“Guess you’re not the man of my dreams after all,” I said, folding my arms over my chest. “My husband is definitely wearing a tuxedo on our wedding day. I’ve already got the dress and it needs a tuxedo to set it off perfectly in our wedding pictures.”
JT grabbed my hand and gave it a kiss. “So you’ve decided I’m a frog instead of a prince already?”
“Humph!” I grunted with a smile splitting my face.
On the next round Jared reached the wedding chapel and placed a pink peg in his car, then glanced over at me. “I think I’ll name my wife Leah. It’s such a beautiful name, don’t you think?”
And to everyone’s utter shock Jared drew Leah’s face to his for a feathery kiss on her lips. He pulled away and gazed into her eyes. “When is the honeymoon, baby?”
Derek was the first to break out into peals of laughter followed closely by JT.
“You know you asked for it with your teasing, right,” JT said, glancing sideways at me.
“Very funny Jared,” I said, flipping him the bird.
But I didn’t find it very funny at all. In fact, seeing Jared kiss my best friend was rather disturbing, and for the first time I felt sympathetic to his situation. He had taught me a tough lesson. I wouldn’t be teasing him anytime soon about my relationship with JT because I didn’t care for a repeat performance. Glancing over at Leah I could see the flush of embarrassment stain her cheeks. I would apologize to her later. She had endured quite enough of my brother’s antics over the past couple of weeks. Now it was my fault he had repulsed her with a kiss.
I focused my attention on winning the game. Enough with the goofing around. I hadn’t been joking when I said I always beat Jared at LIFE and I wasn’t going to stop my winning streak now. My journey was slow but I wasn’t complaining; it ensured that my car was filled with children.
JT grabbed his bottle of beer and gawked at my loaded car. “Geez, Jordan, give it a rest. You have four kids already.”
I laughed and slapped him on the leg. “I get to cash them in at the end. Don’t you know anything about LIFE?”
“Yes,” he said, chuckling at me. “And in real life kids completely suck your cash out of you. In what world do kids give money back to their parents? I say the fewer the kids the better.”
“Hey,” Derek objected. “Two kid minimum. Otherwise Jordan and I wouldn’t exist.”
“Yeah!” I chimed in.
“Five is fun,” Leah said and then chugged her beer. “I get along great with my siblings. There’s never a dull moment. That’s for sure.”
JT shook his head in disagreement. “Two max; one on one defense is the best way to go. Once you cross the line to three kids you’re looking at zone defense, bigger cars and more money. I want to be able to retire someday.”
“I’m all right with five,” Jared said casually and leaned back in his chair. He glanced at Leah and continued with a sassy edge to his tone. “And I’ll be able to afford five kids with my salary in the medical field.”
Leah grinned and shook her head. The rest of the game progressed slowly with long theoretical debates about what we’d do in the various situations that presented themselves throughout the game. I marveled at how much a simple board game could teach me about my compatibility with JT and the happy life we would one day forge together. In the end it was Leah who won the game on a teacher’s salary and a whole lot of luck. So typical in life.
Chapter Fifteen
Grand Hotel
Jordan
I pulled my sunglasses down over my eyes and stepped off the ferry onto the dock of Mackinac Island. We’d woken early in the morning to make the long drive up and catch the ten thirty ferry. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was so happy JT had come along with me. He’d almost backed out after I announced I wouldn’t be interviewing for the job on the island after all. But Grannie had convinced him to take the weekend off and enjoy some special time with me at the Grand Hotel to celebrate my job offer at Oak Ridge Elementary. With the money Grannie had given him for graduation and the cash Derek pitched in from the tuition fund, JT could afford to take one full weekend off from work.
JT’s hands were on my hips as he trailed along behind me on the crowded dock and then out onto Main Street. The smell of rich fudge clung to the air and made my belly growl. Shops lined the crowded street in both directions. Our luggage was already tagged and being delivered to the hotel. Check in wasn’t until three o’clock in the afternoon so we had time to explore the island for the afternoon. And there were so many things I wanted to do.
