And Along Came Jake (13 page)

"I wondered what took y'all so long." Mr. Brierly said putting his hand on Jake's shoulder. "Jake, I'll be honest, I didn't like you at first, but you've grow on us, and I think my daughter has chosen a good guy. Treat her well, and don't do anything stupid—or else!" He looked at his daughter and resumed "Madison, I love you honey, with all my heart, and I'm happy you're happy. Your mother and I have seen the interest for Jake in your eyes. As a matter of fact, we were discussing it tonight, and wondered how long it would take y'all to finally get together."

They all heard footsteps, and noticed Big Paul walking up holding a small box of books recently borrowed from Mrs. Brierly. He greeted everyone, and handed the box to Mrs. Brierly. "Did I do something wrong?" Big Paul asked, noticing the grin on their face. "What am I missing here?"

Mrs. Brierly took the box and set it on the ground. "It seems Madison and Jake have officially became a couple, Big Paul."

"Is that so?" he said, smiling from ear to ear. "Y'all will make a wonderful couple, maybe the best in town."

"Awe, thanks Big Paul" Madison said, giving him a hug. "Any words of advice?"

As Mrs. Brierly poured him a glass of iced tea, Big Paul looked at the new couple, now sitting together and holding hands.

"You know" Big Paul started "The best thing about starting a new relationship is, everything's new. Your first kiss; the first romantic walk, your first time introducing yourself as a couple, and so many more firsts are ahead of you. My advice is this; always keep the firsts close to your heart. Make each kiss seem like your first, every time you introduce yourselves as a couple, every romantic walk, even your first argument—

believe me, you'll get into arguments and disagreements, but always remember how awful you felt at the time, and also the way you made up. Never forget how you told one another you're sorry, and how it made you stronger, knowing you could overcome and work through your issues. One more thing, never forget this day, this time, all of us are here drinking iced tea, talking about you as a couple. Always remember the way that you feel for one another right this moment, because this will be one of the sweetest, most special moments of your life. To know, on this day, you've expressed interest for one another, and no matter what happens in the future, no matter what challenges you'll face as a couple, you'll always have this day to look back and remember, exactly how it felt, holding the hand of the one you care about so much."

As he finished, Big Paul noticed Jake and Madison weren't the only ones sitting close and holding hands, somewhere during his dialogue, Mr. and Mrs. Brierly moved closer together, and were now smiling and holding hands.

Paul Sutton knew they were thinking back on their firsts, and it seemed the old spark in their eyes was alive again. As the sun went down on the town of Blackwater, they all walked to a spot on the Brierly's land, and made a fire. They sat around the fire, and talked about life, Mr. Sutton's late wife Jenny, and many other topics for a few hours.

Noticing it had become quite late; Mr. Sutton excused himself, and headed home. Jake and Madison also said goodnight and went their separate ways. As Jake walked to the old barn, and Madison and her parents went to their house, they each walked in silence, thinking of all the lessons they learned this evening.

Everyone, including Mr. Sutton laid down that evening, looking up at the ceiling, thinking about the different avenues life had taken them, and what things it had in store. Eventually, everyone's thoughts grew dim, and those who sat around the camp fire, peacefully drift off to sleep.

—

Time To Celebrate

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The next morning while Jake was getting ready, he heard a firm knock at his door. As he opened the door, he saw Mr. Brierly standing there with his hands in his pockets, chewing on a long stem of hay.

Grinning from ear to ear, Mr. Brierly tilted his worn out hat. "Top of the morning to ya, Jake." he said "Mind if I come in for a spell and chat?"

"You need help in the field Mr. B?" Jake asked, stepping aside to let Mr. Brierly in.

"Nope" he replied "Just wanna talk."

Jake pulled up a chair and dusted it off. "What do you wanna talk about?"

Jake knew exactly why Mr. Brierly was there, he wanted to talk about he and Madison. Mr. Brierly sat in the chair while Jake sat on the edge of his bed.

"I wanted to talk about you and Madison." Mr. Brierly said. "you're both almost eighteen, and I know what y'all are felling...I remember the first time Abigail and I told each other how we felt—and boy, let me tell you, nothing could keep us apart! I like you Jake, and I'm only gonna say this once––don't hurt my little girl."

"Sir, I'd never hit Madison; I've never hit a girl in my whole life!" he assured.

Mr. Brierly removed his hat. "I mean emotionally Jake. She's a lot like her mama; she can be real sensitive about things, and the way she talked about you last night after you left, let me know she's completely fallen for you. Treat her well––I know you will, but as a father, I must say these things. In the last few years, you've become close with my family, and I hoped she would pick you. Now that it's happened, well––just treat her well, that's all."

"No need to worry, Mr. B." he said, following him outside. "Honest, I won't hurt Maddie."

"Oh, no funny stuff either, you hear me Patterson?" Mr. Brierly shook his finger in his face. "All rules still apply, unless Abigail or I send Madison over here to give you a message or something. She's to stay away, is that clear?"

Jake didn't say a word, only nodded his head. Mr. Brierly smiled and patted Jake on the shoulder. "So what do y'all have planned after breakfast?" he asked.

