Charity had come to Belmont, West Virginia, to live with her grandmother, Katherine Souders. After all of the drama she suffered with her stalker in C2W, Michael leaving her, and raising two small children on her own; Grandma Katie demanded that her granddaughter pack it up and move to the area. The only thing was that it wasn't Charity and both of her kids moving, it was just her and six month old Haylie. Jaxy was living with his father Brandon for a while, which gave Charity time to bond with her new little girl. The day in question that she remembers quite fondly was the day she would meet a man who would change her life forever.
It was a warmer day and she was mowing Grandma Katie's lawn with a red push mower. The older lady had ran into town with Haylie to pick up some groceries. This left Charity; dressed in a pair of black track pants with white vertical stripes on the side, a red spaghetti strap tank top, and last of all a pair of black and white sneakers, to mow the lawn. Her strawberry blonde hair was put back in a messy ponytail and even though it was a cooler day, she was sweating. She had stopped the mower to get a drink of water when she noticed someone walking up toward the house. It was a younger man she had never seen before and she eyed him carefully.
"Umm, excuse me. Can I help you?" She asked as she leaned against the handle of the lawn mower.
No matter where his heart told him he needed to be--his stubborn mind had kept him on the road. The love of his life had married herself off to a man she barely knew, and he hadn't the heart to stick around his small town home--forced to remember the not so good ole days. His head tilted to the side as he spied the woman speaking to him and nodded. "Lookin' for Katie--she around?" His accent was thicker than molasses and clearly Southern--though the twang was different from those of the people that inhabited this particular state.
"Actually no..." She said as she straightened herself and took a step toward him. She slid the work gloves off of her hands and held them. "She had to make a grocery run- anything I can help you with?" He was cute to say the least but looked a little shifty. She would have to be leery of this one.
His head shook as he looked around the freshly, though partially cut, lawn. "Well--for starters--you could stop doing my job,' he said with a soft chuckle. His gruff, calloused hand extended towards her for a friendly shake. "--name's Sawyer. I'm Katie's hired hand."
She stared down at his hand for a moment before extending her own. "Yes, well I'm Charity- her granddaughter and it looked as though it had been a while since it had been done. Just thought I would help my grandmother out." She raised an eyebrow as she shook his hand. "Surely you can understand Kiddo."
His eyes widened a bit to the word--kiddo. He assumed it was the clean shaven face that had thrown the woman off to his age. "I got fourteen yards to work on 'round here," he said in defense. "--besides--women shouldn't do a man's job. Gets you all hot and sweaty." His broad, sun kissed arms folded against his chest as he stood back and gave her a quick once over. "And I ain't a damn kid, puddin."
Puddin' Her eyes narrowed at him in response to the name. "And I'm not a damn snack food." She said as she eyed him up and down. She took another step forward and folded her arms across her chest. "And last I knew, Men liked it when a girl was all hot and sweaty." A thought occurred to her. "Unless that is of course you play for the other team."
A scowl overtook his expression, suddenly. Doing the best he could to hold the anger in his voice back, he flashed her a smooth, sly grin. "Do I look like a pansy to you?"
"No..." Her eyes scanned him up and down but then she met his eyes. "But then again, looks can be deceiving Cowboy."
"You got that right," he agreed as he stared her down--closing what was left of the gap between them. "--but where I come from--hot and sweaty girls are either tomboys or rug munchers--and you don't look like much of a tomboy, blondie." He shrugged. "Unless you wanna prove me wrong?"
Oh she loved a good challenge and with her sort of anti-man attitude as of late, she couldn't help but accept. "And what exactly did you have in mind Kiddo?" She said it again just to agitate him. She tossed the work gloves to the ground and stared him down.
He shrugged leisurely. "--show me what you're made of, sweetheart." His arms unfolded as he opened his arms welcoming an attack. "Go on--give me your best shot."
"You're actually giving me permission to smack you?" She asked. There was something very odd about this guy but she liked it, whatever it was. Instead of bringing her hand back to smack him, she just shook her head and started walking back to the lawn mower. "Waste of my time and effort."
"--guess you ain't much of a tomboy or a lez, then," he replied. "You're just a dainty lil' girl playin' with a man's toy."
She stopped in her tracks- dainty lil' girl, aye? "Oh it's on you ass." She said as she turned and marched back over to him. She clenched her fist as tightly as she could and brought it back. Without hesitation, she connected it quickly with his jaw, a smacking sound being heard. "How's that for a dainty lil' girl Redneck?"
