Jake pulled into his driveway, took the keys out of the ignition, and leaned back in the leather seats of his new truck. With his eyes closed he allowed the memory of that first night with Maddie to flood his brain...
***
Maddie laughed as he peeled out of the parking lot. “Jacob Morgan, you are crazy!”
Her laugh was nice and she seemed to have calmed down a bit since the last time she’d rolled into town. He’d have to ask her about it one day. For now, he just wanted to get the hell out of there before Sheriff Finley showed up and decided Jake was the cause of the fight. The assumption wouldn’t be unfounded, of course. He had been a bit of a renegade lately. His temper was becoming legendary.
Jake glanced at her sideways. “How’s the arm?”
“Fine. Stopped bleeding already.”
“Regardless, when we get back to my place, you should clean it out.”
“Look at you, Dr. Morgan! Awfully presumptuous, aren’t we? Going back to your place? I’m not that kind of girl.”
He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Sure, Maddie. I forgot you’re a good girl.”
She took his assumption as a challenge. She’d spent years trying to get Jake’s attention and she wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip. “For your information, I have changed.”
“So you keep trying to tell everyone. Look, if you want me to drop you off at your parent’s, then I will. Just say the word.”
Maddie kept silent and Jake drove back to his place. When they pulled up he turned off the car, grabbed his guitar, and jumped out. He was halfway up the walkway when he realized Maddie was still sitting in the car.
“What are you doing? Are you coming in or not?”
With a playful huff, she hopped out of the truck. “You know Jake, I am a lady and as such, I expect a man to open the door for me.”
“You do, huh? I’ll remember that next time.” He turned away and reached for the lock with his key.
“Next time?”
“Figure of speech.”
“Right.”
They walked into the house—a small bungalow Jake bought a few years back. It wasn’t much but the mortgage was cheap and it served his purpose. He turned on the lights and dropped his keys on the table before walking back to his bedroom and placing his guitar on its stand. When he returned, Maddie was standing in the living room looking around.
“Nice place, Jake.”
“Thanks. I bought it from your dad. Let me get something for that cut.”
“It’s fine, really.”
“Then it will be even more fine when it’s cleaned up.”
He walked into the bathroom, grabbed the peroxide, antibiotic cream, and a bandage.
He motioned for her to sit at the kitchen table. “Have a seat.”
Maddie did as she was told and watched as Jake poured peroxide on a cotton ball. She flinched and he laughed.
“Peroxide doesn’t hurt you know. It just bubbles a bit.”
“I know. Just get it over with.”
She turned her head as he went to work on her arm. The peroxide was cool and not at all painful but she still refused to look. It wasn’t until he patted her arm and told her he was finished that she looked at his handy work.
“Not so bad, huh?” he said. “You should be fine in a few days.”
“Thanks. It feels better already. You have anything to drink?”
“Sure. What do you want? I have beer, whiskey, water...” He opened the refrigerator door and scanned its contents.
“Whiskey would be fine.”
“Whiskey, huh? You don’t strike me as a girl who drinks whiskey.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know. Pour me a double and I’ll introduce you to the new me.”
He noticed the glint in her chocolate-brown eyes as he grabbed two glasses and a bottle from the cabinet then moved them to the couch. He poured the drinks and flipped on Sports Center. Pulling his cell out of his pocket he noticed a couple of text messages from his brother. I’ll get back to him tomorrow, Jake thought as he dropped the phone on the side table.
When he finally sat down, he made sure to leave room between him and Maddie. He still wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but he had a feeling it was going to be a late night.
“So Jake, nice to see you’re still playing at Bill’s. You’re good. Have you ever thought of playing someplace bigger? Even the next town over? Tons of tourists and vacationers there.”
“Nope. I like playing here. If they want to hear me, they’ll come and listen. Hold on.”
Maddie was quiet as Jake turned up the television and listened to the baseball scores from the day. The Mets beat the Phils, the Yanks beat the Sox, and Peterson was now on the DL.
She remembered how much Jake loved baseball. Scouts were interested back in high school when he pitched. Then his mom died his senior year and he lost interest in playing. Everyone was shocked he walked away from it so easily. And instead of going to college after graduation, he signed up for a job at the docks.
“You ever think about playing again? You were good in high school. Everyone thought so.”
He looked at her sideways. “Play what? Baseball?”
“Yeah.”
His attention went back to the scores. “That was years ago, Maddie. I don’t play anymore. No big deal.”
“But you were good enough to go pro. You had a scholarship.”
“And? There are more important things in life than baseball. I’m happy now. Life treats me good. And not everyone needs to escape.”
He could tell his tone irritated her a bit. Maddie’s main goal in life was escaping this little town and doing something with her life. Like so many others, she was back with nothing to show for her time away but a piece of paper stating that she graduated from some random college. No job, no prospects, no found dreams. The grass was always greener and all that.
“Sorry. That was uncalled for.”
“No, no. It’s fine. You’re right. I escaped. Then I realized I needed to come back and make things right.”
“Make what right?”
