“You’re not going to get pigs or cows are you?” Courtney joined in my laughter as she probably imagined me wearing denim overalls and slopping out the barn stalls.
“I highly doubt it, honey. Wouldn’t that be something to see, though? Your aunt Denise would get a real kick out of that….” I laughed. “Well, darling, I am exhausted. Moving is tough work. I am going to hit the sack,” I said barely able to keep my eyes open.
“Okay… Call me if you need anything. I love you!” Courtney responded in her most excited tone.
“I love you too, Court,” I said back as I ended our call. I felt a bit teary eyed knowing that my daughter was a couple of hours away and I was alone in the woods in the middle of nowhere.
After I hung up the phone, I realized that I hadn’t eaten lunch or dinner, and my stomach was growling like a bear. I walked into the kitchen to see if there was anything in there that might suit my fancy. When you’re hungry, just about anything edible will work.
Thankfully, there was some food in the fridge which was weird since no one had been living there for awhile. I found a frozen TV dinner with fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans in it. The date was still good, so I figured the former owner may have been there recently and stayed overnight or something.
I fired up the microwave and started cooking the meal. Then, I noticed a radio hanging on the wall. I also saw a bottle of red wine sitting in a wine rack on the counter. I found a wine glass in one of my boxes and poured myself a glass.
I decided a little music was in order, so I turned it on my favorite station but it was full of static because I was so far outside of the range.
I found another station that was playing Southern classic rock and Sweet Home Alabama was on. I love that song, so I turned up the volume in an effort to wake myself up.
As the food cooked, I started swaying and singing to the music. I felt a sense of freedom wash over me for the first time in almost two decades. Sweet Home Alabama had never sounded so good!
I closed my eyes and started dancing around on the hardwood floors. Without thinking, I bumped into the counter and spilled the red wine all over my white lace sundress.
“Dang it!” I said as I pulled the sundress over my head. Realizing I was standing there in just my bra and panties, I had a momentary freak out wondering who could see me through the kitchen windows. Then, I realized that I was so far outside of the city, I could run naked through the front yard if I wanted. Freedom washed over me again.
The song changed to one of my favorites of all time - Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison. My newfound freedom kicked into high gear as my exhaustion wore away and my feet began dancing again. Here I was, in my bra and panties wearing nothing but a pair of designer cowboy boots, dancing around this large country farmhouse.
My, how life had suddenly changed…
I danced and danced, eyes closed, singing at the top of my lungs. I never even heard the microwave bell “ding” when my food was done cooking. Instead, I swigged a little wine and kept dancing.
Suddenly, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. You know that feeling you get when someone is watching you? I opened my eyes and turned around to see a man standing in the arched doorway between the kitchen and the living room.
Without missing a beat, I grabbed a butcher knife from one of the kitchen boxes, held it up and said “I’ve got a knife!”
“Well, ma’m, you might have a knife but the blade seems to be missing… And your clothes are missing too, I might add,” he said with a smirk that made me want to smack him.
“Crap,” I muttered as I dropped the knife handle which had broken away from the blade. I quickly grabbed my wine stained dress from the floor and held it in front of me to cover what I could.
“It’s okay, I am not here to hurt you. I live here,” he said walking toward me.
“Stay back! I own this house…” I held up my hand as he approached me slowly.
“You must be Shannon Harris then. I’m Tanner James…” He held his very masculine hand out to shake mine, but I was busy trying not to show him my almost naked body.
“Will you kindly turn around for a moment so that I can put my dress back on?” I asked in an irritated voice.
“Sure thing, but don’t let me mess up your plans for the evening. I sure hate to break up a good dance party…” he said with a low chuckle.
Tanner was tall and had a deep Southern accent that reminded me of Matthew McConaughey from the movies. He had dimples and thick, wavy sunkissed brown hair. He was wearing distressed jeans, cowboy boots and a fitted baby blue t-shirt that hugged his muscles in all the right places. But, his model good looks were not impressing me much at that moment.
“Okay, you can turn around and explain to me why the hell you are in MY home…” I had managed to get the white, wine stained dress back on, but it was clinging to my chest and he immediately noticed it. “Eyes up here, please,” I said pointing to my face.
“Sorry, it’s just hard to talk to you when you have purple spots all over your chest… um, dress…” he said smiling.
“Well, try to focus, okay? Why are you here?”
“As I said, Miss Shannon, I live here. John… your husband, I believe… hired me to manage this property and the horses a couple of years ago. I live in the guest house out back, but I saw lights on in here tonight…” he started.
“First of all, John is no longer my husband. He died a little more than a week ago. Secondly, I didn’t know that he hired someone. I didn’t know a lot of things, actually…” I started to say more, but it didn’t seem relevant. “I don’t think that I will be needing your services, Mr. James. I am here to take care of this place myself now.”
“So you know about horses then?”
“Well, no…”
“And you can plow the field and take care of the fencing?” he asked.
