by Nicole Helm
She coughed and Jacob actually bit his tongue to keep from saying anything. He was going to draw blood if she kept it up.
“I told her she couldn’t overload this shit system she wanted,” Leah grumbled, all but slamming the fuse-box door closed. More dust puffed out and she rubbed a hand to her chest.
“We need to get you out of here.” Which, all in all, was one of the more innocuous things he could say. Much better than the things he wanted to say.
Leah waved him away, apparently too frustrated with the Martins to notice that he was five seconds from shoving her up the basement stairs and into some fresh air.
Even if her asthma was mainly under control, surely the stress couldn’t be good for a heart she was concerned about giving out early.
He really could not be thinking about that right now. Leah had a way of seeing through him and he wasn’t going to let that happen. They’d just agreed to make this work. He wasn’t screwing it up already.
“I hate them. I hate them. I hate them.” She rolled her shoulders, coughed again. “Okay, got that out. Now I can face them.”
Jacob gave himself a few seconds as she stalked up the stairs. He took a deep breath and let it out. He tried to tell himself she knew what she was doing. And she did. She wasn’t gasping for her inhaler or toppling over. She was fine.
Fine.
He made his way up the stairs, trying to ignore the tenseness in his shoulders. Trying not to think about how he didn’t want her working in conditions like this. Because they almost always worked in conditions like this, and if he told her she couldn’t...
Well, that was a laughable thought.
“Now, honestly, since it was your fault, I don’t think I should be billed for this,” Mrs. Martin was saying as Jacob crested the stairs.
When Leah’s eyes bulged, Jacob stepped between them. “Mrs. Martin, you can’t really expect us to not charge you for Leah’s services.”
“That is exactly what I expect,” Mrs. Martin said with a sniff. “Didn’t she install the fuse box?”
“I restored your fuse box to your specifications and explained to you the limitations in your voltage when—”
Since Leah’s hands were clenched into fists and her expression had that head-about-to-spin-off-neck look to it, Jacob worked up his best smile for Mrs. Martin.
“How about we’ll have Susan send you a bill. We’ll only charge you 75 percent of Leah’s normal labor rate as a merry Christmas and loyal-customer discount.”
“How about a long walk/short pier discount,” Leah muttered.
Thankfully, Mrs. Martin seemed to miss the snark and gave Jacob a considering look. “Make it 60 percent?”
“I’m not negotiating with you. I am sorry. But it’s 75 percent. That’s it.”
“You need a lesson in customer service, young man. About how the customer is always right.”
Leah took a step forward and Jacob almost had some concerns she was going to throw the punch she’d been joking about earlier. Or not joking about.
“I’ll take it under advisement,” he said, taking Leah by the arm and leading her out of the Martin house.
“I could...I could...” Leah made a low growling sound and gave the Martins’ mailbox a little kick on the way to the MC truck. “She’s the devil.”
“Just an annoying customer.” And really, not as annoying as the woman he wanted to shake some sense into.
When he got into the driver’s-side seat, Leah was already slumped in the passenger seat. “I’m exhausted.”
He felt the little flicker of panic and ignored it. Pushed it away, all the while keeping his expression blank and his movements easy as he started the car and pulled it out onto the road.
He wasn’t going to let her see what her whole truth had done to him, because she wouldn’t like it. The way the worry was already sneaking into everything. The way he suddenly understood her mother’s hovering and wished he could do a bit of his own.
Would this happen every time they had to do a job? Would he be able to bite his tongue every time?
He gripped the steering wheel a little harder. It would be fine. He was good at pretending. He’d convinced his family he didn’t know about his mother’s cancer. That took some serious skill, didn’t it? Well, worrying about Leah’s asthma or exhaustion or her eating habits or if her heart was okay... He could just as easily keep all that on the inside.
Because it meant having her. Crazy or weird as it might be to think that after all this time he’d been looking for Mrs. Right, and it was Leah. Right there.
But he really thought she could be it, they could be it. Without any of the planning or maneuvering he usually did with a woman and only a little bit of trying to mold himself into what they wanted.
Mostly with Leah, he was himself. This little thing he pretended didn’t exist was nothing compared to that.
So he ignored the pressure in his chest that made him want to ask if she was okay or if she needed a nap. Instead, he smiled. “I’m going to have to stop keeping you up so late.”
For the first time since stepping foot on Martin property, her lips curved upward. “Hmm. I don’t think that’s why I’m exhausted.”
Again, his panic bubbled up. He didn’t know what she was up for. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to be having sex every day. Which, okay, that was a weird thought, but he didn’t know. He knew jack squat about heart transplants. What he was supposed to do. How he was supposed to treat her. What she was capable of handling, what might be too much.
If she was so worried about dying early that she didn’t even want a family, surely things weren’t as okay as she pretended.
“I’m just going to say this once, and if you can’t get it through your thick skull, we’re through before we even got started.” She straightened in her seat, glaring at him. “Sometimes I get tired, and it’s not because my heart is going to fall out.”
