Chapter 45
Ted smiled at the residence advisor who let him in. Viola had told her that he was coming at eight. She knew they had to be somewhere at nine. She wasn't sure why she had to be ready at eight. That's way too early for a college kid.
"Here's your pass. She's in room 3415."
"Thanks." Ted made his way to the stairs. He followed the hallway to Viola's door. He took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves. He was hoping she would enjoy the day. He knocked on the door and heard someone moving on the other side.
"Hey." Viola stated as she opened the door. She inhaled a short breath that didn't reach her lungs when she noticed what he was wearing. She thought he looked great in the suit he wore as he played the piano during their date. However, his work clothes gave him a rugged sexiness she hadn't noticed before.
Ted was wearing a pair of old work boots. His jeans were a little loose on him and looked a little rough. There was a small hole in the right knee. He had an old, faded red long sleeve t-shirt that was untucked with a flannel shirt that wasn't buttoned. He had a baseball hat on. It was backwards on his head. She didn't understand it. This look was just so handsome. She tried breathing but it just wasn't working.
When Viola opened her dorm room door, the act took his breath away. He was convinced it removed all the air in the hallway. He wasn't even sure if he was breathing. She had on a loose school hoodie with her hair in a loose ponytail. Her jeans didn't look old by any measure, but they weren't new either. He thought she was absolutely adorable in her work clothes. He wouldn't necessarily consider them work clothes, but figured it was as close as she could come. He remembered what Jack told him and thought she may have never dressed in work clothes like this. He cleared his throat three times before he was able to speak.
"You…you look great." He finally stated.
"Ted, you shouldn't lie to me like that."
"I'm not lying to you." He quickly looked her up and down.
"You look very nice too."
He tilted his head and stared at her. "You shouldn't lie to me either." He stated as he pulled his shirt out a little and let it go. These are just work clothes."
"Maybe, but you still look nice."
"If you think this looks nice, wait until you see me in my tool belt." He flirted with a knowing grin.
"Tool belt? What exactly are we doing today?" She questioned him.
"You'll find out soon. But first, we need to get you a pair or work boots and then we will stop for breakfast."
"Boots? Won't these tennis shoes work?"
"Not for today. You need something more than tennis shoes. Plus, it's a little cold out. Work boots will be perfect."
"Ted, I don't have work boots." She shook her head.
"And that's why we are stopping to pick you up some." He smiled and reached for her hand. "Come on, we need to be there by nine." He gently pulled her to come out in the hallway with him
"Where?" She asked again as she closed her door, and they began walking down the hallway.
"Do you always ask so many questions?"
"When I'm going with a guy that I don't know very well to a place I don't know where I'm going…absolutely."
"You know me."
"Not that well." Her face turned a little red with a little teasing in her voice.
"Well, we can fix that problem today. I hope you don't mind, but we will be together all day."
When she didn't say anything, he looked at her. Her smile gave him the answer he was hoping for.
"What are we doing?" She asked again as they stepped on the stairs. She found him not answering her questions a little frustrating that he wouldn't tell her, but oddly she thought it was intriguing. It made her feel special that he planned this little adventure they are on.
"Come on beautiful, we need to go and get you some work boots." He stopped on the steps when he realized he called her beautiful as a term of endearment. "Viola…"
"Come on…work boots remember." She gave him a smile that came from her heart. She loved that he talked to her that way.
"Right…" He smiled and reached for her hand again. "boots and breakfast on the go. We have a big day in front of us."
"I guess I'll just have to take your word for it since you won't tell me." She whined a little.
He let out a gentle laugh at her frustration of not knowing. He could tell she didn't like when the surprise meant she was left out of knowing.
"It will be a good day. Now, let's go."
…
Jack woke up on Saturday morning a little on the tired side. The week went well. The doctor's appointment was looming in a couple of days. He felt his ankle was improving. He strictly followed the doctor's orders under the prison guard glare of his loving girlfriend. Yesterday was the first time he walked without the crutches. As much as he hated the walking boot, he loved it much more than those stupid crutches. Much to Jack's surprise, his ankle wasn't what was hurting him. It was his calf and quad muscles. While his ankle was tired at the end of the day, his other leg muscles were sore. Elizabeth reminded him that he hadn't used that leg in two weeks. Thos muscles just must be strengthened again.
