Chapter 28 Tucker
TUCKER
Harper’s house was, for lack of a better word, fucked.
Besides the roof caving in, the upstairs interior was destroyed.
Drywall needed to be replaced since the leak got in between the walls.
The carpet needed to be torn up, and I think that at this point she would need new flooring. Maybe even a new set of stairs.
But I would do anything to see her back in this house.
This is the reason I left Cam’s last night.
I wanted to get a head start on fixin’ up her place.
The dumpster was dropped off early this morning, and I already had a few men on her roof and a couple inside, tearing up carpet.
I stood in the driveway watching the men work on the roof, giving myself a break.
I took off my trusty cowboy hat, wiping the sweat that was rolling down my temple.
Even though it was already October, the weather was unusually warm today.
I put my hat back on and noticed a car pulling up to the curb. It was a familiar white Jeep.
Harper opened the door, staring at me in utter disbelief.
It was supposed to be a surprise that I got started on things, and I guess that worked.
She looked fuckin’ adorable in her little Halloween sweater and leggings.
Her pink hair was straightened and up in pigtails, while a few pieces framed her face.
Her makeup was done, but it wasn't enough to take away from her natural beauty.
This woman was absolutely ethereal. She was constantly taking my breath away.
I smiled at her, tipping my hat in greeting.
Cameron stepped out of the passenger side next.
I swear the man was handcrafted by the big man himself.
I looked him up and down and instinctively licked my lips.
His auburn hair was down but hidden under a backwards ball cap.
He wore a plain black T-shirt and an old sherpa-lined flannel.
Cam was a little less built than I was, but his flannel still strained against his arms and broad shoulders.
Remember what was hiding underneath that shirt almost had me moaning.
He gave an awkward three-fingered wave as they walked closer. Cameron spoke before she did. “What an odd coincidence. Is this the reason you only got like two hours of sleep?” He sighed while pointing at the house.
Amongst other things.
“Yes, sir.” He tried to hide the smile on his lips when he heard me speak. “I wanted to get a head start on it as a surprise, but here you both are.”
Harper’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Here we are.” She walked up to me with open arms, clearly wanting a hug.
“Sugar, I have been working for a while. I’m sweaty as hell.” Her arms stayed open, and she shook her head. She didn’t care. So, in return, I opened mine.
She was so small compared to me. I stood well over a foot taller than her at six feet six.
Her head rested in the space between my chest and stomach.
I couldn’t help but think about how easy it would be to lift her and fuck her senseless against the back of my truck.
I’m not sure the neighbors or my men would appreciate it, though.
Honestly, my guys probably wouldn’t care, but her neighbors would definitely not be thrilled.
Harper pulled back a bit, hands now resting at my hips, and her big, doe brown eyes bore into mine, speaking a silent request that I could never ignore.
I leaned down and pressed my lips against hers.
She let out a small moan in relief, smiling against my mouth.
She tasted like chai and strawberry ChapStick.
The taste of her was fucking intoxicating. I pulled back and smiled at her.
“Go on in and check it out.” I nodded at the house.
“There’s a ton of work to do, Sugar, but it’s a start.
I’ll be there in a minute, okay?” She swallowed hard, giving me a curt nod.
When she let me go and turned to head inside, I gave her ass a light swat.
She turned around and walked backwards while she spoke.
“Don’t start anything you aren't willing to finish.” She winked and turned around, walking inside.
Cam and I were both staring at her from the end of the driveway. He cleared his throat, causing me to look at him. He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly nervous. Then he said something that stunned me.
“I’m going to pay for this.” He gestured at the house. “She said she wired you five grand already?”
I gave him a small nod.
“I’ll take care of the other twenty-five tomorrow.” He took out his phone, “Can I get your number so I can have my accountant transfer it?”
“Absolutely. This is really sweet, Cam. She means a lot to you, huh?” I took his phone, typed in my name and number, then handed it back to him.
He looked at the house as if he could still see her, a smile growing on his face. “Yeah, Tuck. She does.”
I couldn’t help but smile at the nickname. It was one everyone used, but hearing it come from his mouth practically melted my old heart.
“Come on,” I said, holding out my hand. Normally, I wouldn’t have done that, but I wanted to test the waters with him. I needed to know how slow I needed to take things.
He looked between the men working on the roof and my hand about thirty times.
I waited, allowing him to think through this decision.
You could practically see his thoughts. He knew someone would see if he took my hand.
He was weighing the options of practically coming out right now or waiting.
With this town being so small, it only took one person seeing something before everyone knew, especially since some of them knew Cameron from his auto shop.
I glanced up at my men at work with my arm still outstretched in front of Cam. And that’s when I felt it.
He grabbed my hand, pulling me towards him, causing me to stumble a bit. A laugh slipped out of me as I regained my balance.
I stood only a few inches taller than him, but still had to look down to meet his gaze.
Where I stood was a lot closer than I had meant to.
My boots practically touching toes with his gym shoes.
To my surprise, he didn’t step back. His hands rested where my forearm met my elbow, as mine rested on his hips.
