More Than a Song

by Chris Paynter

  Dani glanced at the clock and saw that it was only nine-thirty, but she didn’t argue with Liz.

  Liz stood up. Dani did, too, but a little too quickly. Her knee bumped the bowl of popcorn and sent the white fluffy stuff flying onto the floor. Perfect, she thought. That pretty much tops off the evening. Liz started to help pick up the mess, but Dani stopped her.

  “It’s okay. I’ll take care of it.” Frodo munched on the popcorn that had fallen by his bed. “Or Frodo will.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah. It’s fine.”

  Dani walked Liz to the door. Liz kissed Dani gently on the mouth. “Don’t beat yourself up about this, okay?” She tucked Dani’s hair behind her ear.

  Dani nodded, but she knew it was too late for that. She opened the door for Liz, and the warm Georgia night air swept into the house. Liz descended the porch steps, waved, and got into her car. Dani stood there until the red taillights were out of view. She shut the door and locked the deadbolt. She leaned her back against the door. Frodo walked over and stared up at her as if he knew something was wrong. Anger rose up like bile into her throat until she could no longer tamp it down.

  “God damn you, C.J. James.” She slid down the door and slumped onto the floor. Frodo laid his head on her lap and licked her hand. “Sorry, little guy. I’m not mad at you.” He nudged her hand. She stroked his soft fur. “Let’s hope this doesn’t scare Liz away.”

  * * *

  “How have you been, stranger?”

  Liz glanced at her sister Laurie and turned her attention back to Tucker and his brothers playing with Melanie. Laurie had called Liz to see if she’d like to join them for an outing in the park. She watched while Eric and Tucker played a game of keep-away from Melanie with a ball. “I’ve been fine.”

  “We’ve not heard from you for several weeks. Sometimes that can be a bad thing. Anything going on that’s kept you from us?”

  “What are you fishing for, Laurie?”

  “Well, there was that certain Amazon from the family barbecue.”

  “Michelle?”

  “Yeah. How’d your date go?”

  “Oh, that.”

  “Uh-oh. What happened?”

  “Nothing happened. We went to Carl’s Cavern to hear C.J. James sing on her last night.”

  Laurie sighed. “C.J. James.”

  “Please don’t start again. You freaked me out enough last time.”

  “Oh, all right. Party pooper.” Laurie whipped her head toward the kids. “Tucker Marcus McKinley, what did I tell you about excluding Tanner from your play?”

  Tanner sat with his legs crossed, elbow planted on his knee with his chin on his fist in the classic sulking pose used by kids for generations.

  “That it was mean and to remember I was four years old once,” Tucker mumbled.

  “Right. So you and Eric let Tanner play with Melanie, too.”

  Tucker motioned Tanner over. “Come on, Tanner.”

  Tanner sprang to his feet and hustled to join his brothers.

  Liz was glad for the reprieve that she knew would be short-lived. Here it comes...

  “Back to you,” Laurie said. “Let’s forget about C.J. James for a minute. How was your date with Michelle?”

  Liz told Laurie about the evening at Carl’s. She surprised herself when she included the encounter with Dani.

  “The same Dani you’re attracted to?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Is she still dating C.J. James? I wondered about that when she left for Nashville.”

  “No.” Liz told her about their breakup.

  “That’s good, right?” Laurie twisted on the bench to face Liz.

  “Mm hmm.”

  “You’re dating her now, aren’t you?” Laurie smacked her lightly on the arm. “You little devil. You swooped right in.”

  “It’s not like that.” Liz talked about Dani’s accident and the time they allowed each other before their first date. She also told Laurie about what happened Saturday night.

  Laurie cringed. “I wondered about that song. It’s really about Dani?”

  “Yup.”

  “Kind of ruined the mood, didn’t it?”

  “Yup.”

  They watched the kids still playing with the ball. Melanie had stretched out in the grass, obviously tired from her running.

  “Sooo...”

  “So, we’ve not talked since then.”

  “Elizabeth Ann Springer, get over yourself and call her.”

  “I know, but...”

  “But what?”

  “How the heck do I compete with C.J. James? You, my supposedly straight sister, even thinks she’s hot.”

  “From what you told me of your date Saturday night, Dani was sorry the song interrupted your hot and heavy make-out session.”

