Marriage of Convenience
Parts 8-9
By 'J'
The doorbell rang and Michelle snapped back to the present, glancing at the clock as she got up to answer it. She had spent over an hour thinking about the past, remembering her relationship with Danny Santos. And now, God help her, she was expected to marry him. She opened the door to admit her neighbor, who had accepted a package for Michelle that day while she was at work. Michelle chatted with her for a few minutes and, when the woman left, tossed the box onto her coffee table. She'd lost interest in the sweater she'd ordered two weeks earlier. She had more important things to consider now.
The burning humiliation of the last night with Danny had stayed fresh in her mind all through the years. She'd experienced other painful and embarrassing situations since then, of course, but her age at the time, combined with the depth of her feelings for Danny, always made her remember it with special chagrin.
She fixed herself a sandwich and called Bill Lewis to arrange to meet him for lunch. She had to persuade him to take over her files once she completed her current case so that she could go to Europe.
The restaurant was a lithe cafe that catered to the legal crowd, with glass topped tables and lots of hanging plants. Bill was already seated, and he stood when the hostess showed Michelle to their table. "HI" he said as she slipped into a chair. "Whats up"? "I need to ask you a big favor", Michelle said. "Shoot". Bill replied. "I have to go to Europe, and I'd like you to cover my cases while I'm gone, "Michelle said quickly, wincing. He stared at her. "Europe?" "Now?" "To settle my fathers estate". "I don't think you'd have to go there to do that. When did this happen?" "Just yesterday. The will is a mess, and I really should be there in person to straighten it out. "How long will you be gone?" "A couple of months" His mouth fell open. "A couple of months! Honey, whats going on?"For some reason Michelle didn't want to tell Bill the whole truth about the situation. Probably because it might lead to a discussion of Danny and the past, a subject she heartily wished to avoid. "Its actually kind of a combination leave and vacation," Michelle said weakly. "When are you leaving"? "As soon as my case wraps up." "Not wasting any time are you?" Bill said. "Well, there is a certain urgency because my stepbrother is involved to," Michelle replied uncomfortably. "Oh, right". " He runs the ranch, and he has to know this is going to be handled"
"I see" Bill brushed back a lock of medium brown hair and gazed at her with medium blue eyes. Everything about him was medium. Maybe that was the problem Michelle thought. Her response to him was medium, too. "I sure am going to miss you", he added. "I'll be back before you know it," Michelle privately thought that some time away from Bill might be a good idea. he had been dropping hints about marriage lately, and she was far from ready to take such a step.
She packed and closed her apartment, booking a direct flight. On the way to the airport she sent a telegram to the ranch, announcing her arrival. She avoided calling preferring to deal with Danny in person rather than a disembodied voice on the phone. Danny was aware of the will and would know that Michelle's arrival meant that she accepted its terms.
The flight to Europe was a long one and Michelle had plenty of time to think. She was dreading the reunion but at the same time felt a sort of resignation about it. In a very real sense she had been heading toward this for a long time.
Sunlight streamed into the glass fronted arrival lounge as she left the covered walkway that connected the plane to the terminal building. She was fishing in her purse for her baggage tickets when she realized that someone was standing off to one side, watching her. She turned her head and looked at Danny Santos.
Any hope that he might have become unattractive were dashed immediately. She had been wishing for a fat or bald, but neither was true. If anything, he was more compelling than she remembered. Her heart sank.
He walked toward her with the measured stride she recalled so well. He had filled out a little and looked, not heavier, but broader. His brown eyes met hers as he stopped in front of her. "Hello, Michelle," he said quietly. They examined each other for several seconds in silence. His gaze was riveting. "Eyes of gold and bramble dew," she thought, it was a romantic description, but accurate. "How did you know which plane to meet?" she finally asked. "Is that all you can say to me after ten years?" he countered, his expression sober. "Well this is hardly a conventional reunion," Michelle said stiffly. "Hardly". he murmured, watching her face.
