by MK McGowan
Bud was sitting behind his huge old oak desk. There was a manila folder, open and ignored, in front of him, but he was focused on a fishing lure. He held it up to the light. “Look at that, Elizabeth. Is it not a thing of beauty?”
Elizabeth took a good look at the fly. It was beautiful. “Are you going to try to win the championship this year?” Every year the local VFW hosted a three-day fishing contest. And every year Bud lost. But he was nothing if not stubborn.
“This year’s the year, darlin’. I can feel it.” He had the look of the obsessed. Some people had a religion, Bud had fishing.
“Good luck,” Elizabeth said as she pulled up a chair.
“You’re not entering this year?”
“No, I can’t take the time off,” Elizabeth explained.
“I thought you were the boss,” Bud said.
“I am the head of the department, but that means I get stuck with the crappy hours.”
Bud put his fly down gently and moved it away from the center of his desk. “When a job starts interfering with fishing, it’s time to change jobs,” he warned seriously. “But you’re here about the contract, right?” Carolyn had faxed Bud a copy of the proposal several days ago.
Elizabeth nodded. “Yeah, how does it look?”
Bud passed Elizabeth a copy of the papers. Several areas had been highlighted.
“We’ll be haggling over the price. She’s lowballing us at a million. We should easily get double that. Otherwise, it’s pretty much what you asked for. Carolyn gets clearance to build in the designated areas. You get uncontested title to the original homestead and the surrounding ten acres. And all interested parties get an even share of the sale price. We just have to get everyone else on board and we’re in business,” Bud said. “I’ve talked to your brothers and Carolyn’s brother and I don’t think we’ll have any problems.”
“Ain’t money wonderful?” Elizabeth asked.
“You know, if you’d marry me, you wouldn’t have to worry about someone contesting the sale,” Bud said. “You wouldn’t have to share the profits, either. As your lawyer I feel I should point that out.”
Elizabeth laughed at their long running joke. “If I was going to marry any man, it’d be you Bud, you know that.
Bud smile, completely comfortable with the habitual rejection. “I know. So, I’ll finalize the price and get back in touch. What’re you going to do with your share of the money?”
“I’ll be happy if I can finally pay off my student loans,” Elizabeth said with a grimace. “Then maybe I’ll be able to actually fix up the old farmhouse. And I want to set up a trust with Davey’s share so if anything happens to me or my folks, he’ll be okay.”
Bud nodded. “I’ll draw up the papers so everything’s ready.” Business conducted, Bud turned his attention back to more important things. He pulled his fly tying equipment back to the center of his desk. “So, what do you think of this woman that Jane’s bringing home to meet the family?” Bud asked with passably faked indifference.
“I think you can quit worrying. Charlotte is the real deal,” Elizabeth said. “She and Jane are crazy about each other.”
They spent the next half hour discussing Jane’s adventures in San Francisco. Bud got the edited version. There were some things brothers didn’t need to know, and Elizabeth didn’t mention Darcy. There’s no sense discussing people you never want to see again, Elizabeth thought with a touch more bitterness than she was comfortable with.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Two weeks later, Darcy tried to blend into the background at the Dallas airport while Charlotte and Jane hugged hello. There was nothing overt in their actions, but Darcy could feel the sexual tension from two feet away. Once again, she felt like a third wheel.
She hadn’t wanted to tag along on Charlotte’s vacation but she was there on Carolyn’s orders. The negotiations were almost complete and Carolyn insisted that Darcy revisit the building site and set up preliminary meetings with the builders right away. It was simply easier to travel with Charlotte.
After the lovebirds finally let go of each other, Jane said hello to Darcy. She was polite but a little formal.
“Elizabeth mentioned that the deal was being finalized, but I had no idea Carolyn would move this fast,” Jane said.
“Carolyn’s anxious to get things rolling,” Darcy said. “She wants to set up a temporary office here, and she wants construction started by early summer. She seriously wants out of San Francisco. In fact, she’s coming down next week to see to some of the details herself.”