"Not sure Mr. B., any suggestions?" He shrugged.

"Nope" Mr. Brierly said, putting the chewed up straw back in his mouth. "I'll see ya back at the house."

When Mr. Brierly left, Jake went to his nightstand, opened the drawer, and slapped on some cologne Big Paul gave him. It didn't have the best smell, maybe that's the reason Mr. Sutton parted with it so easily.

After slightly dowsing himself with the fragrance, he got close to his mirror to inspect his teeth, then cupped his hand over his mouth, making sure his breath didn't smell.

He suddenly became nervous, knowing he would see Madison, and began pacing back and forth. For a brief moment, he thought about pretending to be sick so he wouldn't have to go to breakfast.

"What's wrong with you?"
he said to himself.
"It's Maddie—you see her every day—get a hold of yourself."
He lightly slapped his face, and took a deep breath.
"Jake Patterson, you can do this!"

With regained confidence, he headed to the Brierly's for breakfast, stopping to pick a few flowers along the way. Meanwhile, Madison was in her room getting ready, and trying to fix her unruly hair. First she pinned it up, then took it down. She combed it to one side, then the other, but no matter what she tired, she just wasn't satisfied.

"Why am I so worried?"
She asked herself.
"What's wrong with you Madison? Jake's seen you at your worst. Maybe I'll just tell ma' I ain't hungry."

Mrs. Brierly softly knocked at the door, then slowly peeked in. "How's everything going sweetie?" She asked her nervous daughter.

"Ma, I'm a nervous wreck, and I don't even know why."

Mrs. Brierly sat on Madison's bed. Madison moved from her vanity and sat beside her mother. As Madison laid her head on her mother's shoulder, Mrs. Brierly slowly stroked her daughter's hair. "Oh honey" she said "Everything will be okay, it's Jake, you see him every day."

"I know but––but––but we kissed… there, I said it." she confessed, quickly burying her head in her hands.

"Is that so?" Mrs. Brierly asked, quietly chuckling.

"Mama, are you upset with me?"

"I'm not mad, you just need to be careful honey, and take things slow. You're only seventeen, and have your whole life ahead of you. You know what I think?"

"What?" Madison asked curiously.

"I bet Jake's feeling the same way." She exclaimed.

"You think so?" She asked. "You really think he's as nervous as me?"

"I bet even more then you." Her mother replied, making her way to the door. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? He's one lucky fellow, to have such a beautiful young lady as you." She slowly closed the door and continued talking. "Everything's gonna be just fine darlin'."

Madison took a deep breath, thinking about what her mother said, went to the mirror, and softly patted her hair into place. When Jake arrived at the house, he began pacing on the porch, a bunch of wild flowers and weeds in his hands.

"You can do this,"
he said to himself.
"Open the door and walk in, just like every morning."

Jake took a deep breath, licked his palm, ran it over the top of his hair, grabbed the door handle and slowly let himself in. As Madison was about to head downstairs, she heard the front door squeak open. Her eyes widened, her hands began to sweat and her heart raced.

"It's him, what do I do?"
She said to herself.
"Do I go out there now, or make him wait?"

She pressed her ear to the door and heard her parents greet Jake. She heard her father say "Come on in, put those weeds down and help set the table."

Jake gave a halfhearted chuckle and looked around to see if Madison was anywhere in sight. "What's wrong with you?" Mr. Brierly asked. "You're acting like it's the first time you've set foot in this house, come on Jake, let's go!"

In that moment, Jake saw Madison walking down the stairs, putting her hair behind her ears, smiling and blushing. Mr. Brierly's commands seemed muffled by the tiny ringing in Jake's ears. His face started to feel hot and he became queasy. All of a sudden, he was snapped back to reality, Mr. Brierly grabbed the back of Jake's neck, giving it a light squeeze.

"Madison," Mr. Brierly said. "I'd like to introduce you to Jake Patterson, and Jake, this is my beautiful daughter Madison––now will you give her those weeds so we can all eat?" Mr. Brierly gave him a light shove, moving him in Madison's direction.

When Jake was close to Madison they were both blushing. Madison looked in Jake's hand and saw the assortment of weeds and wild flowers. "Are those for me?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, yes!" He said, as he cleared his throat. "Here you go Maddie!"

"Thanks Jake!" She said, closing her eyes and smelling the bouquet. "These are so pretty; let me put them in water."

When she went to move around him to get a vase, Jake simultaneously tried to get out of her way. With both of them going in the same direction, it became impossible for either one to make any progress.

"Hey!" Mr. Brierly laughed. "When y'all are done dancing over there, maybe we can eat some breakfast?"

Mr. Briery's comment seemed to drain the tension from the air, setting everything back to normal. As they ate breakfast, Mr. and Mrs. Brierly laid down some new rules; what was expected of the two young lovebirds.

"So, what's planned for today?" Mrs. Brierly asked, sipping on her coffee.

Jake and Madison looked at each other, and shrugged their shoulders. Then Jake suddenly raised his eyebrows.

