a shiver run up the back of her spine. Her smile froze on her lips as she leaned back and watched him, her entire body heating under his gaze. Someone’s laughter in the crowded room broke the spell and she shook her head.
“Missy?” She tilted her head. “I like that. No one’s ever called me that before.”
“It suits you.” He smiled and leaned back in the booth. She nodded. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong with the Jones place?” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her. Before she could answer, Jamella walked over and sat a huge plate of food in front of him.
“Thanks.” He smiled up at her. “I’ve been looking forward to your fried chicken since the last time I was here.”
She smiled and patted her hair. “Well, if’n you need more…”
He nodded as she filled up his ice tea.
After Jamella walked away, he turned to Missy without touching his food. “Well?”
She smiled. “There is nothing wrong with the Jones’s place other than the fact that it backs up to the Douglas’s place, which is the main reason the Joneses left in the first place.”
He frowned at her and picked up a piece of his chicken. “Douglas?” She watched him sink his teeth into the tender meat. She’d finished her plate of the golden goodness less than five minutes before he walked into the diner, yet her mouth still watered at the sight.
She nodded. “John and Ruth Douglas and more important, their daughter…”—she paused for effect—“Savannah.”
He chuckled. “Is she really as bad as everyone says?”
Melissa nodded. “Worse, I’m sure. Actually, she’s been banned from Mama’s after a rather suspicious dine-and-dash incident.” She leaned forward and whispered, “I’ve heard that the sheriff was called.”
“No,” he whispered back as he smiled. She nodded and took another sip of her warm beer.
He watched her, then nodded towards the almost empty glass and asked, “How many of those have you had?”
She shrugged. “One, but tomorrow is my day off and after spending all day yesterday moving, and then pulling a double shift, I needed it.”
She leaned back and drank the rest of the golden liquid. “Besides, I live just two blocks from here now and can easily walk home.”
He nodded. “Just the same, I’ll walk you there once I’m done with dinner.” He shoveled a big spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. She watched as his eyes rolled and then closed on a moan. “I don’t know how she does it, but these are the best mashed potatoes in the world.”
“Garlic and lots of butter,” she said, smiling. When he looked up at her, she shrugged her shoulders. “I asked her once. When will you know if the Joneses accepted your offer?”
“Sometime next week. I think the place is just right for me.”
“Oh?” She looked down at the empty glass and wondered if she could handle another beer.
“Sure. The barn looks like it had some work done on it recently. Mike seemed to recall them putting a new metal roof on it just a few years back. It looks like it’s in great condition. There are several corrals that will work perfectly for what I have in mind, and there are plenty of green fields for horses.”
She giggled and when he looked up from his food, she continued, “Did you even look at the house?”
He replied with a shrug.
“I mean, you do plan on living there. Right?”
“Sure, I guess.” He frowned as he took a bite of a sweet roll.
“If I remember it right, it’s a brick ranch.” When he nodded, she continued. “I think I spent the night there once when their daughter Jenny and I were friendly in grade school. I believe there is an old stone fireplace in the middle and the rooms are near the back.” He nodded again and continued to eat. “I remember the kitchen the most. Mrs. Jones baked the best carrot cake. Jenny and I would sit at the stone bar and wait for the buzzer on the stove.” She closed her eyes and remembered the richness that
“Missy?” She tilted her head. “I like that. No one’s ever called me that before.”
“It suits you.” He smiled and leaned back in the booth. She nodded. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong with the Jones place?” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her. Before she could answer, Jamella walked over and sat a huge plate of food in front of him.
“Thanks.” He smiled up at her. “I’ve been looking forward to your fried chicken since the last time I was here.”
She smiled and patted her hair. “Well, if’n you need more…”
He nodded as she filled up his ice tea.
After Jamella walked away, he turned to Missy without touching his food. “Well?”
She smiled. “There is nothing wrong with the Jones’s place other than the fact that it backs up to the Douglas’s place, which is the main reason the Joneses left in the first place.”
He frowned at her and picked up a piece of his chicken. “Douglas?” She watched him sink his teeth into the tender meat. She’d finished her plate of the golden goodness less than five minutes before he walked into the diner, yet her mouth still watered at the sight.
She nodded. “John and Ruth Douglas and more important, their daughter…”—she paused for effect—“Savannah.”
He chuckled. “Is she really as bad as everyone says?”
Melissa nodded. “Worse, I’m sure. Actually, she’s been banned from Mama’s after a rather suspicious dine-and-dash incident.” She leaned forward and whispered, “I’ve heard that the sheriff was called.”
“No,” he whispered back as he smiled. She nodded and took another sip of her warm beer.
He watched her, then nodded towards the almost empty glass and asked, “How many of those have you had?”
She shrugged. “One, but tomorrow is my day off and after spending all day yesterday moving, and then pulling a double shift, I needed it.”
She leaned back and drank the rest of the golden liquid. “Besides, I live just two blocks from here now and can easily walk home.”
He nodded. “Just the same, I’ll walk you there once I’m done with dinner.” He shoveled a big spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. She watched as his eyes rolled and then closed on a moan. “I don’t know how she does it, but these are the best mashed potatoes in the world.”
“Garlic and lots of butter,” she said, smiling. When he looked up at her, she shrugged her shoulders. “I asked her once. When will you know if the Joneses accepted your offer?”
“Sometime next week. I think the place is just right for me.”
“Oh?” She looked down at the empty glass and wondered if she could handle another beer.
“Sure. The barn looks like it had some work done on it recently. Mike seemed to recall them putting a new metal roof on it just a few years back. It looks like it’s in great condition. There are several corrals that will work perfectly for what I have in mind, and there are plenty of green fields for horses.”
She giggled and when he looked up from his food, she continued, “Did you even look at the house?”
He replied with a shrug.
“I mean, you do plan on living there. Right?”
“Sure, I guess.” He frowned as he took a bite of a sweet roll.
“If I remember it right, it’s a brick ranch.” When he nodded, she continued. “I think I spent the night there once when their daughter Jenny and I were friendly in grade school. I believe there is an old stone fireplace in the middle and the rooms are near the back.” He nodded again and continued to eat. “I remember the kitchen the most. Mrs. Jones baked the best carrot cake. Jenny and I would sit at the stone bar and wait for the buzzer on the stove.” She closed her eyes and remembered the richness that
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