Dani and the Bull Ch. 02

She woke just as the sun was coming up. Still dressed, her book open on the bed beside her. Lying on her back, she stared up at the ceiling of her room, and counted the cracks she found. Ten this time, same as last. The house was old, and run down. A far cry when it had been one of the finest in town then. Not that any of the towns better citizens ever stepped foot in it. Her distant relation had been a gambler from New Orleans who had settled here not long after the Civil War. The combination of the two had made him very unacceptable to all the fine people of Elton. But then, as it was now with those of his blood line who lived here, he hadn't cared. Neither had any of the others who followed him, for a while the house had been a brothel, and a gaming club back in the 1920's. The man who had left it to her dad had been just as oddball as the rest of the family.

Standing up, Dani took off her jacket and boots, and then went downstairs to the kitchen. As usual, there were people crashed out everywhere. She wasn't even surprised to see Annie and Zach curled up in one of the old overstuffed chairs in the corner, and Sue lying on the Bull's shoulder. She looked like a little kid next to him, but maybe he liked that kind of woman. Most big men did. Still, it was enough to make her remember what she had seen outside her window last night. Without knowing why, she felt a shiver run through her, not to mention the feeling that she was glad that Sue had somehow failed him last night.

In the kitchen, she made a pot of coffee, and then stood waiting for it to brew. It was barely six in the morning. No one would venture awake by noon. To be honest, she was surprised the party had wound down so early. Usually, they lasted until dawn and beyond. She even remembered a few times when they had lasted a couple of days. Reaching for an orange off the table, she peeled it slowly and began to suck the juice from each section before chewing the pulp. She liked the flavor of citrus fruit, could eat a lime or lemon or grapefruit just as she ate the orange and its sweet juice.

The coffee finally finished, and she filled a large mug with the strong liquid. It burned all the way down, but it was good. This and cigarettes were her only vices. She didn't drink more than a bottle of beer at a time, and she didn't smoke pot or use any kind of drugs. A few of her parent's friends were into different things, and it seemed like they were always the worst of the bunch. Her brother Dave was a real pothead and he was a little crazy sometimes. The examples of what could happen had been a good lesson to her, and she had learned to avoid too much of a good thing.

Leaning back against the counter with her coffee, Dani closed her eyes and let the aroma and tastes of the coffee really sink in. She wasn't like a lot of people, just drinking and ignoring. She liked to experience tastes and smells. Everything had its own. Her dad smelled like stale beer and sweat. Her mother wore a fragrance like a lily that had exploded. Each of her brothers had their own scent as well. Jeff, the first guy to ever kiss her had tasted like chocolate ice cream and whipped cream. She didn't like to kiss guys who tasted of whiskey or beer, or pot. She remembered Jeff so well, because she had been ten at the time, and he had been a boy at school.

She was a little startled when Bull came into the kitchen. To make it worse, she seemed to be more aware of both his towering height and width, and his coloring. It was a complete contrast. From the toffee tint of his skin to his long, almost white hair and penetrating ice blue eyes. He was a mystery, and a part of her felt intrigued enough to want to solve it. She watched as he leaned back against an unused portion of the counter, and gave her a pleading look.

"Tell me that's coffee I smell, I beg you."

She smiled at his tone and at the same time she shivered as she had last night. "It's coffee, hang on and I'll get you a cup. Want any cream or sugar?" When he shook his head, she filled a cup that took up half the pot and started another run. "Have fun last night?"

He sipped his coffee before answering, and when he did, she watched him shrug his broad shoulders. "It was okay, you friends are nice. Annie is really crazy about Zach isn't she?" It was clear from the look he gave her that her friend's actions were plain to everyone, everyone but Zach.

Her giggle escaped without warning. "Oh hell yes, she's been that way forever it seems. I was glad he was nice to her last night, it would have hurt her really bad if he had acted like a jackass, and that would have pissed me off even more than some of his prior stunts would have."

"I noticed that, you know it's hard for a brother to admit his kid sister is getting older, you keep this image of her being a little girl looking at you with this idolization in her eyes." He took another drink of his coffee and lit a cigarette. "You don't want your friends hurt by anyone do you?"

