Jake bursts out laughing, almost choking on a piece of fruit, and for the first time in forever, I find myself wanting to join in.
“You’re right. It does smell pretty bad at times. Especially during the summer months, when it’s hot as balls—erm—hot as all hell,” he corrects himself. The way his ears heat only makes my smile grow wider. “There’s a lot of farmland around here, and cows poop, like, a ton. You’ll get used to it, though. My mom says people pay big bucks to vacation in the country. Don’t ask me why.”
“Do you like it here?” I ask, unable to believe that people genuinely enjoy small-town living.
Jake shrugs. “It’s alright. Never really been anywhere else, and everyone I know lives here. I like the summers. There’s lots to do.”
“Like what?”
Amusement swims in his eyes as he takes in my doubtful expression.
“I don’t know. Carter and I ride our bikes around town a lot. We go swimming down by the river, build forts in the woods. Stuff like that. I’ll take you one day.”
“That’d be nice,” I reluctantly admit. Jake gives a single nod, seemingly pleased with my answer, before he pops the last slice of orange into his mouth and jumps to his feet.
“I better go. You should head in, too. Mr. Ferguson is really strict and sure gets upset if you’re late. I’ll see you in class.” He saunters off, and I stare after him as he makes his way over to the main building where a couple of boys join him. I take a few moments to pack up my untouched lunch before I follow suit. When I pass their small group to enter the building, Jake gives me another beaming smile. I can’t help but think that a few years in Jenkins Creek may not be the end of the world after all.
True to his word, Jake stops by the very next morning. His blinding smile greets me as I step out of the house, and I silently thank him for sticking to his promise. I’m not sure why this cute boy decided to take me under his wing, but I’m grateful for it, nonetheless. Being the new kid in town is not easy, but having a friend to lean on makes the transition more bearable.
The following day, Jake shows up with another boy in tow. Carter, as he introduces himself, is about our age, with tousled blond hair, moss-green eyes, and a gentle smile. I like him on the spot.
The boys and I fall into a simple routine over those first couple of weeks. Jake and Carter pick me up each morning, introduce me to people at school, and show me around town in the afternoons. I’d promised myself I would hate it here forever, and I’m still not convinced I’ll ever be able to fully embracesmall-town life. But somewhere after the first full week, I stopped looking at our move as a prison sentence and started seeing it as the adventure it is.
On a beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon, the boys take me to their favorite swimming spot down by the Medina River, where I get to meet one of Jake’s siblings for the first time.
Jude is quite a bit younger than his brother–I’m guessing around five or six–and must be the cutest little thing I have ever seen, with his unruly mop of dark hair and a set of dimples to match Jake’s. The resemblance is uncanny, and I can immediately tell the smaller boy worships the ground his big brother walks on.
We stand shoulder to shoulder as we watch Jake and Carter take turns on the rope swing, plunging into the crystal-clear waters time and time again as they whoop and holler like lunatics.
Wanting to fit in, I eventually agree to give it a go. They may have welcomed me into their close-knit group with open arms, but the need to prove myself is still strong. I want to show them I can keep up, even if I amjusta girl. When it comes to my turn, I step up to the rope filled with confidence. So much so that I flash Jake a smug grin. I push off the riverbank without hesitation, swinging out over the rushing water at breakneck speed. But once it’s time to let go, my hands refuse to cooperate.
“C’mon, Tessa. Jump already. I swear it’s not that cold,” Jake shouts his encouragement, shielding his eyes from the sun, while Jude grins up at my dangling form.
“What if it isn’t deep enough?”
“It’s deep enough,” Carter reassures. “Trust me. We’ve done it a million times.”
“What if the current takes me downriver and I drown?”
“I’ll rescue you. I’m a strong swimmer. Just do it, Tessa. You know you can’t hold on forever.” Jake’s right, of course. Already, my grip is slipping, causing the palms of my hands to burn. Knowing I can’t put off the inevitable any longer,I take a shuddering breath, squeeze my eyes shut, and let go. I break the surface, gasping and shrieking, which causes the boys to collapse into fits of giggles. Swimming toward shore as fast as I can, I glare at them, shaking violently as I drag myself onto dry land.
“You lied to me. You said it wasn’t cold.”
Jake shakes his head. “You city girls are softies. You need to toughen up a little.”
I don’t know what comes over me. I’m not a violent person by nature. In fact, I’ve always been the shy and quiet type, but that boy pushes my buttons like nobody else. I stomp toward him, draw my leg back, and kick him in the shin so hard he gives a startled yelp.
“Ow. What was that for?”
“I’m sorry. Did that hurt? Guess you need to toughen up a little, country boy,” I sneer before turning on my heel and stomping away, followed only by Jude and Carter’s hysterical laughter.
Jake’s mom looks like an angel. I watch wide-eyed as she buzzes around the kitchen in a flurry of activity while bouncing the cutest little baby girl on her hip. Jake tickles his sister’s round tummy as we pass by and leads us to a small breakfast nook, where Jude is already working on a gigantic bowl of ice cream. We received our math test results this morning, and all of us had done well. Jake, who’s pretty lazy and doesn’t like to study much, was so proud of his B-minus that he invited us to his house after school to celebrate.
His mom greets us with a warm smile. “You must be Tessa. Very pleased to meet you, sweetheart. Jake’s talked about you nonstop since you moved to town. I was rather curious,” she admits, giving me a playful wink.
“Moooom!” Jake wails, obviously mortified. “That’s not true,” he mumbles, casting his eyes down to hide the crimson tinting his cheeks. Carter giggles while Mrs. Nelson places three heaping bowls of chocolate chip cookie dough on the table in front of us.
“I’m very proud of ya’ll,” she announces, flashing her teeth and revealing a set of dimples that seem to run in the family. I haven’t met Mr. Nelson yet, but my guess is Jake takes after his mother. They both have alluring blue eyes framed by long, thick lashes, dark wavy hair, and the ability to light up a room with a simple smile.
