by Jill Sanders
She reached the bottom of the stairs and smiled down at him. “Well?”
He shook his head and tried to think of an extremely cold shower or anything so he could stand up without embarrassing himself.
Then he decided to try something different. After all, he wanted to make sure she understood his intentions. He quickly moved closer to her and took her shoulders with his hands. When he pulled her close, he watched her eyes go soft. “I just have to get this out of the way,” he said, and then he laid his mouth over those sweet, soft lips of hers.
She tasted like sweet cherries. He couldn’t seem to get enough. Especially when her fingers dug into his hair, holding him closer. She moved slightly, pushing her body up against his and he knew the moment she felt his desire. He held his breath, waiting to see how she would react.
When he felt her melt against him, he groaned and started to take a step towards the stairs. Then she pulled away.
“Wait,” she said, putting her hand to her forehead and shaking her head slightly. “We… I… This is too fast,” she said, glancing down at her hands.
“I’m sorry.” He frowned as he watched the gold band around her wrist sparkle in the light. He was trying to cool himself down, but when he looked back up at her, he could still see the desire in her eyes. “I hadn’t planned—”
“I know,” she broke in. Then she smiled at him and he felt a little steadier.
“How about that dinner?” He held out his hand and smiled when she nodded and took it.
As they walked out, he chuckled when she turned and locked the door behind her.
“I know. I know.” She sighed. “Old habits. But, it will make me feel better to keep it locked. Besides, you’ll never believe what I found tonight.” She turned and took his hand again as they walked down the stairs.
“What? One of Betty’s wads?” He laughed when her chin dropped.
“How did you know?”
He sighed. “Your aunt has been hiding cash since before you were born. Everyone in town assumes she has money stashed all over the place. I found some myself when I was helping her plant her garden a few years back.” He laughed as he held the truck door open for her. “She told me she’d forgotten all about the sealed box of money she’d buried out back.”
“Why didn’t she use it to fix the place up?” she asked after he got behind the wheel and started pulling out of the drive.
He shrugged. “Not sure. She wouldn’t tell me. Just said she was saving it up for later.”
Bella looked down at her hands as he pulled out of the bumpy drive. “I guess later never came for her.”
He reached over and took her hand as he drove. “Use the money how you see fit. If you want to fix the place up, I’ll help.” He glanced at her as he turned onto the main road into town.
“Thanks. I’d like to fix a few things. The drive probably should be top of the list since I doubt anyone without 4X4 could get down it.”
“Most everyone in town has a 4X4,” he joked. “Except city folk.”
She sat quietly as he drove through the small town. He pointed out all the main attractions and realized that Fairplay didn’t really have anything too exciting.
“That’s the Rusty Rail. There’s karaoke there every Thursday night. It’s the only bar and place to dance in town.” He nodded to the new coffee shop. “That’s Holly’s. If you’re big into espressos and coffees, they have what you need.” He pulled his truck in front of Mama’s and stopped. “Here we are. The best place to eat in Texas.” He glanced out the front window and smiled. “The place was damaged pretty bad a couple years back in that tornado we had.” He shook his head, remembering the wreckage of the small town. “But Mama fixed it up right.”
“Mama?” Bella asked, leaning forward to get a better view of the diner.
“Jamella, but everyone calls her Mama. You’ll see why.” He smiled and got out of the truck and rushed around to open her door.
After helping her down from the truck, he took her hand and walked slowly to the front door. When the bell chimed above them as they entered, several pairs of eyes turned towards them. All of a sudden, he felt more nervous than he had ever felt.
“There you are.” Jamella rushed from behind the counter and engulfed him in a big hug. The woman was short and very large, but knew how to give some of the best hugs ever. He closed his eyes and held on. “You been hiding yourself.” She hummed as she stepped back and glared at him. “Ever since dat pa of yours got himself locked up.” She put her hands on her hips and huffed as she shook her head.
“I’m sorry,” he said, keeping his eyes locked on his feet. It was true; he’d been hiding from the town since that day. Sure, he was rushing around town, doing his work. But he’d avoided places like Mama’s and the Grocery Stop since he didn’t want to bump into anyone.
“Hmmm,” she said and smiled. “I’ll forgive you dis time.” Then her eyes moved over to Bella. “Now, who’d dis pretty thing?”
He smiled. “Bella Thompson, this is Jamella.”
“Thompson? Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry to hear about your auntie.” Jamella moved forward and wrapped her big arms around Bella, who, for the first few seconds, looked very uncomfortable. When she noticed him smiling at her, she relaxed into the hug.
“Thank you,” Bella said once she was freed.
“Betty was a wonderful woman.” Jamella motioned for them to sit in a booth near the front door. “She did love my apple pie.”
“Mama, everyone loves your apple pies,” Corey said as he sat.
“Dat true.” Jamella let out a loud and hardy laugh. “You two sit tight and look over dat.” She handed them each a menu. “I’ll be right back.” She hustled off to deliver an order.
Before they could order, several people stopped by their booth on their way in or out of the diner. Everyone introduced themselves to Bella and conveyed their condolences.
