courtney’s hands on her. It had been well over a year since she’d been intimate with another woman and her body welcomed the touch.
Courtney’s heart pounded. She’d never physically wanted someone so badly in her life. She was light-headed from the blood rushing to her lower extremities, but kept going, slightly praying she didn’t pass out as she moved her hands higher, grazing her fingers over the bottom curve of Darien’s breasts. She wanted to feel every inch of the sexy body that had been tormenting her for two months. Reaching higher, she gently messaged the firm, round breasts as she rubbed her thumbs over the erect nipples.
Darien backed away, breaking the kiss and pulling the t-shirt over her head, revealing her naked torso as she stood. Courtney swallowed the lump in her throat as she kicked off her boots and rose from the couch.
Darien wrapped her arms around Courtney’s waist, kissing her hard as their bodies came together. She ran her hands beneath the tank top covering the soft, smooth skin of Courtney’s back, before sliding them lower to cup the ass cheeks that had been teasing her under the cut-off shorts. With a gentle heave, she lifted Courtney easily off the ground and the smaller woman wrapped her legs around Darien’s hips. She walked t
hem over to the bed, laying Courtney down on her back as she stayed on top of her without parting their lips.
Courtney kept her legs around Darien as she ran her hands over the tight muscles of her back and up into her short hair, where she tugged playfully. Darien rocked her hips against Courtney’s, causing her to gasp against Darien’s mouth as their frenzied kissing continued.
Darien pulled away enough to break the kiss and look into her eyes. “We can stop,” she whispered.
“Never,” Courtney said breathlessly as she tried to push Darien to her back unsuccessfully.
Darien grinned and rolled over, pulling Courtney with her, who quickly sat up, straddling Darien’s crotch. She rocked back and forth and bit her lower lip as she pulled her tank top over her head. Darien held her breath, watching as Courtney removed her bra, tossing it to the side with her shirt. Her eyes focused on the beautiful, perky tits and hard, pink nipples as Darien moved her hands to the slim waist in front of her, feeling the smooth skin of Courtney’s body, from her tight stomach, up to the perfect breasts that were begging for attention.
Courtney put her hands over Darien’s, squeezing them over her breasts and moaning while grinding against her crotch. Then, Courtney moved her hands down to the waistband of her shorts. Darien watched as she undid the button and lowered the zipper, before grabbing one of Darien’s hands, pushing it down against her wet panties.
Darien locked eyes with Courtney and bit her lower lip as she sat up, pushing her fingers against the soaked fabric. The feel of their nipples grazing each other was like electricity passing between them as their lips met in another heated kiss, until Courtney pulled away and moved to the side to remove her shorts and panties.
Darien’s breath caught in her throat when she took in the completely naked body of the beautiful woman in front of her. She pulled off her own shorts, adding them to the pile on the floor, before meeting Courtney’s lips once again as they lie back down together, feeling all of their skin touching for the first time. Darien moved her hand between Courtney’s legs, sliding her fingers through the wetness in languid circles.
Courtney panted heavier with every lazy stroke, rocking her hips back and forth and digging her short nails into Darien’s back.
“Go inside,” she hissed breathlessly, moaning loudly as Darien pushed two fingers deep inside of her, thrusting harder and harder.
Courtney lost control, exploding with a flash of light behind her closed eyes when her body gave way to the powerful orgasm.
Darien backed away slightly to give her some air, but Courtney rebutted the loss of contact and quickly moved closer, sliding her hand between Darien’s thighs. She stroked back and forth slowly at first, while she watched the emotions play over her face.
Darien tried desperately to hold back, but it felt too damn good as Courtney’s fingers rubbed her clit in a slow steady rhythm that was driving her crazy. She cried out as her body released the built up pressure with wave after pleasure-filled wave until she collapsed like a limp noodle.
Knowing they’d only broken the surface, both women caught their breath and moved together again, kissing, licking, and touching each other, climaxing over and over for the next two hours, until Courtney reluctantly pulled herself free.
Courtney couldn’t leave Beverly in the house alone all night, which Darien knew and understood, but Darien still hated the cool sensation she felt over her skin when Courtney’s warm body was no longer pressed against her. She kissed Courtney passionately one last time before watching her run back across the driveway into the darkness.
Chapter 16
Courtney and Darien had needed a little time to digest what had transpired between them. They’d reached pinnacles in their few hours together that neither woman had ever felt before, and they didn’t know how to react. The fierce passion Courtney had experienced made her feel alive and full of desire, but it had also brought a new wave of sadness over her, knowing she’d finally moved on from her life with Janice. At the same time, Darien was overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions knowing the truth would more than likely ruin anything she had with Courtney, but also knowing she couldn’t deny the fact that she was falling for her.
