More Than a Song

by Chris Paynter

  “I see he’s none the worse for wear from his trip to our office,” Liz said. Dani hadn’t noticed her dimples at their first meeting.

  “He survived.” Dani returned the smile. She reached over to let Liz’s dog sniff the back of her hand. “She doesn’t mind being petted by strangers?”

  “What do you think?” The cocker spaniel’s tail was a blur. “Besides that,” Liz added in a soft voice, “I don’t consider you a stranger.”

  Dani’s heart fluttered. She didn’t feel the nervousness or even the trepidation she had when she was around C.J. “Thanks. I feel the same way.” She glanced down at the cocker spaniel again to keep from getting lost in Liz’s eyes. “What’s her name?”

  “Melanie. I know that’s a silly name for a dog, but I named her after one of my favorite characters from Gone with the Wind.”

  The answer startled Dani. Liz noticed her reaction.

  “What? Please don’t tell me you’re one of those people who thinks Gone with the Wind is so terribly outdated. I mean, it’s meant to be in the heart of the Civil War and—”

  Dani cut her off with a laugh before she continued. She could tell Liz was passionate about the film. “No, no. It’s just that Gone with the Wind is my favorite book of all time. I also make my friends watch the movie with me at least once a year and drag them to the Fox Theatre in Atlanta when they have their special showings.”

  “Really? How wonderful. I’ve had to defend myself against criticism before, and it’s kind of a knee-jerk reaction on my part. Hattie McDaniel was truly remarkable in her role as Mammy. In fact, if not for Vivien Leigh’s performance, she would’ve stolen that movie.”

  “Have you ever heard her acceptance speech at the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress?” Dani asked. “It’s one of the most heartfelt and touching speeches you’ll ever hear. What’s really sad, though, was she wasn’t even allowed to sit with her co-stars.”

  “Even though she earned and won that award, bigotry was still prevalent in Hollywood. Some could argue it still is.”

  “I can’t believe I’ve found someone who loves my favorite movie as much as I do. I thought we were a dying breed.” Dani was curious. “Do you live nearby?”

  “Over on Aspen.”

  “That’s just seven blocks from where I live. We’re on Elm.” Dani was overwhelmed with comfort as she talked so easily with Liz. She didn’t want to end the conversation and thought of a way to prolong it.

  “We were headed over to the park,” she said. Which was a small lie. She’d thought about it but decided she’d walk Frodo around the block. Running into Liz changed her mind. “Would you and Melanie like to join us?” Dani held her breath as she waited for Liz’s answer.

  “We’d love to.”

  They started in the direction of the park but grew quiet. Think of something to say.

  “What made you become a vet?”

  Liz pushed a lock of fallen hair behind her ear. “My parents raised beagles when I was a kid, and I always assisted when a litter was born. I learned how to care for the ones who were sick. One time, I sat up all night with a pup who wasn’t nursing from his mother. My father told me not to interfere, that we needed to let nature take its course. But I was determined to give the little guy a chance, you know?” Her face clouded over.

  Dani touched her arm. “Are you okay?”

  “He didn’t make it,” Liz said, clearing her throat.

  “I’m sorry if I’ve brought up bad memories.”

  “Please don’t apologize.” It was Liz’s turn to touch Dani’s arm.

  Dani’s skin was warm under her sweatshirt and jacket where Liz’s fingers had touched, and an even stronger feeling of comfort ran through her body.

  Liz continued. “It’s because of that incident that I decided to go to veterinary school. I wanted to help animals as much as I could. So in a way, the hard lesson I learned during that night was a blessing in my life.”

  They entered the park. There was an enclosed area—the “Francis Bark Park.” Granted, it wasn’t as large as some that Dani had seen, but this was a small town. It was progress. They walked over and sat down on a bench, letting Frodo and Melanie off their leashes to frolic. “Okay, now you, Dani,” Liz said, turning to her.

  Dani again became lost in her eyes. Damn it. Stop that. She’s just being friendly.

  “I moved here from a small town in Indiana after graduating from college. I received my degree in business and used it to make some money on the stock market.”

