Southern Rose
prolouge:
Josephine plopped down on the red plastic chair in front of the sheriff's desk. Her blondish brown hair glittered in the light shining from the noisy ceiling fan above her as she chewed on a small piece of gum.
"Why'd ya do it?" the bald and tubby sheriff asked Josephine, as he sipped his coffee.
"Cuz I felt like it," Josephine replied in her soft country accent.
"Josephine, you know that is not a reason. Why did you steal Mr. Richards's wallet?" the officer asked, getting a little huffy and impatient.
"Old crotchety Richards has a ton of money. Not like he can't spare a little,"Josephine answered, rolling her eyes.
"Miss Lawson, this is not the first time you've been sitting in my office, but I hope it will be the last. You know that if I weren't so fond of your aunt, you'd be serving jail time," he told her honestly.
"Yeah, I know," Josephine replied.
"Well, you're leaving in 3 days. Do you really want to leave on a bad note?" He asked, "I suggest you be good for the last few days your here."
"Fine, sheriff, I'll be little miss perfect for the next 72 hours," she said getting out of her chair," Have a nice night." Josephine walked out the door and past the rest of the officers in the lobby. She got into her old red ford truck, Sandy, and drove home. She sped across the gravel road and up the dirt path leading to her aunt's bar. She got out and slammed the door on Sandy and walked into the bar.
"Hey Aunt Peggy," Josephine said, walking over to the bar.
"Hey Joe, baby," Her aunt replied while pouring a whisky shot for a man wearing a "John Deer" hat, "Where have you been, a lot of people have been askin?"
"Oh that sorry excuse for a man sheriff picked me up for pick pocketing, but Aunt Peg, I swear I wasn't doing anything of that sort," Josephine answered, brushing her long bang out of her face.
"Its fine sweetie, that man has no clue about anything whatsoever," she said, before shooing Josephine away so she could continue to bar tend.
"Hey, Joe, we've been waiting for ya," Joe's best friend Millie yelled out, as she climbed off of the mechanical bull she was riding.
"Yeah we were missin you an awful lot here, Josie," a voice from behind her. She felt two arms wrap around her stomach and she instantly new it was her boyfriend Jessie.
"Hey Millie, Hey Jessie," Josephine replied before giving Jessie a long, passionate kiss.
"You know, Josie, I'm gonna miss those while your off in Colorado," Jessie told her, looking into her soft blue eyes.
"I'll miss you too," Joe replied kissing him again.
Chapter 1
Joe stepped off of the bus and into the small, snow covered town. She hugged her coat even tighter around her. She looked around, trying to find a familiar face. The wind blew at her, as if trying to rip her jacket off. Suddenly she felt to arm wrap around her leg and looked down to find Sam.
"Hello Sammy!" She greeted him, scooping him into her arms. She then noticed Nina walking over and waved with her slightly free hand. Joe put Sam down and embraced Nina in a hug.
"Oh you must of grown a foot since I last saw you Joe," Nina said, looking her up and down.
"You ain't looking bad yourself, Aunt Nina, you look wonderful," Joe said as they walked to Nina's car. The car ride home was passed with many stories of Joe getting into trouble while living in Jasper. They both laughed as Joe told the story of how her and Millie had been caught speeding and Peggy had to seduce the sheriff into letting them go scott- free.
"This is it," Nina announced as she parked in the driveway.
"Wow, this is a beautiful house, Nina!" Joe replied getting her bags out of the trunk.
"I'm sure it isn't anything like that penthouse you had with your mom in New York, but it should do," Nina said, taking one of Joe's bags.
"No, It's great. Really charming," Joe answered. She followed Nina into the house, relieved to be out of the cold. Nina led Joe to her room, which had a beautiful oak bed, with a matching desk and dresser. Nina left Joe to get settled and to give Sam a quick bath. Joe began to unpack her bags when she came across a picture of her and her friends from New York. It was of her, Josh, Sadie, Casey, and Ephram, her old boyfriend. She had lived in New York from the age of 6 until she was 14. She had then moved with her mother to Las Vegas for 5 months, and then went back to her birthplace, Jasper, Texas. She set the picture on her dresser, along with the one of her Millie, and Jessie sitting in Sandy's truck bed, and the one of her mother and her on the Las Vegas strip. She put her clothes away in her dresser and closet and put her suitcases under her bed. She sat down at her desk and wrote quick postcards to Jessie, Peggy, Millie, and her mom, and made a mental note to give them to Nina to drop off at the post office. She hooked her laptop up and then left to find Nina.
