Here we go, it's the first date….

Chapter 11

Danny spent the next week trying not to grin.

As it was still early summer, the whole farm lived in a state of limbo, waiting for the harvest and filling their time with odd jobs that needed doing before the backbreaking work began in the weeks to come. Lindsay was still quite busy in the dairy, but as the farm was largely agricultural most of the hard work was up to nature to do.

The time they did work was spent mainly in the upkeep of the farm, and most of the men were helping to repair the roof of the barn whilst the weather was dry. The heat was stifling though and baked the men's skin as they spent their day diligently hammering in nails to secure the roof boards.

Danny had told no one apart from Frank that he was taking Lindsay out the next week; he wasn't really that close to the other men he lived with and anyway, he didn't want to make things anymore difficult for her than she currently had them here.

But he hadn't been able to get a minute alone with her recently, and he had a feeling, based on some nasty looks thrown at him from Mrs Monroe, that Lindsay had told her parents about their date and they were not too pleased. Instead, after a stroke of inspiration on Tuesday night he stole into the barn in the evening with a note for her and tucked it in Ada's collar.

"Thanks girl", he whispered, giving her a quick rub down, "make sure she gets it ok".

The next morning Lindsay entered the stable as the sun was rising to take Ada out for a quick ride. Rounding the corner she noticed the piece of paper attacked to the harness and paused,

"What have you got there girl?" she asked, giving the horse's rump a quick pat. She gently freed the sheet, careful not to tear it and opened it up.

Lindsay,

I haven't had a chance to speak to you on your own, so I figured this was the best way of talking to you in private and I know you are the only one who looks after Ada so I thought this would be safe. I wanted to tell you how pleased I am about you agreeing to go out with me. Is this Saturday ok? I need to go into town in the morning, but I was hoping to pick you up at mid-day and then to take you on a picnic.

I hope I did not cause you too much trouble with your Ma, cause I am serious about this, about you I mean. I'm not sure if this is coming out right. What I mean to say is, I'm not going to mess you around, I'm in this, and I hope you are too.

I gave Ada an extra special treat for looking after this note – I hope you don't mind. Leave me a note about Saturday.

Yours truly,

Danny x

Lindsay folded the note back up carefully and slipped it in her pocket, a wide grin on her face, and patted the horse's side.

"Thanks girl", she crooned, carefully stroking her neck. She mounted her swiftly and took off for her morning exercise. When she went in later for her breakfast she scribbled a quick reply to Danny and slipped it into Ada's collar on the way to sorting out the pigs.

Danny returned to the barn later that evening, as the men were milling about at the end of the day. He brought an apple for his favourite horse, and was ecstatic to see an answer to his note:

Danny,

I'm in, can't wait for Saturday. My ma doesn't want me to be seeing you, but as much as I respect her and despite not knowing each other for very long, I feel that I know you better than I have anyone else before, and I know you won't hurt me the way she believes, right?

My parents are trying to keep me suspiciously busy and my brother seems to hang around me all the time at the moment, but I have informed them about Saturday and they have agreed to let me go out with you.

I have never felt like this for someone before.

Lindsay xx

The grin Danny had been trying to stifle all week returned in full force.

"What is that", asked Lindsay curiously as Danny carefully laid out the food from the basket he had in front of him. She peered closer at the strange flat bread with tomatoes and then looked up at him for an answer.

"Today", he said, "We are having a picnic Italian style. I thought you might like to try something new". He looked at her hopefully and was glad to see she looked exited at the prospect. "This is called a pizza, and you eat it cut into slices. We also have bruschetta, prosciutto crudo, and caprese salad."

"Here, try some pizza", he said holding out the tray. The first bite she took was tentative but a look of wonderment appeared on her face and they were both soon tucking in with gusto.

"Danny this is amazing!" she exclaimed, "Where in the world did you get all of this in Montana? I've never seen any of this before. You didn't cook it all, did you?"

He laughed for a beat, "No, unfortunately, although I can cook. I had to bribe old Mrs Andreucci in town to make it for me. I think they are the only Italian family within a hundred miles of here."

"Hmm", she said laughing, "and what did you have to promise her to bring me this lovely picnic?"

He scratched behind his ear, a habit she had noticed he had when embarrassed, "I'm umm, I'm going to dance with her at the next church luncheon". He laughed a little and raised his head to look at her.

