ShunnieIsFine, severelybabykryptonite, zeejack, simple1234, supermichonnethequeen, Tonya pookie thanks so much for the positive feedback. Because of the different pairings the possibilities are endless. This chapter is a hodge-podge overview of everything that is going on in this small town. I really hope ya'll like it. There isn't a lot of Richonne in this chapter, but our favs will be the central focus overall.
Chapter 2
Barbara watched from the large kitchen through the French patio doors. Seeing her daughter with her lifelong friend, Sasha Williams, lounging by the pool, brought back so many memories of her childhood. Fondly, she remembered how her late husband cut down the trellis on the side of the house to stop Rick Green from climbing in Michonne's room at night. The problem was, Rick was in the middle of climbing up the thing when he had taken his chainsaw to it. Andre Logan was determined his daughter wasn't going to marry a roughneck like him or Rick, but nothing he did could keep them apart. Eventually, he gave up trying to kill Rick and resolved to clean his gun whenever he knew the young man would be at their home. Michonne didn't help matters by teasing her daddy for having the cleanest gun collection in all of Texas.
Sasha and Michonne offered Barbara huge smiles when she walked out of the house, carrying a tray of lemonade. "Miss Barb, please tell me that's your famous lemonade!" Sasha asked quickly sitting up to pour her a glass.
"It is," Barbara smiled, sitting the tray on the patio table. "Missy, I have a pot roast in the oven. Keep an eye on it for me. I have to run into town for a bit."
"Yes, ma'am, and thank you for the lemonade," Michonne replied, taking the glass Sasha offered her.
"Your mom is the sweetest," Sasha exclaimed.
"Yeah, she is," she sighed. "After my daddy died, I was a mess. I couldn't focus on anything and was drifting, but she stood strong. She and Rick helped me find my way back."
"Have you seen him?"
Michonne glared at Sasha incredulously, "like Mags didn't tell you."
"Okay, but I've been waiting all day for you to tell me about the kiss."
"It was a kiss, Sasha, dang! What can I say about a kiss?"
"I dunno. Maybe it got you all hot and bothered. Did it make you want to rip his clothes off and ride him like he was Crossbow? Girl say something!"
Michonne lifted her sunglasses and glared at her friend for a moment, shaking her head. "Who are you and who let you out amongst the rest of us?"
"Shut up and just tell it. Does he still make your panties…"
"Sasha!"
"What? Don't pretend you two didn't go at it every chance ya'll got." An exasperated sigh and a shake of her head was all Michonne would give her friend. "You're evil for not telling me the intimate details of you and Rick's sex life."
"Who's sex life?" Daryl asked, leading the pack out of the house.
"Where in the hell did ya'll come from?" Sasha demanded, seeing Daryl followed by Shane and Rick.
"Housekeeper let us in," Shane replied, stripping his shirt off before diving into the pool.
"Where's Mags?" Michonne asked. Rick lifted one of her legs and sat down, placing it across his lap, which placed him between her legs where he loved being.
"Horse shopping," Daryl replied checking Sasha out in her yellow string bikini. His mouth watered, "Where's the beer?"
"Pool house," Michonne answered her gaze now on Rick. "What have you been up to today, cowboy?"
"Trying to hide those scratches you put on his back," Shane yelled from the pool.
Michonne gasped and she looked at Rick for confirmation. "Yeah it's pretty bad," he chuckled as she tucked her bottom lip between her teeth.
"I'm sorry."
"He ain't complaining," Daryl joked, running to the other side of the pool to get some beers.
"Mich, you're having a party and didn't invite me?" A beautiful blond standing in the patio doors called out, interrupting the others playful banter.
Tapping Rick's shoulder for him to let her up, Michonne then stood and went over to the young woman and escorted her out of the house. "Everyone, this is or was my roomie in Europe, Andrea. Andrea, this is Rick, Sasha, that idiot in the pool is Shane, and our town cutie pie, Daryl, just went into the pool house to get some beer. Andrea flew in late last night."
