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  SOUTHERN ATTRACTION

  SOUTHERN ATTRACTION

  BY

  TRACY KAUFFMAN

  KG Books

  Alabama

  © 2013 by Tracy Kauffman.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a

  retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior

  written permission of the publishers, except by a reviewer who may quote

  brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine or journal.

  First printing

  All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons,

  living or dead, is coincidental.

  Softcover 9781627093606

  PUBLISHED BY KG BOOKS PUBLISHING

  Alabama

  Printed in the United States of America

  CHAPTER ONE

  Heather Brandon had everything a girl could ever want. She was the head cheerleader and very popular. Also, she had parents that adored her. She was in her senior year of high school, and the school year was just beginning. Football season was starting soon, and Heather loved cheering for the Manhattan Tigers.

  Eyes turned as Heather came driving up in her 2013 red SS Camaro with polished rims, ground effects and customized T tops. Mike Brandon spared no expense when it came to the luxuries he provided for his only daughter. She was self centered and the envy of everyone at her school. She was beautiful and fit. She had long brown hair, and she had curves in all the right places. When she spoke, everyone turned to hear what she had to say. That’s how nice it was to be Heather; a highly regarded girl which had the attention of all of her peers.

  Then came the day when Heather was summoned to the principal’s office. She was sitting in class surrounded by several of her friends when the puzzling call came. Heather couldn’t imagine getting in trouble because she was loved by all her teachers. She had never been sent to the principal’s office before, and she was a little worried about what was going on. As she walked to the front office several thoughts came to her about why she was being called to the office. When she opened up the office door, she saw two police officers standing in the doorway.

  “Mr. Pace, is anything wrong?” she inquired as she stuck her head in the doorway.

  “Sit down Miss Brandon, I have something to tell you,” Mr. Pace replied. Heather walked between two tall cops that had their arms crossed, and they had sunglasses on their faces.

  Heather sat down and asked, “Sir I haven’t been speeding or anything have I?”

  “No, Miss Brandon, this is a little more troubling than that. I don’t know how to tell you this; Today your mother and father were on their way to your dad’s office when they were hit by a drunk driver,” Mr. Pace replied.

  Heather was horrified by the news that she heard. She stood in silence unable to speak.

  Mr. Pace struggled to finish telling Heather the news. “Miss Brandon, they didn’t make it. I’m so sorry,” he said. Heather couldn’t believe her ears. She was stunned and shocked that her beloved mother and father could have died. Tears flowed down her face, and she sobbed uncontrollably while Mr. Pace tried to comfort her. “Heather, these two police officers need to take you to identify your parents bodies.” Heather looked up at Mr. Pace with horror in her eyes. She couldn’t believe what she heard. She didn’t know if she would be able to do this horrible task. The thought of looking at her parents’ dead bodies made her cry more.

  After a few moments Mr. Pace helped her to her feet, and then the law enforcers escorted her down to their police car.

  “What about my car, why can’t I drive my car?” she asked the officer who was walking beside her.

  “No miss, we will bring you back to your car later. You are in no condition to drive right now,” the cop replied.

  Heather slid inside the opened police car and the policemen shut the door behind her. The ride to the morgue felt like the longest ride of her life. Heather couldn’t stop thinking about her parents and all the times they spent together. Heather recollected saying goodbye that morning to her mother as she gave her a kiss on the cheek. Her father was still getting dressed upstairs when she left that morning, so she wasn’t able to tell him goodbye.

  Heather’s parents meant the whole world to her and she knew that they loved her too. Her parents treated her like a queen and gave her everything that she ever asked for. They attended all the football games that she cheered at. Her dad was the one who escorted her to the field when she was crowned Homecoming Queen. Her mother took time to iron her clothes, clean her room, and helped her get dressed every morning before school.

  She wondered what was going to happen to her now that her parent were gone. She was only seventeen but capable of living by herself. She never had to do anything such as clean her room or help with the dishes and laundry. Her mother always took care of the home and prepared all the meals, even though she worked part time as her dad’s secretary. Her dad worked as an insurance agent at the Ford Rucker Agency. He was still in training under Ford Rucker, since he decided to make a change from working at the law firm.

  Mark Brandon had a degree in law. He decided to make a change when he was sued by one of the partners for breach of confidentiality. Mark had started a case that involved a young woman that lost her baby. The doctor injected her with a drug that killed her unborn child. He had been in a rush that day and refused to read her chart. Doctor Compton administered a strong drug to the young woman when she was in her first trimester. It was dangerous to the unborn baby and she lost the baby the following day.

  Mark had subpoenaed the hospital’s incident reports, which were kept separate from the patient’s medical record. His client, Dr. Compton, had written an incident report stating that he didn’t read the woman’s chart before administering the drug. Mark’s conscience got the better of him and he leaked information to the young woman. He told her that the doctor admitted to not reading her chart before injecting her with the drug. After this, Mark Brandon lost the case and was sued by the law firm.

  xxxxx

  “Miss Brandon, we are here.” Heather heard a voice and suddenly she came to herself. The back door opened. She climbed out and followed the police officer inside to a dark cold room. She was escorted to a cold room in the back. Metal tables lined the room. A small dumpy looking man with a white lab coat pulled a sheet back revealing her mother and father. Heather screamed as she saw her parents’ bodies lying on the table. Their faces were pale and their bodies ice cold.