Today was going to be a fun day. He was hanging out with the guys. He loved his time with Elizabeth. He also loved that they all hung out as a group. Those were great times. He also missed just hanging out with the guys like back home. Cory, Steven, Joe, Sam, Malachi, and Shane were coming over around ten or so. There wasn't a plan. The guys just wanted to hang out. Maybe go out somewhere. Jack's dad promised he would cook out for them all later. Jack had his two guitars tuned. He just needed to get some more wood for the fire pit.
As excited as he was for guy's day, he was going to miss Elizabeth. He was surprised with himself at how much he loved being around her. He would often joke with Cowboy about how much time he spent with his girlfriend. Now he understood Cowboy's argument about it just being different. He loved his time with Elizabeth. He was also trying to follow his dad's and William's advice in not losing himself completely in a relationship.
Before rolling out of bed, he picked up his phone and sent Elizabeth a good morning text. He figured she would still be asleep. After sending the text, he sat up and slowly walked to the bathroom after making a quick phone call. He needed a shower to start his day.
…
Elizabeth woke up when the sun reached her face. She was content as she smiled. She loved the fact that she didn't wake up to her stupid alarm blaring. For that simple fact, she was going to have a good day. She also was going to spend the day with her best friends, Steph, Connie, and Rosemary. A day of nails, shopping, and lunch sounded great. Before the guys came into their lives, this was a normal weekend. Since the guys, they all did things together. She loved being with Connie and Steph. She also loved being with their boyfriends too. She was looking forward to Rosemary being part of their little group. She was excited to just have a girls' day. She was halfway down the grandiose staircase when the doorbell rang. She looked at the large grandfather clock. She thought it was too early for visitors.
When she reached the base of the staircase, her mother turned the corner from the kitchen. They shrugged their shoulders when they saw each other. They walked to the front door at the same time.
"Oh…" Grace and Elizabeth stated when they noticed someone standing in the middle of the doorframe. They were holding a vase full of colorful daisies.
"Ms. Thatcher…?" He looked at the card again. "Ms. Elizabeth Thatcher?"
"Ummm…that's me." Elizabeth stepped forward. She accepted the large vase of daisies.
"The card is in the card holder. Have a great day."
Elziabeth closed the door and turned to face her mother. Grace giggled at the confused look on Elizabeth's face.
"Well…?"
Elizabeth sat the vase down and looked for the small card. She pulled out the small envelope and then the card. She turned the card to read it.
Ms. T –
Have a great day! I'll miss you. That you for looking after me over the last couple of weeks. Enjoy the girls. I love you.
– Jack
Her smile only grew at the card. She read the card for her mother, except for the three word phrase at the end.
"That young man should be teaching William some things." Grace shook her head with a huge smile. "What does Ms. T mean?"
"He is special." Elizabeth whispered. "It's just one of the many nicknames he has given me." She was not going to share the meaning behind her nickname with her mother. She took a selfie with the flowers and sent it to Jack with a text.
E – Thank you for the flowers
E – They are my favorite
E – I miss you
Jack smiled when his phone buzzed three consecutive times. "She must have received the flowers." He stated to himself.
J – I hope you like them
E – I love them thank you
J – Have a good day love
E – Have a good day
J – No picking up any guys
E – You have my heart
J – And I'm not giving it back
E – Talk later
J – Please
…
"Is this really necessary?"
Ted and Viola were looking at the wall of boots that were on display. She has never worn a pair of work boots. She had no idea what to look for.
"Brown? Why are they all brown or black?"
"They're work boots. They are not made to be fashionable. Which color do you like the best?"
"Black…I guess."
"Perfect. Now, we'll grab a pair of gloves for you, and we'll be on our way. Chick-Fil-A ok for breakfast?"
"Sure." She gave him a half smile. She was enjoying the morning with Ted, but she wasn't too happy about the work boots. She also just wanted to know what they were doing.
…
While Jack hated the walking boot, he hated it less than those stupid crutches. He was so grateful to set those things down and never have to pick them up again. He jumped off the stool in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. He walked the best he could with his boot to answer the door. He walked with a noticeable limp, but it wasn't too bad.
"Hey man." Jack stated when he noticed Cory and Steven standing in the doorway. He was happy to see them.