"I see I have competition", she said with a twinkle in her eye, suppressing a laugh.

After they had both eaten she laid down on the blanked and closed her eyes, sighing deeply. He took the chance to look at her. It was a scorching day, and so they had climbed a little way up the side of the mountain to a secluded clearing that was blooming with summer wildflowers. They were not a very long way up, but the extra height brought a little relief from the stifling heat and they were in no hurry to move. She was wearing a summer dress of buttercup yellow and had kicked off shoes as soon as they had arrived to reveal her perfect button toes. He loved that about her. All the girls in New York were obsessed with what they wore and how they looked and were so careful about getting messy; Lindsay ran around and mucked in with the work, she generally wore utilitarian dresses and yet he had never seen anyone so beautiful. Her body was curved and athletic rather than thin as she had a healthy appetite was accustomed to hard work, but it had a softness to it that made him want to touch her all the time.

"You're staring at me", she said smiling, never opening her eyes, "I can't be that interesting"

"You'd be surprised", he answered, suddenly with a dry throat.

"Lie down with me", she said, putting a hand on his arm. They ended up positioned at right angles to each other, her head resting on his chest. He laid his arm lightly over her stomach, the other one bent and supporting his head.

Lindsay took a breath and let out a deep contented sigh. The sun was warm on her face and in the gentle breeze of the higher ground she could detect the faintest hint of wild lavender that grew haphazardly in the field of wildflowers that they had settled in. She was glad that she had chosen this spot for their picnic: it was far enough away from the house and the plants were tall enough that they would not be seen from a distance.

She wondered about the man who she was now resting against, the man whose hand seemed to be burning the skin of her belly with his heat even through her dress. His thumb slowly stroked back and forward and her stomach muscles clenched involuntarily as she felt an unfamiliar pull low in her belly. It was a tight feeling, pleasant but somewhat disconcerting and making her feel warm, flushed and embarrassed. Realising that her thoughts were going down a direction she wasn't sure she was ready for, she spoke.

"So I know you can cook and you can dance…tell me something else", she said quietly as she broke the silence, "Your Ma seems to have raised you well".

He chuckled, a deep vibration in his belly, which seemed to be transmitted to her where they touched, "Um…I wanted to be a policeman when I was a kid, but then I started working for Mac and changed my mind. I was a bit of a tear-away if I'm honest, nothing too bad but I've had my share of clips round the ear for it." Lindsay smiled at the memory he shared. "What about you? I can't imagine you ever being in trouble".

"Ha", Lindsay laughed suddenly, "I got into a fair bit actually." Danny raised one eyebrow in disbelief. "No really. You've probably noticed I have bit of a mouth on me. Drove my teachers insane when I answered back. They would say I was sassy and wasn't acting like a lady…you can imagine how well that went down."

He laughed again and his hand moved further across her body to cup her waist, holding her body and pulling her fractionally closer to him.

"I think that's one of my favourite things about you Lindsay Monroe, you give as good as you get and I never know what's going to come out of your mouth."

"Yeah well you know I like to keep things interesting for you," she shot back.

She felt him move beneath her and he shuffled down the blanket until they were in a similar position as before, except this time he was hovering over her, his body leaning on one elbow.

He hesitated only a moment before he lent down and dropped the briefest, softest kiss against he lips. He pulled away slightly and kissed at the corner of her mouth, working his around until he had covered her lips in small kisses, tickling her face with the faint trace of his beard. He pulled away and looked down at what he had wrought: her eyes were still closed from the kiss, and her breath was coming hard making her chest rise and fall rapidly,

I have never seen anything quite so beautiful, Danny thought.

"Be my girl," he asked her softly.

She opened her eyes.

"After a kiss like that how could any girl refuse," she answered sassily.

"Can I kiss you again?" he asked. She reflected silently on the irony that he had never asked her permission to kiss her before they were together, but chose to now when her assent was pretty much guaranteed. She put this fleeting thought out of her head though and took hold of the front of his shirt and tugged him back down.

"You better".

It's hard to believe, but chances are Lindsay would really never have seen pizza before, as it was only just becoming popular on the east coast at this time. I hope this lived up to expectations, let me know if you liked/didn't like it, or have any other reviews or feedback. Thanks x