  “Yeah, she was sorry.”

  “Like I said, get over your damn self.” Laurie’s voice softened. “Dani obviously makes you happy. What else are you afraid of?”

  Liz shrugged. “Maybe that it’s too good to be true and the song was a sign we should stop before we really get started.”

  Laurie put her arm around Liz and pulled her close. “I know Therese did a number on you, but I also know you’re too kind and beautiful to go the rest of your life without allowing love back into your heart. You deserve to be happy, and you deserve to be with a woman who puts that smile on your face.”

  Liz couldn’t help it. She couldn’t stop her lips from slipping into a slow smile when she thought of Dani Roberts.

  Laurie tapped her nose. “There it is. There’s the smile. Promise me you’ll call her? Or better yet, go see her? I think she’s a little skittish right now, too, and probably thinks she’s run you off.”

  Liz thought how disappointed Dani looked when Liz left Saturday night. “You might be right.”

  “Of course I am. I’m your big sister. We know all things.”

  “Ah, yes, oh omnipotent one. How could I ever doubt you?”

  “Hell if I know,” Laurie said and laughed.

  Liz joined her in the laughter. “I’d better get my poor, pooped pup and head home.” She stood up.

  “Don’t wait too long in calling her or seeing her.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.” Liz leaned over and kissed her sister’s cheek. “Thanks, Laurie.”

  “You’re very welcome. Good luck with that bookstore owner.”

  Chapter 24

  All week long, Dani hesitated to call Liz. Deep down, she had a fear she’d notice a change in Liz’s voice and would know that things were different between them. She didn’t want to hear it, so she decided to wait before calling. Now, she wondered if she’d waited too long.

  She talked to Tina about the incident. Tina’s first reaction was to hunt C.J. down in Nashville and “kick her ass.” Her second reaction was to tell Dani to get over herself and “call the good doctor.”

  Dani decided Saturday afternoon she would do just that after she got home. They closed the shop late due to a surge of customers at five. She picked up Frodo from Barb’s. About six weeks had gone by since his surgery, and he was healing nicely. Time to get back into the routine of the high school girl coming over to walk him and check in on him. After seven, Dani and Frodo entered the house.

  She threw her keys in the dish by the door, flipped through her mail, and felt her stomach growl in protest, a reminder that she hadn’t taken time for lunch earlier in the day. Frodo got his food first, and Dani was encouraged to see him prance in front of his dish again. She lifted a box of Chicken and Broccoli Medley from the freezer and tossed it in the microwave. “Frozen Dinner City, here I come,” she muttered. She watched the dinner spin slowly in the microwave and thought about what she’d say to Liz. Her mind felt like the cold dinner on the spinning glass plate.

  The microwave dinged, and Dani carefully removed the dinner and set it on the table to cool off. As she watched the steam rise from the mixed conc
oction, she thought she’d ask Liz to drive to Atlanta next Saturday for a day trip. She’d wait an hour before calling so Liz would have time to relax after work. Dani shook her head. Yeah. Right. You’re afraid to call her.

  After she finished dinner, she glanced up at the wall clock and saw it was eight. A hot shower sounded good. She placed her foot on the first step of stairs and stopped when she realized Frodo was on her heels.

  “No, Frodo. You can’t go upstairs yet.” She nudged him back and slid the child’s gate in front of the bottom step. He whimpered, which just about broke her heart. “I’m sorry, little guy. It’s for your own good. We still have a few more weeks before you can take the stairs.” At the tone of her voice, he slinked back into the living room and slumped down on his bed in a huff. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m a horrible mommy.”

  Once in the bathroom, Dani stripped and ran the water as hot as she could stand it. Despite the heat outside, once she stepped out of the shower, she’d cool down in the air conditioning of her home. It was one of her favorite things to do.

  She finished but barely toweled off before donning a pair of boxer shorts and a white tank top. She wanted to be wet enough for the air to cool her body. As she headed downstairs, the front doorbell rang.

  Who would stop by to see me at this hour, she wondered, as her bare feet slapped across the hardwood floor. She squinted her eye to look through the peephole. Liz. Dani glanced down at her boxer shorts and tank top. She was braless and the shirt clung to her still damp body.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

  Oh good, she’s home, Liz thought as the door swung open.

