YAY for new stories! So this is another modern fic, in case you didn't read the information. When I first started reading stories on here, I avoided modern fics like the plague! But after reading a few, I was completely and hopelessly hooked. This story takes place in the tiny town of Paradise Holler, Mississippi (which is completely made up by the way). Used to big city living, Sansa meets dirty and rugged country boy Sandor. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think! Happy reading! xoxoxo
Title inspired by "You Won't Ever Be Lonely" by Andy Griggs.
Of all the places Sansa thought she would end up, she never thought it would be Paradise Holler, Mississippi. Of course, she only had herself to blame for that. When she decided she was going to leave Atlanta, she had literally closed her eyes and pointed to a spot on her United States atlas. It was the same atlas that her dad had always insisted she keep with her in the car. You know, because...fuck technology. Anywhere would be better than Atlanta. Not that she disliked Atlanta. On the contrary, she loved it. City life appealed to her because there was always somewhere to go and something to do. Yes, she would miss the nightlife. Dancing, drinks, friends, fine cuisine, and an endless charade of parties and social events. It was the people she had grown tedious of. One family in particular. The Lannisters. In a fit of rage that was very uncharacteristic of her, Sansa had left her lawyer fiancée Joffrey and his cruel, arrogant ways. Parts of her life in Atlanta would be missed, but the way Joffrey treated her would not be one of those things.
Now as she took a break from unpacking and perched herself on the porch of her new apartment that overlooked Main Street, she realized this was her new reality. She now lived in this town where everyone probably knew everyone and their brother, and being stuck behind a tractor would be considered a traffic jam. If she had a dog, right then would have been the perfect time for her to look down at it and say 'I don't think we're in Kansas anymore...' The rural town of Paradise Holler was picturesque, to say the least. Just a stone's throw from the Mississippi River, the town was teeming with the most beautiful Live Oak trees that were draped in Spanish Moss. The most adorable establishments lined Main Street. Her little apartment just happened to be right above the only coffee shop in town. In the one day she had been in Paradise Holler, she had discovered the minuscule town only had five restaurants (depending on your interpretation of what a restaurant was), two grocery stores, two churches, one general store, a few bars, and one school. The school was why Sansa was there. As her luck would have it, the tiny town of Paradise Holler she had put her finger on had an opening in kindergarten at the only school in the county. She didn't question a situation that felt like fate and had wasted no time calling to apply for the position. Resumes and recommendations were emailed and she soon had a Skype interview with the school's principal, Dr. Varys. The bald headed man was impressed by Sansa's glowing resume; master's degree in early childhood education from the University of Georgia and five years of experience teaching kindergarten at a prestigious school in downtown Atlanta. But why? Dr. Varys had wondered out loud towards the end of the interview. Why leave the city life behind for our quiet little town? Sansa hadn't been prepared to answer that question. But the interview had gone so well, she decided she would just be as honest as she could with the kind, soft spoken man. 'I need a fresh start.'
Although, fresh wouldn't exactly be the most appropriate word she would use to describe herself at that particular moment. Humidity was something everyone in the south battled that time of the year, and having been born and raised in Georgia, Sansa was no stranger to it. The sweltering heat of the last days in July had her long red ponytail clinging to her sticky neck. Her thin tank top was stuck to her body and she could feel the sweat literally dripping off of her skin. Leaving the heavy summer air, Sansa turned to go back inside her apartment. It was tiny compared to the sprawling urban loft she had shared with Joffrey in Atlanta, probably no more than eight hundred square feet. But it would suit her needs and she loved it. Dr. Varys had given her the number of the landlord, Olenna Tyrell and she had rented it sight unseen. When Sansa had arrived, she had been delighted to find out that it was recently renovated with updated plumbing, central heating and air conditioning, and had all new appliances. Turns out, the landlord's granddaughter had previously lived there before moving in with her long time boyfriend. The day she arrived, Sansa had chatted for hours with the old woman while the movers unloaded her furniture and boxes. Sansa had learned that her granddaughter was around her age and was also a teacher at Paradise Holler Attendance Center. Moving day had been quite a spectacle in the one stoplight town and she had attracted the attention of several passerbys.
"Everyone just wants to meet the fascinating young red head from the big city that will be living above my coffee shop. Especially all the young men." Olenna had drawled in a thick southern accent. "You're the shiny new toy everyone wants to play with."
