Before It's Love

by Michelle Pennington

  “There you go. Sit here a minute.” He sat next to me, turning sideways until his knee brushed against my thigh. “Where did I hit you?”

  It was hard to think with him touching me. “My whole left side. But I’ll be fine in a minute.”

  He smiled. “I’ll try to resist making any jokes about you being fine just now.”

  I coughed in surprise, then coughed a few more times as my lungs decided that was a good idea.

  When I was finally done, he asked, “You’re Lauren, right?”

  I nodded, not surprised he’d guessed.

  One of the other guys from his game shouted to him. “Hey, Jake. Are you coming back or not?”

  My mouth dropped open and I studied him as he turned to look at his friend. So this was the legendary Jake. In profile, his face was rugged with a harshly cut jaw and chin, but expressive eyebrows and full lips softened the effect. Drops of water skimmed down his tanned face and clung to his spiked lashes. His lips were rosy from the cold water. “Play without me for a minute,” he called back.

  “You don’t have to worry about me anymore.” I said, not wanting him to miss out. “Really. I’m okay.”

  He nodded, but didn’t jump back into the pool. “So you’re a cowgirl, huh?”

  Thanks a lot, farmer’s tan. “Yeah. Is it that obvious?”

  “Actually, not really. If Natalie hadn’t told me, I never would have known.”

  I sat up straight as five generations of pride shot through me. “Why not?”

  He shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “You look too delicate.”

  Rolling my eyes, I said, “I’m tougher than I look, I promise.” I held up my left hand and showed him my latest scar. It was still pink and puckered, about three inches long, curving over the skin between my thumb and forefinger. “I got this about a month ago wrestling our billy goat out of a fence. He’d gotten his head stuck trying to reach the strawberries. Man, he was tangled up. Even a tough guy like you would have had a hard time with that mess, but I got him free, even if it took nine stitches to fix me up again.”

  Jake laughed and pulled my hand in close to look at it. His touch sent shivers through me and I pulled my hand away like I’d been shocked.

  The side of his mouth twisted up in a half-smile. “Okay, I believe you. Let’s just say you weren’t what I was expecting.”

  My brothers had always called me “Pixie” and teased me mercilessly about how little I was. Maybe I was too sensitive about it, but it still galled me. “Yeah? Well after the way Natalie goes on and on about you, I expected something different too.”

  Which was true. I’d been sure she’d been exaggerating about how hot Jake was right up until I realized who he was. But he didn’t have to know what I meant. Let him think the worst. Then I pressed my fist to my lips in horror as I realized how I’d just betrayed Natalie. But, surely he already knew she liked him.

  With a thoughtful expression, Jake asked, “Are you going to elaborate?”

  “No,” I said, slipping into the water. I sank below the surface and kicked off hard against the side of the pool, swimming furiously underwater to get away from him. But in seconds, strong fingers caught my ankle and jerked me backwards. Powerless against Jake’s strength, I didn’t resist. This wasn’t the first time a guy had tried to manhandle me in the water. I had three brothers after all.

  My legs slipped past Jake’s chest as he pulled me even with him, and I straightened as soon as he let go of my foot. I caught sight of his laughing face and nearly laughed myself, but there was no way I was going to explain what I meant. Curling quickly, I pulled my knees up to my chest and when Jake tried to pull me towards him, I kicked out against him, ramming my feet into his diaphragm.

  He let go immediately and bent forward, but before I could swim away, he grabbed my shoulder and pushed me under water. My feet landed squarely on the bottom of the pool and I pushed up hard. As soon as my head broke the surface, Jake grabbed my shoulders again, but this time he pulled me closer. I braced myself against his chest with my hands, trying not to notice how firm his muscles were.

  “Tell me what you meant,” he said, laughter making his words unsteady.

  “Not happening,” I gasped out.

  He pushed me back under water, but I was prepared for it and grabbed a decent breath as I plugged my nose with my fingers. This was so mature. When I hit the bottom, I let go of my nose, turned, and swam away from Jake into the shallow area where I would be able to get away easier.