  “That sounds interesting.”

  “I was lucky.”

  “Now you’re being modest. I get a strong sense that you’re very intelligent.”

  Dani felt her face grow hot.

  “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” Liz touched Dani’s arm again. Dani saw Liz’s genuine concern.

  “Sometimes I don’t take compliments well.”

  “Maybe you don’t get complimented enough. And if that’s the case, then something’s wrong.”

  Dani stared into her eyes. Her Scarlett O’Hara eyes. Like in the movies, it was as if time stood still. Dani no longer heard the birds chirping or the sound of Frodo and Melanie barking as they played.

  “Scarlett O’Hara,” Dani said in a soft voice.

  “What?”

  “Technically, Vivien Leigh since she brought the character to life. I mean if it weren’t for her, we’d have never experienced the magic of Scarlett since it was a novel, and of course no photos were included.” Dani shuddered at her words. You’re rambling like an idiot.

  Liz seemed confused.

  “Your eyes, Liz. Has anyone ever told you that you have Scarlett O’Hara’s eyes?”

  Liz’s face reddened, and she ducked her head.

  Dani gently squeezed Liz’s arm. “Now it’s my turn to apologize for embarrassing you.”

  Liz met Dani’s eyes again. “No one has ever told me that.” She paused and took a breath. “But I have to say that’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.”

  “Oh. I—”

  “You’re not going to take it back are you?”

  “No, no. Absolutely not. I can’t, because it’s true.”

  Liz smiled, and it was like the sun had shot through a thick layer of clouds in a thunderstorm. The smile took Dani’s breath away. She had to clench her fist to keep from pushing a lock of hair off Liz’s forehead.

  “I guess I should get home.” Melanie sat panting in front of Liz. “I think she needs water. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring some along.” She really did look disappointed.

  Dani realized she, too, felt disappointed they had to end their visit, but Frodo’s tongue was lolling out of his mouth. Liz was right. Both dogs needed water.

  “Frodo looks a little thirsty, too.” They stood up. Dani put the leash back on Frodo, and Liz did the same for Melanie.

  They took their time leaving the enclosed area. Dani thought Liz seemed as reluctant as she to end their unexpected outing.

  “I enjoyed this, Liz.” Liz gave her that smile again. How does she do that? Dani wondered. She smiles and everything seems brighter.

  “I enjoyed it, too.”

  Dani wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but a hug seemed like it’d be nice. Liz moved forward to Dani at the same time Dani moved to her. They hugged. It was a warm embrace. They pulled away from each other at the same time.

  “We’d best get back,” Dani said as she glanced down at Frodo. “Thanks again for the walk and our visit.”

  “Have a great Sunday, Dani.”

  Dani turned to leave, but Liz’s voice stopped her.

  “I forgot to tell you. You left before we could give you Frodo’s new tags for the year.”

  “I don’t think I can make it there this week, but—”

  Liz interrupted her. “That’s okay. I can bring them to you. Can I stop by your bookstore?”

  Maybe Liz was aware she owned the bookstore because it was such a small town. But maybe, jus
t maybe, she asked around because she was interested.

  “I’d really appreciate that.”

  “I’ll see you soon then?”

  “See you soon.”

  They waved at each other as they headed off in opposite directions. Dani wanted to watch Liz walking away. She turned and was happy to find that Liz had also turned around. She waved again, and Liz raised her hand.

  “Come on, Frodo. We need to get you some water.”

  It wasn’t until Dani was unlocking the door that she remembered why she’d suffered through a sleepless night. She sighed. What was she going to do about C.J. James?

  Chapter 8

  “Did you have a good time Saturday night?” Tina asked as Dani restocked some books of a popular author. It was almost noon, and no one was in the store, which was normal for that time of day. So many good restaurants in town to choose from added to the scarcity of customers at lunch hour.

  Dani grabbed another handful of books to shelve.

  “Dani?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Saturday night? C.J. James? How’d that go?” Tina raised her eyebrows.

  Dani realized lying was fruitless. Tina would see right through it.

  “It was fine.” Yeah, that sure sounded believable.

