Chapter 6

Spencer POV

The next morning Spencer woke up early, showered and got ready for her outing with Ashley. I feel like a seventeen year old going out on a date with the hottest chick in school. I need to start my lesson plans for the fall semester, but I'm too excited about the picnic. I'll do it later tonight.

It was eleven o'clock and Ashley was already in the kitchen preparing a picnic basket of sandwiches, cheese, fruit and a bottle of wine.

"Good morning Spencer, slept well I hope?"

"Yes, Ashley and yourself," Spencer said with an inquisitive look.

Ashley chuckled to herself, realizing the insinuation of Spencer's inquiry.

"The picnic basket is ready and if you're ready I figure we can just get started early."

"Sounds good Ash, I'm ready."

The two women walked out of the house towards Ashley's Range Rover, got in and sped off.

"So, where are we going," Spencer asked.

"I thought we would drive to a secluded place I know near Lake Tahoe. It's really beautiful there this time of year." The ride was comfortably quiet. Spencer marveled at the sights before her, especially the one behind the wheel.

Ashley pulled off the road a couple of hours later, towards a wooded area and continued to drive. Spencer thought the Rover wouldn't be able to get through the terrain, but it did. To Spencer's surprise they pulled up to a beach area enclosed by large mountains, cliffs, trees and a waterfall. The beach was deserted, except for the two of them. From where they sat, they would be able to see the sunset.

Ashley laid out the blanket and started taking the food and wine out of the basket.

"Wow! This place is really beautiful, so quiet, and serene."

"Yeah," Ashley replied, "I come here when I need to be alone, to think. It's just so relaxing. If there's time we can come back for swimming. I didn't think to tell you to bring a bathing suit. But... if you really want to go swimming no ones around... we could go skinny dipping," Ashley said twitching her eyebrows. Spencer laughed, "um...maybe next time. Let's just enjoy this nice meal you packed."

"So, Ashley tell me about you and Madison." "There's not much to tell, Spencer. Madison and I have been friends since high school. We were inseparable, we did everything together we still do."

"She's getting married in a couple of months to a guy name Joe. He's real sweet. Madison and Joe were my greatest supporters when I came out."

"Does Joe mind... you and Madison "being friends?" Ashley thought about what Spencer's question was implying because she never mentioned what kind of relationship she and Madison had. Spencer suspected it was on an intimate level of sorts.

"No, he doesn't mind, Joe's the best, he supports our friendship and he's good for Madison. In fact, he's trying to convince Madison to further her singing career. He's looking for a record company for her to sign with."

Spencer looked at Ashley for a long time before speaking. "Ashley, you sing really well yourself and the way you play the guitar it's amazing. Did someone teach you?"

"Yes, my dad was a rock star and he taught me to play when I was five years old. I loved my dad and I love playing the guitar. I feel he's close to me when I play."

Ashley turned gazing into Spencer's blue eyes getting lost in them. "So, Spencer enough about me, tell me about you. Why does a beautiful woman like you come all the way to Reno for a divorce?" Spencer blushed, "I needed to get away for awhile. Here in Reno I don't have to talk to anyone, present company excluded," Ashley chuckled, "thanks Spence." "No friends popping by to see how you doing and I can relax before the fall semester begins."

"Well, that tells me why you came to Reno, but why are you getting a divorce. I know I asked you this before, when you first arrived, but you were kind of vague."

"You don't mind me asking again do you?" "No, I don't mind you asking, we've come a long way since then. I was kind of snappy when I first arrived and you drove me downtown," Spencer chuckled. "I needed to change my life. I wasn't happy, he wasn't happy, if he was happy he would not have cheated on me." Ashley stared at Spencer, but remained silent. "I guess I never loved him. He didn't even want to have children, so I put all my energy and time into my work at the University."

"Why did you marry him, Spencer?"

Spencer sighed, "because it was expected of me. Decision making didn't come easy to me back then, especially if it was about me. Rarely was I was given a chance to make my own decisions and when Dexter took an interest in me, well my mom was overjoyed. You would have thought he was dating her instead of me. He would ask my mom where we should go, what we should do. Well one thing led to another and he asked me to marry him. Before I realized what was happening, my mother had taken over. I don't even remember if I had said yes to his question of marriage. We became engaged and I had no say in it and my father who would usually protect me from mom's controlling was too busy running the big oil company. So, wedding invitations were sent out, parties were planned, I didn't even get to decide on where we were going on the honeymoon. He and my mother decided. I felt obligated to marry him by then. So, we were married, my mother was to say the least very ecstatic. Listening to myself talk about it now, I guess I was kind of stupid going though with it."

"I found out he had been cheating throughout our whole marriage. I had enough. I was tired of pretending to be someone I wasn't, pretending to my family, pretending to my husband who didn't give a shit. I was especially tired of pretending to myself."

Spencer was now looking deeply into Ashley's eyes, those eyes that always sparkled making Spencer's stomach flutter. "I want to be myself. I want to be happy." Ashley was leaning in towards Spencer gazing into her ocean blue eyes, licking her lips, in anticipation. Spencer slowly moving in to meet her, their lips just a breaths touch away, stopped when they were startled by a motor boat passing by. Still looking at each other they backed away.

Ashley noticed the sky was getting dark and gray which meant a storm was coming.

"Spencer, it looks like a storm is brewing." In more ways than one, Spencer thought to herself.

Spencer only nodded her head in response to Ashley's statement, she was still a little shocked by what almost happened. They climbed into the SUV and headed back home in complete silence.

Christine and Aiden were in the living room when Ashley and Spencer returned from their outing, both still very quiet. Christine and Aiden looking at the two women, wondering what happened to put them in such a somber mood.

Christine and Aiden noticed the mutual attraction between Spencer and Ashley when they first met and were hoping it would grow during Spencer's stay at the ranch.

"How was your picnic ladies, Aiden asked?" "Great!" both responded together..."Ashley packed a wonderful lunch. It was just what I needed," Spencer said. "I'm going to my room now, I'll see everyone later."

"See you later, Ashley and thank you for a wonderful day." "My pleasure, Spence."

Christine decided to follow Spencer upstairs so she could check on Kyla. Kyla had been in her room most of the afternoon, since receiving several phone calls earlier.

Christine knocked on Kyla's door several times with no response. So she turned the knob and walked in. What she saw made her blood cringe. "OH...MY...GOD!"