"Joe, I have to go to work soon. I'm gonna drop Sam off at his babysitters house. You can stick around here, or explore the town. Just be back home around 6 for dinner," Nina said putting on her coat. Joe saw her to the door and then sat down on the large couch in the living room. She watched TV for a while, finding out there was really nothing good on a Saturday afternoon. She looked in the kitchen cabinets and found a box of cake mix. ~I should make Nina and Sam a cake. Like a special thank you gift.~ She thought. She got out all the ingredients the box listed.
"Ok, milk, sugar, eggs....," Joe said to herself, listing the items," Wait, there's no eggs." She sighed and threw away the empty egg carton.
"I guess I'll have to go next store and ask,"Joe announced, talking to herself once again. Joe grabbed her coat and slid her beanie over her sleek brown hair.
She stuck out her finger and rang the doorbell. Somebody inside yelled, just a minute, as Joe buried her icy hands into her coat pockets. The door flung open, revealing a boy with spiky brown hair.
"Hi, my name is...,"Joe began before stopping as she noticed whom she was talking too.
"Joe?" Ephram asked, his voice dripping with confusion.
"Ephram?," she replied, "Can I come in? It is freezing out here."
"Of course," Ephram replied, moving aside so she could enter. He showed her to the kitchen, and motioned for her to take a seat. "So what are you doing here? I thought you were in Vegas."
"Nope, I was in Jasper actually, but now I'm here, staying with my aunt Nina," Joe answered.
"Nina's your aunt?" Ephram asked, surprised.
"Yup. So what are you doing here?" Joe questioned.
"I moved here after my mom died," He answered, a little pain in his voice.
"Oh. I still can't believe she's gone," Joe said her voice a little scratchy,"She was more a mother to me then my own." Josephine's mind flashed back to the time when her mother had had to work on her birthday so Mrs. Brown had thrown her a birthday party. Joe's mom wasn't a bad woman, she just had a lot of things on her mind and sometimes forgot about things. May, Joe's mom, had been the head of a corporation that made clothes and accessories. After September 11th, the business fell through, forcing May to take Joe and move to Las Vegas, where she became a well-paid showgirl. Joe hadn't taken the change well, she resented her mom for pulling her away from her friends and boyfriend. Especially since Ephram's mom had recently perished and Joe had wanted to be there for him.
"Me neither. So how was Vegas?" Ephram changed the subject.
"Great, I had a lot of fun there. Jasper was better though. My aunt Peggy is wild," Joe replied,"She has this wicked bar, with a mechanical bull and everything."
"Sounds cool. So why'd you move here?" Ephram asked looking right into her eyes. She had always loved when he did that. He had such gorgeous eyes.
"Mostly because Peggy said she didn't want to keep me to herself, and said that Nina had needed some help with Sam. Since her husband is gone all the time," Joe answered, "What have you been up to?"
"Not much. This place isn't anything compared to NYC,"Ephram sighed,"Want some hot cocoa?"
"Sure. That'd be great," Joe nodded,"So did you have a girlfriend?"
"Naw. A lot of the girls here are pretty dull," he replied mixing the hot chocolate, "How about you, any new boy toys in Jasper?"
"Yeah. Sorta," Joe wrinkled her nose," It was more of a fling." Ephram walked back over to the table and handed Joe a black mug. Joe smiled as she let the warm steam flow onto her face. Her smile melted Ephram, it was one of the only things that did. Joe used to always use it against him, to get what she wanted.
"Ephram, who are you talking to?" Delia shouted, as she walked down the stairs.
"Oh, just Joe," He replied, a grin spreading across his face.
"Joe?Joe!" Delia said running over and hugging Joe. Joe almost slid out of her chair Delia had startled her so much. She hugged Delia back and kissed her on the head.
"Hey Sweetie," she said looking at Delia,"Boy have you grown since I saw you last."
"I missed you soooo sooo much Joe," Delia said looking up at Joe. Joe gave Delia another hug before releasing her. Ephram handed Delia a mug of hot chocolate and told her to go upstairs so he and Joe could talk some more. Delia left and the two sat together, just enjoying the peace and quiet.
prolouge:
Josephine plopped down on the red plastic chair in front of the sheriff's desk. Her blondish brown hair glittered in the light shining from the noisy ceiling fan above her as she chewed on a small piece of gum.
