Found_Hamilton's Heroes series_Book 1

by Annabella Michaels

  “I didn’t eat any breakfast and I’m starving. I think I’ll drive through for some food before we get to work. That okay with you?” he asked.

  “Yeah, that sounds good. I could use another coffee,” I said.

  He pulled into a nearby drive-thru and ordered a breakfast bagel and two cups of coffee then turned to me. “You want anything to eat?”

  “Nah, I already ate, but thanks,” I said.

  He pulled up to the window and I watched him as he lifted his hips and dug his wallet out of his back pocket. The move shouldn’t have been sexy, but it planted images in my head of those hips rising up to meet mine and I had to swallow back a groan as I turned and looked out my own window. The guy was sexy as fuck, there was no denying that, but I could barely get him to look me in the eye or talk to me. If he knew the things I’d been thinking about him, I’d scare him away for sure.

  Zach had finished eating by the time we got back to the lake. It was barely ten in the morning, and the place was already busy. Several new campers had arrived while we were gone, and their owners waved to us as we drove by. We drove around to the far-left side and pulled up near a large pole barn. He put the truck in park and we both got out.

  Zach slid the large door open and I peered inside. It was dark and smelled like dust and gasoline. The place was filled with old signs, fishing equipment, chairs, lanterns, and two large riding lawn mowers, which explained the smell of gas. It was obviously where they stored the things that were too big or not used often enough to be kept in the smaller shed.

  Fortunately, someone had taken the time to organize it and put most of the smaller items up on shelves, and I wondered if that someone had been Zach. From what I’d seen of his home the day before, he liked to keep things orderly. Although, I’d been disappointed that there had been no personal items on display that would’ve given me a clue about who he really was.

  I followed him to the back of the barn, careful not to trip over anything. The only light was from the open door and two small, grungy-looking windows on either side. When we got there, I saw a row of five wooden picnic tables.

  “We need to load each of these up, check them for any loose boards or splinters and paint them before we put them out around the lake,” Zach told me.

  “Okay. That shouldn’t take too long,” I said as he moved around to the end of one of the tables. He laughed then, and I was glad it was dark, so he couldn’t see the shiver that went through me.

  “Umm, I hate to break it to you, but that’s just the ones in here. There are at least thirty others already around the lake that need cleaned up too,” he explained.

  I let out a low whistle. “Oh. Well, I guess that’s going to take a little bit longer then,” I said with a chuckle.

  We got to work then, carrying each table out of the barn. They were solidly built and fairly heavy and I wondered how in the world Zach had managed to do that all by himself the year before. We could only fit two at a time into the bed of the truck, so we decided to load up what we could and come back for the rest.

  After we got the tables situated in their new locations, we worked together on each one and before long we had a steady rhythm going between us. Zach would check the boards and tell me if any of them were loose, in which case, I would follow along with a hammer and some nails, securing them back in place. Then I would sand down any rough areas while Zach mixed and poured the paint into smaller containers that we could hold as we worked.

  We worked for a couple of hours and then took a break for lunch. I invited him over to my cabin this time, explaining that I’d gone shopping. I expected to have to talk him into it, but he surprised me when he agreed right away.

  Somewhere along the line, it seemed that the tension between us had shifted and we were starting to form a friendship of sorts. I knew that it was precarious, and that any sudden movements on my part could rock the delicate balance between us, but I was happy that at least so far, he seemed to be relaxing around me.

  “So, Edith was saying something about getting the place ready for Memorial Day and I assume that’s why we put out extra tables. What goes on around here then?” I asked as we began eating.

  Zach finished chewing the bite he had in his mouth and then set down the grilled chicken sandwich I’d made him. “It’s not just that day. It’s a huge event that lasts the entire weekend,” he said.

  “What kind of event?” I asked, curiously.

  “Well, there’s games and prizes for the kids, tons of food, fireworks and of course the main event is the big catfish contest,” he explained.

