breathlessly. Her hand pressed to her chest as she went to make sure her breakfast wasn’t burning. Bear ran towards the new person, starved for attention. Jennie bent down to pet him. Mara was upset with herself. There was no reason she should still be doubting Beau. If Agent Parker trusted him, so should she. Especially after last night. He would keep her safe, just like he promised. But Jimmy had made her a lot of promises too. She shook her head. New start. New start, she repeated in her head.
“Now that everyone knows who I am,” Jennie grinned, looking up at Mara. “Nice shirt, but you’re going to want something cooler to garden in,” Jennie winked at her. Mara immediately felt uncomfortable. She tugged at the hem of Beau’s shirt, as if it would cover her up. She wished for the floor to swallow her whole. She didn’t need her new small town to think of her as a hussy, jumping into bed with her neighbor just days after moving in.
“Girl, you look like you seen a ghost. Don’t you worry none. I ain’t one for gossiping.” Jennie smiled again at Mara as Beau moved over to snake some bacon from the pan. He handed Bear a piece and shoved the other into his mouth as he tried to not laugh.
“I’m sorry, I’m just, new to this neighborly thing. I never really had friends and my neighbors weren’t the friendly, stop by type. That seems to happen in the big city.” Jennie rose, helping herself to coffee.
“So, we working on that garden today or not? I see you made some progress. Hope your website got figured out.” She looked out the window at what Mara had achieved the day before. “I see you ended up getting it done yesterday huh?” She raised an eyebrow at Mara.
“Most of it. I’m sorry Jennie. I’m really trying to get used to this small town thing.”
“Darling, I get it. I don’t know what or who you’re running from, but I ain’t stupid. Been there done that before in my life. I see a lot of me in you. We can take it slow.” Mara didn’t know what to say to that. Was she so transparent? She looked to Beau for help. He shrugged.
“Jennie’s a smart woman. I told you she was a great friend to make.” Jennie patted his bare shoulder as she wandered by, shifting about the kitchen.
“I just, there’s a lot going on right now. I really do want your help. I just, had some personal things to handle yesterday.” Jennie smiled at her new friend. “I was going to call you today though,” she assured Jennie.
“It’s ok Mara, seriously. I get it. You don’t have to make excuses.” Her glance shifted to Beau. “Besides, if I had a shirtless helper, I’d want to be alone too.” The older lady sipped on the coffee she had poured herself and moved back towards the counter. “But, now that I’m here, I’ll go see what you have going on out there. Beau, go get your shirt back from Mara and grab some of that mulch I saw by the driveway. Mara, get changed and we’ll get to work.”
“But,” Beau started. The look Jennie leveled at him gave him pause.
“But what boy?” She asked.
“Breakfast,” was his only reply as he gave her the puppy dog eyes and glanced over at the bacon on the stove.
“Seems to me that you got your fill already.” She laughed over her shoulder while walking through the kitchen door to the back garden. Mara laughed at Beau as he pouted. She switched the stove off, handing Bear another piece of bacon and shoving another into her mouth.
“I better go change,” said joked, trying to walk by Beau. He reached out, grabbing her by the waist.
“Don’t think you’re getting off that easy,” he whispered against her ear. Beau picked her up by her hips, planting her seated on the counter. He wedged himself between her legs, which she quickly wrapped around his waist. He pressed his body against her, arms planted on each side of her body, bracing himself on the counter. Leaning in, his forehead pressed against hers as they stared at each other.
“You
“Now that everyone knows who I am,” Jennie grinned, looking up at Mara. “Nice shirt, but you’re going to want something cooler to garden in,” Jennie winked at her. Mara immediately felt uncomfortable. She tugged at the hem of Beau’s shirt, as if it would cover her up. She wished for the floor to swallow her whole. She didn’t need her new small town to think of her as a hussy, jumping into bed with her neighbor just days after moving in.
“Girl, you look like you seen a ghost. Don’t you worry none. I ain’t one for gossiping.” Jennie smiled again at Mara as Beau moved over to snake some bacon from the pan. He handed Bear a piece and shoved the other into his mouth as he tried to not laugh.
“I’m sorry, I’m just, new to this neighborly thing. I never really had friends and my neighbors weren’t the friendly, stop by type. That seems to happen in the big city.” Jennie rose, helping herself to coffee.
“So, we working on that garden today or not? I see you made some progress. Hope your website got figured out.” She looked out the window at what Mara had achieved the day before. “I see you ended up getting it done yesterday huh?” She raised an eyebrow at Mara.
“Most of it. I’m sorry Jennie. I’m really trying to get used to this small town thing.”
“Darling, I get it. I don’t know what or who you’re running from, but I ain’t stupid. Been there done that before in my life. I see a lot of me in you. We can take it slow.” Mara didn’t know what to say to that. Was she so transparent? She looked to Beau for help. He shrugged.
“Jennie’s a smart woman. I told you she was a great friend to make.” Jennie patted his bare shoulder as she wandered by, shifting about the kitchen.
“I just, there’s a lot going on right now. I really do want your help. I just, had some personal things to handle yesterday.” Jennie smiled at her new friend. “I was going to call you today though,” she assured Jennie.
“It’s ok Mara, seriously. I get it. You don’t have to make excuses.” Her glance shifted to Beau. “Besides, if I had a shirtless helper, I’d want to be alone too.” The older lady sipped on the coffee she had poured herself and moved back towards the counter. “But, now that I’m here, I’ll go see what you have going on out there. Beau, go get your shirt back from Mara and grab some of that mulch I saw by the driveway. Mara, get changed and we’ll get to work.”
“But,” Beau started. The look Jennie leveled at him gave him pause.
“But what boy?” She asked.
“Breakfast,” was his only reply as he gave her the puppy dog eyes and glanced over at the bacon on the stove.
“Seems to me that you got your fill already.” She laughed over her shoulder while walking through the kitchen door to the back garden. Mara laughed at Beau as he pouted. She switched the stove off, handing Bear another piece of bacon and shoving another into her mouth.
“I better go change,” said joked, trying to walk by Beau. He reached out, grabbing her by the waist.
“Don’t think you’re getting off that easy,” he whispered against her ear. Beau picked her up by her hips, planting her seated on the counter. He wedged himself between her legs, which she quickly wrapped around his waist. He pressed his body against her, arms planted on each side of her body, bracing himself on the counter. Leaning in, his forehead pressed against hers as they stared at each other.
“You
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