Well I guess he thinks you’re okay…

“Well I guess he thinks you’re okay,” Jessie said as they came up the front steps, “And if Earl sent you I guess you’re not going to kidnap me away to some desert island and have your way with me.” Oh my gawd did I just say thought out loud she thought.

Case chuckled, “Um nope. That wasn’t the plan. Just a little woodwork.”

As they walked down the hall towards the kitchen where the dogs sniffed around all the scattered pots and pans Jessie asked, “Can I get you anything to drink Brawny?”

“Excuse me?”

Oh my GAWD I’m going to die, get it together, she scolded herself.

“Can I get you anything to drink, or a brownie?” Jessie asked as she took a calming breath.

Case paused at the kitchen door and surveyed the disaster zone; “Use a lot of dishes when you bake?”

Jessie surprised herself by giggling, and then shook her head, “Um, no, actually, what you see there is my latest accomplishment in unintended demolition.”

She shoved a pot away from the front of the fridge and pulled out two Dr. Peppers, handed one to Case while she single-handedly popped the top on her own. She took a long drink as Case opened his and eyed the ceiling.

“Nice work,” he grinned.

With half her drink gone and the caffeine settling her nerves she smiled at him, “I always try my hardest.”

“Actually I can’t seem to get into much around here without creating ten times more work. Guess that could be good news for you. Don’t mean to sound rude, but where are you from? Earl hasn’t had much help since I’ve known him. And I don’t recall any Jennings around town.”

“Nope, not from around Chancy – grew up just outside of Houston in Spring. Guess it was about four months ago now I relocated. My cousin Jeff moved back here last year and kept talking about how calm and beautiful things were around here.”

Jessie began picking up the pots, skillets and pans and setting them up on the counter. She surprised herself when she noticed she wasn’t jittery any more. She’d always found it difficult to be around handsome men her age unless it was work where she was often in charge or in groups of friends.

“Here let me help,” Case reached down and offered to take a stockpot off her hands.

As they finished putting the cookware on the cabinets Buck started whining, having waited long enough for his treat.

Jessie opened a canister on the counter and pulled out some jerky. “Is it okay for Jenny to get a treat?” she asked as she tossed a piece to Buck.

“Sure,” he said as he walked to the back door, “that the gazebo in question?”

Jessie dusted off her hands and opened the back door, “This way sir.”

The dogs ran out first as Jessie and Case ambled off towards the gazebo. “I knew it needed some sanding and a fresh coat of paint. I can do that. But one of the floor boards snapped on me the other day and once I got to lookin’ at it I realized I was in over my head.”

Case walked around, eyeing the steps, testing the rails then hopped up and carefully tested boards. “Could be a lot worse, probably just a days worth of labor pulling out the rotten pieces, shoring up and laying new boards in. Need a few new rails too, nothing major.”

Jessie swatted at a mosquito on her leg, “Sounds about right. So what did you do in Houston to prepare you as a gazebo repair man?”

That drew a smile from Case as he wiped his brow, “Financial advisor extraordinaire. Of course that was eight to five. I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands and worked construction as I went through school.”

He leaned up against a post that gave a little creak, “My real love is furniture though. That’s why I moved out here, slow things down a bit, focus on the work I enjoy, see if I can make a go of things.”

“Me too. Not the furniture thing but I know what you mean about slowing down,” Jessie said and then let out a sarcastic laugh, “Of course I think I underestimated my workload, I don’t think I’ll slow down for a good decade.”

When had talking to men gotten this easy? She thought to herself that it might just be Case. He had that laid back, easy way about him.

“Well,” Jessie decided to stop starring, “let me show you some of the other places around the house I need help with, then you can work up an estimate.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he said and then called for Jenny, “Now where’d she run off to?”

“Oh I saw her and Buck head down to the creek, want me to call them in?” she asked and prepared to whistle them home.

“No, no. Probably best not to have her underfoot while I check things out. She’s been my shadow since I got her though; I’ve never seen her just take to another dog or person like this. I might just be a little jealous.” With that they both headed back to the house.

“Hey,” Case said with a nod toward the kitchen, “I’ll take you up on that brownie now if the offer’s still good.”

I’ve gotta see what’s gotten Buck all riled up…

“Dang dog. Hey Kat that’s awesome, I’ll call you in a few days to check on details. I’ve gotta see what’s gotten Buck all riled up.”

“Okay J, be good. Don’t get married off until I get there.”

“Ha ha.” Jessie said as she pulled herself up from the floor.

It was a truck. Buck had his paws up on the front window with his claws snagging the sheers and his tail wagging ninety to nothing.

“Buck, down!” Jessie ordered as she opened the front door and walked onto the porch.

It was a ’64 Ford, sea foam green sturdy old farm truck that had pulled up to the house. She recognized both the ride and the beagle that jumped like lightening from the bed of the truck and ran towards the house. With the sun shining directly at her she shaded her eyes and watched as the beagle and Buck jumped around one another sniffing in greeting and ready to rumble.

“Jen-nay,” hollered the plaid shirt from the truck, “Be a good girl.”

The Ford’s anchor of a door opened and Jessie watched as six feet of good looking hopped out of the cab. Hello, please be Jeff and don’t be gay she thought. He looked like the Brawny man – part Tom Seleck part every girl’s prince charming.

Jessie composed herself and called after Buck who begrudgingly came to her side as Jenny trotted over to Brawny’s side.

“Hidee, name’s Case Jennings and this is Jenny, Earl asked me to stop by and check out some work you need done,” he said as he extended his hand.

Jessie managed to keep her chin in place and look in his eyes to return the greeting, “Hi, thought Earl would be stopping by himself later on.”