"Not Annie or Sue, we've been best friends since we were in diapers almost. We were born just a few weeks apart, Annie, Sue then me. My birthday is day after tomorrow, the last of the Three Musketeers. It is hard to believe I'm almost eighteen already though."

"Wait till you hit twenty one, then it's all downhill from there." He gave her a teasing glance. "Your folks got a nice house here; I've seen others like it back in Louisiana."

Dani wondered if it was the outer look of exterior, or the interior that still in a lot of ways had that genteel brothel look to it. Hell, if you stripped away the paint, you would be sure to find some of the rich red velvet that had once decorated the walls. "The man who built it was from New Orleans, he came here around the end of the civil war. I know some of the history but the one to ask my mom's dad, he knew the last one before dad. I do know that until this guy died, no one back in New Orleans knew anything about him, not even my grandfather. I don't know if it was even actually dad, grandpa or dad's twin brother Jake was intended to get it, all I know for sure is that he was in the Marines, got a letter telling him about this place and the rest is history. My grandma and aunt still live down in the Big Easy, as they call it these days. I been thinking I might go there sometime this summer, I haven't seen them or it for years, I barely remember the house. Hell, I barely remember my grandma or Aunt Jessie, they've only come here once or twice in my life, and the rest of the time they just call or send letters and cards. I do know it was huge and I loved exploring it."

He nodded, "My family lives in the Bayous. Daddy and my uncles own a fleet of channel fishing boats." He looked at her. "If you go, maybe you'll be kind enough to take a message to my folks, letting them know that I'm okay. It's been a long time since I been home." A tone entered his voice and Dani got the idea that he missed his family.

As much as she got tired of her family and the way they were, she knew that if her and his positions were reversed, she would feel the same way. "If I do, I will be glad to do that for you Bull, but we do have a telephone too, I am sure mom and dad wouldn't mind if you called to talk to them."

He shook his head, and bent his head to look into the cup before him. "No, it's been too long, and we didn't part under the best of terms." With that he finished his coffee and held out the cup. "Think I can get a refill, you make damn good coffee Dani."

"You should taste moms; I don't know what she does to it, but talk about a caffeine rush."

She had planned on refilling her mug and going back up to read her book some more, but instead she found herself sitting in the kitchen and talking with Bull about the trip he and her brother had made from the southeastern part of the country. She had laughed when Bull described Zach's two episodes of downtime, and how it had felt good to be with someone he had gotten along with as well the two of them had.

More than once, she found herself wondering about his coloring, but if he was from the same place her dad was, that might explain part of it. Her dad was part Creek Indian on his dad's side, and her grandmother could trace her ancestry back to some of the finest families in the South, both freeman and slave. He and her dad would have a lot in common if the two men ever sat down and talked about their backgrounds.

They were still talking when her mom came in, dressed and ready for the day; Helen Lazarus never needed coffee to get her started. She radiated a natural energy that was sometime hard for her more laid back husband and children to accept before noon. Before Dani or Bull could escape from what Dani knew was coming, her mother had them on kitchen duty and only Bull seemed grateful for something to do. Dani didn't mind working with her mom in the kitchen she just knew that she was not the kind to become a Chef, hell; she could burn water if she wasn't careful.

Bull, on the other hand seemed to know exactly what he was doing and it wasn't long before her mom paroled her. "Get out of here kid, I think Bull and I can handle this on our own. I'll call you when breakfast is ready."

Grateful, Dani went back up to her room, and opened her book again. It was better than most, not as predictable as some she had read. For a while it actually seemed that they might not have a happy ending. Had there ever been a book written like that? Oh, some of those she saw were likely too, but these weren't like that. Maybe a part of her did believe in fairy tales and happy endings. Too bad neither of them was ever likely to happen to her.

It was after breakfast when Sue and Annie joined her in the room the three of them had spent much of their free time in over the years. For the next two hours, she was a not so avid listener to Annie's enthusiastic description of how Zach kissed. Sue was obviously not as thrilled with Bull. If anything it sounded as if she was regretting ever letting Zach talk the two of them into a date involving the Red Dog Tavern tonight. She didn't tell them about the time she had spent with Bull in the kitchen this morning, or that she had seen the results of anything that had passed between Sue and Bull last night. For one, it was none of their business, and for the second, she had learned not to get her hopes up when it came to men, just because he had seemed to enjoy talking to her, it didn't mean that he was interested in her, for one she was still a minor under the eyes of the law, and for another, her dad and brothers would skin him alive if he laid a hand on her in any way she might not like or want. The problem arose that since she had never been faced with such a thing, she had no idea how they would react if she did like or want it.

