Fight Me

by Lacey Black

  “It’s okay, Erin. I’m still up packing for our move tomorrow. What’s up?”

  That’s right! I recall overhearing conversations tonight that he was moving in with Jake’s little sister tomorrow. “Well, I came home from the retirement party tonight and my kitchen floor was soaked. My sink is leaking water all over the place, and I don’t really know what to do.”

  “Do you have a bucket you can put under the leak?”

  “Yeah, I have a big bowl under there now.”

  “Okay, good. I’m not really sure what to do without looking at the leak to determine if maybe you just have a busted fitting or something more serious with the pipe itself. I have a friend, James, who actually lives not too far from you. Why don’t I give him a call and see if he can buzz over and check it out for you?”

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that. I just didn’t know if there was something I could do without having to call a plumber.”

  “Well, it may be an easy fix, but I’m just not sure. I know James well and I’m sure he can give you a little advice. I’d run over myself but I’m afraid Avery will kill me if I leave this disaster for her to tackle alone.” He chuckles as his fiancée mouths off in the background.

  “Well, if you think he could help. I’d be willing to pay him.”

  “I’ll call him and call or text you back.”

  “Thank you so much, Maddox. Tell Avery thank you for taking the call, and, again, I’m so sorry for disturbing you all so late at night.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Erin. We’re happy to help. Talk to you soon.”

  “Thanks again. Bye.” I hang up the phone and sit back and wait on my plumbing knight to come and rescue me. Heck, maybe James is cute and it won’t be such a bad thing that my pipes started leaking in the middle of the night.

  A text comes through my phone a few minutes later. Help is on the way!

  Excellent! James is coming to help so I should probably get to cleaning up the excess water standing on my kitchen floor.

  Chapter Three

  Jake

  I’m relaxing on my couch in a pair of sweatpants when my phone rings. Maddox.

  “Don’t tell me you can’t wait for my help until tomorrow. I’m not coming over now to pack up boxes, dude.”

  “No, I need your help with something else.”

  “What?”

  “Erin just called and her kitchen sink is leaking.” I sit straight up on my couch at the sound of her name. “I called James to see if he could run over there to help her but he’s up at Jack’s. Can you run over there?”

  “Don’t ever call James again before you call me when it comes to Erin,” I growl into the phone. “I’m on my way.” I hear Maddox laughing as I click off the phone without even saying good-bye. Dick.

  I head back to my bedroom to grab a sweatshirt and some socks. Once my feet are stuffed in my running shoes, I grab my keys and head out the back door towards my garage. I grab a few hand tools that I might need for a water leak and throw them in the cab of my truck. I’m out of the drive and heading towards Erin’s a few minutes later. Yes, James may live a couple of blocks away, but there is no way in hell I’m going to allow that douche to help Erin. If anyone is going to go over there in the middle of the night, it’s going to be me.

  I decide to leave the tools until I know what I’m dealing with, so I step out of the truck and head up the front steps. The porch light is on which means she’s aware of my pending arrival.

  She opens the door after I knock and the look on her face is one of pure shock. While she stands before me, mouth gaping open, eyes wide with surprise, I take in the image in front of me. Erin has changed out of her proper librarian sweater and slacks and is standing in her doorway wearing form fitting sweats, a green tank top, and nothing covering her bright pink toes. Her red curls are pulled up in a messy ponytail and the little bit of make-up she had on earlier is gone. I can’t help but look her up and down - and back up again - taking in the slender, yet curvy body in front of me. She’s sexy as hell, and I feel myself thickening in my sweats.

  “What are you doing here?” she finally spits out, shock still evident all over her face.

  I look down at her again, noticing this time that the very cold outside air is making her nipples hard through her bra. My eyes are glued to her perky chest - a chest that she usually hides behind baggy mom-clothes - and I have to fight the urge to groan. I’m hard as steel and don’t even care that I’m wearing sweatpants and pitching a tent to rival any Boy Scouts campsite.

