More Than a Song

by Chris Paynter

  “He’s doing great.” She hesitated. She wasn’t sure what she was going to say or how she was going to say it. So, she winged it. “I’m looking for Dr. Springer. I want to discuss Frodo’s diet since his surgery.” That sounded lame, but Dani kept talking. “Do you know how I can reach her? I’ve been trying her home, but there hasn’t been an answer.”

  “Dr. Springer left Monday for Colorado. She decided to take a last minute vacation and said she got a good deal on the Internet.”

  Dani’s heart sank to the floor.

  Mary leaned forward. She had a conspiratorial look on her face, like she was about to divulge the whereabouts of all the hidden missile silos in the United States. “Do you want to know where she’s staying?” she asked in a hushed tone.

  Dani nodded.

  Mary pulled out a Post-it with writing on it and copied the information onto a piece of paper. She handed it to Dani. Dani looked down and read, “Rainbow Lodge, Grand Lake, Colorado.” There was a phone number.

  “Sorry, but the only address I have is a PO Box number. I’m sure you can get more information off the Internet, though.”

  “Thanks for this.” Dani waved the paper.

  “No problem.” Dani started to leave. “Oh, and, Dani?” Dani turned back. “Good luck.” Mary sported a knowing smile.

  Dani stared at the information on the paper as she walked to her car. Grand Lake freaking Colorado. Could she travel any farther from Francis, Georgia? Well, yes, I guess there’s Nevada, then California. And of course, Alaska and Hawaii.

  * * *

  “Colorado?” Tina asked in a surprised tone.

  “Yeah,” Dani mumbled. She was counting the money from the day’s sales. She arrived at work in the morning and hesitated telling Tina until right after closing time—mainly because she feared Tina’s reaction.

  “Well?”

  Dani didn’t stop counting the twenties. “Well, what?”

  “What do you mean ‘well, what?’ When do you leave for Colorado?”

  Dani completely lost count of the money with the question. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Tina rolled her eyes. “Hello. Earth to Dani Roberts. This is the woman of your dreams. The woman you plan to spend the rest of your life with, and you haven’t thought about going to Colorado?”

  “She told me she needed some time to think about things. I want to give her space—”

  Tina cut her off by whipping off her Braves cap and slamming it onto the counter. Her face reddened like she was about to explode. “Argh!” She grasped her curly hair and looked every bit like she would pull out a clump of it as her fingers tightened around the curls.

  “Tina, I—”

  “No.” Tina held up her hands. “I don’t want to hear excuses. I don’t want to hear ‘I want to give her space.’ Remember that Reading Femmes 101 course I said you needed to take? Well, I’m going to find one somewhere, somehow, and I’m going to fucking enroll you in it.”

  “Calm down.”

  “No, no, no.” Tina paced in front of the counter. She whirled around to face Dani. “You want to know why I won’t let you screw this up?” Dani could only nod. “Because Dr. Liz Springer is the best thing that’s ever happened to you. You don’t see your face when you’re with her. You just light up. Like from the inside out. It’s amazing.”

  Tina walked around the counter and took Dani’s hands in hers. Her dark-brown eyes were wet with tears. “Don’t let her get away, Dani. She wants you and needs you.” Tina squeezed Dani’s hands. “And you want and need her. The love between the two of you, it’s so plain.”

  Dani ducked her head. “That’s just it, Tina. I haven’t told her I love her.”

  “Well, guess what? You can fly out to Colorado to tell her. Think about how romantic that’d be. Listen to your best friend. Have I ever steered you wrong?”

  “No.”

  “Right answer.”

  Dani grabbed Tina for a long embrace. “You’re such a good friend. I love you, T.” Dani choked back her tears.

  Tina patted her on the back. “If you really love me, you’ll sit your ass down in front of that computer and find a cheap flight to Denver. Then make sure you rent a car with GPS because this Grand Lake place definitely sounds like it’s in the mountains.”

  “I’ll find it. Don’t worry.”

  * * *

  “Frodo, sit.”