"How did you know which flight?" she repeated. "I checked around", he said vaguely. "What"? she replied. "I knew the day you were arriving, so I checked the flights coming from Springfield," he explained inadequately. She saw that he wasn't going to elaborate, so she didn't pursue it. She didn't need any further evidence of a determination she remembered vividly. "It would have been easier if you had just told me', he suggested, falling into step beside her and taking her overnight bag. "Did it ever occur to you that I might not want to be met?" Michelle inquired. "IT occurred to me," he said mildly, shooting her a sidelong glance that Michelle ignored. She marched beside him in silence until he added,"You cut your hair". "I cut my hair eight years ago," she replied crisply. "I know. I saw the pictures". "My father showed them to you?" "I asked to see them," he answered. She let that pass. "How are things at the ranch?" "All right. The place isn't' the same without your dad." His voice was tinged with sadness, and Michelle realized that he was grieving, too, perhaps more than she, because he had seen her father every day.
"So you're a lawyer now," he said, still trying to make conversation. "Thats right". "Do you like it?" "I like it well enough". "I just can't picture you doing that." he said, shaking his head. "Why not?" "You were so...delicate," he said as if that explained his attitude. "I"m no longer the impulsive child you remember," Michelle said crisply, not looking at him. "What a shame," he said softly. "I liked her quite a lot," Michelle stopped short and faced him. "Is that right?" she said tightly. "Funny, thats not the way I recall it." He dropped his eyes. "Michelle, lets not do this. I get the message. You resent being here and you clearly don't want to see me. Okay. But there's no point in denying reality". "Which is?" Michelle responded. "You're here because we're getting married. Do you think we can pretend that isn't true?" "I'd like to pretend it isn't true", she muttered. He sighed as they got to an escalator to descend to the baggage area. "You don't have to be so defensive." Michelle looked at him, and he met her gaze squarely. "Oh, this whole thing is so bizarre, " Michelle mumbled irritably, looking away. "I feel like giving the ranch to a tuna cannery". "Gotta marry me first". Danny said. Michelle refused to smile.
He waited a moment, then touched her arm. She stared up into his face. "Michelle look. I know I'm the last man on earth you would marry if it were your choice, but all we have to do is tolerate each other long enough to get through the formalities. That lawyer, Marler, called me, and if we don't do this, we're going to spend a long time in court untangling the mess. You understand that better than I do. Let's take the easy route, okay? I'll stay out of your way, I promise, and in a couple of months it will be over."
The easy route? Michelle thought. Easy for him, maybe. "Why did my father set his will up this way?" she asked as they walked to the baggage carousel. "Do you know?" "He wanted you to be settled, and..." He stopped. "And"? Michelle replied. "He always remembered the good influence you were on me that summer our parents got married," he concluded quietly. "So he was thinking of you?" Michelle said. "He was thinking of both of us." He pulled her bags from the carousel as they passed. Michelle handed him her stubs as he shouldered her carryall and grabbed a bag with each hand. He showed her tickets to the attendant, and they passed into the throng of milling travelers. "Wait here," he said abruptly. "I'll come back for you." Michelle had no choice but to obey, since he strode away immediately, blending into the crowd.
When he returned her bags were gone and he had a bunch of keys in his hand. "The car is at the door,' he said and she followed him outside. Michelle climbed in the car when he held the door for her and sat staring straight ahead as he got in beside her, shifted gears and pulled out into the airport traffic. The freeways sped by as he drove efficiently, glancing over at her several times during the ride. As they were approaching the entrance to the ranch he said dryly, "Your spine will snap if you don't relax." "ITs my spine," Michelle replied evenly. But she did change positions as he drove up the road that wound between the corrals. She leaned forward, looking closely at everything. The redwood fencing she remembered had been replaced by expensive locust wood. The number of horses had doubled, and the whole place looked extremely prosperous. Her father had always made a comfortable living, but this was something else, and Michelle knew it was Danny's doing. He had, indeed, "taken hold" as her father had said.
"I had Rosa prepare you old room," he said as they entered. The living room had been redecorated in a breezy patio style, with painted wrought iron tables and white wicker furniture. "Is Rosa still with you?" Michelle asked, delighted at the prospect of seeing an old friend. They walked down the hall to her old room. He nodded. "She'll be in later." He set her bags on the floor. "I should tell you," he went on,"we tore down the old guesthouse last year. I'm sleeping across the hall" Wonderful, Michelle thought sourly. Well, at least the guesthouse was gone. She had no desire to revisit that scene.
