Dawn over Sun Valley Ch. 05

Author's note:

Hello, y'all! Welcome back! :)

So, this chapter is, well, where things get kind of messy. Okay, VERY messy. We all need some messiness in our romance, right?

8K words for those who are counting with me, which brings my total to ~43K. Awesome for my #NaNo 50K goal, but still a while away from 'the end'. I'm thinking three more chapters should do it, but we'll see how goes...

Thank you everyone who have commented already, *especially* those of you who have left specific feedback about stuff that you feel needs improvement. I appreciate it!

Anywhoo... hope you enjoy!

*****

The summer weeks seemed to fly by. Working the weekends had melted them together into one long marathon, broken only by the occasional afternoon off.

But oh, those afternoons were glorious. And the nights were spectacular.

She had become a woman. Leanne would have laughed at the notion of sex changing one in such a fundamental way, but it did. She felt as if she'd grown into her own skin. The pleasure she'd found in her body - and in Joe's - nurtured a budding sense of self-confidence. Seeing herself through his appreciative eyes, hearing the satisfaction in his voice, reassured her in ways she had never imagined, nor expected.

She was thankful for it. She hoped its memory would keep her strong after the looming end of the season, getting steadily closer with each passing day.

I will not regret this, Leanne told herself resolutely. I knew the end game coming in.

She was more determined than ever, though, to keep her secrets safe until she left, with none of the McConnel's the wiser. Getting her own heart broken was her risk to take, but she wouldn't hurt Joe and his family. That, at least, she felt fairly sure that she could guarantee. After five weeks on the farm without anyone suspecting anything, she figured she was in the clear.

Sometimes she would get angry - at Bill, at fate - for having put her in this position. Had he not sat behind the wheel after touring those wineries, none of this would happen. Had his Fiancé, Melissa, didn't contact her, she wouldn't have applied for this job, and wouldn't have set herself up for misery.

But then again, having met Melissa, she felt compelled to do it.

*

That phone call came six months before, when Leanne was still at school and living with the Rogers. The kind, unfamiliar female voice on the other end of the line shook when she spoke.

"Hello, is this Leanne Sommers?"

"Yes, this is she. Who is it?"

"Oh, how lovely it is to finally speak to you! You don't know me, but I've heard so much about you. My name is Melissa Berns. I am your father's fiancé."

"I - what? My father's - I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"Oh, dear. I'm sorry. I'm going all wrong about this. Could we - could we meet up for coffee sometime? I would love to speak to you, to get to know you."

Leanne pressed her lips to a flat line. "I don't mean to be rude, ma'am, but I don't see what good that would make. I don't know Bill, and I don't want to know him. He's as dead to me as my mother." She almost didn't recognize her own venomous voice.

There was a pause on the other side of the line, and then a soft sigh. "I understand how angry you are, Leanne. For what it's worth, I think you've every right to hate your father. All I'll say is, he is a changed man than the one who'd destroyed so many lives twenty years ago. I've seen first-hand how hard he's been working to make good in this world, both in prison and after his release. I - I wanted to share that with you. But I - I understand if you're not interested. I'm sorry."

Leanne could sense the other woman was going to disconnect, and out of impulse, she blurted -

"Wait. I - I'm okay with meeting you. But just you. I don't want - him - there."

She heard the other woman's exhale. "Oh - thank you so much! That would be lovely. When would be a good time for you to meet?"

And so, the following week, she found herself sitting across the small table from a friendly, plump, fifty-something year old woman, whose kind eyes watered when she spoke.

"I'm a social worker, and I've known William for years, ever since he was sent to prison, basically. He was one of the first cases I was assigned there, and certainly the one who'd made the biggest impression."

She went on to tell Leanne about her father's life in prison. The first several years when depression was a constant battle. How he'd mourned the life he took, and the many more he had wrecked forever. And then news of her mom's illness came, and that, paradoxically, had made him change for the better.

