Quinn
(Eighteen Years Old)
It’s late when I finally get to lock up. I’ve been working at The Green Leaf for almost seven months. I was lucky to land this job right out of school. It pays better than the diner did. We had a late delivery, and I had to make sure all the flowers were in the cooler so we don’t lose any in the summer heat.
Although I live in a small town, I don’t like to walk around after ten. Yeah, even small towns have weird folks I’d rather not run into at night.
The lights of the gas station come into view and I feel a little better. This is the only dark stretch. From the gas station to my house, the rest of the street is well lit.
My eye catches movement across the street and I notice someone coming out of one of the alleys. For a moment, the person stops and I feel his eyes on me before he starts to cross the street. I speed up my pace so I can get to the gas station before he crosses the street to where I am.
“Quinn,” the guy calls out but I don’t recognize his voice, so I keep going. “A pretty little thing like you shouldn’t be alone so late at night.”
My eyes dart to the guy that starts to jog to catch up with me, only then I recognize him. Seeing that it’s Steve from school doesn’t make me feel any better. All I know of Steve is that he used to hang with the wrong crowd. They were always stoned. Steve always had a mean look in his eye that made me avoid him.
“Go away,” I growl. My heart starts to beat faster and I feel an uneasy feeling skitter down my spine.
I can see an old truck standing by the pumps, but no one is outside.
Steve catches up to me and I suppress the urge to run. I don’t want to give away the fact that I feel uneasy around him.
He takes hold of my arm and presses his chest to the side of my back. I feel his clammy breath on the back of my neck and the sweet stench of weed wafts over me. Dammit, he’s stoned. That’s the last thing I need right now.
“Come hang with me. I’ve got something that will loosen up that tight ass of yours.”
I yank my arm free from his hand and take three quick steps to widen the distance between us.
“Not interested,” I snap.
We step into the light of the gas station but it doesn’t make me feel any better. The door to the store opens and Eli Jackson steps out with a bag in his left hand. I don’t think, I rush forward and when I get close to him, he looks up. I don’t know what he sees on my face but it makes a dark frown settle on his face.
Everyone knows you don’t look for trouble with a Jackson. They live on the outskirts of town, pretty much keeping to themselves. They’re like a lone pack of wolves. Eli and Ethan take after their father. There’s just something about them that screams danger, but right now the danger behind me is much bigger than the danger in front of me. The Jackson’s don’t go around hurting people, well unless your name is James and they catch you beating a helpless animal. Rumor has it that Mr. Jackson and Eli came across James beating a defenseless dog. They set the dog free and then tied James to the same tree after giving him the same beating. No one could prove shit so it’s only a rumor.
I don’t stop until my body slams into Eli’s. I throw my arms around his neck and hug him like the lifeline he is.
“Please play along,” I urgently whisper against his neck.
His free hand settles on my lower back and he looks down at me. I’ve never seen Eli up close before. Usually, I only get a glimpse of him when he’s driving by me. It looks like his eyes are made of steel, hard and unforgiving. His face looks like it’s been carved from granite. Honestly, it looks like he’s never smiled a day in his life. The beard finishes off the rugged look which makes me feel nervous, although I’m not sure why.
For a moment I doubt my decision to ask him for help. My stomach tightens horribly and I start to think that I might have run from the coyote and straight into the claws of a wolf.
His eyes flick over my head for a moment and his mouth sets in a hard line. I’m about to pull away from him when his eyes snap to mine. Shocked, I freeze as he leans into me and places a kiss to my lips. It’s only a quick peck but it brings my mind to a total standstill.
Everything around me fades until there’s only the man in front of me. His masculine scent fills my lungs. When he pulls away my hearing zooms in on the sound of air bursting from his parted lips. My eyes drop to his mouth and for one insane second, I actually think about kissing him again.
I’ve never been overwhelmed by another human being like this. It’s as if his very presence demands every ounce of my attention.
“Let’s go,” he says with a voice that sounds like rumbling thunder.
His hand finds mine and he starts to walk towards the old truck. Am I really going to go with him?
I glance over my shoulder and my eyes catch Steve’s spaced-out ones. He looks like a dog that just lost his prized bone.
Going with Eli is a definite yes. I’d rather take my chances with him.
Eli opens the door on the passenger side and my anxiety spikes as I get in. My eyes follow him as he walks around the front of the truck. Not once does he look at Steve. It’s as if he’s not bothered by the junkie at all.
When he slides in behind the wheel, I start to ramble, “I’m Quinn Drake. I work at The Green Leaf. I’ve seen you around town, and well, everyone knows you don’t mess with a Jackson so I thought I’d rather take my chances with you. Shit, I wasn’t supposed to say that out loud.”
I shake my head as my anxiousness is quickly replaced with wave after wave of embarrassment.
“I didn’t mean that your family is bad or anything.”
I should open the door and make a run for it.
“Ugh … it’s just.”
I dare a peek at him and when I see that he’s just looking at me, I swallow hard. “Thank you.”
He starts the truck then looks out over the road. “Which way?”
“Turn right. I live on Cedar.”
He steers the truck in the right direction and then the most uncomfortable silence ever settles thickly between us.
My eyes keep darting to his profile and I start to think about stupid things we could talk about.
“I’ve seen you around town,” I say just to break the silence.
“You’ve said that already.” It’s a mere statement but it makes me feel downright stupid.
“Thanks for helping me back there,” I whisper.
