Trivial Pursuits Ch. 20

She extended a hand in hopes of preempting another uncomfortable hug. No such luck. When he took her hand, it was only to pull her close and slap her on the back. "It's very nice to meet you," he stated, his Texan accent clear and somewhat surprising.

When she pulled back, she was better able to take in Denny's parents, the family resemblances apparent at once, especially between father and son. Though the man was in his late fifties, he was still attractive, and it was evident where Denny inherited his strong features and gloriously thick hair. Though Hollis' was now graying along the hairline and at the temples as well as his mustache and goatee, she knew his hair color must have once been the same as her boyfriend's.

"Well, come in you two," he instructed with a large smile, evidently eager to welcome the younger couple. The front door opened into the spacious, two-story main living room that was banked with floor to ceiling windows all along the back of the house. Alessa imagined it was a glorious view of the mountains, but would have to wait until morning to see.

"We've held off on dinner for you. Are you guys hungry?" Pima asked.

"You know me, mom, I could always eat." He placed their bags on the floor before reaching nonchalantly for Alessa's hand, having witnessed her stiff and overwhelmed responses to the warm greetings. He gave her a reassuring squeeze, but kept his eyes on his parents.

"Okay, then. It's just a stew and some of your Granny River's bread."

"Sounds perfect," he answered, pulling Alessa along to the small eating area in the impressive kitchen. Pima pulled the enameled cast iron pot from the oven. Hollis helped her by tossing down a pot holder on the table for her to set it on. He brought over the bread and nodded to the two younger people to sit. As they were getting comfortable, Pima brought over drinks, asking Alessa if she cared for something besides water. Hollis took a beer and then started dishing out the stew into everyone's bowls.

"This is good, Mom."

"I don't know why it wouldn't be. Same recipe I've been using for years."

"After a drive like we've had, anything would taste delicious," Denny commented.

"Well thanks for that," Pima returned in mock-hurt.

"Not what I meant, Mom. But the drive was hell," he continued, referring to the nauseating traffic leaving the Bay. But a quick glance at Alessa, her face over her bowl was beet red. When Denny realized his error, he spoke quickly to clarify. "The traffic was a nightmare. As you can imagine on the holiday week. But once we cleared it, it was pleasant enough."

Alessa's eyes slid to him, catching his meaning and understanding he hadn't meant to imply anything regarding their time together in the car.

"What time did you make?"

"Oh, about three and a half hours. Might have been here sooner, but Alessa here couldn't stop working," he smiled, drawing her benignly into the conversation.

She placed her spoon down and looked up, trying to calm herself and join in the conversation like a civilized human being. "Well, you weren't complaining about my work ethic a few weeks ago when we were in Dallas. As I recall, you told the board I was invaluable," she defended smoothly, an almost teasing smile on her lips.

Denny chuckled. "I suppose that's true," he conceded.

"That's right," Hollis piped up finally. "Denny told us he was going down to Texas. Said he was taking his indispensable right-hand man," he added looking at Alessa with a grin. "How was it?"

Alessa smiled, almost uncomfortably, but managed to maintain a calm exterior. "It was quite a satisfying experience," she supplied. "Quite exciting, really, if you could look past the incredibly long, grueling hours that barely left time for a decent shower, let alone a life outside the office."

"And Alessa was my star team member. Her knowledge of the Korean market, as well as the language, really guided us through," Denny praised, smiling a little as he watched her blush though she tried to remain confident as always.

"Unlike the other case he handed me," she admitted with a smile of chagrin.

"Oh, what case was that?" Hollis asked, tearing off another piece of the bread.

"A civil defense case involving renter's' terms," she explained lamentably.

"Now that sounds interesting," Hollis said with a gleam in his eyes, pointing his shredded bread at her. "You and Denny can have your big Asian corporations. I'd take getting down to the nitty gritty with the little man any day," he declared.

"Though in all fairness, Alessa actually was brilliant with the case, even if she doesn't quite believe it," Denny informed them smiling.

"Yeah, well," but she really had nothing to say and so just took another bite of the chewy bread saturated in the brothy stew. In attempt to make conversation, she relayed that Denny had taken her out to their family's old property while they were in Dallas.

