Rest and Relaxation (Lesbian Romance)

by Rhavensfyre

  Dani hung her cowboy hat up on its hook and turned back towards Allyse. She caught the expression on her face and immediately misinterpreted the appraising look.

  “Sorry, I know I look a mess right now,” Dani apologized, plucking at her shirt. She must look grungy as hell after a morning of tramping through mud and dirt. That awareness was something new to her. She normally didn’t care how filthy she got until it was time to clean up for the night, but somehow having Allyse around had changed the rules.

  “No. You look fine, better than fine,” Allyse stammered, earning a questioning look from Dani.

  “Okay, if you say so. I am just going to clean up and change. Then if you want, I can take you out to lunch.”

  “Thank you, that sounds nice.” Allyse internally cringed at her choice of words. Nice didn’t even describe the feelings she was having. “Wait. Don’t you have to go back to work after lunch?”

  “Nope. We’re all finished up. There’s a few things that need to be done still but they know what to do and don’t need me there anymore.” Dani tucked her hands in her jean pockets and went shy all of a sudden. “We can count it as a second date, if you want.”

  Allyse wasn’t fooled by the ruse. Dani wasn’t the least bit shy, but she was clever. “You have to ask?”

  “Guess not.” Dani winked and headed for the stairs.

  “Does that mean if I take you out for dinner tonight it counts as date three?” Allyse called out, surprised that her voice held steady. She sounded so sure of herself, too bad she didn’t feel that way on the inside. It didn’t help her poor heart that all she got in return for her question was more teasing laughter.

  That’s it, I am not drinking a thing tonight. Not if it meant Dani would beg off on escalating things between them if she thought she was compromised.

  ***

  Date number two ended up being lunch at the local hotspot. It was one of those retro dives you usually found in the middle of nowhere that tried for a 50s flavor, but it was no Mel’s Diner. All brushed steel and neon, it looked like a place you would see in a B movie horror flick, the one where everyone hides out during an alien invasion. Inevitably a bumbling hero would discover their weakness…like an allergy to old fry grease, and off they would go to save the world in a decrepit fire truck loaded up with peanut oil.

  She had her reservations, but Dani swore the food was amazing and after ordering, Allyse had to agree.

  “Does this still count as a date, even though it’s not fancy?” Dani had ordered a burger and was turning the plate slowly as if sizing up the overly large concoction. The cooks hadn’t even bothered trying to fit the side of fries on the same plate.

  The tantalizing, overly salted overdose of deep fried carbs occupied a place of honor in the middle of the table, tempting Allyse to break her diet and just grab one…maybe two. She could practically hear her arteries clogging every time she breathed in the hot, grease laden cloud surrounding their table. It didn’t make her want them any less, and she grew more envious with every guiltless bite Dani took, along with a healthy dipping of ketchup.

  “Yes, definitely,” Allyse said, finally breaking down and snatching a fry. Her salad was good, but that fry was a tiny bit of forbidden heaven she was going to enjoy.

  “Eager much?” Dani teased, grinning widely enough to reveal a line of straight white teeth. The toothy grin was almost disturbing considering the future fate of the burger perched in her hands.

  “Don’t push it.”

  “Sorry,” Dani apologized, not sounding it the least bit. “So, what are you up to for the rest of the day?”

  “Just a few phone calls. And you?”

  “I still need to do the books for the farm. This storm took over my schedule.”

  “You don’t sound very excited.”

  “It’s boring, but I really need to get it done before the end of the month.”

  Allyse noticed that everyone seemed to know who Dani was, but no one approached her and Dani didn’t go out of her way to talk to any of them. She had chatted pleasantly with the waitress and waved at the man cooking behind the small window separating the dining area from the kitchen, but there were a couple of faces that closed down when she walked in, shooting angry daggers her way when she wasn’t looking.

