Story 1 Chapter 1

The air was typical of a late summer night in the Delta of Arkansas, starting to become crisp but still humid with only a slight breeze to stir the occasional crop in their fields. The night was uncharacteristically bright as a fiery red-orange blazed against the black horizon. A young woman still in her nightgown barreled through the rows of cotton, running as fast as her feet could carry her. The heavy sound of her breathing filled her ears as she tried to listen for the footsteps behind her. Woody branches stung her arms and legs as they whipped past her. Suddenly a root caught her foot, yanking her face first into the soil. As she coughed up dirt, she tried frantically to orient herself. She stood, clutching her arms to her chest, turning slowly in a circle as tears mixed with the dirt on her face. A breeze startled the cotton, making it rustle menacingly. She choked down a sob, clamping hands over her mouth. To her right came the rustle again; then from her left, and from behind. An unnoticed shadow peaked through the plants and reached long tendrils towards the woman. Only the endless acres of crops heard her screams.

There was cotton, corn, and soybeans as far as the eye could see and that was how I liked it. At least that's what I told myself anyways. When you're raised on a farm in a small town where everyone knows your name, it's hard to imagine little else. The community survived on the crops we raised and good old fashioned southern hospitality. The sun was warm on my face as I rode shot gun in the old beat up truck my brother owned, making its way into town. Old dirt roads turned into faded concrete as we neared the city limits. People looked up from their porches and storefronts to wave at us both, sipping sweat tea and iced lemonade. Downtown consisted of the courthouse, police station, JJ's restaurant, the local bar, general store, and a handful of mom and pop shops. The buildings were old and dust covered, their once bright paint faded many years ago. Over a quarter of the shops had permanent for sale and closed signs listed in the cracked windows. The town hadn't grown in decades but that didn't mean it wasn't surviving. Everyone was willing to lend a hand to someone in need and come harvest time all outstanding debts were paid. Yeah, I liked it in my small little backwards town; but I was allowed to yearn for adventure elsewhere.

My daydreaming was cut short as the truck stopped in front of the diner. I hopped out and waved goodbye to my brother as he headed back to the house to help my father with the chores. JJ's was already busy with its lunch rush as I walked through the doors and into the kitchen. The staff took a moment to holler a "good morning" my way as I tied on my waitressing smock and began waiting tables. Being home from college meant I had to pick up my old job at the local restaurant to put a little extra cash in my pocket. It was tiring work for measly pay, but it sure beat working in the hot sun all day.

And if I was honest with myself, I enjoyed the people. The old men from the local church had breakfast and coffee every Tuesday morning, always tipping me extra because of what a beautiful young lady I had grown into. Ladies Auxiliary met twice a week for lunch to run the church and gossip about the latest news, usually centered around who was getting married and having babies next. I made sure to avoid the butt of their jokes. Poor Gilligan McCoy, whose tractors and equipment had been destroyed during the last tornado, sat in the same corner booth every day sipping his coffee while searching the newspaper for something better. I made sure to give him an extra big smile as I refilled his cup, free of charge.

I had two plates full of food for the newlywed Green's in my hands as the bell on the door jangled, alerting me to new customers. "Be with you in a second," I hollered over my shoulder, expecting it to be a new wave of farmhands on a late lunch break. I was shocked to see two young tall men dressed in suits making their way to the counter. The older of the two had short cut dirty blonde hair that stood up a little in the front and a slight dusting of freckles across his cheekbones. The other was taller by almost four inches with a dark mop top hanging to his eyes, his puppy dog face making him look not much older than me.

"What'll it be, gentlemen?" I barely managed as emerald green eyes met mine. I had never seen such brilliant eyes before and combined with his freckles, he was one of the most handsome men I had ever seen; the other man wasn't half bad to look at either. My loss of breath over his features must have been audible because he smiled a little before answering, revealing perfect white teeth and dimples.

"We're a bit new here in town. What would you recommend?" His voice was deep with an alluring tone, threatening to draw me in and make my knees go weak. He batted his eyelashes ever so slightly, causing me to gawk even more.

I shook my head to clear it, still mesmerized by the candy apple color of his eyes. "Today's special is chicken fried steak with gravy, but I'd recommend the burgers. Fresh beef from right here in town; there's nothing better. And today we've also got Grandma's Famous Chocolate Pie, my personal favorite thing on the menu." I smiled my friendliest smile hoping I had at least semi convinced them.

"Sounds delicious. We'll take two of each," freckles quickly said. The younger one looked like he wanted to interject, but a quick jab in the side made him smile stiffly at me. "I'm Dean and this is Sam." He smiled charmingly, offsetting his handsome features further.

