Music and Mysteries by dvshipper

Music and Mysteries

By: dvshipper

CATEGORY: Alternate Universe

WARNINGS: None

AUTHOR’S NOTES: Thanks to taraleesg1, the awesomest beta in two galaxies!! And thanks of course to dannysgirlsg1, because without the nudging, winking, poking and hinting this would never have gotten done.

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:

http://dvshipper.livejournal.com/

The atmosphere in the local honky-tonk bar was smoky and loud. The speakers in the corner were blasting “Honky-Tonk Badonkadonk,” making the dance floor crowded with dancers in faded blue jeans and various colors of button down shirts. If you sat on the floor (why, who knows, but…) you’d see a sea of cowboy boots, men and women alike, all shuffling around on the wooden plank floor. Long neck bottles and shots of whisky were the drinks of choice in this place, no Cosmos here.

It was Friday night, which meant The Longhorn was full of local cowboys, ranch hands, and southern ladies looking to have a good time. A few old folks who’d been in the area practically since the Civil War sat in the corner, discussing this ‘new country’ that just didn’t compare to the songs of Willie and Hank Sr. A few handsome guys walked up to the bar after coming in the screen door in the front. Cowboy hats and plaid shirts, they looked the same as anyone else. That is, except for their grins. Oh yes, they’d been here before and the bartender greeted them like old friends.

“So what you boys up to tonight?” Kelly (the bartender) asked while she got them their usual, Bud Light in the can. Cam, Daniel, T (because no one dared call him Sweet Tea), and John (who actually wasn’t a local boy, but was in from out of town to help out on Hank’s ranch) were all more than averagely good looking and had the southern charm that sent all the women’s hearts a pattering. They were known to get a little rowdy on the weekends and ruled the bull riding when a rodeo was in town. Every once in a while, some idiot passing through would start a fight with one of them, not knowing that they would get the shit kicked out of them. Thankfully though, T would always stay to help clean up the mess, if he didn’t end the fight in one clean punch that is.

“What we always do, get a little rowdy and have a damn good time,” Daniel answered for all of them before taking a drink of his cold beer. Looking around the bar he didn’t see many new faces. Then again, there weren’t ever many new people in this little hick town. Most of the people in here were born and raised on the local farms, as were their parents. And if you found yourself not knowing where you were, all you had to do was look up to the tops of the walls; Confederate flag hung proudly next to the Lone Star of Texas. Things don’t change much in the Deep South.

There was one person though; dancing by herself that caught all their attention. Dark wavy hair down her back, bright eyes that looked mischievous even from across the room and enough smile to outshine the sun. A beauty to anyone, for sure and apparently already had a few drinks in her as she was dancing a little out of time with the music. Absolutely mesmerizing, if not a little hypnotic. A slap on Daniel’s back brought him out of his trance.

“Let’s see if Carolyn still thinks I’m sexy!” Cam had downed his first beer and was about to knock back a shot of tequila. T and John were wandering through the crowd to sit with some guys from the neighbor ranch. Daniel shot Cam a confused look.

“Doesn’t that taste bad?” Daniel asked his buddy, with little interest. Leaning up against the bar, Daniel was a little bit too shy to go straight over and introduce himself to the goddess on the dance floor. Who said a southern boy can’t be shy?

“Who told ya it tasted good?” Cam said before drinking down the shot with a following grimace. Shaking his head, he took to the dance floor heading straight for Carolyn, the woman he’d been dating for the last couple weeks. Daniel watched as he grabbed her hand and turned her around to face him. Witnessing people in the early stages of what could be love made Daniel a little depressed. Ever since his wife’s death by the parasitic cancer that took over her body, he really hadn’t found anyone that fit him. Sure he’d had plenty of dates and girlfriends over the past years but they were never more than a good time that ended up in numb pain.