  Erin’s eyes follow mine and she realizes what I’m staring at. Her arms quickly whip up and she lays them across her chest, covering herself up. She then glances down at my pants and gasps. Her eyes fly up to my face, a deep red blush spreading up her neck to her cheeks. Her big green eyes are glued to mine. A cocky smile spreads across my lips which causes her eyes to turn venomous.

  “I said, what are you doing here, Jake?” she snaps, eyes shooting daggers.

  I return my focus back on her face and notice she’s shivering. “You’re cold. Can we go inside and talk about it?”

  She hesitates but steps back to allow me access. I step inside, taking in the older home that she’s obviously put some work into recently.

  “Jake.”

  “Maddox called me and said you had a leak.”

  “I thought James was coming.”

  “You were going to answer the door half naked for James?” I can’t hide the irritation in my voice.

  “I’m not half naked! I was cleaning up the water mess in the kitchen. I’m completely covered.” She turns away from me, ponytail flipping over her shoulder, and walks towards the kitchen.

  I follow her to the kitchen taking in the soft yellow cabinets and the blue walls. The cabinet under the sink is open, a large bowl catching the dripping water, and towels spread out all over the floor. I don’t even hesitate to I crouch down on my knees on the wet floor in front of the open cabinet. I pinpoint right away what the problem is.

  “Looks like you have a busted fitting. Your pipes are pretty old. I’m surprised you haven’t had more problems than this.”

  “Well, I haven’t been here long enough yet. It’s only been about two months.”

  “I need to run out to my truck and grab a few tools,” I say as I stand up, sweatpants wet at the knees, and walk towards the front door. My mind is filled with the repeating image of Erin answering her door with pink toes and a tank top clad chest. Shit, I need to focus or I’ll never fix her problem. All I want to do right now is fix my problem in my pants.

  When I get back inside, Erin is scooping up the wet towels and throwing them in the washing machine just off of the kitchen. She tries holding her arms away from her body, but it doesn’t work completely. Her tank top is now wet and sucked against her body. It might be the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen.

  I clear my throat and force myself to look away and back to the task at hand. I grab a wrench and get to work on shutting off the water valve under the sink. After a few minutes of checking, I can confirm that the fitting holding two pipes together is rusted and leaking water.

  “So, I have good news and I have bad news,” I say as I stand back up and face Erin.

  “Good news first.”

  “Well, you have a rusty fitting and it needs to be replaced. It’s a pretty easy, quick fix that won’t cost you but a couple of bucks.” I wipe my wet hands on the towel she hands me.

  “That’s good. So, what’s the bad news?”

  “The hardware store is closed for the night so I won’t be able to change it until tomorrow for you. I had to shut off the water to the sink so you won’t be able to use it until it’s fixed. ”

  Erin blows out a big breath and looks around the room. “You don’t have to do that, Jake. I can have someone else do it tomorrow.”

  “Who?” I glare down at her, meeting her challenge head on.

  She crosses her arms defiantly. “I’ll call James.”

 
“James? I don’t think so.” I mimic her stance; feet firmly apart, arms crossed at my chest.

  “You have no say in what I do here or who I call for help, Jake.”

  “No, but I’ll be damned if James is coming over to help you. I’ll stop by the hardware store on my way over and get a new fitting for the pipe.” And with that I start picking up my tools and head towards the door.

  She storms after me, bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor. “What if I’m not going to be here tomorrow? You can’t just boss me around and expect me to bend to your every whim.”

  “Where are you going to be?” I ask as I turn back around to face her, her emerald green eyes are as dark and smoky as night.

  “None of your business,” she replies, chin firmly up in the air.

  I lean forward until my face is within a few inches of hers. “Well, I’ve made it my business, darlin’. And you could thank me for coming over here in the middle of the night and getting my pants all wet from crawling all over your floor, all just to help you out.”

  I can see the fire extinguish a little in her eyes. Her face softens and her eyes return to their normal bright green color. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Thank you for helping me tonight, Jake.”