"Nice to meet you, Dean. And Sam," I recovered with a slight nod, "I'm Avery. Y'all sit tight and I'll have those out in a jiff!" I hurried to give their order to the kitchen and returned to give them glasses of water. As I poured, I tried to find out more about the handsome new strangers. "So, what brings you boys to town?" I questioned, trying to sound nonchalant.

"We're with the FBI, investing the recent murders." Both pulled out badges and put them away just as quickly. They didn't look like FBI agents to me, but what did I know?

"FBI? All the way out here?"

"Well, we like to be thorough," Dean said with a slight grin.

"What can you tell us about the recent murders?" It was the first time I had heard Sam speak; he sounded more like a sweet innocent school boy than an FBI agent.

"I don't know if I'd call them murders, per se," I said slowly, a tad uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going.

"So, what would you call them then?" Dean asked gently.

I looked around to make sure the other waitresses didn't need help and then leaned on the counter in front of them. "Stacy went missing first, right? Well, she had an abusive boyfriend and a few dirty habits if you know what I mean. So, no one really batted an eye when she disappeared and then washed up by the river on the McCoy place a few days later. Not to mention that he skipped town and hasn't been seen since. Then you had old man Johnson, his wife, and the granddaughter they had raised. The house caught on fire which could have been caused by her leaving the stove on or something. They were both old and forgetful. Plus, kids like to mess around in their fields; it was probably an accident. And-" I was interrupted by the cook yelling at me from the kitchen to come get the food. "One moment, guys," I apologized, running to grab it. "There, two burgers and two slices of pie. Enjoy." I smiled bright as I set the food down.

Dean took a bite of pie first, closing his eyes and sighing happily as soon as it touched his lips. "Damn, that is good pie," he mumbled between another bite.

Sam just shook his head with a chuckle. "So, you were saying?"

"Oh, yeah! The other night the Dane's place goes up in flames too and when they were sifting through the rumble they couldn't find the oldest girl. They thought she might have made it out of the house in time, but she hasn't been found either. That's the only one that sounded suspicious to me." I shrugged, not sure what else to should say.

"Is there any reason someone would wanna hurt them? Did they have any enemies?" Sam was leaned forward, seemingly very interested.

"I mean, I don't think so. This is tight knit community; we're all family here. Old man Johnson owned half the money in this town, but he wasn't a crook or nothing like that. The Dane's were good people too. They owned the tractor supply store down the road."

"And there's nothing else you can think of?" Sam pressed.

"Nope," I said, shaking my head. The late farmhands I had been waiting on decided to walk through the door at that moment, filling up half the place. "Joy, the second lunch rush," I groaned, leaning up from the counter.

"Let us know if you think of anything," Dean smiled, handing me a business card with only a phone number on it.

"Sure thing," I said, taking the card and putting it in my back pocket. "Enjoy the burgers and pie!" I hollered, already walking towards the new customers. I wasn't able to make my way back over to them before they left, but I would occasionally glance at them out of the corner of my eye as I took orders. They ate quickly, talking between bites while leaning in close to each other so as not to be overheard. They got up to leave after paying the bill and I couldn't help but long after them. Those green eyes were so captivating, full of pain and remorse but capable of love and happiness. I wanted to know anything and everything about him.

"Hey, Avery, the Sherriff's take out order is ready to go." The voice pulled me out of my thoughts, causing me to shake my head. The waitress was holding out the bags to me, waiting.

"Yeah, okay. I'll be back soon!" I took the food, left my apron at the door, walked out and immediately began searching for the boys. They had left at least five minutes before me and could have been anywhere by now. I sighed, a little surprised at how disappointed I was. What did I think was going to happen? This was real life, not a movie.

Oh well, I thought as I casually strolled across the street and walked down the sidewalk a little way to the small police station. As I opened the door, I caught a few words from a conversation inside.

"Little five-foot-three spitfire, brunette, blue eyes? Ah, well speak of the devil!" I heard Dan exclaim as I entered the lobby.

"What are you saying about me… this time…" I trailed off, seeing who he was talking to. There stood Dean and Sam, both smiling. Maybe I was imagining that Dean looked thrilled to see me again.

"Nothing but the truth, baby sister," my oldest brother teased. "These fellas were telling me about what great service they received at JJ's and I just couldn't believe they were talking about you." His grin said that he was rather pleased with himself as my cheeks flushed red.

"Gave us some damn good pie," Dean chimed in, shooting me a tiny wink that I also missed.

