AN: This was written as a birthday gift for R J Lupin's Kat . Happy birthday, and hope you like it !
Thanks BuJyo for the beta :)
No spoilers, nothing. Just a little one-shot ...
One morning, in Kentucky.
Morning had just broken, and a white mist was slowly rising from the fields outside of Lexington, Kentucky. A grey SUV was the only thing breaking the silence and quiet calm of the countryside, being driven along the white wooden fences. Horses were moving in their fields, looking at the car passing by, hot air coming out of their nostrils, their blankets carefully striped on their backs, green grass out of their mouth. The golden light of the morning sun was enveloping the scene, making it beautifully peaceful, for everyone who was watching. Except for a tall blond woman, driving the grey Toyota SUV.
"Nothing but grass, dumb horses, and white fences. Talking about a town. Is it too much to ask for coffee here around, or do we have to be fed with grass and oats? This might be your diet, Cowboy, but it's not mine. I need coffee."
The lanky man sitting beside her didn't even look at her, too familiar with her manners when she was lacking of caffeine. "I think I figured that out, Mare, as you've been shouting and demanding coffee since we left Lexington. Told you to grab one at that Starbucks, so you're being uncaffeinated is all your fault".
He resumed his sliding on his smartphone's screen, not paying attention to Mary's pouting, slightly moving to avoid her hand that tried to pat him in the shoulder. " Something else you wanted to say, Mare? And by the way, horses are not as dumb as you think they are." He smirked, anticipating the sigh that came out of her partner's mouth, and he could tell what she would be saying. " And, I know, I won't get you started with Flicka and the Black Stallion, as we are not in Wyoming, and, I quote " Don't you bloody dare give me lectures on Flicka out of this goddamit state", I so can I resume what I was doing?"
Mary did not answer, but shot her partner an angry stare, as she didn't like being denied the opportunity of teasing him. Even if it was by him. Self-teasing. But when her eyes came back to their initial place, the road between the white fences, she caught sight of something interesting, and her right foot hit the brake pedal, causing her partner to be held by the seat belt, and nearly letting go of his brand new phone.
"Mary! What is the problem?" he asked her, his right hand already grabbing at his Glock on his hip.
Mary was already manoeuvring the SUV to the left, half-circling the road, "Coffee. Food. Here."
She parked in front of a diner, hidden under white and pink dogwood, and with a lovely path of grass just in front of it. Mary killed the engine, and took off her seat belt.
"Susan's. This looks good. Not like the ones you make me usually stop by. I have the keys, so I say we stop here to have breakfast." She exited the car, leaving her partner smirking, pocketing his phone and making his way out of the car, knowing fully well that no matter who was driving, she always won the food battle. And Marshall was more than happy to comply, as he usually was as hungry as her, but wouldn't never, for all the pie in the world, let her know that.
The place was a typical Kentucky farm, in red bricks with two white columns in front of the door, and it clearly provides B&B services as well. They could hear the sounds of horses nearby, snorting and whinnying, and a golden Labrador made its way towards them, greeting them and awaiting for some caresses, clearly friendly.
Mary pushed the wooden door open, closely followed by her partner, and they soon found themselves greeted by an elderly woman in her mid-sixties, with beautifully curling white hair, and an inviting smile. She was wearing a white blouse with a fluffy neck and a plaid skirt, and was holding a " No Vacancy " sign she was surely on her way to put on the door.
"I'm sorry, but I have no availability right now, we're full, due to the Rolex 3-days event. But I can give you the number of my friend Rosemary, if you want ?"
Before Mary could argue that the room on their left was actually empty instead of full and that she fucking needed a coffee, Marshall put his arm on her hand and stared at her urging her to remain silent, before he turned to their hostess, and made his best perfect gentleman smile. "Yes, we saw the signs on the road and in Lexington. We were wondering, if hopefully, we could just have breakfast before we hit the road. We are not looking for a room."
Their hostess's cheeks blushed slightly at her misunderstanding, but she smiled broadly at the pair standing in front of her. "But of course, you can. Please forgive my mistake, but there are so many demands for room theses days. This way, please" she added, leading them to the guests room. "As you are the first ones this morning, feel free to choose whatever place you want to eat. I'll be back in a few minutes with coffee."
The old woman started to make her way out of the panelled room when she added, "Unless you prefer tea? I have an excellent Earl Grey".
Both marshals turned to her, and said, in the same voice " Coffee, please." The hostess slightly nodded her agreement, before getting out of the room. Mary turned to her partner.
"Your treat, moron. No way I'm paying this. I bet she is all old-South and would be shocked if a woman paid. I don't need her to have a heart attack."
Marshall smiled, agreeing, "Yes, who needs extra paperwork after Richmond? I can't believe they made us do the paperwork three times."