The night wore on just like any other. T got in a fight with a hot shot new guy, John hung out at a table, Daniel at the bar, and Cam danced with his girl. Tonight wasn’t quite as boring for Daniel because he wasn’t on a date and could openly watch the dark haired woman dance to every song without having to be afraid of getting a smack in the head. The way she moved was different than the other women, slightly alien to what he was used to seeing. There was a quality about her that he couldn’t quite place. And before he could figure out what it was about her that had him so transfixed after she left the bar, the guys were ready to go.

The night air was warm, but had a slight breeze to it, carrying the dust from their boots with it. The gravel parking lot was still filled with pickups and a few four wheelers on the side of the building. T was the only sober one so he was elected to drive Daniel’s truck home. Only problem was they didn’t all fit in the single cab. It was Daniel’s rig so he got a spot in front and John was from out of town so he got the last one, leaving Cam to ride in the bed. Nothing new there.

Before they were settled in the front, Daniel heard Cam laughing hysterically after he hopped in the back. “What’s so funny, dumbass?” Daniel asked the man behind him through the sliding back window.

“There’s a chick passed out in the back of your truck, man!” Cam seemed slightly amused. He probably would have seen an opportunity to be a knight in shining armor, had he been single. The long raven hair let him know who it was though, the woman on the dance floor that had captured Daniel’s attention all night. “It’s the one you were eyein’ all night.”

“Well what’s she doin’ back there?” Daniel asked, slightly confused but also seeing the opportunity that Cam saw. Not that he’d ever take advantage of a drunk, passed out woman, but he could at least make her comfortable back at his place and fix her breakfast.

“How the hell am I supposed to know? So, what do we do?” Cam asked, sitting down beside her and leaning up against the metal side. They couldn’t just throw her out into the parking lot and she didn’t look like she came with anyone. Waking up in the back room of a bar wasn’t always the most pleasant thing either.

“Well, I guess we take her home and let her sleep on the couch.” Daniel thought it sounded like a pretty good idea and John nodded in agreement. Why was it that he never said much? Maybe a Yankee accent wasn’t the most confidence boosting thing in the south. T just started the truck and began the journey home.

On the way, the woman didn’t wake up or even move that much. Cam made sure she didn’t slam into the side when they pulled onto the dirt driveway of Daniel’s old farmhouse. Daniel hopped out and waited for Cam to hand her down from the back. Certain qualities such as helping out a damsel in distress (or rather, sleep) didn’t leave a good southern gentleman even when drunk. As he walked up the steps onto the porch, he caught a whiff of her skin; spicy perfume tinged with whisky. Not a bad combination really.

When they got in the house, they scattered, but slowly, John made his way up to the guest room where he was staying for the time he was working out at Hank’s. Cam grabbed a pillow and crashed on the floor. T just sat silently in the rocking chair on the porch and closed his eyes. Daniel laid the mystery woman on the couch and tried to gently pull her boots off. It was a damn good thing they were lace up ones. Getting fitted cowboy boots off her feet would have definitely woken her up. After setting her boots next to the couch and seeing that she was thoroughly out, Daniel made his way to his room.

As Daniel sat on the side of his bed, putting his hat on the rack on the wall and pulling his boots off, his mind wandered. What was he going to cook for breakfast? How would she feel? Did she like coffee? Why was his mind so preoccupied with this woman on his couch? There was a feeling inhabiting his gut that told him he’d know soon enough.

In the morning, everything went amazingly smooth. The mystery woman told Daniel that her name was Vala and that she was just passing through town, a bit of a wanderer. Over eggs and bacon, along with coffee, they talked with a flow that almost came naturally. Same sense of humor and at times she annoyed him, but in a good way. After a long breakfast, Daniel asked if she had a place to stay. Vala informed him that she could clearly trust him cause he hadn’t done anything wrong last night and no, she didn’t have a place to stay. Circumstances seemed to throw them together in ways they couldn’t explain. Why his truck? Why that bar? Daniel supposed that he would never know. However, he definitely wanted to know more about this mysterious woman who seemed to pop out of thin air into his life. And by the light in Vala’s eyes, he knew she was curious and more than ready to know about him.

** The End **

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