  “Catfish contest?” I sputtered. Zach smiled at me over his glass of lemonade and I wondered if he was pulling my leg.

  “Yeah. We have contests here all the time that pay out to the person with the largest catch,” he told me.

  “Is that what all those photos hanging up in the bait shop are all about?” I asked.

  “Yeah, exactly. The Memorial Day catfish contest is the biggest one of the year though. There’s the usual cash prizes for the largest catch, but everyone is after one fish in particular. The biggest, meanest fish in the lake.” He leaned forward like he was about to share an important secret and I felt myself lean closer too, grinning as I went.

  “Moby Dick,” Zach whispered.

  “No!” I gasped dramatically.

  “Yes!” he exclaimed.

  We laughed, but I noticed that neither of us had pulled away. The sunlight shone through the window behind him, picking up the lighter blond streaks in his hair and I was completely mesmerized by the thick, dark lashes that framed his blue eyes. Without thinking, I reached my hand out to smooth the hair out of his face, wanting to see all of him. Zach jerked away as if he’d been burned and I saw the mixture of heat and confusion in his eyes.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just…” I stopped, unsure of how to finish that sentence. I just wanted to touch you? I just wanted to see the real you? I just want to learn everything about you? None of those were appropriate after only knowing each other a couple days, and all of them would surely send him running.

  “I just thought I saw an eyelash hanging and I didn’t want it to go in your eye,” I said instead.

  “Oh. Well, thanks,” he murmured as he settled back into his chair.

  “So, what is the prize if someone catches Moby Dick?” I asked, trying to get us back on solid ground. It seemed to work because Zach’s shoulders visibly relaxed.

  “About five thousand dollars,” he answered.

  “You’re kidding me,” I said, nearly spitting my drink out.

  Zach laughed at the expression on my face. “I’m totally serious.”

  “But, it’s a fish,” I exclaimed, shaking my head.

  “Nooo, it’s not a fish. Moby Dick is the fish,” he laughed, thoroughly enjoying himself.

  “I guess I just don’t get it. Of course, I’ve never fished before so maybe that’s why I can’t understand the draw,” I told him.

  His jaw dropped. “You’ve never fished before?” He stared at me as if I’d grown two heads.

  “Hey! I grew up in Boston, not Mayberry,” I said, pretending to pout.

  I watched as he threw his head back and laughed. I wasn’t sure what it was about the sound of his laughter, but something warm unfurled inside my belly and I suddenly felt like the king of the world for having been the one to make him laugh.

  We finished eating and then went back to work, slowly making our way around the lake, repairing and painting each table. We continued working for several hours, and it was dark by the time we finished the last table. We worked quietly as we put everything away and washed out the paint brushes, each of us lost in our own thoughts. When we were done, we walked around the lake towards our cabins and I let out a yawn.

  “Tired?” Zach said with a chuckle.

  “Yeah. I didn’t sleep very well last night. I’m not used to all the quiet,” I admitted.

  “Well, get some rest. We’ll
have another busy day tomorrow,” he warned.

  “Looking forward to it,” I told him, sincerely.

  We slowed as we neared Zach’s cabin. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said.

  “You are?” I asked, my head whipping in his direction so quickly, I was surprised I didn’t hurt my neck.

  “I sure am. I had to do this all by myself last year.” He looked at me then and I could see the mischievous sparkle in his eyes and the smirk lifting the corner of his lips.

  With that, he turned and started walking towards his cabin. Something fluttered inside my chest and I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face as I walked in the opposite direction towards my own cabin. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear that Zach was warming up to me. It wasn’t much, but it was a start in the right direction. I couldn’t deny that my happiness had nothing to do with the assignment I was on and everything to do with my own desire to get closer to the man who had just walked away.

  I closed my eyes and concentrated on the beating of my heart as I drifted on top of the cool water. I’d had another restless night with very little sleep and it was all the fault of one man. A man who seemed to insist on invading my every thought, no matter how hard I tried to fight it.