"Hey bruh." Cory stated. Steven stepped forward and they high fived each other. Joe stepped up and did the same.
"How's the foot?" Joe asked.
"Better. Doctor visit on Monday. If things are good, I can do light practice."
"What does that mean?"
"Straight forward jogging. No cutting and nothing full speed for a couple of days. If all is well, I can run full speed to pain as long as it's in a straight line. Then cutting at fifty percent."
"That's good progress."
"Hopefully I'll be at full practice by the end of the week."
"Looking forward to it." Cory stated.
"Why? Malachi and Shane are doing a great job."
"They really have stepped up, but they're not you man."
"Jack, don't let them stand on the porch. It's too cold for that."
"I know Ma." He shook his head. The other guys just laughed. All moms were the same.
"What in the world?" Charlette gasped when she walked into the living room. "Joe, I've meet your mother. There is no way she would allow you to go outside wearing that."
"She didn't know." He laughed holding his hands out to the side. He was wearing a school hoodie and a pair of cargo shorts with tennis shoes.
"I have two sons and I just can't understand them." She shook her head. "Do you all want anything before you leave? Drink? Snack? A blanket?" She looked at Joe.
"No Ma. We're going to grab lunch while we are out."
"Where exactly are you all going?"
"I'm not sure we have that much of a detailed plan. We're meeting Sam, Shane, and Malachi in a little bit."
"Have fun." Charlette stated as she kissed Jack on the cheek. "Be careful with that foot." She warned Jack.
"I will Ma."
Cory, Steven, and Joe gave her a hug before they followed Jack out the door.
…
Viola looked through the neighborhood as Ted drove down the street. It wasn't the worst neighborhood she has been it. She glanced at Ted as he drove. She knew she was a little fussy over the boots earlier.
"Ted…I'm sorry about my attitude this morning."
"It's ok Viola." He was beginning to question if this was a good idea. He wanted to share this with her. It's important to him.
"No…it's not. I am truly sorry. I'm just out of my element and become overwhelmed."
"I'm sorry for being so secretive."
"Why is this a secret?" She asked as he pulled into a gravel driveway. There was a new, small home under construction. There was just a concrete slab that was poured. There weren't even any walls up.
"This." He nodded toward the construction site. "This is what I do most Saturdays."
"This is what you did over Thanksgiving break."
"It is. This is important to me. I love doing this type of volunteering. I'm sorry. I guess I should have told you about this before I brought you here. I can take you back to the dorm if you want."
She felt bad. He just wanted to share something important to him with her. She thought it was loving. She reached for his hand. For the first time, she didn't let go of it.
"No…no…I want to be here with you. Thank you for sharing this with me. It's just…this isn't what I'm used to. In those types of situations, I usually panic a little bit."
"I understand."
"I really do want to be with you. Thank you for sharing this with me. I just haven't done this before. I don't want to be a bother."
"I spoke with my cousin the other day."
"Oh yeah…"
"Were you really going to go in the pool after them?"
"Absolutely." She answered confidently. "He was making out with my little sister who I thought was dating someone else." She thought for a moment. "So, he told you about me?"
Ted smiled. He understood the true meaning behind her question. He decided to come clean about why he called Jack.
"I wanted to see what he thought of you. He told me about you and your family. To be honest…" He paused for a moment. He was afraid to lay his heart out for her. "…to be honest, I really like you. When we first met, you questioned if I knew your last name. You gave off the meaning like you came from money. I wanted to see if Jack thought you would date someone who didn't come from money." Ted's voice was very soft. He came across as very sweet.
She felt his honesty. At that moment, she decided to be honest with him.
"If you would have asked me that while I was in high school, I would have said no. But Ted, I'm not that little, teenage girl anymore. I hope I have matured over the last three years. When most guys hear my last name, they become excited to date me hoping they will met my father. It threw me off when you didn't know my father. It threw me off even more when you didn't care who he is."
"I would like to get to know you, Viola. In case you haven't realized it, I really like you. I want to get to know you."
"The waitress at the restaurant told me that I must be special to you since you brought me there. She said you have never done that before."
"That is true…on both counts." His face a little red. "This type of work is important to me. I just wanted to share that with you. I thought it would be a good way to spend the day together."
"Thank you. I would love to spend the day with you. I just don't know what to do here."
