Read Online Crumbling Walls (Jack and Emily #1) by Laura Strandt - Free Book Online
Authors: Laura Strandt
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embarrassed, she stood, “I should be getting home. Mind walking me?”
Once again, he obeyed the subject shift, “Never. Just let me find my shoes and get a bag for you.”
“Jack?”
“Yeah?”
“Could you not tell anybody for a little while, okay?”
With a quick nod, he turned, hopefully fast enough not to notice her face crumple for a second, tears rushing to the surface then being blinked back.
▪▪▪
He finally made it back to his room a little before one and had just gotten in bed when Tim walked in from his date with Sarah. Seeing Jack with his eyes open and CD player resting on his chest, he tapped his brother on the foot, “What’re you doing up?”
“Just thinkin’ about a girl.”
“Ahh, I see.”
Jack gestured at the clock between their beds, “And why were you out so late?”
“G’night brother.”
Still not closing his eyes, “’Night.”
▪▪▪
The following Tuesday, Jack showed up to walk Emily home from work with a grin spreading from ear to ear. Eyeing him in amusement, “Um, I'm gonna take a stab in the dark here, but I think you might be just a little happy about something.”
His smile got bigger as he held something up the size of a credit card, “I got my license today. I can actually drive myself around.” By then, Jack was doing a little hopping dance around her, “Not that I have a car or anything, but if my mother needs a gallon of milk, I am so gonna be able to go get it for her.” Genuinely happy for him, she also prayed silently that he wouldn't ask the inevitable next question, which he did only moments later, “When do you go get yours?”
Her heart sank a little, but trying to keep her voice light, “My mom wants me to wait a year before I get it. She doesn't have much time to take me out and we couldn't afford to get me a car anyways. I'm good with my bike, though, so it's fine.”
Beginning to think her mother was somewhat annoying, but keeping his mouth shut about that, he instead took her hand, “Biking is good, but walking let's me hold your hand, so I say we keep walking until it gets too cold, then we'll go from there.”
Emily pulled him to a halt, “Wait. You're gonna keep coming to get me, even in the winter?”
“Sure. I'll just have to remember to wear my boots and bring my fat scarf.”
Smiling at the fat scarf, she then tilted her head, “Even through a foot of snow and nose freezing winds and do you have any idea how cold a winter can be here?”
“Um, I'm from Chicago. I'm pretty sure this winter will be a cake walk in comparison to that. And if the weather is that bad, my mom will tell me to take the car anyway because she won't let me let you freeze. So, I'll come here and stuff you inside even though you'll be protesting that it's really not THAT cold and then I'll just reach across and hold your hand that way, even though I'll probably also have my fat mittens on.”
Squeezing his fingers, she started walking again, her face pinking slightly at the thought of his fighting snow and wind chills to hold her hand, “Um, what's with the fat scarf and mittens? Why are they fat? Or did you used to weigh four hundred pounds and they're just all stretched out now?”
Jack chuckled, “I used to be skinnier than this, actually. They're fat because it's a scarf my grandma knitted with three strings of yarn or something, so that makes it thick already, then she lined it with flannel, then fleece, and made it almost six feet long so it wraps around at least three times. Then she made me extra fat mittens to match.” With a look of amusement at her, he shrugged, “My grandma really, really loves me.”
“Are they warm, I hope?”
“Toastier than a trip to Florida in July.”
“You better really, really love your grandma back.”
“Totally do and yes, I tell her every week when she calls or when I email
Once again, he obeyed the subject shift, “Never. Just let me find my shoes and get a bag for you.”
“Jack?”
“Yeah?”
“Could you not tell anybody for a little while, okay?”
With a quick nod, he turned, hopefully fast enough not to notice her face crumple for a second, tears rushing to the surface then being blinked back.
▪▪▪
He finally made it back to his room a little before one and had just gotten in bed when Tim walked in from his date with Sarah. Seeing Jack with his eyes open and CD player resting on his chest, he tapped his brother on the foot, “What’re you doing up?”
“Just thinkin’ about a girl.”
“Ahh, I see.”
Jack gestured at the clock between their beds, “And why were you out so late?”
“G’night brother.”
Still not closing his eyes, “’Night.”
▪▪▪
The following Tuesday, Jack showed up to walk Emily home from work with a grin spreading from ear to ear. Eyeing him in amusement, “Um, I'm gonna take a stab in the dark here, but I think you might be just a little happy about something.”
His smile got bigger as he held something up the size of a credit card, “I got my license today. I can actually drive myself around.” By then, Jack was doing a little hopping dance around her, “Not that I have a car or anything, but if my mother needs a gallon of milk, I am so gonna be able to go get it for her.” Genuinely happy for him, she also prayed silently that he wouldn't ask the inevitable next question, which he did only moments later, “When do you go get yours?”
Her heart sank a little, but trying to keep her voice light, “My mom wants me to wait a year before I get it. She doesn't have much time to take me out and we couldn't afford to get me a car anyways. I'm good with my bike, though, so it's fine.”
Beginning to think her mother was somewhat annoying, but keeping his mouth shut about that, he instead took her hand, “Biking is good, but walking let's me hold your hand, so I say we keep walking until it gets too cold, then we'll go from there.”
Emily pulled him to a halt, “Wait. You're gonna keep coming to get me, even in the winter?”
“Sure. I'll just have to remember to wear my boots and bring my fat scarf.”
Smiling at the fat scarf, she then tilted her head, “Even through a foot of snow and nose freezing winds and do you have any idea how cold a winter can be here?”
“Um, I'm from Chicago. I'm pretty sure this winter will be a cake walk in comparison to that. And if the weather is that bad, my mom will tell me to take the car anyway because she won't let me let you freeze. So, I'll come here and stuff you inside even though you'll be protesting that it's really not THAT cold and then I'll just reach across and hold your hand that way, even though I'll probably also have my fat mittens on.”
Squeezing his fingers, she started walking again, her face pinking slightly at the thought of his fighting snow and wind chills to hold her hand, “Um, what's with the fat scarf and mittens? Why are they fat? Or did you used to weigh four hundred pounds and they're just all stretched out now?”
Jack chuckled, “I used to be skinnier than this, actually. They're fat because it's a scarf my grandma knitted with three strings of yarn or something, so that makes it thick already, then she lined it with flannel, then fleece, and made it almost six feet long so it wraps around at least three times. Then she made me extra fat mittens to match.” With a look of amusement at her, he shrugged, “My grandma really, really loves me.”
“Are they warm, I hope?”
“Toastier than a trip to Florida in July.”
“You better really, really love your grandma back.”
“Totally do and yes, I tell her every week when she calls or when I email
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