  Heather fell on her mother’s chest and cried, “Momma, please don’t leave me. I can’t live without you.” The mortician put his hand on her back to comfort her. After a few moments she ran to her dad’s body.

  “Daddy, come back. Please come back,” she cried.

  “Miss Brandon is this your parents, Mr. and Mrs. Brandon,” the cop asked. She shook her head to acknowledge “yes,” as tears continued to flow. Heather grabbed her father’s hand and kissed it.

  “Miss Brandon it is time to go,” one of the policemen said. After hearing what he said, she ran back and forth kissing their hands until the morgue attendant covered their bodies with a white sheet. She wiped the tears from her eyes and pushed her hair out of her face before walking toward the door with the police officers.

  “I know this has been hard for you. Thank you for taking time to come and identify the bodies for us,” the young officer said.

  “These were my parents, and now I have no one. These were not just bodies to be identified,” she said sternly.

  “I know miss, and I am truly sorry for your loss. Is there someone we can call for you?” he said compassionately.

  “No, I have no one. P
lease take me back to the school, so I can be with my friends,” she said.

  Heather was escorted back to the school and all she could think about was what was going to happen to her now. She didn’t have a job or any no means to support herself. The reality set in, everything was going to change, and she knew it wasn’t going to be for the better. She thought that her life was over. She had nothing without her parents. They were the reason that she was so happy. She thought that she had the best parents in the whole world. They cared and provided for her, and now they were gone. She wasn’t ever going to see their smiling faces or be able to talk to them again. Her mother was never going to cook her pancakes or take her shopping. Her dad was never going to attend her football games or give her a hug, when she brought home a perfect report card. She knew she was going to miss them terribly, and nothing was ever going to be the same again.

  Chapter Two

  Heather was exhausted from grieving after the funeral. She wanted to try to forget what happened and move forward. She knew she had to move on with her life and the heartache she felt deep inside. Larry, her parent’s financial advisor, made arrangements with the authorities, that allowed her to stay at home until he was able to locate her closest relative.

  Heather pulled out a few boxes from the garage and began going through her mother’s possessions. She gathered all her mother’s makeup and clothes and piled them into the boxes. She came to a bottle of perfume and sprayed a little on her wrist and sniffed it. It was her mother’s favorite perfume. Red Door had a light floral scent. It wasn’t too strong, but it was very expensive. She decided to keep the bottle along with her mother’s jewelry, but everything else was tucked away. Then, she started to gather her father’s clothing when she heard the door bell ring.

  Heather went downstairs and opened the front door. It was Larry. They had became good friends. She opened the door allowing him to come in.

  “How have you been? I’ve been worried about you. I didn’t want to come over until you had some time to yourself to grieve,” he said.

  “I’ve been uh. Well, let’s just say I’m here. I’m trying to go on with my life, and I’ve started to pack away my parents things.”

  “I’m glad that you are feeling up to doing that right now. Are any of your friends staying with you?” he asked as he looked around.

  “No I told them I wanted to be alone.”

  “Do you need me to give you a hand with sorting through their possessions? he asked.

  “No, I want to do it myself. I need to do it myself. It helps me to remember them, by seeing my dad’s favorite shirt or smelling my mom’s perfume. It makes me feel as if they were still here with me, even though I know they’re not.”

  “I’m so sorry that you are having to go through this by yourself. I’m glad that you are able to remember your parents in a good way and not how tragically they died,” he said. After a short pause he continued, “Heather, I wanted to check on you, but that is not the only reason I stopped by. Do you think we can go sit down on the couch?”

  “Sure, come in,” she said. Larry followed Heather to the den and sat next to her on the couch.

  “Heather, I have been organizing your parents financial estate and I have some bad news,” he said.

  “What? Go ahead and tell me. Nothing can be worse than what I’ve already been through,” she replied.

  “Heather, your parents expenses out weigh their assets.”

  “What does that mean, exactly?” she inquired.

  “Your father was in debt. The mortgage on this house is over seven hundred thousand dollars. With the economy the way it is, the house is only worth part of that. Your father’s bank account will cover some of his bills, but there is nothing left over to live on. I’m sorry, but the house is going to be sold by the bank, and you are going to have to move,” he said while trying to break it to her gently.

  “Didn’t my dad have a fund set up for me? Did he have money put back for college or something like that?” she asked.

  “Heather, all your dad’s money is gone. He had a small amount of money put into a savings account, but that money is going to be used to pay his expenses. You will be able to keep your car. It was paid off and put in your name, but that is all.”

  “I don’t have anyone else to stay with. Where am I suppose to go?” she asked.

  “Heather, I hate to tell you this, but your going to have to go live with your uncle Mick in Huckleburg.”