She looked around. The decor in the bedroom, unlike that in the rest of the house, was as she remembered it. She felt a wave of nostalgia for the four poster with the lumpy mattress and the maple rocking chair and the Priscilla curtains at the window. "I've set the civil ceremony for tomorrow morning," Danny said. Michelle whirled to face him. "Not wasting any time, are we?" she said sarcastically. "I thought you would want to get it over with". he said obviously, startled. "We can put the will into probate as soon as the marriage license is certified to the court." Michelle put her hand to her forehead wearily. "Yes, of course, you're right. I'm sorry. I'm afraid this has been a bit much for me." "Maybe you'd like to be alone for a while, to get settled in," he said. "Thats a good idea", she replied quickly. "Well, I have some work to do, I'll ask Rosa to stop in and see you when she comes okay"? "Thank you", Michelle listened to his footsteps recede down the hall.
IT was obvious that Danny wasn't going to make reference to the last time they'd seen each other, when she'd crept into his bed and thrown herself at him. Maybe he didn't remember it as vividly as she did. Maybe he didn't remember it at all. There must have been a lot of beds and a lot of women since. Michelle heard a knock at the door. "Michelle, It's Rosa". Michelle ran to the door and pulled it wide, embracing the older woman as she stepped in from the hall. "Rosa, oh, its so good to see you," she said, standing back and taking a look. "As beautiful as ever, " she pronounced. "And your too thin," rosa replied. "Chili con carne tonight. And my special enchiladas encantadas." Michelle laughed. She had kept in touch with Rosa through cards and letters over the years, but had missed her practical no nonsense presence. "How is Pilar? She asked. "Raising cain, She starts high school in the fall." "High School", Michelle said wonderingly. When she last saw Rosa's daughter she was about to enter kindergarten. "I bet she's gorgeous." "Hmmph," Rosa said, but her pride shone through. "She is. And she knows it." Rosa glanced over her shoulder. "Did you see Danny? Michelle nodded. "He picked me up at the airport." "How did that go?" Rosa asked in a low tone. Michelle shrugged and sat on the bed, gesturing for Rosa to join her. "I don't know. It's impossible to tell what he's thinking. At least we didn't come to blows in the arrival lounge." "I"m relieved to hear it" I suppose you know about the will", Michelle said, Rosa nodded. "can you believe my father did that? "what I can't believe is that your going along with it, " rosa said frankly. Michelle threw up her hands. "What can I do? Challenging it would be worse. Do you think I'd be here if there were any other way out of this? Rosa fingered the design on the bedspread. "There was a time when marrying Danny Santos would have been your heart's desire," she said slowly. "That time has passed", Michelle said dryly. "Rosa, can you imagine how I feel? The last time I saw Danny I made a complete fool of myself. Now Dad's will is compelling me to marry him, a prospect no more pleasing to him than it is to me, I'm sure. Its just awful. "Are you sure"? "That it's awful"? "To him I mean" rosa said carefully. Michelle stood and began to pace the room. "Rosa he doesn't want me. He made that clear the night I left here ten years ago." "Look at this place," Rosa said making a sweeping gesture to indicate the whole ranch.
"Dann;y did this' After Carmen died, your father didn't care what happened. The bills wouldn't even have been paid if it weren't for Danny. He took over did everything. Gradually your father regained interest, and when he saw how well Danny was doing, Ed just let him keep on running things.""I knew Dad took carmens' death hard," Michelle said thoughtfully. "I always felt bad that I missed the funeral. I was having final exams when she went into the hospital, so dad didn't tell me. He didn't' want to disturb my concentration. by the time Exam week was over, she was dead and buried."
"There was nothing you could have done. Ed and Danny went around this place for weeks like a couple of wounded animals in a cave. The difference was that Ed couldn't work and Danny did nothing else but. He drove himself to exhaustion every night". "I would have thought he'd drink himself into bed," Michelle said. Rosa shook her head."No more".
"Michelle, Your relationship with him ten years ago was special, and for Danny, very unusual. Even I could see that. You affected him, he listened to you when no one, not even his mother, could get his attention. Maybe it ended badly for whatever reason, but I don't think you can go from that to the emotional indifference of a business relationship just because you're both a little older.
