Fighting For Jemma

by MJ Nightingale

  Angel was perplexed. She’d confessed she was a virgin, but hadn’t she ever pleasured herself before, he wondered. It would be a question for another time, and perhaps a lesson, too. His beauty was not only innocent but naïve, and he did not want to embarrass her.

  “Well, I’m glad I could be your first.” He knew then that he wanted to be her only, too. She was his. Period. It was going to happen. He was staking a claim on this woman; she just didn’t know it yet.

  “Shall we head back and freshen up?” he asked.

  Again, her face went through a myriad of emotions. She was a like an open book. “What about you? Do you want me to do, um, do something?” she asked. She knew the mechanics of a blow job, but just had never done it before. She would do it for him. Especially after what he’d done for her.

  He laughed, picking up her hand and kissing the top of it. “No, my precious. Not yet. Not now. Let’s go clean up. I wanted to please you. You don’t have to return the favor today. Not at all, if you decide not to. But, let’s get out of the sun. It’s getting warm.”

  “But you didn’t enjoy…”

  He cut her off. “On the contrary, I enjoyed pleasuring you very much, sweet Jemma. And I plan on doing it again, and again. If that’s okay with you?”

  “Oh.”

  Her mouth formed the most perfect circle, and Angel’s semi-hard erection grew stiff once more. He ignored it and stood up and offered her his hand. “Now, do you want to ride back or walk the horses back? It’s not far.”

  Her legs were a little shaky. She didn’t know if she could keep her seat. “I think walking would be better.” She blushed.

  After packing up their picnic lunch, Angel took the reins of both horses in one hand, and offered his free hand to Jemma. Together, hand in hand, they walked home.

  Chapter 6

  Jemma practically floated through the last two days of work. She couldn’t stop thinking about Angel. She felt like a silly, lovestruck teenager, and she wasn’t ashamed in the least.

  She was excited about tomorrow. They had a half day of school, and she’d invited Angel over for dinner. She’d promised to cook for him. He worked in San Antonio for the first three days of each week, but had promised to drive straight to her house from there. Her home was a work in progress, but she loved it, and wanted him to see what she’d accomplished so far. Filled with her childhood memories, she’d vowed to restore it to its former grandeur.

  Angel had made her promise to text him when she got home on Sunday evening so he knew she was safe. His asking her to do that had not bothered her in the least. Though she had been on her own for some time and managed to make the drive home safely in the evenings before, it warmed her that he cared enough about her to worry about such a small thing.

  He’d also sent her cute messages throughout the day Monday and yesterday, too. Today, he’d even sent flowers to her school. She’d blushed profusely when the front desk secretary came in with the vase of peach roses. Her favorite. She’d mentioned the bushes she’d just finished pruning in front of her home, when he’d remarked about the scratches on her arm on Sunday. They were simply gorgeous in the spring.

  She didn’t even mind that throughout the day her students had teased her mercilessly about them. “Miss Haner has a boyfriend, Miss Haner has a boyfriend,” was the chant of the day. Still, she’d managed to settle down each class and get some work out of them during the shortened class periods, but by day’s end she was ready to get home and start cooking the meal she’d planned. He’d done a magnificent job with their picnic lunch, and she wanted to impress him just as much with her culinary talents.

  Though it had been just three days since she had seen him, she missed him. After they had returned to his ranch and freshened up, they had eaten some strawberries and played a game of cribbage. And just before dusk set in, he had sent her packing so she could get home safely on Texas’s dark roads. And of course, he kissed her after walking her to her car. She touched her lips softly while remembering how he lingered by her car. To her, it seemed he hadn’t wanted her to leave. The thought gave her hope. She really did hope this, whatever was starting with Angel, could be something special.

  She shook her head out of her fantasy and felt like she could just pinch herself at how perfect Angel was. She quickly finished packing up her desk and was about to leave when Frank came into the room. He had a scowl on his face that only got worse after he saw the vase of flowers. He ran a nervous hand through his limp brown hair.

  “So, the rumors are true, you’ve got yourself a boyfriend,” he remarked, trying to make it sound casual and a joke at the same time. “Was it the guy you picked up in that bar?”

