Three Days of Rain (11 page)

Jake heard the gravel crunch under Lily’s tires and walked around to meet her. She looked amazing in simple denim shorts and faded blue T-shirt.

“Hey, you.”

“Hey, yourself. Well, I came dressed to work.”

“We’ll get to that. You hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Good.” Jake grabbed Lily’s hand and walked her to the back yard.

“Oh my God, Jake! You finished it!”

“Well, mostly. I still have to stain it and clean up around the new door we installed but, yeah, it’s finished.”

The look on her face was definitely what he needed to ward off the exhaustion that was setting in. He watched as she walked around the deck and admired his handiwork.

“It’s beautiful. And the door! French doors were definitely the way to go. It’s like you have your own little piece of paradise. I am sure the view from your room is great. Just like a picture. I can’t believe you did all this today.”

“I had help. My dad and Danny came over and we worked on it since seven this morning. I really wanted to finish it before you got here.”

Lily looked at him and smiled. She was both impressed with the job he’d done and flattered that he’d thought of her while he worked on it.

“You thought of me?”

“Well, sure. It was your idea, wasn’t it? And besides, you helped me with the first part. It’s only fitting you help me finish it.”

“I thought it was done.”

“Well, it is. Just one more nail needs to be hammered in place.”

From behind his back, Jake somehow produced a hammer and a single nail. He took her hand and led her to the farthest extension of the deck and pointed to an “x” he’d penciled in.

“Here you go. You started with it. Now you have to finish.”

Like a giddy schoolgirl, Lily took the hammer and nail from Jake and fastened the last board to the frame. She stepped back, admired her prowess with the hammer, turned around, and hugged Jake. Though this was the reaction he’d hoped for, he wasn’t prepared for it. He wasn’t prepared for how good it felt to be hugged sincerely by a female friend. It was a good feeling, though foreign to him at this point in his life.

“So, you said you were hungry.”

“I did.”

“I pulled the grill up and bought some steaks. Sorry but the seating is a bit primitive.”

As he motioned toward the main deck, she noticed a rusty round table, a broken umbrella and two metal lawn chairs.

“It’s perfect!”

“I was gonna get some new furniture but I have to stain the deck first and finish the trim work. I was thinking about changing the porch light, adding some solar lights—”

She grabbed his shirt. “Jake, I said it was perfect. Now feed me!”

He went inside to get the steaks as Lily lit the grill. He brought out two glasses and a bottle of pinot.

“Wine?”

Jake blushed. “I just thought, well, since we finished the deck and all, we could, well, you know...”

“Celebrate?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s do it. It’s a good reason to celebrate.”

Lily’s enthusiasm was infectious and before long Jake was grilling up two steaks, Lily was mixing a salad, and both were starting on the second bottle of wine.

“Everything looks fantastic, Jake. Thank you so much for having me over for dinner.”

“No need to thank me. You earned it. I’ve never seen a girl swing a hammer like that. You sure you never did it before?”

“No. Really. I learn fast, you know.”

“Another glass?”

Through a full mouth, she replied, “Yes. This steak is fantastic. It just melts.”

“Glad you like it. Your salad isn’t bad either.”

“I don’t even think we need it. My mom always drilled into me that a vegetable is always necessary at dinner. If she ever had a steak like this, she’d change her mind.”

They talked and ate for a while before Jake began to ask Lily about her life.

“Did you play any sports in high school?”

“Yeah. Oh my God, I am stuffed. I ran track—”

“Obviously.”

She smiled. “Yes, obviously. And played soccer.”

“I never got into soccer. I didn’t understand it. You just run and kick the ball into a net.”

“Hey!” She threw her napkin at him. “Like baseball is any more interesting?”

“Well, yeah. It takes skill to be able to hit a baseball with a stick while it’s hurling at you at ninety miles an hour.”

“And running the bases takes skill?” she demanded.

“Yeah, you gotta run fast enough to beat the ball but slow enough to stop if you have to.”

“What position did you play?”

“Pitcher.”

“Pitcher, huh? And why’d you stop?”

Jake took a long swallow of his wine. “Ahh, man. My mom was sick. When she died, I declined the scholarship and stayed here to keep an eye on my dad. He was a mess.”

