“Hey, Jules, my girl! I’ve missed you so damn much!” he exclaims. He sets me down on my own two feet, holding onto my shoulders. His upper body pulls away from me, leaning back to give me a full-on grin as he inspects me, as if I’ve grown five more inches from the last time I saw him. He shakes his head at me as he says, “My, my, my, it seems like every time I see you, you’ve become even more beautiful, if that’s even possible.”
I feel a blush drifting up my neck, and I playfully swat at his large chest. “Stop it, Jake. You’re embarrassing me here,” I say with an amused grin.
“Well, it’s true.” He takes a strand of my hair and gently lets it slide through his fingertips, watching it drop back in its place. “You and your Rapunzel hair, and the way you’ve grown up,” he shakes his head in mock disapproval. “I’ve got my work cut out for me this summer. I can tell already.” He then puts his arm around me, pulling me into his side. “C’mon, we’ve got to pick up Ten-Ton Tilly.” I giggle at him. We walk toward the luggage carousel with his arm draped protectively around me.
“I also hear a congratulation is in order.” He’s talking about my engagement, and I hold out my left hand for him to inspect my ring. He takes my hand and holds it in the light, breathing out with a long, low-pitched whistle. “Whoa, that’s a serious rock. You must be something really special to this guy.” Then his brow arches, and suddenly he turns serious, as any big brother would. “If he breaks your heart—“
I interrupt him, “Stop it, will you, Jake?” I grin at him. “We are truly in love, and he’s so good to me.”
“I’m just protecting my little girl’s heart is all,” he says, placing his hand over his heart.
Jake shifts his gaze and narrows his eyes at something behind me. “Damn, that was quick. I can spot that ten-ton luggage anywhere.” He looks down at me and gives me a boyish grin. I watch him stroll over to the carousel, and as he lifts it off the conveyor belt, he lets out a loud, strained grunt. “Damn, woman! What the hell you got in here, anyway? Bricks?”
I laugh at his silliness and place my hands on my hips. I raise a brow and playfully say, “Well, I am a woman, after all. I need my stuff, all twenty-thousand pounds of it.”
“I’m gonna get a damn hernia lifting this,” he moans while lifting the handle on my luggage. As we make our way to the exit, Jake pulls Ten-Ton Tilly behind us while we stroll arm-in-arm. I notice the looks I’m getting from all the surrounding women, and I start to giggle.
“What’s so funny?” Jake asks.
“You. You and your GQ-worthy looks. You have every woman in here slipping and sliding all over their own drool.”
He lets out a chuckle and shakes his head. He’s speechless; he never has been able to take compliments well. We make our way to the car and take off for home. It’s not really a home to me, though, more like a castle—a castle that keeps me trapped by endless rules and sometimes tyrannical force.
“So...tell me all about this proposal.”
I squeal with excitement and give him all the details. After about fifteen minutes into the drive, the atmosphere turns quiet. Jake glances over at me with a worried expression on his face. “What’s wrong, Jules?”
“Nothing, really. I just have a feeling it’s going to be a long summer.” I shift in my seat to look at Jake. I’ve always been able to talk to him. “I mean, really, why this summer? He’s never demanded I stay home for an entire summer before. All the years past, it’s only been for a short visit or two, but never the whole summer. What makes this one so different, and why is he demanding it?” Jake glances my way and I give him a shrug. “It’s not like he’s going to take any special time out from his busy schedule to spend it with me.”
Jake takes his eyes off the road to look at me for a moment, and even though he has mirrored sunglasses on, I can tell he’s concerned for me. He reaches out for my hand. I place mine in his and he gently squeezes it, not letting go. He stays quiet for a moment, contemplating his next words. “You think maybe he wants you home because this will be the last full summer he’ll ever have with his little princess? Next year, you’ll be graduated, married, and looking for a job, you know?”
Then he winks at me and gives me a beautiful smile, showcasing his stark-white teeth. “No worries, Jules, I’ll keep you busy, and before you know it, you’ll be heading back up north.”