The punch stung with a fierceness he hadn't quite expected. His hand cupped his chin as he rubbed his jawline--though the familiar grin from before shone through. "Fiesty lil' firecracker, ain'tcha?" he questioned with amusement.
Her hand was throbbing and as she was about to say something more to him, they both heard the sound of her grandmother, trying to get their attention. "Hello!? You two!? I need some help with the bags please!" Katie Souders said as she had all she could handle with two brown, paper bags filled with goodies.
"Of course Grandma!" She shouted back as she started walking toward the car. She glanced back at Sawyer, eyebrow raised. "This isn't over Cowboy, expect a matching red mark on your other cheek."
His smirk dared not fade as he trailed behind her quickly--offering to take the bags from the older woman's arms. "Katie, you didn't tell me your granddaughter was as purty as you," he said giving he a quick peck on the forehead. His eyes caught Charity's--and with that he gave her a sly wink.
Charity rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she couldn't help but smirk a bit. Katie beamed with pride as she looked at Sawyer and then at Charity. "Oh Jason, you charmer. I see the two of you have met all ready, saves me an introduction." She handed a few bags to Charity as well as a few to Sawyer. "She and my little grandbaby Haylie are going to be staying with me for a while. Perhaps you could take her out and show her around?" Ahhh Grandma, the never ending match-maker.
He nodded in agreement. "Reckon I could do that for ya," he said proudly. "--least I could do for all your hospitality."
"Oh you are just a sweetie Jason." She looks at Charity. "Here I'll take the bags, why don't you go ahead and get Haylie out?" She asked and without even hesitating, she swiped the bags from Charity and went inside.
Once Grandma was out of sight, Charity glanced back at Sawyer and then got into the back of the car. "You know, you really don't have to do that." She said as she unbuckled her daughter from the carseat and pulled out. Haylie was awake and looking around at her surroundings before sticking her wrist in her mouth to suck on it. "I'm sure you've got some rough and tough babe you take out on a regular basis, wouldn't want to impose." She shifted Haylie to her hip.
Rough and tough babe--if she only knew his sad story. His head shook as he rounded the vehicle and closed the door behind her. "Naw--I'm a drifter," he said with a cheesy smile walking alongside the woman and the child towards the house. "Only women in my life are my momma and my sister."
"I gotcha..." She said as she kissed the side of Haylie's head. "Just me and my little girl I guess you can say; I have a son, but he's staying with his father for a little while." She stopped at the doorway and turned to face him. "I was serious though, you don't have to take me out. Grandma likes to think she's some sort of cupid." She looked down kind of awkwardly
Two kids--a father. Was he barking up the wrong tree? Surely the old woman wouldn't have her granddaughter running around on her husband? "Well, I ain't gonna beg," he said with a slight shrug. His hand twisted the knob of the door to open it for her and the child quickly. "--you can bring the rug rat if you want."
A smirk crossed her face as she shook her head, walking into the house. "See the thing is, if I'm going out- I'd rather it be a grown-up outing. I love my daughter, but I need some adult time if you catch my drift." She walked over to an infant's swing and placed Haylie in it. After leaning over and buckling her in, she stood up straight and turned, looking at the country boy. "I'm talking alcohol fueled?"
"Well," he said proudly as he inched closer to her--towering over her with intrigue sparkling in his blue eyes. "--reckon we can get lit right up like the fourth of July and do some adult stuff, puddin. If you'll have me."
Her smirk turned into more of a smile. Oooh it had been a while since she had any type of adult fun and here was an attractive man offering on what appeared to be a silver platter. She glanced into the kitchen to make sure Grandma wasn't listening. Lowering her voice, she tilted her head slightly and looked up at him. "And what kind of adult stuff would you be offering Cowboy?"
He leaned in closer--lips brushing her ear as he whispered. "--that's for me to know and you to find out.' He straightened back up and shrugged once more in his lighthearted way. "Now--if you'll excuse me--I got work to do."
"Excuse me there Sir, but that mowing the lawn is my job today." She said, placing her closed fists on her hips. "Not my fault you came late to the lawn mowing party."
His head shook as he just smiled--slowly backing towards the doors. "--don't mean there ain't gutters to clean, ditches to weedeat--trees to top off. Glad you got to see me, puddin." His hand was on the door and with that--he was gone.
