Nikki stared at him in disbelief, and saw that he was dead serious! Now, more than ever, she needed to devise a means to rid the town, and her, of his presence!
* * *
Jeff chuckled as Nikki moped quietly by his side as the people greeted him warmly and with excitement. They had stopped by the restaurant for brunch and Nikki found herself being bombarded by many of the town folk who had remembered him visiting as a child. They swarmed around him with questions about his life and achievements in the big city. They also seemed eager to hear his suggestions, providing he was true to his promise of maintaining the 'feel' of the town. He reassured him that the charm would not be abandoned, and that he would merely find ways to upgrade and bring in tourists to help with the economy. By the time they left the restaurant, Nikki was livid. These people had treated Jeff like the town's savior! The final straw was when the mayor wholeheartedly gave his support, recalling that Grams had suggested increasing tourism years ago so that the folk would not have to struggle financially as much. Grams of all people! Of course the mayor would say that now that she was no longer with them!
"How dare you say such a thing, Burt? Grams would never have gone for this bullshit!"
"Nikki! Your language!" Jeff scolded, frowning. "I beg pardon, Mr. Mayor. It has been a long and stressful day for us all, and it is only one in the afternoon!"
"This is nothing new coming from Miss Nikki," the mayor chuckled, winking at the younger man. "She learned her sass from the best of them. Your grandmother had quite the lip on her."
With a growl and another obscenity, Nikki left both men standing in the street as she stomped off in a huff. Jeff grinned as his eye followed her and then turned toward the snickering mayor.
"Good luck with her, Jeff, old boy. She is a handful. I am very aware of what Loretta had requested of you. Are you sure you want to try this?"
"I wasn't at first but now I am determined. Trust me, I'll find some way to bring her around. Grams told me that the old tribe chief predicted that she and I would be brought together. I never believed that nonsense, yet none of the other women I’ve met even remotely sparked what that sassy little brat does."
"Son, I don't hold much for the tribal soothsayers either, but only a fool will turn away a precious gift. Go after her. She's smart, pretty, and capable, and she will give you a good run for your money."
"Life around her would certainly not be boring," Jeff grinned. "I will follow your advice. Thanks for sharing it with me. Perhaps we can meet again later and go over some options?"
"Absolutely. It would be nice to bring some life into this old place."
* * *
Jeff returned to the house to find that Nikki had locked herself in her room with the intent of ignoring him for the rest of the day. In the absence of television, he forced himself to read the newspaper he had brought with him from Chicago. Things seemed so far away now that he had left the city, and he found that he did not miss the chaos. Life was certainly more 'interesting' in this remote part of the world. He tapped on Nikki's door several times in an attempt to speak with her and convince her to come out and eat. Her silence was his only response, confirming Grams’ warning about her stubbornness. Bored, he announced he was retiring for the evening, and stated his hopes that the following day would be better for both of them.
Somehow, Nikki managed to avoid Jeff the following day as he drove off early that morning without a word to her. She watched the vehicle disappear down the road; she was relieved, yet sad. Shaking off her mixed emotions, she set about her daily chores and spent some time baking. She went to bed that evening and found herself listening for the sound of the Mercedes coming down the cobblestone road. Relief spread through her when, at 2:00 am, she heard his footsteps thumping up the stairs and the door closing to his room.
Nikki made certain to rise before dawn and hasten to gather her herbs before she was forced to deal with Jeff. She crunched on an apple, miffed that she had missed dinner because of him. Well, it wasn't his fault that she had no appetite. And all the people who had stopped by asking for him! How dare he be so… so charming and likable to her neighbors, but so utterly impossible towards her?! She paused by the lake once again, lamenting her future should she not be able to escape his financial hold on her. She was angry… with him, with Grams, and with herself. How in the world did she end up in such a predicament? Well, these should help things a little, she thought while glancing down at her basket. If anything, they would offer her a temporary reprisal from his constant presence in her once quiet home. She pushed aside the vague memory of loneliness that his absence had left her with just the day before.
