Disclaimer: I don't own TCM but I do claim my own original characters and plot.

"Lord have mercy..." Amanda stood, wide-eyed, looking up at what had at one time been quite a stately, old Texas manor.

"Yep," Sheriff Hoyt chuckled and spat a glob of phlegm onto the ground. "I reckon the old gal's seen better days."

Amanda groaned. The sheriff's comment was an understatement. The scraggly grass that surrounded the place came up to her knees. The wrap-around porch was warped and the columns that supported the roof over it looked like they could topple over at any second. The window frames were rotten and the windows she could see were either hanging crooked in the old wood or were broken. The wood siding was falling off in places and the entire structure was in desperate need of paint. Those were only the issues she could see and, she reminded herself, she hadn't even looked inside yet.

"At least the roof looks sturdy," Sheriff Hoyt offered unhelpfully.

"Yeah," Amanda murmured, "At least there's that."

She pushed herself off from where she leaned against the side of her Jeep and walked slowly toward the aging home. Her heart grew heavier with each new issue her wandering eyes were able to pick out. Maybe her father was right, she glumly conceded. Maybe the house was too far gone to bother with. She had to see the inside, though. She'd hate herself if she didn't at least take a peak. Nearing the rickety porch steps she grimaced at the spongy feel of the wooden rail against her palm. Just one more thing that was gone beyond fixing.

"You watch yourself on those steps, girlie," the Sheriff warned as he cut across the unkept lawn in pursuit. "They're liable to fall through with ya."

"I think they're okay..." Amanda winced as the aged wood groaned and bowed under her 130lbs but they held strong. She released the breath she'd been holding and carefully picked her way the rest of the way across the dangerous-looking porch. Digging into the pocket of her jeans, she pulled out the set of keys her father had provided her with and attempted to open the front door. The key went in, the lock turned, but the door wouldn't budge. She beat at it uselessly with a fist before sighing in defeat. "Well, I guess that's that."

"Stand aside," Sheriff Hoyt made his way up the steps and across the porch to where she stood. "These old doors like to swell in the heat. Sometimes ya got to coax 'em a little to get 'em to open." With that, the sheriff threw his weight into the door, battering it open with his shoulder. The old doorframe splintered into pieces as the door flew back on its rusty hinges and slammed against the wall inside. The sheriff straightened himself and nodded at the young woman and stepped back. "See? I told ya. It just needed a little coaxin'. Ladies first."

Amanda eyed the man warily. Honestly, he kind of gave her the creeps. There was just something about him she couldn't quite put her finger on but she didn't like it. Then again, he had helped her find the place so it may have just been her paranoia talking. She returned his nod and stepped across the threshold into the front parlor where she was immediately assaulted with the smell of dust, damp, and mildew. She scrunched her nose in distaste. Despite the scent of old, closed-up house, however, the inside seemed to be in much better shape than the outside.

Everything was covered in a thick coat of dust and grime but, Amanda noted with relief, someone had the foresight to throw sheets over the furniture before they locked the place up. Wallpaper and paint peeled off the walls in spots and the wood floors needed refinishing. She was sure there were other, more serious issues that couldn't be seen by the naked eye but she was just thankful that everything seemed to be mostly intact. She could easily envision herself as a young child, sprawled out on the floor playing with her coloring books and dolls in this very room. A fond smile tugged at her pink lips.

"Helluva lot nicer in here than out there, ain't it?"

Amanda started at the voice. She'd been so wrapped up in memories that she'd nearly forgotten about the sheriff. "It is," she agreed. "I hate seeing it in this kind of shape, though. It's such a shame. This is such a great old place. I used to love coming here when I was little. Maybe my dad was right. Maybe it's more trouble than it's worth to try saving." She turned to the sheriff. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a lot of work for one little girl." Sheriff Hoyt put his hands on his hips as he surveyed the room. "You know anything about fixin' up houses?"

"No," Amanda sighed, "Not really. You wouldn't happen to know anyone that does, would you? Someone that could come take a look and see if anything can be done for this place before I throw in the towel and call it a day?"

"Well, now," the sheriff seemed to contemplate the question for a moment before answering. "There's my nephew, Tommy. The boy might be big as an ox and dumb as a goddamn rock, but he's good with his hands. Damn good. Ugly as all sin, though."

Amanda frowned at the sheriff's description of his nephew. That wasn't a very nice way to talk about a family member or anyone, for that matter. Still, she listened. She needed all the help she could get by the looks of the place. "Tommy...do you think he'd be willing to help? Or at least be willing to take a look around and let me know whether or not I'm wasting my time out here?"

"Can't hurt to ask." The sheriff shrugged. "Like I said, the boy ain't got much goin' on upstairs but he's handy. Fixes everything around the house that needs fixin'. I can take you on over to the house and we can see. Besides, it's almost lunchtime and Mama'd tan my hide if she knew I left you here in this big, ole, rundown house alone and didn't do the neighborly thing and invite ya over."

The way the sheriff looked at her kind of made her uneasy but she also hadn't eaten anything since the previous evening. The thought of filling her belly overrode her common sense. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose."

"You wouldn't be," Sheriff Hoyt grinned. "It's been a while since we entertained guests. Mama will be beside herself."