Rumors

Chapter 17

Jake

I pull up into Emily's drive with a giant trailer behind me to find her covered head to toe in grass clippings, dirt and sweat. Even like this, she is still the sexiest woman alive. Someone give her an award for how hot she makes manual labor look. She turns around at the sound of my truck. I whip the truck around to line up with the junk she has piled up when I hear Miles' car roll up. I jump out and walk over to Em.

"What are you guys doing?" She asks, walking towards me.

"I told the guys about your scrap yard project." I grin. "We're here to help."

"On a weekday? Are you crazy?" Her eyes are wide, disbelieving.

"Hey now, my weekends are dedicated to you. Not to hard work." I tease and lean in for a kiss. She gives me a quick one but pulls back.

"You don't need to do this Jake..." She starts. I cut her off with another kiss and she melts.

"Let me." I insist. Miles and two other guys roll out of his car and walk over.

"Alright boss, put us to work!" Miles says with a wide smile, looking to Emily for instructions, not me. She looks to me in a state of confusion.

"You're the boss lady." I poke her. "What needs to be hauled off?" She looks around, more flustered than I've ever seen her.

"Uh...everything. This whole pile needs to go. There's more around the side of the house..." She looks overwhelmed but Miles jumps into action, ready to work. He and the guys start peeling apart the pile behind Emily and she takes a moment before she joins them. We get the trailer loaded with everything in the pile, Miles backs my truck up to the side of the house so we can load everything from there. It's a lot but we manage to fit everything onto the trailer and strap it down. Emily thanks us again and again. The guys take off but I hang back to talk to her. I walk up behind her. She's staring at everything on the trailer. I can't see her face but the set of her shoulders tells me enough. She's tense.

"Em? Baby..." I start and she turns to me, tears are flowing down her cheeks. She quickly wipes them away. "It's just junk babe."

"It's not the junk Jake. It's the help. I've never..." She trails off. And now I get it. She's never had someone show up. Someone help her without being asked. I pull her in for a tight hug.

"I'll always show up for you." I tell her into the top of her head.

"You shouldn't though." She mumbles. "I'm just gonna hurt you in the end." I pull back and lift her chin to look her square in the eyes.

"Worth it." I tell her. "It will always be worth it." And I kiss her with everything I have. I pour every emotion I have in me into that kiss. How much I love her. How much I'm terrified of her leaving in a few short weeks. I feel her tears start up again and pull her closer to me. Despite the heat of the day, the sweat from our hard work, I can't keep my hands off her for a minute. The only reason I pull back from her at all is because her Dad is pulling into the drive. She steps back with a small smile. I wave to Ed when he sees us and he returns the wave. He steps out of the car and walks over to us.

"Can't thank you enough for that Jake." Ed says, reaching out to shake my hand. He gives me a wide smile, one no one is often graced with.

"Anytime. I knew Em was dreading this part. She mentioned having to haul it in chunks and I had the trailer empty at the garage. Two birds, one stone."

"Why don't you kids go grab some pizzas. On me!" Ed pulls out his wallet and tries to hand Emily cash. She refuses it.

"I got it Dad." She waves him off. She looks over at her bike longingly. "You want to ride with me?" She asks, looking to me. I nod and she heads inside to grab her gear. Ed waits until she's through the door before speaking again.