Ch.5 - Open Doorway
By the time Melanie made it back to Jared’s jeep it was past midnight and the two drinks Sunny had forced her to drink at Kyle’s bar were finally beginning to take effect. Sunny was worse though because she had offered to drive her home when she clearly couldn’t even walk straight. She put up a little bit of a fight, but Kyle had thankfully finished his shift and maneuvered her into his own vehicle to drive her home before things got too out of hand. Apparently she had a tendency to start yelling obscenities and hit on strangers when drunk. Kyle strongly believed this was the reason she had gone through so many boyfriends.
“Do you feel like you’re going to throw up?” Jared asked.
Melanie wondered if he was more concerned about her or the interior of his truck. Probably the truck, she assured herself. Guys had a thing about their cars and trucks. The treated them like human beings and called them ‘baby’ or any manner of sweetheart nicknames.
“I think I’m just a little disoriented is all,” she said, losing her grip on the roof of the car as she said it and nearly tumbling to the ground before Jared caught her in the nick of time.
“Caught me again,” she laughed, the rippling giggles the only proof of the two drinks she’d had.
Wordlessly, Jared picked her up and set her on the passenger seat. Then he shut the door, rounded the vehicle and got into the driver’s seat. He turned the key in the ignition and started to drive.
“Are we going to see Kyle again?” Melanie slurred, her voice muffled by both the alcohol’s effect and the fact that she had her face plastered to the side window.
“No,” he said, his eyes pinned firmly to the road in front of him. “Not tonight at least,” he amended.
“Then where are we going?” she yawned.
“The long way,” he said simply, giving no other explanation as to why they were passing blocks filled with more buildings instead of less, hinting the opposite direction of the way home. Melanie was fading so fast she made no more demands. Mere minutes later she murmured something indistinguishable and then swayed away from the window so her head landed abruptly on Jared’s shoulder. Promptly she began to snore.
Jared started a little at the sudden weight but then he relaxed and smiled at the snoring noise that had somehow transformed itself into a purr. A warmth spread through him when he felt her snuggle closer. He had this crazy urge to just pull the truck over and hold her. Miraculously, he resisted.
Forty five minutes at exactly 1 AM, Jared pulled into the drive leading to the Stryder farm. There was no sound except the gravel beneath his tires, and no light but what shone down from the crescent moon in the sky.
He slowed to a stop, turned off the engine and just sat there for awhile, not wanting to wake her. As time continued however, he realized he couldn’t just keep her here forever. He opened his door, went around the front and took her body in his arms, one hand wrapping around the back of her thighs and the other around her back. She moaned a little but didn’t wake up. Unknowingly she turned her head into his chest and snuggled, slipping into a deeper sleep.
Jared tried to ignore the feelings exploding inside him. He focused instead on getting her into the house. When he got to the bottom step at the front porch, he discovered Jeb was standing at the front door, holding it open.
“Second door on the left,” he whispered. Jared nodded and made his way inside and up the stairs.
When he got to her room, he nudged the door lightly with his knee and stepped inside. He carried her further to the bed and laid her down on it, carefully easing the white headband off her head so it wouldn’t bother her while she slept. He worried briefly that the earrings would be a problem, since they were large hoops and they dangled. As carefully as he could, he felt around behind her ears and discovered to his relief that there were latches instead of studs. He undid them and set all the items on her bedside table.
Before leaving he found a light blanket on the wicker chair in the corner of the room. He grabbed it and laid it carefully over her, slipping her sandals off just before stepping away from the bed.
He stood there then for awhile, just looking down at her, thinking how beautiful she was and wondering how he hadn’t noticed before. He shook his head, deciding not to analyze it anymore tonight and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him and heading downstairs.
Jeb was nowhere to be found, but Jared discovered he had not been too far away because he was sitting in a chair on the front porch drinking coffee when he stepped outside the house. He wanted to comment on the downfalls of coffee at one in the morning, but he stopped himself. Who was he to judge the appropriate time for downing liquid caffeine?
“How’d everything go?” Jeb asked, taking a sip of his drink and then turning to look at Jared.
“Fine,” Jared said, walking the short distance to the other chair propped on the porch. “You were right about Sunny – Kyle’s sister,” he explained when Jeb looked confused. “She and Mel hit it off right away; bonded over a love of shopping, I believe.”
Jared did not mention how he only knew this because he’d first eavesdropped at Kyle’s apartment and then ‘accidentally’ almost ran into Melanie and Sunny when he spotted them gushing over antique items at a store downtown.
Jeb chuckled, pulling Jared from his thoughts.
“Well, that’s good,” he said finally, all smiles. “Heck, that’s great.” He sighed then, sobered suddenly. “It’s a shame I can’t her a day like that every day.” He shook his head ruefully. “I know Maggie was even more pleasant today knowing there was no one on her land that wasn’t doing work at least part of the time.”
