Page 32 of The Summer I Destroyed You

“I blew out my shoulder sophomore year and left when they took away the scholarship. I could have gotten loans, I guess, but my older sister was having a hard time, so I came back to help her.”

“If I could offer you some unsolicited advice,” she says, “you should start helping people less.”

I laugh despite myself. “That’s exactly the kind of advice I’d expect you to give.”

She smiles. “At least I’m consistent.”

We finish our lunch. She helps me load the dishwasher and I guide her out to the living room, the sweatshirt riding high up her legs as she yawns and takes a seat on the couch.

I briefly imagine taking the seat beside her and rule it out, then consider it again.

When she first came into the house today, I was hungry and soaking wet and wanted nothing more than to get myself dry and fed. Now that all that’s dealt with, I’ve got only one desire left in the fucking world.

I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to see someone spread wide on my couch more than I do Emerson Hughes. But it’s also pretty clear that nothing is going to come of this, and that I shouldn’t try to make something come of this. She’s the kind of woman you could sleep with but never entirely possess and I think it would make me insane—the not-possessing part.

I take the chair across from her instead.

“My arms are so sore I can’t lift them high enough to cover my mouth when I yawn,” she says, laughing.

“It’ll be worse tomorrow. You might need to take a few days off from terrorizing the contractors of Elliott Springs.”

“But that’s my favorite part of the job, and Gary is in particular need of some terrorizing.”

“What’s going on?”

“The floor is slanted. He’s trying to claim it’s some kind of optical illusion that will be corrected once the fixtures are in, but once they’re in, it’ll be too late to correct the floor if he’s wrong.”

Nothing she’s saying surprises me. Gary Teller wasn’t even in construction until about three years ago. He decided his ability to use a drill made him a construction expert, when his only real skill is getting his name out there to people seeking contractors. I’ve made a lot of money cleaning up his messes since he got started, if nothing else.

“You want me to take a look?” I ask.

Her gaze grows wary. I’m not sure what people are like where she lives, but she seems to think there’s going to be a price to pay for any kindness shown to her. “Why are you being nice to me?”

The question irks me. “Why? You think this is all because I’m trying to get in your pants instead of just being a decent human being?”

She shrugs. “It crossed my mind.”

“If I was trying to get in your pants,” I reply, rising, “believe me, you’d know. I’m going to call JP and see where he is.”

I’m not sure if I’m irritated because she was wrong or if I’m irritated because she’s, in some small way, right. I’d have done the shit I did today for almost anyone. The difference is that I wanted to do it for her. I wanted to save her fucking stores; I wanted to get her in dry clothes and get her fed. I wanted JP to take his sweet time with my truck.

I’m not going to act on it, but yeah, there’s a significant part of me that would like to get in her pants, were she wearing any.

Which, goddammit, she is not.

“You almost back?” I ask JP gruffly.

“Thought I’d give you some more time with your new girlfriend,” he replies.

I roll my eyes. “Funny. Hurry up.”

He tells me he’s heading over. I turn to give Emmy an ETA and discover that she is sound asleep, sitting upright. Long lashes brush her cheeks, her full mouth relaxed and soft, free of its habitual scowl. Her body slowly drifts sideways until she is flat across the couch with the sweatshirt riding up once again. I cover her with a blanket for my own sake as much as hers, and then I text JP and tell him there’s no rush.

I don’t know why the fuck I like the fact that she’s asleep on my couch as much as I do. After years of wondering how the hell to get women out of my place, I’ve finally found one I wish would stay.

And it’s the one who can’t wait to get the hell out.

19

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