by Jill Sanders
Willard stood over them. “I'll get Jamella to come back down here. Maybe call the sheriff while I'm at it.” He turned and walked into the back room.
“You might need stitches.” Grant frowned as he gently cleaned the cut.
“There's a first aid kit behind the counter.” She pointed towards the cash register. “Just there.”
He got up and grabbed the small kit and looked through it. Pulling out the antibiotic cream and gauze, he started cleaning the glass from her skin and hair then dressed some of the larger cuts.
By the time Jamella arrived, he'd dabbled some salve on every tiny cut.
Jamella rushed in the front door. When she saw Alex, she ran over and knelt down. “Are you alright, sweetie?” She took Alex's face in her hands and looked at her. “Oh, my poor child.”
“I'm okay, Jamella, really.” Alex grabbed Jamella’s hand, and Grant could tell that their friendship was stronger than a simple working relationship.
When the sheriff walked in a few seconds later, Jamella started chewing him out.
“Why is it dat someone can do dis”—she flung her arms and motioned in Alex's direction— “and it takes thirty minutes for you to get here?”
“Now, Jamella, calm down.” Stephen Miller had been sheriff in Fairplay for as long as anyone could remember. The old man could still move like he was in his thirties, even though his full head of hair was whiter than snow. Everyone in town knew he was still the best shot, since he always took home the blue ribbons for marksmanship at the county fair. It had been rumored once that he'd been married a long time ago, but he hadn't been seen with anyone in a romantic way for a long time.
“I'm sure your insurance will cover the damage,” the sheriff said, taking Jamella's shoulders to calm her down.
“I don't give a furry rat's butt ’bout my window, but when dey hurt dis poor child here”—she motioned towards Alex—“dat's when I get mad.”
Grant watched with a little humor as he realized how mad Jamella was. The maddest he'd ever seen her, and he'd once witnessed her yelling at an employee for stealing.
“Jamella, I'm okay, really.” Alex started to stand up, but Jamella put her hand on her unhurt shoulder.
“You just stay dar, child. Let me handle dis.” Then she turned on the sheriff again. “Now, we all knowed who's responsible for dis. The question is…Are you gonna handle dis, or shall I?”
The sheriff's face turned a little red, and Grant could see understanding and anger come into the old man's eyes.
“Now, Jamella, don't go getting funny ideas in that brain of yours. If there was any proof, if anyone saw Travis do this…” He looked at Grant, who quickly shook his head in frustration. “Then there's nothing I can do. Just because you think it's Travis Nolan, doesn't mean it is.” He held up his hand when Jamella started to talk, silencing her. “But I will head that way and ask after his whereabouts in the last hour. Until I have some solid proof, we all know there's nothing I can do to keep that boy behind bars.” The sheriff turned and walked out quickly.
“Dat man is useless,” Jamella said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Don't be so hard on him. After all, he's right.” Grant sat across from Alex and took her hand in his. “Just because we think it's Travis, doesn't mean it is. It could have been some kids. I've heard there's a group of high school kids that broke into The Rooster liquor store last week. Could be the same kids trying to break in here.”
Jamella let out a humpf noise and snatched up the broom and dustpan. “Ain't no kids, we all know dat.” She started sweeping up the glass, then she looked at Grant directly. “Take dat girl home and make sure she gets a good night’s rest.”
He smiled. “Yes ma'am.” He got up and reached to help Alex stand.
“Don't you need some help?” Alex asked.
“No, child.” Jamella walked over and laid a hand gently on Alex's cheek. “You go home with your man now and get some rest.” Then she looked at Grant again. “I'm sure I can trust him to make sure you stay safe for the rest of da night.”
Grant smiled and nodded. “Yes ma'am.”
Chapter Ten
“I think Jamella approves of you,” Alex said on the ride out of town.
“Yeah?” He glanced over at her. The white bandages on her forehead almost glowed in the darkness.
“Yeah,” Alex chuckled. “She always told me Travis was no good and found several ways to keep me at work late when she knew I was going to be out with him.”
“Smart woman.” Grant smiled.
“Yeah,” she said, then sighed. “I guess I should have listened to the people around me more often.”
He reached over and took her hand, while steering with his other hand. “What's important is that you've finally come to your senses.”
She chuckled. “I suppose you can look at it like I was temporarily insane.”
He chuckled and turned into his driveway, then slammed on his breaks. “Damn it.” He jumped out of the truck and walked forward, making sure to keep the headlights on his new corral area.
The damage wasn't that bad, but several of his posts had been pulled out. By the looks of the large ruts in his yard, it had been done by a truck with a winch.
“Oh,” Alex said, standing next to him. “How bad is it?” She looked around.
“Not bad,” he said as he stood there assessing the damage.
Alex pulled out her cell phone from her purse and dialed the sheriff’s number. “Hi, Sheriff, it's Alex. I'm over here at Grant's place and, well, you'd better come over and see for yourself.” She paused, then said, “Yeah, we'll be here.” When she clicked her phone off, she immediately dialed again.
“Lauren, I'm over at Grant's place.” She paused and listened to her sister, and a large smile crossed her face. “Yeah, well, I just wanted you to know what was going on.” Alex walked back towards the truck as she filled her sister in on the evening’s details.