"Why'd ya do it?" the bald and tubby sheriff asked Josephine, as he sipped his coffee.
"Cuz I felt like it," Josephine replied in her soft country accent.
"Josephine, you know that is not a reason. Why did you steal Mr. Richards's wallet?" the officer asked, getting a little huffy and impatient.
"Old crotchety Richards has a ton of money. Not like he can't spare a little,"Josephine answered, rolling her eyes.
"Miss Lawson, this is not the first time you've been sitting in my office, but I hope it will be the last. You know that if I weren't so fond of your aunt, you'd be serving jail time," he told her honestly.
"Yeah, I know," Josephine replied.
"Well, you're leaving in 3 days. Do you really want to leave on a bad note?" He asked, "I suggest you be good for the last few days your here."
"Fine, sheriff, I'll be little miss perfect for the next 72 hours," she said getting out of her chair," Have a nice night." Josephine walked out the door and past the rest of the officers in the lobby. She got into her old red ford truck, Sandy, and drove home. She sped across the gravel road and up the dirt path leading to her aunt's bar. She got out and slammed the door on Sandy and walked into the bar.
"Hey Aunt Peggy," Josephine said, walking over to the bar.
"Hey Joe, baby," Her aunt replied while pouring a whisky shot for a man wearing a "John Deer" hat, "Where have you been, a lot of people have been askin?"
"Oh that sorry excuse for a man sheriff picked me up for pick pocketing, but Aunt Peg, I swear I wasn't doing anything of that sort," Josephine answered, brushing her long bang out of her face.
"Its fine sweetie, that man has no clue about anything whatsoever," she said, before shooing Josephine away so she could continue to bar tend.
"Hey, Joe, we've been waiting for ya," Joe's best friend Millie yelled out, as she climbed off of the mechanical bull she was riding.
"Yeah we were missin you an awful lot here, Josie," a voice from behind her. She felt two arms wrap around her stomach and she instantly new it was her boyfriend Jessie.
"Hey Millie, Hey Jessie," Josephine replied before giving Jessie a long, passionate kiss.
"You know, Josie, I'm gonna miss those while your off in Colorado," Jessie told her, looking into her soft blue eyes.
"I'll miss you too," Joe replied kissing him again.
Chapter 1
Joe stepped off of the bus and into the small, snow covered town. She hugged her coat even tighter around her. She looked around, trying to find a familiar face. The wind blew at her, as if trying to rip her jacket off. Suddenly she felt to arm wrap around her leg and looked down to find Sam.
"Hello Sammy!" She greeted him, scooping him into her arms. She then noticed Nina walking over and waved with her slightly free hand. Joe put Sam down and embraced Nina in a hug.
"Oh you must of grown a foot since I last saw you Joe," Nina said, looking her up and down.
"You ain't looking bad yourself, Aunt Nina, you look wonderful," Joe said as they walked to Nina's car. The car ride home was passed with many stories of Joe getting into trouble while living in Jasper. They both laughed as Joe told the story of how her and Millie had been caught speeding and Peggy had to seduce the sheriff into letting them go scott- free.
"This is it," Nina announced as she parked in the driveway.
"Wow, this is a beautiful house, Nina!" Joe replied getting her bags out of the trunk.
"I'm sure it isn't anything like that penthouse you had with your mom in New York, but it should do," Nina said, taking one of Joe's bags.
"No, It's great. Really charming," Joe answered. She followed Nina into the house, relieved to be out of the cold. Nina led Joe to her room, which had a beautiful oak bed, with a matching desk and dresser. Nina left Joe to get settled and to give Sam a quick bath. Joe began to unpack her bags when she came across a picture of her and her friends from New York. It was of her, Josh, Sadie, Casey, and Ephram, her old boyfriend. She had lived in New York from the age of 6 until she was 14. She had then moved with her mother to Las Vegas for 5 months, and then went back to her birthplace, Jasper, Texas. She set the picture on her dresser, along with the one of her Millie, and Jessie sitting in Sandy's truck bed, and the one of her mother and her on the Las Vegas strip. She put her clothes away in her dresser and closet and put her suitcases under her bed. She sat down at her desk and wrote quick postcards to Jessie, Peggy, Millie, and her mom, and made a mental note to give them to Nina to drop off at the post office. She hooked her laptop up and then left to find Nina.