At least Zach having plans cut short any after dinner bull session. He ate fast, and then got up to go before anyone knew what he was doing. "Are you some kind of a hurry tonight Zach?" It was their mom who asked. She had taught her boys better table manners then they used and it bothered her to see any of them gulp down their food. Dani saw that Bull wasn't eating near as fast. She wondered if it was manners, or if her suspicions were correct, and neither Bull nor Sue had any real desire to see each other again.

"Yeah, Bull and I got dates for tonight." He winked at Bull and grinned as he looked at his kid sister. "Guess who?"

Dani gave a bored sigh before answering. "Gee, let me think, Annie and Sue? So, have fun." She knew Zach had been expecting her to ask if she could come along. She had done that during his last visit, and then it had just been a trip to the lake. No big deal. Of course, that had been two years ago, and she hoped she had grown up since then. She didn't need to tag after her brothers went any more. To be honest she would prefer to be bored as hell than do it.

"Well, they are your friends; I guess they would tell you." Zach looked and sounded disappointed. "I suppose you want to come along." There was a tone in his voice she knew well, he had hoped for a difference response from her, as if he wanted to start some kind of fight with her or something.

"Not really, why would I want to go hang out with any of my big brother?" She finished her milk, and began gathering up her dishes. "Good dinner mom." Her mom was a wonderful cook; she had all kinds of recipes that she threw together now and then. Tonight it had been some kind of casserole, and it had been hot and spicy. One of her grandma's from down in New Orleans probably, her dad might not go home as others might, but there were times he liked her mom to cook some of his mother's favorite dishes, and there was a good chance that she had made it for Bull as well, knowing that he was from the same part of the country.

Her brother didn't seem willing to let the matter about his dating her friend rest. "So, what are you doing tonight? I mean, you not having Annie and Sue to go hang with." He had to keep pushing and she knew it was time to push back a bit. Especially considering he was now standing in front of her, and had that damn smirk of his that he knew she hated.

"Oh, I don't know, probably do boring stuff. You know, take a bath, wash my hair, and go to bed before the sun comes up, read a book. All the things you never do." She didn't bother to keep the sarcasm from her voice, if Zach was in the mood to cause a fight, she would be happy to help him. She was tired of his big brother attitude, and being told how lucky she was to have such a family of loving big brothers who would do anything for her.

Zach almost snarled at her. "When did you become such a bitch little sister...?"

"About the same time you became such a fucking bastard Zach..." She didn't bother to keep the malice she felt from her voice any more than he did.

The tension in the room was thick and she didn't need to look to know that they had both crossed the line as far as their father was concerned. There was one rule in the Lazarus family, you might fight between yourselves but when it came to such words as bitch and bastard, they were not on their father's approved list of name calling.

"That's enough Zach, and you too Dani, both of you sit down, NOW!" No matter how pissed off you were, no one ignored their father when he roared, he was king of his castle and he wasn't adverse to throwing the offending members of his family in the dungeon no matter how old they were or weren't. They did as they were told and Dani saw that even Bull had been half out of his chair, along with her dad, and her brothers Tom and Dave.

If her dad was king, her mother was the queen. Helen Lazarus looked at Bull, doing her best to play peacemaker. "Dani doesn't go out much. She's the quiet one of the family." She was teasing her, trying to ease the almost battleground atmosphere that had sprung up between the two of her offspring. "Almost eighteen years old and not even one boyfriend hanging around, by seventeen, I had to watch where I walked just to make sure I didn't step on one of them." She smiled then as if remembering her past and relishing it. Dani knew it was no joke. Helen had been one of the most popular girls in school when she met Jack Lazarus. Of course, she had been like Annie, and once she met him, that was it.