Having decided at which table they would sit, Mary was retrieving her chair when the thought of Richmond made her sigh. "I will make it clear to Stan that I don't want any case with that asshat of Jenkins. How did that guy could even graduate ? He made me rewrite the statement three times, Marshall, three times. Me. A statement !"
Marshall was looking by the large bay-window, and looking for his mobile in his vest's inside pocket when he smiled at his partner's last words. "Are you pissed with Jenkins because he made you do paperwork, or because it's the first time in god-know-how-long that a guy didn't flirt with you and looked at your feminine parts with awe?"
Mary dropped the spoon she was holding, "Ass. Of course he looked at my ass, and at the girls too! He's a guy!"
Hugely smiling now, Marshall shook his head from left to right, showing his disagreement. "No, Mary, no, he didn't"
"Of course he did!"
"Coffee?" Both Marshals turned their head to see that their hostess had returned, with a full pot of fresh coffee that smelled heavenly. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but, your coffee's ready." She gently put the pot on a napkin on the table, and added, "The rest arrives in a few minutes. I hope you will like it."
Marshall took the coffee pot and started pouring Mary one full cup, before turning to their hostess. " Thank you so much, Mrs …".
She smiled. "Prince, Mrs. Eleanor Prince. Please, call me Eleanor."
Mary choked on her coffee, nearly spitting everything, and Marshall almost fell from his chair. Mary was the one who could speak "Your name is Eleanor Prince? Really ?"
Mrs Prince smiled softly at the both of them " Yes, why, is there a problem with my name ? "
Marshall gathered himself before being able to answer the lady in front of them "No, nothing wrong with your name, Mrs Prince, it's just that we had a colleague with the exact same name, and we have been .. surprised, that's all."
Eleanor smiled widely " I hope you had good memories of her. I will soon be back with the breakfast."
Mary moved not so subtly to the side to see whether this Eleanor was out of the room and leaned forward to whisper to Marshall, "In all the places we could eat breakfast, we choose the one where an Eleanor Prince lives? What are the odds of that?"
Playing along, Marshall leaned towards her, "Remember, Mare, you're the one who chose the place… so it's your decision…. your burden. It should be your treat, too, then."
Mary rose suddenly, and crossed her arms on her chest, starting to answer, "No way I'm paying a woman called Eleanor Prince. Not yesterday, not today, not tomorrow. No money of mine goes into the pocket of an Eleanor …." She stopped in mid-sentence, frozen.
The door between the lounge and the guests room had been opened, and a couple came in, chatting with Mrs Prince, who was pushing a trolley in front of her, full of appetizing food. The old woman showed the couple their table, before coming to Mary and Marshall and presenting them with the breakfast. "Here is what I have for you my dears." She lift a bowl " Fresh peaches with cream – home made by my daughter, Susan" while putting the china bowl on the table. "Here are Raspberry Danish pastries, I hope you like them". Marshall could nearly drooled at the sight of the pastry, still steaming. "We had some waffles, with raspberry maple syrup, it's full season of raspberries, so we use them." Mary made it clear while looking at Marshall that he'd better not touch the waffles if he wanted to keep all his limbs attached. "Some cinnamon rolls, too, my mother-in-law's recipe. Usually, they are appreciated. And here are your plates of sausages and eggs. I put the red pepper sauce here," added Eleanor, putting the saucer on the table. "If you need anything, or want some more, please ask."
Mary and Marshall stared at all the food in front of them, smelling heavenly, then looked at each other, before starting eating, with a huge smile.. "Best. Breakfast. Ever. If we ever come back to Kentucky, there is no way I'm eating somewhere else." Marshall was finishing his first Danish.
"Damn right." was all Mary could say, after finishing a waffle, and staring with eager eyes towards the cinnamon rolls. They both ate in their comfortable routine the delicious food in front of them, picking at bits of each other's pastries, as they usually did.
In the lobby, watching them with a smile, Eleanor Prince was waiting for her guests to finish the breakfast. A noise made her turn, and she smiled at her daughter, coming down the stairs.
"Hello, Mom, you want me to take it from here? "
The older woman shook her head, "We have interesting guests, today, by the bay-window. A future couple, I'd say."
"How can you tell that, Mom?"
Eleanor moved closer to Susan, her daughter, and showed her the couple made by a gorgeous tall blond woman, and a lanky black-haired man, sitting and eating their breakfast. "Look at how close and comfortable they are with each other. The world could collapse, they wouldn't even notice it. I'd say they are not a couple yet, but this could change in the very near future. She will be a very lucky woman..."
The young woman drew her mother closer to her, hugging her, and both stood there, watching all their guests in the room, taking care of their needs, but remained focused on one particular couple, hoping they would see them again one day. Outside, a golden Labrador was resting on the green Kentucky grass, watching horses in the field nearby. Just a simple morning in Kentucky.
That's all for this one :) Please R&R, as reviews are always welcomed ...