"Don't get him started on that," Pima scolded with a smile, dishing out more of the stew and passing it back to Denny. "He'll never stop. Hasn't ever forgiven me for making him move out here to take over my family's ranch." She smiled as she said this, a touch of sadness, a touch of irony in her voice.

"Law has always fascinated me," he confessed to Alessa. "I'd wanted this great life, this constant struggle to win over the system. But once I met this beautiful woman, saw how much this life meant to her, I couldn't pull her from the ranch. Couldn't drag her from the strays she loves so much."

"Strays?" Alessa asked, looking at Pima.

"Mom is a world-class finder and keeper of lost strays," Denny explained pointedly, with an expression of mock-disapproval.

"Oh, like you're one to talk," Pima stated. "Or have you forgotten Buger?"

"Buger?" Alessa asked bemused.

Denny sighed and then smiled. "Buger. An old racing horse. Bum leg. Owner wanted to put him down. I think even you thought it was best, if I recall correctly," he remarked to his mom. "But I convinced her to let me try to rehab him. He'd been abused," he stated with mild disgust. "Driven too hard, treated too roughly. Definitely a flighty, skittish thing. But also angry. Desperate to prove he was fierce. It wasn't easy: I was run into the rails plenty of times; bitten; nearly kicked, certainly bucked off. But in the end, I taught him to trust me, to let me close. He was never really fast again, but he ran, and he was proof that in the right hands you can heal and survive."

There was a moment of silence as the small party absorbed the truth in the words and the beauty of healing.

"It's been a good life," Hollis stated softly. "Don't regret staying at all." He eyed his wife meaningfully.

Eventually Pima turned her gaze toward their guest. "So, Alessa, tell us a little more about yourself," she requested before taking another bite of the stew.

Alessa was taken aback, but only a little, and then gathered together a perfunctory description she handed most people in similar situations. "I grew up in Walnut Creek, attended UC Berkley for both undergrad and law. I decided to work at The Asian Museum after graduation, wanting a little more experience before joining a major firm. I'd had my hopes set on Wiles, Mayer, and Schecter LLP since law school, but unfortunately, Denny was the hiring junior partner. We didn't really hit it off," she admitted with a mischievous smile.

"Really? That's unlikely. What was the problem?" Pima asked, finding it hard to believe her son wasn't instantly smitten with the young woman.

"Yeah, what was the problem?" Alessa asked in playful ignorance, a smile whispering at the corners of her mouth.

Denny opened his mouth to speak, but nothing was forthcoming. Finally, he let out a gush of air and held his arms up in a defeated shrugged. "What can I say, except that I must have been so impressed by you that I couldn't think straight. And clearly, without my brains I am an ass."

Everyone laughed. Pima spoke up. "Well, it must be genetics, because when your father and I first met, it was at this honkytonk there in Dallas. After we'd been talking for a time, he went back off to his group of guys and eventually another man came up and asked if I'd dance with him. I was really interested in Hollis," she reported, a fair amount of annoyance in her voice as she eyed her husband across the table, "but I couldn't see him in the smoky place, so I agreed. Well, it didn't take long, about two seconds after that man put his hands around my waist, your father came out of nowhere and slugged the man so hard he fell to the ground. Of course I was angry and embarrassed and annoyed. Why couldn't he have just stuck around and asked me to dance? Ah well, thankfully, he did a pretty good job apologizing and begged for a second chance. To which I relented."

"And aren't you glad you did?" Hollis asked, smiling and leaning forward on his elbows.

She chuckled. "I don't know. There may have been a day in there somewhere that I had second thoughts," she teased.

After dinner, the two couples retired to the living room in front of the fire. The Ashburys caught Denny up on all the latest happenings of their community, of high school friends who had moved away or moved back home or had children or got divorced. Alessa was snuggled up under his arm, and before long, the gentle murmur of conversation died into the background of her mind, and her eyes slowly slid closed. When Denny realized she had fallen asleep, he made his excuses to his parents and urged her awake. Smiling sheepishly, she said her goodnights as he took her by the hand and led her down a hall to a door in the back.

"Isn't your room in the house?" Alessa asked sleepily when she realized they were going outside.

"This house was built after I left home for college, so I really don't have a room here. Usually I'll take one of the guest rooms upstairs, but since you're here with me, we're going to stay out in the guest house. It's more private, the perfect space to retreat if you ever need time alone," he informed her, guiding her around a covered pool and down a winding path lit by small little lights hidden in the landscaping.