"The people here are all volunteers except for one person. She is a master contractor and in charge. They don't make you feel stupid or anything. They will show you what to do. These people are from various backgrounds. They are not builders."
"So, you'll help me?"
"If you promise to go out with me again?"
"Don't let me kill myself or do something really bad, and I would love to go out with my boyfriend again."
"Boyfriend?" He asked hopefully.
"Do you have a problem with that?" She smiled at him.
He vigorously shook his head no. The excitement of her words sketched on his face.
…
"Alright ladies…what's the plan?" Elizabeth asked as they walked to her car in the garage.
"Nails…food…shopping." She heard three voices call out.
Steph, Connie, and Rosemary all giggled as they opened the doors to the mini cooper. They were all looking forward to spending the day together. Other than those three, they really didn't have a plan. They just wanted to go with the flow and enjoy each other's company.
"Are we going to the mall?"
"Yes." Rosemary stated. "They have a new nail salon I want to try. I've heard really good things about it."
"Perfect. We can check the food court and do a little shopping too." Elizabeth stated as she started her car.
"If we're going to the mall, there is something I want to try out."
Elizabeth and Connie groaned.
"What?" Asked Rosemary.
"Every time she wants to try something out, we usually find ourselves in a pickle." Connie flatly stated as Elizabeth giggled.
"Uh…oh…"
"It's safe. I promise." Steph held up her hand.
"Well, what is it?"
"They have a new rock climbing wall."
"Oh no…" Elizabeth shook her head. "Steph, why do you always do that?"
Steph was the adventurer of the group. She always pushed for them to do something crazy. While Elizabeth and Connie usually argued against it, they almost always did it. They would never admit to Steph, but they nearly enjoyed all of her crazy ideas. While Steph pushed her two friends, her two friends kept her from going too far out. It was a good balance.
"It'll be fun." Exclaimed an excited Steph.
"That sounds very dangerous."
"It's not Rosemary. They have people with ropes tied to you. You can't fall."
"That's what they all say. Steph…you're going to be the death of us."
"Not true Elizabeth. I just add adventure in our lives."
"That's true." Elizabeth stated with Connie and Rosemary giggling.
…
Jack, Cory, Steven, and Joe walked into the local sports store. They were all looking for a pair of basketball shoes. The season was more than half over and their shoes were showing signs of their use and age.
"Where are the other guys?" Joe asked.
"We're here. What took you so long?"
"Cripple here. He's much slower than normal." Steven laughed as he looked at Jack.
He was walking slower with the boot. His ankle felt good, which he was grateful for. However, it did make him a little slower than normal with the odd limp.
"Hey!" Jack faked annoyance with a little laughter.
Sam, Malachi, and Shane all stepped to the group. They all met to buy the same brand of shoes. After talking, they all decided they wanted the same shoe. They thought it would look good. Malachi stepped in Jack's spot in his absence. He was playing pretty well. Shane stepped in behind him and was playing excellently. The coach was very pleased with the freshman's performance. He still made some freshman mistakes, but other than that, his play was top notch. He not only listened to what the coach had to say, he picked Jack's brain every moment he had.
When he wasn't in the game, he was talking with Jack on the bench. He would tell Jack what he saw and listen to what Jack saw. Shane would go through his thought process and explain why he did what he did. Jack would challenge him. Even when Shane was right. He wanted Shane to be certain of why he choose that particular path. Jack was very impressed with him. After several of those talks, Shane was beginning to see the game the same way Jack did. He fit into the rest of the group well because of it.
"Jack, I don't know if they will sell you just the right shoe." Sassed Shane.
"Listen here, young pup…" Jack warned pointing his finger at the young guy. The whole group laughed at Jack's expense, including Jack. "…you're not too big for me to take across my knee." Jack's stern face was dismissed by his little grin he couldn't hide.
The morning looking for new shoes was awesome. They ragged on Jack for a few minutes. Even the sales lady jumped into the action causing all the other guys to laugh uncontrollably. Once they were done with Jack, the group turned their attention to the next guy. All told, each guy was ragged on for something. The closeness of the group was growing. It began with Jack and Cory in Honors English when Cory approached Jack on the first day of school. Steven quickly joined that tight knit group. Then Sam and Joe joined at about the same time. Now Malichi and Shane have joined since Jack was injured. He spent extra time with them helping them with their game. The other starters were impressed with their work ethic. The young group listened and learned. They also played hard. Not only that, but they were also decent guys. Jack enjoyed the whole group. As great as his senior year had developed since he moved to Hamilton, this was what he missed the most since moving from Buxton. Rabbit and Cowboy will always hold a special place, but Jack was enjoying this friend group just as much.
