So he can smile. Interesting.
I make sure the freezer is set at the right temperature before I grab the single sunflower and my bag. I lock the store, happy that I’ll be off for the rest of the weekend.
Checking both ways, I cross the street to where Eli is busy loading something that looks like fence panels.
“Please tell me that’s not for my fence,” I say as I get close.
“Get in. I still have a lot to do before it gets dark,” he says, with the same irritation in his voice he seems to reserve for me.
With a frustrated huff, I climb into the passenger side. The ride to my house is uncomfortable, and I keep twisting the sunflower stem around and around, just staring at the swirling yellow and black.
As he stops in front of the house, I quickly get out. Without a word I go inside, needing some time away from Eli. I don’t understand him. Why would he help me if he dislikes me so much?
I keep myself busy grilling some chicken while tossing together a salad. My eyes keep finding their way out the window to where Eli is busy ripping out what’s left of the old fence. The man might be a grumpy enigma, but he’s an attractive grumpy enigma. I rinse a tomato as I practically drool over his muscled arms. Strong veins stand out from all the hard work. It’s like watching arm porn. He’s busy with the fence right opposite the kitchen. The tomato is long forgotten in my hands as I drink in the sight of him.
He stands up, and then things get really good as he grabs the hem of his shirt to wipe his forehead, and I get an amazing few of bronzed, hard abs. Damn, he has a body that will have any girl stupid and drooling with lust.
Suddenly, he looks up, catching me red-handed where I’m practically devouring him with my eyes. Quickly, I turn around and start to haphazardly chop the tomato. I hear him come into the kitchen, and it makes my cheeks flush with embarrassment.
“Are you letting the water run for a reason?” he asks.
I look at him from over my shoulder and then see that I forgot to close the faucet.
“No, can you turn it off?”
He fills a glass with water first before closing it. It makes me feel like crap. He’s slaving away for me, and I didn’t even offer him something to drink.
“There’s beer if you’d like one.”
I throw the pulverized tomato into the bowl and scrunch my nose at it.
“Thanks.”
He leans back against the counter and crosses his arms over his chest. When looking at him becomes downright awkward, I grab two plates from the cupboard.
“Lunch is ready. I hope you’re okay with chicken. I made a side salad.”
I place the plates on the kitchen table and go to grab a beer from the fridge. I place it on his side of the table.
“You can sit,” I say nervously as I pour myself a glass of water.
I avoid making eye contact with him while I plate the chicken and salad. As I sit down, I take a huge gulp of water to swallow down the anxious feeling.
“You’re not having a beer?” he asks.
“I’m eighteen. My dad would kill me.” I smile awkwardly. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-four.” Ugh, talking to this man is like pulling teeth.
My eyes dart around the kitchen when it lands on the sunflower. I hate feeling so out of place in my own home. I need to clear the air between Eli and myself, so I won’t feel so damn uncomfortable around him.
I get up and walk over to where I left the sunflower. I take it from the bag and unwrap the paper. I steel myself and push through, turning around and walking back to where Eli is sitting. I hold the sunflower out to him and smile what I hope is a sweet smile.
“I think you’re a pretty amazing person, Eli. I’ve lived here all my life and never has anyone helped me the way you have in the past twenty-four hours. I’m going to do the same for you. You need a friend, and you’re in luck because I’m looking for one. Here, take it.” I shove the flower at him, and his strong fingers wrap carefully around the stem. “There. We’re friends now.”
I sit down and start to eat.
He places the sunflower next to him on the table, then his eyes meet mine.
“I wasn’t looking for a friend,” he says with no irritation in his voice which I take it as a win.
“Well, you’ve got one now,” I mumble as I shove a piece of chicken into my mouth.
“Why would you want to be my friend?” he asks, as he picks up his knife and fork.
I watch him cut a piece of chicken and how his jaw works while he chews it.
“Why are you fixing stuff around my house?” I ask him.
His lips twitch as if he wants to smile, and showing he understands what I’m trying to say, he nods.
CHAPTER 2
ELI
(Two years later.)
Since the age of thirteen, I’ve been helping Dad with his handyman business. I’ve saved every dollar so I could build my own house.
I walk through the empty rooms, making a mental note of things I have to get for the next phase. Just this past week, I finished laying the tiles and installing cupboards. Upstairs is all done, and the inspection went well. They turned on the power and gas today. All that’s left to do is to paint the living room and kitchen. Then I can take my time with the finishing touches.
I grab my keys and go to get Quinn from work. It’s been two years since she barged her way into my life and demanded I be her friend. That was the best day of my life. The day Quinn took one look at my sorry ass and decided I needed her. She was right. I can’t live a day without her smile. She’s my heart and soul. I’ve become her shadow, always threatening any guy who dares to even look at her.
There’s a piece of her in every corner of my house. She’s been working just as hard as me. A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth as I think about the house we’ve built together. I’d like for her to move in, but I know she’s not ready to leave her Dad alone yet.
