Page 74 of Fight for Me
“Jonah,” he mouthed. He let go of Lexie’s hands and stepped back seconds before his cousin appeared around the corner of the shed.
“Whatcha doin’?” Jonah drawled, a Cheshire-Cat grin plastered across his face. He was a few years younger than Jake, though he had the same lean frame. The family resemblance was unmistakable.
“None of your business. What do you need?” Jake said, with only a hint of irritation in his voice.
“Oh, nothing in particular,” Jonah replied with a grin. “Just saw you wander off with this poor girl over your shoulder like a caveman and wanted to be sure you weren’t holding her against her will.” His eyes darted over to Lexie with a smirk. “Do youneed to be rescued, Miss Lexie? Maybe let a real man take care of you for a change?”
As unfortunate as the interruption was, Lexie couldn’t help but laugh. Jonah had been a good sport when she’d beaten him in Jenga the other night, and she’d quickly developed a soft spot for his particular brand of cocky humor. She thought about his offer for a second and decided to turn Jake’s own game against him.
“I might, actually. Maybe you can teach this one a thing or two,” she said with an exaggerated grimace, and Jake’s head whipped in her direction. The younger boy howled in laughter as Jake shook his head slowly, an impish warning in his eyes. But Jonah grabbed Lexie’s hand and pulled her away, all the while talking animatedly about a tackle where he’d sent Jake rolling.
Lexie glanced over her shoulder and saw Jake still standing beside the shed, his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face as he watched her leave. She’d catch up with him again later. For now, he could simmer in a stew of his own making.
“Take this platter,Lexie. Hannah, those cake pans are ready to go. Oliver, carry a few more chairs out, would you, dear?”
Kathleen Tanner was in full command mode by eleven thirty, giving orders as people scurried between the barn and the house. The women checked and rechecked every dish, loading the long folding tables in the barn with enough food for a mid-sized army, while the men joined the fray wherever they could.
By noon, all was ready.
The inside of the barn had been scrubbed to a shine the day before. The concrete floors were covered in a fresh layer of clean straw, and the walls and doorways were decorated with leftover corn stalks and small pumpkins taken straight from thefields. Half a dozen standing propane heaters created pockets of warmth to ward off the chill that drifted in whenever the large doors were opened. It was a job that would have taken one person three weeks, but, thankfully, there were about a hundred Tanners—every one of whom had welcomed Lexie like she was one of their own.
She’d stopped trying to keep track of their names about an hour before, simply wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving as their paths crossed hers. Having lost Jake in the mayhem, she was glad to find Hannah and Morgan chatting with a few other relatives close to the buffet line.
“Where did all these people come from?” she asked, latching onto Hannah’s arm.
Jake’s cousin laughed and patted Lexie’s hand with affection. “We’re a lot, I know, but don’t worry. Nobody here will eat you,” she said.
“Except maybe Jake,” Morgan added, leaning in close so only Lexie would hear. “He looked like he was pretty hungry earlier.”
Lexie laughed and felt heat flood her face, which only prompted snickers from her new friends.
After the blessing was said and the food officially served, she joined the line behind them and started to fill her plate, still keeping an eye out for Jake. She hadn’t been able to talk to him since she’d left him in the garden earlier.
“Well, it’s nice to finally meet the great Lexie Preston,” a deep voice behind her said, and Lexie turned, expecting to find an uncle or maybe a grandfather. Instead, she came face-to-face with Drew. He looked down at her with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “We haven’t had a chance to chat.”
“Sorry, I’ve been trying to get to know everyone,” Lexie said, trying to brush off how nervous he suddenly made her. Just because he and Jake weren’t close didn’t mean Drew was a threat.
“Oh, believe me, I know how hard it can be to keep up with the prodigal son,” he said, his voice more casual than his words. “I just wanted to check in... see if you’re living up to the hype.”
“The what?” Lexie asked, frowning as she scooped up a helping of chicken salad.
“The hype, the fame, the glory,” Drew said. He dipped a spoon into the green beans. “I mean, Jake’s only been going on about you for the last three years. That’s a lot of pressure for one person.”
Lexie shook her head, catching his mistake. “Jake and I have only known each other since August, so maybe three months, but definitely not threeyears.”
“Oh!” Drew said, a look of almost-genuine surprise taking over his face. “I guess he hasn’t told you that part. Although, I can’t really blame him; it’s a stupid story, really.”
Lexie’s hand paused over another spoon, this time for the mashed potatoes.
“Sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, glancing toward where Hannah was making her way along the line in front of her. There wasn’t any good way to disengage from this conversation without being incredibly rude.
“I’m talking about how everyone’s favorite hero has been starry-eyed over you since freshman year,” Drew said as he stepped around her to reach the glazed carrots. “Something about a beautiful girl across a crowded room and how angels sang and the Earth turned backwards and whatever else. And now, surprise, surprise, he’s finally got you. Must be a nice view from that golden pedestal you’re standing on—a long fall, too.”
Lexie’s mind turned his words over, replaying them faster and faster until they sounded like the squeal of cartoon chipmunks.
“That’s really not possible. He didn’t even know me until this year,” she said, moving toward the dessert table, but Drew keptpace with her as she went. “I mean, I think we might have had a class together or something, but...”
“Oh, trust me, sweetheart,” he said, suddenly reminding her so much of Colt that a chill went down her spine, “he didn’t have to know you to name your six children and pick out your minivan. I think he’s decided on a Dodge, one of the blue ones with sliding doors—better for all the soccer games you’ll be going to. He’ll besodisappointed if they aren’t all varsity players. Only the best for Jake Tanner, you know.”