“Jakey, you know what a terror I was. I needed to make it up to my family, my friends. Too bad no one believes me. They keep waiting for my head to spin around and vomit lies all over them. It’s fine, though. They’ll see.”
Her words gave him pause and he looked at her with new eyes. Maybe she really was trying to change. He noticed the sincerity and determination in her voice and thought twice about his motives behind bringing her back here.
“Look, Maddie. If you want to go home, I’ll drive you.”
“Who said anything about going home?”
“You aren’t stupid. You’ve got to know why I brought you back to my place.”
“You mean you didn’t just want to play doctor?”
The play on words was almost too much and he got a funny feeling in his stomach as she inched closer to him on the couch.
“Well, maybe a little bit,” he said as he took the empty glass out of her hand and placed it next to his on the coffee table. Then he switched off the television.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be.”
“But I thought you were trying to change?”
He was playing with her hair, looking at her mouth.
“Change, yes. And part of that is getting you to finally notice me.”
“I always noticed you, Maddie. I also noticed everyone else was noticing you.”
She stood and walked over to look at some photos hanging on the wall. “Well, what if you’re the only one I want to pay attention now?”
“Well, you’ve succeeded. I’m paying attention. I’m noticing a whole lot.”
Walking across the room, he grabbed her elbow and turned her to face him. His hands slipped around her hips and settled behind her and as she reached up to playfully bite his ear. He squeezed her breast, causing a quiet moan to escape her lips. Her breath on his neck sent shivers down his spine. With her firmly
in his hands and his eyes locked with hers, he stepped forward guiding her backward toward the wall. He interlocked his fingers with hers and slowly slid her arms up the wall holding them in place firmly with his left hand. With his right, he ran his fingers down the side of her body and across her stomach.
Tucking two fingers behind the button of her jeans, he tugged her to him, pushed his knee between her legs, and forced them apart. As his tongue ran softly across her lips, his thumb flicked open the button and pulled the zipper slowly down. Her head fell back against the wall as his fingers teased the top of her panties. He buried his head into the crook of her neck as his fingers found a home. Letting go of her hands, he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye as his fingers explored her.
Her arms fell to her sides and her fists clenched as the knot in her belly tightened. In a rush of adrenaline, she cried out, grabbed the belt loops of his pants, and pulled him against her.
His fingers frantic, his eyes closed, and his body moist with sweat, he kissed her hard. When he pulled back, she looked at him and whispered, “Now.”
She leaned in to kiss him and that was all it took for her to seal his fate. As much as he had tried to be distant, she closed the gap with that kiss. When he woke up next to her the following morning, she had changed his mind about her completely.
***
Pulling himself out of his memories, Jake got out of the truck and walked into his house. Grabbing the nearly empty bottle of Jack from the counter, he walked toward the back of the house. He finally turned on the lights when he reached his bedroom. Unscrewing the cap, he took a long pull. His eyes were drawn to his old guitar sitting on the stand, covered in an inch of dust. Stepping over the piles of laundry that littered his bedroom floor, he picked it up and stood in front of the mirror. He lifted the strap over his head and let the Gibson fall in front of him. It still fit as it had two years ago. The last time he played was the night before his life went to hell. His eyes burned with the memory. His throat burned as he poured the rest of the alcohol. He removed the strap and held the guitar by the neck. His eyes shifted to the stand in the corner, but as pain and heartache overtook him, he lifted the guitar above his head and smashed it into his reflection.
CHAPTER 3
Sun streaming through his bedroom window stirred Jake from his restless sleep. He shaded his eyes from the unwelcome intrusion and rolled his neck, trying to stop the throbbing that had begun creeping up from his shoulders. Tangled in his sheets, he pulled a pillow over his head and closed his eyes, not quite ready to face the day. He had almost forgotten what he’d done the night before. It wasn’t until he finally decided to pull himself out of his bed and walk over to the dresser that he stepped on a piece of glass and remembered.
“Son of a bitch.” He yanked a piece of mirror from his heel. Realization dawned as he looked around—he had, once again, let memories control him. For once he’d just like to be able to think about the past without feeling like he was going mad.
He surveyed the damage. The shattered mirror could be replaced, but the destroyed guitar kicked him in the gut. He fought the pain that threatened to overtake him again and refused to allow it to weaken him as it had last night. Instead, he carefully walked across his bedroom to the bathroom and took a shower. He needed habit to dictate his days or he knew he would lose it. It was important to keep busy and, regardless of his inner demons, he had to get to work. He was already running late.
Stepping outside, he felt the sun wash over him with teasing irony. He’d long since given up trying to understand why, if the day was so bright and the sun was so warm, he felt dark and cold inside.
As he backed out of his driveway, he thumbed his cell and it blinked to life. Chirps from missed calls and text messages filled the cab. Danny. His brother was probably calling to apologize or explain—or whatever. Danny was good at all that. He was the politician in the family. He could get out of anything with a few smooth words. Jake? Not so much. He was more of a fist guy. Or at least he used to be. Now, he just didn’t care. Again memories haunted him...
***
“Jakey, you want a drink?”
“Sure. A Jack and Coke would be great.”