Hurrying back to the house before she lost her courage, Nikki began to prepare breakfast, plastering a false, happy smile on her face when Jeff dragged himself down to the tiny kitchen, looking bedraggled.
"You seem to have slept well,” he grumbled, accepting the cup of coffee from her as he plopped in the chair. "I'm beat."
"I'm sure. You didn't get in until late. Hope you had fun yesterday."
"I had business to attend to, so I would not classify that as fun. You seem awfully chipper this morning. It's nice to see you smile for once."
"Oh, I have some things to smile about every now and then," Nikki said evasively, flipping an omelet onto his plate. "Hope you're hungry. This is Grams’ recipe."
"Yes, thanks. I must say, I am pleasantly surprised. Hmmm, this is good. What's in it?" he asked. His eyebrows rose as he took a mouthful of the fluffy eggs.
"Oh… a little bit of this and a little bit of that. All local, of course."
"Of course, we would not want it any other way. I don't usually like mushrooms either. And this coffee… quite different."
"Chicory… another local favorite."
"Aren't you eating?" Jeff asked, quickly polishing off the omelet while smacking his lips gratefully.
"No, I already had my breakfast. More coffee?" she asked, eyeing him carefully.
"Yes, thank you. So, what are your plans for today?" he asked, sitting back to sniff the fragrant beverage before resuming his quiet sipping.
"Nothing except making some more potions and straightening up. Jeff? Are you okay? You look… pale," Nikki asked innocently.
"I'm fine. Probably still tired," Jeff said with uncertainty. He felt his stomach suddenly cramp and quickly excused himself. Nikki grinned in satisfaction as she heard the bathroom door slam shut.
"Are you alright in there?"
"My God, woman, what did you feed me?" Jeff groaned from the other side of the door.
"Just local cuisine. That's what we have around here. Maybe your system can’t handle it."
"Are you trying to kill me?" he groaned again, splashing water over his face.
"Jeff, darling, if I was trying to kill you, I would have succeeded. I think you are just overly sensitive to our food, that's all. Call if you need anything, ok?" Nikki asked, her voice filled with sweetness.
It was a good hour before Jeff emerged again, his face pale and sweating. Nikki frowned… perhaps she had overdone her 'cooking'? She touched his forehead and peered into his eyes. "Let's get you to bed. How's your tummy?"
"My stomach is fine, I just feel horrendously dizzy. Are you sure you didn't poison me?"
Nikki said nothing as she pressed him into the bed and covered him with a sheet. She brought him a glass of water, ignoring his suspicious frown. "Oh stop it. Look, I'm drinking it. You might have had a little reaction to the mushrooms, that’s all."
"What was wrong with the mushrooms?"
"I guess there are some people don't do well with the wild ones."
"You fed me wild mushrooms? You are trying to poison me!" Jeff exclaimed, groaning again as another wave of nausea struck him. "Why, because I disappeared yesterday without saying anything? Or is it because I spanked you?"
"I'm not trying to poison you! I swear, you are such a big baby!" Nikki scolded, hiding the flush of guilt. "I'll get you something to help. I…"
"No more of your witchcraft. I want a real doctor."
"Well, you aren't going to get one in this town. And herbology is not witchcraft. Please," Nikki pleaded, not liking the shades of green that fell across his tanned face, "let me help you. Jeff, just give me one chance to show that you can trust me. This is just chamomile, mint, and a little valerian."
Jeff groaned unhappily as she shoveled a handful of nasty tasting leaves into his mouth, and ordered him to chew carefully and then drink the entire glass of water. Jeff felt himself gag, but felt too miserable to struggle. It took only a few minutes for him to feel his stomach start to settle and the waves of nausea started to cease. His mouth was a little numb, but that helped stopped the gagging reflex.
"Wow, you really helped," he whispered, laying back and trying to catch his breath. "Thank you."
Nikki was quiet. Her plan had backfired. She had hoped that he would feel unwell enough to want to sleep, but not so unwell that she would have the need to care for him. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I really didn't think you would react this badly."