Playing with anyone wasn't very high on Sansa's priority list. She had come here for some much needed peace and falling in love was out of the question, no matter how charming these country boys were. Secretly, Sansa had a thing for rugged farm boys, having had a fling with one during her college years at The University of Georgia. That had been ages ago, but Sansa still could remember the feeling of his rough, work worn hands smoothing over her soft skin as he undressed her to make love in the backseat of his pickup truck. What I wouldn't give to have hands like that on me again. Angrily, Sansa chastised herself as she pulled her clothes from her body. No, I am not here to fall in love. I am here to teach, and that's what I'll do. After a quick shower and putting on a fresh tank top and shorts, Sansa scraped her long hair back into a high pony tail. Daylight was fading and she wanted to make a trip to the grocery store down the street before long.
Wanting to make her outing a quick one, Sansa opted to walk to the smaller grocery store two doors down rather than drive down to the end of Main Street to the Piggly Wiggly. She just wanted to grab a few things that would hold her over until she had time to make a larger grocery run. She hadn't been inside the smaller grocery store yet and had no idea what to expect. Simply named "The Market," the small storefront was all glass with the name scrawled elegantly across it with white paint. As Sansa took a deep breath before reaching for the door handle, she hoped it wasn't very busy inside. She was definitely feeling very out of her element. A small bell rang above her as she swung the creaky wooden door open and stepped inside.
Oh shit...
Lined up at the counter was a group of men who were idly talking amongst themselves. Clearly they were there to shoot the breeze and not buy heads of lettuce or boxes of cereal. They all turned to see who had walked in the door and eagerness quickly spread across their faces upon seeing the lovely new girl in town. If Sansa hadn't sworn off men, she would have been swooning at the sight of the rugged, good looking men clad in t-shirts, well worn jeans and baseball caps. All but one had turned around. A monstrously tall man with his hair pulled back into a knot in a ball cap with broad shoulders that filled the red plaid fabric of his button up shirt stood with his hips leaning against the counter. Hips that framed the most perfectly sculpted ass Sansa had ever seen. Good gravy train...I bet his naked ass looks like two scoops of butter pecan ice cream...
"Evening, ma'am." The aging clerk said politely, shaking Sansa from her daze.
Like a deer caught in headlights, all Sansa could do was stare, mouth agape. She managed an awkward hello before turning, only to crash right into a stack of hand baskets. Oh God, get yourself together... After flashing a quick smile at the amused men, Sansa grabbed a basket and took off down an aisle. Shit, shit, shit...way to go, Sansa, great way to make a first impression. Subconsciously, Sansa began hastily grabbing items off the shelves to fill her basket. As she turned a corner to make her way down the next aisle, she stopped dead in her tracks. Lazily chewing on a rawhide bone was the biggest Bloodhound Sansa had ever seen. A dog. There's a dog. In the grocery store. Why the hell is there a dog in a grocery store?! Upon seeing Sansa, the dog scrambled to his feet and skidded across the slick linoleum floor towards her, his tail wagging furiously. Now being five foot seven inches in height, Sansa considered herself a decent sized woman. But this dog's shoulders were just about even with her hips. And unfortunately, that's right where the dog's nose was headed. With a loud snort, the Bloodhound buried his nose into Sansa's crotch. With a startled yelp, Sansa began to back up. Oh COME ON! Like I need anything else to humiliate me in front of complete strangers...
"Um...excuse me?! This dog...ow...a little help back here would be nice!" The relentless dog kept digging in as Sansa tried to raise a knee up to keep the dog at bay. With her flip flop clad foot, Sansa was able to push the dog away enough for her to turn where she was standing. As she whirled around, she crashed face first into something large. Something large wearing a red plaid button up shirt. "Oh shit!"
She heard a rough laugh above her, followed by a deep southern voice. "Woah, easy now. Almost made me spill my nuts."
Sansa's eyes flew up, up, up to the person that the voice belonged to. "Excuse me?!"
The large man laughed again and held up a styrofoam cup. "Peanuts. Boiled peanuts." For emphasis, he rattled them around in the cup.
Sheepishly, Sansa looked away. "Oh. Right." After an awkward pause, her eyes found the man's face again. One side of his face was strikingly handsome with a prominent brow and dark smoldering brown eyes hedged by thick lashes. The other side was marked with twisted scars that had erased one eyebrow and mangled what was left of his ear. His lips, oh God, those lips, were deliciously full and surrounded by facial hair that was trimmed close to his skin. The view of his shoulders that she had seen just moments ago didn't do them scarcely enough justice. His shirt hugged his broad, muscular shoulders perfectly and was unbuttoned just enough at the top to show the top of what Sansa assumed was a very hairy chest. Apparently, the nosy Bloodhound had not gotten a good enough sniff, because suddenly, Sansa felt his wet nose invade her space again. With a mighty shove, the dog pushed his nose against her bottom which sent her careening forward into the man. Instinctively, Sansa raised a hand to brace herself and it came down against his finely muscled chest. One of the man's hands came up and gripped her elbow to steady her.