Shoes were bought and taken to their respective cars. They just didn't want to carry around bags all day. Now they were off to the mall. While they were only together for an hour and a half, they were starving. They needed food!
…
"Steph…this has to be your craziest thought." Elizabeth shook her head as she stood in front of the climbing wall. There were four workers who were putting the harnesses on the ladies.
"This is going to be epic!" Said an excited Steph.
"Now, step through this and pull them up like you would a pair of shorts or something." The young man handed the harness to Elizabeth.
"The craziest thing ever." Elizabeth stated again.
She did what the young man told her to do. Once she had them on, the man reached around her and brought one of the straps around her waist and fastened it to the other strap on the other side. She wasn't too happy he reached around her like that. Not only that, but it was also the little smile he had on his face while doing it. She wasn't too sure if she was reading more into it or not.
"You are going to enjoy this." The young man said. He looked at her for a moment, then spoke. "You don't remember me, do you?"
Elziabeth looked at him a little closer than she did before. She just didn't pay him any attention. She was too nervous about Steph's crazy plan.
"No." She shook her head.
"I was at your New Year's party."
"I'm sorry…but I don't remember you."
"That's because you were too busy staring lovingly into Jack's eyes." Connie sassed.
"True." Elizabeth stated as she turned her attention back from Connie to this guy.
"I'm Joe. I met you when your father introduced you to my father and me."
"Oh, that's right. You work here?"
"Yeah. I work here on the weekends. Rock climbing is something I like to do. This job is a natural fit for me."
"That's good." Elizabeth turned her attention away from Joe and back to Steph. "This is the last idea you get to talk us into for a while."
"We'll see." Steph couldn't contain her grin. She was really looking forward to this.
Elizabeth's attention was brought back to Joe when he tugged on the harness and reached around her back again to tighten it.
"I can do that." She stated as she took a half a step back.
Joe was giving her his best smile. "That's ok Elizabeth. This is my job and making sure the harness is properly fitted to each customer is essential."
"That's ok. I can adjust it myself. You can tell if it's fitted correctly when I'm finished."
Joe lost his smile a little. The harness was already adjusted correctly. He just wanted to put his arms around her again.
"Come on Elizabeth…you don't want me to get in trouble with my boss for not doing my job. And we don't want you to get injured."
"See, all nice and secure." She stated as she pulled on the front of the harness.
"You ok?" Connie whispered as the workers stepped away to prepare the ropes for the ladies to climb. They were the first customers of the day. If they were going to do this, Elizabeth and Connie insisted they do this first. Their argument was they didn't want to ruin their nails. However, the truth was they just wanted to get it over with.
"Yeah…he's just a little too fresh."
"Too fresh…?" She laughed. "Elizabeth, who talks like that?"
"He's being a little too flirty then. He was at my parents' party on New Year's."
"Oh…he's the guy that was trying to gain your attention?"
"Yeah…seems like he is still trying." Elizabeth shook her head.
"Here, switch with me." Connie stated. She traded places with Elizabeth. When the workers came to get the girls to climb, Joe looked up expecting to see Elizabeth standing in front of him. However, it wasn't her.
"I'm sorry…" He stumbled over his words. It was too late, however. The lady who was helping Connie was already helping Elizabeth.
"I guess you're stuck with me." Connie playfully grinned. She couldn't help but smile at the guy's disappointment.
"Now…remember these two things." The young lady was speaking to Elizabeth, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Whatever happens, you can't fall. We will have you with these ropes. Second, have fun."
"Shouldn't 'have fun' be the first thing?" Elizabeth asked, growing more uncertain of this activity by the second.
"If you climb this wall knowing that it is impossible for you to fall, that will naturally create the fun part. There aren't any chances on you getting hurt."
"No offense, but you're not any bigger than I am. Shouldn't huge football guys be holding these ropes." Elizabeth challenged the lady.
"It's simple physics really…"
"Oh, now you're talking her language." Steph laughed.
"Steph…" Elizabeth glared at her.