"What'd they send over today, Avery?" Dan asked as I walked over to hand him the bags I was holding.

I felt tiny standing next to Dean and even smaller looking up at Sam. They both nicely stepped out of my way so that I could reach the counter. "Chicken fried steak. It was the special," I shrugged at Dan's disappointed face. "I just serve the food. I don't make it."

"Yeah, I guess that's true. You need a ride home tonight? Cause I'm supposed to be on duty all night long."

"Um, not sure yet. It's girl's night out tonight, so one of them might give me a lift. I'll figure it out," I promised with a broad grin.

"Alright then," Dan said, ruffling my hair affectionately. "Go on, get. I've gotta at least pretend I'm a deputy around here," he joked with a smile.

"Nice to see you again," I said sheepishly, waving goodbye to Dean and Sam.

"Hopefully we'll see each other again," Dean called after me, teeth showing as he smiled broadly.

The rest of my shift at JJ's was uneventful. Once the restaurant had closed for the night, I went to the bathroom to check my hair and makeup. I shook out my ponytail, letting my dark curls hang loose. My makeup looked fresh enough so I headed down to the Waterin' Hole to meet my friends. I was the last to arrive, causing them all to squeal while wrapping a pink boa around my neck. I laughed, ready to have a good night with them.

The jukebox started playing Renegade by Styx and I was pulled onto the dance floor before I could tell them no. As the beat dropped, I let loose, loving the sound of my boots hitting the wood dance floor. I spun around, boa flung out behind me, when I thought I caught emerald green eyes watching me from the bar. I stopped and saw Dean staring at me, a whiskey glass barely touching his lips. His mouth upturned when he knew he had caught my eye and I couldn't help but walk towards him.

"Fancy meeting you here," he grinned as I took the empty seat next to him. "Sorry to pull you away from your friends," he apologized, leaning on the bar to look at me.

"You probably saved me actually. Nothing good ever comes of bachelorette parties," I laughed.

His mouth turned into a hard line. "So, are you the lucky bride to be?"

"Oh, good Lord, no!" I yelled a little too vehemently, hand pressed to my chest. "She is." I pointed to a blonde in a tight dress and pink sash acting like a fool on the dance floor.

He smiled again, chuckling at my response. "Well, I should have known then. Can I buy you a drink?" he asked, green eyes capturing mine. I nodded, my tongue all tied in knots. "What'll it be?"

I whistled at the bartender, smiling when he turned around. "Two of whatever he's having," I shouted to be heard. I received a thumbs up and sat back down on the stool. He brought our drinks over almost immediately. I took a big sip of the whiskey, feeling like I needed some liquid courage.

"I almost didn't recognize you without your suit on," I joked, admiring how nice he looked in casual clothes; worn jeans, work boots, a plain t-shirt with a plaid button down and leather jacket thrown on top.

"I figured I should try and fit in with the locals," he teased back, his grin growing wider.

"You pull it off nicely," I said sincerely. I tipped back the rest of my drink when I realized what I had said, hoping he didn't read into it.

"You can hold your liquor," Dean noted, obviously impressed.

"You ain't seen nothing yet," I said, leaning in some.

"Is that a challenge?" One of his eyebrows raised slightly, making my knees go weak.

"Only if you're buying," I caught myself flirting back.

"Deal." His green eyes sparkled as he ordered shots for us and I wondered what had come over me.

Several hours and rounds of shots later, I stumbled outside, barely holding on to the wall for support. "Oh, God," I groaned, clutching my churning stomach as I doubled over. Dean came out the door right behind me, clearly worried.

"Hey, take it easy, Avery," he said comfortingly, helping me upright. "I don't do vomit so no throwing up, okay?" I groaned, my head spinning faster than a ride at the state fair. "You look terrible," he commented, pulling my arm around his neck.

"I'm fine," I slurred. I went to take a step, but the pavement slid out from underneath me.

"Yeah, okay," he said sarcastically. "Let's get you somewhere you can sleep this off." His arm went behind my knees, effectively sweeping me off my feet, and carried me toward a black old school Impala. He laid me down gently in the back seat, telling me to stay awake until we got there. The words jumbled in my head and I was sure we were driving, though I didn't know where.

When the car stopped, I was barely conscious. I could hear Dean's voice as he picked me up out of the car and carried me into a room. Someone else was there and they sounded angry. They argued as Dean laid me down again, until the other seemed to give up. Dean gently tugged off my boots and pulled a blanket over me. I finally lost consciousness as he gently pushed my hair back from my face and turned out the lights.