  Jemma was shocked at the way he phrased the question, but did not want to make a scene. Her classroom door was still open, and the crowd of students still lingering in the hall could easily hear her reply. “Um, well, I’m not sure we are calling it that just yet, but yes, I am dating Angel.”

  He shook his head as he sidled toward her. “Wow. I mean he seemed nice enough. Just not your type. Some redneck cowboy. I wouldn’t have thought it,” he said, disdain dripping from each syllable.

  He picked up the card attached to the vase. Jemma snatched it out of his hand before he could read it.

  “That’s personal.” She let a bit of anger slip. “And he’s not some redneck cowboy, though there is nothing wrong with a cowboy, Frank. Those men work hard. Harder than you!” She hated sounding spiteful, but she didn’t appreciate Frank’s condescending and judgmental attitude.

  Frank appeared to be taken aback. “Well, that’s not what I meant. I just thought you’d go for someone with brains, you know, like…”

  “Like you?” she whispered, seeing a student cross her doorway. “’Frank, I’ve turned you down countless times. I was trying to be polite. But I’m just going to come right out and be straight with you so we can put this behind us. You’re just not my type. Ok? I appreciate your knowledge and friendship, but we’re just colleagues and that’s it.”

  Frank’s face was a mask at first, but she noticed some of the color drained from it. Then he plastered on a smile. “Of course. I’m sorry if I overstepped. I was just making a remark. Yes, I’m disappointed. I thought eventually you might see me in some other way, I guess. But, I do appreciate your being upfront with me.” He stopped and glanced around her room, then continued, “We guys,” he puffed out his chest and stood straighter to appear taller than his six-foot height. “Well, I guess we sometimes need to be told directly.”

  “I’m sorry, Frank,” she murmured. She hadn’t wanted to hurt him, but she could see he was posturing a bit and floundering.

  “No, no. Not at all. I guess I am just not good at reading between the lines.”

  He followed his comment off with a laugh, and Jemma felt somewhat relieved. Perhaps, she should have just been clear with him from the start. It looked like he would try to put this behind them.

  She cleared her throat and began to straighten up her desk to have something to do. “Good, well, I’m glad we could clear this up.” After slinging her bag over her shoulder, she then lifted the heavy vase of roses and prepared to leave.

  Frank followed her to her door. “Hey, why don’t you let me carry that for you?” he offered. “It’s the least I can do for being such a blockhead.”

  Jemma wanted to be rid of him, but she also didn’t want to be rude so she allowed him to take the heavy vase while she locked her classroom door.

  “Thank you, Frank. I appreciate it.”

  In silence they left the building, and as they began to cross the parking lot, Frank posed a question. “So, you like cowboys, do you?”

  All trace of Frank’s ire seemed to have dissipated. Jemma hoped so. She wanted their relationship at work to be amicable. They did not have an overly large faculty, and it would be best if he moved on from this. But she also didn’t want to rub salt in his wounds either, so she chose her words carefully.

  “Yes, I do. I gr
ew up in Texas so I have an appreciation for how hard they work.” She knew Frank was from California. He had moved to Texas eight years ago when he accepted the position at Medina High. “But Angel is also a veterinarian. So, in a way, he is a science geek like us. He loves animals. Well, except bats.” She didn’t elaborate, though she smiled at the memory.

  Frank appeared to look interested. “Oh, well, that makes sense now. He is a man of learning.” He offered a genuine smile.

  Jemma smiled in return. “Yes, he is.”

  When they reached her car, Jemma unlocked the door and then opened the rear. She tossed her book bag in the back and then turned to him to take the vase of flowers. “Thanks again for carrying these for me, Frank.”

  “Of course.” Frank handed them over and then stepped back to give her room to set the vase carefully on the seat. She used her book bag to anchor it in place for the drive home. “No problem,” he waved her off as she opened the front door and got in. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Yes, see you tomorrow, Frank.” She waved through her open window and pulled out of her spot.

  Within minutes all thoughts of Frank fled from her mind as she thought about Angel and the dinner she planned to prepare for him that evening.