A few days later, a package arrived from Val. Darien headed straight to the apartment to open it, while Courtney took the rest of the mail into the main house. She still had no idea who this Valerie Sherwin person was and it bothered her.
“You’ve been acting different lately. What’s wrong?” Beverly asked, sitting down in the home office. “Is that the mail?”
“Yes,” Courtney mumbled, moving from her perch near the window to set the envelopes on the desk in front of Beverly.
Beverly opened everything, separating the bills from all of the other mail as Courtney walked back to the window. “You can’t side step that woman forever,” she chided, watching her peek through the curtains.
***
Darien tore open the large bubble envelope and dumped the contents of her California mailbox onto the coffee table. Val had tossed out all of the junk before forwarding everything else. Darien sat on the couch and sifted through the envelopes. Most of them were bill statements, which she had directly debited from her bank account. She opened a couple letters with information from her eye doctor about new organ rejection drugs that were available with less side effects, but so far, she hadn’t felt anything other than an occasional bout of nausea or headache, both of which she could live with.
At the bottom of the pile was a letter from the United States Marine Corps, Department of Defense. Darien furrowed her brow, wondering what this was about, as she tore the envelope open.
SSgt. Darien K. Hollister,
This letter is to inform you that due to the successful results of your recent surgery, you may eligible to test for reinstatement of your discharge MOS/rank or general reenlistment into the USMC.
Contact MCB Camp Pendleton for further information.
Signed:
Capt. Paul J. Yarborough
Darien let go of the letter in shock. It fell to the table like a feather in the wind as she sat back. The only thing that had been on her mind since the day she opened her eyes and could see again was getting this reenlistment letter, but over the past couple of months, everything in her life had changed. Finally getting the letter after she’d all but given up on going back to the military was like a double-edged sword. No matter which side she chose, it was going to cut deep.
Just knowing that she had a chance—if only a small one, but still a chance—to put her uniform back on, made Darien sit up straight like a switch had been flipped. The military was her life. It was what she knew. Being forced to let it go had left a huge empty space inside of her. On the other hand, she’d finally learned to care for something other than the Marines for the first time in her life. She was torn between the one thing that made her whole and the only person she’d ever fallen in love with. One thing was certain, the Marines and Courtney Hollister were like oil and water and would never mix. She’d have to choose.
Darien grabbed a bottle of water from her fridge, wishing it was something stronger as she drank it down. She sat back down and penned a quick letter to Val, the only person who would understand.
Val,
I received a letter from the Captain of the Armored Vehicle Reconnaissance Company for my Battalion Group at Camp Pendleton. I may be able to get reinstated or at least reenlist in the Marines. I only have about three weeks to decide.
Anyway, I’m letting you know that I might be coming home. Don’t say anything to my parents. I will tell them when the time is right.
Darien
She hustled down the stairs and put the letter in the mailbox with the flag up before heading back out to the field to finish her work for the day.
***
Courtney sighed, watching Darien through the window as she walked back out to the field after mailing another letter, more than likely to the mysterious Valerie person. She shook the thoughts from her head
and ran up to check on Beverly, who had already gone back upstairs after her meal.
“Do you need anything before I go back out?” Courtney asked, pulling Beverly’s throw blanket up a little higher.
“No, I’m fine. Can you ask Darien to come to dinner? I forgot to ask her this morning.”
“Sure,” Courtney said flatly.
“I called and invited Jason, but he said he had other plans when I told him Darien was also invited. I wish he’d just get over the fact that he’s not in control of this farm. If he keeps this behavior up, it’ll never be his.” Beverly shook her head.
“Get some rest. I’ll be back inside in a little while to get an early start on dinner.”
“Okay. Tell Darien she can come early and share another story if she wants.”
Courtney nodded and walked away. She should’ve been happier about Darien coming to dinner, but she couldn’t get past the mystery surrounding her. The fact that she’d been intimate with her only made it worse. It made her feel like she was falling for a stranger and up until that morning, she’d been slowly letting her mind picture a life with Darien.
“I only have one more section of piping to finish tomorrow, then you’ll be able to plant this field,” Darien said as Courtney walked closer.
“That’s fine. Let Ernie know so he can start tilling as soon as it’s ready,” Courtney replied, as she continued past her.
Darien’s mind wandered back to their night together when her eyes landed on Courtney’s short, cut-off jean shorts and the expanse of tan legs under them. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
“Nope,” Courtney stated without turning around. “By the way,” she yelled over her shoulder. “Beverly wants you to come to dinner and she said something about a story if you finish work early.”
Second Chance Page 8