Free Out of the Wreckage by Amy Cox Page B

since 'Drea left.  "Well, I am not above hard labor." She says to herself as she takes a small axe from the porch and shoves up her sleeves. 
     
                  After over thirty minutes, she has a good sized pile in the middle of the yard.  Since her Grams is busy in the kitchen making apple pies, 'Drea sprawls out in the grass.  Dirty and sweaty, she stares up at the sky, like she did as a child.  Back then, her Momma and she would stare at the clouds and 'Drea would dream.  All those wonderful things she wanted in life; the shop she would have, the man she would marry, a family.  Always ever present in those dreams was Westwood Orchards.  Never did she want to leave here, but when her Momma died just after 'Drea's graduation from high school, the sight of anything here was much too painful.
     
    "Well Momma, I am back.  I am home." Choking back a sob, she squeezes her eyes shut, letting her fingers spread wide in the grass. "When I left, it hurt so much to be here, I miss you so much.  Jesus, Momma.  I was an idiot.  Phillip!  Oh how I wish you were here to have told me he was no good for me.  I nearly let him destroy me.  I sacrificed parts of me, my dreams.  I gave up parts of me for a man I didn't love, and who didn't love me.  That's over now.  It is all about Grams, me and Westwood Orchards now and to hell with any damned thing else."
     
    "Andrea Ruth, that mouth!"
    'Drea opens her eyes and winces , "Sorry Grams, I was talking to Momma."
    "I have half a mind to wash that mouth out young lady.  Now get up, we have company." Ruthie says in a huff.
     
    'Drea jerks up and blushes full on red, although through all the sweat and dirt it was hard to see much o f it.  "Oh sorry." She shrieks jumping to her feet, coming toe to toe with her Grams and a man...a man who is smirking at her.
     
    "This is Nathan Kyle.  He has been in town a couple of months now, and I trust him.  He will do whatever you need done, Sugar.  I will leave you two; supper will be ready at 5:00."
    "Yes Ma'am, Ms. Ruthie." He says as she turns and leaves them together.
    'Drea looks him over, as he sizes her up. "Nice to meet you Mr. Kyle."
    He chuckles and smiles, "Nate.  Mr. Kyle was my father."
    She smiles as she takes him in.  At well over six foot tall, Nate was built like a machine.  Brown eyes that look like perfectly melted chocolate and golden shaggy waves that drop over his eye brows.  His jeans are worn and tore at the thigh, and his white pull-over is tight across his chest and shoulders.  Shaking her head absentmindedly she takes a breath, "Oh, OK.  Nate, I was clearing the brush and debris from the store-front.  I want it ready to open as soon as possible."
    "Forgive me for speaking out o f turn Miss Westwood, but Ms. Ruthie isn't able to keep up with the demands of all the baking the shop needs." Nate says protectively.
    "It's Andrea... 'Drea.  Also, I am well aware of my Grams' condition.  Which is why I am here.  I am a capable chef and I will open the store and handle it myself.  Of course whatever help Grams wants to give is great.  When the time comes I will hire out for more help."
    "Oh, your Grams hadn't really told me much about your plans 'Drea."
    "That's because she doesn't know them.  I only arrived this morning after her call not even 48 hours ago.  There has been little discussion, but this place is magical and I won't let it go under because it means too much to her and me."
    "What do you need me to do?" Nate says with a smile.
     
                  Nate never thought that Ms. Ruthie's grand-daughter would come in and plan to save the day.  He assumed her every intention was to fix it up and sell it off.  Boy was he wrong.  She was pretty, strikingly.  She was curvy in all the right places, and her beautiful black hair and emerald green eyes made his heart beat a little harder.  She was a Westwood, beautiful, passionate, and giving.  All this and just knowing