One of the people to stop by was Ronny and his son Chris, who had been sitting in a back booth. Ronny walked up to them before they left Mama’s and introduced himself to Bella while Chris paid their check.
“I was a dear friend of your aunt,” Ronny said, using a handkerchief to wipe his nose. “I’ll miss her very much.” At that point, the old man cleared his throat and walked out without another word.
Several of the townspeople were very moved when they spoke about her aunt. Corey, too, felt sad that she was gone.
Finally, when Jamella came back to the table to take their orders, he felt like people would leave them alone. After ordering, a silence filled the booth. For the second time that night, he felt nervous.
“How long have you lived in Fairplay?” Bella asked, leaning closer to him.
“I was born and raised here. Most everyone around here, it’s the same story.”
“You’ve never lived anywhere else?”
He shook his head. “Thought about it a few times, but the city just doesn’t seem to be my thing. How about you?”
She leaned back and looked around. “For the most part, I grew up in Houston. We stayed there until my early teens, and then my parents moved around a lot. City to city. Until I moved out on my own, I was never in the same spot longer than a year or two. I was in Austin before I came here.”
“Doing what?” He leaned back and tried to get as comfortable as he could in the small booth.
“This and that.” She picked up her napkin and tried to focus on setting it in her lap just right. He could tell she was trying to avoid the question, but he wanted to know more.
“Did you go to school in Austin?” He crossed his arms over his chest and waited.
“Yes, some.” His eyebrows shot up and he waited again. Finally, she sighed. “I dropped out of college.” She shrugged. “I thought I had found the one.”
“One? What?”
“The one. The man I was going to marry.”
“And?” He felt his heart kick.
“And, he dumped me and married the woman his parents wa
nted him to.”
“Ouch.” He looked into her eyes for any sign of hurt, but all he saw was anger and disappointment. “His loss.”
She nodded, not letting her eyes meet his. “He took all of our friends with him. So when I heard that my aunt left me this place…” She shrugged and looked out the front windows at the small town.
“A fresh start,” he added. When her eyes turned back to him and locked on, he felt like he could totally relate to how she felt. Except he hadn’t moved hundreds of miles to start again.
“What about you?” she asked. When he tilted his head in question, she continued. “School? Relationships?”
“No college. No relationships that lasted more than a few weeks. Pretty boring stuff.”
“What about your father? I’ve heard…”
He was thankful she was interrupted when their food was delivered. They started to eat, and he enjoyed the silence for a while. Then he decided she needed to know more about his old man and he set down his fork.
“My father’s been going downhill for the last few months. The past year to be honest.” He leaned back again and looked out the window at the small town that he felt comforted by. He knew the real reason he stayed was that he was too afraid to leave the support and friendships behind. “I’ve heard the words dementia and Alzheimer’s more this year than I care to admit. The fact is, he’s just plain gone off his rocker.” He felt frustration building and turned back to her. “He was always an ornery cuss, but nothing like this. He’d never hurt an animal in his life. Well, except when we went hunting.” He shrugged.
“What about your mother? Family?”
“My mom took off a few years back.” He looked out the window again. “I haven’t heard from her since.”
“I’m sorry.” She frowned and nibbled on a French fry.
“She was never really into living in Fairplay. She’d always dreamed of going to far-off places. I guess she’s finally living her dream.”
“Have you tried to contact her about your father?”
“No, I don’t even know where she is.” He wished for a beer, but knew that Mama didn’t sell alcohol. Actually, since his old man had been hauled off, he’d slowed down on the drinking.
“What’s going to happen to your father now?” she asked before taking another bite of her hamburger.
“He’ll go before the judge in a few days. Then we’ll find out.”
“Do you have a lawyer?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He nodded to the corner where Alex and Grant Holton sat with their two kids. “Grant’s the town lawyer. He’s pretty good. Studied up north. He’s been helping out since the trouble started.”
“If you need anything.” She looked down and reached for his hand. “I dropped out of law school.”
He jumped a little and looked up at her. “Seriously? You were going to be a lawyer?” He instantly felt not good enough for her. Why would a woman like her give a guy like him a chance?
She nodded and then dropped his hand. “But don’t hold it against me.” She chuckled, but he could see pain in her eyes and swore he’d get to the bottom of it.
Chapter Six
Bella sat back in the truck as Corey drove her home. When they started up her bumpy lane, she turned to him.
“What do you think about riding lessons?”
He pulled behind her aunt’s truck and flipped off the engine. “For kids?”
She nodded. “Yes, I took riding lessons when I was young. I’ve been thinking about it.” She glanced around at the setup her aunt had. “With a few minor changes and a couple more reliable horses, I could start giving lessons.”
He leaned back, his arm going behind her as he thought. His fingers touched her hair, and she felt like leaning her head back so he would play with the long strands.
“Little kids or bigger ones?”
She smiled. “Both.”
“I might know a few horses that will fit just right. Course, Kasper and Yogi are good for smaller kids. Ollie is old enough and patient enough to let anyone ride him. Lizzie…” He shook his head and laughed. “She’s too spirited.”
