Passion, Vows & Babies_Tough as Nails

by Amy Briggs

  I remember him putting me in the truck, and I’m pretty sure I tried to pet him. Seriously, I remember petting his arms, as if he were my kitten or something. Then I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I remembered was him putting a blanket over me, and I was back in my grandmother’s house.

  Chapter 10

  Flynn

  I didn’t know what the Doc gave her, but it was fantastic. Jacinda was fucking adorable, and kept telling me how good I smelled, and thanking me for taking care of her... until she passed out completely, about halfway back to her house. I decided that since she was out, I’d drop off her prescriptions really quick and either run to pick them up later myself, or I’d call in a favor from a friend.

  It was pretty clear she needed to rest, and since the doc didn’t want her to be alone, I was more than happy to look after her. It didn’t seem like she knew anyone else in town, and while I didn’t know her well, it also didn’t seem like she had any family to call. I’d ask her later, of course, but the more time I spent with her, even unconscious, the more drawn to her I was. Jacinda was completely different than the other girls I’d been around. There was something hopeful about her, and hope is like a breath of fresh air when you are suffocating. I didn’t realize that I was suffocating until she breathed life into me.

  Maybe Wyatt was right; I wasn’t meant to be alone, and she was exactly what was missing from my life. Well aware that I sounded insane, even if I was only thinking all of this to myself, I didn’t really care. I called a buddy to take care of Remmington, letting him know that I had some business that would keep me away, and I went to check on her.

  Sleeping peacefully, I tucked the blanket around her a bit more, and went out to the front porch. As I looked at the project she’d started herself, I knew what needed to be done. I had all of my tools in the truck, like I always did, so I spent the next hour or so fixing that old porch swing. It definitely needed some work; the painted wood was peeling, so I spent some time hand sanding it, not wanting to wake her by using the electric sander.

  Once I’d smoothed out the wood, I attached the new chain she bought, which was a good choice for the project. I was impressed that she knew what to get. Hanging the swing from the frame of the porch was more challenging than I’d expected, and I did have to grab a ladder and my drill to finish the job. Fortunately, the buzz of the drill didn’t disturb her; I only needed it for a moment to make new holes. The old holes had been worn out and wouldn’t support the swing if it had been hung from there.

  After putting all my tools away, I decided to take that old porch swing for a ride. As I swung peacefully back and forth, enjoying the cool breeze, I did some more thinking. It had only been a couple days, and only one intimate encounter, but I couldn’t get this girl off my mind. Lucky couldn’t even begin to describe how I was feeling. Lucky I ran into her, lucky she inherited this old house, lucky she hired me. It all came together perfectly, I just needed to know more about her, so I could really win her over. I didn’t even know where she was from. Fearing the worst, that she wasn’t even from Nebraska, my thoughts were interrupted by the sight of her, standing in the doorway. She’d been watching me think about her.

  “Hey sleepyhead,” I grinned, coaxing a smile from her.

  “Hi there. You fixed my swing.” she asked, looking over my handiwork.

  “I did. Would you like to sit?” I scooted over, giving her room to sit next to me.

  Letting out a little yawn, she shuffled over and perched herself next to me. “This is awesome.” She glanced up at me as she sat back, letting her weight shift the swing into motion.

  “I’m glad you’re happy.”

  “I will pay you for doing that.”

  “No, it was my pleasure. I need a place to sit. And I needed something to do while you were resting.” I wasn’t taking her money. Frankly, if my plan worked, I wouldn’t be taking her money for any of the forthcoming work, because she’d be with me anyway.

  Pursing her lips into a playful sneer, she said, “Are you sure? I don’t want you doing things for free because… well, you know.”

  “Because what? We had an amazing night together? That’s what I remember happening. And I like doing nice things for you.” I took the opportunity to put my arm around her, while we rocked and talked.

  As she snuggled into me a bit, relaxing, she asked, “Why did you stay? You didn’t have to. I didn’t really deserve it after not giving you my name, and taking off like that.”

