Crumbling Walls (Jack and Emily #1) (15 page)

▪▪▪

Getting dressed in the bathroom, she put her own jeans back on and wrapped herself in her new sweater. Handing him the small pile, he tossed them, his robe, his own pajamas and the sheets from the couch in the washer. Turning it on, he looked at her, “Still tired or would you like a cup of tea with me?”

“Tea please.”

“Will do. And back in the bathroom, under the sink, there are some spare toothbrushes if you’d like to use one.”

“Is that your polite way of telling me to go brush my teeth?”

He just smiled and headed towards the kitchen sink as she returned to the bathroom.

▪▪▪

Jack was the first of the family to stumble into the living room a little after seven, finding Will and Emily sitting across from each other at the coffee table in the now cleaned and aired room, playing what looked like high-stakes Scrabble. Long complex words covered the board, with only the occasional staple like ‘dog’ or ‘cat’ thrown in.

Elizabeth came next a few minutes later, followed by Nate. Each took a look at the board and settled in on the couch to watch, not saying a word.

Finally, Emily threw in the towel, “I’m sunk.” Looking at the score sheet, “You also won in points.”

Looking as well, "Not by too much though. That’s a damn good game right there.”

With a grin at him, “And I’ll take a re-match any time you’re ready.”

After putting the board away, Will stood up, “Anyone hungry?”

This of course was met with a resounding yes and the smell of Will’s waffles bought the rest of the clan downstairs.

Will disappeared upstairs while the boys washed the dishes. As Emily finished wiping the counter, she heard the boys begin hooting and hollering about something behind her. Turning around, she found a clean-shaven Will standing in the doorway, his hair also neatly trimmed and much shorter than it had been just a half-hour earlier.

Sam stood in front of his father, the only one not pointing and laughing at how strange he looked. Will picked him up, “What’s wrong Sam? You okay?”

Never having seen his father without the mustache, he ran his fingers over Will’s upper lip, then through his hair, “You’re still Dad, right?”

Will smiled and kissed Sam on the forehead before putting him back down, “Yeah, Sam,” now looking over at Emily, “I just thought I could use a bit of a change.”

Emily could only offer her own private smile while the rest of the boys continued their jeering for a few more minutes.

▪▪▪

Since the weather seemed to have calmed down, “I should probably be getting home. The snow’s still deep but at least I can see where I’m going now.”

Once all the good-byes and thank-yous had been said once again, Will pulled her aside quietly, “If you need anything, find me okay?”

The offer sent a happy, warm feeling through her and she smiled at him, “Thanks for this morning.”

“You’re very welcome and, remember, I still owe you a re-match.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t forget.”

And with that, her and Jack were gone.

Once the door shut, the rest of the house grew noisy again, but Will just stood at the door, watching them go. Elizabeth came back over to stand next to him, “You okay?”

Not really hearing his wife, he continued to stare out the window, “Be careful with her.”

Taken completely aback with this statement, “What?”

Shaking his head to clear the fog, “Sorry. Forget it.”

Knowing when to not question him further, she ruffled the newly cut hair on his head and hugged him from behind, “He’ll call if they get stuck somewhere.”

▪▪▪

After slogging through foot deep snow because the car couldn’t be freed and fighting the frigid wind, Jack was in desperate need of the hot drink Emily offered him when they got to her place. Taking one look at his shivering form huddled over the heating vent, she almost laughed, “Give me your pants.”

In mock shock, “Well, I never ...”

Holding out her hand, “I’ll throw them in the dryer for you.”

“And I’m supposed to wear what while this is happening?”

She looked around for a minute, then pulled the comforter off her bed, “Just wrap up in this.”

With a look of ‘that’ll work’, he hit the bathroom and returned a minute later, soaked pants and socks in hand. Handing them to her, “But where’s the dryer?”

She opened a small closet door to reveal a stackable washer/dryer, “It came with the place and, for the most part, it’s cheaper to do the laundry here than a laundry mat and a whole lot easier.” Dumping his stuff in the dryer, she went and changed herself, putting her wet clothes in with his. Turning it on, “Well, it looks like you’re stuck with me for at least a half-hour or so.”

“Well, the clothes may not be dry by then and I’ll just have to stay longer.”

Seeing him standing there, goofy grin on his face, bundled in a patchwork comforter with his hair sticking in every direction, she realized something.

She realized she was comfortable with him.

And happy with him.

And safe with him.

And that she loved him.

This knowledge hit her like a brick and not knowing just what to do with it at the moment, she shivered, suddenly cold, “So, tea or hot chocolate?”

“Tea, if you’ve got some sugar I can put in.”