"So you did try to poison me?"
"No," she admitted, "not precisely. I just wanted you to be too uncomfortable to bother me today. And maybe," she sighed, "finally get fed up with me, and this place, and just leave."
"Am I really that terrible to be around that you would want to kill me?" Jeff asked, slightly amused.
"Pretty close. I've never used my knowledge of this stuff to really hurt anyone. I am so sorry!" Nikki cried out, burying her face in her hands.
Jeff sighed, trying to sit himself up as he reached for her hand. "I guess I kind of invaded your space with my arrival. It still does not give you the right to make me sick."
"I know. Grams would be so angry with me. She… she always spoke highly of you and the things you've accomplished. That fight you two had… the one that made her cry… it hurt her so badly. She was hoping to see you before she died," Nikki whispered, hanging her head.
"We fought because I wanted to stay and she thought that I would never be happy here, after being raised in the city and all. She told me that if I didn't go and find my own life, that I would regret it forever. It hurt me a lot, thinking she wanted to ship me off like she had done to my dad. When he died he told me he felt like she didn't want him around, even though he knew the truth. Part of me felt that same way, but I knew better. She was right. I needed to find my own place in the world."
"She was always right," Nikki quietly agreed. "She didn't tell me what the fight was about, but she cried for days. I hated you for the longest time for hurting her like that, but I didn't know what had happened. She also said that you would come back one day."
"And I foolishly waited until now. Time slips by too fast, huh?"
"Yeah, or it seems to just stand still. I was also so afraid she would have you come and take over…"
"And now I did. Hey, kid, listen up," Jeff grabbed her hand, "Grams loved you like her very own. She wanted to make sure you were taken care of after she died. I left the city because I wanted to honor her wishes."
"You came here to change my home."
"No, I came here to take care of you. To keep my promise to her."
Nikki stared at him in disbelief. "What promise? To make my life a living hell?"
"Let's not talk about that right now, little girl. Not when my gut is still in knots. Here, I'll show you." With a loud groan, Jeff pushed himself to stand and pulled a leather portfolio from the top of the dresser. Sliding out a thick wad of papers, he handed them to the girl as he carefully explained Grams’ will and last wishes. Nikki held a picture in her hand. It was her as a young teen.
"Why is this here?"
"She wanted to be sure I could find you. This was the only one she had. I was expecting to discover a skinny, freckle-faced tomboy like the one I vaguely remembered… not a stunning, grown woman. It… you… surprised me."
Nikki stood, holding the papers in her hands. Grams had left the house and business to her, but had placed Jeff as her trustee. She turned the picture over to check the date, and was surprised to see a handwritten note.
Dearest Jeffrey… Fall in love and be happy. That is my final wish. Grams.
Biting her lip, Nikki raced out the front door without a word.
* * *
Jeff glanced at the cuckoo clock on the wall. It had been several hours since Nikki had run off and he had finally gathered the strength to make his way down to the shop. He turned his head towards the little white mouse as it scurried towards him.
"What should I do, buddy? Should I leave? I didn't have to come here, you know. I just wanted to see what she looked like now. I can't say that I wasn't pleasantly surprised." Jeff shook his head and began to clean the shelves and arrange the bottles. Several women came in with the claim that they were looking for soap, drilling him about city life and his presence. Jeff gritted his teeth… sass he enjoyed, gossip he did not. He looked up gratefully as Burt entered, shooing the women out.
"That is our local gathering of gossipers. We call them 'the hens'. They must have known Nikki was gone; otherwise, they would not have come in here. How are you doing? You look a bit under the weather."
"Thanks for the rescue. Yes, Miss Coolridge decided to introduce me to some homegrown cuisine. Mouth enjoyed it, stomach did not."
"Ah, she got you with the mushrooms. Sorry about that. Where is she?"
"I have no idea. She took off after feeling guilty for poisoning me. She's a runner, isn't she?"
