Turns out, Jake has the sweetest family on the face of the earth, and I had nothing to worry about. Who knew that there were people out there with families who actually love each other without secret agendas?
I pull my towel out of my tote bag and drape it over a pool chair. I find myself smiling at all the sounds of splashing and laughter. Growing up as an only child with two very pompous and career-driven parents meant the only sounds that usually filled our house were that of Daddy typing on a laptop while Mama gossiped with her other elitist minions on the phone. Exciting stuff.
“Soooo,” says Jake’s sister June as she plops down, stomach first, onto the pool chair beside me. “You’re the hottie with the body that my big brother keeps talking about.” I feel my eyes widen to the size of oranges.
Jake appears out of nowhere, standing beside my chair and towering over me. “I never called her that!” he says to his sister before looking down at me. “I never called you that.”
June huffs an offended sound. “So, you’re saying she doesn’t have a hot body? How rude, Jake.”
He gives June a look, and now I’m stuck between two siblings in a game of monkey in the middle. “Cut it out, June.”
“You’re not helping your case here, big brother. Evie is going to leave today, completely dejected, thinking you hate her body.”
I’m struggling so hard to keep a laugh from bursting out of me.
“She’s not going to think that.” I like the way Jake’s face is turning the tiniest bit pink, and I wonder if I can push it over the top to red.
I give him a pouty look and decide Jake needs to be the one in the middle now. “I don’t know. I might think that.”
He’s glaring at me but clearly trying not to grin. “Fine, I’ll give. Evie…you…you’ve got a hot body.” BINGO. Jacob Broaden is capable of turning bright red, folks!
I laugh, enjoying the feeling of victory far too much. Jake just rolls his eyes and goes back to the grill with
his daddy.
“He’s too easy to mess with,” June says, shaking her head with a smile while watching her brother walk away. I like her. She’s spunky and a little crazy in the best kind of way. And she has a really cute watercolor flower tattoo capping her shoulder that makes me wonder if I would look as cute as her with one? Probably not. And I really don’t like needles, so I dismiss the thought instantly.
“So, are you guys dating?”
My eyes shoot to June, and I must look like a deer in the headlights, because she laughs. “You don’t have to answer that.”
“No. It’s not that I don’t want to answer. It’s just…I don’t know how to answer it.” I fish around in my tote bag for my sunscreen to give my hands something to do. “I think Jake and I are just friends.”
“Eh, I wouldn’t be so sure. He’s never talked about any of his friends like he’s been talking about you lately.” Wow. Okay. Not sure what to do with that statement other than try to hide the wings I just sprouted from that surge of joy.
“Oh. Well…” I laugh and shrug, letting the conversation dangle out on the line because I really don’t think I should be having a DTR conversation with Jake’s sister before I have one with him.
“What are we talking about, ladies?” Mrs. Broaden rounds our pool chairs in her sunflower-printed kimono, gives June a little pat on her bikini-clad rear end like affectionate mamas are known to do and then takes the third seat beside us.
“Just trying to figure out if Jake and Evie are dating or not.”
“What!” says Mrs. Broaden so loudly I think the whole neighborhood heard her. All of Jake’s sisters definitely did, because now they are swarming me like a gam of sharks. “Honey, of course you’re dating. He brought you around us, didn’t he?” says Mrs. Broaden.
“Oh, well, I—”
Jake’s oldest sister, Jennie, squats down beside my chair. “Isn’t he taking you to a benefit or something in a few weeks? If you’re making plans that far in advance, you’re definitely dating.”
I open my mouth, but it’s useless because yet another sister, Julia (Mr. and Mrs. Broaden apparently have a thing for J’s), leans over the back of my chair and says, “I don’t know. Jake is pretty friendly in general. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything that he asked her to the benefit. I can totally see him thinking this is nothing but a friendship thing.”
Do I even need to be here for this?
June sits up and crosses her legs. “Have you guys made out yet? That would totally help us figure out his intentions.” HA. What?!
I’m definitely sweating. I’m also wondering if it would be wrong to fake a seizure right now to get out of this conversation. Psstt, Charlie! What are you thinking, lounging over there in the shade at a time like this?!
“All right, all right. Everyone shoo,” says Mrs. Broaden, riding in on her white horse. Forget Jake and Charlie; she is my new knight in shining armor. “Evie doesn’t want all these questions, and our meddlin’ is going to do nothing but scare the poor girl away. Go play with your children in the pool and let her catch her breath.” She’s waving them away, and they all disperse.
“So, Evie, you’re the one I get to thank for bringing some happiness back into my son and granddaughter’s life.”