"Hey Maddie!" He remembered "The Blackwater Fair starts today, wanna go?"

"I'd love to!" she said with excitement. "You think they'll have the hay rides like last year?"

"I don't know" he replied "Only one way to find out! Mr. and Mrs. B, y'all going too?"

"That sounds fun Nate!" Mrs. Brierly said, looking at her husband "How about we go this evening, when the lights are on display? Oh, I also heard they're gonna have a firework show the first night!"

"I think that'd be great," Mr. Brierly said "I'm sure we'll all have a good time."

"Madison, I almost forgot to tell you" her mother said. "Your Uncle Steven, Aunt Clara and your cousin Ashley are moving back to Blackwater. Steven got a job offer to help work on the railroad. They'll be staying here for a couple of weeks, until they find a place of their own."

"Oh wow, that's great!" Madison said, as her face lit up. "I haven't seen Ashley since last Christmas, we have so much to catch up on!"

"They should be here soon," her mother said "maybe even tonight!"

After breakfast, Mr. and Mrs. Brierly spent the day preparing for their guests, while Jake and Madison headed to town hand in hand. They went straight to town square, and saw workers setting up booths, tents, and stages, getting ready for the festivals grand opening this evening.

They spent all day walking around, waiting for things to officially kick off. As the sun started to set, they could see the line of people gathering around the entrance waiting for the ribbon to be cut.

Jake and Madison began making their way to the entrance, and recognized a familiar voice behind them. "H-Hey, w-w-wait up g-guy's!" Edwin Birch called out.

"Hey Edwin!" They said in unison, stopping to wait for their friend.

"Fancy seeing you here!" Madison added

"Is th-th-that what I th-th-think it is?" Edwin asked, pointing at their interlocked hands.

"Isn't it fantastic?"  Madison exclaimed.

"I w-was wondering w-w-what was t-taking y'all s-so long" he said, giving his approval "Y-Y'all belong t-t-together, that's f-for sure."

"Thanks buddy!" Jake said "You wanna join us? Were waitin' for things to begin––should be any time now."

Before he could answer, they heard a man's voice echoing loudly on a megaphone. "On behalf of our mayor, Ernest Wilson, I would like to officially welcome all of you to opening night of the Blackwater festival. There's food, games, prizes, rides, music, and much more. So come on in, bring your family and friends, and get ready to have a time of your life!" After a few short seconds of silence the man's voice spoke again. "Let's all count down together in five, four––"

Everyone began counting down with the man saying. "Three...two...one!" Mayor Wilson cut the ribbon, queuing workers to activate the lights revealing a beautiful layout of different colors and designs. The townspeople cheered and rushed in, making their way to the different booths, events and rides.

Jake, Madison and Edwin were enjoying their time together, tasting the delicious foods, playing games and riding rides. As the three sat on a bench to rest, they heard a female voice screaming from the top of her lungs. "Madison!––Madison, over here!"

Jake, Madison, Edwin and others turned their attention to the screaming voice. Madison's eyes opened wide, she tossed her cotton candy on Jakes lap, jumped up and screamed. "Ashley!–– my goodness, I can't believe it!"

The girls ran toward each other and embraced. They looked at each other, jumped up and down, and embraced again. Madison wiped a few joyful tears from her eyes, and began talking to her cousin.

"It's been months since we've seen each other," Madison said "how is everything?"

"Everything's been great! You're still pretty as ever!" Ashley replied, "I bet all the boys in Blackwater are at your heels."

"Nope" replied Madison, as she giggled. "The only man for me is right over there."

Madison pointed in Jake and Edwin's direction, and Ashley gave a nod of approval. "He's cute Madison!" Ashley said "very tall too!"

"Not him, my boyfriend's standing next to the tall one."

"Not bad!" Ashley said giving a second nod of approval. "So, who's his tall friend, is he single?"

"Ashley Amber Brierly!" Madison yelled, playfully hitting her cousin on the arm "You just arrived, and you're already looking at boys." Then giggled, "his name's Edwin Birch, but we all call him Little Edwin."

"He must be well over 6 feet tall!" Ashley said, puzzled. "Why in the world would you call him Little Edwin?"

"When we were younger, he was the smallest boy in town, then about two years ago, he suddenly sprung up like a weed. Guess the nickname just stuck. I must warn you Ashley, don't laugh, but he's got a bad stutter. The boy's a real sweetheart and gentleman, he'll do anything for anybody, and he's funny too. Just don't laugh at his stutter, he's very sensitive about it."

"A little stutter never hurt no one." Ashley replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I think it'd be kinda' cute."

"W-W-Who's that?" Edwin asked, watching Madison and her cousin talk.

"That would be Ashley Brierly." Jake confirmed, folding his arms and smiling "She's Madison's cousin, her father is Madison's Dad's brother, and her mom is Mrs. Brierly's best friend. When Ashley's parents were dating, they actually introduced Madison's parents to each other––something like that. It's a long, complicated story, Madison told me all about it earlier. As I understand it, Ashley's father got a job in another state a few years back, but was just offered a job here in Blackwater, at the railroad. He'll be the new foreman I believe."