It had been fifteen years since I came to the island with my family. I recalled sharing a tandem bike with my father quite well. Motor vehicles were prohibited on the island so the only way to get around was by bicycle or horse drawn carriage, which was perfectly fine by me. I didn’t mind the smell of the occasional road apples left behind by the horses. It was worth not having the incessant noise of cars and it meant more space for walking up and down Main Street.
I glanced up over my shoulder and smiled at JT. “What do you want to do first?”
“It’ll be time for lunch in an hour,” he said and pulled back at the quick jab of my elbow in his gut. “What?”
“You’re always thinking about food.”
“I’m a big guy. I can’t help it that I’m hungry all the time.”
“Well I’m half your size.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “You’re going to make me fat if we eat all the time.”
“Right.” He smiled down at me and then stepped out of the way before he let his next comment fly. “Don’t want that round butt of yours getting any rounder. Good thing I’m poor and can’t eat as much as I’d like.”
“I don’t have a round…” I started and then chased after him down the street laughing.
I was no match for his long legs and knew he had let me catch up to him. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him. “Yes, it is very nicely rounded. A man can’t help but notice when you wear those skinny jeans of yours all the time. It’s what drew me to you, you know?”
“Oh really?”
“Mmmm…hmmm,” he confessed. “I watched it swaying all the way to the door on the night you asked me to be your temporary fiancé.”
“You did not.”
“Yes, I did.”
“And to think I felt bad about imagining your lips on mine. Humph. Your thoughts were as deep in the gutter as mine!”
“You were thinking about my lips on yours that night?” he asked with a wide grin.
“It was kind of hard not to when they were just an inch from mine,” I said huskily.
“Is the room ready yet?”
I giggled and headed in the direction of the Fort. “No. Let’s head up to Fort Mackinac. It’ll be a good workout climbing that hill. We can eat a big meal afterward—your choice. My mom threw a few Ben Franklin’s at me when I got the job offer. She told me to enjoy it because I wouldn’t be seeing any more cash coming my way from her.”
“Welcome to the real world Jordan.” He laughed and took my hand to lead me up the hill.
We learned about the rich history of Fort Mackinac, which was built in 1780 by the British and played a strategic role in the battle for the Great Lakes in the War of 1812, only to be decommissioned in 1895 by the American government and turned over to the State of Michigan to be run as a museum. The costumed greeters portraying life in the 1880’s added a nice touch to the historic site and I enjoyed watching JT’s boyish enthusiasm for the shooting of the cannon.
We milled about the fourteen buildings within the Fort, learning about the barracks where the soldiers slept, the hospital, jail cells and schoolhouse. Finally we found our way to the open courtyard where the reenactment of a court martial was about to take place. My legs ached from standing for the last ninety minutes and I gladly took a seat snuggled up next to JT. His body jerked slightly as he laughed at the two young boys arguing in the row in front of us.
“Shut up Jacob,” t
he little boy cried out. “You’re just trying to scare me.”
“No I’m not,” Jacob said. “I heard one of those soldiers telling the story to his buddies. That cold spot you walked through is a spirit. He said you can hear the lady crying sometimes if you listen real close. This place is haunted!”
The little boy whimpered and bit down on his lip in an apparent effort not to cry in front of his big brother and then he scooched up closer to his dad.
“Knock it off Jacob,” his dad scolded and ruffled the bigger boy’s hair. “You’re ten. He’s only four. It’s not nice to tease him that way. When Tommy is ten, then you can tell him scary stories.”
Jacob scowled up at his dad and folded his arms tightly over his chest. I glanced over at JT and caught the grin playing on his lips as he watched the scene play out in front of him.
“Were you like that with Derek?” I asked, rubbing his arm. “He’s six years younger than you too.”
