A/N: Whoo! New story! I really shouldn't be starting any new stories but I've got about a hundred of these things sitting in my yet-to-be finished pile so I figured why not post one up for you guys haha. Hope you enjoy this AU!Lucaya fic. This one is my baby, so treat it well. Enjoy and let me know what you think :)

In hindsight, packing up her life and moving to Texas in the middle of July probably wasn't the best idea she'd ever had. But she'd been so tired of the monotony of her life after graduation that when the opportunity had presented itself she'd grabbed it without a second thought. She'd packed up all of her worldly belongings and for the second time ever, left her life behind to embark on a new adventure in what Riley had called a "strange new land".

Which would explain how, after five hours of uncomfortable travel in the air and absurdly poor planning on her part, she ends up on the street in some dusty town with all of her belongings in sweltering Texas heat because her taxi driver refused to take her any further. After about twenty minutes of useless wandering up and down the street she's beginning to think she may just have to hoof it to her new pad and come back for the majority of her stuff later with her landlord.

So she resigns herself to the harrowing task of asking for directions from anyone who is willing to give her the time of day. That "anyone" turns out to be a handsome young man wearing a black felt cowboy hat who happened to come meandering out of the local post office at the precise moment she happened to be passing by.

Without hesitation she latches onto his arm and brandishes the tiny slip of paper with her new address on it, fully intent on asking for quick directions and letting him go on his way.

Until she looks up at him and her brain chooses that exact moment to short circuit. Handsome had been the mother of all understatements to describe him. This young man, with his blonde hair, vivid viridian eyes, smooth sun-kissed skin, and sexy Paul Walker scruff is a living, breathing Adonis.

He's tall, taller than her by at least a head and a half, and, from what she can feel of him through his shirt, made of very solid muscle. He's seemingly perfect and Maya thanks whatever superior being is running the show that this is a one time encounter because if they were living in close quarters she'd probably never be able to keep her hands off of him.

Also because he's looking at her like she's crazy and she would rather not have to explain why she's gaping. "Can I help you, Ma'am?"

That snaps her out of her daze fairly quickly and she shakes her head to clear out the cobwebs that had formed in her brain while she'd been staring at this unbelievably handsome cowboy. "Whoa, okay, two things Huckleberry. One, never call me ma'am. You can call me Maya or Miss Hart but never ever ma'am. Two, can you tell me how to get to 349 Westlake Terrace? I'm new around these parts and my taxi driver refused to go any further than the bus station, so I have to go meet with my landlord and see if she'll give me a ride back for my stuff."

The handsome cowboy just smirks and tips his hat at her. If Maya wasn't so overheated and tired she'd probably be swooning. "Ah. So you're the new tenant living in the guest house. Well Miss Hart, looks like you're in luck. Just let me go collect Edie and Titus and we can go get your things."

Immediately alarms start going off in her head. All she wanted was directions not a ride with some handsome stranger. "Whoa whoa wait. Go where? And who are Edie and Titus?"

The cowboy just winks at her and turns to face the candy shop a few doors down. "To your new home Miss Hart. Edie Mae! Titus! Time to go!"

As it turns out, Edie is an adorable little girl with sandy brown hair tied into two pigtails with little pink bows and big blue eyes just like Maya's. Titus on the other hand turns out to be Edie's big beautiful 90-pound German Shepherd escort.

The little girl comes running out of the shop giggling and waving a bag of candy in the air escorted by a pretty, older looking blonde woman and the dog trotting along beside her. "Daddy! Daddy look! Auntie Missy gave me treats!"

The pretty older woman, apparently named Missy, just laughs and points her finger at the cowboy before he can get a word in. "Lucas Friar, don't you dare tell her to give me that candy back. I'll not be made to feel guilty for spoilin' my beautiful little goddaughter when I see her. And Billy wanted me tell you that he'll be bringin' by some steaks later for Titus. Poor pooch is lookin' a fright these days! And who is this pretty little thing?"

Lucas just smiles and shakes his head as he bends down to collect the little girl into his strong arms. "She's the new tenant I was telling you about. The one moving into Lila's old place. You can interrogate her more at Nana Ruthie's birthday party tonight. Tell Billy I gotta talk to him about some stuff concerning the property, would ya?"

As he turns away to load the little girl and the dog into a surprisingly large truck, Maya is forced to make conversation with Missy, who looks positively elated for reasons yet unknown. "Well aren't you just cute as a button? Name's Marissa. Marissa Anne Ross, nee Bradford. But 'round these parts folks just call me Missy. I look forward to talking to you more later. If he tries to scare you off you come find me and I'll set him in his place, okay?"

The people in this town, Maya is quickly coming to realize, are extremely social beings. Especially the little girl waving excitedly from her car seat, her tiny little limbs flailing all about as she's buckled into place.

Which leaves Maya to just shrug hesitantly at Missy, because people skills are something she never really ever possessed. "Uhm... okay?"

Missy, taking her awkward response as some sort of confirmation, giggles and claps her hands excitedly before enveloping her in a bone-crushing hug. "Great! I gotta be headin' back to my shop but I'll see you around, alright? Don't you hesitate to come on by and visit if you're ever feelin' lonely Maya. Bye-bye Edie Mae! I'll see you tonight!"

With a bounce in her step, Missy wanders away back to her store, leaving Maya alone with Lucas and company. Of course, the moment she wanders away Lucas reappears with that amused smile on his face. "Shall we, Miss Hart?"

Still reeling from her encounter with Missy, Maya can only blink up at him in confusion through her big black rounded floral cat eye sunglasses. "Shall we what, Cowboy?"

Like it's the most obvious thing in the world, the tall handsome cowboy points over his shoulder at his much too large truck and smirks. "Get goin' Miss Hart. I reckon you'll want to collect your things and be at the house before sundown, so you can get settled in before the party tonight."

This of course peaks Maya's curiosity and makes her stomach churn uncomfortably. The whole reason she came to Texas in the first place was to avoid crazy parties and settle down. "I'm sorry... Party?"

Lucas just shrugs and grasps Maya's shoulders gently in his large, warm hands, steering her over to the passenger side of the truck as Titus chuffs at something random in the distance. "Well, sure. I imagine Mama told you when she agreed to let you take up Lila's old place. She likes to give her tenants a proper Southern welcome, which means that Nana Ruthie's 80th birthday party tonight is also your welcome party. So first things first, let's go get yer things and getcha all settled in to your new quarters."

Maya, of course, takes this news with the greatest indignity. Another reason she had packed up her life (twice now) and moved to places unknown was because she was sick and tired of people telling her what to do. She had a mind of her own and could think for herself, thank you very much.

And yet here she was letting some handsome stranger manhandle her while he told her what to do. "Hey, now, wait a minute, Huckleberry! I never agreed to any of this! I just asked for some directions!"

Ignoring her indignant outburst, Lucas just lifts her effortlessly into the car and straps her into the front passenger seat. Climbing into the driver's seat, he tilts his hat at her and winks as the engine roars to life. "Welcome to Austin, Miss Hart."

Although she would love nothing more than to wipe that smile off of his face, he and she both know that he's the best chance she's got at making it to her new place without issue. So Maya just huffs angrily and crosses her arms over her chest, resigning herself to her fate.

Stupid Huckleberry.