She spent the dinner hour with Rosa, and as expected, Danny did not appear. After Rosa left, Michelle felt as though she was rattling around in the house with the ghosts of her father and Carmen whispering in the shadows, so she went outside and sat on the patio. The last time she was on the terrace it had been strung with lights for a night barbecue over the Labor Day weekend. Her father had cooked burgers with long handled tools, wearing an apron that said Too Mangy Broths Spoil the Cook. Carmen had made her Lemon-lime iced tea, and Michelle had worn her sky blue bathing suit with the navy trim.
It was so hard to accept that they were both dead now and that she was here on this fool's errand. Her eyes filled with tears and she wiped at them awkwardly, ashamed of her weakness.
She went to sleep around 11. sleep would not come. She dozed fitfully for short intervals and finally gave up after a couple of hours. She rose and put on a bathrobe to go to the kitchen for a cup of tea. She stopped on the threshold. Danny was sitting at the table, his shirt off and draped on the chair back, a half empty glass cradled in his hands. Michelle hadn't heard him come in and had assumed that he was out somewhere enjoying his last night of "freedom". He looked up as she entered and then stood, kicking the chair out of his way. "I'll go " he said shortly. "Thats not necessary," Michelle replied, determined not to let him see how much he still got to her. "This is your house too. If we can't learn to coexist in it, this arrangement we've planned will never work." He didn't reply but sat down again, leaning back and taking another sip of his drink. Michelle went to the stove and got the kettle, filling it with water and putting it on to boil. When she turned to look at him, he was sitting with his head bent, staring into the portion of amber liquid that remained in his glass. She was facing his back. His hair, which she remembered as curling against his neck, was cropped shorter now. She was seized with he sudden urge to touch it, and she shoved her hands into the pockets of her robe. "Couldn't sleep?" he said without looking at her. "No I couldn't". "Is that because you were worried about me?" he asked flatly. "Worried?" Michelle said uncomprehendingly. He turned. "Worried about having me in this house, that I might bother you," he said.
It was the last thing she had expected him to say, and she was to startled that she replied frankly, "Danny, I'm not worried. I remember all too well that where I'm concerned, your self control is second to none." She saw his face the impact of her careless statement. If she'd thought he might not remember that night in the guesthouse ten years earlier, she saw now that she was wrong. He flushed a dull red, and he stood again, his half naked body looming large and formidable in the small kitchen. "Good," he said huskily. "Because I want to make something clear before we go ahead with this. I was going to tell you in the morning, but I might as well say it now." Michelle waited, her fingers clenching inside her pockets. "I'm not going to take advantage of this situation", he said. "You'll stay in your own room, and I'll keep away from you. I realize that a beautiful, successful woman like you has her own life, and I won't interfere. The only thing between us is the piece of paper we'll get tomorrow, and when all this is over you can go right back to what you left". "fine" Michelle said softly. He finished his drink in one gulp, as if glad to have that speech behind him. He walked past her to the sink and set the glass on the drain board. "I'll see you in the morning", he said. "The appointment as city hall is at nine o'clock. he left the room, and a second later she heard his door shut down the hall.
So he wasn't as cool about all of this as he'd seemed at the airport, she thought. It gave her some satisfaction that he was losing sleep over the situation, too, that it wasn't some minor annoyance he could dismiss. Rosa had said he changed, and maybe he had. Michelle went back to bed, passing Danny's door quickly. she didn't lie awake this time, but fell into a dreamless slumber.
Danny listened to the faint sounds Michelle made as she settled into her room and tried not to picture what she was wearing or not wearing under her robe when she removed it for bed. This was going to be even more difficult than he'd thought. When he had first heard about Ed's will he wasn't exactly surprised. He always suspected that Ed knew he'd fallen in love with Michelle all those years ago and respected him for letting her go. Maybe this was Ed's way of paying him back, giving him another shot at the prize. Except the prize wanst entirely in the mood to cooperate. Danny couldn't blame Michelle for being angry. The terms of the will were weird, and on top of that she had the memory of his behavior toward her on the night before she left for home. She didn't know how much he'd wanted her to stay, all she recalled was the bitterness of rejection. But did she have to be so beautiful, he thought, in agony at the prospect of trying to keep his hands off her for the next couple of months. The puppy prettiness of her teen years had matured into a fine porcelain loveliness that took his breath away. He'd recognized her immedialty at the airport, she was the Michelle he remembered, and then some. And now, of course, she was old enough to love. Had he spoiled that chance forever? he wondered. Did she have someone back in Springfield? Probably. He couldn't picture her spending her nights with frozen dinners and metromedia movies. That thought did not comfort him, and he punched the pillow behind his head, abandoning the idea of sleep.