“Of course!” JT snorted and gave Jacob a playful wink when he turned around to eye us suspiciously. “It’s the big brother’s job to toughen up his little brother. Right?”
A shy smile appeared on Jacob’s face and he faced the courtyard with his shoulders back and head held high. I could see the nearly imperceptible shaking of the father’s shoulders at JT’s words.
Boys.
“Thanks for coming with me this weekend, JT,” I said, leaning my head against him. “I know you wanted to help get Derek settled into his dorm before football practice starts on Monday.”
He wrapped his arm around me to pull me closer. “It’s okay. They won’t let him move in until Monday morning anyway. We’re heading back Sunday evening. I made sure we got his stuff packed already so there won’t be any last minute fire drills.”
“Can you believe Derek’s going to college?” I sighed. “He’s not so little anymore is he?”
JT laughed out loud. “No, he’s not. It’s funny how little brothers grow up one day to become huge football players who can beat your butt if you’re not nice to them.”
Tommy’s head perked up and he smiled up at his dad, “When I get older, I’m going to play football, Dad.”
***
J.T.
The sun was setting over the edge of the Grand Hotel garden as we sat on the patio rocking chairs holding hands and sipping lemonade. It was hard to believe our first day was already coming to an end. I yawned and smiled contentedly at the feel of my full belly. Dinner at the Yankee Rebel Tavern had hit the spot; nothing like a good ‘ole pot roast to satisfy a mean hunger after a long day of touring the island.
“We’re not going to have anything to do tomorrow,” I said, laying my head back into the rocking chair and smiling over at Jordan. “I think we did it all today.”
“We’ve only cracked the surface, babe. Our bike ride took us around the perimeter of the island. We still need to hike through the center of the island, and check out the historical buildings in downtown. Don’t you want to see the saw mill at Mill Creek and the blacksmith?”
I raised my brows and smiled at Jordan. “Will you let me have more fudge and taffy if I go with you?”
“If you go for another bike ride around the island with me again I will.” She laughed and shook her head. “It is eight miles around. Not a bad way to get exercise in during a vacation. And the best part is that it doesn’t feel like exercise when there is so much to see along the way.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “It’s pretty cool here. This hotel is sick. Don’t even tell me what it costs.”
“It’s one of my graduation gifts from Grannie,” Jordan said. “So let’s relax and enjoy and not think about how much it costs. Hey, did I tell you Grannie did some research and discovered there’s a night life on the Island?”
“That’s too bad,” I said, gazing into her eyes. “It’s such a family friendly place. I didn’t realize there’d be anything for us to do other than spend time in our bedroom in the evenings.”
It was getting darker but I was certain I detected a slight flush on Jordan’s cheeks. She was so easy to tease it was shameful.
“Well there is a Pub Crawl Grannie found that I want to try while we’re here. Thirteen in all so we better pace ourselves.”
“I’m game,” I said, “but not tonight. We were up at the crack of dawn and have been going non-stop all day long. Is it okay if we rest tonight? Are you ready to go up?”
“Sure,” she nodded and stood, holding out her hand to help pull me out of my seat.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” I said as we made our way to the elevators, “we wanted to reserve a horse drawn carriage ride for tomorrow. Would you mind going to make the reservation? I could use a few minutes alone in our room.”
“Do you need me to pull your finger?”
“Ha, ha,” I sniggered, “very funny.”
“I don’t mind,” Jordan laughed and continued down the hallway towards the concierge desk. “I’ll see you up there in a few minutes. And don’t forget to use the air freshener.”
I turned off the tap and stepped back scratching my head to take it all in, hoping it was romantic enough. The hotel staff had done a tremendous job providing all the supplies I needed while we were out to dinner. The steam from the hot bath permeated the air and mixed with the seductive rose scented bubbles brimming over the edge of the large circular tub. The bucket with Champagne was resting in the corner with two glasses already poured. Candles flickered from every corner of the bathroom and red rose petals created an enticing trail from the doorway to the steps up into the bathtub.