The guest house was as big, if not larger than the entire garage she lived over, and its style made it a mini version of the house. It was an open space, a large bed angled to be adjacent to both the looming fireplace and the floor-to-ceiling windows. There was a small kitchenette area as well as a comfy looking sitting arrangement near the hearth, which was the centerpiece of the entire space. The river stones that it was comprised of rose all the way to the high ceiling, a striking visual metaphor to the strength of home and family, she thought. And on the floor in front of it lay a light-colored fur rug. A rather large ficus tree that was in actuality three small trees twined together, was threaded through with twinkle lights, and the whole scene was a rather charming one that made her feel instantly...at home.

Denny put their bags down on the luggage racks before picking up a tiny black remote and punched a button on it. Instantly, the fireplace lit, sending promise of warmth into the room with just its glow alone. He gave her a quick tour, which mainly consisted of pointing out which door was the bathroom and which was the closet, and informed her anything she could find in the kitchenette was fair game if she ever became hungry. He retrieved his Dopp kit and pajamas from his bag and headed to the bathroom. After changing and brushing his teeth, he tossed back the thick blankets and crawled into bed. He had pulled a file from his brief case and opened it, planning to read a bit of a contract before sleep.

Alessa followed suit, quickly undressing and washing her face clean of her makeup. Her nightgown was new, not much more than a slinky maxi tank that was cut in racerback fashion across her shoulder blades. When she slipped into the bed beside Denny, turning on her side away from him, he put his file down, switched off the lamp and curled into her, his arm sliding around her waist to hold her against him. Then they were silent, allowing the crackle of the fire to do all the speaking for them. Eventually, their eyes shut and they slept well.

In the early morning, Denny was stirred awake by a firm bottom pressing in slow rhythmic fashion against his morning erection. His hand went to her hips, not knowing if she was asleep or purposefully arousing him. But when she turned her face to him, her sultry gaze made it was clear she knew exactly what she was doing.

"Morning," she greeted, her voice husky with sleep.

Denny was still holding onto her gently undulating hips, not pulling away, not yet attacking, but biding his time until he learned her game. "Morning," he replied, his own groggy voice tinged with suspicion.

"Wanna cuddle me a little harder?" she invited, her lips finally breaking out into mischievous smile. And that was all it took to occupy their time for the next hour and half. They showered quickly together and joined his parents for breakfast, both content.

When Alessa entered the kitchen, Pima was gathering the ingredients for breakfast.

"Anything I can help with?" she offered tentatively.

Pima turned and smiled at Alessa before walking over and placing an arm around her to squeeze her good morning. "Well, if you'd like. Denny requested French toast with the buttermilk syrup; it's his favorite breakfast. Do you know how to make the syrup?" Alessa simply shook her head. "Then let's see," Pima mused thoughtfully as she went to the counter to open an old oak box. Alessa saw tons of index cards inside that Pima quickly shuffled through until she said, "Aha! Here it is. Granny River's Buttermilk syrup."

She handed the card to the younger woman and informed her the butter and buttermilk were in the refrigerator and pointed out the cabinet the other ingredients were located in. "Feel free to make yourself at home," she invited as she left Alessa to make the rich syrup while she went back to the other breakfast items. "If you need anything, just ask."

While they cooked together, Pima kept up the conversation, asking Alessa more specifics about herself, listening to her stories of her little sister, even prying out of Alessa her mother's condition and the growing weight it was on her. And when they all sat down to eat, Alessa found herself watching the older woman with a budding affection, and a nascent need to absorb her strength and wisdom and love. Without thought, she quickly offered to help Pima with the cleanup, and found herself relaxing and finding peace in her kitchen and in her company.

Eventually, when everything was cleaned and put away, Denny invited Alessa on a tour of the ranch, but Pima stated they should all make a time of it. And so it was that the four of them wrapped in jackets, headed first toward the stables. Alessa was impressed as she witnessed Denny's ease with the horses, agreeing with his statement that he fit well into the context of both a boardroom and a ranch.