  “Why are some of the people in here watching you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “A few of the other patrons seem angry with you, is it because you’re with me?” Allyse asked, waving her hand in the general direction of the other diner’s. It was a reasonable question. It was a small town, and it was pretty obvious they were on a date…at least to her.

  Dani put her burger down, carefully and with deliberate intent, her appetite suddenly waning.

  Dammit. Why did Allyse have to be so observant?

  “No. Although I am sure there is one or two who would have a problem, especially considering how they treated Jay. After my uncle died, a lot of people came out of the woodwork, out of nowhere—all of them offering to help me run the farm,” she paused and took a deep breath. Allyse had to understand why this wasn’t a good thing. “I didn’t want their help. Not a one of them was there while he was sick. No one offered to help me when I was nineteen and just taking it over. By the time Uncle Jay died, I was already running it by myself. I didn’t want or need the help of people whose only goal was to take advantage of me.” Dani practically spat out the last bit. “I lost it. It wasn’t a good time for me, and when I found out someone had been talking about him behind his back, spreading ugly rumors—let’s just say I cleaned house and a few people lost their jobs.”

  “That’s horrible. What could they have said about Jay? He was such a gentle man, I can’t see him having many enemies.”

  “He was a gay man, and he was sick, Allyse. It didn’t take long for them to jump to conclusions.”

  One older man sat at the counter, boldly watching Dani’s angry outburst. Dani hadn’t noticed, but she did. “They thought he had AIDS,” Allyse said in a low voice, not because she was embarrassed, but out of respect for Dani’s uncle. Her mind reeled. How awful for her, and for Erick too, she thought. He never said a thing. Was he worried I would respond like these people did?

  “Oh, God, Dani…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

  “You didn’t know, and it doesn’t change the past. It’s still there whether you know about it or not. It’s always there,” Dani said tiredly. She stared out the window while she destroyed her napkin, tearing it into tiny little pieces of fluff that grew into a small pile beneath her hands.

  “But he didn’t.”

  “No. It was cancer. But that wasn’t enough for that lot, they’re nothing but a bunch of bullies with nothing to do but put down their betters.”

  A thought came to her. “Dani? I didn’t even think to ask. I mean, you and I know this is a date, but do I need to tone it down for you here?”

  “No! I don’t care what they think. The whole town knows I’m gay and most of them don’t give a rat’s ass. It’s only a couple of diehards that haven’t realized we’ve moved into a new century. You know? The one with television and airplanes and computers and shit,” Dani said, unleashing her sarcasm with a vengeance.

  The self-righteous jerk at the counter was now trying to stare her down. Tidbits of information filtered through her brain, and in a moment of clarity, Allyse identified the man. This was the person Dani was talking about, the one that had started so many rumors.

  She narrowed her eyes and examined him more closely. She had seen that same glassy eyed fervor before, the sick joy that can only be felt by someone so sure of their moral authority they forgot such pesky emotions as compassion and forgiveness. She matched the man look for look, noting the signs of enjoying too much liquor…too often and too early in the day. He was neatly dressed, but the blown out veins etched across his bulbous nose and the sickly yellow tint discoloring his pale, fishlike eyes gave him away. He was ugly, inside and out. She slipped int
o full corporate leader mode and stared him down with a practiced glower that had broken greater men. She enjoyed watching his face blanch, but didn’t feel a thing when he stood and left without finishing his food.

  Allyse closed her eyes and started counting, forcing herself to calm down before all the excitement set off an attack. If this was the sort of stuff Dani had been dealing with, no wonder she had shut down. It was like she had purposefully put blinders on so she wouldn’t have to deal with what other people wanted from her.

  “Are you ready to go?”

  Dani’s question startled Allyse out of her thoughts. Her eyes flew open to find Dani standing next to her, throwing money on the table and more than ready to go. Warm brown eyes met hers then slid away, but not before Allyse saw the pain lurking there. It was a haunting reminder that the past was never so far away that it couldn’t be felt in the now. Allyse reached out and grasped Dani’s hand, squeezing gently in empathy.