Sorrow filled her. “I can’t imagine. And how’d you handle it?”

“I didn’t handle it well. Started getting into fights, started working like a beast. The only thing that kept me sane was my guitar.”

“The one you threw away?”

“Yeah.”

“You should play again.”

“No. I don’t play anymore.” He drained the wine from his glass before pouring more.

“I am not gonna ask why because we are having such a good time but I just figure if it kept you sane before, maybe it would keep you sane now.”

“What makes you think I’m not sane?”

“Well, not that you aren’t, per se, but maybe it would fill the void in your eyes.”

Jake leaned back in his chair and looked at her while he drank his wine. She kept his gaze as he contemplated her words, almost daring him to deny them.

“Hmm. Maybe.”

“Maybe.”

As the sun finally winked its way to sleep, Jake lit the citronella torches and turned on the porch light.

It was midnight before Lily stood up and stretched.

“Thanks for dinner, Jake. I really appreciate it. I had a great time. Everything was great, the food, the wine, the company.”

“You’re leaving?”

“I have to. Early shift.”

She saw the disappointment in his eyes so she added, “Maybe we can run tomorrow. Six okay for you?”

“It’s a date. Let me walk you out.”

“Okay. Let me help you clean up first.”

“No. I’ll take care of that. You go home, get some sleep.”

She took his hand and they walked around to her car. She fiddled with her keys for a minute, and Jake couldn’t help noticing how pretty her hair looked in the moonlight. They stood there, like two teenagers at the end of a first date and neither could figure out what came next.

“Thanks again for everything.” A flush rose through her cheeks as she realized how loudly the words came out.

“Anytime.”

“Well, okay then...” Lily reached up, hugged Jake, and kissed him softly on the cheek.

He was too stunned to respond. Not so much that she kissed him, even if it was on the cheek, but the way the kiss lingered after she pulled away. His heart tripped up a bit and his mind clouded.

As she climbed into her Jeep, she said, “See you tomorrow, Jake.”

He watched, rooted to the ground, as she backed out of the driveway and headed home. He put his hand on his cheek, almost expecting to feel something left there. When he finally moved, he walked back to the deck, sat in the old metal lawn chair, and poured himself the last of the wine. He stared out into his backyard, looked up at the moon, and finally saw himself moving forward.

The next morning, he met Lily at her house and they shared a five-mile run. Everything was so easy for him when he was around her. He was relaxed and the ghosts of the past didn’t haunt him. When he thought about the fact that she was leaving at the end of the summer, he’d remove it from his head. She’d taught him to live for the day and think about tomorrow when it happened. It was something he needed to practice but it seemed to be working for him so far.

Throughout the rest of the week, Jake worked on his house. Each day began new and fresh. He was happier than he’d been in a long time and he had Lily to thank for it. She was saving him, he knew. And he thanked her silently every morning when he woke up and every night before he went to sleep.

CHAPTER 14

On the first steamy Saturday in July, Jake rolled out of bed and made his way into the kitchen. Dreamless over the past few weeks, he’d finally begun to heal. Thoughts of Madison didn’t drop him to the floor like they once had. His time over the past month had been taken up by work, home improvements, and Lily.

He was amazed they spent just about every free moment in each other’s company without progressing past a hug or quick peck on the cheek. He was falling for her. He wasn’t pursuing more than what they were, however. Jake was becoming content with dealing with things day by day. And today, he needed to see her.

He was humming a tune he’d started to work on when she answered the phone, still groggy with sleep.

“Hello?”

“Good morning! How’d you sleep?”

“Barely. You?”

“Good actually. Thanks again for coming over last night. That was some celebration, huh?”

Her giggles set the butterflies in his stomach into a frenzy. “If I never have to hang another window shutter, I’ll be fine.”

“I just wanted to thank you for helping me. The deck is done, the house is painted, and the shutters are up. I can barely recognize the place when I pull up now.”

“I know what you mean. Is another thank you why you called me so early? I thought we’d said no running today.”

His fingers drummed excitedly on the kitchen counter.

