"How?"
"I haven't been interested in anyone seriously since everything with Kari. How could I trust anyone again after that? The other women I dated, it lasted a few weeks at best. Then when Dad died, I ended up back here, and pretty much became a nun."
"You did not." She laughed softly, shaking her head.
"I did, kind of." I chuckled, shrugging with it. "There are some lesbians out here, but they're paired off. I'd met a few people in Seattle on a dating app, but none of them wanted anything more than hookups. So I stopped trying."
"Opposite of what I did. I just slept with whoever piqued my interest for a minute, then ditched them after. So you became a nun, and I became a slut. We're like a bad lesbian romance movie. Hopefully one of us won't die of brain cancer," she teased, but that earned her a poke.
"Dax! Don't say that." I laughed and she joined me in it. "Lesbian movies are horrible."
"I know." She brushed her lips over my forehead, in a tender, delicate gesture. "We'll make our own story."
"I'm looking forward to it."
Snuggled together on our chairs, with remnants of breakfast on the table, we fell into a lull while reveling in the pretty view. The goats wandered around the yard, bleating and playing on the old swing set, and eating one of the overgrown bushes at the far corner.
"The Irrigation Festival starts this week. Would you want to go to the parade and street fair with me?" I asked after some time.
"Are we going to be officially out about our relationship?" she asked, meeting my gaze again. "You know everyone around here treats me like I have Leprosy."
"Dax, I intend to be fully out about our relationship. I don't give a fuck what people think. Neither should you."
"I don't, but I don't want them treating you poorly."
"They won't. And if they do, I'll punch them in the face." I grinned up at her and she laughed.
"Fierce."
An idea struck me suddenly as I sat up. "Dax, is that old schoolhouse still on your property?"
"Yeah. Way out at the edge. Why?"
"Can we go see it?"
"You want to?"
"I've always been a little obsessed. Kids in school used to say it was haunted by the ghosts of the kids who were slaughtered by their teacher in like the eighteen-hundreds," I said, smiling at the silly notion. "Sage said you brought people there for a séance when you were in high school."
She laughed, shaking her head. "I did, but those stories aren't true. It's a historical site. I'll take you."
"Yay. Today?"
Her amused laughter continued and she nodded. "Sure." She patted my knee. "C'mon. Carol will like the workout."
After washing up and dressing in actual clothes, I followed Dax out to the pasture where Carol grazed. Esteban already saddled her up in prep for her workout and she greeted Dax readily upon arrival.
"Can you ride?" she asked me as she mounted the horse. Her boots in the stirrups had her looking way more cowboy than I envisioned. I shielded my eyes from the sun while she adjusted her hat.
"I can ride basic." I approached after giving Carol a few gentle pats and strokes to thank her for her services. "I'm glad she's a draft mix to hold us both. Do you want me in front or behind you?"
"In front." She scooted back and removed her foot from the stirrup to allow me to step in. She held my hand and guided me up in front of her. The saddle held us together rather snuggly and the horn pressed against my pelvis.
"I've never ridden without my feet in the stirrups," I said, holding on to her arm when she snaked it around my middle.
"Carol is very gentle and she'll follow the trail. We'll go slow. I've got you."
"Okay." I leaned into her when she gave me a squeeze.
Surprisingly, when Dax urged Carol from the pasture toward the trail, I found my body moving with Dax's. At the relaxed pace, and the general flatness of the trail, it wasn't too bad of a go. Dax handed me the reins then wrapped both of her arms around me, hugging me from behind.
"She can tell when you're not holding her," I said, noting when Carol's ears flicked.
"She'll let us know if she's unhappy about it." Dax's lips brushed my shoulder, though when my hand stroked her forearm, she started.
"It's just me," I said, nuzzling her cheek with mine.
"I know." She didn't recoil, though the fact that my touches startled her worried me still.
"Do you work out?" I asked.
"Not in the same way that I used to. Why?"