“I don’t think that.”
“You’re tense. Your brain wheels are turning so loud I can hear them over here. This was exactly what I didn’t want.”
“I’m so damn sorry I care, Leah. That must be really rough for you.” This probably wasn’t the way to not be over before they even got started as she’d said, but...well, it wasn’t fair. He should at least be able to worry at least a little. “But maybe you should think before you do something that stupid.”
“Excuse me?”
“You should have been wearing a mask. I know you said your asthma is under control, but that kind of...work can’t be good for your...” He trailed off because when he happened to glance at her it wasn’t anger on her face.
It was shock. Maybe even horror. He’d let it slip and... Crap. He had to...do some damage control. “I just...”
“You just can’t pretend, can you? The whole truth was too much.”
“No. It’s not.”
She let out a bitter laugh. “I won’t do this after every job with you, and I don’t want you stewing and pretending, either. I knew this is what would—”
“I need more information. That’s all. I don’t know what kind of limitations you have or if I’m pushing them. I don’t have enough information to just ignore it. But I’m not your mother and I’m not going to try and lock you in a bed or tell you not to do your job.”
“You’ll just berate me after the fact?”
“No.” No, there had to be a way...
He pulled into the back lot of MC, trying to get his brain to work. To think. To fix this. Because he wasn’t throwing in the towel already. He was not a quitter.
“You could ask, you know? Before you call me stupid.”
“Right, because you wouldn’t berate me for asking if you were okay. Pretty sure we’ve been there, done that.”
She sighed, shifting in her seat so tha
t she was looking out the window. “I know my limitations. I understand my body. I take care of myself. If I start to feel like those things aren’t true, I seek help. I have doctors who know me and my many issues. So, note, that if something is wrong with me, I will get it fixed. And I’m not stupid, asshole.”
He wanted to snap, but he took a deep breath instead. Ignoring the “asshole.” Ignoring the stuff that would get in the way of what he wanted. “Will you promise to tell me? That you won’t be all guns-blazing Leah. If something is too much, you’re pushing too hard, something is wrong, you will tell me. Calling you stupid, okay, that was a dick move, but I need to know you won’t hide it from me. That’s not about...being like your mother. That’s about knowing you’ve lied to all of us for years.”
“Five years where I have lived my life both healthy and without telling you anything. Five years where I was fine.” But she fidgeted in her seat, not quite as determined as her expression and words seemed. “If something comes up that concerns you, I’ll let you know.”
He was glad the answer made him more sad than angry, because getting angry again wouldn’t get him what he wanted. Feeling like a sad piece of crap kept him from losing his temper any more. So, he pushed the car into Park and took her hand, and he didn’t have to fake the emotion in his voice.
“I need you to tell me, whether it concerns me or not. I don’t want to find out something is wrong because I’m scared and trying to figure out what’s going on by eavesdropping.”
“That’s...what happened with your mom when you were a teenager?”
“Yes.”
She dropped his hand but reached out, rubbed a palm against his stubbled cheek. He could hear the rasp of her palm against it, and he nuzzled in. Because it felt good and she felt good and this was going to work, damn it. He was going to find a way for this to work.
“All right. I’ll be up front with you if something should happen. I... But you have to understand that, for the most part, I am healthy. And I take care of myself. And I need you to be reasonable even if something bad happens. I was stupid about my health once, but never again, and I won’t let someone tell me I am.”
“It was the wrong thing to say. I just...”
“It’s scary.”
She looked so beat down, so close to throwing in the towel, but he couldn’t let that happen. “It’s only scary because I don’t know enough yet, but I will.”
“You could trust me.”
“I do. I do,” he repeated when she looked skeptical. “But I need you to trust me, too.”
She nodded, chewing on her lip. “Okay. We’ll make a deal. You ask if you have a concern and I’ll...try not to get bent out of shape about it.”
“For you, anything.”
She sighed, looking sad. “What about for you?”
“I get a pretty decent girlfriend out of the deal.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Girlfriend is such a lame word.” She pushed out of the truck, so he followed suit.
“Okay, how about love bug?”
“Ha-ha.” She walked over to her truck and dropped her electrician box inside.
“Lover?”
“Oh, ew, ugh.”
He chuckled, heading for the door. They were going to be okay. If they could work through this, they could work through anything. “You’re going to have to pick something, Leah darling, because you are something to me now, and friend doesn’t cut it.”
The snowball hit him directly on the back of the neck, bits of snow sliding under the collar of his coat. He turned to glare at her, but she was just standing there, innocent smile on her face as she tossed another snowball up in the air, from one hand to another.
She was gorgeous. And mine. She would not like that thought, but he did.
“You will pay for that, lover.”
She squared and threw the snowball. He managed to narrowly dodge out of the way, scooping up his own handful of snow as he did.
“You can’t snowball-fight me. I’m weak and damaged, remember?”
Jacob knew a test when he heard one, and while it made him tense, he wasn’t an idiot. Luckily, he’d always been very good at tests. “I’ll cart you to the hospital later. First, retribution.”