“Her land?” Jared asked, amused.
Jeb shrugged. “I let her have her little victories,” he said, giving no further explanation.
Jared laughed, and Jeb sighed, sinking back into his woeful thoughts.
“Jared…neither you or I can afford to have you just stop working. The house has got to get fixed and you’ve got to get paid.” Jared opened his mouth to speak, but Jeb raised his hand to silence him and Jared went mute.
“I was thinking today though,” he continued, “that maybe you can divide some of your days in half. Work on the roof till noon, take a break for lunch and then work on a new project I have for you.”
Jared was about to say how he was planning on not working mornings and just staying later, so Melanie wouldn’t get woken up so early by his hammer, but the words new project got his attention. He couldn’t tell if it was in a good way or a bad way.
“What new project?” he asked, both curious and wary.
Jeb smiled mischievously, which made Jared even more nervous.
“Let’s call it…Project Melanie.” He framed the words with his hands.
Jared blinked and then paled, rendered speechless.
“Come on,” Jeb said, standing and not waiting for Jared before he started walking down the front porch steps. “I want to show you something.”
Reluctantly, Jared followed him around the house and into the backyard until they came to the old shed that to Jared’s knowledge had not been opened in at least a year.
“Jeb?” he asked, definitely wary now.
As quietly as he could manage, Jeb flipped the latch and slowly opened the creaky door to reveal two items that Jared probably should have considered but didn’t.
“How old are these?” he asked, swiping dust off of one of them.
“Old,” Jeb said, nodding. “But I think they can be put to use again.”
Jared’s head swiveled toward Jeb and his eyes widened.
“Wait, you don’t mean—”
Jeb nodded once.
“Yep. Clean them, repair them, and teach Melanie how to use them.”
Jared almost laughed.
“That will take a long time, Jeb.”
Jeb turned to look at him and started smiling again.
“Good thing you’ve got all summer.”
Jared’s jaw dropped, but before he could comment further Jeb was closing the shed door and sliding the latch back into place.
“Come on,” he gripped his shoulder and started walking back in the direction they’d come. “It’s late and you’ve got a lot to do tomorrow. If you just sleep on the couch here, Maggie will make you something extra special for breakfast. I guarantee it.”
Flabbergasted, it took Jared an extra few seconds to wrap his head around what had just been asked – and expected – of him. He was trying to form arguments in his head when it occurred to him that this might be a blessing in disguise. Or a curse.
You. Are. Into. Her.
Kyle’s words haunted him.
He kept walking, accepting the inevitable.
More time with Melanie was better than less, he admitted to himself. Time with Melanie alone is fantastic, he thought, but he stopped himself there because his heart was beating faster and butterflies were beating their wings hard against his insides. And that was very, very dangerous.
“Do you feel like you’re going to throw up?” Jared asked.
Melanie wondered if he was more concerned about her or the interior of his truck. Probably the truck, she assured herself. Guys had a thing about their cars and trucks. The treated them like human beings and called them ‘baby’ or any manner of sweetheart nicknames.
“I think I’m just a little disoriented is all,” she said, losing her grip on the roof of the car as she said it and nearly tumbling to the ground before Jared caught her in the nick of time.
“Caught me again,” she laughed, the rippling giggles the only proof of the two drinks she’d had.
Wordlessly, Jared picked her up and set her on the passenger seat. Then he shut the door, rounded the vehicle and got into the driver’s seat. He turned the key in the ignition and started to drive.
“Are we going to see Kyle again?” Melanie slurred, her voice muffled by both the alcohol’s effect and the fact that she had her face plastered to the side window.
“No,” he said, his eyes pinned firmly to the road in front of him. “Not tonight at least,” he amended.
“Then where are we going?” she yawned.
“The long way,” he said simply, giving no other explanation as to why they were passing blocks filled with more buildings instead of less, hinting the opposite direction of the way home. Melanie was fading so fast she made no more demands. Mere minutes later she murmured something indistinguishable and then swayed away from the window so her head landed abruptly on Jared’s shoulder. Promptly she began to snore.
Jared started a little at the sudden weight but then he relaxed and smiled at the snoring noise that had somehow transformed itself into a purr. A warmth spread through him when he felt her snuggle closer. He had this crazy urge to just pull the truck over and hold her. Miraculously, he resisted.
Forty five minutes at exactly 1 AM, Jared pulled into the drive leading to the Stryder farm. There was no sound except the gravel beneath his tires, and no light but what shone down from the crescent moon in the sky.
He slowed to a stop, turned off the engine and just sat there for awhile, not wanting to wake her. As time continued however, he realized he couldn’t just keep her here forever. He opened his door, went around the front and took her body in his arms, one hand wrapping around the back of her thighs and the other around her back. She moaned a little but didn’t wake up. Unknowingly she turned her head into his chest and snuggled, slipping into a deeper sleep.