As they went along, Denny shared memories of growing up on the ranch, detailing how his father had enlarged what he and Pima had taken over from her father. And Pima shared stories of the mischief Denny found himself in, or of a particular animal she rescued and nursed back to health. Alessa learned that Pima was in Dallas studying animal sciences when she met Hollis, and she now applied that knowledge to running one of northern California's largest livestock rehabilitation facilities, while Hollis made the ranch lucrative with cattle and sheep ranching.

When the tour was over, Denny challenged her to let him take her horse riding. At first she balked, but didn't want to seem squeamish in front of Pima and so accepted. Denny's parents left the two of them alone, and together he introduced her to the basics of horse riding. He saddled her a horse and then his own, and after a cursory introduction to guiding the horse, led them out into an open field.

There was a rhythm to riding that she quickly picked up, and when she realized the giant beast beneath her was easily controlled, she relaxed a little and enjoyed the ride.

"Do you miss it? This life?" she asked as they walked through the stacks of gathered hay.

Denny was thoughtful for some minutes before he finally replied. "I loved growing up here. The rough and tumbling sort of boyhood that makes for good coming-of-age novels. But I'd always loved school, too. And it was in my education, my love of drawing and architecture that made me look outside this valley for a future. And then of course when I was in high school, it was sort of understood by my dad that of course I'd go to college, and of course I'd study law."

"And you don't regret not becoming an architect?"

He gave her a sideways glance, a smile cracking his lips. "I think you've asked me that before."

She bit back a smile and shrugged. "So what will happen to this place if you don't take over?"

Denny sighed. "Well, my mom will always be involved with the care of those rescues as long as she can walk, but my dad, I bet he retires in a maybe ten years and turns the day-to-day running of the place over to Mitch. He's the manager. He's young and ambitious. A good manager of the rest of the hands though, too."

"Will your father sell?"

"I'm sure eventually. But there hasn't been any talk," he relayed. She nodded thoughtfully and they continued on their ride in silence.

When they arrived back at the stables, Denny could see a few more cars in the drive. "Looks like Granny River and Pops are here. Uncle Richard and Leah, too. Come on," he urged, putting a hand at her back, "let me introduce you."

When they entered the big house, they could hear voices off toward the kitchen. "And here they are," Pima said to the group of new arrivals when she spotted Denny and Alessa. "Alessa, come here and let me introduce you to my mom and dad. Guys, this is Alessa, Denny's girlfriend. Alessa, this is Rita and Keith, or Granny River and Pops, as Denny calls them."

"Alessa, such a pretty name for a beautiful girl," Granny River gushed, her hands opened wide as she stepped forward to hug her. She was bony, overlaid with squishy flesh, and she smelled warm and florally.

"Thank you," Alessa said softly before she was passed to Pops, a tall man with a big pot belly. Again, she was hugged tightly and slapped affectionately on the back.

It was then Denny's turn to greet his grandparents, the love between them evident as Granny River cupped his face, though she didn't even come up to his shoulder. Alessa lifted her hand to cover her grin when she pinched his cheek. Next she was introduced to his aunt and uncle, who were equally warm in their greeting. And as it was time for lunch, Pima invited Alessa to join the woman as they gathered the food.

"Alessa made your buttermilk syrup this morning, mom," Pima relayed.

"Oh?"

"Denny said it was the best he'd ever had; just like you used to make. And that was before I told him his lovely girlfriend made it."

"So you cook?" Granny River asked Alessa as she stirred the pasta salad.

"I can follow a recipe," Alessa admitted.

The older woman chuckled as she patted Alessa on the shoulder, and for the next fifteen minutes, despite the newness of the company, she felt herself fall easily enough into conversation and the awkwardness of new acquaintanceship disappeared.

The family spent a very pleasant hour out on the large patio eating tasty food and drinking a nearby vineyard's wine. Conversation was cheery, and despite the cool crispness of the air, Alessa felt increasingly more comfortable.

Later that afternoon, Denny's cousin Katrina and her husband arrived. Alessa watched him interact with her, wondering what sort of brother he might have been had he been hers. Kat, as the rest of his family called her, was very friendly, instantly latching onto her as she would a long-lost sister. At first talk was primarily about how her pregnancy was going and if she would have the baby before the new year. Kat, who admitted to having gained thirty-five pounds during the pregnancy and feeling like she was bulging at the seams, practically guaranteed she'd deliver before Christmas, to which the rest of the family laughed.