  “I’m sure you had your reasons. Sometimes we do things we think make sense, even when they don’t make sense to other people. And as for staying with you? The doc said you shouldn’t be alone, and I didn’t know who to call. So I stayed.” That wasn’t totally true, of course; I didn’t even bother, knowing I wanted to be here.

  “I appreciate it. There really wasn’t anyone to call anyway. It’s just me. I have friends back home, but we’re hours from there, so I’d have been stuck by myself.”

  “How are you feeling?” I asked.

  “I’m feeling a lot better. Whatever she gave me knocked me the hell out, though. I hope I didn’t say anything too crazy. I felt like I was swimming,” she laughed.

  “Oh you were swimming alright.” I laughed as well.

  “So, what now? Can I still hire you to help me fix this house up, or is that weird now?”

  “It’s not weird, unless you don’t ever want me looking at your ass. Because that will be impossible to agree to.” I smirked, and squeezed her to me briefly.

  “You can look at my ass all day if you want, as long as we fix this place up by the end of summer, because that’s when I have to go back to work,” she giggled.

  “Where’s home?”

  “I live in the city.”

  “Do you like it there?”

  “Sometimes. I was raised there by my dad, so it’s always been home, I guess.”

  “Is your dad gone?”

  Pausing for a moment, she rested her head against me and sighed. “Yeah, my dad passed away about a year ago. We were really close. This was his mom’s house. I inherited it. I guess it took them a while to find me, for some reason, but that’s how I ended up here.”

  “So, did you know Mrs. Brennan? Your grandmother…”

  “No. She didn’t want my parents to have me, so they ran away to have me on their own. I never met her. She didn’t want us to be a family, so I’m just fixing up the house to get rid of it.” Her tone changed to anger, or maybe it was resentment. I couldn’t blame her. That also explained the stories we’d heard of Mrs. Brennan having a son who, one day, just stopped being there. He ran away to have my Jacinda.

  “I’m sorry, baby. It’s an old-fashioned way of thinking. And all too common out here, really. But it sounds like you had a good upbringing?” I questioned.

  Softening her lips back to a smile, she looked thoughtful. “Yeah, I really did. My mom died giving birth to me, so it was just me and my dad. My dad really loved her; he gave up everything for us. So, the least I could do is take care of this for him. He would have wanted me to.”

  “I think you’re right. I’m glad you found me. I’m excited to help you whip this place into shape.”

  “Me too,” she whispered as we swung quietly for a bit.

  I found myself lost in the moment, just enjoying the gentle rocking of the swing, with her in my arms. Although we hadn’t really talked about us at all, I was getting to know her, and spending time quietly with her was calming and peaceful. She rested her hand on my leg, and I couldn’t help but instinctively cover it with mine. Something amazing was happening.

  Chapter 11

  Jacinda

  When I woke up from my little coma, it took me a few minutes to figure out where the hell I was, and what happened. As I stretched out on the couch, feeling the pain in my actual ass, I quickly remembered, and pulled the blanket that was covering me up over my head in embarrassment. As I poked my face out, just barely enough to show my eyes, I peered aroun
d the room to see if Flynn was still there. When I didn’t see him, I dropped the blanket dramatically, and recalled the events of the past twenty-four hours, shaking an angry fist at the sky. My luck was simply incredible.

  I got up and started to wander to the front door, which was open, allowing a cool breeze in. As I poked my head out, there he was… and he was swinging on my porch swing! He’d fixed it! A little jolt in my chest softened me up, and I walked over to him. Without a word, he held out his arm, and I snuggled in beside him as he held me. We ended up sitting on that porch swing for over an hour, just talking and swinging. It was so peaceful; comforting, in fact. As the sun began to set, I wasn’t sure what his plan would be, but I was certain he didn’t intend to stay and look after me. Or so I thought.

  “We need some dinner, and we need to pick up your prescriptions. Are you up for a drive?” he asked, scanning my face with his light brown eyes. The color reminded me of how I like my coffee, with just a touch of cream.