-----------------------
He had picked up the following evening and they had gone to a local bar which was right in town. It was sort of her first date in almost seven months, that is if you could even call it a date. Even so, she had dressed in a white sundress with a pair of matching flip flops. It was chillier out but the bar was warm. So far the night was going all right but it was a little awkward as semi-first dates went? Maybe it was her, maybe she was just nervous about the whole situation. She tried shrugging it off as the bartender slid them each over a bottle of beer across the counter. Charity grabbed hers and hopped onto a barstool and crossed one leg over the other.
"So tell me your story Cowboy." She said as she took a long sip from her beer. "Gotta know more about the man my grandma thinks so highly of."
His fingers picked at the beer label as he mulled over the proposal in his mind. Did she really want to her his story--or was this some sort of courtesy? "Ain't much to tell," he said with a soft laugh before tilting the bottle bottoms up--downing half it's contents. The bottle hit the counter with a sudden thunk. As he cast her a curious smile over his shoulder. "Born and raised in a shitty little town in Texas called Canton--ain't nothin worth going there for 'cept for the Trade Days--if you're into arts and crafts and buyin' livestock. My daddy passed a week before I turned fifteen. Been workin on cars since I was old enough to hold a wrench--that enough of a story for you?"
Eyebrows risen, she stared at him for a moment and shrugged her shoulders. "Yes, I suppose if that's all you're willing to tell me." She said as she took another drink of the beer. She wasn't much of a beer drinker, she was more of a mixed drinks type of girl but she didn't want to get too drunk too fast. "You're kind of mysterious. Can't put my finger on it Kiddo but, just something tells me you're kind of dangerous."
Dangerous? He laughed, sipping more from the long necked bottle. "Ain't nothing dangerous about me, puddin--I'm just a good ole boy."
"Okay I'll buy that like anyone would buy that I'm a virgin." Eyes widened slightly as she realized what she just said. Had that really come out of her mouth? She must have been more of a light weight than she originally thought. Changing subjects was a good idea. "You don't have to call me puddin, you know? You could call me by my name."
Names. The labels we get from birth. His calloused fingers picked more at the label as he tore it from the bottle he clasped in his hand. "I don't reckon I call anyone by their real name," he said with a gentle smile. "--bad habit I picked up from my father. He'd call you anything under the sun but the name the good Lord gave you." He tapped the bar counter to signal for the tender to fetch him another drink. "But if you want--I can make an exception."
She thought for a moment and realized that she didn't really mind. Puddin was a fine nickname and truthfully no one had ever given her one like that. A smile creeped across her face as she shook her head. "To be honest, Puddin is a fine name for me." She leaned in a bit closer toward him and looked in his eyes playfully. "Let's just not do it in front of a huge amount of people, okay?"
He nodded and gave her a wink. "Whatever you say--puddin."
This girl--she was something else, and for the first time in years, he felt himself completely letting go and wanting the company of a woman who wasn't--the one that got away. The bartender placed a fresh beer before him as he passed a bill across the counter. "You play pool?"
"I have a few times or so. Why?" She asked with a grin. "You challenging me Cowboy?" She hoped it was a challenge, it had been a long time since she had sparred somewhat with a member of the opposite sex.
"I suppose you could say that," he said proudly. "--if you're willing?"
She hopped off the barstool and stood right in front of him, their bodies only inches away. "Oh, I'd have to say there's quite a lot I'm willing to do at this point." Another smirk was thrown his way as she picked up her beer and held it firmly. "Question remains if you'll let me."
His brow arched in curiosity. "--put a wager on it and you got yourself a deal, blondie."
"All right Cowboy, here's the wager. If you beat me, I will give you anything you want." She didn't necessarily mean it in a sexual manner, hell it could be to wash his truck or something of that nature. "Sound good?"
There was no need to mull the proposal over--this woman had little knowledge of his underlying profession. He extended a hand for a friendly shake. "Deal--and if by some odd chance you beat me," he replied. "--we can reverse that role."
She smirked again and shook her head. Eyeing him up and down, she just placed a hand on her hip. "To be honest Buddy, I'm not all together sure that you could handle it."
"Likewise, sweetheart," he quickly retorted. Bottle in hand, he stepped down from his stool and clunked his way towards an open felt table. He placed the drink casually on the table's wooden edge and fetched them two sticks. Placing them one at a time atop the felt, he rolled it gently across to ensure neither was warped. "No special rules. No tricks--just a regular game. I'll rack 'em--you break 'em."
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