Jared tried to ignore the feelings exploding inside him. He focused instead on getting her into the house. When he got to the bottom step at the front porch, he discovered Jeb was standing at the front door, holding it open.
“Second door on the left,” he whispered. Jared nodded and made his way inside and up the stairs.
When he got to her room, he nudged the door lightly with his knee and stepped inside. He carried her further to the bed and laid her down on it, carefully easing the white headband off her head so it wouldn’t bother her while she slept. He worried briefly that the earrings would be a problem, since they were large hoops and they dangled. As carefully as he could, he felt around behind her ears and discovered to his relief that there were latches instead of studs. He undid them and set all the items on her bedside table.
Before leaving he found a light blanket on the wicker chair in the corner of the room. He grabbed it and laid it carefully over her, slipping her sandals off just before stepping away from the bed.
He stood there then for awhile, just looking down at her, thinking how beautiful she was and wondering how he hadn’t noticed before. He shook his head, deciding not to analyze it anymore tonight and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him and heading downstairs.
Jeb was nowhere to be found, but Jared discovered he had not been too far away because he was sitting in a chair on the front porch drinking coffee when he stepped outside the house. He wanted to comment on the downfalls of coffee at one in the morning, but he stopped himself. Who was he to judge the appropriate time for downing liquid caffeine?
“How’d everything go?” Jeb asked, taking a sip of his drink and then turning to look at Jared.
“Fine,” Jared said, walking the short distance to the other chair propped on the porch. “You were right about Sunny – Kyle’s sister,” he explained when Jeb looked confused. “She and Mel hit it off right away; bonded over a love of shopping, I believe.”
Jared did not mention how he only knew this because he’d first eavesdropped at Kyle’s apartment and then ‘accidentally’ almost ran into Melanie and Sunny when he spotted them gushing over antique items at a store downtown.
Jeb chuckled, pulling Jared from his thoughts.
“Well, that’s good,” he said finally, all smiles. “Heck, that’s great.” He sighed then, sobered suddenly. “It’s a shame I can’t her a day like that every day.” He shook his head ruefully. “I know Maggie was even more pleasant today knowing there was no one on her land that wasn’t doing work at least part of the time.”
“Her land?” Jared asked, amused.
Jeb shrugged. “I let her have her little victories,” he said, giving no further explanation.
Jared laughed, and Jeb sighed, sinking back into his woeful thoughts.
“Jared…neither you or I can afford to have you just stop working. The house has got to get fixed and you’ve got to get paid.” Jared opened his mouth to speak, but Jeb raised his hand to silence him and Jared went mute.
“I was thinking today though,” he continued, “that maybe you can divide some of your days in half. Work on the roof till noon, take a break for lunch and then work on a new project I have for you.”
Jared was about to say how he was planning on not working mornings and just staying later, so Melanie wouldn’t get woken up so early by his hammer, but the words new project got his attention. He couldn’t tell if it was in a good way or a bad way.
“What new project?” he asked, both curious and wary.
Jeb smiled mischievously, which made Jared even more nervous.
“Let’s call it…Project Melanie.” He framed the words with his hands.
Jared blinked and then paled, rendered speechless.
“Come on,” Jeb said, standing and not waiting for Jared before he started walking down the front porch steps. “I want to show you something.”
Reluctantly, Jared followed him around the house and into the backyard until they came to the old shed that to Jared’s knowledge had not been opened in at least a year.
“Jeb?” he asked, definitely wary now.
As quietly as he could manage, Jeb flipped the latch and slowly opened the creaky door to reveal two items that Jared probably should have considered but didn’t.
“How old are these?” he asked, swiping dust off of one of them.
“Old,” Jeb said, nodding. “But I think they can be put to use again.”
Jared’s head swiveled toward Jeb and his eyes widened.
“Wait, you don’t mean—”
Jeb nodded once.
“Yep. Clean them, repair them, and teach Melanie how to use them.”
Jared almost laughed.
“That will take a long time, Jeb.”
Jeb turned to look at him and started smiling again.
“Good thing you’ve got all summer.”
Jared’s jaw dropped, but before he could comment further Jeb was closing the shed door and sliding the latch back into place.
“Come on,” he gripped his shoulder and started walking back in the direction they’d come. “It’s late and you’ve got a lot to do tomorrow. If you just sleep on the couch here, Maggie will make you something extra special for breakfast. I guarantee it.”
Flabbergasted, it took Jared an extra few seconds to wrap his head around what had just been asked – and expected – of him. He was trying to form arguments in his head when it occurred to him that this might be a blessing in disguise. Or a curse.
You. Are. Into. Her.
Kyle’s words haunted him.
He kept walking, accepting the inevitable.
More time with Melanie was better than less, he admitted to himself. Time with Melanie alone is fantastic, he thought, but he stopped himself there because his heart was beating faster and butterflies were beating their wings hard against his insides. And that was very, very dangerous.
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