  “Fine.”

  “Yeah, fine.”

  “Would we care to elaborate a little?” Tina thrust her hands on her hips. Dani had seen that stance many times. It signaled Tina would be relentless until she got answers.

  Dani stood up. “What? Do you want all the details?” She hated the testiness in her voice.

  “Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it,” Tina said, a little crestfallen.

  “I’m sorry, Tina.” Dani debated how much she’d tell her. She decided to be honest. “Actually, we ended up at her place—rather quickly, I might add.”

  Tina’s eyebrows shot up again. She seemed surprised, or she was certainly giving a very good impression of a surprised best friend. At least it’s not complete shock, Dani thought.

  “And one thing led to another and to another. I think you get the picture.”

  Tina opened her mouth to say something and snapped it shut.

  “It’s okay, T. I can take it.”

  “I was going to say normally you don’t act on something so fast. And then there’s that one-year thing.”

  “Yeah, well, C.J. was very persuasive if you know what I mean.”

  “So, how was—”

  “Kind of weird.”

  “Weird?”

  “She made love to me, but she didn’t want me to make love to her.”

  Tina leaned against the bookshelf with a pensive look. “I’m thinking she’s moving farther and farther into the ‘high maintenance’ category,” she said with a snort.

  “I don’t know what to think.”

  “Did she talk about seeing you again?”

  “She said she’d see me soon, whatever the hell that means.”

  The door jingled open. Tina watched the person enter their shop. She openly admired whoever it was, and her lips formed into a soft smile of pleasure. Dani poked her head around the bookshelf.

  Liz Springer.

  Dani swallowed as she watched her walk toward them. She looked fantastic. She’d pulled her dark hair back from her face, which accentuated her eyes even more. She was wearing a peach camp shirt and a tan skirt. Dani’s gaze traveled down to Liz’s legs. Liz had slacks on at the vet’s office and jeans at the park yesterday morning. Dani tried not to linger there, but damn, she had some nice, athletic legs. Dani had no trouble picturing her in a skirt that hiked up just a bit more. She physically shook her head to try to erase the image.

  “Liz. It’s good to see you again.”

  “Hi, Dani. I was hoping to catch you in here. I wasn’t sure when you took your lunch.” She held up Frodo’s dog tags. “I promised to bring these by.”

  “Oh, yeah. Thanks.” It made Dani happy that Liz hadn’t waited long to bring the tags. She reached out to take the tags from Liz and felt that warmth again when their fingers touched. Dani glanced over at Tina who had her, “aren’t you going to introduce us?” look on her face. “Liz, this is my best friend Tina Dewey. Tina, this is Dr. Liz Springer. She’s the vet who saw Frodo because Dr. Patterson wasn’t available.”

  Tina stuck out her hand.

  “Hi. Dani talked about you. It’s nice to put a face with the name.”

  Dani glared at Tina as Liz took Tina’s hand. I talked about her? Jesus, can you be any more obvious?

  “Nice to meet you, Tina.”

  “Dani said what a great vet you are. That you really care about what you do.”

  Liz seemed a little embarrassed but took the compliment well. “I do love my job.” As she said this, she glanced over at Dani and smiled. Her eyes sparkled in the afternoon sun streaming through the plate-glass windows. It was like Scarlett O’Hara ascending the staircase at the Twelve Oaks plantation, glancing back at Rhett Butler at the bottom of the stairs. Dani wondered if she had the same rakish grin that Clark Gable sported in that scene.

  Dani was about to say something when the bell on the door jingled again. Dani noticed Tina’s reaction since Dani wasn’t facing the door. The dark scowl indicated who could be entering the store.

  Dani felt her stomach do a quick turn as C.J. James approached them.

  “Hey, Dani,” C.J. said. “Thought I’d stop by before I head over to Carl’s to rehearse.” She glanced at Liz, grinned, and stuck out her hand. “C.J. James.”

  Liz appeared uncomfortable under C.J.’s pointed stare. “Dr. Liz Springer.” She took C.J.’s hand but didn’t hold on long. Interesting how she introduced herself so formally, Dani thought.

