Love's Slow Burn [Southern Heat 2] (2 page)

“That’s life in a small town for you. Time goes by, but things seldom change.” Placing his hat upon his head, he said, “Maybe we’ll see each other again sometime.”

“I guess we should be rolling out. You two have a good day now, Ms. Hastings, Ms. Prentice,” Dean offered, walking off toward the ladder truck.

“You ladies take care. Casey, I hope to see you again real soon,” Jake said, before leaving to join his partner.

A month later, the remnants of the fire were gone. Casey found a reputable contractor, and Jenna hired the company to make the necessary repairs. Afterward, the living room looked better than ever.

With life returning to normal, Jenna started to focus attention on her niece. She was concerned about Casey and her lack of a social life. One early spring morning in April, as they had breakfast out on the verandah, Jenna decided to tackle the subject head-on.

“Casey, darlin’, you’ve been here for five months. I must admit, you are the perfect assistant, but it’s high time you get out of this house and start mingling,” Jenna said, patting the blonde French twist at the back of her head.

“Auntie, I’m fine,” Casey replied, tossing her hair to her back. “I’ve spent a lot of time running the streets of New York. It feels good to take a break from all that. To tell you the truth, I like the solitude, the tranquility.”

Pursing her lips, Jenna said, “You’re a beautiful, young girl, Casey. You need to keep company with people your own age. Besides, there are so many eligible, young bachelors in Dalton County. A girl like yourself could do quite well if she only put her mind to it.”

“Auntie, this is 2014 for goodness sake. Are you trying to fix me up?” Casey asked suspiciously, taking a sip from her coffee cup.

“So what if I am?” Jenna questioned, tightening her lips a little. “You’re absolutely gorgeous. Such beauty should not go to waste.”

“I’m only twenty-four, Aunt Jen. I’ve got plenty of time to settle down.”

“Who’s talkin’ about settling? You need to go out and have some fun. Don’t get me wrong, I love the company, child, but spending all your time with old Aunt Jen is not what you should be doing. I asked you to come here to be my personal assistant, not to mope around this house all day and night. Look at me. I have an active social life. May I suggest you get one for yourself?”

“Your point is well taken. Tell you what, now that the renovation work is done, I’ll take some time to rediscover all that the town of Dalton has to offer,” Casey replied with an undertone of reluctance.

“You don’t sound very convincing. Do you promise?” Jenna asked.

Casey smiled at her. “Yes, I promise.”

Jenna was pleased that she had made some leeway with Casey in getting her to explore her social possibilities, but she had no idea of what she was awakening inside of her niece.

Being a woman of her word, Casey Prentice kept her promise to her aunt, Jenna Hastings. Over the next several weeks she went out on dates with some of the most eligible bachelors in and around Dalton County. Her effort netted her no real results. It was futile. Although the young men considered Casey quite pleasing and very sexy, she found every one of them to be either boring or too self-absorbed. She had almost lost hope when she and her aunt spotted a poster in town promoting the Dalton County Spring Fling.

Referring to the yearly event, Casey commented, “It doesn’t seem like it’s changed all that much. The last one I attended was a couple of days before we left for New York.”

“As I recall, later that night, your mother had to pour a few doses of antacid into you when you arrived home. You ate a ton of junk food that day. You made yourself sick. She thought you might have to see a doctor,” Jenna recalled.

“You’re right, I remember that. But in spite of it all, it was one of the best fairs I ever attended, even to this day.”

“I make it a point to attend every year. This year, I’ll have my lovely niece once again at my side accompanying me.”

“Finally, something to look forward to,” Casey said with a sigh. “Maybe my luck will take a turn for the better.”

“Now that’s my girl. Chin up, my darling, you’ll find exactly what and who you need at the right time. I just know it.”

“Aunt Jen, you make it sound as though I’m desperate. Remember, it was your idea that I start dating. I was content to take my time. I’m getting accustomed to this slow, easy pace. I’m in no hurry to get into a relationship.”