Without thinking, Dani ran her hands over her face and looked down at the table. As if she needed to be reminded, "Sorry I'm such a disappointment, I'm sorry guys look at my dad and big brothers and run for parts unknown for fear if they get near me, they will end up dead or dismembered," her voice barely above a whisper. It was true, most of the guys she had went to school with had been willing to be friends with her, but that was all. And as far as her brothers friends went, it was just as bad, not just because of her being a minor, but because friendship be damned if any of them even attempted to treat her like they treated other women.

Zach's best friend growing up had been a guy everyone called Mouse because he was just like a mouse, staying in the background. His brother was the same age as her and they had gone out a couple times, and when word got back that they had spent some time up on the Butte after a date, Mouse, Tom and Dave had made it clear it was never to happen again. Hell, even to this day, he avoided her like she had the plague, and she had really liked him too. If her mom and dad were the king and Queen, she was the royal princess locked in the highest tower, with not only the entire kingdom's knights surrounding it but a fire breathing dragon as well.

Her mother looked at her and sighed. "That wasn't what I meant at all Dani."

Maybe it wasn't, but it sure seemed like people kept throwing up her lack of male admirers up at her a lot lately. Knowing she was on the verge of crying, she sighed. "I'm going to go take a bath..." She took her dishes into the kitchen and went up the back stairs to her room. There she stripped; almost ripping her shirt and throwing her boots so hard they slammed into the closet door, a door made of solid wood and leaving a dent. When she was nude, she ignored her full length reflection and went to fill the old fashioned claw foot tub. On impulse, she poured some jasmine scented bubble bath in the steaming water and watched as the bubbles filled the tub, while the scent filled the room.

While she soaked in the tub, Dani wondered why she was so touchy tonight. It had all been fine until Zach started his shit. It was probably just that monthly thing again. She seemed like she was really irritable a week before and a week after. PMSing her mom called it. Her grandmother called it something else, and she was sure there had been a name for it since the first woman was made. Had Eve had PMS in the Garden of Eden? Maybe that was why she ate the apple. Adam had said something to set her off, and she just said, 'fine, see how you like this.' And wham, all the troubles of the world began.

The warm water relaxed muscles she hadn't even known were tense, and when she came out, she felt better. Not that she would apologize to Zach or anyone else. As she saw it, there was nothing for her to apologize for. Zach had been the one who started it; she had simply been the one who ended it.

It wasn't until Sue and Annie had gone off to the bathroom that Bull had a chance to talk to Zach about his sister. "You and her always like that?" He had sisters, knew what it was like but there was something more that had gone on tonight; Zach had been cruel to Dani. Almost rubbing her lack of a boyfriend in her face and enjoying it.

He was a little surprised when Zach shook his head and sighed. It was clear the man was regretting what had happened at dinner. "Tell the truth, no. Dani and I used to be the closest of the bunch. She'd come to me when someone was picking on her or she had a question that she didn't know who else to get an answer from. Hell, I kicked a couple of my brother's asses when we were younger because of shit they had done to her. But she's changed, and I guess I don't know how to handle it, I mean it's like I don't know her at all anymore. She never used to be as quiet and withdrawn like she is now, she was always smiling and laughing and just a joy for all of us to be around. I know women change as they get older, but it feels impossible for me to accept that she's grown up the way Sue and Annie have."

His grin resurfaced as soon as he mentioned the brunette. "Annie sure has grown up, better than I ever thought she might. I never thought much about Dani's friends before, but now..." He took a drink of his beer. "Guess that two years away changed us all, Dani is almost eighteen now and Annie has turned into way more than a kid with braces and braids."

Bull smiled and knew his friend was definitely thinking of Annie as more than a kid. She had an eye on him too. He got the impression that if Annie could, she's pin Zach down with a house, and a whole mess of babies. It happened that way sometimes, you turned around and there was the person who would change your whole outlook on life. He understood, it was how he felt right now, that coming here was changing him. This morning, in the kitchen, he had enjoyed talking to Dani, had felt good to think that she would take a message to his folks, if she went, not that he would try to stop her, but he'd be following right behind if she did. He found himself wondering what they would think of her, knowing his family, they would accept her as easy as they accepted all the outsiders that were brought into their world. As he considered that thought, Sue and Annie came back from the bathroom, Annie smiling and Sue trying to look cheerful but failing.