Shane in all of his masculine glory pulled himself out of the pool showing off his six-pack and well-defined arms formed from a lifetime of ranch work. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."
"Did you just call her 'ma'am'?" Daryl asked, walking up behind them before he started snickering. "You're so full of shit."
"Shut up," Shane growled at his brothers who were laughing hysterically at him.
"It's nice to meet you," Rick stated directing his attention back to Michonne. His eyes cut into her making her blush under his gaze, as she knew he was thinking of what they shared the night before. He worked like a hundred men to finish all the chores that needed to be done, so he could meet her at the Rolling Green guesthouse. Michonne had told him she knew of his drinking and tail chasing after she left. They talked about it and her lack of a love life during their separation and without any hesitancy vowed not to be a part again. The last two years were their past, and they would focus only on their future.
MEANWHILE IN DOWNTOWN SUTTER
Barbara Logan waited patiently in the checkout line of the local drugstore. Lori studied the beautiful woman standing regally in the aisle reading the label of whatever product she held in her perfectly manicured hand. Michonne very much took after her mother, she thought. They breezed about as if the world belonged to them, everyone else was there by their say so, and living in a small town really magnified that for Lori.
Sutter was divided down the middle. The families on the east side were lower middle class or dirt poor. Whereas the families on the west side were upper middle class or filthy rich.
The Logan's were an oil family worth more money than she or most people could dream of amassing. Their position in Sutter was high up like the Green family, and what the Green's didn't own, the Logan's did. Lori's entire life took a backseat to Michonne's. Their birthdays were two days apart, which meant if Lori wanted anyone to even come to her parties, she would have to wait until after Michonne's party. The baker would be too busy making Michonne's cake and anything else her mother ordered for the occasion to take any other orders, and parents would spend their money buying the town's favorite girl a gift and not one for the town's whore. It was an act of kindness that they let their precious kids even attend Lori's celebrations at all.
Anything Michonne wanted she got, and Lori coveted; head cheerleader, homecoming queen, prom queen, valedictorian, and Rick Green – until last year. She had Rick as much and as often as she could. However, he had ended it saying they weren't right for each other when Lori knew it was because of his father.
Mr. Green didn't think a girl who had no idea who her father was would be good enough to carry the Green name. The one and only time Rick invited her to join his family for dinner he ended up rescinding his offer, giving her a lame excuse that his family had other plans for that night. When she pressed him to reschedule, he said he would let her know, and that was a year ago.
"Hi, Ms. Barbara," Lori chimed, offering her a sweet smile.
Barbara turned around from browsing the items on the shelf to see Lori standing before her. "Well Lauren, how are you?"
"It's Lori," she corrected. "I'm fine. How are you?"
"Forgive me, Lori. I'm well. How are you?"
"I'm fine. I heard Michonne was home."
Immediately, a warning bell went off in Barbara's head. She knew this girl didn't like her daughter and was trying to get her hooks into Rick. She recalled Hershel threatened to send Rick to Siberia to get him away from Lori. "That's right," Barbara replied with a challenging glare and a sweet smile.
"Well… I… umm… hope to see her soon. It was nice running into you. If you need any help finding anything, just let me know." Lori stammered unnerved by the woman's nice nasty attitude towards her. She scampered off to finish her shift.
Barbara whipped her smartphone out of her designer purse and pressed the number 3 on her speed dial. "Hey BB," the smooth deep voice greeted her.
"Hershel, can you meet me for lunch?"
"I'm with Maggie looking at a horse. Let's meet at the inn for an early dinner."
"Give my Maggie a hug for me, and I'll see you later."
"Will do, and wear that yellow dress I like."
"Hush your mouth, you old pervert," Barbara whispered, looking around as if someone could overhear him.
"Bye hon," Hershel laughed loudly.