  “Hey, Short Shit!” Buff hollered as Angel marched into the Tarpley Fire Department. “What brings you in on such a glorious day?”

  Buff was cleaning the engine. That was one of numerous jobs given to members of the Tarpley Volunteer Firefighters. Angel volunteered two days a month at the station, and then, of course, answered the call in times of an emergency.

  “I was in the neighborhood, Buff. Thought I’d stop by and check in. Hey, you missed a spot, right there.” Angel smiled broadly as he tapped the red engine and then quickly backed away before Buff took a swipe at him with the towel he was using to dry the vehicle.

  “Ha-ha!” Buff rebuked.

  The guys were always telling him he’d missed a spot. Thought it was funny to tell him to buff that spot right there. But instead of reacting, Buff ignored Angel’s joke this time. He wasn’t in the mood for it. In fact, recently, it had been all bad moods and dark clouds for him. He knew he had to shake the shit that was eating away at him, but it was easier said than done. He wasn’t in the mood for Angel’s shit today.

  “Now, I know you didn’t drive all the way the fuck out here because you were in the neighborhood. Tell me what’s up, Short Shit, or get the hell out.”

  When Angel’s jaw hit the floor, Buff dropped the towel on a bench behind him and went to get a dry one from the cabinet.

  “Actually, I was in the neighborhood. I got a date tonight.”

  Buff did a double take, and looked back over his shoulder at Angel. Angel played the field, but he didn’t “date.”

  “Well, hell! A date, you say?”

  “Yeah, a real-life date. Actually, a second date, or maybe third, I’m not sure how people count these things.”

  “Fuck, that’s because you never go past one. Usually.”

  Angel rolled his eyes. He was a man, but he didn’t date. Women tended to throw themselves at him, and that just wasn’t his thing. Yes, he’d enjoyed some of them, but they were nothing he would consider bringing home to meet the folks.

  Buff laughed which was a rare occurrence these days. “I must admit you got me kind of curious now. In Tarpley, seeing a girl. Must mean she’s local, and that means I have to know her, small town and all. Do tell.”

  Angel knew Buff had been in Tarpley for quite some time, and it hadn’t crossed his mind that he might know Jemma.

  Just then Pops came out of his office, followed by two other volunteers that Angel sometimes got to work with, Tank and Dub-step. “What’s this I hear about a local girl?” Pops, their chief, looked over the top of his reading glasses, and put the report he was holding down by his side. “You better not be breaking no hearts here in Tarpley, Angel. I don’t want o have to kick your ass.”

  “I’m not planning on it, sir.”

  Tank and Dub-step were both smirking at him. Pops knew all the townsfolk and was protective of almost everyone.

  “So, Angel, if you got the hots for a Tarpley girl, well, you better tell me all about it because I know every damn person in these here parts, and raised half of them, so I gotta know.”

  Pops was also a foster father and had taken in a dozen or more kids over the years, many of whom had chosen to settle In Tarpley.

  “Come on, Pops. Don’t be like that. I’ve been volunteering here for four years now. You know I’m a good guy.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re all right. Never heard of you taking advantage of anyone who didn’t want to be taken advantage of before. But you’ve also never dated a local I know of, either. So just spill. I ain’t got all day. I run my own ranch, too.”

  The guys’ smirks were growing wider by the minute. Pops was always giving them his two cents, but all the guys respected the hell out of him, too.

  He cleared his throat and stood tall, straightening his shoulders. “Well, Chief, her name is Jemma Haner.”

  Pops’ mouth dropped open. “The fuck you say. You ain’t dating Jemma Haner?” He laughed and turned to Tank. “You put him up to this?”

  “No, sir.”

  Pops looked to Dub-step. “Not me. I think he’s telling the truth.”

  From the shocked expression on Pops’ face, Angel’s hackles went up. “Why? What’s wrong? She’s great.”

  Both Tank and Buff were laughing. He turned to them. “You guys know her?” Both nodded.

  “Er, yes, but not like that.” Buff laughed past the tears.