"Your body is rock hard and damn, girl. I can feel your muscles around me." I laughed when I said it and Dax snickered.
"I try to keep myself hard at all times."
"Gross."
Our trot through the property revealed even more beauty. Vast pastures and fields, once rich with crops now sat tilled and taken care of, but not producing the way it used to. The lavender fields, although not yet in full bloom, stretched the furthest.
"What's that there?" I pointed to a small shed and greenhouse on the other side of the river.
"Mom used to make her lavender soaps and shit there. She had a small work crew helping."
"Wow. Have you ever thought about taking up the lavender legacy?"
"I have not. I was thinking about doing pumpkins though."
"That would be awesome, too."
"Maybe."
We made it to the schoolhouse on the far southeast corner of her property. The overgrown area around it covered most of the pathways. Dax stopped Carol a few yards out and tethered her lead to a tree. As if she'd been here before, Carol lowered her head to nibble on some greenery.
The schoolhouse, a boxy single-room setup with a bell in the steeple, appeared dilapidated and crumbling on the outside. However, the windows and doors remained intact.
"Is it condemned?"
"Not quite. There's no basement to it and it's small so the structure is relatively sound," she said, leading the way up the two rickety stairs. I imagined children of varied ages, rushing this building in Little House On The Prairie outfits, carrying lunch pails and wearing aprons. Dax opened the door, using an old skeleton key, and it creaked when we stepped inside.
Two rows of old-timey desks faced a long desk at the front. A blackboard covered the wall behind it. Despite its age, some artifacts remained including small warped chalkboards on the desks and a few curled notebooks in a pile in one of the corners. In the center of the room, a black iron heating unit ran from floor to ceiling.
"Wow." My mouth fell open as I stared. "This is incredible."
"It is. The town historical society checks on it once a month. Over the years they've repaired the windows and such."
Dax leaned against the desk up front, folding her arms over her middle. "When I was a kid, I used to come here and play school."
"Well, it's a perfect place to do it."
"It is."
Cobwebs and dust covered almost all the furniture, but not enough that it went untouched for a hundred years. "I can tell people come to take care of it."
"Yeah. Twice a year Dad used to let them in to restore things. He used to take care of some of it."
"Oh my gosh, it's a little lunch pail." I pointed to a rusted metal pail on the window sill.
"Your excitement over this place is endearing." Dax grinned as she watched me. "Why do you like it?"
"I'm not sure. It was the first thing I thought of when I drove out here the day you called me. Maybe the mystery of it." I took a slow lap around the room, examining the desks and intricate makeup of the wrought iron posts of each. The hard heels of my boots thunked obnoxiously on the floorboards. "Maybe because it has a sense of nostalgia that I didn't expect."
"Like a memory that doesn't belong to us." Dax pushed herself up to sit on the thick wooden teacher's desk up front.
"Yeah. It makes me think of elementary school and middle school. I was fond of that time. I liked school," I said.
"I did, too. As a kid. Not high school." She swung her legs as she wa
tched me. "Who was your first crush?"
"My first fake crush was Billy Evans. Remember him?"
"Vaguely. Why was he fake?"
"I was about thirteen. Everyone had crushes and I felt like I should, too. My first actual crush, looking back, was Debbie Fleming. I was about twelve."
"I remember her. She was in my grade. Big boobs."
"Yeah." I laughed as I made my way back to her, stopping in front of her then while she fiddled with the skeleton key. "Who was your first crush?"
A mild smile curved her mouth while she watched Carol outside through the window. "There was this girl with dirty-blonde hair who was a little younger than me. She had this spunky, innocent energy about her and whenever she got excited about something it made me smile. I remember being fourteen and she was thirteen, and we rode on a parade float together with a bunch of farm animals. She didn't know me though."
"What was her name?" I shrugged at the description as it could've been anyone in this town.
"I didn't know her name then. She had this miniature pet pig that she brought with her everywhere. I called her Pig Girl in my head." Her smile broadened when she said it. "I had a crush on Pig Girl for so long that I went so far as to invite her sister for a fake séance here in this building just hoping she'd bring her baby sister with her."
