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Savannah smiled, "Really? My chances of finding another man are not very good. And I've actually tried flirting and all that got me was a night in jail."
"Oh, I don't know. There's my friend’s grandson from Corpus. He's visiting her right now and I'll bet he'd love some young company. His name is Jimmy and he's about six foot tall, brown haired and blue eyed. He's been stuck with her for a week, and he looks bored out of his mind. I could give him a call."
"I really don't think that's wise..." Savannah tried to dissuade her. She was tired of lies and cat and mouse games.
"And why not, dear? It's like falling off a horse, you just get right back on it," Lucy chuckled.
"Even if I went out with someone, how would Ben know?"
Aunt Lucy put her tattering down and took her small glasses from her nose, "Oh word has a way of getting around in these parts. Gossip is about all we have to do, you know."
Savannah laughed. "What's he like? This Jimmy!"
"He's nice enough looking, big church man, and claims he has a girl-friend back home."
"Claims, you don't believe it?"
"Well if he does, why is he wasting his time with his grandmother?" Lucy laid her tattering down.
"I don't think I need a real relationship right now. But it might be nice to go out with a friend."
Lucy chuckled again, "Now that's the spirit."
Two days later Savannah was repainting a rocking chair for her aunt when a tall figured loomed over her. She glanced up and got to her feet.
"Hi, are you painting the chair or yourself? I'm Jimmy Walker, you're aunt said you'd be home today."
"Hello, I'm Savannah. I'm not really a very good painter." She extended her hand and quickly tried to rub the paint off before grabbing his hand. It smeared on her shirt. She shrugged and grinned.
"Want some help?"
Savannah handed him the brush and sat on the porch steps as he proceeded to do a bang up job on the rocker, without getting one smudge on his handsome face. How'd he do that?
Watching him paint gave her ample opportunity to size the young man up. He was pleasant looking, with dark hair and eyes, medium build and lean. An average American Pie boy. A little like Chad.
Painting was definitely not her strong point, since the country blue paint was all over her, and very little on the rocker, she was silently grateful that this young man had so eagerly volunteered to finish what she had started.
"All done," he smiled, and joined her on the steps in less than an hour.
"So how long you staying with your aunt?" he asked, not at all shy.
She liked his easy way of talking, he seemed very friendly, and yet she noticed something in him that made her wonder.
"I'm not sure yet." She glanced at him. "How about you, I heard you were staying with your grandmother."
"Yeah," he hung his head and nodded. "I'm on vacation. I just lost my mother in a car accident and needed to get away."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Aunt Lucy didn't tell me."
"Well, she didn't know. No one around here did. My mother was a drunk driver, she hit another car, three people died. It was a little hard to get over. I'm still a little devastated by it, but at least grandmother keeps my mind off things."
"I'm sorry. How awful for you. So, are you enjoying your stay with her?"
"Well, I am now." he smiled. "I haven’t had anyone I could really talk to, except older folks. How about we take in a little dinner tonight and tomorrow we can go to church? How does that sound?"
Savannah warmed to this young man, but a little voice warned her that she should go slow. Yet something told her that Jimmy Walker might turn into a good friend. He was nice, and yet she knew instantly he didn't light any fires. That was good.
Still, he might be a wonderful distraction from someone who did. But she would set the time and place; after all, she didn't know this young man that well.