“Um… well, I can hire someone…” I started to say.
“So you want to fire me so you can hire someone else?” he smiled.
“Look, my late husband left me with basically nothing but this place which is not even really mine. I have no money to pay you…”
“No problem. He paid me ahead out of a trust account. I am good for a couple more years, plus I get free housing here. There is nothing you need to do, Miss Shannon… except allow me to stay. I mean, technically you can’t make me leave anyhow. Some man named Parker told me that he would rightfully own the place after Mr. Harris died…”
“Ugh… Parker…”
“Not a fan?” he chuckled.
“Not at the moment, no.”
“You hungry?” Tanner suddenly changed course.
“Yes, I am, but I found an old TV dinner in the fridge that I heated up…” I pointed to the microwave behind me.
“Yuck. You like those things?” he asked turning his nose up.
“Well, not really but beggars can’t be choosers…” I said starting to crack a smile myself.
“I just pulled a nice pot roast out of the oven. Would you like to join me?” he said pointing out at the guest house.
“Oh, no, that’s okay. I’m a mess and tired…” I tried to decline, but pot roast did sound a heck of a lot better than a microwaved TV dinner chicken.
“Why don’t you clean up a bit, change into something less sticky and meet me over there? I’ve got more than enough for one fella, trust me,” he said, tipping his hat at me as he headed for the back door.
“Okay, I guess I can do that. Give me about ten minutes…” I said as Tanner walked out toward the guest house.
What the heck just happened?
I thought to myself.
Chapter 7
Walking upstairs, I had my choice of three bathrooms, all elegantly decorated in period accents. I chose one off what appeared to be the master bedroom and turned on the light. Shocked at how tired and worn I looked, I dug through my overnight bag looking for any shred of makeup I could find.
Within a few minutes, I had managed to put myself together enough to be presentable. I wore a red sundress, my boots and what little bit of makeup I could find. I swung my hair into a ponytail and headed back downstairs.
As I walked through the kitchen, I grabbed the bottle of wine figuring it might go with pot roast.
The air outside had cooled down a bit, and I could see lightning bugs all around. The back veranda had a large wooden porch swing and a couple of rocking chairs. I could see the lights on in the guest house which was down a cobblestone walkway about 50 feet from the house.
“Miss Shannon…” Tanner smiled as he opened the door. “You certainly look less sticky now,” he said smiling as I brushed past him in the doorway.
The thought that this man had seen me dancing around in my under garments sent shivers up my spine. So far, he had been a gentleman about it, but I wondered how much he had seen.
“Mr. James. Thanks for inviting me over,” I said smiling with a quick bow.
“How about you call me Tanner?”
“Then I guess you need to call me Shannon,” I said with a smirk.
“Okay… Shannon then. Have a seat,” Tanner pointed at the table in his small kitchen. Wooden beams stretched across the ceiling and the table was as rustic as I had ever seen. Candles were lit in the middle creating a beautiful orange glow on the walls.
“This table is stunning,” I said running my hand across it.
“Thanks. I made it,” he called back from the kitchen where he was busily working with something on the stove.
“You made this? You are very talented,” I said continuing to inspect his craftsmanship.
“Well, thank you. My Daddy was a carpenter, so I guess I got a little bit of that from him. You like sweet tea or water, Shannon?” he called from behind the refrigerator door.
“Sweet tea, please. Can I help you with something?” I asked.
“No, ma’m. You’re my guest… It will just be a minute more on the biscuits,” he said smiling as he looked at me from behind a cabinet door.
“You are quite the cook for a man living in a guest house. You must have lots of ladies chasing you,” I said giggling without realizing that I was fishing for information more than anything else.
“Not really. Most women would much rather have a man with a future… not working with horses and living in a guest house,” he winked.
A few minutes later, he served me dinner. Pot roast with carrots and potatoes, fresh green beans and homemade biscuits.
“This looks delicious, Tanner. Thanks for inviting me. It has been a very long day…”
“Sorry I wasn’t here earlier when you were moving in. I ran to the horse supply store and then went to see my Mom at her diner on the square. Had I seen you, I wouldn’t have walked in on your striptease…” he winked at me again. This time, that wink caused some extra sensations that I wasn’t expecting in my body.
“It wasn’t a striptease!” I snapped, half joking and half embarrassed. “It was a dance of freedom.” I didn’t mean to say it, but he heard it anyway.
“Freedom?”
“Long story… Anyway, I spilled some wine on my dress and thought I was alone…”
“No need to explain, Shannon. I wasn’t complaining…” Tanner had the most beautiful green eyes I had ever seen. They were comforting and welcoming. “Any red blooded American man isn’t going to complain that a half naked, beautiful woman is dancing around in the kitchen.” He smiled and took a sip of his sweet tea.
“I don’t know about beautiful. I am 39 years old. Things aren’t like they once were…” I said, again not knowing why I was telling a perfect stranger these things.