  I give her a half smile and say, “Oh, you’re welcome, darlin’. I’ll let you make it up to me very soon.” She snaps back to attention and gives me a cold look. “I’ll see you tomorrow, darlin’.” And then I turn and walk out her door.

  I hear her open the door behind me. “And quit calling me that!”

  I chuckle as I throw my tools into the passenger side of my truck and hop in. Erin is standing in the window, arms crossed over her perky chest, scowl still evident on her beautiful face.

  Oh yes, Erin. I will definitely see you tomorrow…and I will never quit calling her that.

  *****

  Saturday morning proves to be one big pain in the ass. I head over to Avery’s by seven-thirty to make sure everything is ready to go for the move. When I walk through the front door, I hear the little feet of my niece, Brooklyn.

  “Uncle Jake! You here!”

  “I’m here, Bean,” I exclaim as I pick her up and give her a big kiss. “How’s my favorite little lady doing today?”

  “We’re moving!”

  “Yes, you are. By the way, who’s your favorite uncle?” I ask with a grin.

  “You,” she giggles. “Mommy says I can have a puppy!”

  “Really? Well, next time you are at my house, we’ll go pick one out!”

  “YAY! Daddy, Uncle Jake says I can pick a puppy when I stay wiff him!”

  “Thank you very much, Jake,” Maddox says sarcastically as he walks into the room.

  “Hey, that’s what friends and uncles are for.”

  “I’ll remember that,” he smarts off as he turns and heads into the kitchen. He pours three cups of coffee and hands me one. I watch as he walks over to the fridge and grabs the milk, pouring just a splash in the third cup that is still sitting on the counter.

  Maddox looks up at my smiling face. “What?”

  “So, when did you lose your balls? Does Avery carry them around in her purse and give them back to you for special occasions?”

  “Fuck you! I didn’t lose anything. My balls are still firmly attached where they’ve always been.”

  “That’s right, honey. They’re very much where they’ve always been,” Avery says as she walks in and grabs a hold of Maddox’s junk. Seriously.

  “What the hell was that? I thought I told you not to even touch each other when I’m around,” I thunder across the kitchen at my sister.

  She smiles over her shoulder at me before placing a kiss on her fiancé’s lips.

  “Don’t be a hater, my friend. Coming home every night to my smokin’ hot fiancée is the best part of my day.”

  I grumble a little under my breath. “Whatever. I just don’t want you feeling each other up in front of me. I’m going to have nightmares.”

  “Oh, Jake. You are not as tough as you think you are. Someday, someone is going to come along and knock you down a few pegs. I can’t wait to sit back and watch it happen.”

  “Not happening.”

  “Oh, speaking of not happening, whatever happened last night at Erin’s?” Maddox inquired with a smug look on his cocky face. I want to punch him.

  “Oh that’s right. Did she get her leak fixed?” Avery asks while sipping her coffee.

  “I need to stop by the hardware store and grab a new fitting before I run over to her place and fix her up.”

  “Wait, you went over there?” Avery turns towards Maddox now. “I thought you were calling James?”

  “I did, but James was uptown at Jack’s. Jake was next on the list,” Maddox defends.

  “Yeah, but don’t you and Erin have bad history?” Avery asks as she points a finger in my direction.

  “Not so much a history as we went to school together for a little bit.”

  Maddox snorts and says, “Yeah a history that ended with her leaving school and this town after you humiliated her in front of the whole school.” I glare at my best friend for bringing it up in front of my sister.

  “I heard all about what you did, Jake. You were horribly mean to her. I’m surprised she’s even talking to you.”

  “Oh, she’s not. She hates that I’m even around her. But that’s kind of the fun part. She gets all flustered and angry at me. It’s actually kind of hot,” I say with a smirk as I finish my coffee.

  “Well, I think you may have actually met your match, Jake Stevens. I can’t wait to see her bring you to your knees,” Avery says with a huge smile spread across her face.

