MY FATE FOR YOURS

Chapter 29- EAMON

Eamon

 Tobin hands me another long piece of steel for a custom trailer we've been working on for two days. Jerry's been riding our asses because he makes bank on these custom projects and the guy who ordered it, wants it done.

The hard work and the heat have been good. Don't leave me too much time for thinking.

Tobin waves his hand at me, but I'm in the middle of a seam so I ignore him. He leans over, his helmet still covering his face, and points toward the door.

I turn to see Rachel standing just inside the warehouse from the office door smiling like she just won the lottery. I love that fucking smile, but her coming here to smile at me that way wasn't what I expected.

I give her a quick wave and shout, "Gimme a few!"

Tobin sits closer to me than he should. Dammit.

"Give me some space so I can finish the corner." I elbow him and lean forward.

"You two been hanging out?" Tobin asks with way too much question in his voice.

"Nope."

"So, you don't know why she's smiling so wide just to see your sorry ass?" Now he sounds disbelieving.

"Her mom just had surgery. Maybe she needs something done in the house."

Tobin nods and scoots back over. We've both done a few things to the Adair house so it wouldn't be unusual. Everything in me wants to turn over and puke at the thought of anyone knowing what's going on between me and Rachel. Even Tobin. It feels weird to be keeping stuff from my brother, and probably I should just find a way to tell him. I'm just not sure if I'm ready for the unwanted advice and I-told-you-so's.

When I finish the final seam on the back corner, I stand up and stretch my hands over my head letting my back pop a few times. I don't want anyone in here thinking I'm gonna run over to her the second I can.

I pull off my visor and set it on a shelf before walking toward her. Her smile has fallen but not too far. Her white tank is a little damp from the hellish temperatures and humidity today, and her shorts are so faded I'm kind of wondering how soft the denim would be under my hands.

"Hey." She throws her arms around me for a moment but I don't move. I can't. I'm at work. Everyone's still here.

She steps back, her small brows pulling down, and damn I want to look over my shoulder to see if Tobin's watching but that would be a dead giveaway.

"I parked out back today. Wanna go outside?" I hold open the office door so she won't be in Tobin's view anymore.

Her eyes dart around, like she isn't sure where to look. "Uh...sure..."

Jerry keeps the whole shop under at least a little A/C so when I step outside in my flame retardant suit, it's like stepping into a fire.

"My Aunt Jilly came down from Chicago to help with Mama, and I had some free time. Wanted to say hi." She jumps into the passenger's seat of my Jeep and sits sideways to face me.

I nearly step into her and run my hands up her bare legs, but I'm not sure how long we'll be left alone out here.

"Yeah... I'm real busy. Jerry's wanting to talk with me about a few things, and me and Tobin been working on a huge job, so..." The shitty thing is that I'm doing it, I'm pushing her away right now, and I know it's kind of an asshole move.

"Yeah. Right. I..." Rachel stares down before shifting her weight forward to climb off the Jeep.

Fuck it.

I step into her, slide my hands up the outside of her legs, do a quick scan of the parking lot and press my lips to hers. Rachel responds back immediately like I knew she would, letting her legs fall open so that I can step in closer and sliding her tongue against mine.

I reach my fingertips up her shorts until I find the bottom edge of her panties and I'm so completely turned on that the thought of going back to work feels like cruel and unusual punishment. The sound of a car engine works its way up the side of the building, and I jump back before we're caught.

Rachel almost falls out of the Jeep and stands, steps back and stares.

"Sorry, I--"

She holds her hand up between us. "I don't... Why does it have to be so much back and forth with you? Why can't you just claim me already? I don't care if people see us, Eamon. I want them to."

"I don't. Not yet. I still..." She can't get it, and there's no good way to explain to her that right now it feels like the town knowing we're together is the surest way to send her running from me, and I'm not ready to let her go. "I still got some figuring out to do."

She rubs her forehead and shifts her weight to one leg. "But the hospital. I thought..."

I sigh. I'm just not ready. I can't go from never having anyone in my life, to having my girl just show up at work. "We don't know anyone there. It's over an hour away, Rach. That's totally different."

I can tell by the way she shifts her slim body that she doesn't agree.

"Guess you gotta get back to work. Sorry I bothered you." She makes it all the way around the front of my Jeep before I jog to catch her.

I grab her arm. "I knew I'd be shit at this, Rach."

Instead of jerking away like I expect her to, she steps close enough that I'm no longer pulling on her. It's me who lets go. My chest dropping with my hand.

"So, you're ready to just walk away?" She trying to hide the hurt in her voice, but she can't. Not from me.

I take a solid look around us at the small lot behind Stine's and we're alone. I take a step in toward her and put my finger under her chin, our noses almost touching. "No. I'm not walking away."

She chews on the inside of her lip as if deciding something before taking a half step back. "Well. I guess you know where to find me. I'm picking up one of Missy's pies for Aunt Jilly and then I'll be at home taking care of Mama and trying to figure out how to keep our house."

"Okay. See ya, Rach."

All the things I've thought about doing to help her snap together in one perfect solution. I may fuck up all the personal stuff with Rachel, but I won't screw this up.

Now, all that's left to do is go back in and tell Jerry that I can't take him up on his offer.