  “Yes, sweetheart,” she said, using the term of endearment purposefully. Would Dani notice? Her heart thumped wildly in her chest, fueled by the sudden thrill of adrenaline coursing through her veins. Never before had she made such an obvious declaration in public. For once, she didn’t care. Someone had hurt Dani and she couldn’t allow that.

  Dani waited for Allyse to lead the way then followed close behind her, resting an overly gentle hand on her lower back. Allyse didn’t know if the gesture was supposed to be protective or reassuring, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was that Dani wanted to be close to her, and she wasn’t afraid to let everyone know it.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The drive back to the farm was quiet, with neither woman feeling like talking much. Dani’s attention was on the road ahead of her, but Allyse could tell her thoughts were in the past. It wasn’t her place to intrude on something so personal so she sat and silently watched the scenery slip by.

  Allyse felt terrible. Their second date hadn’t gone quite as planned. Dani, a woman who always seemed to be hungry, didn’t even finish her lunch. Her half-finished burger was left to congeal into a messy pile that made Allyse’s small victory against the man at the counter a lot less palatable.

  When they got back to the farmhouse, Allyse excused herself and ran upstairs to make a phone call. She had a few questions she needed to ask Erick before the girls called her. Dani nodded and muttered something about starting on the books, but her expression as she marched into the living room seemed more appropriate to a foot soldier waiting for the order to charge into battle than dealing with the prospect of crunching a few numbers.

  After learning more about Dani’s past and how she took care of her sick uncle, she could see how Erick's lack of presence created a rift between them. It was a lot of responsibility for such a young woman to shoulder, running the farm and taking care of someone with a terminal illness. She closed her eyes and shivered in sympathy, unsure if she could even begin to fathom how that must have felt.

  Allyse sat on her bed and called Erick. She hit her speed dial and, as always, he wasted no time picking up for her.

  “Allyse, what can I do for you?”

  “I just wanted to check in,” she said, hedging around the real reason for her call. She wasn’t ready to start thinking about work just yet, even though that was the excuse for her call.

  “It’s going fine. You know I would contact you immediately if there were any problems.” Erick sounded a little peeved. “Is there anything else?”

  “Yes. But you know what? It isn’t important. I’m sure you are keeping everything running smoothly for me.” Allyse couldn’t believe she had just said that. When in the known universe would she ever back down? She wanted to know more about Jay. She wanted to know why Erick wasn’t there for him when Jay needed him most, and why the hell he wasn’t there to help Dani. So why am I back-stepping now?

  “Of course. I’m sorry, Allyse, but it’s really busy here and I have a meeting soon so I only have a few minutes.”

  “I know you’d rather be doing your own work than mine, Erick. I do appreciate it.”

  “You know I love you like family, Allyse. I don’t mind doing this for you.” Allyse could practically hear the air moving as he waved her comment away.

  “Ah, Erick? One more thing. What is Dani's favorite food?”

  “Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

  “Peanut butter and…? Jeez, Erick. When was the last time you checked up on that information? When she was fourteen?”

  “No. I’m pretty sure she still likes sandwiches.”

  “Well, that won’t work. I’m sure Dani’s appetites have matured since then.” Her heart flipped and sped up at the sudden memory of full lips pressed against hers. Yes, Dani’s appetites have certainly matured since then.

  After a long pause, Allyse heard Erick clear his throat. “Allyse I am not helping you seduce my niece.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that.” Allyse automatically objected even though she knew she was guilty as charged.

  “Uh, huh. Freudian slip much?” Erick asked, sounding quiet pleased with himself. Allyse supposed he had the right, since it wasn’t everyday someone, even someone that knew her that well, managed to render a proud De Leon speechless. Unfortunately, he wasn’t done with her yet.

  “Now. I have no issues with you two together if you are both happy. But Allyse, you have to figure it out on your own.”