She smiled and remembered her ride from the day. “I know. I took her out today. We had a blast.” She started to get out of the truck and then watched him rush around to her side to help her down.
The dogs rushed over to them, barking and playing, and she leaned down to pet them both. She laughed when they jumped up and tried to kiss her.
“Down,” Corey broke in. Both dogs obeyed quickly.
“You’ll have to teach me how to do that,” she said, laughing.
“Commanding them is easy; you just need to use a stern voice.” He turned to the dogs. “Go on.” He pointed to the house and both dogs raced towards the door.
“What else can they do?” she asked as she walked towards the house.
He chuckled. “That’s pretty much it. I’m sure if you have the patience and time, you could teach them more. Your aunt didn’t really take the time to teach them much.”
She walked over and sat on the swing, then patted the spot next to her. Corey smiled and sat next to her. His arm went around her shoulders again. This time his fingers did tangle in her hair.
“You’re really thinking of sticking around here?” he asked and her mind swirled around the possibilities.
“I’ve been thinking about it. I mean, I don’t see that there’s anything left for me in Austin.” She knew without a doubt that there was nothing left for her in that town. Nor did she want to chance running into anyone she knew there. They had made their choices and they’d chosen to drop her. Corey was right; it was their loss.
“What about your folks? Where are they now?”
“They moved to San Diego last year. I missed them when they were out here for my aunt’s funeral.”
He nodded. “I remember seeing them, but they didn’t stick around here long.”
“They never do.” She leaned back into his shoulder and sighed. “I really like this place. Everyone seems so nice and helpful.”
He chuckled, the sound reverberating against her ear. “That’s because they are. You know, there was a time when I was younger that I couldn’t stand being here. Everyone was too good.” He pushed off, setting the swing moving slowly. “I did my best to show the town that I was just as bad as Billy and Travis, two of my buddies. The three of us raised so much dust in this town, it’s still not settled.”
She laughed and looked up at him. “I can see that about you.” She watched his lips move up into a grin. Those dimples flashed and she felt her stomach jump. “What about now? Are you still a troublemaker?” she asked, feeling a little breathless.
He reached up and used his fingertips to push a strand of curls away from her face. “Not so much. Only in some areas.” He leaned down and covered her lips with his again. This time the kiss was slow and when he took her deeper, she willingly went.
Her fingers dug into his scalp, pulling his thick hair closer as his mouth slanted over hers. His hands were traveling down her neck, slowly, until he pulled her shoulders closer to his chest.
She felt his heart beat next to hers and enjoyed the way his hands ran over her arms, her ribs, her hips. When the dogs whined, they both ignored the sound. Not until they heard one of them growl did they finally pull away from one another.
“What’s wrong?” Corey asked, looking down at the dogs, who were both standing on the edge of the porch, the hair on their backs standing straight up.
“Easy,” he said, standing up and moving towards them. “What’s out there?” He moved to get off the porch when they heard a bang. Then he turned back to Bella. “Tell me you didn’t leave the trash cans open.”
She thought about it. “I’m not sure. Why?”
“Best get inside,” he said, without answering her.
“Why?” She moved closer to him. “What is it?”
“Probably an opossum or raccoon, but just in case it’s a black bear, go ahead and take the boys
inside.” He nodded to the two dogs, who were still growling.
“Bears? There are bears around here?” She glanced around, fear shooting through her quickly.
“If you leave your trash open, sure.” He moved to step off the porch, and she raced over and grabbed his arm.
“You’re not going out there!” She yanked on his arm until he stopped.
He laughed. “I’ve lived here my entire life. I can handle myself.”
She shook her head. “No, come on in. We’ll wait—”
“Bella, go, take the boys inside. I’ll be right back. It’s probably just a few raccoons.”
Bella reached down and grabbed both of the dogs’ collars and had to practically drag them into the house. She turned on every light as she went around the place, looking out the windows and making sure the doors were locked. She knew it was stupid, but something made her want to check and make sure everything was in place while Corey was outside. She thought about opening the back door and checking on him, but just as she moved closer to the door, she heard him come in the front door.
“All clear. Looks like it was a few opossums. I’ve scared them off and closed your trash cans. You’ll want to make sure you use the latch next time.”
She nodded, feeling her heart rate slow a little. “I didn’t know.” Her hand was covering her heart.
“Don’t worry about it.” He walked up to her, taking her shoulders in his hands and pulling her closer. “I’m sure the opossums enjoyed the snacks.” He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Well, I’d better get going. I’ve got an early morning.”
She followed him back to the front door, feeling a little better that he’d scared the animal off for her. “Thank you for dinner.” She held the door open for him, but he stopped in front of her instead of walking through.
“I have the weekend off. I can be here early to help around the place.” He ran his hand down her arm and she felt the heat spread. What she wanted to do was invite him upstairs, but she knew it wouldn’t be the right thing for her to enter into another relationship. At least not so soon after the whole mess with Hugh.
“I plan on going into Tyler this weekend and looking at some appliances. Maybe you’d like to go with me?”