“No, no. I just, well, I wanted to know if you wanted to hang at the beach today. Maybe we could build a bonfire, have a few beers. Whatever. But if you’re busy, we could do it another day.”

“Oh yeah? A girl always loves waking up to hear a boy wants to see her. What time were you thinking?”

“I don’t know. You’re off today, what time’s good for you?”

“I have to run a few errands today. How about four? I’ll bring the beer.”

“Four it is.”

“See you then.”

When he hung up the phone, he sat back in the chair and closed his eyes. He didn’t know where this was going and for the moment, he didn’t really care. The fact that she was there was enough for him right now. But that thought was enough of an opening for Madison to intrude once again...

***

In the two months since they’d found out they were going to have a baby, Jake did everything he could to make Maddie comfortable. Despite her overbearing demands and roller coaster emotions, which were apparently par for the course according to Danny, Jake was the happiest he’d been in a long time. There was no real drama, no drop-down, drag-out fights, and no issues with the baby. Maddie wasn’t gaining weight like the doctor would’ve liked, but other than that, she and the baby were healthy.

Until they weren’t.

Jake was clearing out the extra bedroom in preparations for a nursery. It was a small space and they’d probably have to move eventually. For the time being, it was a perfect place to store a crib, changing table, and all the other stuff that came along with having a child.

“Maddie. Maddie! Come in here a second.”

Madison walked in the bedroom with weary eyes and a pale complexion.

He crossed the room to the doorway quickly with concern in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m just tired. I’m still throwing up a little. I’ll be okay. What did you want?”

“You sure?”

“Yes, Jake. I said I was fine. What did you want?”

Not entirely satisfied with her answer, he began, “I was looking at the room and wondering if we need to paint it now or wait until we find out what we’re having? Some people paint it yellow or something and then put in some blue or pink when they find out what the sex is.”

“I don’t care, Jake. You wanna paint it yellow, paint it yellow. I don’t really care right now.”

“Maybe we should talk about it later when you’re feeling better.”

“What’s there to talk about? You wanna paint the freaking room, then paint it, for God’s sake. I don’t care.”

He knew something was definitely wrong. “Why don’t you go lie down? You don’t look too good. I’ll call the doctor.”

Temper flashed in her eyes. “Of course, I don’t look good, Jake. I have a thing growing inside me. I’m getting fatter by the day, and all you can talk about is a fucking paint color. God. I never should have agreed to have this baby.”

The bottom fell out of Jake’s stomach. “Don’t say that, Madison. This baby is a good thing for us. Can’t you see we’ve been better for it? Don’t say things like that, Maddie. Please, let me help you. Just lie down and I’ll get you some water.”

He brushed quickly past her on the way to the kitchen. When he returned with a glass of water he saw she was standing by the window. The setting sun was streaming through the glass and encasing her in a glow that made his knees weak. Her blonde hair was set off by the green sundress she was wearing. Her thin arms and shoulders made her look so fragile.

“You are so beautiful.”

She turned and smiled. It was then he noticed her legs were bleeding.

“Madison, what’s that? Did you cut yourself?”

“No. What are you talking about?” As she said it, she grabbed her stomach and fell to her knees. “Oh my God, Jake. It hurts. Oh my God.”

Dropping the glass to the floor he rushed over to her. “What hurts? Madison, what’s wrong?”

“The baby. It hurts.”

The moan that escaped her lips weakened him. He lifted her up into his arms and rushed her to the car. Flipping open his cell phone, he called the doctor.

“Dr. Garmen? It’s Jake. Maddie’s bleeding. I’m taking her to the hospital. Please meet us there. I don’t know what’s wrong. God, she’s bleeding.”

“Calm down Jake. Just get to the hospital. I’ll meet you there. Did she fall? Did anything unusual happen?”

“No. No. She was complaining she didn’t feel well. We argued a minute over paint colors and when I brought her a glass of water, there was blood.”

“Okay, Jake. Just get there. Be careful and I’ll see you in a bit. I’m leaving now to meet you.”

Without a goodbye, Jake snapped the phone shut and sped to the hospital. He drove like a maniac with Madison in the seat next to him clutching her stomach and moaning in pain.