Page 66 of Fight for Me
Finally, she turned into a long driveway that snaked across an open field and disappeared into a grove of towering oak treesstill clinging to the last of their autumn brilliance. When Jake’s childhood home came into view, she felt another wave of nerves wash over her. What if this was a mistake? What if his family took one look at her and knew she didn’t belong?
She pulled slowly into the wide clearing at the front of the house, then parked along a fence row where three other vehicles, including Jake’s truck, already sat. The wide porch and yard were empty, but Lexie could hear the sound of a hammer coming from a barn not far away. There were flower beds around the base of every tree and along the sides of the house, just waiting for spring. An old tire swing hung from a low limb, and a set of wind chimes tinkled merrily from the eaves of the porch. She was still standing next to her car, taking it all in, when the front door opened and a woman who could only be Jake’s mother stepped outside, followed closely by a flap-eared dog.
“You must be Lexie!” the woman gushed, a blinding smile already lighting up her face. She trotted down the wooden porch steps and immediately wrapped Lexie in a hug. “Jacob has been waiting by the window like a puppy for the last hour, but of course you would pull in the second he finally goes to the bathroom.”
“Thank you so much for having me, Mrs. Tanner,” Lexie said, trying to stand up straight as her hostess studied her with warm eyes. The dog sniffed her shoes intently before licking the hem of her jeans.
“Now, now,” Jake’s mother chided. “What did I say about calling me Mrs. Tanner? My name is Kathleen, and I want you to use it.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “But that’s the advantage of meeting a big family—if you forget who’s who, just ask for Mrs. Tanner, and someone will come running.”
Lexie smiled, and Jake’s mother led her gently toward the house, talking all the while.
“If you’ve forgotten anything, just let us know. We girls stick together in a place like this,” she said, but if she kept talking, Lexie didn’t hear. Instead, her eyes were glued to Jake as he appeared on the porch, crossing it with long, restless strides. The front door banged shut behind him.
“I’ll let him get your bags and show you around,” Kathleen said, releasing Lexie’s arm with a knowing smile. Then she turned to her son. “You’re both expected for dinner in a few hours. Don’t get lost,” she told him, patting his arm as she passed.
He nodded obediently, waiting with his hands in his pockets until his mother had disappeared into the house. As soon as the coast was clear, he grabbed Lexie’s hand without a word and made a beeline for the nearest corner of the farmhouse.
Lexie laughed, jogging along behind him as he rounded the edge of the house with single-minded determination. He didn’t stop moving until they’d disappeared into the tree line.
“Jacob, where are we—”
But she’d barely said the words before his hands came up against her face, warm despite the outdoor chill. Jake sealed his mouth over hers, stealing her breath and all coherent thought at the same time, and Lexie tightened her fingers in the front of his sweater, holding him close. When he pulled back, it was only far enough to rest his forehead against hers.
“Hi,” he said, grinning sheepishly.
“Hi.” Lexie rolled her lips together to keep from laughing.
“I missed you,” Jake added.
“Yeah, I got that,” she said, letting a chuckle escape. “You know you saw me yesterday, right? Not three months ago?”
“That’s basically the same thing.”
Lexie brushed his bangs off his forehead, basking in his full attention. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to it. Jake leanedin again and planted soft kisses on her cheeks and along her jaw, making Lexie melt just a little more each time.
“My cousins are getting together tonight since we’re all actually in town,” he said between kisses. “We don’t have to go, but if you’re up for it, I think you’d have fun.”
Lexie bit her lip, thinking about meeting so many Tanners all at once. She knew Jake meant it when he said they didn’t have to go, but she could also tell he was hoping she’d say yes.
“I want to go if you want to go,” she said, pulling back to look him in the eye. “Just, maybe don’t leave me alone with all of them?”
Jake laughed. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”
They pulled upto a sprawling ranch house later that night and parked beside a dozen other vehicles left near the fence without rhyme or reason, like discarded Jenga pieces. Jake killed the truck’s engine and jumped out, hurrying around to open her door before she had a chance. He helped her down and stole another kiss as she landed.
“Can’t help myself,” he said, and Lexie laughed. “Alright, so this is my Uncle Rob and Aunt Christy’s house, but they’re having dinner with my grandparents, so you probably won’t meet them tonight,” he explained, taking her hand and leading her across the grass. They went up another set of wide porch stairs, and when the front door opened easily, Lexie was surprised to hear nothing but silence. She glanced at Jake, but he was unconcerned. He led her through an empty living area and down the hall. A low rumble grew louder as they reached the last door, and Jake paused with his hand on the knob.
“I should probably warn you, it gets pretty chaotic when we’re all together. So, if at any point you want to go home, just let meknow. Also, there’s a point system. It’s completely arbitrary, and the loser has to kiss a duck.”
Lexie snorted in surprise. “Kiss a—”
“Duck, yes. It’s harder than it sounds,” he said with a grin. “But don’t worry, visitors never lose. Well... almost never.”
He gave Lexie’s hand a squeeze and opened the door with a flourish, releasing a hurricane of noise that drenched them from head to toe. Jake led her down a narrow flight of stairs, and Lexie gradually became aware of distinctions within the maelstrom of sound—specifically, a furious clacking noise and someone screaming “Eat, you yellow devil! Eat!”
As they reached the bottom of the staircase, the partial wall ended to reveal a massive basement filled with at least a dozen people in various states of competition. There was a dart board on one wall, a pool table near the corner and a bookcase crammed with board games of every conceivable type. Two guys and two girls were huddled on the floor near the stairs, engrossed in the fiercest game of Hungry Hungry Hippos Lexie had ever seen.
“Take that, gorilla brain!” the youngest of the four players said, throwing his hands into the air triumphantly as his exhausted hippo devoured the final marble. “Sixty-eight points for me!”