  Frodo looked over at Dani who was driving him over to Barb and Tina’s house. They agreed to dog sit while Dani went to Colorado. Ignoring Dani’s command, Frodo tried to climb over the gearshift again to get into Dani’s lap. It was obvious he knew something was up. Maybe the suitcase gave it away.

  “Frodo, sit. I’m driving here.” Dani gently pushed him back into the seat. “Mommy has to take a trip, but when I return, your other mommy will be with me.” He cocked his head. “I know you’re missing her, too.” Dani was still unsure of herself, and she needed to feel some confidence before she got on that plane. Talking to her beagle was a start.

  It was five a.m. when she pulled into Barb and Tina’s drive. Her flight was scheduled to leave at seven-thirty-five. They were at the door ready for Frodo. Barb took the leash and practically shoved Tina out the door.

  “You better get going. You know how much crap you have to go through before you get on a plane,” Barb said. “Dani, hon, good luck. Bring your woman home.”

  “Thanks, Barb. I’m going to try.”

  “Pull your car up there in the front, Dani,” Tina said. “I’ll take you in the Explorer.”

  Dani got back in her car and swung the MINI Cooper around the SUV to pull into the space in front of the fence. She opened the hatchback, grabbed her suitcase, and threw it into the backseat of Barb’s Explorer.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get you there in plenty of time, Dani.”

  Tina backed out of the drive. When she drove out of town and onto the Interstate, she made good on her word. Dani wasn’t worried about arriving at the airport late considering they were going about twenty miles over the speed limit.

  “Tina, you really don’t have to hurry like this,” Dani said through clenched teeth.

  “We’re cool, we’re cool.” Tina zipped in front of a semi then over into the fast lane.

  Dani reached for the handle above her door and held on for dear life. “I have to say I’ve never seen this side of you.”

  “You never had to rescue your girlfriend before.”

  “I’m not sure you could call it rescuing.”

  “Whatever you want to call it, you’re getting to the airport on time and on that plane to Denver.” With that, Tina cut across the highway to get off at the airport exit.

  “Jesus Christ, T!”

  “Don’t worry. That was only six lanes.”

  They stopped at the passenger drop-off. When she got out of the Explorer, Dani had to suppress the urge to kneel down and kiss the sidewalk. She reached in to get her bag.

  “Take care, Dani. Don’t worry about the pup. He’s in good hands.”

  “Thanks, Tina.” Dani shut the door.

  Tina powered down the passenger window. “Dani?”

  “Yeah?” Dani turned back to the SUV.

  “If you pull this one off, you’ve successfully moved on to Reading Femmes 201.”

  Before Dani could respond, Tina merged into the lane to leave. Dani checked her watch. Damn. It was five-thirty. Tina had cut thirty minutes off what should have been an hour drive.

  After boarding, Dani walked down the narrow aisle of the plane. She pulled her iPod out of her bag and lifted the bag into the overhead compartment. She sat down in her window seat. After the plane took off, she listened to the flight attendants’ spiel. When they finished, Dani plugged in her earbuds and settled back in her seat. She fell asleep to Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “The Calling.”

  Dani woke up from a dream when the flight attendant announced the temperature in downtown Denver. In the dream, she and Liz were walking Frod
o and Melanie. Dani swore she could still hear Liz’s infectious laugh. In another twenty minutes, they were taxiing to the gate. Even with the three-and-a-half-hour flight, it was only a little after nine a.m. with the time difference.

  Dani took the shuttle out to the rental car facility and asked if they had any Jeeps.

  “Can you drive a stick?” the attendant asked. He was maybe nineteen at the most. He popped his chewing gum in his mouth while he stared at Dani through watery eyes.

  “Yes, I can drive a stick,” she answered, resisting the urge to yank the gum out of his mouth.

  He gave her a once-over that screamed, “Yeah, I guess you could.” He handed her the paperwork to fill out and pulled the keys down from the hook.

  Dani took the keys and mumbled her thanks. As she walked to the Jeep, she started thinking about what she’d say to Liz. She only hoped that Liz would be glad to see her.

  She tossed her bag into the passenger seat of a Jeep Renegade. After tugging the slip of paper with the address to the lodge out of her wallet, she programmed the GPS. She would catch US-40 off I-70 and then up to US-34. That should take her directly into Grand Lake.

