by Mj Fields
The road was long and rutted up by tractors and farm equipment. John told him his car wouldn���t make it down to the pond.
When they made it to the opening in the field Lucas watched as Tessa and Jade carried dinner out from a wooded area.
���Man, it���s beautiful down here Ross.��� Tommy said as he jumped out from the back of the truck and looked around.
Lucas jumped out next and stood for a moment taking in the surreal beauty that surrounded them.
He followed the others out to the dock, then they all jumped in with their jeans on. Kendall and Jake were on the floating dock and they swam out to them. They rocked it back and forth and took turns launching the kids into the water.
Tessa rang the big dinner bell, and they all swam in. Tessa and Jade just stood and watched, admiring the view. They had brought a couple of towels and they helped dry off the kids. Jade and Tessa then made plates for Jake, Kendall, and themselves and sat at a table with the kids and John while the guys laughed and talked about football as they filled their plates.
Tessa looked down when she noticed Lucas looking at her. She was unsure of what he was thinking but knew she shouldn���t wonder. She had enough to worry about. Losing focus was not a good idea. She also knew she certainly shouldn���t be staring at him, encouraging him to continue playing a game she knew would be dangerous. She needed to look away, but there was something about him, something she couldn���t figure out. Something deeper than what she had first seen. Was he more than just a hot, popular, football star who knew all of that about himself?
Her trance was broken when she saw her mom���s car pulling down the driveway. It was Friday night, and Jake and Kendall were going with Maggie for the weekend. Tessa���s eyes narrowed as she looked toward her mother. Her father kicked her under the table.
���She���s your mom, kiddo. Go say hi.���
She looked at him and scowled.
���Now,��� he insisted.
She stomped as she headed for the car. ���When will you two be stopping down?��� Maggie asked after she had hugged both Alex and Tessa.
���When will you be coming home?��� Tessa asked.
Her mother called after her as she walked away.
���Mom, give her time,��� Alex said. ���This isn���t easy, ya know? We need time.��� He kissed her and opened the car door so she could get in. ���See you at my game in the morning.���
Jade watched as Tessa ran to the dock and dove into the pond. She walked to the dock, waiting for Tessa to surface, then ran and did a cannon ball next to her. They laughed as they swam to the floating dock and pulled themselves onto it.
���You alright, Tessa?���
���Yep, just pissed.���
���Focus on something else Tessa, like the trees,��� Jade pointed or the very hot boys over there,��� Jade laughed and pointed.
Tessa smacked her hand and laughed, ���It���s not polite to point you know.���
* * *
Lucas and Tommy went to help Alex grab some wood for a fire. They saw the cabin sitting in a clearing, ���Nice,��� Tommy said, ���Is this your place Alex?���
���It���s our family���s deer camp.���
���Very cool.��� Lucas said.
The three boys walked back to the pond and started a bonfire.
���Hey guys,��� John said, ���thanks for your help. I���m going to head home. Anyone need a lift up the hill?��� When no one accepted John chuckled, ���Alright then you have two hours tops, you need to get to bed, big game tomorrow.���
���Dad, could you call Uncle Jack and let him know where we are?��� Alex asked.
Lucas took note that he was being protective of his cousin.
John nodded and waved as he walked to the truck.
When Tessa, Jade, Ryan, and Frankie got out of the pond Alex tossed them towels. She laughed and joked with Jade, Ryan, and Frankie. But she often found herself stealing glances at Lucas. Each time she did, he was doing the same. By the end of the night, they both smiled when they caught each other looking.
Alex put the fire out, and they walked toward the trucks parked at the edge of the field.
���Tommy and Lucas, ride with us,��� Jade yelled as she and Tessa got in the front and Lucas and Tommy jumped in the back. They followed Alex up the hill and he waved as he pulled onto the main road.
Tessa and Jade pulled over to let them out at Lucas���s car. Tessa watched as Lucas walked over to the car.
When he returned he handed her envelopes that her father used when paying help. ���Hey Tessa, could you give this back to your Dad and let him know that we had a great time.���
He took Tommy���s shirt and threw it to him. He walked up and began putting his on Tessa. She didn���t know how to feel about this bold move on his part. She looked over and Tommy was doing the same to Jade. She looked back at Lucas wanting to thank him but the words just wouldn���t come out.
���Great first date,��� Lucas whispered to Tessa.
She looked at the ground wanting to ignore what he had just said. First date? ���Thanks for your help.���
Lucas looked in her eyes as if he wanted to say more. When Tommy spoke they both looked away from each other.
���Pizza and a movie tomorrow night?��� Tommy asked Jade.
���Well, we we���ll see. I think it���ll take a lot more of that free help to win Alex over.��� Jade smiled.
���We shall see. See you at the game, pretty girl,��� Tommy said as he walked to Lucas���s car.
The girls got in the truck and laughed as they followed Tommy and Lucas down the road.
���Nice sweatshirts,��� Alex said as the girls got out of the vehicle at the farm.
���I think it was nice of them,��� Jade smiled.