  “You don’t have to babysit me, Flynn,” I said softly, though I had a feeling it was not up for debate.

  “I already told you how this is going. Do we have to argue about it, because I will. But I would rather buy you some dinner and get your drugs. Besides, I already know what you feed yourself when left to your own devices. We’re getting some actual food in you before you get stoned again,” he laughed.

  “Ok, ok. You win. You can take care of me tonight,” I giggled. He was protective but gentle, and his sense of humor was spot on. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something about him felt like home. I knew that was ridiculous, and maybe it was the aftereffects of my injury or the pain pills, but I was relaxing around this guy and it wasn’t even freaking me out.

  My pain was around a six out of ten, so way better than this morning, but not amazing. I told him I wanted to change, since I was still in the clothes I threw on when he showed up after the shower incident, and had subsequently slept in. I felt like a slob.

  “Do you need help?” he asked with a sly smile.

  “No sir, I do not need your help changing my clothes.” I pretended to be slightly offended at the advance. I mean, we did sleep together the night before, so it wasn’t a particularly outrageous question, but no.

  “Well, I mean, I have seen it before,” he teased.

  Rolling my eyes and limping off, I muttered, “That was a one time thing… maybe.”

  “What was that?” he asked.

  “Nothing! I’m good. I’ll be five minutes.”

  What a shit show it was, trying to change my clothes. Not that his help would have made it easier. I was just a mess. I examined my bruise in the mirror of the bathroom - not the flooded one I hadn’t cleaned up yet, of course. It covered almost my entire butt cheek. It was dark purple already, and only a day old. I put my hair into some kind of a messy bun that I hoped looked cuter than I felt, and some stretchy jeans because really, I wanted to look good for him. I’m pretty sure that ship had kind of sailed already. After putting on just a little makeup, so I didn’t have that ‘just woke up from a coma’ look, I found him waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.

  “You look adorable.” His grin was full, showing me adoration, and it made me blush. I knew I didn’t look that great, and he made me feel like I did.

  “Thank you.” He held his hand out to me as I approached the bottom stair, and didn’t let go until we reached his truck outside. “You know I’m not breakable. You don’t have to coddle me, Flynn.” While I enjoyed it, I didn’t want to be babied either.

  “Well, I think you might actually be breakable, after the events of today. So, how about you just let me look after you, for my own peace of mind. Sound good?”

  Letting a little giggle escape, I conceded. “Ok.”

  After we ran our errands, like picking up my prescription, and getting some food to cook, he turned down a road that wasn’t on the way back to my grandmother’s.

  “You look concerned,” he smirked.

  “Well, this isn’t the way back home?”

  “No, it’s not. Are you ok with dogs?” he asked me.

  I loved dogs, but what a strange question. “Yes, I like dogs. Why do you ask?”

  “Well, because I have a dog, and we’re going to my place. You don’t have anything in that kitchen, and after the shower incident, I’d really prefer to check the electric and gas myself before you burn the place down… no offense.” He chuckled, which I couldn’t help but echo.

  “That’s fair. I’d rather stay out of the hospital. But I don’t want to be an inconvenience, Flynn. I mean, you have honestly done enough, and I don’t want to be a bigger inconvenience than I already have been.” I liked this guy more with every passing moment, but this was crazy.

  We pulled into a driveway, and before us was one of the most beautiful houses I’d ever seen. It was a cross between modern and Victorian, and seemed huge for one single guy. He took my hand in his, lifting it to his lips, and planted a kiss. “I want to take care of you, Jacinda. I want to know you. Not just like last night, but for real.”

  Heat rushed to my face, and I felt myself grin. He was a charmer, and I was picking up what he was putting down. “I’d like that.”

  “Well then, let me cook you some food, and you can take your crazy pill and sleep in an actual bed. Not a sofa, and not a shitty air mattress.”

  “You want me to stay here?” I didn’t even consider that.