"This rope goes through three pulleys that are connected to the ceiling. I can easily hold up eight hundred pounds with little effort. If I lay back with my feet apart, I can double that. If you lose your grip, you will fall a foot or two until the slack is taken up in the rope. Then you will just hang there in midair by the rope and harness. You will have the feeling that you are sitting in the harness like you are sitting in a chair."
"Wait…you said fall."
"You will drop a foot or so."
"That's not any better." Elizabeth shook her head. Her nerves were coming out full force.
"Good grief…come on." Steph challenged her.
The young lady laughed at Elizabeth. "Take your time. Look at your hand and feet placements. You can all do this. Are you all ready?"
Before anyone was able to answer her, Steph had stepped to the wall and was already two placements up the wall.
"This is your fault that I'm doing this." Grumbled Rosemary.
"Mine? It's dare devil's fault." Elizabeth nodded toward Steph.
By the time Elizabeth, Connie, and Rosemary were at the wall and reaching for their first hand hold, Steph was already above their heads. As Elizabeth pulled herself up and placed her right foot on the lower hold, Steph slipped and lost her hold. She tangled in midair for a second. Her laughter could be heard easily. She just swung a couple of times. The lady holding her rope called out.
"I'll slowly let you down then you can try again."
"Perfect." Steph's voice called out in a song like manner. Elizabeth watched her friend swing for a moment and then slowly come back down to the ground. See how that worked? Watching that helped all three of the ladies. They began to understand that they really wouldn't fall and get hurt.
"You've got this." Joe spoke. He was holding Connie's rope which she was beside Elizabeth. He was looking directly at Elizabeth as he spoke.
Elizabeth didn't even look in his direction. She turned to Connie. They were each one hand hold off the ground. Which was about two feet.
"Let's do this." Connie stated with more confidence than she actually had.
"Might as well…we're all dressed up." Rosey stated in a flat tone.
"Come on." Elizabeth smiled. "As least we can't get hurt."
"Unless that guy is paying more attention to you then he is holding my rope." Connie sassed nodding toward the guy that has been trying to flirt and gain Elizabeth's attention.
"I get the feeling he's been staring at me. I wish he would just stop." Elizabeth whispered. "I'm not interested in his staring at me or his flirting."
"Hey…I believe you need to pay more attention to the rope you are holding and what you are supposed to be doing than staring at Elizabeth and her backside." Rosey stated with authority in her voice. "She doesn't want you flirting with her, and Connie doesn't want to get hurt by you not paying attention." Rosey continued. She never wanted anyone to go through what she did with Stan. Especially a close friend of hers.
"What…?" A shocked Joe stated.
"You heard me. Stop staring and stop flirting and do you job."
"Fine." Hissed Joe. He didn't like that he was caught. The three coworkers who were holding the rope stood in shock, then they snickered a little.
"Eyes on your job, Joe."
"I said fine." He hissed under his breath.
…
The guys went to different places in the mall's food court to pick up their food, but they all sat together. They pulled a couple of tables together so they could sit together. While they were a little loud and enjoyed each other's company, they weren't too loud. Just a bunch of teen guys talking and playing around with each other.
"Hey man, do you need me to carry your tray?" Shane sassed. He knew it was going to aggravate Jack.
"Listen here young pup…" He shook his head. Shane had already reached across the table and took his try before Jack was able to do anything about it. Jack stared at the young guy. Shane just shrugged his shoulders.
"Fine, but you'll pay for this."
"Not for a few more days, old man." Shane sassed back with a playful grin.
"Old man…I'll show you old man." Jack swatted at the youngster. He was too far away, and Shane was too quick for Jack to connect.
"Easy young fella…" Steven laughed. "Don't hurt the old man."
"Hey, you're the same age as I am." Jack whined. "Oh, before I get in trouble with Elizabeth, I need to take a group selfie."
"Really?" Shane stated.
"Yeah, really. You don't have a girlfriend, do you?"
"Nope."
"I was given strict instructions to take a group picture. I don't understand why?"
"Oh, Steph told me the same thing."
"So did Connie." Steven added. "Maybe it's a girl thing."
"I think so." Jack added.
The guys got close enough to be in the same picture. Jack extended his hand with his phone. Shane and Malachi had to scrunch in a little more to be in the frame. After taking the picture, he sent it to Elizabeth and then the fellas.