  “I knew dad had a brother, but I’ve never met him. They weren’t close at all. How am I suppose to go to live with someone I barely know? Where is this place Huckleburg, anyway?” she inquired.

  “Huckleburg is in Alabama. I know the transition is going to be difficult for you, but I do not think you have a choice. I’m sorry Heather, but you have to have a place to live. Technically, you are not eighteen and you have to have a guardian. I spoke to your uncle Mick. He was listed as your dad’s next of kin. He knows what happened to your parents, and he is expecting you. I informed him that I was going to pay for your bus fare to get there,” Larry said.

  “Your kidding right? Bus Fare? Why can’t I fly there?” she asked. “Huckleburg doesn’t have an airport, and the closest airport is over two hundred miles away. The fare would be over three hundred dollars, and you would have to travel by bus anyway the rest of the distance. I know this is going to be a change for you, but this is how it has to be right now,” Larry explained.

  “How am I suppose to get my car? Can’t I just drive it to Huckleburg?” she asked.

  “Heather, I don’t think you are in any kind of position to drive to Huckleburg. It is too far for you to drive. I will have it delivered to you. I’m sorry for everything that you are going through. I wish things could be different, but this is the way everything is. I have to be going now. I’m on my lunch break, and I need to get back to the office. My secretary will call you with all the details,” Larry replied as he walked to the front door. Heather didn’t escort him out. She was a little upset and stunned at the news that she had heard.

  “After everything that has happened, I didn’t think it could get any worse and now this. He expects me to go to some little hick town and live with some country bumpkin in some shack in the woods. I can’t believe this. I can’t go live with some weirdo,” she mumbled as she tried to decide on another way out of the situation. She knew he was right. She had nothing left here, and Mick was her only family. Maybe he is not what I expected. Maybe he will be nice and have a large house, like I am accustomed to. I guess I’m going to have to give this a try. What other choice do I have, she thought to herself.

  Chapter Three

  The Greyhound bus rode into Huckleburg at noon. Heather was not impressed by the size of town. Huckleburg had one high school, one general store, a diner and a town hall. She read a sign while the bus drove into town that read: Population five thousand. Farms lined the roads. They were mostly dirt roads. Heather raised her eye brows at the awful smell.

  “That’s either cow or horse droppins,” a man blurted out.

  “No, that’s chicken poop. I can tell chicken poop from anything else. It’s got the worst odor,” a lady replied. They are definitely country bumpkins, Heather thought to herself as she rolled her eyes.

  As Heather got off the bus, a man in coveralls and dirty sneakers approached her.

  “You must be Heather. I’m your uncle Mick. Mark sent me some pictures of ya when you wuz little. You sure have grown up.” Heather didn’t know whether to shake the man’s hand or run. He was a scruffy looking man with a five o’clock.

  “Yes, I’m Heather. You have to be Mick, right,” she asked.

  “Sure am. I bet yer starving. Come on, and I’ll grab your bags. We can get us some grub at Sally’s diner before we head back to the house.” Heather tried to smile at the man, but couldn’t. She tried to understand why all of this was happening to her. Why didn’t her parents plan on a situation like this? Why did they leave her to the wolves? Livin
g with complete strangers in a cow pasture of a town was the worse thing that could happen to her, she thought.

  “Hello Mick, who’s your friend?” Sally asked.

  “This is my little niece, she’s going to be staying with me for a while,” Mick replied.

  “Hello, I’m Sally and your name is?”

  “Hi, I’m Heather.”

  “Well it sure is good to meet ya. What can I get ya to eat?” Sally asked.

  “I’ll have a hamburger and fries,” Heather replied.

  “What about you Mick, what do you wont?” Sally asked.

  “I’ll take some fried okra, turnip greens and a pork chop,” Mick said as he looked at Heather and gave her a wink.

  Surely this redneck is not coming on to me. After all I am his niece. I heard rumors of people in the south marrying their cousins. Maybe they were right, she thought. She felt very uncomfortable when she saw him wink at Sally and almost all the ladies in the diner.

  He has to be a pervert or something. He’s a dirty old man, she thought.

  Heather tried to eat her lunch, but the hamburgers were greasy. She saw Sally prepare one of the hamburgers. She took one of the hamburger patties out of a vat of oil, and it was dripping with it. The hamburger patty dripped as Sally put it on a bun.

  These people are going to die early with heart problems, she thought. Mick smacked as he gobbled down his food in less than a couple of minutes. He didn’t care how he acted or how he ate. He had no idea what table etiquette was. Nobody else in the restaurant did either, for that matter.

  Heather heard a bell ring as people entered the front door to the diner. A small bell hung over the door. The bell sounded every time the door opened. It was annoying to hear the bell while she was trying to eat. Everyone stopped in their tracks, and they looked at the door as people entered.

  “Hey, come on in,” Sally said to greet them. Heather thought that was nice. Sally took time to greet every customer with a smile. She thought that was completely different than Manhattan. No one ever took time to say hello or to address anyone by name. This town was more relaxed, and people didn’t care how they acted. They didn’t care what people thought of them, either.