"You made that whole story up." I laughed as I leaned my pelvis against her knees and draped my arms over her shoulders. "You didn't have a crush on me."
"Yeah. I did, Pig Girl." Her hands moved to my waist and she held me as if I was made of fine glass. "And when you showed up here to help my horse, I hardly knew what to say to you. I didn't expect it to be you."
I stroked the hair at the base of her neck and watched as a shudder coursed through her. She squeezed her thighs together suddenly, and her gaze dropped to my mouth.
"I think Carol brought us together on purpose," I said, continuing to play with her hair. Goosebumps appeared over her forearms and her fingers pressed into my hips. "She summoned Pig Girl like raising a demon from a séance."
Dax laughed softly as she slid her hands away, settling them in her lap. Her knuckles brushed against my thighs as she tumbled away from me then.
"Dax," I implored, and she shook her head. I lowered my hands from her shoulders to take hold of hers. "Where'd you go?"
"I've really enjoyed spending days like this with you," she said, her voice soft. "For a long time, everything I found joy in was taken away from me."
"I've really enjoyed spending these days with you, too. I'd like to do it more often." I crouched in front of her, bringing her hands to my lips to kiss her fingers as I watched her from where she hid under the brim of her hat. "If you'll have me."
Her gaze met mine and a smile melted across her mouth, curving her lips into a sweeter than usual display. "I'll have you."
"Then it's a done deal. We'll spend more days together like this."
She released my hands, then brought her palms to my cheeks, cupping them as she brushed her thumbs over my lips. "I really did have a crush on you, Pig Girl."
I laughed softly at the new nickname. "I believe you."
She urged me up to stand and parted her knees so that I stood between them. With her seated on the desk, she placed both of her hands on my chest while she took a few deep breaths. Her gaze lingered on mine before flickering to my mouth again. I waited, allowing her time to decide what she wanted. The struggle became increasingly clear as she seemed to war with herself.
"I think sharing our first kiss in this schoolhouse would be a great memory," I whispered and a relieved smile broke across her lips. "What do you think?"
She nodded and her body unlocked as if she was given permission to do so. Her hands cupped my face again as she pulled me to her, claiming my mouth with hers. My entire body burst with desire the moment we connected, and her hat tumbled from her head. Delicate, tentative movements guided our kiss. Dax's lips urged mine in an intimate frolic, filled with the emotions that belonged to it. Desire burned in my belly, setting off an ache between my thighs. She seemed to share the sentiment as her hands slid away from my face to palm my breasts in the same soft strokes she'd done on the nights we fell asleep together. I ran my fingers through the full length of her hair, releasing it at the curve of her shoulders.
Our kiss ended when we paused for breath. Her hands stroked my sides and abdomen while her chest lifted with her quick breaths.
"That was worth the wait," I whispered and she nudged her forehead with mine.
"Yeah, Willa. It was."
Chapter Eight
The rest of the week slogged on as my thoughts revolved around getting back to Dax and spending time with her. She had two more warrants to pick up and I had a full patient load all week, plus two neuterings and a spay.
By the time Friday rolled around, I crash-landed at Sage's for our usual pizza night with the family. We gathered around her dining room table, Mom and Macie shared a dish of pasta, while the rest of us indulged in triangle-shaped goodness.
"So, you're actually dating Dakota Stocker?" asked Jake seemingly out of nowhere.
"I am." I set my slice down and picked up my glass of soda. "Do you have an issue with that?"
Jake held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Easy there, killer. No issue at all. I'm just curious."
"Well, yes. We're dating."
"How's it going?" he asked, crunching on a piece of crust. I surveyed him for a moment, questioning his motives for asking me.
"Why?"
"Will, because I'm asking. What's got you all uptight?" Jake's brow furrowed and he glanced to Sage.
