Three Days of Rain by Christine Hughes Page B

My dad and Danny came over and we worked on it since seven this morning. I really wanted to finish it before you got here.”
    Lily looked at him and smiled. She was both impressed with the job he’d done and flattered that he’d thought of her while he worked on it.
    “You thought of me?”
    “Well, sure. It was your idea, wasn’t it? And besides, you helped me with the first part. It’s only fitting you help me finish it.”
    “I thought it was done.”
    “Well, it is. Just one more nail needs to be hammered in place.”
    From behind his back, Jake somehow produced a hammer and a single nail. He took her hand and led her to the farthest extension of the deck and pointed to an “x” he’d penciled in.
    “Here you go. You started with it. Now you have to finish.”
    Like a giddy schoolgirl, Lily took the hammer and nail from Jake and fastened the last board to the frame. She stepped back, admired her prowess with the hammer, turned around, and hugged Jake. Though this was the reaction he’d hoped for, he wasn’t prepared for it. He wasn’t prepared for how good it felt to be hugged sincerely by a female friend. It was a good feeling, though foreign to him at this point in his life.
    “So, you said you were hungry.”
    “I did.”
    “I pulled the grill up and bought some steaks. Sorry but the seating is a bit primitive.”
    As he motioned toward the main deck, she noticed a rusty round table, a broken umbrella and two metal lawn chairs.
    “It’s perfect!”
    “I was gonna get some new furniture but I have to stain the deck first and finish the trim work. I was thinking about changing the porch light, adding some solar lights—”
    She grabbed his shirt. “Jake, I said it was perfect. Now feed me!”
    He went inside to get the steaks as Lily lit the grill. He brought out two glasses and a bottle of pinot.
    “Wine?”
    Jake blushed. “I just thought, well, since we finished the deck and all, we could, well, you know...”
    “Celebrate?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Let’s do it. It’s a good reason to celebrate.”
    Lily’s enthusiasm was infectious and before long Jake was grilling up two steaks, Lily was mixing a salad, and both were starting on the second bottle of wine.
    “Everything looks fantastic, Jake. Thank you so much for having me over for dinner.”
    “No need to thank me. You earned it. I’ve never seen a girl swing a hammer like that. You sure you never did it before?”
    “No. Really. I learn fast, you know.”
    “Another glass?”
    Through a full mouth, she replied, “Yes. This steak is fantastic. It just melts.”
    “Glad you like it. Your salad isn’t bad either.”
    “I don’t even think we need it. My mom always drilled into me that a vegetable is always necessary at dinner. If she ever had a steak like this, she’d change her mind.”
    They talked and ate for a while before Jake began to ask Lily about her life.
    “Did you play any sports in high school?”
    “Yeah. Oh my God, I am stuffed. I ran track—”
    “Obviously.”
    She smiled. “Yes, obviously. And played soccer.”
    “I never got into soccer. I didn’t understand it. You just run and kick the ball into a net.”
    “Hey!” She threw her napkin at him. “Like baseball is any more interesting?”
    “Well, yeah. It takes skill to be able to hit a baseball with a stick while it’s hurling at you at ninety miles an hour.”
    “And running the bases takes skill?” she demanded.
    “Yeah, you gotta run fast enough to beat the ball but slow enough to stop if you have to.”
    “What position did you play?”
    “Pitcher.”
    “Pitcher, huh? And why’d you stop?”
    Jake took a long swallow of his wine. “Ahh, man. My mom was sick. When she died, I declined the scholarship and stayed here to keep an eye on my dad. He was a mess.”
    Sorrow filled her. “I can’t imagine. And how’d you handle it?”
    “I didn’t handle it well. Started getting into fights, started working like a beast. The only thing that