  “Fine. But I am not feeding the woman peanut butter!” And jelly! What was the man thinking?

  “Oh, I’m sure you’ll figure out something,” Erick replied airily. “Oh, by the way, I am planning on coming up this weekend. It’s been a while since I visited.”

  “No.” The flat out refusal was met with dead silence for a full twenty seconds.

  “Excuse me?” Erick finally responded. If he had spent that time counting down to zero, his effort was wasted. He still sounded angry as hell. “She’s my niece. I have every right to come see her.”

  Allyse managed to clamp her lips around the biting retort that sprang to life. There was no room between them for ugly words she might regret later. He was right, she was his niece, and this had nothing to do with work or their professional relationship. Still, she needed to convince him not to come down.

  “Of course you do. I just think you should give it a little more time. Since the hospital visit she has been a little…emotional,” Allyse said, trying to reason with him. She wanted more alone time with Dani, without her uncle there to complicate things and possibly bring up bad memories.

  “Okay. I understand. But will you tell her I love her and miss her?”

  Allyse was impressed. He gave in easier than she would have. He didn’t sound happy about it, but he did give in.

  “I will,” She assured him, trying to impart all the warmth and gratitude in her voice that she felt. “Goodbye, my friend.”

  After she hung up, she sat on the bed trying to figure out what to do. After the fiasco at lunch, going out again did not sound at all appealing. Besides, this was the important date. The third date. Thinking about it that way sent her heart jumping in anticipation. She just had to figure out a perfect “Dani” date. A dozen ideas were considered and discarded before she struck gold. All she had to do was remember that Dani liked things simple and straightforward. It was that easy.

  The best thing about her plan was that there was no need to leave the farm at all. A picnic in the orchard at sunset would be perfect.

  With a plan in mind, Allyse was able to start doing what she did best, make it happen. That made her happy, very, very happy and because of that, when she connected with her girls on voice chat, she had to explain the ear to ear grin plastered on her face. Surprisingly, they weren’t as easy to convince as Erick. Her eldest scowled in a fair imitation of her mother and announced that “You aren’t smiling like that just because you miss us, you’re smiling because you’re having too much fun.” The operative part of that accusation came from her little sister, who wailed “with
out us.” Allyse half expected her to stomp a foot at her, but at nine years of age, she had denounced that behavior as being too childish for her advanced years.

  ***

  Dani sat at her computer, diligently working on the books. She had been putting them off, but she knew her CPA was going to start calling her if she didn’t get them in soon. She grabbed the remote and turned on her stereo, hoping the background music would be enough to keep her focused. She knew that if she turned on the television she would end up watching it instead of getting her work done.

  Keeping up with the financial stuff was a necessary evil, but it still bored her to no end. It was the one thing that Uncle Jay had the worst time getting her to learn, but he had been adamant about it. She could still remember him trying to explain something to her. He was incredibly patient, even when she had trouble “getting it” at first. “Dani, you have to know how to do this yourself. It’s fine and well to hire people to work for you, but once you stop knowing where all the money goes, you leave yourself open to someone trying to take what’s yours. You’re young, and you’re a woman…there are those who will try to take advantage of you, just because of that. This farm will protect and take care of you your entire life, if you take care of it. I know you can do this, you just have to find a way that makes sense to you.”

  Uncle Jay was a smart man. He knew her well enough to realize early on that she would work herself to exhaustion if it was something she enjoyed, but sitting and crunching numbers? That was something she hated, so he made her do it. She was grateful now. Everything he had done had prepared her for carrying on after his death. The only thing she had never been prepared for was his death. Dani sighed, then rubbed her eyes to hide the bit of moisture gathering there. The melancholy thoughts weren’t helping her concentrate, but she was having trouble shaking off this afternoon’s conversation. If she hadn’t learned how to do the books herself, she would have never known someone was stealing from them, and today’s little incident would have never happened.