  The drive time was supposed to be around two-and-a-half hours if the traffic was light. Dani familiarized herself with the Jeep and then pulled out onto the Interstate. She breathed a sigh of relief at the lighter traffic. She hadn’t been sure what to expect.

  As she drove, her mind drifted back to the first night of passion that she and Liz shared. They had many nights like that since, but the first was the one so vivid to her. Their passion ebbed and flowed like the tide, as they each took their time to pleasure the other until they collapsed in each other’s arms at three in the morning, sweating and exhausted.

  Dani merged onto US-34 and thought she’d try to ease her worries by listening to some music. When she flipped on the radio, Metallica immediately pounded her eardrums. She pictured the previous drivers of the rented Jeep as a heavy metal group stuffed in the vehicle on their way to a gig.

  She adjusted the sound and used the button on the steering wheel until she came to a suitable station. If she heard C.J.’s song, she’d pull over to the side of the road and pummel the Jeep with her bare fists. It was a possibility since “Dani’s Eyes” had moved into the top ten on the alternative rock charts.

  She took the risk, though. She needed to hear something. Eventually, a Lucinda Williams tune came on. Dani had heard “Are You Alright” once before, but she listened to the lyrics with a new understanding. Williams’s raspy voice, pleading with her lover to talk to her, drifted up from the speakers and filled the Jeep. Dani felt a sharp pain in her chest as the words flowed into her heart about a lover who leaves without saying a word.

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. She brushed them away with the back of her hand and sighed. “I can’t lose her. I just can’t.”

  The beauty of the Rockies was truly mesmerizing as Dani drove higher and higher into the mountains. She made it to the lodge shortly after noon. She parked the Jeep, stepped down from the driver’s seat, and leaned against the side of the car. She took in a deep breath of clean mountain air and what she hoped was a breath of courage.

  Leaving her bag in the Jeep, she made her way up the path to the front of the lodge. At the bottom of the stairs to the large porch that ran the length of the lodge, she paused to take in the magnificence around her. Lush, green mountains, with a sprinkling of aspens, surrounded Grand Lake as if cradling a baby in their arms. The clouds hung low—almost as though Dani could reach out and touch them. She could see why Liz chose to come here.

  She went up the steps to the lodge. When she reached the long porch, she checked the large swings hanging there to see if Liz was enjoying the warm weather. No such luck. She entered the lodge and approached the front desk. An older woman with a warm smile greeted her.

  “Hello. Welcome to Rainbow Lodge. I’m Tess.” She glanced down at Dani’s feet. “I was about to ask if you needed a cabin, but it doesn’t look like you’re staying.”

  “Uh, I’m not sure how to ask this. I have a feeling lodgers’ information is probably confidential.”

  Tess’s warm smile slipped a little. “You’d be right.”

  Dani moved to the counter and leaned on it. “I hate to beg, but I’m desperate.”

  Tess gripped her arm. “It’s not an emergency, is it?”

  “It depends on what you mean by emergency. I’m looking for my girlfriend. She should’ve checked in on Monday.”

  “Aunt Tess, I got this,” a soft feminine voice said behind her.

  Dani turned and met the startling, light-blue eyes of a blonde woman about her age.

  “Erin, you know I don’t like giving out lodger information. We don’t—”

  “Aunt Tess, you have to trust me on this one.”

  Tess didn’t seem happy about it, but she nodded. Someone else approached the counter, and she left to assist them.

  “Thank you so much,” Dani said.

  “Let’s go out on the porch, and you can tell me who you’re looking for. I have a feeling I know who it is.”

  Dani joined Erin in sitting on one of the big, wooden swings. Dani sat on the edge, ready to spring into action once she found out where Liz was staying.

  “She’s my girlfriend, Liz Springer. She arrived here on Monday. I’m not exactly sure when she’s coming home. I hope she’s still here.”

  Erin’s smile was as bright as the sun pouring on the lake below them, and it filled Dani’s heart with hope. “You’re in luck. She leaves later this afternoon for an evening flight.”