  C.J. kept her eyes on Liz for a moment. “Everything okay?” she asked as she turned to Dani.

  “She’s a vet,” Dani said. “Frodo went to see her last week.”

  “Who’s Frodo?” C.J. asked.

  “My beagle.”

  “Oh.” C.J. looked like she wasn’t much of a dog person. Yet another warning sign for Dani to question her attraction to this woman. “I dropped in to say hi. Wanted to see if you were coming to any of the shows this week.”

  “C.J.’s the first performer in the ‘Women in Music’ series at Carl’s,” Dani told Liz.

  Liz nodded but didn’t look impressed. “I heard some of the employees at the office talk about you.” That was it. Nothing more, although C.J. seemed like she was at least expecting a compliment.

  “I’m not sure, C.J. I’ll try to make it to one of your shows,” Dani said.

  C.J. leaned in a little closer and rubbed her thumb slowly against Dani’s arm. “I hope you do more than just try.”

  Shit. The touch transported Dani back to C.J.’s apartment Saturday night. She tried to shake that image from her mind. She glanced over at Liz.

  Liz wasn’t looking at C.J. but at Dani. Dani tried to discern what she saw in Liz’s eyes. They were rounder now, which made them even more expressive. Was it disappointment? Before Dani could figure it out, C.J.’s voice cut in.

  “I need to get going. Nice to meet you, Liz.” Dani felt her body jerk at the familiarity in C.J.’s voice.

  “Nice to meet you, Ms. James.” Liz managed a tight smile as she continued to maintain her formality. “I’d better get to the office. It’s very nice to meet you, Tina.”

  “You, too.” Tina turned to Dani and gave a slight jerk of her head toward Liz.

  Dani felt numb. And she felt something else... disappointment, similar to what she thought she’d seen in Liz’s expression. Dani was sorry Liz was leaving the shop so quickly and that C.J. had interrupted them. More than anything, Dani was disappointed in herself. After all, C.J. had made it more than clear that they were intimate.

  “I’m sorry you have to go back so soon,” Dani said. “I would love to have coffee with you.”

  Liz gave her a small smile. “Maybe sometime.” She turned to leave.

  “Hey, than
ks again for bringing these by.” Dani held up the tags and jingled them.

  The openness in Liz’s eyes was no longer there. It was like the shuttering of a window by a blind.

  “You’re welcome. It wasn’t that far for me to come over. Take care.”

  As Liz left the shop, Dani had an empty feeling in her gut. She rubbed her stomach to make it go away, but it didn’t ease the sensation.

  Tina let out a low whistle.

  “What?” Dani asked.

  “That’s some woman.” Tina’s tone was serious. Too serious for Dani’s fragile mood.

  “Yeah, she is.” Dani sat on the floor to continue her chore of stocking the shelves, but her mind was on Liz’s dark hair pulled back, her expressive eyes. There was no getting around it. C.J.’s surprise visit had unnerved her. The timing couldn’t have been worse.

  Tina knelt down so she was at Dani’s level. “What are you going to do?”

  Dani kept shelving books. “What do you mean what am I going to do?”

  Tina reached out and gripped Dani’s shoulder, which stopped her from shelving any more books. Dani stood, and Tina joined her. “Dani, I don’t know if you noticed, but Dr. Liz Springer likes you.”

  Dani felt her face grow hot. “I don’t know about—”

  “Well, I do,” Tina interrupted. “I only wish that C.J. James hadn’t walked in.” Tina’s face darkened.

  “It’s complicated.” God, did she actually just say that?

  Apparently, Tina thought the same thing. “Saying ‘it’s complicated’ is a cop-out.”

  Dani felt herself get angry, but only because she knew Tina was right. That didn’t stop her from snapping back. “Maybe I don’t have everything figured out like you do. Have you ever thought of that?”

  Tina’s expression changed. She tried to recover, but Dani could tell she’d hurt her with her words.

  “I don’t think that’s fair, Dani.”

  “I’m sorry. I have no reason to be upset with you. I’m upset and angry with myself. I shouldn’t be taking it out on you.”