"You see, up until then, he figured you'd be better off without him. That's why he never contested the divorce, and why he never tried to make any contact. But when his aunt, who was his only other remaining living relative, came to visit and told him of Holly's cancer - he realized he had to turn himself around, for you. He wanted to be able to be there for you, if your mother -"

Melissa stopped, and then continued. "It was such a remarkable change. He just - pulled himself by his shoestrings. He started taking care of himself. Exercise. He signed up to any and all in-prison programs dedicated to helping inmates prepare for life outside. He had his undergrad degree from before, but he took online courses, and by the time he was released he was halfway towards his graduate diploma."

"He came to see me at my mother's funeral."

Melissa nodded. "I know. I was there, though I hung back because I didn't want to intrude. God he was so nervous..."

"I told him he was dead to me."

"I know."

"Was that why he never tried contacting me again after?"

Melissa shook her head. "Honestly? I think even after all the changes that he'd made, even after all the work he'd put in, he believes you're better off without him. He is utterly broke. Still unemployed, although he volunteers full-time at the homeless shelter where he used to live after his release. And he would still live there if we hadn't met again. He lives with me now."

"How - how did you meet?"

"Well, they took all of us prison social workers to tour the different shelters who accepted ex-inmates to get an idea of what to prepare our guys for after their release. William was there."

"Why?"

"Because he had nothing, coming out. Your parents went bankrupt after the accident. They didn't have much even before, and after they had paid out the court-ordered compensation - well, most of it - there was nothing left, but you know that already. And there aren't too many employers out there who would hire ex-cons, just as there aren't many homeowners who would rent to them. So it was the shelter or the streets for him."

"Oh."

Leanne's mind was reeling. She remembered the man who had approached her five years before at the graveyard; the one whose face she didn't even recognize, but couldn't forget since. She remembered the guilt and the sorrow in his eyes, but she couldn't recall what he wore that day. So he was homeless then?

Melissa's hand was warm as it covered hers.

"I know this is asking for a lot. But he has worked so hard to become worthy of you, Leanne. Will you please, please, meet with him? Allow him some kind - any kind of relationship with you? I just feel, with everything else, there's so little I can do to help him with. But with this one thing, I hope I can. It would mean the world to him. Please."

For the longest time, Leanne couldn't speak. Eventually, she whispered - "I - I can't. I don't - I can't."

Melissa dropped her eyes, her head bowed. "I understand." She looked up, and tried for a smile. "It - it was worth a try, at least. I will tell him that I met you, and that you've grown to be a lovely person. That, at least, should bring him some consolation."

Leanne sighed. "If there is some other way I could help, I might - I might consider it. But this, meeting with him -" she shook her head.

"There's a roof over his head and food on the table, and he has me." Melissa gestured self-consciously. "It's not much, but it's all he needs, or so he tells me."

Leanne noticed she was playing with the thin silver ring on her third finger, and took a closer look. "You said you were his fiancé - when are you getting married?"

Melissa's shoulders lifted and fell in a tiny motion. "Not anytime soon, unfortunately. He won't set a date before he gets his remaining debt paid off, and that isn't likely to happen soon."

"What debt? I thought he went bankrupt?"

"Yes, but some debts are nondischargeable. Like those for 'personal injury caused by the operation of a motor vehicle while intoxicated'", Melissa quoted, clearly having memorized that particular phrase. "There are a couple of thousand dollars left as outstanding debt to the McConnel family. And William won't marry me until it's paid off. He said it was enough that he let his first wife and child pay for his sins; he wouldn't let me do it, too."

Leanne looked at the older woman, and couldn't speak past the lump in her throat.

"I -" She stammered. "I'll think about it, okay? I'm not promising I'll meet him, but I'll think about it. I have your number; I'll call you."

Melissa smiled. "That's all I ask, Leanne. Thank you. Thank you so very much."

*

After they had said their goodbyes Leanne kept thinking about their conversation, about Melissa, about Bill - 'William', as Melissa had called him, unlike her own mother - and a plan started to form in her mind.

She wouldn't meet him; she wasn't ready for that. She didn't know if she could ever face the man who had fathered her, and who was responsible for so many hardships in her young life. But she could understand wanting to rise above one's past. Melissa, who was a genuine, lovely lady, seemed to think her father was worth the trouble.