Cam’s voice was lower than it normally was. “Sorry, I was a bit nervous and didn’t say hi.” And then he was kissing me. Cameron fucking Callahan was kissing me, a thirty-seven-year-old man, in the driveway of a girl he was clearly in love with.
I felt time stand still. It was as if the world had realized it was about to miss something important if it blinked. The air thickened, every sound dulled at the edges, and for a heartbeat that stretched impossibly long, there was only the quiet hum of being aware.
He pulled away, a deep blush already spread across his cheeks, making his freckles appear darker. “Hi Tucker.”
I let out a breathless, “Hi.”
He laced his fingers between mine, pulling me toward the house. “Shall we go join our gal?”
I laughed, but I swear my heart was about to leap out of my chest, Bugs Bunny style. I felt like a teenager falling in love for the first time. I guess this is where he currently stands on the matter. “We shall.”
Cam was definitely moving quicker and deciding things faster than I thought he would, but if it feels right to him, why not run with it?
I still had a lot to learn about him. Given all the hours Harper and I spent together fixing up her house, I liked to believe that I knew her pretty well.
Plus, she wore her emotions on her sleeve, so she wasn’t hard to read.
But him? A whole different ball game. It had been a long while since I was interested in another man.
Maybe nearing a decade. My last few relationships, even the polyam ones, were with women.
This wasn’t brand new, but it was definitely something to adjust to.
Despite that, the feel of his rough, calloused hand in my even rougher one felt beyond right.
Harper’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. Her back was turned to us as she looked around the upper level of her house. “So, it’s more fucked than I thought.”
When she turned to face us, it was clear she had been crying.
My heart ached for her, but I knew I could fix this.
Her eyes trailed down and landed on where Cam and I stood connected.
A small smile played on her lips. She didn’t address it, just continued her thought.
“You guys did a lot in such a short amount of time. Thank you. I never expected you to work on a Sunday. I hope you know that it’s never an expectation. ”
I glanced at Cam, giving him a small nod, and let go of his hand. After pulling off my hat, I walked to Harper, showing her what had been done and needed to be done. “I know, Harper. But I wanted to do this.” Her eyes glimmered in the light as if she were going to start crying again.
My guys were great workers and worked quickly.
I always cut them a deal; if they could finish a job by a certain day or time, they would get a bonus or extra time off.
It was good motivation, and they rarely slacked off on the job.
The roof was the first large project being worked on.
We needed to keep the rain out if there were going to be more storms. In October, storms really weren’t an issue, but then again, it was Michigan.
Tarps only worked so well, but I doubt they would hold up with the massive hole in the roof.
I had a few guys inside now, one working on tearing up carpet while the other cut out drywall. They helped each other when needed, and I was helping before Harper and Cameron showed up. The goal was to avoid black mold and get rid of the gross ass smell in here.
As we finished looking around upstairs, she walked down the stairs before us, shouting back, “Are the stairs getting replaced or are they salvageable?”
“Not sure yet, but I’m thinking of replacing them.”
Cam spoke next. “How long do you think this will all take?”
“I reckon anywhere from six to eight weeks. If not, maybe even a couple more. Most of the insulation has to be replaced, and then I am going to paint for you.”
“Oh gosh, please don’t paint. Cam has already said he is paying for it, and I refused to have anything done that costs more than the money he is spending already.”
Cam rolled his eyes at her words, “Let him paint, I’m not worried about the cost.”
As we walked back out of the house, I reassured her. “I’m doing it myself for free, Harper. I have to pay the guys for any work they do, but if I do it myself, it will always be free for you.”
We stood on the porch, chatting for a bit about the house. She thanked me a handful of times, and in return, I kissed her.
“Cam and I were talking earlier. Do you want to do something tonight? I think it would be nice to get out to the beach and get to know each other." She asked while looking off into the distance. I think she really believed I could say no to her.
“I’d love to, but it’ll be cold, Sugar. I’ll let the boys know to wrap it up for the day so I can go shower. I can meet you guys down there in an hour or so. I’ll text you when I’m on my way. Does that work?”
Instead of words, she responded by wrapping her arms around my waist. I hugged her with equal force, resting my chin on the top of her head. She pulled back and looked up at me. I gave her a full smile and kissed her head.
“Tucker?”
“Yeah, hun?”
“I love your smile.”
And with that, I crashed my lips into hers.
It wasn’t that I hated my smile, but when I chipped my tooth, the first time I got dusted, I swear I thought I would never smile again.
Eventually, I grew up, my feelings changed, and I learned to love my chipped front tooth.
After all, it wasn’t the horse's fault it got spooked and threw me off.
And now I had my perfect woman telling me she loved my smile.
I kissed her until we were both breathless. “Thank you.” I pulled away from her, letting her go. “I’ll see you guys in a bit, yeah? I’ll text you soon.”
She gave me a nod while still touching her bottom lip. She stepped down the porch and walked off to her Jeep.
“I’ll see you later, Tuck.” Then Cam followed Harper back to the Jeep. God, I cannot wait to learn both of them inside and out.