“You already thanked me.”
I roll my eyes and look out the window. Doesn’t look like he’s much of a talker.
When he turns up my street, I point to the left side. “The house with the broken fence.”
He pulls up in front of my house and then stares at it. I’m surprised when he says, “You live here alone?”
I’m not sure how to answer. I don’t want people to know that I’m alone most of the time. That might start trouble. My eyes dance over his harsh features before locking with his. He might be unsocial to the point of bordering on rude, but it doesn’t look like he’ll hurt me.
“Dad’s a trucker so he’s on the road a lot.”
Eli nods before surprising me once again by getting out of the truck. I rush to open the door and almost stumble out.
“Thanks for the ride.” I walk to the gate that’s hanging on by one hinge and carefully open it. Before I can close it, Eli walks through, leaving me no choice but to rest the rattling gate against the collapsing fence.
“I just want to make sure everything’s okay then I’ll leave you be,” he growls.
With huge eyes and not a drop of spit in my mouth, I watch as he walks around the old house. I’m thankful for the darkness. It hides the peeling paint and broken shutters. It’s not that I’m ashamed of my home. Dad and I try our best to maintain it with the little money we have. I just don’t want Eli to think that I’m too lazy to fix up my own home.
When he’s done walking around the house, he comes to stand in front of me. I start to nervously play with the strap of my bag, not sure what to say. It’s not like he responds to anything I have to say anyway.
“What time do you get off from work?” he asks sounding irritated with me.
I scowl up at him thinking what the hell I did wrong to piss him off. If he’s upset with me because of the state of my house, then he can go fly a kite.
“I’m really grateful that you saved my butt tonight, but you can go now,” I say, making sure that I sound just as irritated as he does.
His sharp eyes clash with mine, making me regret that I lost my temper so quickly. It’s not like I’m in a position to fight this huge man off.
Just before the stare-off gets really weird he looks back to the house. “I have some leftover paint from a job. I’ll get the house fixed up this week.”
My mouth drops open and before I can get over the shock he walks away, not even bothering with the dilapidated gate.
When he drives off, I go inside and straight to my room. It’s way too late for dinner. I shower and rush through my routine so I can get in bed and sleep this weird day away.
I snuggle into my pillow and close my eyes with a heavy sigh. I’m just about to drift off when Eli’s face pops up. I bring my fingertips to my lips as I remember the firm feel of his mouth on mine. It was only for a second but more intense than anything I’ve felt before.
I wonder who Eli Jackson really is. What makes him laugh? Can he even laugh?
I’m woken by the sound of incessant hammering coming from the front of the house. Reluctantly, I crawl out of bed and rub the sleep from my eyes as I walk to the front door. I yank it open and at the sight of Eli hammering away at the gate, I freeze. I blink a couple of times to make sure I’m seeing right before I turn around and head back to my room.
Once I’m dressed, I go to make some coffee. I don’t know how he likes his coffee so I just make it the same as mine.
Glancing at my watch, I see that I still have an hour before I have to be at work. At least it’s Saturday and I’m only working until noon.
I carry the coffees outside and wait for him to finish with the one hinge. He swings the gate and when it doesn’t rattle, I smile. That gate’s been broken all my life.
“Morning, I made you some coffee,” I say.
He straightens to his full height before looking my way. “Morning.” He takes the cup from me and I watch as he gulps the hot liquid down.
“Thanks for fixing the gate, but you really didn’t have to.” I blow on my coffee before taking a sip.
He looks at the fence and says, “I’ll have to order some stuff for the fence.”
I sigh and shake my head. “I can’t afford to fix it right now. It will have to wait.”
I watch him clench his jaw as if he’s trying to keep his patience with me. If I irritate him so much, why does he even bother?
“Where do you work?”
“The Green Leaf,” I say, kind of happy that he’s asking me a normal question.
“What time do you get off?”
“Noon. Why?” I frown, not liking where this is going.
“I’ll pick you up. Thanks for the coffee.” He shoves the cup in my hand and then disappears around the back of the house.
Feeling frustrated, I pull a face at his retreating back. The man has some serious communication issues.
I go back inside and quickly rinse the cups. Grabbing my bag, I make sure to lock the front door before leaving for work.
At work, I keep busy making arrangements for the local church. They always come to pick it up just before we close. Today I’m using sunflowers. I need something bright after waking up to Eli’s grim face.
When I’m done, I stand back to glance over my work to make sure nothing is out of place. My eyes land on the single sunflower still on the table. The stem broke, making it much shorter than the others. Not thinking, I wrap it in some paper, wet it, and place it in a bag to keep the moisture in.
Mrs. Douglas comes in right on schedule and I help her carry the arrangements to her car.
“Thank you, child. The sunflowers are a nice touch,” she says as she walks to the drivers’ side. “You have a good day now.”
“Thank you for the order. Bye, Mrs. Douglas.”
I watch her drive off and when I turn around so I can close up, I spot Eli’s truck across the street at the hardware store. He’s standing by the truck with Mrs. Jackson. How that tiny woman gave birth to her two huge sons, I’ll never know. When Eli hugs his mom, I shamelessly stare. He pulls back and presses a kiss to the top of her head. He smiles down at her and says something. My lips part in surprise at how different he looks as he smiles lovingly at his mom. There’s a fluttering in the region of my stomach and I swallow hard.
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 that 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, just 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. I take it as a win.
“Well, you’ve got one now,” I say 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 he nods.