So, now that AMM is finally finished, I will be concentrating a little bit harder on this story and on Strong as well. Hope you enjoy! Oooh, I got a new LeAnn Rimes CD for Christmas and I LOVE IT! Maybe there's a potential song-fic somewhere in there…I don't know…
TENNESSEE HUNK
"Oh, this is so exciting!" Bess squealed as she stepped off the plane and into the Nashville terminal. She squeezed Nancy's arm in her delight.
The two friends made their way to the baggage claim. Twenty minutes later they stood outside, looking for a taxi. Bess was trailing two large suitcases, a duffle bag, a rather large bathroom bag, and her purse; Nancy, one regular sized suitcase and one duffle bag. Bess's luggage was a dark shade of purple, and Nancy's was a vibrant green. Just as the last available taxi rolled up, a tall, tan, and handsome young man walked up to the girls. Nancy tried to call for the taxi, but someone else got to it first.
"Drats," Nancy frowned.
"Howdy, ladies," the dark-haired man flashed a smile of perfect, brilliantly white teeth.
"Howdy," Bess said in a mystified tone. The stranger had said the word as one syllable, whereas Bess had drawn hers out. Nancy noticed this among other little things that her observant nature picked up easily. She shook her head at Bess's unreasonable chances of meeting yet another easily charmed guy. Then again, when Bess was doing the charming, it seemed that all men were easily charmed.
Nancy looked off into the distance, heaving a sigh. How were they going to make it to the farm now? she wondered.
"My name's John," the man said, still smiling, "John Graves." He held his hand out to Bess. Nancy turned to face the stranger.
Star struck, Bess allowed the man to take her hand in his, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Graves."
"Please," he tipped his white cowboy hat to Nancy, "Call me John." Bess looked at Nancy with huge eyes, suppressing a giddy squeak of pleasure.
Nancy held out her hand, "I'm Nancy Drew and this is my friend Bess Marvin. Could you tell us where to find the nearest available taxi station?"
"You're lookin' at him," he smiled again, placing his thumbs in his pockets. He nodded toward a dirt-covered pickup truck that sat across the parking lot, "Yeah, Erin sent me to pick y'all up. It's a long ride, so we might need to stop somewhere to grab a quick bite to eat before we head out."
"Ooh, good," Bess said, heading for the dark green truck, "I'm starved!"
"Let me help you with those," John picked up Bess's two suitcases.
"Oh, thank you," she blushed, looking back to Nancy with an expression of pure happiness. "Where are we supposed to put the luggage?" asked Bess when she realized that there were only three seats in the cab of the truck.
"In the back, of course," John smiled. He hefted the girl's luggage into the mostly empty bed of the truck, "It won't fly out, I promise." He opened the driver side door and climbed in. "It's not light enough to fly out," they heard him say as he closed the door.
"You want the middle?" Bess turned to her friend with a gleam in her eye.
Nancy shook her head, "No, I think I would prefer the window seat." Bess squealed with excitement. The girls climbed in and buckled up. It was a stick-shift, so Bess had to squeeze her legs over next to Nancy's, but she didn't mind at all. They stopped by an Arby's to grab a few roast beef and cheese sandwiches to go. Nancy and Bess used the restroom and then the group began their long drive.
"So how far is it to Pleasant Shade?" Nancy asked between bites of her sandwich.
"Oh, I'd say it's about two hours drive," he glanced at her and then back to the road, "Give or take twenty minutes. Traffic can be a beast at this time of day."
"Oh, boy!" Bess whispered, "I can't wait to see the farm!"
"We'll be there soon enough, you'll see," John smiled.
"How do we get there from here?" asked Nancy, curiosity tugging at the back of her mind. She took another swallow of her Mountain Dew.
"Well, we're going to go past Madison, then Hendersonville, and then Gallatin. We'll go through Hartsville and then turn just before Carthage. Carthage is going to be the main place you'll go back and forth to from Pleasant Shade. All Pleasant Shade is is a post office and a small gas station slash high-priced grocery. It's locally owned. You'll like Erin's place, though. I know you will."
The trio listened to music and talked all the way to Carthage, Bess doing most of the talking. When they finally made it to Pleasant Shade, Nancy's eyes widened. She paid close attention to how they got to Erin's farm. She observed as much as she could. It was a very intriguing trip.
"Here we are," John said as he shut off the truck, "I'll get your bags. Y'all just head on inside. Erin is expecting you. I believe your friend is here, too?"
"Yes," Nancy opened her door, "Her name's George."
"That's right, George," he smiled, "She sure is bright."
"That's my cousin!" Bess said as she piled out after Nancy, "Come on, Nancy, let's go find her!"
"Hello, ladies," a young woman greeted Nancy and Bess at the door, "You must be Nancy Drew and Bess Marvin. Come in, come in please." The woman had light auburn colored hair and hazel colored eyes. She was beautiful really. She led them into a room with a wooden floor and a cozy atmosphere. "My name is Erin Dawson. Your friend George and I met at a science camp one year and have been in contact ever since. She's a brilliant young woman and I'm honored to have her as a friend, but I'm sure you already know that."
"Yes, she is most brilliant," Nancy smiled in return, "Thankyou so much for inviting us out here. It really was very unexpected. I'm Nancy, by the way."
Erin shook Nancy's hand and then spread her arms wide, "It was my pleasure to have you here. Please, make yourselves at home. George is actually in town now, but she should be back soon."
"Your home is very lovely," Bess commented as she gazed around the room in awe. It had an old sort of atmosphere. The dull lights were cast by lamps spread about the room and the furniture was homey. There were handmade rugs that covered parts of the floor and odd things that hung about on the walls such as shells and necklaces along with a few pictures.
"Thankyou," Erin smiled proudly, "My great-great-great-grandfather built it when he was just a young man. It's been in our family ever since. I like the log-cabin sort of feel that it gives." Nancy and Bess sat on the old couch while Erin sat on a chair that stood opposite it.
"I really appreciate you coming," Erin suddenly said, "George has told me so much about you and I'm just so relieved that someone supports me."
"Oh?" Nancy's brow rose.
"Yeah, with all that's been happening, I was starting to think that I had gone crazy! But George told me that you were the best in the business, so…" Erin played with her hands.
"Wait a minute," Bess looked from Erin to Nancy, "You mean…"
"There's a mystery here," Nancy said.