  “Anyway, let’s get this show on the road. Where’s Nate?” I ask as I turn to rinse my cup in the sink.

  “Right here,” I hear as Nate walks through the front door. He goes over to Brooklyn and gives her a big hug before joining us in the kitchen. “What did I miss?”

  “Oh, Jake is in love with someone who wants nothing to do with him. It’s awesome,” Avery spits out before I can say anything. Nate’s eyebrow rises to the ceiling and a big smug smile crosses his face.

  “Really?”

  “No. Avery’s being dramatic. I am not in love with anyone nor do I want to be.”

  “The best part about love, Jake, is that you don’t get to pick when it happens. It just does,” Avery replies with another big smile across her face. She walks over to Maddox and puts her arm around his waist; his arm goes protectively around her shoulders.

  “Whatever, Avery. I’m not in love. End of story.”

  “Who are we talking about here?” Nate inquires.

  “Erin Anderson,” Maddox replies.

  “Oh, you mean the hot new librarian? The guys at the fire house were talking about how smoking’ hot she is. Plus, I hear she’s single.” My ears start to burn and I can’t stop the anger that starts to well up in my chest. I want to walk over and punch my fucking brother right now.

  “She is single from what I’ve gathered. You should give her a call sometime, Nate,” Maddox throws out there with a huge smile. Maddox is just trying to piss me off now, and I try to not respond. I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me squirm. But, when I look over at Nate - who is smiling at Maddox and says, “Maybe I’ll do that.” – I can’t stop the words from flying from my lips.

  “Don’t you dare. If anyone is calling Erin, it’s going to be me,” I respond in a low, menacing growl.

  All three of them are looking at me with huge self-righteous smiles on their faces. “Well, that didn’t take him long to admit,” Avery says as she goes about cleaning up the coffee mess and packing it all up in the final box.

  “Shut the hell up, all of you. We have boxes to move. Let’s get going.” I turn to walk in the living room, leaving the three of them laughing at me behind my back. Assholes.

  *****

  I am flat out exhausted come three o’clock. After we move the very last box, the very la
st piece of furniture to Maddox and Avery’s new house, I’m ready to go home and grab a beer. I pride myself on my physical appearance, running several times a week and playing softball when I can during the summer, but that move was brutal. Even basic training in the military didn’t seem to have anything on that move. Remind me to never offer to help someone who has stairs ever again.

  Mom cooked a quick meal for all of us over at Avery’s new place, but before I can kick back and relax, I have to run to the hardware store and fix Erin’s sink.

  After making the quick stop at Peterson Hardware, I set out toward Erin’s house. When I pull in, I don’t see her car anywhere. When I go up and knock, it goes unanswered. Where in the hell is she? She knows I’m coming over.

  Thirty minutes later, her little red Volkswagen Bug pulls up behind my truck.

  “Where have you been?” I ask before she’s even out of the car.

  “Uh, I had stuff to do at the library today.”

  “Well, I told you I was going to stop by and fix your sink,” I say as she starts to open her front door.

  “Well, you never told me what time you were coming over. I had stuff to do. I’m not just going to sit here and wait around for you all day.” She throws the door open and sets her purse and keys down on the entry table, tossing her coat over the top of her purse.

  She turns around, hands on her hips, and stares up at me with as much defiance as she can muster. She looks hot when she gets all worked up. Hell, she looks hot period. She’s standing there in tight jeans and a fitted blue sweater. Her red hair is down with big ringlets of curls framing her face. She’s still wearing very little make-up, but what she is wearing accentuates her big green eyes. God, she’s beautiful when she’s mad.

  “I didn’t know what time I was going to be here,” I reply as I head towards her kitchen, leaving her standing in the foyer.

  I hear her feet practically stomping after me as I reach the kitchen sink. “Jake.”

  I turn to face her, arms crossed over my chest. She’s standing nose to nose - or actually nose to chest since I’m a foot taller than she is - with me, arms still resting on her hips. “Yes, Erin?”