"Very much so. Whenever things didn't go right, she ran to the woods. Used to drive Loretta crazy."
"You miss Grams, don't you?"
"Yeah… loved that lady with all my heart. I wish I had gotten up the courage to tell her. Don't you ever make that same mistake, my boy. Life is too short to play guessing games."
"I'll remember that. I… well, look who decided to come home. Are you alright?" Jeff asked as Nikki walked through the front door. She reddened upon seeing Burt.
"Glad to see you again, Nikkers," Burt said, watching her blush as he used her old nick-name. "I came by to chase out the hens. Seems they were cackling around your coup, looking for some juicy worms."
"Thanks, Burt. And, about yesterday, I'm sorry…"
"No problem, my girl. I know things are a bit tough right now. I am going to excuse myself and leave you to care for your young man here. Seems like he ate something that didn't agree with him," Burt teased, grinning as Nikki lowered her face shamefully. She didn't look up until after he had departed and the sound of his footsteps became faint.
"Is everything ok?" Jeff asked, eying her carefully.
"Yes, I… you cleaned the shelves?"
"I needed something to do. Nothing could be found and half of this stuff is unlabeled," he shrugged.
"That is because someone," Nikki glared at the little mouse, "liked to eat the labels. I can't believe you did all this. It looks… great."
"I'll build you some more shelves too, if you like, and a real work bench. The outside steps need some repair too."
"Why, I mean, I don't understand. You should be furious with me right now."
"Yes, I should, but I don't have the energy quite yet," Jeff smiled. "Maybe tomorrow when I feel stronger. Those mushrooms pack quite a punch."
"We used to use them to get out of going to school," Nikki giggled. "Grams finally discovered the sickness that had struck all the school kids and exposed us. Everyone but me got a lickin'."
"Why not you? It seems that you were the perpetrator and deserved it the most."
"Grams didn't believe in spanking. She would just give me that disappointed look and the eye… I felt guilty for days."
"Well, I do believe in spanking. Especially for a small town girl who has no boundaries."
"Are you… well, you know…"
"Going to spank you for poisoning me? You bet, sweetheart. But not until I get my strength back and know that I can give you my full attention." Jeff
looked at her with complete seriousness.
"I guess I kind of deserve it," Nikki admitted reluctantly. "I really am sorry. I didn't mean for it to make you quite that ill."
"It was a very childish thing to do, and potentially dangerous."
"I know."
"We'll discuss it later. Tell me about the hens…"
Nikki smiled and chatted about the locals, and how they fit into one another's lives. Jeff was pleased to hear that she said nothing negative or gossipy about any of the local characters, even the ones who would have merited such discussion. He watched her flit about in the little kitchen, making both of them chamomile tea with hived honey, and then tossing together dough to make scones with local berries and nuts. The room filled with the sweet, warm scent of baking bread and he closed his eyes happily.
"What's wrong?" Nikki asked worriedly, touching his forehead. He grabbed her hand, turned it over, and kissed the inside of her wrist.
"Nothing. It is just bringing back some memories for me. I really didn't want to leave here. I'm glad I came back. I wish I had done it sooner."
"Why would you be glad to come back here? I mean, this isn't exactly Chicago."
"Do you want the truth? I am glad I came back because of you."
"Me? That makes no sense, I mean…"
"You are so refreshingly different, Nik. Everything about you makes me want to discover more. And I am very attracted to you as well," he admitted quietly.
"You infuriate the hell out of me," Nikki said defensively.
"Yes, that is obvious," Jeff grinned, sniffing his cup suspiciously before sipping from it.
"And you are tremendously bossy and rude. I abhor that."
"I can see that."
"And you are so damn calm! Don't you ever get angry?"
"No. I prefer to frighten my victims with my steely silence and melting glare. That is my super power, you know."
"You think you are so funny," Nikki huffed.
"That's because I am."
"And I really want to kiss you right now, you jerk," Nikki snarled, spitting out the words.
Small Town Sass Page 2