  Jeremy had only been working at the lake for a couple of weeks, but we’d spent nearly every day working side by side. He was nice, a hard worker and he made me laugh, which was rare in and of itself. I couldn’t remember a time in my life when I’d laughed as much as I did with Jeremy. Even before I was all alone, when I’d had a few friends and someone that loved me, there had never been that much to laugh about.

  Lately though, I’d found myself laughing all the time at the funny things Jeremy would say or do. I felt relaxed and almost normal when I was around him, and in those moments, I was almost able to shed the burdens of my past.

  The more I got to know Jeremy, the more attracted to him I became. Everything about him, from his gorgeous smile to the way his green eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed, drew me in like a moth to a flame. And that was what scared me the most.

  I’d been in high school when I’d first started to realize that I liked boys more than girls. My eyes had begun straying to my teammates, noticing the way their chests heaved after running several laps or the way their uniforms stretched across their firm bodies. I’d never acted on any of it though. My home life hadn’t allowed for any of the things my friends were doing, such as going out on dates and to school dances. Instead, I’d been too busy trying to figure out how to survive each day.

  I’d been a complete mess after leaving home and my only concern was finding a warm place to stay and having enough food to eat. I’d been fortunate enough to find work right away at a diner, but I was constantly plagued with nightmares and the fear that the demons of my past would find me. So, I ended up traveling from town to town, never making any friends or staying in one place too long.

  I was lonely though. Bone-deep, heartbreakingly lonely. Even though I had never known the love between myself and another man, I had still known love. I also knew what it was like to lose that love and it had been that loneliness that had sent me out searching the clubs one night until I’d found someone.

  I hadn’t known his name and I wasn’t about to take him back to my apartment, into my own personal space, but that wasn’t what either of us were looking for. So, I’d lost my virginity in the back room of a seedy strip club somewhere in Indiana. In fact, all of my experiences had been just like that first night; hard and fast, nameless encounters. It had helped fill the lonely void, even if for brief periods of time, and had fulfilled the needs I had.

  However, I’d recently begun to wonder what it would be like to have sex with Jeremy. To make love to him and to fall asleep with his strong arms around me. He was an amazing guy and there was no doubt that we were attracted to each other. The problem was that Jeremy wasn’t a nameless person, and I would certainly have to face him again the next day. That alone was enough to send me running, but the thing that terrified me the most, was knowing that one time with him would never be enough.

  I let out a frustrated sigh. I’d been in the water a half hour and I still hadn’t been able to find the peace I normally did. Just like the night before, every time I closed my eyes, Jeremy’s face was all I could see. Maybe I just need to get laid. Perhaps I should head up to one of the strip clubs in Columbus. For some reason that thought didn’t help settle my mind the way I’d thought it would. And that realization left me feeling even more frustrated than I was before.

  With a groan, I rolled over in the water and began swimming my usual thirty laps. By the time I had finished, my muscles were limber, I was out of breath, and my head felt much clearer. That was, until I walked out of my front door an hour later and found the reason for my sleepless nights leaning against the railing of my porch.

  “Morning,” Jeremy said, and I felt my temperature spike at the way his eyes quickly raked over my body.

  “Uh…hey!” I said, then rolled my eyes at my lame response. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was up early so I went over to the bait shop to see what Edith had on the agenda for us,” he explained. “She needs us to fix part of the fence behind her cabin. I figured since your place was on the way, I’d stop and pick you up.”

  My breath caught as a smile broke out over his face, crinkling the corners of his emerald eyes. The morning sunlight caught the gold highlights streaked throughout his auburn hair. Fuck me, he’s gorgeous!

  “Oh, okay. Thanks,” I mumbled. I shoved my own keys back in my pocket and followed Jeremy out to his Jeep.

