Free American Heroes Series - 03 - Purgatory by Kathryn Le Veque

of granola,” he groaned. “I don’t want to go anywhere
right now. I want to go back to bed.”
    He wandered off in the direction
of the central hall and Elliot shrugged, turning to Nash again.
    “Looks like it’s just you and
me,” she said. “Are you okay with that?”
    He cocked his head curiously.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
    She lifted her shoulders. “Well,”
she said thoughtfully. “You have a reputation to uphold. People might see us
together and they might talk.”
    He couldn’t tell if she was
serious or not. He decided to go with his gut instinct on his reply and hope it
didn’t get him into trouble.
    “Look here, Ms. Ellie,” he said
in his best Louisiana drawl. “People will think I’m the luckiest man in the
world if they see me with you.  Hell, I already think I’m the luckiest man in
the world simply to have met you.  It has been a true honor and a privilege,
ma’am.”
    Elliot had only been teasing him
but his reply was not what she had expected. It was warm, honest and
flattering.  A genuine smile spread across her lips.
    “That’s a really sweet thing to
say,” she said sincerely. “After the craziness of yesterday, I was sure I’d
never see you again.”
    He gave her an expression that
suggested she was insane but, not wanting to incriminate himself further with
an even more flattering reply, he simply shook his head and pointed to the
stairs.
    “Go get yourself dressed,” he
said, sipping at his coffee. “I’ll wait here.”
    With a very sweet smile that had
him completely entranced, Elliot slipped up the backstairs.  When Nash was sure
she couldn’t see him, he watched her shapely round butt as it disappeared up
the steps.
    Thinking sexy, dirty thoughts he
hadn’t entertained in years, he focused on his coffee, watching the sun rise
over the bayou and not at all sorry he had been up all night.  The reward, this
morning, would be well worth it.
     
    ***
     
    It was a dive. Well, not really a
dive, but it wasn’t what she would have considered a nice restaurant either. 
Over-dressed in white Capri pants, a beautiful flowery top, silver necklace and
sexy little white sandals, Elliot tried not to openly react when Nash opened
the door for her and ushered her in to a little restaurant that sat right on
the water’s edge of the Black Bayou. He took her arm and politely escorted her
over to a table that overlooked the water. 
    In the mid-morning sun, the bugs
were dancing happily along the green expanse of shoreline and she could feel
the humidity rise through the screens.  Nash held out the cheap white chair for
her and she sat, smiling at him when he took the chair opposite her.
    “I know it doesn’t look like
much,” he said,” but, trust me when I tell you they have the best breakfasts in
town.  They’ve got a fat, one-eyed old woman back in the kitchen that can
out-cook anyone on this planet.”
    Elliot giggled, suppressing her
smile when a very old man came to the table, all dressed up like a soda jerk
from sixty years ago.  It was adorable. He greeted Nash amiably.
    “Sheriff,” he smiled a toothless
grin enthusiastically. “Glad to see ya, glad to see ya.  What can I get for
ya?”
    Nash gave Elliot an impish
expression. “Do you trust me?”
    She half shrugged, half nodded.
“Why not?”
    He grinned and turned to the old
man. “Eggs with ham and cheese, scrambled, grits, bacon, hash browns and white
toast.  And keep the coffee coming.”
    The old man nodded and darted
off.  Nash returned his focus to Elliot, looking like an angel as the warm
morning sun illuminated her lovely features.  He’d known the woman less than a
day, but in that day, something very odd had happened. He was attracted to her
as he’d never been attracted to a woman in his life and already, he couldn’t
stand the thought of being away from her. He just wanted to be with her, be
around her, and never leave that glorious aura she seemed to project. He’d
never experienced