"Everyone in this town treats her like an outcast. So when you ask me questions, I expect some sort of inquisition about my motives," I said.
"We don't treat her that way, Will. She treats herself that way. What happened to her was terrible, we all know that," he defended, though instead of with a harsh tone, it softened.
"She's not an outcast."
"I didn't say she was." Jake's eyes widened as he looked to Sage.
"Will, we're not here to judge you or Dakota, okay? We're trying to make conversation about you and your girlfriend," Sage chimed in. "Take it down a notch."
"Invite her for dinner on Sunday." Mom poked herself into the conversation. "I'm fixin' up a big roast, potatoes, and corn."
Macie paid us no mind while she stared at a tablet propped on the table as she ate.
"Yeah, Will. Invite her." Sage patted my arm. "Show her how nuts you really are."
"Hey." I shoved her off of me and she laughed. "Not funny."
"Aw, c'mon, Will." Sage grabbed me in a rough hug. "We're happy for you."
"We are," added Jake. "I was asking for real, not to be an asshole."
"I'm just nervous about it still," I said, returning to eating my dinner. "It's new and fragile."
"It'll get easier with time," assured Sage.
"Willa, would you want to help with the parade floats this year?" asked Mom out of nowhere.
"I'll pass, Ma." I let out a small laugh. "Thanks for asking though."
"She tried to recruit us, too." Sage motioned between herself and Jake. "We've both come down with broken limbs."
"I forgot how to build everything." Jake held up his hands in surrender. "Total amnesia."
"Spoilsports." Mom clucked her tongue at us. "Macie is happy to help."
"Macie will do anything for a bribe." Jake patted her on the head. "Right, kid?"
"Right." She gave him a thumbs up and went back to her video.
My phone buzzed on the table and Sage and I both looked at it.
"You finally exchanged numbers. Good girls." Sage patted my head.
"Unfunny. You're unfunny." I scowled at her as I opened the text from Dax. "She must be done with work."
"Invite her over," urged Sage.
You home?
At my sisters.
Oh. Silence. Dax was extremely terrible at texting because I couldn't read h
er physicality the way I could in person.
Come here?
Silence.
We have beer and pizza.
Awkward.
Only a little. I'll pull out the whiskey.
"What'd she say?" asked Sage, pulling my attention back to the three sets of eyes staring at me.
"She said she'll feel awkward."
"Does she have any family around?" asked Mom.
"No. Her mom is in Seattle, but not very supportive of her," I said.
"Well, you tell her I said to come here tonight." Mom nodded once as if her word was law.
"Okay…"
Uh...my mother says to tell you to come here tonight. She's pushy.
Don't know…
Come for five minutes, then we'll go to yours. It's on the way.
Promise?
Of course.
Five minutes.
I laughed softly and pocketed my phone. "She's agreed to come over for five minutes."
"Bigger than zero," Macie announced as she slid from her chair. "Momma, I gotta pee."
"Go ahead, love. Wash your hands after."
"When Dax gets here, don't force her to do things like hug or shake hands or whatever. Just be normal and don't touch her," I warned, as my anxiety balled in my stomach.
"She'll be fine, Will." Sage gave my shoulder a squeeze. "Relax."
"Have we ever embarrassed you in front of your girlfriends before?" Jake shrugged. "Have some faith."
"You've never met any of my girlfriends before."
"Our records are clean then." He laughed and I scowled at him.
When I heard the crunch of tires in the driveway, I stood and hurried to the front door to greet Dax. She parked her SUV and headed toward the stairs at a slow gait. In work clothes, black jeans, boots, a black T-shirt with her badge around her neck, the sight of her made me smile. She fingered the handle of her gun before climbing the stairs, with her hands in her pockets.
"Hey."
"Hi." I held my hand to her and she leaned against me rather than embracing. "Thanks for coming by."
"I feel awkward," she said, her voice soft before she ran her hand through her hair. It hung down past her shoulders and cradled her face in feminine waves.
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