---------------------------------------
Michelle showered and was brushing her hair in the bedroom the next morning when Rosa knocked on her door. "Come in" Michelle called. Rosa entered carrying a cup of coffee. "Thanks Michelle said, accepting it. " I dindt know you were coming in this morning" "I thought I'd better stop by and see how things were going." Rosa said nervously. "Have you seen Danny? Michelle asked, her eyes meeting rosa's over the rim of the cup. Rose nodded. "Where is he"? "Waiting in the living room. He's all dressed." "Already? How does he seem?" "He seems tense. He looks gorgeous". Michelle shook her head and smiled. "You look beautiful, " she said to Michelle, who stared at herself in the mirror. "To bad this is such a farce," Michelle said, applying her lipstick."You'll get through it Rosa said firmly.
Danny rose as Michelle entered the living room. His eyes moved down, taking in her outfit, and up again to her face. "You look nice", he said briefly. So did he. He was wearing a dark suit. His hair was wet with resent combing and his shoes were polished to a high gloss. "Be right back," he said and went to the kitchen. When he returned he was carrying a florists box. "Here" he said, handing it to Michelle. She took it surprised. "I thought you should have that," he said obviously uncomfortable. Inside was a small arrangement of irises and carnations. "This is the same bouquet I had for my father's wedding," Michelle said in wonderment, lifting the spray out of the tissue paper and holding it to her nose. He nodded. "You chose them before, so I knew you would like it." Michelle glanced at Rosa, who raised her brows. He had remembered a detail like that all these years? He cleared his throat. "We better go." he said.
The drive to the municipal building was brief, and Danny and Michelle signed the necessary papers in minutes. She had brought her blood test results with her, and the license was issued. Two clerks were the witnesses, and afterward their congratulations rang hollowly in Michelle's ears. Her expression must have shown what she was thinking, because Danny said as they left, "Not exactly what you had in mind for your wedding, was it?" Michelle didn't answer. "I'm sorry" he said. "Its alright", Michelle replied. "I understood what was going to happen when I came out here. Its just that it all seemed so..." "Cold?" he suggested. "Yes, it did" Michelle replied.
She left her flowers on the passenger seat and followed him into the restaurant. When they were seated and had ordered. Danny said, "There's a problem you should be aware of in connection with the ranch." "A couple of developers, Citrus Farms, and Sun City Homes, have been competing to buy it for a while." " Why do they want it?" " The property around here has become very valuable in the last few years. The town is within commuting distance and the scenery is pretty. The schools are good. The developers have been moving in quick. They want to put subdivisions of tract houses on ranch land." "My father would have hated that". Michelle said softly. "He always refused to sell. The developers started in on me as soon as he died. When they find out about this wedding , they're going to be after you,, too. They're offering a lot of money." "And you don't want to sell?" Michelle asked. "Do you?" Danny replied. "I don't know, I just got here, I really don't' know what's going on." Michelle said.
He lifted one shoulder. "This ranch is my life, but you may feel differently. You may want to take the money and go back to Springfield. In any case, once we inherit, they'll have to deal with us together. One parcel is not the good without the other."
"So you want us to stick together, is that it."
"Do you want to see a bunch of stucco bread boxes sitting on your dad's place?" he countered.
"Ross Marler didn't say anything about this to me", Michelle said as the waitress brought their coffee.
"He doesn't' know."
"But you said you had spoken to him."
"I didn't tell him," Danny replied, taking a sip of his drink.
"Why didn't you tell me before the wedding?"
"I didn't want you to change your mind," he said evenly.
"In other words, you tricked me."
"How did I trick you?" he replied equably. "The terms of the will would have been the same. I just didn't inform you that there were buyers out there waiting in case you wanted to sell."
"You should have gone to law school," Michelle muttered, and the trace of a smile flickered across his lips.
