Two days had passed. Jas and Nanna did their normal routine of cooking a large southern breakfast for their guests. The aroma of bacon, buttery cheese grits, biscuits with apple butter and scrambled eggs floated through the room. Jas walked over and placed the last item, a large pan of scrambled eggs on the steam table and noticed that only a few of the visitors had come down.

"Nanna, nobody has come down for breakfast?"

The old woman's eyes sparkled, "Some of the guest are here."

"Are you looking Nanna, it's just a handful of elderly couples."

Nanna shot her a sideways glance.

"Oh, no offence, Nanna. I mean that there are several families here and young couples – you know."

The old woman's brown eyes twinkled, "Don't you worry about a thing. They'll be here. Just put a lid on all the food."

Jas studied Nanna's face knowing that something was a foot. She rolled her eyes and then huffed over to the table and began loudly placing the lids on the food.

"You know we can't afford to waste this much food."

"I said they'll be here."

Jas's brow arched. "You're much too calm. In the history of this inn I can never recall lots of guests not being in the cafeteria for breakfast. It's almost 8:00." Aiden's not even here and he love's Nanna's cooking. Her arms folded across her chest. She gazed narrow eyed at Nanna. "What's going on?"

Thud! Boots marching across the roof and the sound of ripping and tearing startled Jas. Her eyes jerked up towards the ceiling, then back at Nanna. The sound became louder and louder. Jas covered her ears.

Nanna pointed up and shouted, "That's what's going on."

"Aiden!"

***

We don't need his help. This is just a down cycle; we've overcome this before.

She desperately wanted to believe what she was thinking. Yet, deep in her heart she'd never felt so stressed in her life. Jas reached in her pocket, opened her bottle and popped a pill. The commercial chains were doing terrible damage to the inn's profitability.

Jas stopped in her tracks when she saw the lobby filled with people. Her intent to give Aiden a piece of her mind was suddenly stifled. Some of the people were construction workers, others were towns people and all the other guests appeared to be there. Aiden was standing at the door giving directives as if he were a maestro. He was organizing teams to work together. She gasped being moved with compassion and yet pride was warring inside. If things got too dark she would have accepted anyone's help, but his.

Pounding on the roof began to sound like a bomb strike. Followed by a loud crunching sound. She peered out the window as the driveway to the inn was being ripped out. Her eyes blinked over to Aiden. Her heart rate soared at the sight of him. He was devastatingly amazing. Stop it. She bid her heart, though it wouldn't listen. Instead it betrayed her with images of that tantalizing kiss. Her body immediately radiated with heat and she leaned against the wall to steady herself. Her head shook, tossing the fiery thought out of her mind.

Aiden's voice raised above the noise. "I would like to thank all of you that came in late last night to get the taupe's over the furnishings and those that came this morning to finish up."

Taupe's? Moving of furnishings? How did all that happen? Then she woefully recalled taking one of her Ativan's and something else to put her into a deep sleep. Recently sleep was the only relief that she'd got. Nanna was deeply concerned about the pills, but up until this moment Jas had paid her no mind. "You're so darned stubborn, girl," she'd say. It was simply the way that Jas coped with the mounting problems that the inn faced. "Did I sleep through all of that?" she whispered. What else have I missed?

"We have a lot of work to do. As you can smell Nanna and Jas have something wonderful in the kitchen so any time that you need a break or want something to eat, breakfast has been served. Everybody knows their assignment so let's get started."

Apparently even Flannery knew her assignment. The cat scrolled her ball of orange and black streaked fluff around Aiden and nuzzled his legs the whole time he was speaking. Occasionally he would reach down and stroke her back. She must have sensed his last words because she leapt up in his arms, becoming a star for a moment. The audience laughed.

She saw Aiden watching her.

"We could all learn something from Flannery, couldn't we?" he said, addressing the crowd but directing it to her as he said it. Jas's throat went dry. Her face flushed and became even redder as his gaze intensified. Bells and whistles clanged in her head. The kiss resurfaced, igniting Jas even further.

Nanna came from the kitchen. She stood beside Jas and rubbed her gently on the shoulders. "We sure can learn from Flannery. She seems to have forgotten when you left her. Isn't that right Aiden?"

He chuckled.

"She rather spends her time enjoying your return."

She leaned over and kissed Jas on the cheek. The weight of Nanna's words filled her heart with something she couldn't quite explain. It was some fuzzy mixture of remorse and yearning. Everybody that was from Ellijay understood that conversation and began to applaud.

As the crowd and Nanna dispersed, Aiden placed Flannery on the floor. Aiden strode to the back of the room where Jas was standing. She bowed her head as he approached, so that he wouldn't read her emotional confusion. Her heart was pounding in turmoil. "I thought you weren't here to save the inn."

"I'm not."

She kept staring at the expensive gold tipped Jordan shoe's that he was wearing. Heat danced between them. Aiden was so close that the top of her hair fluttered beneath his breaths. She'd dare not look up, feeling so weak. She couldn't trust herself not to kiss him. Yet, she barked at him.

"Well, you could have fooled me." She reached deep, gaining her composure. She lifted her head haughtily. "Nanna and I don't need your heroics."

"I know that," he whispered. "You've done an amazing job keeping things a float."

"You don't need to make penance with me, Aiden." His look was so penetrating that Jas was in heavenly spasms. She bit her lips hard in an attempt to calm herself.

"I apologized, to you, years ago. I've already made my penance. Though I still feel the pain of leaving you."

He reached out, touching her lower lip and slid it from beneath the grip of her teeth. It was as if someone had placed hot stones on her back. Flooding her with euphoric heat. She was losing it. Her eyes closed. She listened as a slight groan slipped from him. I can't give in to this. Her eyes snapped open. "Then I don't need you here."

She saw pain ripple across his face as if she'd slapped him. Her heart sank. She watched as he quickly recovered.

"Do you despise me so?"

Do you expect for me to answer that? How can I? You were everything to me. In a flash her mind opened a window to her past. She was sprawled on the grass crying as the truck Aiden's father was driving that day sped away. She stepped aside to walk away and he held her arm.

"Do you?"

"Why are you here, Aiden?"

"You're like an ice cube."

"What do you expect?" she spat.

Aiden ran his hands through that thick black hair of his. He gazed in consternation. He watched as her eyes dipped to his shoes again. He slipped his hand under her chin and lifted her face. Heat rushed through his veins on contact. Aiden sighed. I am powerless against this woman.

Her lips were thin and tight as if she were preparing to castigate him again. Her chocolate brown eyes were sending an entirely different message. He watched as her eyes avoided his handsome face.

"Would you stop rolling your eyes?" Their gazes locked. Chill snaked down his back as he watched her cold stare. His throat went temporarily dry. He mustered words to respond to this defiant woman.

He leaned towards her face, speaking slow and deliberate. "I expect you to act like an adult and talk to me."

She backed up as if she were about to fade into the wall. He stepped forward, pinning her between his arms against the wall.

"Do something Jas. Scream at me. Curse me out, but talk to me."

She said nothing, just glared at him. But even in her glare, Aiden's heart was hammering against his chest. She was beautiful when she was angry. Somehow, he took courage knowing that her anger was only surface deep. After an extended period of her not saying anything he stepped back.

"All right, Jas," he whispered, "be that way. I'll just have to settle for ice..." He turned, striding towards the front door.

"Good!" She snapped.

"Except when you kiss me, Jas."

As the door fell shut he heard an explicative muttered from that gorgeous mouth of hers. Wow – a curse. That's a start. He chuckled knowing that he had sank his love tipped arrow straight into her heart.