  “Yeah, and you got to be dumb as dirt. Don’t the name Haner ring any bells?” Dub-step asked and shot him a look as if he was a moron.

  Angel just shook his head. He was completely lost.

  Dub-step stopped laughing to add, “It’s just, well, Jemma doesn’t date much, but she especially won’t date firefighters. Swore off them a long time ago. I’m surprised is all.”

  Dub-step was laughing again and Tank hadn’t stopped. Even the grim-faced Buff had tears of laughter running down his face. “What? Why?” Angel’s stomach plummeted.

  Tank wiped the tears from his eyes. “This is too funny. I’ll tell you, one time when I was at the grocery store, I saw the pretty teacher. I tried to hit on her, oh about two years back, and she literally just lifted her hand at me, palm up and said, ‘Don’t!’”

  When he started laughing, Dub-step finished the story for him. “Ole Tank here didn’t give up, though. Kept right on flirting, and followed her around Kroger’s like a lost puppy. She finally turned around and told him to back off, and then she told him straight to his face she didn’t date firefighters.”

  “What? Why?” Angel asked again, confused. He scratched his head and then it him like a ton of bricks. The Community Center. The Anton Haner Community Center. But most people just called it the Community Center. It was named after a firefighter killed in an accident. Haner! Jemma was his daughter. “Oh, shit!”

  “Yeah, oh shit!” Tank added, tapping the side of his head and shaking it. “Short Shit, for a doctor, you’re dumb as shit!” he said laughing as he passed him on his way to his vehicle with Dub-step right on his heels.

  Buff was back to drying the engine, but Angel saw his sides shaking with silent laughter, as Pops glared at him from over his reading glasses. “Pops, I didn’t know. I swear. I met her in San Antonio last weekend. I never made the connection.”

  “You better tell her what you do, son. Girl’s like family to me. I knew her father, worked alongside him. His death gutted her. It’s why she swore off my boys here.”

  “Yes, sir,” Angel said with a sinking feeling in his stomach. “I’ll tell her. I just gotta figure out how. I might need time.”

  “I’ll tell the boys to keep their mouths shut, but you gotta do it soon. It’s the right thing, son. Jemma has the right to know what you do.”

  Angel felt sick to his stomach. This woma
n was amazing, but he loved being a volunteer. He wanted to get to know Jemma better, but how could he keep something from her that was this important? “I know. I’ll tell her. I’m just gonna need a bit of time.”

  “Not too long, son.”

  “I understand, Chief.”

  Pops turned on his heel and went back into his office.

  Angel glanced at Buff whose sour expression was back on. “You missed a spot. Better buff it out.”

  “Fuck off, Short Shit.”

  “Yeah, okay.” He turned and went back to his truck to make the short ride to Jemma’s.

  What the fuck was he going to do?

  Chapter 7

  Just as she finished putting the cornbread in the oven, Jemma’s phone indicated she had an incoming call. She slipped her hand inside her pocket to see it was Calliope wanting to Facetime with her. She hit ACCEPT and her friend’s face appeared on her phone.

  “Hi, Jems.”

  “Hey, Callie! What’s up?” she asked, sitting down at the table she had already set for dinner. Angel would be arriving soon.

  “So, excited about the date tonight?” Calliope asked. She was happy things were going well for her friend. They hadn’t had a chance to catch up other than a few text messages back and forth these past two days.

  “Yes, very.” Jemma quickly caught Calliope up to speed while watching the timer for her cornbread. “He’s a lot of fun. A real gentleman.”

  “Sounds boring.” Calliope yawned, though Jemma could tell she was smiling through it.

  “Believe me, it wasn’t.”

  “Sorry about the yawn. That was unintentional. I was out all evening and pulled an all-nighter. I just woke up or I would have called earlier.”

  “Oh, okay, but I assure you, Angel is definitely not boring.”

  She didn’t want to go into details about what they had done, but the memory of it burned hot in Jemma’s brain. She was hoping tonight would be yet another incredible experience. Jemma thought back to what he did to her on Sunday. How he had made her feel. And how he did that without expecting anything in return. She hoped tonight she could return the favor. After dinner, of course.