…
"Come on…you can do it!"
"Steph…" Elizabeth let out in a sharp tone. "Hush."
With one last grunt, she reached for the top of the wall. Steph, Connie, and Rosemary were already sitting on top of the wall. With one last push from her right leg, she was on top of the wall. Elizabeth sat down and repositioned herself. She let out a sigh of relief along with a giggle.
"This is the last hair brain idea of yours we do for a while." Elizabeths stated with a breathy tone. She was trying to capture her breath.
"Admit it…it feels good to accomplish this."
Elizabeth thought about it for a moment. She had to admit that it did feel good to climb the wall. It was an accomplishment.
"Fine. You're right, but this is it for a little while."
"Maybe we need to forego the nails and just get a message." Rosey stated to the laughter of the ladies.
"Maybe…but look at these." Connie raised her hands so everyone could see her fingernails. Elizabeth followed suit.
"Mine needs attention too…hey, there's the guys." Steph stated as she pointed to the main aisle of the mall. From their perch on top of the wall, they had a great view of the aisle.
"Elizabeth, did you know they were coming here today?"
"I had no idea. I just knew they were hanging out with each other. I didn't know what they were doing or going."
They watched the guys all horse around and talking with each other. Of course they didn't know what they were saying, but they could see the joy in their body posture. Elizabeth watched intently how Jack was walking. He had a slight limp that he had yesterday at school, but it didn't look like he was in pain. Steph and Connie were watching their boyfriend.
"Hey, Lee isn't with them." Connie stated to Rosemary.
"Oh no. Cory was adamant about his little brother was not tagging along." Rosemary laughed.
"That wasn't very nice."
"Maybe not, Connie, but I understand. I don't like hanging out with Julie when I'm with my friends."
"Cory said he'll make it up to his little brother one day next week by working out with him." Steph laughed.
Elizabeth looked at her phone when it buzzed in her pocket. It was the picture of the group from Jack. She smiled at the happy expression on his face. She watched him pull his cell phone out of his pocket as he listened to Joe. She watched his thumbs work their way around his phone as he laughed with the other guys when Joe stopped talking. Evidently he must have said something funny. As Jack placed his phone in his front pocket, her phone buzzed in her hand. She tore her eyes away from Jack and looked at her phone.
J – I miss you
J – I love you
She smiled as she returned his texts. Jack quickly looked at his phone just seconds later. Her smile only grew when he smiled big at the screen. He was genuinely happy to receive her text. Then she noticed the time.
"Hey girls…we have twenty minutes to get to the salon."
"Then we need to get going."
"One question…" Elizabeth asked as she leaned forward a little to look down over the edge. "How do we get down?"
…
Elizabeth, Steph, Connie, and Rosemary all sat back in the technicians' chairs enjoying the pampering from the woman who were working on their feet. They had already had their manicures finished. The ladies were working on their pedicures. The technicians were messaging their feet and lower legs. The group of four didn't have the strength or desire to raise their heads from the head rest. The message was feeling too great.
"So, you and Lee?"
"Oh Steph…" Rosemary sighed as the lady worked her magic on her right foot. "Much better than I thought it would go."
"Even after…" Steph wasn't sure how to ask the question. She didn't want to bring back any bad memories.
"Yeah. Lee is nothing like that guy."
"I honestly think Cory would kill him if he would do anything close to that."
"Speaking of which…" Elizabeth sassed. "How are thing with Cory?"
"Great." Steph couldn't hide her smile. "We're attending the same school."
"Ok…let me ask you…"
"I don't know. We haven't really talked about it." Steph interrupted. She knew what Elizabeth was going to ask. "We're just focusing on finishing our last semester and then looking forward to college. Connie, you and Steven?"
"About the same as you and Cory. He has hinted about something more, but we haven't really talked about it though."
"I'm not sure what Lee and I are going to do. He's two years behind me. We haven't looked past this semester." She turned her gaze to Elizabeth. "And you and Jack?"
"Oh..." While she and Rosemary were growing closer, they still wasn't too close.
"You see that ring." Sassed Connie.
"Ask her the meaning behind it." Steph continued the statement.