  He followed me, of course. As I came up, his arms wrapped around me from behind, completely inescapable. With his forearms around my ribs and right under my chest, my cleavage was lifted higher just as I was, though of course he couldn’t see it. He probably had no idea that with the pressure of water pushing down as he lifted me up, way more of my chest was being exposed than was cool. I struggled to pull up the front of my suit while my legs flailed in water, but it wouldn’t budge. I prayed he’d hurry up and body slam me, which I was sure he was about to do, before the worst happened. Surely I could get away from him this time. But then the realization surged through me that I didn’t want to get away.

  Which was probably why I screamed so loud when I saw Nick and Natalie on the edge of the pool watching us with identical scowls.

  “Oh my gosh, let go of me,” I said to Jake, pummeling his arms with both fists until he released me.

  I flicked my sodden hair out of my face, glad the water only came up to my armpits here so I could stand up. “Nick,” I said, fumbling to sound normal while I adjusted my swimsuit back into place.

  “Hey man,” Jake said, his voice calmer than mine. “I was just getting to know your girlfriend.”

  “So I saw,” Nick said, the muscles in his jaw bunching when he closed his mouth again.

  And this was my first attempt to fit in here. Epic disaster.

  Chapter Four

  Jake

  Every Sunday, I take Grams to church in her car instead of mine. It had incredibly low mileage since she rarely drove it anywhere, but it was her last stand against old age. As long as she had a car in the garage and a license in her wallet, she was content—even though I did most of the driving.

  Since my parents had moved away while I was gone to college, Grams was the last member of our family in Slaytonville. My mom tortured herself with guilt over leaving her mom alone until I decided to move back to my hometown and keep an eye on her myself. My graphic design business was starting to do well, but I could do it from anywhere. Besides, Grams was worth the effort.

  As we emerged from the cool halls of the church into the parking lot, it felt like walking into an oven. Amazingly, when I opened the passenger door for her, a wave of even hotter air slammed into me, carrying the scent of baking leather and mulberry air freshener. “Careful, Grams. Don’t burn yourself on the seat or the buckles.”

  She turned her sharp eyes on me and pursed her lips. “You think I haven’t spent seventy-six years in Arkansas heat?”

  I smiled as she sank into her seat, but hurried around to start the car and get the AC going instead of answering. I didn’t want her to get overheated, but she appeared cool and serene as always. Her posture was straight, her chin in the air as her curious eyes watched the town pass by, even though she’d seen the same view a million times.

  My phone rang as we neared her neighborhood. I thought about calling them back later, but Grams said, “Don’t worry about me, dear. You can take the call.”

  When we stopped at a red light, I pulled my phone out of the cup holder next to me and glanced at the screen. “I’m not sure I want to. It’s Natalie.”

  “That pretty red head you brought by the house once?”

  “Yes,” I said, surprised that she remembered. Natalie and I had been on our way to a movie when I’d stopped by to get her mail and check on her.

  “Unless you have plans to become a monk, you should call her back.”

  “Sorry, Grams, but Natalie and I just didn’t cli
ck.”

  “Click? Hah! Such nonsense.”

  I pulled into her driveway, and parked the car. She waited with her bag on her lap until I opened her door. She rose from the seat regally, and walked inside with her red shoes tapping on the walkway.

  “If you aren’t interested in Natalie, who are you interested in?”

  Sighing, I followed her inside. “I figured this wasn’t over.”

  Grams stepped out of her shoes, a look of relief crossing her lined face, then sank into her recliner. “Your grandpa proposed to me when he was twenty-two. How old are you?”

  “I’m twenty-five, but if you’re going to start guilting me about not being married, I’m out of here.”

  “Well, I won’t. I don’t think you’re ready for it anyway.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means you don’t know the first thing about what you want in a woman.”

