a
slanted gaze she asked, “Who you running from—your
momma?’
Casey shook her head and plopped her
chin onto her knees.
“ Now don’t you go fibbin’ to
your Great-Godmother. It’s my job to keep you on the straight and
narrow and I intend to see that you do.”
Casey smiled. “I’m straight, Miss
Ashley.”
“ Are you?” Ashley leaned
forward and placed a hand to Casey’s back. She stroked her hair.
Tender and caring as she probed, “Are you really?”
“ I am.” Though at times,
Casey wished she weren’t. Life was easier when she didn’t have to
think about everything—her mother’s disappointment, the family feud
over Ladd Springs, the identity of her father. Most days she’d
rather up and forget about it all.
“ You know I worry about you,
Casey Melody.”
“ I know.”
“ You have a beautiful life
ahead of you. All you need to do is step up and claim it. Grab a
good strong hold of it and say, ‘Ready or not—here I
come!’”
Casey grinned. She’d always
liked Miss Ashley. Positive and outgoing should be her middle name.
Unlike her mother, Ashley believed in Casey, believed she could do
anything and everything and helped encourage her to chase her
dreams. Her mother? Casey could see the disappointment in her mom’s
eyes as clearly as if it were branded across her blue eyes. Clear
as a mountain stream, her mom looked at her own flesh and blood and
thought, You’ll never be
anything . You’re
going nowhere and on the fast train to get there .
“ Hey, Miss
Ashley.”
Casey’s nerves zipped through her
stomach at the sound of Troy’s voice. She gulped, lifting her head
from her knees as Troy sauntered over.
“ Well hey, good-looking,”
Ashley said easily, her smile large and welcoming.
Casey privately agreed. Longish brown
hair swept over his brow to one side drawing attention to his dark
brown eyes. Like her, Troy skipped the red, white and blue and
chose a snug black T-shirt instead, tucked neatly into his blue
jeans. His cowboy boots were the same dusty brown he always wore,
and Casey had to admit there was something strong and manly about
Troy Parker. Something that always made her skin tingle.
Troy peered down at her and said, “I’ve
been looking everywhere for you, Casey.”
His expression was friendly, sincere,
as though he really meant it. Heartbeats fluttered in her breast.
“You have?”
He nodded. “Your mom said you’d be out
here.”
“ I’m here,” she confirmed,
hating that she sounded so stupid. Lowering her legs, she leaned
back in her rocking chair and tried to sit like a normal
person.
Ashley lifted from her seat, the wood
creaking beneath the change in weight. “I think I hear Booker
calling my name,” she said with a wink. “You know I can’t keep the
grill sergeant waiting too long, it jerks a knot in his tail.”
Ashley ambled toward the front door and muttered, “Bless his heart,
when God handed out patience, Booker was standing behind the
door.”
Troy smirked.
Ashley smacked his arm and said, “Don’t
you go repeating what I said either, young man. I’ll have your
hide, you mention the first word to Mr. Fulmer.”
Troy laughed and held his hands up in
surrender. “Dad gum, Miss Ashley—I wouldn’t think of
it!”
She grinned. “Good.”
He shook his head slowly and watched
her with a wary eye, almost as if he was anticipating another
whack. “My momma didn’t raise no fool.”
“ No she didn’t,” Ashley
agreed, “despite that foolish bruise on your face.” Troy touched
the lump beneath his eye as she added, “In fact, I think I’ll go
tell her what a fine young man you are, this minute.”
Casey noticed Troy’s cheeks tinge ever
so slightly.
“ Yes ma’am,” he replied.
When Ashley disappeared into the house, he turned to Casey. “You
want some company, or should I leave you alone?”
She shrugged. Casey didn’t want him to
think she was interested. It’d only make her feel dumb when he
turned her
slanted gaze she asked, “Who you running from—your
momma?’
Casey shook her head and plopped her
chin onto her knees.
“ Now don’t you go fibbin’ to
your Great-Godmother. It’s my job to keep you on the straight and
narrow and I intend to see that you do.”
Casey smiled. “I’m straight, Miss
Ashley.”
“ Are you?” Ashley leaned
forward and placed a hand to Casey’s back. She stroked her hair.
Tender and caring as she probed, “Are you really?”
“ I am.” Though at times,
Casey wished she weren’t. Life was easier when she didn’t have to
think about everything—her mother’s disappointment, the family feud
over Ladd Springs, the identity of her father. Most days she’d
rather up and forget about it all.
“ You know I worry about you,
Casey Melody.”
“ I know.”
“ You have a beautiful life
ahead of you. All you need to do is step up and claim it. Grab a
good strong hold of it and say, ‘Ready or not—here I
come!’”
Casey grinned. She’d always
liked Miss Ashley. Positive and outgoing should be her middle name.
Unlike her mother, Ashley believed in Casey, believed she could do
anything and everything and helped encourage her to chase her
dreams. Her mother? Casey could see the disappointment in her mom’s
eyes as clearly as if it were branded across her blue eyes. Clear
as a mountain stream, her mom looked at her own flesh and blood and
thought, You’ll never be
anything . You’re
going nowhere and on the fast train to get there .
“ Hey, Miss
Ashley.”
Casey’s nerves zipped through her
stomach at the sound of Troy’s voice. She gulped, lifting her head
from her knees as Troy sauntered over.
“ Well hey, good-looking,”
Ashley said easily, her smile large and welcoming.
Casey privately agreed. Longish brown
hair swept over his brow to one side drawing attention to his dark
brown eyes. Like her, Troy skipped the red, white and blue and
chose a snug black T-shirt instead, tucked neatly into his blue
jeans. His cowboy boots were the same dusty brown he always wore,
and Casey had to admit there was something strong and manly about
Troy Parker. Something that always made her skin tingle.
Troy peered down at her and said, “I’ve
been looking everywhere for you, Casey.”
His expression was friendly, sincere,
as though he really meant it. Heartbeats fluttered in her breast.
“You have?”
He nodded. “Your mom said you’d be out
here.”
“ I’m here,” she confirmed,
hating that she sounded so stupid. Lowering her legs, she leaned
back in her rocking chair and tried to sit like a normal
person.
Ashley lifted from her seat, the wood
creaking beneath the change in weight. “I think I hear Booker
calling my name,” she said with a wink. “You know I can’t keep the
grill sergeant waiting too long, it jerks a knot in his tail.”
Ashley ambled toward the front door and muttered, “Bless his heart,
when God handed out patience, Booker was standing behind the
door.”
Troy smirked.
Ashley smacked his arm and said, “Don’t
you go repeating what I said either, young man. I’ll have your
hide, you mention the first word to Mr. Fulmer.”
Troy laughed and held his hands up in
surrender. “Dad gum, Miss Ashley—I wouldn’t think of
it!”
She grinned. “Good.”
He shook his head slowly and watched
her with a wary eye, almost as if he was anticipating another
whack. “My momma didn’t raise no fool.”
“ No she didn’t,” Ashley
agreed, “despite that foolish bruise on your face.” Troy touched
the lump beneath his eye as she added, “In fact, I think I’ll go
tell her what a fine young man you are, this minute.”
Casey noticed Troy’s cheeks tinge ever
so slightly.
“ Yes ma’am,” he replied.
When Ashley disappeared into the house, he turned to Casey. “You
want some company, or should I leave you alone?”
She shrugged. Casey didn’t want him to
think she was interested. It’d only make her feel dumb when he
turned her
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