  “Do you know where—”

  Erin stood up. “I’ll walk you down.”

  As they walked along the trail to the shore of the lake, Dani was at a loss as to what to say. Erin said she thought she knew who Dani was. Did that mean Liz talked about what brought her out here?

  As if sensing Dani’s thoughts, Erin glanced over at her. “Don’t worry. Liz has only told me a little of what happened and how’s she’s feeling.”

  And that was it. Erin said no more. Dani wanted to stop their descent and bombard her with questions. Then she reminded herself the person she needed to speak to was at the end of this trail.

  Erin stopped before they reached the very end. She motioned in front of her. “You’ll find Liz sitting on what I think of as my rock. I shared it with her this week, though.” Erin squeezed Dani’s hand. “Go to her.” With that, she headed back up the trail to the lodge.

  Dani continued on the path. She stopped suddenly when she saw Liz on the rock, her knees drawn to her chest. Dressed in a pair of khaki cargo pants and a green short-sleeved T-shirt, she had her neck bent back so she faced the sun. She was... stunning. Dani’s heart raced even faster as she thought, she’s wearing green. Those eyes I’ve missed will be amazing.

  Liz’s dark hair flowed over her shoulders. It shone like burnished ebony in the sun. She stared out at the water and appeared to be deep in thought.

  Dani walked slowly to the large rock. Almost there, she stepped on a twig. Liz turned at the sound. Dani hadn’t been sure what to expect, but if Liz looked at her with any kind of disappointment, Dani’s heart would shatter in two.

  Liz’s eyes filled with tears when she saw Dani. “You came,” she whispered.

  Dani could only nod as she drew closer.

  “You came 1,500 miles to see me,” Liz said in a choked voice.

  “Honey, I would travel the world over to see you. Don’t you know that?” Dani struggled to speak around the lump in her throat.

  “Dani, I’ve been so... so...”

  Dani sat down beside Liz and took her hand. “You didn’t give me a chance to tell you this before you left.” She stroked the back of Liz’s hand with her thumb. “I love you, Liz Springer. I think I fell a little in love with you that first day at Frodo’s exam. It just took awhile for my brain to catch up to my heart.”

  “Thank God,” Liz choked out. “Because I love you, too.”
She sniffled and laughed without humor. “I know leaving Francis isn’t the best way to show you.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Dani thought her heart would burst with hearing Liz say she loved her. She tried to draw strength from the splendor around them before she spoke again. She held both of Liz’s hands and locked gazes with her for several seconds before speaking. God, these eyes. I could fall into their green pools and never come up for air. “I’d never hurt you intentionally,” she said carefully, but with a strong voice. “I didn’t kiss C.J. She kissed me. I only wish you could’ve seen me push her away.”

  “I believe you. It just... it brought back this flood of memories for me when I saw the two of you together. I couldn’t stop them even if I tried.” A silence passed between them, only broken by the wind that rustled through the tall pines. “I got scared. And when I get scared, I run.” She gazed toward the lake, the sun reflecting off her beautiful face. “I came here to think. Once I cleared my head, it didn’t take me long to question flying all this way. I can be a little impulsive.”

  “Good to know,” Dani said with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

  Liz gave Dani an incredulous look. “And, God. You came all this way?” She shook her head in wonder. “But you need to know I still get frightened. I shouldn’t, but I do. It’s like I told you before, that you’re too good to be true. We’re too good to be true.”

  “You have to trust me, Liz. To trust us. I’m not going anywhere. I’m only running to you. Wherever you go, I will run to you. Do you understand?” She squeezed Liz’s hands. “I love you, and I can’t lose you. I just can’t.” Dani’s voice broke, and she tried to choke back her tears, but a couple still escaped.

  Liz brushed away one of them from Dani’s cheek.

  “Then you have to promise me something, Dani. You have to promise me that when these doubts creep up for me, you’ll understand, and you’ll tell me just what you’re telling me right now. I know that may sound insecure, but—”

  Dani kissed Liz’s hand. “It’s not.”

  A small smile crept across Liz’s lips. “And you have to promise me one more thing.”