"Joe, I have to go to work soon. I'm gonna drop Sam off at his babysitters house. You can stick around here, or explore the town. Just be back home around 6 for dinner," Nina said putting on her coat. Joe saw her to the door and then sat down on the large couch in the living room. She watched TV for a while, finding out there was really nothing good on a Saturday afternoon. She looked in the kitchen cabinets and found a box of cake mix. ~I should make Nina and Sam a cake. Like a special thank you gift.~ She thought. She got out all the ingredients the box listed.
"Ok, milk, sugar, eggs....," Joe said to herself, listing the items," Wait, there's no eggs." She sighed and threw away the empty egg carton.
"I guess I'll have to go next store and ask,"Joe announced, talking to herself once again. Joe grabbed her coat and slid her beanie over her sleek brown hair.
She stuck out her finger and rang the doorbell. Somebody inside yelled, just a minute, as Joe buried her icy hands into her coat pockets. The door flung open, revealing a boy with spiky brown hair.
"Hi, my name is...,"Joe began before stopping as she noticed whom she was talking too.
"Joe?" Ephram asked, his voice dripping with confusion.
"Ephram?," she replied, "Can I come in? It is freezing out here."
"Of course," Ephram replied, moving aside so she could enter. He showed her to the kitchen, and motioned for her to take a seat. "So what are you doing here? I thought you were in Vegas."
"Nope, I was in Jasper actually, but now I'm here, staying with my aunt Nina," Joe answered.
"Nina's your aunt?" Ephram asked, surprised.
"Yup. So what are you doing here?" Joe questioned.
"I moved here after my mom died," He answered, a little pain in his voice.
"Oh. I still can't believe she's gone," Joe said her voice a little scratchy,"She was more a mother to me then my own." Josephine's mind flashed back to the time when her mother had had to work on her birthday so Mrs. Brown had thrown her a birthday party. Joe's mom wasn't a bad woman, she just had a lot of things on her mind and sometimes forgot about things. May, Joe's mom, had been the head of a corporation that made clothes and accessories. After September 11th, the business fell through, forcing May to take Joe and move to Las Vegas, where she became a well-paid showgirl. Joe hadn't taken the change well, she resented her mom for pulling her away from her friends and boyfriend. Especially since Ephram's mom had recently perished and Joe had wanted to be there for him.
"Me neither. So how was Vegas?" Ephram changed the subject.
"Great, I had a lot of fun there. Jasper was better though. My aunt Peggy is wild," Joe replied,"She has this wicked bar, with a mechanical bull and everything."
"Sounds cool. So why'd you move here?" Ephram asked looking right into her eyes. She had always loved when he did that. He had such gorgeous eyes.
"Mostly because Peggy said she didn't want to keep me to herself, and said that Nina had needed some help with Sam. Since her husband is gone all the time," Joe answered, "What have you been up to?"
"Not much. This place isn't anything compared to NYC,"Ephram sighed,"Want some hot cocoa?"
"Sure. That'd be great," Joe nodded,"So did you have a girlfriend?"
"Naw. A lot of the girls here are pretty dull," he replied mixing the hot chocolate, "How about you, any new boy toys in Jasper?"
"Yeah. Sorta," Joe wrinkled her nose," It was more of a fling." Ephram walked back over to the table and handed Joe a black mug. Joe smiled as she let the warm steam flow onto her face. Her smile melted Ephram, it was one of the only things that did. Joe used to always use it against him, to get what she wanted.
"Ephram, who are you talking to?" Delia shouted, as she walked down the stairs.
"Oh, just Joe," He replied, a grin spreading across his face.
"Joe?Joe!" Delia said running over and hugging Joe. Joe almost slid out of her chair Delia had startled her so much. She hugged Delia back and kissed her on the head.
"Hey Sweetie," she said looking at Delia,"Boy have you grown since I saw you last."
"I missed you soooo sooo much Joe," Delia said looking up at Joe. Joe gave Delia another hug before releasing her. Ephram handed Delia a mug of hot chocolate and told her to go upstairs so he and Joe could talk some more. Delia left and the two sat together, just enjoying the peace and quiet.