The Cherry Blossoms (16 page)

“Bill, promise me that you’ll catch me when I fall.”

“You ain’t gonna fall.”

“I wouldn’t place a bet on that.”  Danny put her left foot on the running board; she then stood on her left leg and lifted her right leg to join her left leg.  Standing on both legs, she reached for the hand hold inside the truck. When she had a good hand grip, she swung her right leg in and lifted her left leg in.

“That’s good.  Now, come on down out of the truck.”

She reversed the process by reaching down with her left leg.  When she felt the running board, she swung her right leg down.  She then stood and stepped down.

“Danny, you did that real good.”

She chuckled, “Thanks for the lesson.”

When she climbed back into the truck, Nana told her, “See child, you’re getting the hang of it.”

“Yeah, I looked like a total fool.  Nana, that receipt I signed was for over a thousand dollars worth of goods.”

“We feed a lot of folks these days.  I do my own baking, so I needed flour, cornmeal, sugar and such.  We get a better price on most things by buying them in bulk.”

“Wow, so that means business is good?”

“It’s better than good.  Now, let’s get going, so the boys can get these supplies into the pantry.”

When the truck pulled onto the road, Nana looked over at Danny who had a worried look on her face, “You okay?”

“I am, but there’s something I need to tell you about.”

“Go on, I’m listening.”  Nana always listened when Danny needed to talk.  When she was a child, Nana was a trusted confidant, who rarely told her grandfather about their private conversations.

“There might be someone at the house when we get home.”

“Who might this someone be?”

“He’s a fashion magazine editor from Paris.  He left a voice mail on my phone that he was flying in today.”

“We have plenty of room, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“No, it’s not that.  This man is a weasel and can’t be trusted.  I did not invite him into our home.  It appears to me that he believes he has earned the right to barge into our home uninvited.”

“Tell me about this man who you do not want in our home.”

Danny wasn’t sure telling Nana about Michal was a good idea.  Before she could create a dam to hold in her emotions, the tragedy of their relationship gushed out of her mouth. 

“When I was in Paris, I became infatuated with the editor of a fashion magazine.  I thought I loved him.  I practically moved in with him, while I’d held onto my apartment.  I came home one evening to find the scent of another woman’s perfume on his pillow.”

Nana interrupted her, “Who was the woman?”

“That’s not the important part.”  She let out a small laugh before continuing.  “I was angry and I broke off our relationship.  He asked me to forgive him, and promised to never do it again.  I trusted that promise.  To prove his love he proposed marriage.  I accepted that proposal, until I came home one evening to find him in bed with yet another woman.”

Nana’s voice was full of concern. “Oh, Danny, that must have been awful.”

“It was definitely a good lesson about men for me.”

“Danny, I’ll just march him off the porch with my shotgun.  Nobody’s gonna hurt my baby and get away with it.”

Danny laughed, “Nana, you have a shotgun?”

“I sure do, and I know how to use it, so don’t you worry about a thing.”

This situation was going to turn into a fiasco that she didn’t have the strength to get through.  Why couldn’t he leave well enough alone until she returned to France?

There weren’t any cars in the driveway when they pulled in, so Danny let out a sigh of relief.

Nana told her, “It looks like he’s not here yet.  Let’s get into the house, so I can call Garrett to send someone to collect the supplies from the truck.  Then you and I will come up with a plan.”

Danny laughed, “You make it sound as though we are co-conspirators on a secret mission.”

“Don’t you dare be making fun of me; this could turn into a serious situation quickly.”

“He’s not a threat; he’s just a fucking asshole.”

“If he hurt your heart, in my opinion he’s a threat.  Don’t be trying to talk me out of it.  Child, please stop talking like you’re a street slut.”

Danny shook her head as she exited the truck.  She grabbed the step-ladder and helped her Nana down.  Nana mumbled under her breath as they walked to the front porch.  Danny took her arm to
ascend the porch steps.  She laughed on the inside at the thought that her Nana planned to get rid of Michal with her shotgun.