He watched Maddie walk back towards the bar. They’d only been dating a few months but he was sure she was the one. His brother had given him a few not-so-subtle “be careful” talks. Apparently, Jake was the only one convinced that she had changed. Why couldn’t anyone else see it? Even her parents and sister were skeptical. Billy was skeptical but he’d kept her on her because she was one hell of a waitress. And Billy wasn’t known for giving second chances. At least that was something.
As Jake watched her make her way through the labyrinth of the normal Friday night crowd, he noticed a few guys walk in that he didn’t recognize. They couldn’t be more than twenty-one, twenty-two, and by their rowdy entrance, they’d been partying awhile.
Maddie appeared in front of him with his drink and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before walking over to the table where the new guys sat. As she was taking their order, one of them looked at her with a bit more than fleeting interest before leaning over to whisper to his friend. After a big laugh from the two of them, the man who had whispered caught Maddie’s attention. As he talked to her, a red flush crept to her cheeks and her lips pulled tight. Before Jake could decide what to do she walked away from the table. Shaking his head, he convinced himself it was probably nothing and started his second set.
In the middle of his second song, Maddie dropped off the order at the table and flinched when one of the guys grabbed her wrist as she began to walk away. He pulled her into his lap. She struggled to stand back up. The look on her face was indecipherable, but it was all the prodding Jake needed. He stopped playing, mid-song, carefully placed his guitar down on the stage, and strode over to Maddie and the group of guys. A dangerous calm kept him focused.
Flexing his hands, he struggled to hold his anger in. “Is there a problem here?”
His sudden exit from the stage had caught the attention of the bar patrons and it was deathly quiet as he spoke.
The man who had grabbed Maddie laughed. “Nope. No problem, dude. Why don’t you go play your guitar? I’ve got it covered here.”
Looking at the man through narrowed eyes, Jake smirked. “I think there is a problem, dude. I think you need to let her go.”
“She’s fine. Aren’t you Maddie? At least you were the last time we hung out.”
He knows her name? Do they know each other? No, Jake thought, she probably just introduced herself when she first went to the table. But the innuendo was as pointed as a knife.
Resting his hands on the table, Jake leaned in and did what he could to control himself. “I told you. Let her go. Now.”
“I don’t think so, man. We were just catching up. Isn’t that right, Maddie?”
Jake grabbed her and pulled her away from the guy. “Go, Maddie. Back to the bar. I’ll take care of this.”
“No, Jakey. Really. It’s all right. I went to college with these guys. Mark was just saying hello.”
Jake never broke eye contact with Mark. “It’s not all right. Go. Now,” he said, through clenched teeth.
Maddie protested a bit but what she saw in Jake’s face must have convinced her it would do no good. He was angry and, more than likely, he was about to zone everything out but the man and his friends. There was no reasoning with him when he got like this.
“You guys need to leave,” he snarled.
The rest of people in the bar were staring, knowing what would happen if these guys decided to stay. Billy was already on the phone to the sheriff.
“Nah. I think we’re going to stay, Jakey.” Mark said as he turned to give Maddie a head to toe once over. “We like the view in here.”
That was all Jake needed to hear. He grabbed Mark, lifted him out of the chair, and tossed him to the ground. Mark’s three buddies sprang up, and, quickly processing his odds, Jake went for the biggest
one first. He knocked him into the next table with two hits to the face. Another swung at Jake but wasn’t quick enough with his punch to do any damage. Jake hit him square in the jaw with an empty beer mug he’d grabbed from the table. The last guy was helping Mark up off the floor. Jake stepped over, grabbed Mark, and started punching him in the face. The splatter of blood did nothing to detract from his focus. He didn’t hear Maddie screaming or the sheriff pull up. He barely felt anything as Billy pulled him off and the deputy slapped cuffs on his wrists. When he looked down, he saw Mark was unconscious and bloodied, his friends backing away.
Sheriff Finlay said, “Time to go, Jake.”
The last thing Jake saw as he was walking out was the glare Maddie threw at him. The last thing he heard was the ambulance pulling up as he ducked into the police car.
***
Jake shook the memories from his head and looked back at his phone.
“Not ready to deal with you today, Danny. Let’s just keep the personal out of it,” he spoke to himself as he threw the phone on the passenger seat without checking any of the messages.
Despite his inner demons, Jake was happy the sun was starting to peek through the clouds this morning. It was going to be hot, according to the weatherman, but Jake loved the heat. It made him just tired enough to crash when he got home. He didn’t think when he slept and, for that, he was grateful. He was tired of being held prisoner by his memories.
Halfway to work, he passed a girl on the side of the road kicking the tires of a Jeep. Through his rearview he noticed one of the rear tires was flat. Checking his watch, he pulled a U-turn and parked behind her. The first thing he noticed was her hair. It was wild and curly and the color of chocolate. Amused by the fact that she was yelling at the jeep while trying to find a signal on her cell phone, Jake chuckled to himself as he turned off his truck and stepped onto the road. “You know, kicking the tire won’t fix it.”
Three Days of Rain Page 2