Tessa handed her brother the envelopes as she walked in the house she looked back at Alex. ���Yes, it was. See you tomorrow Jade.���
Alex and Jade got in his truck so he could take her home. Tessa technically wasn���t allowed to drive after nine until she was eighteen so they kept it to a minimum.
As they pulled onto the driveway Jade looked at Alex, ���Do you like them now?���
���Too early to tell,��� Alex answered.
CHAPTER THREE
Jade woke up and smiled as she smelled her new favorite shirt. It was cleaning day, she thought which took the cheesy grin off her face. She went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and pulled her hair up in a bun. She went back into her room and took off the sweatshirt and laid it on her pillow, then threw on a tee- shirt and shorts instead.
She grabbed her phone to send a text to Tommy.
- Good luck today
- Wow��� good morning pretty girl, that���s the first time you have texted me first, I like it
- LOL
- My sweatshirt keep you warm last night
- Actually it did, just took it off
- I don���t know which part I like the best
- ??????
- my shirt keeping you warm all night, or the part about you taking it off
- Hmmm!
- too much?
- YES!!!
- Sorry pretty girl, just being honest
- Like honesty���but slow it down, boy.
- Got it���see you later pretty girl
* * *
Tessa woke up and smelled her shirt, smiling faintly. Her dad knocked on the door. ���Tessa you up?��� he asked as he walked in.
���Yep,��� she said. ���It���s quiet here today.���
���Too quiet,���
�� he said sadly. ���So tomorrow is your birthday, and I thought maybe tonight you���d want to invite some friends up to stay at the Camp. I know it���s last minute. Things have been a little hectic around here. The only thing is, Alex and a couple of friends will be in tents outside to chaperone, and I have to deliver a load of hay to New Jersey. Your mom will be stopping up to check on you.���
���Forget it then. Alex will be there, Dad. I REALLY don���t want to see her, especially with my friends around,��� Tessa grumbled.
���Okay, I���ll see what I can do, but tomorrow we���re all going to have dinner together for your birthday. Tessa, she���s your Mother, and regardless of what���s going on with us, she does love you. No arguments. Got it?��� he asked sternly.
���Fine.��� She grabbed her phone and texted the girls.
- So Dad just said we could use the camp tonight to have a sleepover for my birthday, so here���s your invitation, Becca please invite Phoebe, I don���t have her number.
She pushed send, and a few minutes later they all responded that they were coming. Tessa got up and decided to clean. She started with her bedroom. While cleaning her room she looked in the mirror, she was still wearing his sweatshirt, and it still smelled like his cologne. She cleaned the entire house wearing his shirt, laughing as she slid across the wood floor in her socks like the scene in one of her mom���s favorite movies. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of her mother.
She cranked up the music and danced around to the Dixie Chicks. She finished cleaning and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower then braced herself to text her mother.
- I am going to Alex���s game; can I pick up the kids and take them with me?
- We���ll meet you there.
- Can���t wait!
She grumbled as she pushed send.
- I love you Tessa.
She set her phone on the bed and threw in a load of laundry. She cringed as she saw his sweatshirt sinking into the wash, ���Damn it!���
* * *
Tessa pulled into the parking lot a little late and looked around for her friends. She saw Jade, Phoebe, and Becca sitting on the bleachers a few rows behind the cheerleaders. She rolled her eyes as she walked up.
Tessa sat down. ���Nice seats.���
The Saints were ahead. Lucas could not throw a bad pass if he wanted to, and between Tommy and Alex, they caught every one. With each touchdown Tommy made he would hold up his ���J��� and smile at Jade. Alex returned a punt and ran eighty yards to score a touchdown. He held up his hand in a ���J��� and pointed at Jade and shook his head no. Jade laughed as she saw Tommy look down, covering his face as he laughed.
���Busted,��� Tessa laughed at Jade.
Tessa���s mom and the kids sat behind the girls. Jake and Kendall climbed down and sat next to Tessa. Sadi threw nasty looks at them whenever she could.
Phoebe finally looked at her and said, ���Your face is going to freeze like that, girl,��� making them all laugh. Sadi was an implant just like Lucas and Tommy, and a world class snob.
The game ended with the Saints winning by twenty- one points. It was their first game, and they could not have done any better. Everyone rushed the field, including Jade who scanned the crowd for Tommy. He saw her and ran up to her but stopped when he saw Alex. He started to turn around.
Alex grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. ���You wanna hug, Tommy boy?��� he teased, nodding toward Jade.
���Dude, sorry, but I so do.��� Tommy looked like he was in pain. Jade laughed as Alex jumped up and wrapped his arms and legs around Tommy, hugging him and knocking them both to the ground. The boys laughed, and Ryan reached out his hand and pulled them both up.
���We are going to walk away now, Tommy Boy, but we���ll look back in ten seconds,��� Alex warned.
Tommy smiled and ran to grab Jade. He picked her up and hugged her while he twirled her around. ���Pretty girl, I think you���re a good luck charm. Can I kiss you before your cousin turns around? Please?���
���Since you asked so nicely,��� she said before kissing him first.
Tessa, Kendall, and Jake looked for Alex. ���Hey Tessa, that���s the boy that was at our house last night,��� Kendall said as they walked by Lucas.