She opened the front door to let Nana enter first.  Danny nearly fell over Nana, when she came to a complete halt in the middle of a step.  Nana looked up at Garrett who was waiting in the entry hall; and judging by the look on his face, he wasn’t pleased about something.  Nana must not have noticed his unpleasant look, since without a second glance, she asked him to have someone unload the truck.  When he didn’t respond, she spoke again, “Garrett, did you hear me?  The truck’s ready to unload.”

“I heard you.  I’ll get someone on it.  Danny, you have a guest waiting to see you.  He said he’s your fiancée; he’s in the living room.  I believe the gentleman announced himself as Michal Bagot.”

Danny froze.  She closed her eyes and reached deep inside to deal with the adulterer, who had intruded her home.

“How long has he been here?”

Garrett looked at her harshly, “I think about forty-five minutes.  He was driven from the airport in a limousine.”

“Why are you speaking to me so harshly?  I haven’t done a damn thing wrong.  He left a message on my cell phone telling me that he was already on his way.  There was nothing I could do to stop him.  Where do you get off chiding me about a guest, and for the record, he is not my fiancée.”

After that statement, Danny walked into the living room where Michal waited for her.  He stood when she entered the room.  He then rushed to greet her, when he tried to kiss her, she pushed him away.  “Why are you here?  My grandfather is dying.  You have invaded my home without an invitation.”

Michal stepped back and for once, was rendered speechless, giving Danny the opportunity to continue uninterrupted.

“You have humiliated me for the last time.  You have lied to me, and you have cheated on me.  I want nothing from you.  I just want you out of this house.”

“Daniella, je t'aime.  Je sais ce que je faisais était mauvais, mais je suis ici pour mendier pour votre pardon.”

“There is nothing left to beg for.”

“I have nowhere to go this evening.  I humbly ask if I can stay here for the night.  I promise that I will leave first thing in the morning.  If you say no, then I will leave and try to find another place to stay.  Perhaps, I will find a small inn that I can walk to.”

While the thought of him being in her home repulsed her, she just wasn’t the bitch who could throw him out the door.

“Let me see if there’s room in the bunkhouse.”

Danny found Garrett in the kitchen.  “Garrett, is there room in the bunkhouse for Michal to stay the night?  He promised to leave in the morning.”

Through clenched teeth Nana sternly told her, “Danny, he will not stay in the bunkhouse.  He will stay here in the house in the guest room next to Garrett’s.  While he’s here we will treat him with respect regardless of what he has done.  I will not tolerate friction in this house while your grandfather lies dying in his bed.”

Daniella knew better than to rebuke Nana’s decision.  There would be hell to pay for anyone who did.  “Fine, he stays in the house until tomorrow morning.”

“Now, you just go get that young man and bring him into the kitchen for a proper greeting.”

Without saying a word, Danny trudged to the living room.  Once Nana’s mind was set on something, there was just no talking her out of it.

Michal stood when she entered the room, “Mon amour, ce qui vous fait chercher tellement inquiets ?”

“Nana said you were to stay in the guest room.  It seems that she considers you a guest.”

“I see, and I also see that you do not.”

“I do not.  She wants me to bring you into the kitchen for a proper greeting.”

Danny turned and walked to the kitchen.  She didn’t watch to see if Michal followed her.  If he did that would be fine.  If he didn’t, that would be even finer.  When she entered the kitchen, he was behind her looking like a scolded puppy.

“Nana, Garrett, this is Michal Bagot from Paris, France.  He is an editor for a fashion magazine.”  She desperately wanted to say that he was a slimy snake and a womanizer, but she kept those thoughts to herself.  They would quickly realize what a superficial asshole he was.