Jane smiled noncommittally. Charlotte spotted her bags and rushed to the luggage carousel, giving Darcy a moment alone with Jane.
“How is Elizabeth?” Darcy asked tentatively.
Jane looked at her sternly. “She’s fine. Despite her recent disappointments,” she said accusingly.
“I want you to know that it was all a big misunderstanding. Honestly,” Darcy said.
There was a hint of desperation in Darcy’s tone, and Jane found herself warming toward the woman. “I hope that’s true,” Jane said. “She doesn’t deserve to be used like that.”
“It wasn’t like that at all,” Darcy said. “It had nothing to do with business.”
“I’m glad,” Jane said. “But you’ll have a hard time convincing her of that.”
Charlotte came back with her luggage. “I didn’t see your bag, Darcy,” she said.
“Perfect. Lost luggage, just what I need,” Darcy said. “Listen, you two go on. Enjoy your evening. I’ll see you later.”
“Are you sure?” Jane asked.
“Yeah, I’m not the one here on vacation,” Darcy said with a teasing glance at Charlotte. “Besides, I’ve already made reservations in Longborn.” After a few further assurances that Darcy would indeed be okay on her own, Jane and Charlotte left. The sight of her friend in love brought home how empty Darcy’s evenings had seemed for the last few weeks.
She stood at the carousel and watched bags go around and around. Eventually, her missing suitcase showed up. She snatched it up and headed for the car rental counter. She figured that with any luck, she’d get to the hotel before nightfall.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Darcy followed Tom to her room. She tossed her bag carelessly on the bed and unpacked her laptop, determined to get some work done. She was also determined not to contact Elizabeth while she was in town. The woman thinks I’m morally bankrupt. And I can’t blame her. But, damn it, she should have stuck around to let me explain. She was trying to work up a good mad, but she only got as far as unhappy.
Darcy slammed her laptop closed and picked up her phone. She stared at the keypad for a moment but had to laugh. She didn’t even know Elizabeth’s phone number. I could go to the hospital and stalk her. She sighed. This is why I don’t date, she screamed internally.
Darcy took a few calming breaths and picked up the room service menu. She couldn’t help thinking about the last time she’d ordered food in this hotel. She stood up, went into the bathroom, and stripped. A quick shower later, she dug out some jeans from her suitcase. She was going back to the bar, and this time she was going to dress appropriately. A short walk, a long drink, and then I’ll be ready for bed. She didn’t let herself hope that maybe she would run into someone she knew.
When Darcy arrived at the bar, it was practically deserted. She strolled up to the bartender, whom she recognized from the first time she had been there, and asked for a beer. “You look familiar,” the bartender said. “Have you been in before?”
“Wow, good memory. I was in here once – on Halloween.”
“We don’t get a lot of new faces around here,” the bartender explained.
Darcy surveyed the almost empty room. “Business does seem to have fallen off,” she said.
The bartender shook her head. “Nah, this is typical for a weeknight. We only get a crowd on weekends and special occasions. Like Halloween. And even then, ‘crowd’ is a relative term,” she said with a smil
e.
“How do you stay in business?” Darcy asked. She was genuinely curious. She couldn’t imagine there were enough gays in town to support the place.
“Rent’s low, and beer’s cheap. And there really isn’t anywhere else for us to meet. On weekends, all the folks who can’t make the drive to Dallas come in here. We have drag shows and fundraisers every few months. We keep squeaking by. Luckily, I’ve got my military pension, so I don’t have to depend on what I earn in tips,” she said with a wry look at the empty tip jar. “My name’s Sasha, by the way.” She held out her hand.
Darcy took it. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Darcy.” Darcy pulled up a stool. “Can I ask you a few questions?” They spent the next hour discussing the viability of a gay outdoor resort. They both decided it had a pretty slim chance of profitability and that it stood a good chance of hostility from the locals. “That’s why I don’t understand why Carolyn wants to relocate her business here,” Darcy said.
“Maybe it’s time for her to come home,” Sasha said reflectively. “She’s always been stubborn. Or maybe determined. Even back when she was just Carol Lynne, small town prom queen, instead of Carolyn, international business mogul.”