“Casey, I love all of my family, I truly do, but you are my absolute favorite,” Jenna said.

“Well, yes, I suppose I am,” Casey confirmed.

“Good…now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I want you to know, since the death of my dearly departed Harold, I’ve yearned for a close sense of family again. You’ve given me a new beginning, darling. Your happiness is very important to me.”

“But, Auntie, I’m only twenty-four. I’ve got plenty of time to find Mr. Right.”

“I can’t argue that point. I’m just saying I want you to be as happy as you possibly can be. It’s the greatest gift I can wish for my sweet pea.”

“Aunt Jen, you haven’t called me that nickname in years,” Casey said, thinking back to the past.

“Come on, dear, we’ve got some shopping to do,” Jenna told her.

* * * *

On Saturday, May 10
^th
, Casey awoke at 9:00 a.m. to the smell of sugar-cured bacon, French toast, and scrambled eggs. Aunt Jen had been up since the crack of dawn, and she was raring to go.

Walking into the country-style kitchen, Casey stretched her slender yet curvy body, hidden beneath her striped pink and white nightshirt, before taking a big whiff of the delectable aromas that filled the air.

“You could tempt the devil himself with this delicious-smelling breakfast. I can’t wait to dig into it,” Casey said, placing a quick peck upon her aunt’s cheek.

“You’re welcomed, my dear. Don’t be afraid in getting used to this. It’s the least I can do for all the help you’ve given me.”

“What are you talking about? I get a weekly paycheck from you, but I’d help out even if you couldn’t afford to pay me. We’re family. I love you.”

“And I love you. Wait a second. Are you jockeying for a raise already?” Jenna asked, playfully raising her brow.

“Aunt Jen, you’re too much. I’m very satisfied with our arrangement. You’re more than generous.”

Jenna smiled at her. “You’re a godsend, darling. Believe me, you’re well worth it.”

After the food was ready, the women sat down at the kitchen table to enjoy the morning breakfast. The topic of conversation centered on the afternoon itinerary.

“Mmm, this is delicious,” Casey said, taking several bites of the food. “Aunt Jen, tell me about the Spring Fling. Has it changed over the years?”

“In a few ways here and there, but mostly it has remained the same. We’re gonna make a day of it. I’m betting you’ll have such a good time. Who knows, maybe you’ll find someone to take your breath away.”

Casey looked into her aunt’s youthful-looking hazel eyes and said, “You’ve got such high hopes for me, auntie. I just want to have a good time.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will, dear. Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve got a lot going for you. After all, you’re my niece, and what my sweet pea wants, I’m gonna make sure she gets.”

* * * *

When Casey and Jenna arrived at the Spring Fling event, half of Dalton County was already in attendance. The cloudless blue sky was sunny that afternoon. The air was refreshingly breezy, scented with the smell of honeysuckle in bloom. A local music group, Band of Brothers, played their latest song, “Sweet Treats,” on the main stage.

Crossing the fairgrounds, Jenna made it a point to introduce her niece to every one of her acquaintances they encountered as they worked their way through several crowds of eager fairgoers.

“Auntie, I have got to have some cotton candy,” Casey said.

“Are we about to relive the past? This feels a bit like déjà vu,” Jenna replied.

“I’m not ten anymore, Aunt Jen. I’m a big girl now. I’m all grown up.”

“I’ll say. Truer words have never been spoken,” Jake Martin commented, walking up behind them with his work partner, Dean Stark.

“Well, Mr. Martin, Mr. Stark, I do declare. Where did you two come from?” Jenna questioned after she and Casey turned around to face them.

“Good afternoon, Ladies. I was hoping you two would make an appearance. This day just wouldn’t have been the same if you didn’t show,” Jake said, staring directly at Casey.

“Is that a fact, Jake? I’m sure you do just fine on your own.” Directing her attention to Dean, she asked, “How has life been treating you, Mr. Stark?”

“I can’t complain, but when something or
someone
sparks my interest, I become curious,” he replied. “I like to get to the bottom of things. Do you know what I mean?”