Leanne figured she could help give William Richardson a chance to restart his life, together with Melissa. A couple of thousand dollars' worth of debt wasn't nothing, but she had mastered the art of saving her pennies by taking a job that included room and board.

She had already toyed with the idea of finding a seasonal position at one of the smaller farms in NorCal to get hands-on experience with animals after graduation. And she remembered, from the little her mother had told her, that the McConnels lived on such a farm. They had only talked about it once, but those few sentences her mother said were etched to her mind.

'Bill had promised me that he would only 'taste and spit' , so i agreed that he take a winery tour solo while I took you to tour the farm and visit the petting zoo. But he had broken that promise. He hit Claire McConnel when he came back to pick us up. She died a few hours later.'

All of a sudden, Leanne was consumed with the need to do it. Not just so that Bill's debt could be paid off, but because she wanted to meet Claire's family, to see how they had fared over the years.

She would apply for a position at the McConnel farm, both for herself, and for Bill and Melissa. She will get her answers, her work experience and recommendations, and the money to repay the debt, and then leave. The McConnels wouldn't even know who she was. Everybody wins.

*

Leanne sighed miserably. Falling for Claire McConnel's son was not part of the plan, she thought, and huffed in annoyance. Enough of that. It is what it is. Don't let it ruin the here and now. Hold your tears till after the season ends, and you're gone.

Which reminded her, there were only five more weeks left for the summer. She needed to start looking for her next full-board gig, or she would be homeless and broke. And for that, she needed some recommendations.

A quick look at her phone told her it was almost suppertime. She had finished all her chores a while back, and was sitting inside the petting pen with her favorite mother rabbit on her lap, while she let her mind wonder. With a quick glance around to verify there was nothing more to do for the day, Leanne carefully released the animal and got to her feet, and set out to catch Tammy before the evening meal.

*

Knocking lightly on the open door, Leanne waited for Tammy to lift her head and smile at her before she would enter.

"Hey, Leanne! Come on in. What's up?"

It was an adjustment, being treated as a friend more than an employee. Leanne had to admit she'd enjoyed it, even as the weight of truth laid heavy in her belly. She walked in to take the seat across the small table from Joe's sister.

"Um, I need a letter of recommendation."

Tammy seemed taken aback, but recovered quickly. "Oh - I mean, sure, I'd be happy to give you one, but isn't it a little early for that? You still have half the summer to go."

"Yeah, I know, but I need to have my next gig lined up already, so I figured I'd start on it."

"Um, what's the rush?" Tammy quirked her head, and when she saw the discomfort on Leanne's face, she leaned back. "Sorry, none of my business."

Leanne grimaced. "It's just that I'd be in-between homes as well as jobs once the season's over, so I can't afford to wait until the last moment."

Tammy considered Leanne quietly for a moment. "Would you consider staying here longer, after the season had ended?"

"Um, what? I don't understand. Do you mean like a - a permanent position?" Leanne couldn't hide the panic in her voice. No. I can't. God! I'd love to. But I can't.

"No, no, I mean a couple of months longer, just until Halloween. While the peak ends on Labor day, there's still enough extra work for one seasonal to continue with us through the end of October. Mid-summer is usually the time when I start talking to Joe, Todd and Julio, to figure out who we'd like to stick around. This year I think our choice is obvious."

"Why - because I'm dating Joe?"

Tammy grinned. "It doesn't hurt, but no, that's not the reason. Tracy and Jen won't stay - they plan to take the money they'd spent and go on vacation together before restarting school. And between Jason and you - well, he's a nice kid, but there's no doubt who's the better employee. So, if you want to stay until Halloween, the job's yours."

Leanne's mind was going a mile a minute. Stay for two more months! It wouldn't change the end, but oh, to have two more months of Joe...

"I would love that. Yes, please."

"Great!" Tammy's wide, toothy smile was contagious, and Leanne found herself returning it as excitement bubbled in her belly. "It's yours, then. I'll let everyone know, though you can tell Joe yourself - I'm sure he'd be delighted! And don't worry about that recommendation letter - I'll be sure to write it. I'll leave it in an envelope under your door for you."