They were sitting on the front deck when the sheriff pulled in, his lights hitting the downed posts.
“Maybe we caught a break here,” he said as he leaned over and looked closer at the tire marks. “If we can tell what type of tires did this damage, then we can compare it to what Travis has on his truck.”
Grant felt like a fool for not thinking of it himself. “I've got a spotlight in the back of my truck, if you need more light.”
“Sure,” the sheriff said, pointing his spotlight in the direction of the tire tracks. When Grant moved closer with his spotlight, the sheriff took out his cell phone and took a few pictures of the tire marks. “I'll check these with Travis' truck first thing in the morning.” He shook his head. “Sure made a mess, didn't he?”
“It's only three posts,” Grant said, knowing it had taken him almost an hour to place each one.
The sheriff turned to Grant and lowered his voice. “Grant, even if these do match, you know half the men in this county buy tires from one place in town. Hell, I probably have tires that match this on my hunting truck.”
“Yeah, still looking for that solid proof.” Grant shook his head in disgust.
“Yup.” The sheriff tucked his cell phone into his pocket and started walking towards his car. “Well, I'd better get back. ’Night.”
Grant watched the sheriff drive back down his driveway, then turned to Alex, who was still sitting on the porch looking very sweet in her dress and boots. Smiling, he walked up the steps and stopped right in front of her.
“Now, where were we before all this mess started?” He pulled her up into his arms and started swaying with her.
She smiled up at him. “What are you doing?”
“Dancing. Before that brick came flying through the window, I was about to ask you to dance.” He smiled when she leaned closer and rested her head on his shoulder.
“This is nice.” She sighed.
He smiled as he moved around his front porch. “We'll have to hit the Rusty Rail next weekend. The fair will be in town and it's sure
to be a great time.”
“Oh!” She pulled back, smiling at him. “That sounds great. I can't wait.”
He smiled down at her and gently moved a strand of her hair away from her face. “Will you go with me?”
She smiled up at him and nodded. “Of course.”
“Will you stay with me tonight?” he asked, holding his breath.
Her smile got bigger and she nodded again. “Yes, of course.” She reached up, standing on her toes, and placed a soft kiss on his lips. The sweetness of her kiss undid him. His hands shook as he pulled her hips closer to his. He ran his hands up and over her soft shoulders until he cupped the back of her head, holding her to him. Heat spread so fast throughout, that he almost felt like it was too much, too fast. Then she moaned and he started walking her towards the front door. She laughed when her shoulders came up against the wall next to the door.
“Damn, I'm usually smoother than this.” He smiled down at her. “I guess you do something to me.”
She looked down his body and smiled. “Yes, I can see what I do to you from here.”
He chuckled. “You little witch.” He pulled open the screen door and took her hips with his hands and playfully pushed her inside with him. She came to him again, her mouth playing over his as he walked slowly into the house. When the backs of his knees hit the couch, he pulled her down on top of him on the soft cushions. She gasped a little, then settled down on top of him, raining kisses over his jaw and neck. Her hands traveled over his shoulders and arms as she pulled open the buttons on his shirt.
“You looked very nice in this suit. I love what you've done to your body,” she said against his skin, trailing kisses across his chest. He leaned back and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her mouth on his heated skin.
His hands went to her hips, holding her close to him, but she moved farther down, her fingers going to the snap of his pants.
“Alex,” he moaned, “give me a minute.” He captured her hands with his. “Come back up here, and let me enjoy you.”
She shook her head playfully, then smiled and started to slowly unsnap his pants. He closed his eyes again and tried to mentally slow down. But then her fingers wrapped around him and he moaned her name and begged for more. Her mouth moved over his tight stomach, trailing hot kisses over his perfect six-pack. He reached down and pulled her up, hiking her dress high as his fingers dug into her bare hips. He pulled her to the side as they kissed. Yanking a condom from his pocket, he quickly sheathed himself and pulled her silky panties to the side. When he slid into her heat, she gasped then moaned and sat up a little. She placed her hands on his chest and looked down at him.
“You're the one who wouldn't slow down.” He smiled up at her.
“I like the speed,” she said, then started moving her hips slowly.
He looked up at her. Her head was tilted back, and her hair lay over her shoulder as she moved above him. Her lips were parted slightly, and he knew that he'd never forget the look of her above him like this. His fingers dug into her hips, holding her down onto him as she moved. Then she leaned over and kissed him, and he felt something shift inside his chest. Her lips were softer, her kisses deeper than he’d ever know, and he could tell nothing would ever be the same again.
Alex woke the next morning to rain and thunder and Grant. She smiled over at him as he looked across the pillow at her. “Morning.” She yawned and stretched. It was the first time she'd woken up in a bed with a man and she felt just a little uncomfortable.
Without saying anything, he reached over and gently pulled her closer, placing soft kisses on her cheeks and eyes. Her hands came up to touch his chest and desire spread through her like a storm. Rolling over, he pinned her underneath him as his hands started roaming under the covers on her naked skin. This time they made love slowly, taking time to explore each other in the growing daylight. Her hands shook as she lightly ran them over every inch of his body.