  “Here,” he said as we climbed inside. I looked at the bag he held up in his hands then up at him.

  “What’s this?” I asked as I took it from him.

  “I brought you a couple blueberry muffins and some coffee,” he replied with a smile.

  “Why?” I asked. I could hear the bewilderment in my own voice and I was sure he’d heard it too because his mouth turned down in a frown as he stared at me.

  “I know you don’t always have time for breakfast in the morning and I made more than enough muffins so…” His words trailed off suddenly and he shrugged his shoulders as if he were embarrassed.

  “Thank you,” I whispered thickly as emotions clogged my throat.

  It had been so long since anyone had done something nice for me and I wasn’t quite sure how to respond. Not that Edith wasn’t nice to me, but our relationship had always been more business than personal. Of course, that probably had more to do with my tendency to keep everyone at arm’s length than her not wanting to be my friend.

  I grabbed a muffin from the bag as Jeremy backed out of the driveway and began peeling the wrapper off. It was still warm, and my mouth watered at the delicious smell emanating from it. I took a big bite and then groaned as the flavor of blueberries burst across my tongue.

  “Oh my God! This is so good,” I moaned, not caring that my mouth was still full. “You actually made these?”

  It was quiet while I swallowed my bite and took another. I was enjoying my breakfast so much that it took me a while to realize that Jeremy still hadn’t answered my question. I looked over at him and was surprised to see him staring back at me with his mouth hanging slightly open.

  “You okay?” I asked him, wondering if I had blueberry in my teeth or something.

  He shook his head slightly and then turned his attention back to the road. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine,” he said. His voice came out rougher than usual and the sound of it sent a delicious chill up my spine. The air in the car suddenly felt thick and I was relieved when we pulled into Edith’s driveway.

  Jeremy barely had the Jeep turned off before he was opening his door and climbing out. I popped the last of the muffin into my mouth then grabbed the other one along with my coffee before getting out. I could tell his shoulders were still tense as he stood at the front of the Jeep with his back to me and I wondered what in the hell had gotten into him.
I walked up beside him, intent on asking, when Bear, one of Edith’s dogs, came around the corner of the house and took off in a dead run, heading straight in our direction.

  Bear was appropriately named, given the massive size of his body and the thickness of his fur. Jeremy’s eyes widened as the dog came barreling towards us and he stuck his arm out in front of me as if to protect me. Bear ran right past him though and jumped up, putting his huge paws on my chest.

  I laughed as I bent down and hugged Bear around the neck. He licked my cheek excitedly and I fed him a bite of my muffin. I looked up at Jeremy who was watching us like he still wasn’t sure if he should laugh or try to pull the beast away from me.

  “Relax, he’s a big old softy,” I assured him, still running my fingers through Bear’s thick mane. Jeremy knelt down beside me and reached his hand out, palm up so Bear could sniff his hand. Bear had never met a stranger he didn’t like though and he didn’t hesitate to begin licking the side of Jeremy’s face.

  “Aww! You are a nice boy, aren’t you?” Jeremy cooed as Bear rolled over. I smiled as Jeremy scratched the dog’s belly. Bear was obviously in heaven as his tongue lolled out to the side.

  Jeremy darted a glance my way. “Is there something wrong with his jaw?”

  “Yeah,” I said, watching Bear enjoy the attention. “He was born with it like that. The vet told his family that his lower jaw would never grow with the rest of him and that he should be put down or else he’d starve. They couldn’t stand to do it, so they brought him to Edith who hand-fed him until he did, in fact, learn to eat on his own.”

  “Wow! You’re a lucky guy then, Bear,” he said gently. “How did they know to call Edith?”

  I shrugged my shoulders at him. “Everyone around here knows that Edith can’t turn away any animal who needs her. She takes in all kinds of strays and animals like Bear who no one else knows what to do with. She nurses them back to health and either finds good homes for them or keeps the ones no one wants,” I explained.