With a small level of annoyance, the man raised his leg to shove the dog away with his boot. "Hey, go on, Moses...get outta here dog!" He said sharply, giving the dog a good push. With an unsatisfied grunt, Moses retrieved his bone and sauntered off to another aisle.
Even though the dog was gone, the man hadn't relinquished his hold on Sansa's elbow. But then again, she hadn't removed her hand from his chest either. Timidly, she raised her eyes back to his, completely unable to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. A tingle formed where his hand cradled her elbow and was beginning to quickly spread through the rest of her body. His scent was intoxicating. Cologne, or maybe just his deodorant, mixed with sweat from working outside. She curled her fingers slightly and could feel the soft chest hair right underneath the fabric of the shirt she was still resting her hand on. Crap! Ugh...he's going to think I'm trying to fondle him or something. Abruptly, Sansa jerked her hand back and stepped away.
"Sorry about Moses. He's harmless, just a big ol' baby. Just overly friendly with new people." The man pulled his cap down slightly lower on his face.
"Is he your dog?"
"Yep. That's my buddy."
Sansa tucked a stray hair that was tickling her neck behind her ear. "And they let you bring him in the grocery store?"
"Yeah, they don't mind. Moses goes just about everywhere with me." The man fidgeted with his cap again. Sansa wondered briefly if he was trying to throw a shadow over his scars. "So, uh...you ain't from around here, huh?"
Sansa let a small, nervous laugh escape her lips. "What gave it away?"
"Well, maybe it's because I've never seen you around before."
"So I take it you know everybody around here?"
"Well, yea. Pretty much."
A coy little smile spread on Sansa's lips. "You don't know me..." Shit! You're not supposed to be flirting with him! Get a grip! Realizing how suggestive her comment sounded, Sansa's cheeks flushed red.
The big man chuckled and rattled the peanuts around in his cup as he looked at its contents. He looked slightly nervous. "No. Not yet." He extended a very large hand into the space between them. "I'm Sandor."
"Sansa Stark." She placed her hand delicately into his and allowed him to squeeze it gently in a handshake. The skin on Sandor's hand was rough and calloused. No doubt this man made a living by working with his hands. For a brief moment, Sansa allowed herself to imagine what he did with his hands to make them so rough. Her thoughts quickly drifted to images of what he could do to her with those hands. By the time Sandor's voice registered in her brain, his imaginary hands in her mind were tracing delicate circles across her shoulder blades as he pulled her in for a kiss.
"So you're the new teacher?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes! Teacher. That's me. How did you know?"
Sandor gave her a sideways grin and leaned in a little closer. "I know everyone. And people tend to gossip." With a wink, he drew himself away from her.
The color hadn't left Sansa's face and she could feel the heat slowly creeping down into her chest. She caught her bottom lip in her top teeth and adjusted the shopping basket in the crook of her arm.
A noise came from Sandor's throat. Half growl, half cough. "Well, I'll let you get back to your shopping. It was nice meetin' you." He clumsily stepped around her, then turned and took a few steps backwards, still facing her. "See ya around." He flashed a quick smile, turned and gave a whistle to his dog and left Sansa alone between the racks of breakfast cereal and coffee. Subtly, Sansa moved across the store to the window and watched as Sandor strode to a large black Dodge dually truck and lowered the tailgate. He mouthed words she couldn't hear to Moses and patted the bed of the truck. Obediently, the large dog leapt into the back of the truck and slobbered kisses over Sandor's face. He laughed and pushed the dog further into the bed so he could lift the tailgate. Licking her lips, Sansa couldn't help but be a teeny bit jealous of the dog. Sansa couldn't resist one last head cocked, mouth open, lip licking, lingering stare at Sandor's ass as he turned and walked around the truck and pulled himself up into the driver's seat. Through the window, she could hear the loud truck rumble to life. She watched until it disappeared out of sight, taking Sandor away.
When she reached the check out counter, she idly placed her items out for the clerk to ring up, lost in her thoughts about tall, dark, handsome Sandor.
"Did you find everything you were looking for, ma'am?"
"Yes. Yes, I think I did."