“Michal, this is Betty Schaffer and Garrett Ryan.  Betty works for my grandfather as his,” she started to laugh.  Danny had no idea what to say her job title was.  There were three sets of eyes focused on her wanting to know why she was laughing.  Their solemn faces looked humorous to her at the moment, and that made her roar with laughter.  She was bent over guffawing so hard, she had tears running from her eyes.

Through her waves of laughter, she managed to get out, “I’m so sorry, I was trying to think of a job title for Nana.” 

When she got her laughter under control, she continued with the introductions.  “Michal, this is my Nana.  She raised me when my parents died.  Nana runs the ranch and does a damn good job of it.  If it weren’t for Nana, no one would eat, or know where they needed to be and when they needed to be there.”  Danny looked fondly to her Nana and smiled.

“This is Garrett Ryan.  He works as the Ranch Foreman.  He lives here in the house and has an office in the barn.  Garrett is responsible for the ranch’s operations and staff.”

Michal stepped forward to face Betty.  He took her hand in his, and kissed her fingers lightly, “Madame, c'est tel un plaisir de vous rencontrer et de vous féliciter pour le merveilleux vous l'avez fait, soulevant Daniella.  Elle est une personne merveilleuse, donc je suis certain que vous êtes fiers de lui.”

Danny felt her stomach flop over, and felt as though she would end up vomiting on the kitchen floor.  She then looked at Garrett’s face to see if it looked like he felt the same as her.  She chuckled inside because he did.  It was obvious in that one look Garrett considered Michal an asshole.

“Danny, what did he just say?”

Garrett responded.  This sweet talking Frenchie wasn’t going to out talk him.  “Betty, he told you that it is such a pleasure to meet you and he congratulated you on the wonderful job you did raising Daniella.  He said she is a wonderful woman, so he’s sure you are very proud of her.”

Nana blushed, while Garrett and Danny exchanged guarded glances.  She was happy to see that she and Garrett just might be on the same page on this issue.

Michal
turned to Garrett.  “C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer.  Je dois avouer que j'ai été un peu surpris d'entendre que vous parlez français.  Un contremaître ranch ne me paraît pas à quelqu'un qui savait français.  Où vous acquérez vous leçons pour ma langue maternelle ?”

For no
particular reason, Garrett immediately disliked this buffoon from Paris, France.  He was standing there looking smug in his expensive custom tailored suit.   He was just too high-brow for Garrett.

Garrett politely answered him, “
J'ai étudié la cuisine en France.”

Michal
looked shocked, “Est ce droit.  Vous êtes maintenant un cowboy.  Comment est-ce qu'arrivé ?”

“Je voudrais juste dire que j'étais fatigué d'écouter les parisiens appelant les noms mauvaises américains et de la laisser aller à qui.”

Nana had no idea what they were saying to one another, but she believed that the conversation wasn’t going well by the tone of their voices.

“Garrett, tell him for me that I’m sure he’s tired and would like a nap before dinner.  Also, can you please tell him where the shower is?”

Speaking perfect English, Michal answered, “Thank you, Betty.  I definitely would like to shower and nap before dinner is served.”

When Garrett left with Michal in tow to show him where his room was, Nana looked at Danny.  “This is the man who asked you to marry him?”

Danny nodded her head, “Yes he is.  He’s a real snake charmer isn’t he?”

Nana put her hands on her hips, “I think he is a delightful young man.  I honestly believe that you may have misunderstood what happened.”

Oh, my, God, he’s already convinced my Nana that I did him wrong!

Danny managed to get through dinner that evening by telling
herself that he’d be on his way in the morning.  Her blood was boiling as she listened to him speak loudly to the ranch hands as if they were hard of hearing.  He laughed at his own jokes, since he was the only person in the room who understood them.  He drank too much wine and was tipsy by the time dinner was over.

She was livid when the ranch hands took their plates to the kitchen.  He actually had the audacity to hand one of them his soiled dish as if the ranch hand were there to wait on him.  When everyone had left for the evening, the schmuck invited her onto the porch to join him for a drink.