  I went into the kitchen to make her a sandwich like I did every Sunday. Leaning into the fridge, I pulled out a tub of pimento cheese. “It’s not that I don’t know what I want, it’s that I haven’t found it yet. Especially since I’m not looking.”

  Even from the kitchen I could hear her sigh. “Maybe it’s best that way. Life has a way of throwing people at you when you least expect it.”

  I made her sandwich and wondered if it was fate that threw me onto a collision course with Lauren at the pool yesterday. If so, I’d gotten a bum deal. Lauren was already taken. I had to admit though, fate had good taste.

  “You should call that girl back,” Grams said as I brought her sandwich over to her.

  It took a moment before I realized that Grams meant Natalie, since my thoughts had wandered to another girl. I set the dainty, rose covered plate down on the table next to her, along with a glass of milk. “I don’t want to lead her on. I think she has feelings for me.”

  “Give her a chance. Maybe your feelings will change.”

  I doubted it, but as I drove home later, I thought about it more. There were a lot of things I liked about Natalie besides her obvious beauty, like her tenacity. Once she decided she wanted something, she made it happen. Which meant I should probably save myself some trouble and call her back, because she wouldn’t give up until she talked to me.

  As I walked up to my apartment, I called her and she picked up right away. “Hey, thanks for calling me back. Were you at your grandma’s?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You know, I’d love to go by and see her again. I barely got to meet her that one time.”

  Thinking about the conversations the two might have, that was the last thing I wanted to happen, but I just said, “Yeah. Maybe sometime. Why’d you call?”

  “Oh…We’re having some people over for pie and ice cream. Want to come?”

  Dessert plus lots of other people around? I could handle that. “Sure. What time?”

  “As soon as you can. We’ve already started and the pie is going fast.”

  I’d just set my foot on the stairs up to my apartment, so I laughed and pivoted around and headed across the street. “On my way.”

  When I rang the doorbell, Natalie’s roommate Renee opened the door for me. Her black-lined eyes sparked with anger and her lips were pressed tight together. Stepping past her, I asked, “Everything okay?”

  “Just perfect.” She cast a glare over to the kitchen, then walked out the front door, slamming it behind her.

  Raising my eyebrows, I turned to see what she was so mad about and saw Nick trying to get Lauren to eat a cherry he was waving in front of her mouth. She shook her head and turned away as she pushed his hand away repeatedly.

  “Whatever, babe.” Nick ate the cherry, and turned away to talk to someone else.

  As I walked over, I watched as Lauren served herself a slice of apple pie.

  “Hey, Jake. That was fast,” Natalie said, grinning at me. She held an ice cream scoop in one hand, and waved it around the room. “Amazing how many people come running when you’re serving sugar,” she said.

  There were a lot of people here—only some of whom I knew. “I won’t deny it persuaded me.”

  “What do you want?”

  “Since Lauren took the last slice of apple, how about a piece of peach?”

  Lauren turned to me, her cheeks slightly pink. “I haven’t taken a bite yet if you’d rather have this?”

  I shook my head, smiling. “No, you eat it. I wasn’t hinting.”

  “Ice cream?” Natalie asked.

  “Of course.”

  She dropped an enormous scoop on my plate.

  “Trying to fatten me up so you can keep up with me when we run?” I asked.

  “That’s not a bad idea,” she said, tapping her finger on her lips as if she was thinking. “Tell you what, why don’t you come over for dessert every day?”’

  There was a gleam in her eyes that was completely obvious. I’d have to be an idiot not to catch on. Clearing my throat, I took a bite of pie to buy some time. After swallowing, I said, “This is good, but I’d prefer to keep my abs.”

  To my right, Lauren laughed and choked on her pie. Concerned, I watched as she coughed and ran over to the sink for a drink of water.

  “You okay?” I asked when she came back over.

  “Fine.” But her face was red and she didn’t meet my eyes before she grabbed her plate and walked away.