One of these days I’m going to have to grow a pair and tell Quinn how I really feel about her. Yeah, she’s my best friend, but what I feel for her is so much more than just friendship. She’s the reason my heart keeps beating. She’s my first thought when I wake up, and it’s her face I see as I drift off to sleep.
I just don’t want to ruin our friendship. Fuck, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost Quinn.
After picking her up from work, I drive to her house so she can pack a bag. We finished the bedrooms last week, and she’s spending the weekend at my place.
I’m a little nervous. This will be the first time she spends the night. I know it’s only as friends, but damn, the man in me wants so much more.
When we get back to my place, Quinn says, “We should make a bed in front of the TV and binge watch Game of Thrones. I’ll make us some popcorn if you want to get things ready in the living room?”
“That’s a great idea.”
I smile as I realize I’ll have her next to me the whole night.
“I’m just going to shower quickly.”
The image of her naked in my shower is enough to get me hard. I walk to the living room so I can get rid of the hard-on before I embarrass both of us.
I spread a few blankets on the floor with some pillows. When I’m done, I pop a bag of popcorn into the microwave while Quinn finishes up.
As I’m emptying the bag into a bowl, Quinn comes in dressed in a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt. The woman has legs that are begging to be touched.
“Have you already added the salt?” she asks as she unwraps a bar of chocolate.
“Yeah, just check if it’s enough for you.”
I watch as she breaks the chocolate over the popcorn and frown.
“What are you doing?”
She grins at me. “This, my friend, is going to blow your mind.”
“Did you plan this?” I ask.
She shoves a handful of popcorn and chocolate in her mouth and groans as she chews on it. The groan has a direct link to my cock. I get a feeling I’m goin
g to be hard for most of the night.
“I hoped for it,” she says with an excited smile. “Come on, we have a lot to catch up on.”
We settle under the covers, and a few minutes into the episode, Quinn takes some popcorn and chocolate from the bowl. She brings it to my mouth and smiles sweetly.
“Come on, you know you want to,” she says teasingly. “Try it for me.”
I give her a look before I open my mouth. Her fingers brush against my lips, and it sends electric sparks racing over my skin. Her eyes are glued to my mouth as I chew and for an insane moment, I think about kissing her.
“So? What do you think?” she asks excitedly.
The salty sweet mixture is actually not bad. “It’s okay.”
She lets out a burst of laughter as I take some more from the bowl. “Okay my ass. You love it, Eli Jackson.”
When the bowl is empty, I set it to the side. I lie back down, and Quinn surprises me by snuggling up against my side and resting her head on my shoulder. I don’t hesitate and place my arm around her.
I turn my head and place a kiss on her hair. I love this woman so fucking much.
We’re almost done with the season when Quinn darts up. She covers her mouth, and there’s a look of horror on her face as a scene plays out.
“I swear if he dies, I’m not watching another episode.”
She bites nervously at her bottom lip while her eyes are glued to the screen.
I sit up and watch as tears well in her eyes. Watching her get lost in the moment is an amazing experience. She’s right there with the characters.
“No,” she whispers as a tear slips over her cheek.
She sits frozen as the credits start to roll, still caught up with what just happened.
I tuck some hair behind her ear. “Hey,” I whisper.
She blinks a couple of times, and then she turns around and wraps her arms around my neck. She holds me tight as she whispers, “You’re my shadow, Eli. I’d die if I were to lose you.”
I close my eyes as I hug her to me. I lie back down, and she buries her face in my neck.
When her breathing evens out, and she’s fast asleep, I whisper, “You’re my sunshine, Quinn. You have no idea how much I love you.”
Just as I turn onto the main road that leads into town, I check the time. I’m running a little late today. I’m usually ten minutes early when I have to pick up Quinn from work. I have a thing about being on time.
As I pull up to the flower shop, I see Quinn standing outside and talking to a guy. She says something to him, and then comes running to my side of the truck. She leans through the open window and kisses me on the cheek.
“I tried to phone you, but you didn’t answer,” she says, smiling the smile that has a way of reaching right inside of my heart.
“Must’ve left it at home. You ready?” I ask when it looks like the guy is waiting for her.
“I’ll meet you at your place. Roy just came to pick up the flowers for the church and asked me to go to lunch with him.”
My eyes find her, and I hate the excitement I see in them. “Sure,” I growl, doing my best to not let her see my disappointment.
“Stop scowling. He’s a nice guy.” She presses another kiss to my cheek. “I’ll come over later.”
I watch her walk back to Roy, and my eyes catch his. I give him a look that promises a serious amount of pain should he hurt my girl in any way. He looks in my direction and smiles. I get out of the truck, and his eyes never leave mine as I fall into step next to Quinn.
When we get to him, he reaches a hand out to me. I take hold of it, and when he tries to impress me with his firm grip, I tighten my fingers around his until I see him wince.
“This is Roy Douglas. He’s Mrs. Douglas’ son,” Quinn introduces us. She places her hand on my bicep, and I let go of Roy’s hand. “This is Eli Jackson.”
“Jackson?” Roy asks.