“No, I can’t say that I do, but I’m sure you can explain it to me,” Casey said.

“Thanks for the invitation, Ms. Prentice. I’d be happy to discuss the matter with you later, but right now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some exploring of my own to do. It’s sure nice to see you again, Ms. Jennings,” Dean replied, tipping his cowboy hat to them, walking off toward the livestock competition.

“Well, that was some kind of rude,” Casey commented.

“Two sides of the same coin, if you ask me,” Jenna added.

“Are you talking about me? I’m nothing like him,” Casey said, defending herself.

“Ladies, it’s time to have some fun,” Jake said with a smile.

“Sounds good to me,” Jenna confirmed. “But I’ve never fashioned myself as the third wheel, you know, so if you two incredibly lovely, young people will excuse me, I’m going to spend some time at the bake-off tent. This year, I plan on pushing Louise Hawkins from her number-one spot. I’m not one to brag, but my homemade cherry pie turned out perfectly. It’s sinfully delicious.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a little sin now and then. Will you save us some?” Jake asked, smiling at Jenna. “With your permission, I’d like to show your niece around.”

“Of course I will. You two run off and have some fun. I’ll see you in a bit,” Jenna said.

“Auntie, are you sure? I can—”

“Get out of here, Casey,” Jenna interrupted. “You and Jake enjoy yourselves.”

“I’ll take real good care of her,” he said.

“Oh, I’m confident that you’ll do just that. I’ll see you soon, Casey.”

“OK, auntie, good luck,” she said, walking off with Jake.

“So, Casey, what do you think of all this?” he asked.

“I like it a lot. It brings back so many memories for me.”

Sounding somewhat anxious, he asked, “How long do you plan on staying in town?”

“I’m here indefinitely, as long as Aunt Jen needs me.”

“She’s an incredible lady. After Mr. Harold passed, she had her mourning period, but then she picked herself up and got on with her life. I’m sure it’s what he would have wanted.”

“It sounds like you stayed in close contact with them,” Casey said.

“Oh, yeah, I did. They made a great couple. Mr. Harold was a major contributor to the firehouse. My dad told me he helped fund the building of our new firehouse back in ’94.”

Casey looked surprised. “I never knew that.”

“He and Ms. Jen were like that. She still is. She’s an amazing lady. I’m not surprised she didn’t mention it.”

“I like that quality in her, that kind of humility…humble but strong,” she said, staring at Jake.

* * * *

After three hours of amusement park rides, livestock judging, watching Aunt Jen win the community bake-off, and the crowning of Miss Spring Fling 2014, Jake decided to take Casey exploring.

“Casey, don’t be a stick in the mud. I’ll be fine. Is Jake going to drop you off at the house?” Jenna asked.

“Yes, he said he would,” Casey replied.

“Good, don’t worry about me. I’ll see myself back to the house. I’m going to hang out here for a while. I feel the need to bask in my victory.”

“You’re bad, Aunt Jen. Don’t rough them up too much,” Casey told her.

“Oh, I won’t, but after losing to Louise three years in a row, I think I deserve just a little victory dance.”

“I can’t argue that. OK, I’ll see you soon,” Casey said, kissing her cheek.

“Have fun, dear, and be safe,” Jenna said, waving good-bye to Casey.

Driving through Dalton County, Jake helped Casey reacquaint herself with her old southern stomping ground. Stopping at one of the local liquor stores near Wilson’s Pond, he bought two bottles of white wine and a twelve pack of beer.

As he reentered his dark blue Mustang, Casey asked, “Jake Martin, what are you up to?”

“Nothing, but I figured we’d stop by the pond and chill for a while. I haven’t laid eyes on you in almost fifteen years. I want to hear all about your time in the Big Apple.”

“Oh, well, OK, I think I’d like that,” Casey replied.

Wilson’s Pond was a secluded area outside of Dalton. The park was full of trees, wildflowers, and assorted wildlife. As the couple exited the car, Casey spotted a white-tailed buck, grazing in the distance across the water.