Discovering Pride (Pride Series) (10 page)

T
he house was going to kill him, he thought, after multiple times of hitting his fingers, elbows, knees, and although it only happened once,
his head.  He would have thought he suffered enough for the place, but no. Now the “Beast,” as he liked to call it, had taken a chunk out of his pride and made him feel stupid.

Why couldn’t he figure out the damn electrical wires? He had aced medical school…aced it! But, why couldn’t he figure out where the damned green wire was supposed to be connected? Aaron sat looking at his recently purchased book,  ‘
Home
Wiring for Dummies
’ and thought he might as well be looking at a schematic for the space shuttle. There were pages loaded with black, white, and red wire information, but nothing, nothing on green wires.

Looking down at the lone green wire in his hand he started to question whether he was color blind. Did color blind people see red as green? He had always assumed they just saw everything in gray scales, kind of like dogs.

He’d been here almost four months now and had worked on the house almost every night.  He was also working at the office five days a week. Maybe he needed a break from working? Maybe it was just him?

Frustrated, he tossed the book across the empty floor and decided to call a local electrician tomorrow.

He knew heavy gossip was rolling through town, especially after kissing Lacey in front of the grocery store. He heard the gossip at the hardware store, the grocery store, and even in his damn office. He could see every eye was on him whenever he drove through town. Maybe he needed a break from town?

He was sure every woman for at least two counties had come in to the office over the last few months, wanting in on the gossip. Every woman except the one he couldn’t get his mind off.

After putting in a full nine hours at the office and spending the last two hours hunched over the wires poking out of his bare walls, he needed a break, a beer, and a woman.

Stalking out of the room, he grabbed his coat, and decided a cold walk on the beach would clear his mind.

Maybe he would see Lacey there again?

He headed down the narrow path that lead down to the beach, his mind racing.

He really enjoyed the solitude of the place, the peace and quiet of the small town, not to mention the friendly people—people so much unlike what he had ever experienced before.

As he made his way toward the beach he realized no one had called or tried to contact him from his old life. Not after the large scene that had played out at that last party, except for Jennifer.

He continued to think about it as the trail head opened up to the cold windy beach. He had made a point to avoid any and all calls from Jennifer, even at the hospital he worked at.  He had to tell the nurses and staff not to page him every time she called.

He looked out at the water and walked down to the water’s edge. He could hear the gulls calling out their sad song as the cold salt water sprayed his face.  He realized he never felt more alive.

He had walked around life in a daze for a few weeks after that party. Looking back at it now, he was sure it was his grandfathers’ call that actually woke him up. After then, he quickly packed up his life. A week later he was a home owner and living just down the street from some of the nicest people he had ever known.

Thinking about the Jordans, he doubted that any of them would have walked away from a friend in need. He picked up a pebble to throw into the surf and smiled as he thought of Lacey. Somehow the cold air and the salt water hitting his face didn’t seem so cold anymore.

Three days later he stood and watched others work around his house
 for the first time in over four months.

The place was definitely coming along now.  He had several walls painted, hired a plumber to put in the shower and toilets, and had hired an electrician to finish the small things that just frankly annoyed him.

He hadn’t seen or heard from Lacey in over a week. Every time he traveled down to the restaurant, she was nowhere to be found. He was unsure how she did it in a town this small, but he was sure she was avoiding him.

The electrician, John Timothy, walked up interrupting his thoughts. John was a big man in his late fifties with shoulders and hands like boulders, but he had a smile that told of his easy personality. Aaron liked the guy immediately.

“
We can have you all set up today, shouldn’t take my guys much longer. Be out of here around four.”

“Great,” Aaron shook hands with him. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am.” Aaron shuddered remembering the electrical book that was now in the bottom of one of the trash cans outside. “I should be back around three or so. You have my number in case you have any questions?”

“Sure do. It’s a pleasure having you here in town, your granddad helped deliver my four boys, course they’re all grown up now.” he said with a big smile nodding towards two of the workers. “They help me out these days.”

“You must be proud.” he smiled back.

“Oh, I am. You’re doing a great job fixing this old place up. It used to be a real looker, and from the looks of it, will be again.”

“Thank you.”

“Course a house this size needs a family to fill it. You a family man Mr. Stevens?”

Aaron smiled, “No, but I would like to be.” he’d heard this question countless times over the last few months. Now, it seemed to him all he had ever wanted in his life was a family…a real family. That is what he’d been searching for when he ran into Jennifer.

Looking back now, he thinks she exploited his weakness of wanting a family and home. But as his thought turned to family, it wasn’t Jennifer’s face that came into view. Instead of the tall busty blonde, a petite raven hair beauty came into focus. Shaking his head he figured another stop at The Golden Oar after work couldn’t hurt him. And, if Lacey wasn’t there, then he would have a quick talk with her brother Iian and see where she had been hiding herself.

As it happened, she wasn’t there. But, Iian was and he had been heading to the boys and girls club to play a game of basketball with a group of guys he’d been playing with since grade school. Of course he had invited Aaron along to which Aaron quickly agreed. Maybe beating some locals in a sport which he kicked butt in would help level him out.

What he hadn’t expected was to get his butt handed back to him bruised and beaten. How could a bunch of small town guys play so hard and viscous? Iian was one of the worst offenders; Aaron was fouled more times than he could count and he had ended up on the ground more than he wanted to. No doubt, he would be black and blue with bruises tomorrow.

“Where did you guys learn to play that ruthless?” Aaron signed and asked Iian as they changed in the locker room.

“People think I’ll take it easy on them, or that I can’t play well because of my hearing.” Iian signed back. “I played all throughout middle and high school.” he picked up his shoes and tossed them in his locker and shut it. Then he continued, “If you think we play rough, you should see my sister and those hoodlums they call middle graders. She coaches girls’ basketball and then softball in the spring and summer for the B&G club.”

“Lacey plays basketball?” he thought of Lacey jumping at the hoop and wondered how high she could jump. He had thought about putting up a hoop at his place, but now he knew he wanted to get one up first thing next spring.

Iian laughed then signed, “Even though she’s short, the little white girl can jump.”

The pair laughed as they left the gym.

Taking time out was something everyone needed to do, at least once a week. Lacey enjoyed floating in her pond in the warmer parts of the year. However, once the weather turned cold, she took to the pool at the Boys and Girls club. She enjoyed being at the club so much that she signed up to teach young kids how to swim.

However,
thinking of her choices on the drive into town, she now wondered if she had lost her mind.

Why did she think she had enough time to do this? Why would she put herself through this sort of punishment? Did she have aspirin in the car for afterwords? Did she still really want five kids herself?

All these questions raced through her mind, until she saw the little faces waiting by the side of the pool. Boys and girls above the age of five sat on the edge of the club’s smaller pool. Some of the smaller kids wore floating devices; the others were skilled or old enough to not need the help.

“Hello Miss Jordan” the kids said in unison.

“Hello everyone. Who’s ready to learn the breaststroke today?”

Upon hearing the word ‘breaststroke’ all the kids started giggling.

This was the reason she taught once a week; the smiles and laughter of the young children in her town could never be replaced. Lacey’s week felt complete.