Finally, when they came together, she closed her eyes and shut out thoughts about how this meant more to her than any relationship she’d ever had before. She refused to believe that Grant was anything more than a healing step out of a bad relationship.
He made her breakfast as she showered. When she walked into his kitchen, he was standing at the stove cooking and looking damn sexy in just his jeans. Whatever it was, it smelled delicious. Her stomach growled as she sat down at the table. He put a plate in front of her.
“What's this?” She looked down at her plate and frowned a little.
He smiled and sat next to her with his plate. “Turkey bacon and egg white omelets with mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and green peppers. Trust me.” He took up his fork. “I've been eating healthy like this for several years now and I'll never go back.” He scooped up a spoonful and moaned when he took a bite.
She had been raised on meat and potatoes. She enjoyed an omelet for breakfast, but usually there was enough bacon and ham in it to stop even the strongest heart. Looking down at her plate, she noticed there was more green stuff in her omelet than meat. Scooping up a small bite, she decided that if it had changed his life so drastically, she’d try it. Especially since he'd turned from the chubby four-eyed kid to the sexy man who sat shirtless in front of her now.
When she tasted the spicy eggs, she fell in love. “Oh, my.” She took another bite and another. “These are wonderful!” She looked at him and smiled.
“Told ya.” He smiled and took another bite. “You should hit the gym with me sometime.” He laughed at the face she made. “Before you say it, no, I don't think you need to lose any weight.” He smiled at her. “The gym is quite addictive.”
“I don't know. I remember taking gym class in high school. I hated it.” She frowned at him, then picked up a piece of her turkey bacon. She'd never tried it before and was desperately wishing for a real piece of bacon. That is, until she bit into it. The meat tasted so good, she thought about stealing a piece off his plate.
“I hated gym class too. Remember Miss Gulden?” he said, frowning.
Alex laughed. “When she wore her red sweatsuit, she looked like a large apple.” They laughed.
“As adults, we get to pick and choose what exercises we do. I've found boxing is what I like best. You'd be good at it.” His smile turned mischievous. “It'll give you another option rather than kicking a man where it counts.”
She chuckled. “I suppose I could add some new tools to my vast arsenal of weapons.” She held up her arms and flexed her biceps as he laughed.
By the time Grant drove her home, she had decided to spend the rest of her day in Tyler. She was going to search for the right phone for him and possibly pick up a few items for herself while she was at it.
Haley decided to go along with her. She was thankful for the company and the help in picking out a few other items. Their first stop was to a baby store where they spent several hours picking out items for Lauren and Chase. When they walked next door to the phone store, the two of them were having so much fun laughing about what they'd bought their sister that they didn't realize that Savannah was standing right in front of them. She was standing on the sidewalk, a cigarette hanging from her lips, and they almost plowed her right over.
“Oh!” Haley said, backing up a few steps. Alex held the packages from the baby store in one hand and made sure to put her sister behind her.
“Well, well, well,” Savannah purred, puffing smoke in their direction. “What do we have here?” she said in a sarcastic tone, her eyes darting between them.
“None of your business.” Haley coughed, and jutted out her chin, glaring at the other woman.
Alex found it humorous how her sister treated Savannah, considering she’d broken up Alex’s relationship, not Haley’s. She felt even more love for her little sister, knowing Haley would gladly hold Savannah down while Alex pummeled her. She was over Travis. She was over Savannah. And more important, she was over having them punish her for something that wasn’t her fault.
Handing Haley h
er bags, Alex stepped closer to Savannah and watched the other woman's eyes heat. “You know what I'm tired of, Haley?”
She glared at the woman as her sister chuckled behind her and answered, “No, what?”
Savannah put out her cigarette with her heel and looked back at her with a smirk.
“I'm tired of being treated like the bad person in this whole fiasco. I'm tired of people taking it out on someone who had nothing to do with two people cheating on another innocent person. I'm tired of having Grant's tires slashed.” She watched Savannah's face, but her eyes showed nothing, no hint of guilt or knowledge. “I'm tired of having his property destroyed. And,” she stepped forward until she was only a breath away, “I'm tired of having people throw things at me.” She watched as a smile slowly crept onto Savannah's lips. “Now, if we're done with this”–she paused and looked Savannah up and down—“I want nothing more than to move on with my life.” She turned around and reached for her bags, then walked away without another word.
“That bitch,” Haley said under her breath.
“Don't.” Alex stopped her just inside the cell phone place. “Don't give her another thought. We all knew what she was before that night with Travis, and we all know it won't be the last time. I only wish those two would get married.” She looked out the front windows and watched Savannah head across the parking lot alone. “They deserve each other. But,” she sighed, “sadly, I've heard that they aren't even officially seeing each other.”
Haley looked out the window, following Alex's gaze. “She's an attention seeker. She'll do anything— and anyone—to get attention.”
Alex turned to her sister and smiled. “So, let's not give it to her. I've got a cell phone to buy.” She smiled. “We're hitting the frozen yogurt place afterwards.”
“Woohoo.” Haley smiled and did a fist pump.