The waitress brought their food, but Michelle had no appetite. She cut her pancakes into little sections and rearranged them on her plate until Danny said,"You really should eat some of that."
"Now you sound like Rosa"
"Rosa's right. You've gotten skinny."
Michelle stared at him, annoyed. "Haven't you heard that it's chic to be thin?" she demanded, somewhat misleadingly. A desire to be stylish was not the reason for her slenderness. Since learning about the will, she hadn't been able to eat much in anticipation of this reunion.
"Where? In Springfield?" He said the word as though it were a disease.
"Everywhere."
"You weren't' always so skinny," he said, biting into a piece of toast.
"I was chubby ten years ago."
"I don't think so."
"Really?" she said, holding his gaze, and he looked away.
"How did you get the time to come here?" he asked after she had returned her attention to the decorative placement of her food.
"I took a leave of absence."
"On such a short notice?"
"They owed me several vacations."
"You work for the D.A's office?"
"Yes."
"Prosecuting murder cases."
"There not all murder cases, but the one I just finished was..How did you know?"
"Marler told me"
Ross Marler seems to have developed a sudden case of bigmoutitis, Michelle thought. He had babbled quite a few details to Danny, who in return had apparently told him nothing.
"Did you win?" Danny asked.
"No"
"Why not?"
She looked at him. That sounded like a challenge.
"Its complicated." she said.
"Try me", he said tightly. "I may surprise you by being able to comprehend more than you think." Michelle hesitated. She hadn't meant to insult his intelligence. He was certainly prickly.
"Well, we wanted a conviction on murder one, premeditation. That carries the maximum penalty", she explained. "frankly, I thought the guy deserved it, he seemed to have planned it all and taken his time setting it up. But his lawyer was able to get the charge knocked down to third degree, with a sentence of fifteen to twenty, eligible for parole after five. The defense hit heavily on the defendants service record and his work history. The guy had an honorable discharge from the navy and had held the same job for ten years, but that didn't convince me he couldn't have killed his girlfriend."
"He must have convinced the jury." Danny said.
Michelle shook her head. "No. He was a poor witness."
"Then what happened?"
"The evidence made his girlfriend , the victim, sound like a tramp, and the jurors didn't like what they heard about her. They decided that a tart like that deserved to die, so they weren't going to sentence her boyfriend to death for finally getting fed up with her".
Danny stared at her, shocked.
"Its the truth, "Michelle said shrugging. "I tried to control the jury during voir dire...
"What's that?"
"The questioning of prospective jurors, the selection process. The people I liked kept coming up with reasons to be excused from duty, and I was discounting too many possibilities. The judge censured me for wasting time, so I wound up with an unbalanced jury. It was bad from the start.
"Does that happen often?"
"Too often."
Danny shook his head. "It isn't always like that," Michelle amended quickly, "There are good moments too.
Danny nodded.
"I wish we could do more, but we do what we can." Michelle said.
"My mother always wanted to be a nurse," Danny said softly. "But after my dad died, she gave it all up.
"I didn't know that. By the way, you've done wonders with the place, Michelle said grudgingly. "I can tell just by looking around that its very successful."
"We're doing all right", he said shortly.
Michelle smiled, making a pancake dam to contain a burgeoning river of syrup. "Remember when you taught me to ride?"
He grinned, the first genuine smile she'd seen since she arrived. "How could I forget?" he said. "The first time you sat on the horse you fell off into the dirt."
"Lightning. he was old and slow".
"Lightning was slow when he was a year old. He lived to be twenty. Miguel was always talking about putting him down, but we both knew we'd never do it. He died in his sleep. After a huge meal, of course." He drained his coffee cup. "Did you keep up with the riding?" he asked.
Michelle sighed. "I'm ashamed to tell you this, but I haven't been on a horse since I was last in Europe."
"I can't believe it." he said. "I never saw anybody who wanted to learn so much." "IT did mean a lot to me, and I always appreciated your help. but when I got to school other things became more important. You know how it is."
He nodded slowly. "Want to do something about it?" "What do you mean"? "We can go for a ride when we get back, I'll take you around the place, and show you some of the changes."
"Danny, I'd fall off the horse again, I know it."
