Where Would I Be Without You - By CJ Hawk Page 0,104

soon as the man started talking, my defenses went up. It all started with comments about my fall and long skinny legs. I was defensive about my tomboyish looks all my life. I was tall and very lean; a padded bra was my best friend and with my professional legal work always came a simple professional cut. I wasn't looking to be model of the year. Then he started in with a few snip-bits about my mishap at the law firm, and I mentally cringed and wanted to crawl into a hole. Nobody else in the cafe seemed to pay much attention, but I was sure their ears were glued and by tomorrow morning, I would be the town gossip.

I wondered what I got myself into as I sat and practically ate like a starved person and listened to this man, Colton something or other, talk jokingly about how he saw me on the county road but passed me by. Lucky for him, Cindy Walker added in that he did the proper thing by calling Mr. Walker, and they always appreciate the business.

At some point in the conversation, as Cindy shoved a second piece of blueberry pie under his nose, and I watched him try to turn it away as he patted his belly, I warmed to his obvious affection that he showed to the Walkers. Then he did something mean and slid the pie to me saying I looked like I could polish it off with the way I was eating. Had the man no manners. I had not eaten anything this delicious or substantial in a forty-eight-hour period.

I stopped mid bite and left my plate to excuse myself to the restroom. It was there that I saw how I looked like a drowned rat with mud-splattered shoes and a big mud spot on my ass. I would not put me in the department of sexy more of homeless looking. I took five minutes to gather my wits and clean up as best I could. When I came out a changed man sat next to me. I got the impression that both Mr. and Mrs. Walker had reminded him to mind his manners. What I couldn't figure out was if he was done eating, why didn't he just go.

Well, that obvious question quickly was answered within the first five minutes of sitting back down. I also saw the light of my mistakes. Colton Charpel, was friends, not just casual friends, but we grew up together almost married friends with Julie Hoffman, my landlord. The woman I chose to divulge a bit too much information to as I desperately needed a shoulder to cry on. This is what I get for talking to a stranger about my life.

Colton, like me, also handled property law. And like me, was in a sabbatical. Julie told him all about me needing a break to write a book and re-evaluate my life. Some truth there. However, she told Colton about what led me to that point, and he divulged just enough info about Hugh and I, that any smart person could put two and two together, or worse. They could jump to a million and one conclusions.

My much need hiatus might come with a price of a big mouth and small town. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to handle this.

Colton tried to politely talk on, all about himself and none about me, which was a nice relief. I found out that he had moved back home to help his parents maintain their large cattle ranch on the edge of town. That he owned several private planes, one of which was large enough to fly from coast to coast. I found out he loved Cindy's cooking but could only visit here once or twice a week, or he would be 'fatter than a hog' as he put it. That put a huge smile on Cindy's face as she took that as the ultimate compliment.

I knew what I just polished off along with Colton's leftover pie had put me well over the calorie intake limit for one day let alone two. However, Julie's house had a nice garden ready for me to plant, and I had every intention of sulking my woes in her garden. Along with the fact, she had mentioned that the jog through town, down the main street that wrapped around and brought me back to the other end of town and out a bit, was about the most incredible