  “Hi, Dani, I—” She stopped as she took in Dani’s appearance. She first noticed Dani’s slicked-back hair, then her damp tank top where Dani’s nipples pressed enticingly against the white material. Her gaze dropped to tan, muscled thighs and calves, all dripping wet as if Dani just stepped out of the shower.

  Dear God.

  Dani crossed her arms in front of her chest.

  Liz wanted to tell her, “Don’t do that on my account.” Instead, she tried to keep her voice steady and her focus on Dani’s face. “I’m sorry I dropped by without calling.”

  “No, no. It’s fine.” While keeping one arm across her chest, Dani motioned at her body with her other hand. “I just got out of the shower. Obviously.”

  Yup. Quite obviously. “I can come back another night.”

  “Liz, please come in.” Dani pulled the door open farther and moved to allow Liz to step inside.

  Frodo jumped up from his bed and trotted over.

  Liz knelt down and stroked his back. “He seems to get better each time I see him.” She gingerly felt his incision. “And this is healing quite nicely.” She giggled as Frodo licked her face. “I’m glad to see you, too, boy.” She tried to regain some of her composure before she chanced turning back to Dani. She rose to her feet. “You’re probably wondering why I stopped by.”

  Dani motioned to the couch. “Why don’t we sit down?”

  After they had settled next to each other, Liz reached for Dani’s hand. “It’s taken me all week to come over, and it shouldn’t have. What happened last Saturday wasn’t your fault. You can’t control the music on the radio.” Liz gave a small laugh. “Although that night I wish you could have.”

  “You and me both,” Dani muttered.

  “It made me think of C.J. James. Her looks. Her sex appeal.” She tossed her hand up in the air. “Her everything. And I thought I fell short.”

  “Liz—”

  Liz squeezed her hand. “No, let me finish. Please.”

  Dani gave a slight nod.

  “I also had to get over being skittish because of Therese. Being afraid that maybe what we have going is too good to be true.” Before Dani could object, Liz said, “But I realized this week, after some talking to by my older sister, that I’m pretty special and you’re not Therese. We deserve this, what we have going on between us.”

  As Liz awaited Dani’s response, she thought back to how she’d practiced her speech on the way over. In her mind, it sounded like a self-help pep talk: “Hi, my name is Liz, and I’m pretty special.” But saying the words out loud were empowering. She really was special, and she was worthy of love again.

  Dani’s response was to lean over and touch her lips to Liz’s in a light kiss. She pulled back and cupped Liz’s cheek. Her dark-brown eyes swirled with emotion. “You are more than special, Liz. I’ve known that since the first time we met. You’re kind and gentle.” She brushed her thumb against Liz’s cheek. “And beautiful. C.J. James? She’s like a quick fix to a junkie. I’m sorry I was pulled in by her charms. It never felt right. Or real.”

  Liz searched Dani’s eyes and looked for honesty there. “And us?”

  “You’re everything I’ve hoped for in my life. I’d like to think we have something magical together.”

  “Yes,” Liz whispered. “Oh, yes.”

  Dani stood and held out her hand.

  When Liz clasped Dani’s hand and rose to her feet, her gaze dropped to Dani’s legs, still damp from the shower. She slowly worked her way up to Dani’s boxer shorts and then to her breasts. Again, Dani’s nipples grew hard against the cotton material, but it wasn’t from the air drifting over her body. It was from the want in Liz’s eyes that shifted color in the light of the room. They were the deep forest green of desire.

  Liz brushed her fingernails lightly along Dani’s side until Dani shivered. She ran her hand to the small of Dani’s back and pulled her closer. Her eyes suddenly became playful. “We’re leaving the radio off this time,” she said in a low, throaty voice—one that Dani hadn’t heard before, but one that Dani hoped to hear for the rest of her life.

  Liz sought out Dani’s mouth. Their tongues met, and Dani opened her mouth farther as the kiss deepened.

  Dani broke away from the kiss, her heart pounding. “Bed?”

  “Yes,” Liz said in a hoarse whisper as she grasped Dani’s hand. “You’ll need to lead the way, though.”

  Frodo started to follow them down the hall to the guest room. Dani stopped. “Sorry, bud. You need to sleep out here tonight.” He plopped his butt on the hardwood floor and sighed. “And that’s not going to work.” With that, he stood up, huffed, and marched back to his bed in the living room.