"No you wont' Its just like ridding a bike"
"I don't have any riding clothes."
"I've got some"
"To fit me?"
"Sure"
Michelle tried to think of another objection and couldn't. "You'd better call the paramedics and tell them to be on the alert." she said as he called for the check. "You'll be fine"
"Only if you resurrect Lightning."
"I've got another one just as slow."
"Impossible. What's its name?"
"Thunderbolt."
Michelle laughed. "Are you kidding me?"
"I am not."
They went back to the car, and on the drive home Danny outlined the changes he'd made in the ranch operation, how he'd streamlined the purchasing and hired new vets to supervise the breeding of the horses. IT was clearly a subject he loved, and Michelle just let him talk, wondering how any developer in the world thought he was going to get this man to sell to him.
When they got back to the house, Danny took her to the storage closet next to the garage and said, "There's a box of riding clothes on the floor. See if you can find something to fit you." He went to change. Curious, Michelle took the container he had indicated to her room and sifted through it, amazed to discover an assortment of pants and shirts in various sizes, even a couple of leather belts. where on earth had he got this stuff?
She selected a loose shirt and a pair of pants that were a little too big and cinched them with one of the belts. Danny was waiting for her in the living room when she emerged. "Whose clothes are these?" Michelle asked. He shrugged. "I don't know".
"Danny, is the stuff in that box your bimbo bin?" He stared at her. "My what?" "Castoffs from your old girlfriends, things they left around that you just didn't bother to return." He shook his head. "Michelle, I told you that Miguel runs a riding school now. Sometimes the students leave things behind and don't come back for them. We save everything in there in case they come looking for what they left. That's all."
Michelle could feel herself flushing. "Oh," she said in a small voice. Why on earth had she made such a big deal about it? "There are boys" clothes in there, too." he said gently. Michelle looked down at the shirt she was wearing, It had seemed odd when she was dressing, the buttons were on the wrong side. "Ready"? he said looking at her. Michelle followed him to the stable, where he led her to a horse that looked almost as phlegmatic as lightning. He was methodically swatting flies with his tail and surveyed her with exquisite boredom. "I take it this is Thunderbolt," she said. "Well, yes it is" Danny said. "Maybe I can handle something a little more lively," she ventured bravely. "You could?" Danny said looking down at her.
"I'd like to try." "Fine with me", he readied another horse, named melody, and helped Michelle into the saddle. His hands lingered at her waist no longer than necessary, and she felt perversely disappointed.
He followed Michelle out on his own horse and took her on a tour of the ranch, ending at the old stable where Miguel gave lessons. Michelle had done pretty well riding up until then, but Miguel had neglected to tell Danny that he'd been teaching Melody how to Jump. When the horse saw a stanchions, she charged forward through the open gate and ran for the jump. Michelle hung on, but she had never jumped an obstacle in her life. When the horse went over, she went down, landing in a undignified heap on the ground.
Danny pulled up and leaped off his horse while it was still moving. He ran to Michelle's side and took her face in his hands. "Are you all right?" he demanded, his expression anxious. She nodded. The wind was knocked out of her and she couldn't talk, but otherwise she felt okay. "Just stay here" he said. "I have to get the horses" She nodded again, and he took off. She watched as he tied the horses to the tress.
HE returned and knelt next to Michelle in the grass.
"How are you doing?"
"All right," she said breathlessly. He helped her to her feet, but when she tried to put weight on her left foot she cried out in pain. "Guess not" she gasped. He scooped her up in one smooth movement and carried her to a huge tree that that bordered the ranch property. He held her for a few seconds, but it was enough for all the sense memories of the last time she was in his arms to come rushing back. The sensation was the same, but intensified.
Even his smell was familiar. She closed her eyes. Oh, Danny she thought.
He knelt and set her own the ground. "Better?" he said. "That sun was too hot?" "This is fine." She looked around her. "I used to picnic under this tree". "Let me see your ankle," Danny said. He removed her shoe and sock and manipulated the joint. "Does that hurt?" he said. "A little. Not bad". "I don't think that it's broken." he pronounced, "Just sprained. It may bruise, we better put some ice on it when we get back." She nodded.