“You know Carolyn?” Darcy was surprised. Even though she now knew Carolyn was from Longborn, she still didn’t associate her with the town.
“Know her? Honey, I broke her heart. It’s one of the things I regret most in my life,” Sasha said. She wiped at the already spotless surface of the bar.
Darcy suddenly remembered the story Elizabeth told her the first time they met. Whatever had happened between the two women, Darcy could tell that the event still troubled Sasha. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“’nother beer?” Sasha asked.
“Yeah, that’d be great,” Darcy said. Sasha pulled another beer, slid it over to Darcy, and started talking. “Carol was the prettiest girl in our school. She was smart and determined, and everyone liked her. Me, on the other hand? I was trouble – a tomboy from the wrong side of town. When I didn’t outgrow the tomboy phase, my life became hell. You can imagine the teasing. We all knew each other’s weak spots and exploited them mercilessly.
“Anyway, Carol was always nice to me, even when her friends were around. She was the most popular girl in school, and she still said hello to me in the halls. It’s no wonder I loved her.”
Darcy had a hard time reconciling this description with her ball-busting bitch of a boss, but she didn’t interrupt Sasha’s story.
“The summer before our senior year we were both youth counselors at church camp. And, well, it’s pretty much the standard lesbian camp adventure,” Sasha said with a grin. “I guess it’s a stereotype for a reason.”
Darcy smiled too. She had her own summer camp encounters. She wondered briefly if bug spray was some sort of Sapphic aphrodisiac. She nodded and silently encouraged Sasha to continue her story.
“After school started, we kept seeing each other. In secret. We were both smart enough to know that our families wouldn’t understand. I guess we weren’t secret enough. Her brother Bill, found out.”
Darcy felt her stomach flip. She suddenly dreaded where the story was heading.
“I was lucky, I guess. He and his friends only beat the crap out of me. Told me that if I ever laid my perverted hands on his sister again, he’d kill me. I believed him. I avoided Carol after that. She didn’t understand, and she was devastated. And as soon as I graduated, I got out of this damned town, joined the Army, and saw the world.”
“But you came back. Why?” Darcy didn’t understand, and her confusion showed.
Sasha shrugged. “It’s my home. I learned that no matter where you go, there’s hate and ugliness in the world. If I’m gonna take a stand, it’s gonna be here. Maybe Carol learned the same thing.”
Darcy nodded pensively.
“Or maybe she’s thumbing her nose at the locals,” Sasha added with a devilish smile.
Darcy laughed. “That sounds more like the Carolyn I know.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” a voice behind her bellowed.
Darcy spun around on her barstool and came face to face with a livid Elizabeth.
“I’m having a beer and talking to Sasha,” Darcy said in a deceptively calm voice.
“Hey, Elizabeth,” Sasha said with a wave.
Elizabeth nodded at Sasha without taking her eyes off Darcy. “Don’t play games with me. Why are you in Longborn?”
Darcy slid off the barstool and straightened up to her full, imposing height.
“I don’t play games. Ever,” she said. The words were harsh with hurt feelings. “I’m in your precious town because your cousin is my boss, remember? She sent me here to get things underway. It’s not like I was dying to come back to Podunk central.” She paused. “You’re the only reason I’d want to be here, and you,” she said pointing at Elizabeth angrily, “aren’t speaking to me. So, it’s work, Elizabeth, why else would I be here?” She threw her hands up in exasperation.
“Jesus, the ink’s not even dry on the contract yet, and she’s already getting construction underway?”
Darcy was losing her patience. “What the hell did you expect?” she asked. “It’s a business decision, and Carolyn doesn’t do things halfway.”
Elizabeth sat down on the stool next to Darcy and leaned her elbows on the bar. “I don’t know. I guess I expected more time to get used to the idea,” she said. There was a defeated slump to her shoulders.