  Disappointed, I sat on a barstool and focused on eating my pie before it was drowned in melted ice cream. After a few minutes, I looked up when Natalie sighed.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Oh, I just wish Lauren would talk to somebody. If she isn’t talking to me or Nick, she just sits there by herself, looking miserable.”

  Standing, I dropped my paper plate and plastic spoon in the trash. “Maybe she is. Give her some time.”

  Natalie moved closer to me. “You know, Nick was pretty mad about you flirting with Lauren at the pool yesterday.”

  I shrugged. “I was just having a little fun. Tell him to get over it.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “I know you don’t mean anything by it, but you might want to be careful. Lauren hasn’t known many guys and she might take you seriously.”

  I narrowed my eyes, considering her words. Was she more worried about her brother’s relationship or about the non-existent one between her and me? “No worries. I can make sure a girl knows if I’m serious or not.” And just to make my point, I nodded and walked away.

  Since it would be too rude to eat and leave, I walked over to a group of people I knew and joined their conversation. But as much as I tried, I couldn’t fight my curiosity about Lauren. I looked across the room several times to where she sat in an arm chair in the corner, running her spoon in circles on her empty plate. Then, as I watched, she looked up. I followed the direction of her eyes to the kitchen where Nick was still talking to some of his buddies as they ate. She got up, leaving her plate on the coffee table, and walked outside.

  Excusing myself, I followed her out. When I stepped out on the porch, I found her sitting on the wide front steps. As I stepped down, she made room for me to pass by her. When I sat down instead, she looked up at me, her brows drawn together.

  “I couldn’t take any more either,” I said, hoping to put her at ease.

  She let out a sharp sound that might have been a laugh if a smile had gone with it. “It’s probably not so bad if you know people.”

  “True. You’ll make friends eventually.”

  Lauren nodded and stared down at her feet. I noticed for the first time that she was wearing a cool pair of boots with her jeans. Intrigued, I glanced over the rest of her, taking in the white t-shirt and turquoise pendent that hung from her neck. Her long dark curls hung over her left shoulder, framing her face as she leaned forward. Nick was an idiot to not be out here with her.

  She turned and looked at me, her eyes so direct, I blinked in surprise. “Natalie thinks I’m going to fit in with all her other friends, but I’m not. I ha
ve nothing in common with any of them.”

  I smiled. “You don’t know that.”

  A corner of her mouth turned up in a half-smile. “I can guess. This feels like a whole other world.” She looked around at the yard, which was bathed in the pink and gold light of the setting sun. “It sure is beautiful here though.”

  Nodding, I slapped a mosquito that had landed on my arm. “It’s paradise,” I said dryly, flicking the crumpled carcass off my skin.

  Lauren laughed, and this time the sound was light and sincere. I laughed with her, enjoying the shared moment.

  “Yeah, there are a lot of those little buggers around here,” she said. “And the humidity is crazy. But everything is so green.”

  “Yeah, we’ve had a lot of rain this summer so the plant life hasn’t died off as usual. Which means we might get some good fall colors if it gets cold early enough.”

  “That would be awesome. We only have evergreens where I live, and not many of those.”

  “Tell me about your family.”

  She shrugged, looking embarrassed, but quietly told me about her dad and his devotion to his cattle. Her mom was a great cook and homeschooled her kids so they didn’t have to drive an hour to the nearest school every day. After she told me a little about each of her brothers, her voice trailed away. “Sorry, that’s probably more than you wanted to know. I try to remember not to bore people, but I’m missing them right now.”

  “I wasn’t bored,” I assured her. “I come from a long line of city-dwellers, so it’s interesting.”

  “I’ll stop while I’m ahead then.”

  I chuckled and somehow didn’t mind when silence fell between us. The chirping of cicadas rose up in waves and the sky began to dim. “Are you starting classes at the college tomorrow?”

  “Yeah. And I’m actually looking forward to it.”

  “You are a weirdo, aren’t you?”

  She grinned, “Through and through.”

  “Well, weirdo, I hope you have a great first day. I’d better go home before Nick comes out and thinks I’m flirting with you again.”