  “Would you rather go back to the house that attacked you, and toss and turn on that couch?” Not waiting for an answer, he continued, “I didn’t think so. You’re going to stay with me until I’ve had a chance to make sure it’s not dangerous. Besides, I feel like you need someone to look after you, for a change.” And with that, he flashed me that handsome smile, hopped out of the truck, and ran around the passenger side to help me out.

  He had no idea how right he was.

  Chapter 12

  Flynn

  I was relieved that, after meeting two days before, she didn’t find it creepy and agreed to let me take care of her. Besides the fact that I simply didn’t want to stay at that old house, I wasn’t going to leave her alone. Technically, the doctor did tell me she shouldn’t be alone, even though I think those instructions probably expired after she woke up from her little nap.

  The night was a little chilly, so I built a small fire outside in the firepit, and cooked us some steaks on the grill. I couldn’t wait until the whole outdoor kitchen was done, but that would have to wait for now. Normally, I’d have come home from work by now and be working on it, but tending to her was far more important. I wrapped her up in a blanket, and Remmington took to her immediately, his big head resting on her lap while we laughed and talked outside, simply enjoying each other’s company. That dog was the best. He was a golden labrador, and the goofiest dog in the world; I knew he’d love her. Who wouldn’t?

  I kept trying to fight the fact that I was so into this chick after such a short period of time. But it was like she walked into my life, right when she needed me; yet, at the same time, I didn’t know I needed someone like her in it. She let me cook for her and dote on her, which I absolutely loved doing. Even though she kept trying to get up and help, and I kept telling her to relax and rest. After dinner was cleaned up, she took her drugs, and I could see she was getting sleepy. I was pretty tired myself after the day we’d had. I wanted to do a more thorough runthrough of her house the next day, and a good night’s sleep would be good for both of us.

  “Come on, let’s go to bed.” I pulled her by the hand.

  “To bed?” she whispered.

  “Yes, let’s go to bed, babe.”

  “Together?” She seemed surprised.

  “Yes, together. We’ve been through this. That train left the station yesterday, Jacinda. I have a nice, big, comfortable bed that your grandmother has not slept in. I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to,” I said, hoping she’d let me hold her all night.

  “You raise a valid
point, sir.” She smirked, and got up.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked, pulling her close to me.

  “Like I could sleep for a week, to be honest,” she giggled.

  “Haha, alright. Come on then.” I kissed the top of her head and led her to my bedroom. At the top of the stairs was my master suite, which was the size of much of the downstairs, and it had floor to ceiling windows. I just wanted it to be open, and I wanted to be able to lay in bed and watch the snowfall in the winter, or the sun rise, when I wanted to.

  She stood hesitantly in the doorway, scanning the room. “Flynn, this house is absolutely stunning. That view is incredible.”

  Sharing it with her felt special. “Come in and look.” I walked to the window and waved her over.

  We stood in front of the windows, taking in the view. I pulled her into me, her back resting against my chest, and I wrapped my arms around her. “This is beautiful,” she whispered.

  “You’re beautiful,” I whispered back.

  Slowly, she turned to face me, placing her hands softly on my chest . Her touch ignited a fire within me, kickstarting my heart, which was pounding against my ribcage. As she lifted her eyes to meet mine, the crystal blue was highlighted from the glow of the moon and the stars outside the window, and I leaned down to kiss her gently. Reciprocating my every touch, she ran her hands down my chest, wrapping them around my back, pulling me closer to her. It was the softest, most romantic, kiss of my life, and if I could have done nothing more than kiss her like that every day of my life, I’d die a happy man.

  Part of me, of course, wanted to ravage her again, but I didn’t. She needed to rest, and I wanted her to know that I didn’t bring her to my home for sex, but to be cared for. I begrudgingly pulled away, surprising her.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked me.

  “Dear God, no baby.” I pulled her to me, hugging her tightly. “I didn’t bring you here for that. I brought you here to rest, and so I could keep an eye on you.”