Elizabeth went into a shortened version of the story behind the ring. While Steph and Connie had heard the story before, they still enjoyed listening to it again. They could see the happiness on their friend's face. Rosemary enjoyed listening to the story. She just couldn't get over her best friend from childhood being so romantic. How could a guy who never dated being such a romantic?
"I just can't believe Jack planned and said all of that? The guy who would run from every girl that approached him?" She shook her head in unbelief. "That guy was completely hopeless."
"Maybe he just didn't meet the right one until now."
"I believe you are correct, Elizabeth. I have known Jack for many years. You bring out the best version of him."
"They are sickly sweet." Connie laughed. Steph nodded in agreement.
"And you and Steven isn't?" Challenged Elizabeth. She turned her attention to Steph. "And you and Cory?"
"We are." Connie and Steph stated at the same time.
"And…?"
"I asked Jack to place the ring on my finger in this direction."
"Yeah…"
"Yeah…I know Jack isn't perfect. There are times he is frustrating, but he is perfect for me."
"All of this from a girl who would run from any guy except Charles?" Steph sassed. "Who would ever imagine that girl would be so romantic?"
"So, I have heard a thousand things about you and Charles. What's the story behind that?" Rosemary stated as she moaned when the woman hit a sore spot on her calf.
…
Ted looked up from the wall he and Viola were assembling. They were framing the two by fours into a wall on the floor to be put up soon. Assembling it on the ground was just easier than trying to build it in place. He chuckled at the memory of Viola becoming used to the nail gun. The sharp sound of it going off the first time frightened her. She was scared of it. After a few minutes of helping her with it, she was quickly becoming a pro. He knelt on his knee watching this young woman. She was completely out of her element doing this type of work. However, she was very good at it when she got past the loud sound. Now she looked like she had used the nail gun for years. She was quickly using the two by fours in studding up the window opening.
Viola was very doubtful when she realized what Ted had planned for the day. She has never built a home before. She was certain she hadn't even seen any part of it being done before. Their discussion in the car before getting out to work was very encouraging to her. Ted really didn't know her family when he spoke with her the first time. She took it that he wanted to speak to her, not her father. He was a little concerned that she came from money and he didn't. She thought it was a little on the sweet side. She was very serious that she didn't care if he came from money or not. That was a new thought to her.
Viola was intrigued with this guy. A guy studying classical piano, who was funny, and someone who loved helping others. This wasn't the first time he has volunteered to build a home for a deserving family. She was quickly falling for this guy.
Ted smiled when she nailed in the last stud of the wall. She stood and leaned backwards to stretch out her back. A woman who was usually put together perfectly, had sawdust on her shirt. She had long lost her heavy coat and stole one of his flannel shirts. While it was buttoned up except for the top three buttons, it was untucked. Her pants had dirt streaks on both sides where she would wipe her hands when they got dirty. She long ago lost the gloves he gave her. She was working hard and was getting warm with all the clothes on. He thought her hair was perfectly adorable in its messiness. She hand placed it in a ponytail. It was certainly messy with flecks of sawdust in it. "If she knew how gorgeous she looks with messy hair." He stated to himself. He pulled out his phone to sneak a quick picture of her.
"Hey, you got that wood for me?" She asked when she noticed him looking at her.
"You are a prison warden when you work." He sassed carrying four pieces of two by fours.
"Come on, we're almost done with this wall. Once we set it in place, we can break for lunch."
"I thought you haven't done this type of work before. You are sounding like a veteran carpenter."
"Enough sass from you. Now, give me one of those boards and hold that end. Make sure you have it by the mark I left."
"I mess up once and you're never going to forgive me, are you?"
"Not when we have to redo the work." She smiled at him. She liked giving him a hard time.
"You like doing this?"
She stood tall and look in his eyes. "I am loving this. It's so…so rewarding." She finally found the word she was looking for. "I think I may hurt tomorrow, but I really am enjoying doing this with you."
"Thank you for not thinking this was silly."
"Ted, this morning has been incredible. And knowing this is helping a family in need of a home…this is amazing." He believed her when he saw her smile.
"Good…now you may need to slow down some or you won't be able to walk in a couple of days. It's always worse on the second day."
"Try to keep up." She playfully nudged his shoulder. "Now, hold that in the middle of the mark and I'll nail this end first."
"You do remember, Viola, that I'm the one that taught you."
"Come on, I'm getting hungry."