"So," he said, sitting next to her with his back against the tree,, "I guess Melody wasn't such a great idea, Huh?" His expression was teasing. Michelle smiled ruefully. "I didn't know she was trying out for the Olympic equestrian team." "Miguel must have been using her in his classes. I'll have to talk to him. Apparently she's too undisciplined for that". "Now you tell me". Michelle said.
"I thought she was all right for you," he said, turning his head to look at Michelle. "She always seemed pretty docile." "I guess she just likes to jump". "Horses can be like women that way," he said softly. "They seem restrained, but when they see what they want, they go for it." He was very near, close enough for her to see the gold flecks in his eyes. "I tried once", Michelle said. "It doesn't always work."
He dropped his eyes and stood. "We should go back to the house. Dr Jensen can take a look at that ankle." "Dr. Jensen is a vet." "So, A doctor is a doctor, he can tell if the bone is broken, your father was a doctor also, and that didn't stop him from taking care of the animals when he couldn't get in touch with a vet. "You said it wasn't broken", she said. "I said I thought it wasn't'. I'm not a doctor. I'll get my horse, we can ride back double. I'm not taking any more chances with Melody, I'll send somebody out for her later." I guess I brought that conversation to an abrupt end, Michelle thought morosely as she watched him walk away. Obviously any reference, no matter how oblique, to that last night ten years earlier was going to be met with silence. He returned with the horse and mounted, pulling her up behind him. Michelle remembered the last time she had traveled this way, but this trip was a lot more sedate. He kept the horse at an even canter all the way back and carried her into the house. "Just stay there, don't try to walk." he said as he deposited her on the living room sofa. "Yes, sir" Michelle replied and saluted. "I will see if Jensen is still in the stables. He was supposed to give the horses their shots today," he said and left.
Michelle's ankle was beginning to throb, and she was contemplating disobeying ordered and hobbling to the bathroom for aspirin, when she heard voices. Danny entered the back door followed by Dr. Jensen. "She's in here", Danny said, leading the way. Dr. Jensen, a handsome man in his fifties, surveyed the patient with a critical eye.
"George," Danny said. "This is my wife, Michelle". Michelle almost fainted. She glared at Danny while Jensen bent over her foot, saying. "Congratulations, Mrs. Santos. What a terrible thing to happen on your wedding day." Danny, who was pretending not to notice Michelle's reaction, said, "it isn't broken, is it?" "No, no. But its a pretty bad sprain, and once the shock wears off it will be painful," the doctor said. "Are you feeling it yet?" "A little Michelle said. "Do you have any painkillers here?"
"This is an opiate, " the doctor said. "People take them all the time. you won't be able to sleep without them." Michelle swallowed two of the pills. "make sure she takes two every four hours,' Jensen said. "And put some ice on that foot." "I will," Danny assured him. "Its a sorry night to spend your wedding night," the doctor said sympathetically. "There will be other nights," Danny said, and Michelle wanted to hit him.
After the doctor left, Michelle hissed, "Why did you tell him that we were married?"
"We are married".
"You know what I mean. I thought we agreed that we were going to handle this discreetly." "What was I supposed to do?" Danny asked." He knows that you are staying here with me." Danny, I remember my father talking about that man. Dad said that he's a nice guy, but he spreads information around. Everybody for miles around will know we're married now." "Maybe thats better. How could you live in this house without an explanation? What would people think?" "What would people think?" Michelle repeated, staring at him.
"Danny Santos, you're talking to me, the person who put you back togther after more drunks and fights that I care to remember. You were the scandal of the community for years. You expect me to believe that you suddenly care what people think?" "Maybe I'm changing my image," he said mildly, propping her leg on a pillow. Michelle eyed him narrowly as he fussed over her.
There was a reason for what he had done, and she was certain it had nothing to do with his concern about their reputations.
"I will get the ice," he said and rose to go to the kitchen. She listened to him emptying the ice trays and opening cabinets, and by the time he returned she was feeling spacey. "Here you go,' he said, putting her foot into the dishpan and packing it with ice bags. "this should work. Now just lie back and try to take a nap." Michelle found that advice easy to follow, and when Danny came back later on to give her more pills, she wasn't sure if she was awake or dreaming. She swallowed dutifully and closed her eyes again. He hesitated, then kissed her lightly on the mouth, certain that she wouldn't remember it.