ran his hands through his thick golden-brown hair, the muscles in his back tensing.
"I thought I had made it perfectly clear when you moved in here, Jessica, that I do not plan on getting involved again . . . with you."
Jessica's eyes blazed. "We just slept together, Jason. I didn't hog-tie you and drag you to the altar!"
"No, but many more nights like last night and I'd probably be dragging myself down the aisle, and there's no way,
Page 92
lady, I'm going to give you a chance to walk out on me again!''
"Ohhhhh . . . " Jessica sputtered, grabbing the flaky brown biscuits out of the oven and slamming them down on the kitchen table. "Sit down and eat your breakfast, Jason. I certainly have no plans to molest you ever again. Besides, you're the one who started it."
"I sure didn't see you begging for mercy," Jason said tightly, reaching for a biscuit.
"Well, of all the . . . you're sure no gentleman!"
"Well, you're sure no lady!"
Jessica's temper was boiling as she slammed the plate of eggs and ham down violently in front of him. "Do you want more than one egg . . . toad! "
"One's fine," Jason said, calmly picking up his fork to eat, "and you can just simmer down. I simply wanted to get things straight with you . . . all right? No need to get all bent out of shape." He salted his eggs casually.
"I'll try to control myself," Jessica said sarcastically, reaching for a biscuit. "I can do anything when I put my mind to it."
"Fine, then how about hustling your fanny over to the refrigerator and getting me a glass of orange juice . . . housekeeper," he taunted.
"Sure . . . boss." Jessica shoved back from the table, causing his coffee to slosh all over his plate.
Grabbing to retrieve a biscuit, he shot her an infuriating grin as he got up from the table. "Changed my mind. I think I'll clear out while I can still walk!"
"You're a lot smarter than you look, Jason," Jessica heckled.
He breezed by her, giving her a pinch on the derriere before he bolted out the back door chuckling. A few minutes later he stuck his broadly grinning face back through the door, saying mischievously, "Remember, hands off, Cole! "
Page 93
Jessica picked up a dish towel and flung it at the door as he banged it shut.
The month of June sped by with Jason keeping a safe distance from Jessica. Outwardly they laughed and talked, but inwardly they were both aware of a tension betwem them. Jason continued to date Monica, a source of deep irritation to Jessica. Rick Warner continuously hung around Jessica's doorstep, a source of deep irritation to Jason.
The Fourth of July dawned hot and muggy. Jessica sat in front of the kitchen fan, drinking a glass of tea, thumbing through her recipes. She was trying to decide what to take to the annual picnic and Fourth of July dance that had been a standing tradition in this small town for over fifty years. In fact it was the highlight of the year, second only to Christmas. Jessica was especially looking forward to it this year, having been away from home for so long. The meal was always served in the open air unless it rained, in which case it was moved to the covered pavilion. The tables groaned under every type of food imaginable, each woman bringing her own particular specialty. It had turned into an unspoken contest to see who had the most sought-after recipe at the end of the day. Cakes, pies, breads, jams, jellies, fried chicken, hams, big buckets of corn on the cob dripping with homemade butter, freezers of fresh-turned ice cream, watermelonsthe list went on and on.
The men would all try to out-eat one another, and the women would throw their diets out the window for the day, only to pay a heavy penalty the rest of the week. Then, after every button on their pants had popped, the old fiddlers would start tuning up their instruments, along with the guitar and banjo players, getting ready for the dancing. Before long every foot would be tapping, hands would be clapping, and couples would start
"I thought I had made it perfectly clear when you moved in here, Jessica, that I do not plan on getting involved again . . . with you."
Jessica's eyes blazed. "We just slept together, Jason. I didn't hog-tie you and drag you to the altar!"
"No, but many more nights like last night and I'd probably be dragging myself down the aisle, and there's no way,
Page 92
lady, I'm going to give you a chance to walk out on me again!''
"Ohhhhh . . . " Jessica sputtered, grabbing the flaky brown biscuits out of the oven and slamming them down on the kitchen table. "Sit down and eat your breakfast, Jason. I certainly have no plans to molest you ever again. Besides, you're the one who started it."
"I sure didn't see you begging for mercy," Jason said tightly, reaching for a biscuit.
"Well, of all the . . . you're sure no gentleman!"
"Well, you're sure no lady!"
Jessica's temper was boiling as she slammed the plate of eggs and ham down violently in front of him. "Do you want more than one egg . . . toad! "
"One's fine," Jason said, calmly picking up his fork to eat, "and you can just simmer down. I simply wanted to get things straight with you . . . all right? No need to get all bent out of shape." He salted his eggs casually.
"I'll try to control myself," Jessica said sarcastically, reaching for a biscuit. "I can do anything when I put my mind to it."
"Fine, then how about hustling your fanny over to the refrigerator and getting me a glass of orange juice . . . housekeeper," he taunted.
"Sure . . . boss." Jessica shoved back from the table, causing his coffee to slosh all over his plate.
Grabbing to retrieve a biscuit, he shot her an infuriating grin as he got up from the table. "Changed my mind. I think I'll clear out while I can still walk!"
"You're a lot smarter than you look, Jason," Jessica heckled.
He breezed by her, giving her a pinch on the derriere before he bolted out the back door chuckling. A few minutes later he stuck his broadly grinning face back through the door, saying mischievously, "Remember, hands off, Cole! "
Page 93
Jessica picked up a dish towel and flung it at the door as he banged it shut.
The month of June sped by with Jason keeping a safe distance from Jessica. Outwardly they laughed and talked, but inwardly they were both aware of a tension betwem them. Jason continued to date Monica, a source of deep irritation to Jessica. Rick Warner continuously hung around Jessica's doorstep, a source of deep irritation to Jason.
The Fourth of July dawned hot and muggy. Jessica sat in front of the kitchen fan, drinking a glass of tea, thumbing through her recipes. She was trying to decide what to take to the annual picnic and Fourth of July dance that had been a standing tradition in this small town for over fifty years. In fact it was the highlight of the year, second only to Christmas. Jessica was especially looking forward to it this year, having been away from home for so long. The meal was always served in the open air unless it rained, in which case it was moved to the covered pavilion. The tables groaned under every type of food imaginable, each woman bringing her own particular specialty. It had turned into an unspoken contest to see who had the most sought-after recipe at the end of the day. Cakes, pies, breads, jams, jellies, fried chicken, hams, big buckets of corn on the cob dripping with homemade butter, freezers of fresh-turned ice cream, watermelonsthe list went on and on.
The men would all try to out-eat one another, and the women would throw their diets out the window for the day, only to pay a heavy penalty the rest of the week. Then, after every button on their pants had popped, the old fiddlers would start tuning up their instruments, along with the guitar and banjo players, getting ready for the dancing. Before long every foot would be tapping, hands would be clapping, and couples would start
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