Heading towards the stove, “Tea it is. Be ready in about five minutes.”

With Emily occupied in the kitchen, Jack dropped down on the couch and began thumbing through the book he’d started the night he had stayed. Getting in a few more pages before she handed him his steaming cup, “Whatcha reading?”

“
Wrinkle in Time
. I started it when I stayed here that night and I’ve got about 20 pages left.”

Feeling weird at the mention of that night, “Did you know there are about seven more books in the series?”

With interest, he glanced over at her bookshelves, “Do you have them?”

She got up, pulling off a stack of paperbacks, “They’re not the greatest copies but they’re readable.”

Taking the stack from her, “That’s all that matters. Do you mind if I borrow them?”

“No, go ahead. And if they fall apart, just use liberal amounts of duct tape and stick ‘em back together.”

“I’ll remember that.” Looking between his cup, the book in his hand and her, “Um, will you think I’m rude if I finish reading this now?”

“Not at all.” Reaching for the book she’d gotten from under the Callaghan Christmas tree, “Enjoy.”

▪▪▪

He hit the ending of one book and, seeing Emily happily absorbed in hers, cracked open the second in the series. Eventually, both their cups were empty and the comforter was spread across their laps. Jack, yawning, “If you touch me with those cold toes one more time woman, so help me.”

Emily also found herself yawning. She tried to stay awake, but soon the words were swimming around the page and she couldn’t focus anymore. Putting the book down, “I don’t know about you, but I need a nap.”

Stretching his arms over his head, “I was just thinking that.”

Feeling rather bold, she stood up, “Make you a deal?”

“Sure, why not? I’m feeling adventurous.”

She went and pulled his pants out of the dryer, “How ‘bout you put your pants on, we lay do …”, another yawn broke her speech for a moment, then, “down and you play me something good on your iPod and we fall asleep?”

Reaching for his pants, he motioned for her to turn around while he stood to put them on, “Sounds perfect.”

With difficulty, she contained her smile but Jack, being Jack, grinned from ear to ear at the simple prospect of being beside her, of maybe, just maybe, holding her and falling asleep feeling her breathe. Flopping on top of the blankets, she curled on her side and waited for him to grab his earphones and player from his coat pocket. Handing them to her, he hit the lights, plunging them into semi-darkness, given the snow caked on the windows and the dark clouds swirling outside.

Next he sat, spreading the comforter over them both and laying down, held up the player, “Any preferences?”

Already shutting her eyes and burying herself in one of the pillows, “Anything.”

As he watched her put one of the earphones into her ear, he turned it on and scrolled down a bit, “I was up at five-thirty this morning putting the CDs on here. Dad woke me up when he went to the bathroom and I couldn’t get back to sleep.”

“Ahh, that would explain why you’re tired.”

Finding the playlist he’d made earlier, “You should be more tired than me. You were up playing Scrabble. Just thinking about it exhausts me.”

With a soft smile on her lips, “Well, if we hadn’t been awake then, we wouldn’t be sleeping here now.”

Scooting a little closer to her, he hit play and shut his eyes, “And I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.”

The first thing that went through her mind was how relaxed and warm and cozy she felt.

The second thing that went through her mind was that there was a hand on her.

The third thought was that this hand was resting on her skin under her shirt.

The fourth thought was that this hand was attached to Jack, who was spooned up behind her.

The fifth thought was she could very easily get used to this.

And the sixth and final thought to pass through her mind in the three seconds she’d been awake was that if he moved his hand any further, he’d know.

This had her up like a shot which of course startled Jack. “What? What’s wrong?”

Groping for the words in her head she knew had to be there, “Bathroom. Sorry.”

Breathing a sigh of relief once she shut the door behind her, she actually did use the bathroom, then sat down on the edge of the tub, waiting for her heart to stop pounding. Once it did and her face stopped being so flaming red, she came back out and found him wide awake and sitting on the bed, “You all right?”

“Yeah, um, just woke up fast and had to go.”

Wrapping his earphone wires around the iPod, “I should probably get going. It’s after two. Mom and Dad might send out the search squad at this point.”

“Oh god, I forgot about them.”

With a sheepish grin, “So did I, but they didn’t call me so they must think I’m still alive.”

Going to the kitchen and grabbing a plastic bag, she put the books in it and tied it tight, “So they don’t get wet on the walk home.”

After getting up, he just stood there, “I really don’t want to go.”

He looked so pitiful and adorable, she couldn’t help it. She walked towards him without a word and sliding her arms around his neck, kissed him. It was a quick kiss, a soft kiss and a perfect first kiss by Jack’s standards and over too soon when Emily backed up a foot or so, “I’m sorry.”