"Okay, I think that's everything." Donna dropped her duffel by the front door and wandered into the kitchen, grabbing a cup of coffee. She was off work for the next four days and Donna had nothing to do but to wait until it was time to head for the airport for a spring break trip. She still couldn't believe she'd agreed to this.
"Sit down," Danny nodded to the empty seat at the counter next to CJ. "I made a quiche."
Donna complied, sliding onto the barstool. "I didn't know you could make quiche. You've been holding out on us."
"Well I can't, really. But I figured, 'hey, I have a masters degree from Harvard, I can maybe figure out eggs."
"Maybe being the key word," CJ mumbled to Donna, shooting her a skeptical look as she took a sip of her coffee and hopped onto the barstool beside her.
"Well, I appreciate the thought," Donna sat up tall in supportive anticipation.
Danny pulled the baking dish from the oven and grabbed three plates from the cabinet, slicing a piece of quiche... which promptly turned to liquid and ran back to the pan. CJ and Donna exchanged sideways glances with one another.
"Alright," Danny tossed his oven mitts down and removed the floral print apron he'd donned. "Get your shoes, I'm taking you both out for brunch."
"No objections here," Donna quickly offered, slipping on her sandals and grabbing her purse.
"Let's go to that new place," CJ offered, "with the bottomless mimosas."
"Sold." Donna chimed in as the two made their way out the front door.
"Hey, wait for me," Danny shouted as the door closed and he scrambled for his shoes and ran his fingers through his hair in an effort to look presentable. "What the hell just happened?" he laughed to no one in particular.
Donna and CJ were deep in conversation when Danny climbed into the driver's seat and backed his BMW out of the driveway.
Though it may not have been a conventional arrangement, he loved having Donna close by. His sisters were on the other side of the county and CJ's brothers also lived on the east coast. Donna and Sam filled that void for both of them.
"So what do you two have planned for the long weekend," Donna inquired. They'd be home alone for four days while she was in Cabo, and while Donna never felt as though she was unwanted, it wasn't lost on her that the newlyweds had very little time to themselves.
"Oh, you know," CJ joked, "a bathtub full of champagne and an entire four day stretch of minimal clothing."
"Well, good for you," Donna egged her on. "At least somebody is having a little bit of fun."
The girls giggled.
"Why are you laughing," Danny remarked with a straight face. "That sounds like a fantastic plan."
It was only another second before he broke his serious facade, laughing too. "Nah. CJ has to work this afternoon and Sam and I are putting some heirloom tomatoes into the garden on Saturday morning."
"You're putting more tomatoes in the garden?" Donna could hardly believe her ears as she exited the car, following CJ and Danny to a small table at a sidewalk cafe.
"You say it like we're going to need a tractor, Donna. It's a reasonable sized garden."
"It would be considered a reasonable sized garden if we lived in Iowa, Danny," CJ interjected. "That thing has taken on a life of its own."
"Look, we're gardners now. It's just the way it is. You might as well get on board."
"We?" CJ shot him a questioning look.
"Yeah. Sam and I. We like to garden. I seem to recall two blonde women telling us repeatedly that we needed hobbies outside of our jobs. So, here we are. We garden now. And, this fall we're going to can things."
"Such as?" CJ had a brief vision of inedible tomato sauce splattered from floor to ceiling in her kitchen.
"You know… canned goods," Danny shrugged, picking up the menu, glancing at it quickly and placing his order with the waitress. "Anyway, we need to get the heirloom tomatoes in the ground this weekend. We're going to put them between the cucumbers and the bell peppers."
"Did you plant my snap peas yet?" Donna questioned. It had been her only request. She'd loved snacking on the fresh peas in her grandmother's garden when she was a little girl.
"I'm happy to report that we did, thank you very much," Danny announced. "Transplanted them from the starter pots last weekend. You're going to have peas by summer."
"Thank you," Donna gave him a genuine smile.
"Hey," CJ interjected. "Who's side are you on here? Do you want to be eating some kind of cold heirloom tomato and wheatgerm stew every Thursday night for the foreseeable future?"
"She's right, you know," Donna admitted. "You've really got to talk to him about the healthy meals, Danno. They're getting out of hand. Sometimes I just want a slice of pizza."
"Why me?"
"Because!" Donna insisted, having no better argument.
"I talked him out of buying a pair of men's Ugg boots last winter," CJ offered. "So I think I'm off the hook."
"That shouldn't count," Donna interjected.
"You're right, it shouldn't," CJ took a bite of her eggs. "I was being a good friend and telling him the truth. And all I asked in return was that he get Danny to stop wearing that stupid straw fedora."
"Hey! I look good in that fedora," Danny piped up with borderline offense.
"You really don't," CJ remarked.
Donna shook her head, agreeing with CJ.
"Fine," Danny relented, holding his hands up. "I'll talk to him about the dinners. But not today. He's been working on this one all week and this is going to take a certain amount of… delicacy."
"Well, that's all up to you guys," Donna stated. "I'll be on vacation in… two hours."
"Well, if you're heading to Cabo, and you're going to be on a conference call all afternoon, it's a lovely day… maybe I'll install all of that chicken wire that Sam and I bought last weekend," Danny announced.
"Chicken wire? Are we getting chickens?" Donna didn't like where this was headed. Sam and Danny were really constructing their own little farm outside of her bedroom window. Tomatoes she could handle. Chickens were another story.
"No," Danny waived her off. "Don't be ridiculous. They're to keep the squirrels out."
"Oh my god," CJ lightly tossed down her fork and sat back into her chair. "Here we go again with the damn squirrels."
"Seriously, man. You've gotta let it go," Donna muttered. It had become and obsession with those two men. It was Sam and Danny against the squirrels.
Danny glanced at his watch. "We better get going. You don't want to be late for the airport," he announced.