Page 37 of Protecting Vidalia
Chapter 10
Jake popped the topof his beer and sat down on the couch. He hadn’t been this focused on Hamal in a long time. The need to be alone, to hide away somewhere in a tight ball was overwhelming. The only thing that had kept him going was making sure Vidalia had her closure. Their situations were alike, and yet vastly different.
Glancing at his watch, he realized that it was too early for him to go to bed, he wouldn’t be sleeping much tonight anyway. With a grunt he got up and started a fire. He needed to pull himself together because Vidalia was already sensing something was wrong. Given her empathetic personality, most likely she would be thinking it was her fault, although it wasn’t.
He fished for the cell phone in his pocket and then remembered he didn’t have service in Dax’s cabin. He swore softly. He could have used a quick call to the therapist he’d remained friends with. Finally, he went to the storage room behind the kitchen and grabbed Dax’s axe. Exercise was next on his list of coping skills.
Turning on all the lights on the deck, and even the overhead pole light that lit up the surrounding area, he went to the woodpile and slammed the axe into the base of the huge tree trunk where Dax split his logs. Then he grabbed the first log from the pile Dax had delivered a few weeks ago and set it on the base of the tree. Grabbing the axe, he began.
Steadily he worked in a rhythmic fashion, the release of pent-up emotional energy feeling good. It wasn’t fifteen minutes before he shed his t-shirt and wiped the sweat from his face and brow before he began again. At some point, he was vaguely aware of Vidalia leaning against a pillar on the porch and watching him, but his focus was on the clean sweep of the axe that used his entire upper body. He didn’t know how long he’d been out here before exhaustion began to creep in. The muscles in his arms trembled when he lifted the axe and he knew it was time to stop before he made a mistake and slipped or something.
Breathing hard, he slammed the axe into the tree trunk, grabbed his t-shirt and wiped his face and upper body. He needed a hot shower, but he was already feeling better.
Turning off the outside lights as he went, he stepped inside only to find Vidalia waiting for him. She slipped her slender arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. The clean refreshing scent of her lavender shower wash drifted up his nostrils.
He stiffened. “I’m sweaty and dirty and you’re clean, little girl,” he said gruffly. “Why are you hugging me?” He put his arms around her in spite of himself. She felt good. He buried his nose in the top of her hair and inhaled, then laid his cheek on her warm head.
“Because I want to,” she replied softly, not moving an inch.
Jake hugged her tightly like a drowning man clinging to a life raft. A few tears leaked from beneath his eyelids and slid into her soft hair. When her arms snaked their way up and around his neck and she lifted her mouth in offering, it was easy to let her tug his head down to kiss her.
His body tightened with pleasure as he plundered her soft mouth. Again, he tried to give her an out. “I need to get a shower,” he said thickly against her lips.
“No, you don’t,” she replied, pulling him closer.
If they melted into each other any further, you wouldn’t be able to sneak a piece of paper between them. He slid both his hands beneath her auburn locks and controlled her head, forcing her to look straight into his face where he could read her eyes and body language clearly. “Does this mean you’re ready for a relationship? Or are you just feeling sorry for me?”
She cleared her throat. “I was ready for you the minute I saw you; I was just stubborn and wanted to do things my way,” she replied, her heart in her eyes.
Jake groaned and was delighted at the same time. She really meant it; he could see that. “Remind me to spank your little butt for all the trouble you’ve caused me.”
“Did I ever tell you that Trouble was my nickname when I was a child? My brother still calls me Trouble,” she teased.
“I need to meet this family and get the low-down,” he said. “You’ve probably got enough spankings earned to keep me busy for the rest of our lives.”
“Hey, whoa, 1870. Just because I’m ready to spend time with you doesn’t mean I’m ready to get married,” she huffed.
He turned her around and landed a hard swat on her rear. “In that case, I’m going to get a shower. We can take up the subject of your indiscretions when I’m finished.” His buddy below needed a cold shower.