  Liz was shaking, obviously trying to hold her laughter in.

  “Sorry this isn’t as romantic as I hoped.”

  This time, Liz didn’t hold in the laugh. “It’s perfect. Now, take me to your bed.”

  Liz’s command caused Dani’s center to throb with need. “Yes, ma’am.” Dani led her into the bedroom. The bright moon streamed in through the windows and cast the bed in a soft blue light.

  “It’s not the king-size bed upstairs, but—”

  Liz placed two fingers against Dani’s lips. “Dani?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Shut up and kiss me.”

  Dani tilted Liz’s chin upward. The moonlight shone in Liz’s eyes, and they changed into yet another color—turquoise. Hypnotic. Dani dropped her mouth to Liz’s and brushed it lightly. She trailed her lips to Liz’s neck and kissed her softly there. She slid her hands along Liz’s sides and thrilled at the shudder her touch caused. Dani grazed her fingertips across Liz’s bare arms and slowly undid each button of Liz’s cotton blouse. She continued to nibble Liz’s throat and felt the vibration of her moan. She pulled the shirt off Liz’s shoulders and cupped each breast in her hands, rubbing Liz’s nipples until they hardened against the material of her bra. Liz stepped back and unsnapped the bra. She let it glide off her shoulders and slowly fall to the floor.

  Dani let out a small gasp as she gazed at Liz’s bare breasts. “God, you’re beautiful.” Dani wasn’t sure she spoke the words out loud until she caught Liz’s shy smile. It was Dani’s turn to tremble with desire. She stepped forward and lowered her head to one breast. She took the nipple in her mouth and softly sucked it. Liz pulle
d Dani’s head even more into her. Fire shot down Dani’s belly, and she was instantly wet. Dani caressed the other breast while continuing to lick the nipple until it was rock hard.

  Liz gasped. “Please, Dani. Please take me to bed. I don’t think I can stand any—”

  Dani broke away from Liz’s nipple and brought her mouth back up to Liz’s, thrusting her tongue inside. Dani pushed Liz back onto the bed to lay across its width with her legs off the side. Dani unzipped Liz’s shorts and pulled them to the floor. She pressed her hand between Liz’s legs to her mound. Her panties were soaked. Another surge of wetness hit between her own legs when she felt the effect she was having on Liz. Dani reached down and tugged Liz’s panties off, almost ripping them in her haste.

  Dani left Liz’s mouth and dropped again to Liz’s nipple. She pushed her fingers into Liz’s wet folds and moaned as she felt her slick center. She plunged her fingers deep inside until Liz cried out.

  Dani moaned when Liz closed around her fingers. She kissed her way back up to Liz’s mouth as she thrust in and out, faster and faster. Liz’s hips moved in synchronous rhythm, as though they were making love to a silent symphony that only they could hear.

  Liz broke away from Dani’s mouth. “Oh, God, Dani. Oh, God!” Dani pushed her knee hard against her hand when she knew Liz was close to climax. “Dani, please.” With one more thrust, Liz tensed, squeezed Dani’s shoulders, and shuddered.

  As Liz lay there with her chest rising and falling with each hard breath, Dani rose up and removed her tank top and boxer shorts. When she stood nude in front of Liz, she almost fell to her knees, seeing the love there on Liz’s face.

  She lifted Liz onto the pillows so she lay completely on the bed now. Dani lowered her body on top of Liz and pressed against her.

  “Dani, let me—”

  “Shh,” Dani whispered into Liz’s ear. She knew Liz wanted to make love to her, but Dani couldn’t stop even if she wanted to. She wanted to discover and worship every inch of Liz’s body. Trailing her kisses down Liz’s body, she pushed her lips to her breasts and sucked softly on each nipple before continuing her descent. She gently pulled Liz’s legs apart and began at her ankles, pressing her lips to first one, then the other. To the inside of one knee, then the other. She kissed each thigh, lingered there, and enjoyed the scent of Liz’s essence. She looked up to see Liz’s eyes full of desire and wonderment staring back at her. Dani let out a soft cry. She couldn’t wait any longer. She parted Liz’s soft folds with her fingers and pressed her mouth into Liz’s wetness. She licked the length of Liz’s lips, then captured her clit and gently sucked.