Leanne nodded, still feeling dizzy. "Thank you, Tammy. I promise I'll work my butt off those extra two months."

"I know you will. That's why I offered you the job. Joe's just a bonus."

*

That night, when Leanne broke the news to Joe, he had jackknifed in bed, with a shit-eating grin splitting his face.

"Seriously?! You're staying? You're staying. YES!"

Rolling on top of her he grabbed for her hands, lacing their fingers as he pinned them above her head. She was biting her lips, and he could see excitement and turmoil struggle in her eyes. His face grew serious.

"You were the obvious choice from our end, but I worried you'd say no. I still feel like you may bolt at any moment."

"You could have asked me to stay, you know."

"Yeah, well, you made it very clear I should make no long-term plans about us. Dare I hope that's changed?"

Leanne grimaced, and his belly dropped. He didn't need to hear her spell it out for him.

"I see."

She looked like she was going to cry, and he bent to rest his forehead on hers. "Sorry. That wasn't fair. It's just - I wish you could stay even longer." Indefinitely, maybe.

Leanne hugged him close, and he reciprocated after a heartbeat. God, she felt so good in his arms.

When they drew apart, he met her eyes. "Let's focus on what we do agree on, okay? We have three more months together starting today. I suggest we make the most of them."

He accompanied his words with a roll of his hips, so that there was no mistaking his meaning. The corner of her mouth twitched, and she crunched up to kiss him.

"No argument there, cowboy. I'm totally down with that."

And I have three months to change your mind about the long-term, princess.

*

Knowing her time on the farm being extended, Tammy started seeking more of Leanne's company. Leanne didn't know what to make of it at first, having assumed she was to socialize with the other seasonals. But the truth was, Tracy and Jen had each other and she often felt like the odd one out, and Jason - well, she had very little in common with him. And then she also discovered she loved having Joe's sister as a girlfriend.

At first, they talked mostly about work. But from there it evolved to their dreams and hopes and how their chosen career paths could get them there. Leanne told Tammy when she decided to be a vet - that time when she was five years old and found a half-starved kitten and nursed it back to health, sharing the milk left over in her cereal bowl and giving it all her love and attention. She remembered how her Kitty had been her main source of solace when her mom fell sick and then passed away, and how heartbroken she was when Kitty herself died a couple of years later, when they were already living at the Rogers' place.

Tammy listened quietly and hugged her close when she finished, and Leanne cherished the moment, that feeling of having someone really get you, feel your pain. She realized she'd never had a friend like that before. The only one who came close was Elaine, but Mrs. Rogers was more like a surrogate mother. Coming from someone close to her age, it was an unexpected blessing.

Tammy told Leanne how much she loved the farm and wanted to keep living there, and so chose to learn accounting and human resource management, because she knew these skills were needed.

"But what about, you know, a personal life?" Leanne asked carefully, and Tammy blushed red so deep it almost matched her bronze curls, and admitted, "Well, that actually works, since my boyfriend happens to work right here on the farm."

"What?! I mean, who -?" But even as she asked the question, Leanne knew what the answer had to be. "Todd? You and Todd?"

Tammy nodded, her eyes shining as she leaned in to speak in a conspiratory voice:

"Yeah. It's been going on forever... you're the first I've told about this. I don't think anyone else had guessed yet."

Leanne shook her head. "But - but why would you keep it a secret?"

Tammy shrugged. "I - I'm not sure, honestly. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. With my dad and my brother working so close with us both, I figured it could get complicated. Plus we didn't really know how serious we were to start with. We were mostly looking for some fun stress relief at first."

Now it was Leanne's turn to blush, but she couldn't stop herself from prodding. "And now? Are you guys, you know... serious?"

Tammy bit her lips. "I - I think it's getting to that point. Especially now that you and Joe are dating openly, it seems kinda funny that we'd keep our own relationship secret."

Leanne shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, well... it's not like Joe and I are long term, you know."

Tammy looked startled. "Why would you say that? You guys are so good together. I mean, seriously, I've known my brother all of my life, and I've never seen him this happy. Or quite this head-over-heels in love. Well, not since his first girlfriend but that was, like, a lifetime ago. He adores you, you know."