Her smile widened, and already he’d gotten an A+. He tossed his snowball, pleased when it hit her leg as he’d intended.
“Lame,” she called, hurling another one at him that glanced off his hip as he tried to jump out of the way. They traded a few more attempts, Jacob advancing closer and closer with each dodge, until he was close enough to tackle her into the snow.
She glared up at him, snow on her hat and the hair that feathered over her shoulders. Her nose and cheeks were red, and when he lowered his mouth to hers, her lips were cold.
They should go inside and do this, but when her arms wound around his neck, even with the sprinkles of snow flaking off her coat and onto his face and neck, he never wanted to move.
Cold, wet, uncomfortable—none of it mattered when Leah was pressed below him, kissing him back eagerly.
She broke the kiss. “This is great and all, but I am, quite literally, freezing my ass off.”
He chuckled, but instead of letting her up, he rolled onto his back and pulled her on top.
“Not quite what I had in mind.” But she grinned down at him, settling herself so that every part of her was lying on top of him rather than on the snow now seeping into his pants.
The urge to tell her he loved her slammed into his chest. So forceful, so almost desperate he opened his mouth. But, whether she sensed it and didn’t want to hear it or just had unfortunate timing, she kissed him, effectively silencing anything he was going to say.
“What in hell’s bells are you two doing?” Kelly called out.
Leah closed her eyes, leaned her forehead against his. “I thought you said no one would be here.”
“Well, no one is scheduled to be here.” Jacob grinned up at her before glancing at Kelly standing on the back cement stoop. “It appears Leah and I have engaged in a romantic physical relationship, from which you must now turn away should you wish to remain unscathed,” he called to Kelly.
“Ugh.” A sound that came from both women and made Jacob laugh even as Leah wiggled off of him and onto her feet.
Leah trudged to the house, Jacob not far behind. When they reached Kelly, she pointed an accusatory finger at Leah.
“I told you it was a sex vibe!”
“Well, it wasn’t. At the time,” Leah grumbled.
“And now it is? You are in trouble, young lady, and you’re coming with me. I need details.” Kelly began dragging her inside.
Leah looked back at him as if he would step in and help. Instead, he winked. “Have fun, sweetheart.” He had some research to do. And some dry pants to find.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“I DON’T FEEL right about poking around Grace and Kyle’s closet.”
Kelly waved it away. “I texted Grace and she told me just where— Aha.” Kelly pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. “Change, Ms. Snow Angel.”
Leah groaned, but did as she was told. Her clothes were cold and wet, so she didn’t have another choice that didn’t involve Jacob’s clothes. Which would be fine, except she’d have to go around smelling him and being ridiculously turned on.
Grace’s sweats were a little too short, and her shirt was somewhat tight, but they were just fine.
“Come on.”
“Where are we going?” Leah asked warily.
Kelly led her down the hall to the guest room that had been Grace’s until she’d started cohabitating with Kyle.
“Now.” She closed the door behind them and settled herself on the flowery coverlet. “Tell me everything.”
“What, how the sex is?”
<
br /> “Oh, no, penises. Ick.” Kelly grinned. “How did it happen? When did it happen? Why did it happen?”
“Oh...that.”
“And what does it mean that it all happened?”
Leah clasped her hands together. This was why she’d asked Jacob how they were going to tell people. Because...she didn’t know what to say. Even though Kelly had been one of her closest friends for the past few years, Leah’d always kept this Jacob thing on the DL. As far as she knew, only Grace had ever suspected anything more and, okay, maybe Kyle by extension of Grace.
How did she explain...any of it?
“Why are you being so tight-lipped? You’ve always talked to me about your dating life. Why is this different?”
“Because it’s Jacob. Our...boss.”
“Leah does the boss. You could be your own porno!”
She laughed, even if it was a terrible, ridiculous joke.
Grace burst in the door. “Did I miss it?”
Leah drew her eyebrows together, looking from Grace to Kelly. “Miss what?”
“Oh, I called in the cavalry,” Kelly said, walking over to the window. “Susan’s just pulling up now. We all need to hear this.”
Leah glanced at Grace, nervous. She hated that. Nerves in front of her best friend, but Grace had already made her disapproval known and...well, Leah didn’t want things to change. Didn’t want to explain the change. She just wanted to live in the fantasy world where she and Jacob were a thing separate from real life. “Just so you know, I’m not talking about sex in front of your baby.”
“My in-laws are watching Presleigh. Which, let me tell you, is a great sacrifice I’m making, as they think babies should never see the light of day or sleep on their backs or any of the things our doctor told us to do.”
Damn, Leah’d really been hoping the baby excuse would work.
“Besides, as long as I’m here I really don’t want to talk about the sex portion,” Grace added, looking pained. “That can remain a mystery. Forever and ever.”
Footsteps sounded on the back staircase, and then Susan burst in on a loud exhalation. “Did I miss it?”