Darcy sat back down and put her hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder tentatively. Just because she didn’t share Elizabeth’s affection for the town didn’t mean she couldn’t sympathize. She tried to reassure Elizabeth. “It’ll be okay. I swear we’ll abide by the agreement. It’s one of the reasons I’m here.” You’re the other, she wanted to say, but she held herself back. Elizabeth had been pretty clear about her feelings, but before she could stop herself, Darcy said, “I’m going to look at the site in the morning if you’d like to come along. I can show you the plans, fill you in on some of the details.”
“I have to work in the morning,” Elizabeth said brusquely.
Darcy nodded. She knew a brush off when she got one. She drained the last inch of beer from her mug and slipped a ten into the tip jar. Sasha had drifted to the other end of the bar to give the two women some privacy.
“Thanks. For the drink and the information,” Darcy said to Sasha as she stood up to leave.
“I’m off tomorrow afternoon,” Elizabeth mumbled.
“What?” Darcy wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly.
Elizabeth stood up too. “I said I’m off tomorrow afternoon. I could meet you then,” she said. “If the offer’s still good, that is.”
“It’s still good,” Darcy said with a smile. “Okay, tomorrow afternoon. I think you’ll like the preliminary plans that have been drawn up.” She turned to go but turned back suddenly. She grabbed a napkin and a pen off the bar. “What’s your number? In case I need to call you. To confirm, I mean. In case I need to call you tomorrow to confirm.” Darcy was starting to babble. She knew she had to get out of there before making a fool of herself.
Elizabeth didn’t say anything, but she wrote her number on the napkin and handed it to Darcy.
“Thanks, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Darcy said, shoving the napkin in her pocket. Feeling optimistic for the first time in weeks, Darcy hurried back to the hotel, eager for tomorrow. Maybe I haven’t blown it, after all.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Darcy drove back to the hotel in a good mood. Her first meeting had gone well. All the ducks were starting to line up. It looked like this project might actually get underway. More importantly, Elizabeth was still speaking to her.
As Darcy pulled into the hotel drive, she was surprised to see a familiar truck already in the parking lot. Darcy got out of her car and walked slowly toward it. She took her time, enjoying the view. Elizabeth was sitting on the open tailgate in well-worn jeans, swinging her long legs
to an internal rhythm. She had on the same boots and cowboy hat she was wearing on the night they’d met. Only this time, she looked adorable.
Elizabeth watched as Darcy slowly approached. She tipped her hat. “Howdy, ma’am.”
Darcy reached up and pulled the brim of the hat down a little. “Nice hat,” she drawled. She wasn’t sure why Elizabeth was being nice to her, but she was going to enjoy it while it lasted.
Elizabeth grinned. “Thanks. You don’t think it makes me look too butch?” she asked, batting her eyes innocently.
“Only in the ways that count,” Darcy said, with an answering smile. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yep, I don’t have to be back at work until 8.”
“Great. I’ll be right back,” Darcy said. She stopped suddenly. “Or would you like to come up?” she asked hesitantly. Darcy could almost see Elizabeth’s defenses slamming into place.
“I’ll wait here,” Elizabeth said tersely.
Darcy nodded and disappeared into the hotel. When she returned, she was carrying a picnic basket.
“What’s in the basket?” Elizabeth asked.
“I haven’t had lunch yet. I thought it would be more efficient if we could combine the two tasks, so I asked Tom to arrange it,” Darcy said. Normally, she would have disdain for something so obvious, but she was in no position to be picky. This might be her last chance to restore Elizabeth’s trust, and she wanted to make the most of it.
Elizabeth looked doubtful, but she didn’t protest. She hopped down off the tailgate and walked over to the passenger door of the truck. “I thought we could take my truck,” she said.
“Okay, ” Darcy said. If Elizabeth wanted to drive, that was fine with her. Darcy slid the basket onto the bench seat and peered into the truck. It was larger than she remembered. She looked around. “My, what a nice rack,” she said, a little startled by the presence of what appeared to be a shotgun in the gun rack.
“Thanks. I won it in a contest,” Elizabeth said proudly, as she pulled out of the parking lot.