Read Online Emma's Home (The Fairfield Series) by Maryann Jordan - Free Book Online Page A

look on her face as she measured the rooms, checked out the kitchen and bathroom, and walked around the yard. Her face showed delight, and he realized that it had been a long time since he had taken pleasure in watching someone else’s joy.
    They walked out on the porch and sat down on the front steps. Emma had wanted to try out the porch swing with him, but he didn’t want to take a chance it would hold his weight.
    Settling on the steps, they sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, allowing the afternoon sun to soak into them.
    “Tell me about your mom,” she asked turning her body toward his.
    “Well, it was soon after my dad died that she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.” He paused, looking at her. “I don’t want to bore you if you know about RA.”
    “No, please continue,” Emma replied, placing her hand on his arm. “I don’t know anything about it.”
    “Well, RA is a bitch of a disease that affects the joints. When she was first diagnosed, I read everything I could about it. The joints become swollen, inflamed, painful, and then eventually deformed.”
    “Is there no cure?”
    “No, although there are new drugs coming out all the time. She is on several of them and they will work for a while, and then eventually not seem to work anymore.”
    “Jake, I admire you so much for taking care of her. I know what it is like to put everything on hold to help take care of family. I never saw it as a sacrifice, not even a duty. It was always just done out of love.”
    Jake looked over at the beautiful woman sitting next to him, so closely he smelled the delicate scent of her shampoo. Their knees touched, and he found himself wanting to pull her into his lap, but the seriousness of their conversation held him back.
    “She does not consider herself disabled, but she is not able to work anymore. She had been a secretary for years, but her fingers are now swollen and bent so that she cannot type or file. Sometimes if it is a bad day, she cannot grasp a phone. Some days she feels really good, but some days just getting out of bed is painful.”
    Jake angled his body so that they were facing each other, knowing what he was about to say could possible end the beginning of their relationship, but he knew from past experience that it needed to be said now.
    Emma looked expectantly into his face, knowing that what was on Jake’s mind was of utmost importance.
    He looked down at Emma’s small hand, still on his arm, but noticed that she was gently smoothing her fingers over his skin, as though willing him to be at ease through her touch.
    “Emma, you have to understand something. We said earlier that we both wanted to see where this could go,” pointing back and forth between each other. “But I do live at home with mom and don’t know when that will end. I had an apartment of my own for a while when I first came back to town, but spent more time at her place so I just gave it up. Most women consider that to be a deal breaker,” he admitted ruefully, but continued to hold her eyes.
    Emma looked deeply into his baby blue eyes, knowing that in front of her was a man after her own heart. She leaned over and clasped his much larger hands in her tiny ones, holding them tightly.
    “Jake, not only is that not a deal breaker with me, it makes me want to know you more than ever,” she said with a smile.
    Jake looked at the smile that radiated throughout him and found himself wanting that smile to greet him every day. Leaning over, he placed a gentle kiss once again upon her lips. Emma felt the strength of his emotion wrapped up in that kiss and found herself wanting it to last and last. She moved closer, and he pulled her up on his lap. Deepening the kiss, Emma knew that she was feeling more for Jake than she had ever felt for any man before.
    Finally breaking off the kiss, Jake leaned back against the railing and tucked Emma into him. They sat there in the afternoon sun and continued to talk about the