���Hey, hay boy,��� Jake yelled to Lucas who stood in a crowd of cheerleaders. ���You played awesome.���
Tessa felt her face turn red as he laughed and smiled at her. He walked toward them to receive Jake���s high- five. ���Thanks, little man. Do you think your sister liked the game?���
���You bet she did. She smiled a lot more today than usual.���
Tessa���s eyes widened as she continued looking at the ground.
Alex came up smiling, and Tessa finally forced herself to speak. ���Great game. You guys played well together.���
Alex smiled as he patted Lucas���s shoulder. ���We did.���
���What���s this ���hay boy��� shit, Lucas?��� Sadi yelled from behind Tessa, shoving her and causing her to fall into him.
Lucas caught her. ���Back off, Sadi. I told you two weeks ago that we���re done.��� He looked down at Tessa who was still in his arms. ���You okay?���
���I���m fine.��� She turned around and looked at Sadi. ���You need to watch your mouth in front of kids, especially these ones.���
���Kiss my ass, farm girl,��� retorted Sadi, reaching out to shove her again.
Lucas caught her hand. ���Back off Sadi.���
���You boys enjoying the homegrown Prosti- tots now?��� Sadi hissed.
���Lets go,��� Alex grabbed Tessa���s arm and she pulled it away.
���I will catch up in a minute,��� she said to him through her teeth.
Alex shook his head as he walked away with the kids.
���Now that the kids are gone I���m only going to tell you this once. If you ever put your hands on me again I won���t hesitate to do the same to you.��� Tessa then looked at Lucas, ���You done with her?��� He chuckled and shook his head yes. ���Alright then.���
���Your threats don���t scare me, bitch,��� Sadi yelled.
Tessa walked into Lucas. She looked at him and he could sense she was nervous.
���I���m going to kiss you,��� she whispered.
���And I���m going to enjoy it,��� he whispered back.
Tessa held onto Lucas��� biceps and he wrapped his arms around her lifting her up as they kissed. Lucas pulled at her lip with his teeth, and she opened her mouth slowly while he gently explored her it with his tongue. He set Tessa down as she pulled slowly away. He took her hand, and they walked off the field.
Alex looked angry as Tessa walked by him toward Jade and Tommy who smiled at Lucas.
She saw her mom out of the corner of her eye and knew she was upset. She saw her say something to Alex and then stormed toward Tessa.
���What are you thinking, young lady? That is not the way I raised you!��� she yelled.
Lucas started to pull away but Tessa didn���t let go of his hand. ���That���s right Mom, it wasn���t.��� She started to walk by, but her mother grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
���Tessa Ross, don���t you walk away from me!���
���It was only to prove a point to some stupid girl, Mom!��� Tessa yelled, choking up. ���And as far as how I was raised,��� she continued to yell, ���actions speak louder than words, and YOU���RE the one who taught me how to walk away!��� She turned toward Lucas
and he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb as they walked away.
Jade ran toward Tessa and hugged her.
���I���m fine,��� Tessa said.
���We���re going to shower. Will you be here when we get done?��� Tommy asked Jade.
���Yes,��� Jade nodded, ���we will.���
The boys followed the rest of the team into the locker room, and Tessa ran up to the kids, hugging them as they walked to their Mom���s car. ���Don���t cry,��� she said as she kissed their heads. ���I���m ok, you���re both ok, and Alex kicked butt today.��� She grinned at them. ���Have fun with Mom tonight. I���ll see you all in the morning!���
���For your birthday,��� Alex said.
���Yep, and I want chocolate cake, got it?��� she stood up and looked at her mom. ���See ya, Mom.���
���Have fun tonight, Tessa. I love you,��� Maggie said sadly.
Tessa was going to walk away without responding but then saw that the kids were watching her. ���I love you, too.���
* * *
Lucas walked up to Tessa after practice. ���You okay?���
She looked down. ���I���m fine,��� she said. The butterflies began dancing in her belly. ���Sorry about all that. It���s just������
Lucas took her hand, walking her away from Jade and Tommy and she stopped talking.
When he stopped he turned and looked at her, ���Not that your point- proving kiss wasn���t great. It was, but I���d really like to try it again. You know, a kiss for us, not for the hundred people who were standing around.���
Her eyes widened as he lifted her chin, she quickly closed her eyes; she couldn���t look at him. He kissed her lips gently. She gasped, and he moved to her cheek then back to her lips. He gently sucked her bottom lip, and her mouth opened. Her head was spinning as his tongue began to explore her again. She started to pull back, but he gently put his hand behind her head, and her tongue finally met his. Lucas slowly began pulling away, lightly dragging his teeth down her tongue. He let go, and kissed her again, this time without the tongue, parting his lips slightly so they covered hers once more and then over and over again. She wanted his tongue again. She needed his tongue again. She bit on his lip, and he opened his mouth for her to slide her tongue in, slowly and cautiously exploring his mouth for what seemed like forever. Finally, Lucas pulled away, and Tessa slowly opened her eyes. She felt her body coming back to reality. Her face burned, and she closed her eyes.