My teeth were brushed and I wore my new cologne. It must work both ways, right? I lifted my arm and sniffed cautiously. It smelled good. All I needed now was for the lucky lady to show up. Where was she anyway? How long could it take to arrange for a carriage ride the next morning? At the sound of the door clicking shut in the next room, I felt a twirling in my gut that picked up speed like a level five hurricane. This was it.
“Where are you JT?”
“In the bathroom,” I called out. “Come join me Jordan. I have a surprise for you.”
“Did you use the air freshener?” she asked, pushing back the door. I sighed in relief at the wondrous look that spread across her face at the scene before her.
“What’s going on?” She glanced about the bathroom, taking it all in.
“I thought you might like a relaxing bath after our long day of activities. Aren’t your muscles sore from riding the bike and walking up the hill to the fort?”
“Definitely,” she said with her eyes twinkling, “but why Champagne?”
I offered her a glass. “In celebration of you landing the teaching job. I’m so proud of you Jordan…and relieved that you found a job near home.”
I chuckled nervously as we tapped the edge of our glasses together, and slowly lifted the glass to my lips, but then gasped in horror when Jordan tipped her head back to throw the drink down in one gulp.
“Jordan, no!” I yelled just in time to stop her and tear the glass out of her hands.
“What’s your problem?” she asked me, reaching for her glass.
“You almost drank your engagement ring,” I cried before I could stop the words from flying out of my mouth.
It was better than a candid camera moment. I burst out laughing and hugged her to me while her body shook with the force of her laughter. We stood holding each other laughing uncontrollably.
“Will you marry me, Jordan?” I asked as I took the ring out of the bottom of the glass and slipped it on her finger. The diamond sparkled up at us in the soft candlelight. It was exquisite on her long finger. Even I could appreciate the beauty of it.
“Yes,” she whispered so softly I almost wondered if she had answered at all. Then in one swift movement she threw her arms around my neck and bellowed, “JT, thank you, thank you, thank you. Now Grannie can be at our wedding.”
“I hope so too,” I said, pulling back to gaze down at her euphoric eyes. It nearly broke my hea
rt to know that in a moment she would crash down from her current high. I felt her body stiffen at my simple words. She stepped out of my arms and stared back with furrowed brows.
“What do you mean?” she asked. “Grannie is responding well to the chemo right now. Clearly she will be there. It’s only two weeks away. We can resume planning for the wedding. It’ll be tight, but we can do it.”
“Jordan,” I sighed and placed my hands squarely on my hips in preparation to do battle. I had known it would come to this. “I think we should set the wedding date for some time next year, after I’ve completed my degree and start my career. I want to make sure we’re on solid ground before we get married. You know I read that the first year of marriage is the toughest and most couples divorce over money. I don’t want that to happen to us, babe. I’ll be making fifty-five grand a year starting next summer. We’ll be in a solid financial position.”
“What a load of horse apples.” Jordan glared at me with her hands planted on her hips. “I landed the teaching job, JT. It’s not as much as you’ll be earning, but we won’t be heading to the soup kitchen anytime soon.”
“Why can’t you accept that this is important to me, Jordan? I want to take care of you, just like my father took care of my mother. What’s so wrong with being a little traditional at heart?”
“Why can’t you accept that I was raised to take care of myself and it’s important for me to have Grannie at our wedding? You of all people should understand that.”
Her words pierced my heart. She had a valid point. But I did as well. We had come to an impasse and I knew I had to use the one argument that would piss her off the most in order to get her to acquiesce. The one she could not argue against.
“I told Grannie I was proposing to you this weekend,” I said and winced at the volcanic ash shooting out of Jordan’s eyes. “She agrees with me. This whole wedding thing was about the journey of planning with you and not about the end result. She wants our marriage to last as much as I do and thinks it’s best to wait as well.”
Date Night (Wish Come True Book 1) Page 15