Usually, I don’t care what people think of me, but I fucking love seeing the look of shock on Roy’s face. My family might keep to ourselves, but the name Jackson is well known. It’s funny how when someone needs a problem solved, they always come to us. Handyman took on a whole new meaning. As long as we don’t hospitalize anyone, the sheriff lets us get away with things, seeing as we’re helping out with keeping the trash out of town.
“Yeah, he’s a friend,” Quinn says, smiling at Roy.
The word friend shoves me back into the corner where I’ve been watching Quinn from. Just a fucking friend.
I don’t bother saying anything else. I walk back to my truck and drive home. Normally, I would growl at the guy until he got lost, but this time, it was different. Quinn was actually excited to go out with him.
Pissed at myself and the stupid love I feel for my best friend, I get back to work. The place feels empty without Quinn’s laughter, so I put the music on loud.
I keep watching the time and waiting for Quinn to walk through the door. She’ll complain about what an asshole Roy was, and things will be back to normal.
But the minutes keep ticking over. As darkness starts to fall, I push myself to work harder. I try to work the image of Quinn with another man right out of my mind.
QUINN
I’ve been dating Roy for four months now. At first, I struggled with the guilty feeling of not spending as much time with Eli as I used to. Knowing I was doing the right thing made me push through with dating Roy. Eli sees me as a little sister, and I just had to make peace with that fact.
I tried a couple of times to find out where Eli’s mind is at, but none of them worked. I asked him if the six-year age gap between us bothered him, and he answered no. I asked him why he didn’t date, and he just said it’s because none of the girls in town interested him. I never had the guts to ask him if he could see more with me. I’m too scared the answer will be no, and it will be the end of us.
Once I accepted I would only ever be a friend for Eli, I fell in love with Roy. He’s the opposite of Eli. He’s loud and an extrovert, where Eli is quiet and deep. Roy is beautiful with his light, brown hair and warm, brown eyes, where Eli is tall, dark and dangerously handsome. In his own way, Roy makes me happy. I can see a future with him, and in the end, it’s all that matters.
Last week, Roy asked me to move in with him. I only said no because of Dad. I can’t leave him alone in this house. I’m going to have to make that decision one day, but I’d like to talk to Dad first.
I pack an overnight bag while I wait for Eli. I always spend Sunday nights at his place.
Throwing the bag over my shoulder, I open the gate, and just then Roy pulls up. I love spending time with him, but he knows Sunday nights belong to Eli.
Roy gets out of his Chrysler and smiles as he walks toward me. There’s just something about the way he looks at me, which makes me feel like I’m the only woman in the world that matters.
“Hi, gorgeous,” he says, kissing me long and hard. I love the way he kisses me, always stealing my breath. It’s easy to love him. It’s comfortable and safe.
I hear Eli’s truck and break the kiss.
“What are you doing here?” I ask Roy as Eli stops behind the Chrysler.
“My mother hurt herself. I was hoping you could come help me with her?”
My lips part with shock at hearing that Mrs. Douglas got hurt. “Is she okay? Did you take her to the emergency room?”
“She wouldn’t have any of that. She asked me to come get you,” he says, smiling the beautiful smile I fell in love with.
Eli doesn’t get out of the truck. He just sits and looks at us. I know he doesn’t like Roy, but then, there aren’t many people he likes to begin with. Roy is really a decent guy, and with time, Eli will learn to accept him. At least, I hope he will.
“Let me just tell Eli,” I say, pressing a quick kiss to Roy’s lips.
I walk to the drivers’ side, and Eli rolls down the window. I suppress the urge to lean in and kiss his cheek. I stopped doing it because I didn’t want to upse
t Roy.
“Hi,” I try to smile as my stomach sinks. Every time I have to cancel with Eli, it feels like I lose a piece of him and we’re drifting further apart. “I’m going to have to cancel,” I force the words out. “Mrs. Douglas got hurt. I need to go help her.”
Eli’s stormy eyes capture mine, and I see a thousand words swirl in them. I wonder what those words are and if I’ll ever hear them.
“Sure,” he says, starting the truck up. “I’ll see you around.”
I nod and step away from the truck as he starts to drive off. My heart feels heavy as I watch him go. I don’t think our friendship’s going to survive my relationship with Roy, but I’m not ready to let Eli go.
“Let’s go, gorgeous,” Roy says as he climbs into the drivers’ side.
I hurry, not wanting to keep him waiting.
When I get into the car, I ask, “How did she hurt herself?”
He reaches over for my hand and gives it a squeeze. “Coming down the stairs, she missed a step and fell.”
“Oh no, are you sure she shouldn’t go to the emergency room?”
“I’m sure,” he says, smiling at me. “Mom’s clumsy. She says she just sprained her ankle.”
They live in the wealthy part of town. Roy and Mrs. Douglas are well taken care of, thanks to the insurance payout they received when Mr. Douglas was killed in a burglary at their previous residence.
“When you’re done taking care of Mom, I have a surprise for you,” he says lovingly, which makes me smile wide.
“You do? Tell me now,” I say, knowing how much he loves it when I’m excited over something.
He brings my hand to his lips and presses a kiss to it. “Good things come to those who wait.”
Redemption Page 2