“Well, if you don’t mind, he asked me to come out and check on your gazebo I think it was? I’m helping him out now-a-days off and on when I’ve got some spare time.”

“Mind? Oh no, I don’t mind. Didn’t mean to make it sound like I mind,” Shut up you babbling idiot she thought, “Don’t mind a bit, come on in, Jenny’s welcome inside too. Come here you pretty girl let’s go get a treat.”

At the word treat, Buck’s ears perked up. Jessie had to laugh because he looked torn between his seemingly new best friend and what he was sure would be bacon. As Case made a move to follow Jessie inside Buck’s attention turned to him momentarily. Her protective canine angel looked Case up and down and then headed inside towards the kitchen with Jenny following close behind.

“I miss you and your hellions,” Jessie said as she slid onto the floor…

“I miss you and your hellions,” Jessie said as she slid onto the floor and propped up against the cabinets. Buck sat his hind end in a huge skillet and licked at Jessie’s face. “It must be naptime because I don’t hear them.”

“Oh they’re next door. Forget about the noise on my end, what was that I heard?”

Jessie looked up at the ceiling where she saw a gaping hole where the chain of the pot rack had been anchored to the ceiling. “Bette’s giant pot rack decided to let loose from the ceiling.”

Kat giggled a little, “Bless your heart.”

“More like bless my pocketbook. I’ve got warped boards in the gazebo that probably needs a whole new floor, floorboards in the hide-away and under the stairs that need patching before I can store anything there, cabinets coming off the hinges, back porch screen that needs replacing, more yard work than I know what to do with and a kitchen ceiling that needs repair.”

“Well you didn’t expect this to be a cake walk now did you?” Kat asked in very maternal tone that made Jessie smile.

“No, no I didn’t. But I’m no good at all this. Luckily Earl said he’d come by later,” Jessie said, “Or said he’d send somebody…something. I don’t know. At this point I don’t even care if it’s a fix-up.”

“Ooh a fix-up. Now I didn’t know there were cute, eligible bachelors in Chancy.” Jessie could almost hear Kat’s brain switch into matchmaker mode. What was it about her friends who got married becoming obsessed with getting her married? She knew the pattern – first came the questions about do you think he’s the right one, then when did you set the date; then after the date is set, it’s where is the honeymoon; then after the wedding people immediately jump to, when are you going to start that family?

“Woah girl, don’t get too excited. All I’ve seen since I got back are the wed, elderly, confirmed bachelors and nearly dead. Although I hear I’m a prime target for someone’s gay, handyman nephew to hook up with.”

“Oh no,” Kat said, but Jessie knew her well enough that she could picture Kat’s Cheshire grin.

“Go ahead, let it out, have a good chuckle,” Jessie said, “I’m just glad Jimmy isn’t broadcasting a matchmaking play-by-play after the morning ag report.”

Looking to change the subject Jessie asked, “So what is up in Cowtown sister?”

“Well,” Kat said with her signature bubbly enthusiasm, “Greg is ready to take some time off and I was thinking that the kids and us could come down for a four-day weekend or something and help out, maybe do a little shopping and pick out some things to brighten up the house.”

Jessie got a little teary, feigned the trademark verklempt voice and said, “Oh Kat thanks,” she sniffed tenderly, “but the thought of your three kids running wild on this property scares the living bejeezus out of me.”

“Wha? Huh? Oh you hag,” Kat said as Jessie busted into a laugh, “You know my children are angels and you miss them as much as you do me!”

It was true; Kyle, Kaylie and Kris were adorable and fun, if not obnoxiously named, and no more of a handful than your average 6, 4 and 2 year-olds.

“We could come down next weekend, give you a few more days to sort things out for yourself and get ready to boss me around while Greg and the kids fish.”

“That would be…”

Jessie was cut off as Buck went wild scrambling through the pots and pans to run through the house and start barking out the front windows.

“Holy crap!” Jessie hollered as she juggled the skillet…

“Holy crap!” Jessie hollered as she juggled the skillet and dodged a bouncing copper pot. She managed to hop up on the counter next to the sink as Buck started barking like a lunatic.

Through the earpiece she heard Kat, “Hello? Hello? Jess is that you? Anyone still alive?”

“I’m here, believe it or not,” Jessie said as she started to lean back against the cabinet. She hovered for a moment and then thought better of it, not wanting something else to fall on top of her.

“Just juggling a few dozen minor catastrophes this week.”

“Oh hon, I’m glad you called,” Kat said, “I’ve missed you girlfriend.”

Jessie had missed Kat too, and most of her friends from Fort Worth over the past two months. Of course Kat had been the one to keep Jessie from strangling her mother while they made arrangements for Aunt Bette’s funeral and settled her “estate”. Kat had always been there when Jessie needed her most. From their freshmen orientation at TCU, through finals and job interviews and everything in between, she’d always had her Kat.

Now Kat was a mother of three. Most people couldn’t see how the two were as close as they were considering how different their lives were. Jessie had plunged into her internships and her career while Kat had proudly graduated with her MRS degree marrying Greg, her college-sweetheart six months after graduation. Kat was the perfect homemaker, PTA president and stalwart supporter of her husband’s career. Jessie loved to tease her by calling her Mrs. Cleaver. And Kat dished it back by calling Jessie a workaholic caffeine-junkie.

The fact of the matter was though, that no matter how many hours Jessie had put in at climbing the corporate ladder, or how many diapers and dinners Kat managed, when they picked up the phone they were just girlfriends. The relationship that was a rare jewel in a woman’s world where there wasn’t any competition, no second-guessing yourself, just a connection with another woman who got everything about you and didn’t run and hide.