Page 2 of Jaime's Story

Joe is completely focused on work. He loves being an architect and never dates. On the other hand, other than our house—and maybe Jesse’s—Joe has the largest place. So he may be a bit more like Dad than we think, which is why I’m not counting him out unlike Jeffery.

It’s going to take someone pretty special to get him to trust them. He’s had it rough though with being falsely accused of assaulting a girl during college. Thank god that Dad and Doug—the owner of a security and private investigation firm my older brothers have used on occasion—were able to prove his innocence, but it’s definitely kept him from girls.

Jordan I’m sure will settle down once he finds the right girl. Well, I hope so, especially if it brings him back home to us. He lives out of town most of the year since he’s playing professional basketball. Except he’s kind of like Joe only interested in what he likes which is basketball and cars…so maybe none of them will get married.

Who knows with those boys, but it’s definitely something I want, and I know Jillian wants it too. She’s just a little more active about it than I am. Maybe that’s not such a good thing, but I think when I’m meant to meet the right person, I will. There’s no point in dating dozens of guys that think you owe them for going out with them, and if they know we’re Cartwrights, it’s a toss-up between them wanting us in their beds when they pay for a meal, or them wanting us to pay for everything.

I don’t have a problem with having more money than the guy I’m out with, or even paying for dinner because I can easily afford it. I do draw the line at the guy wanting to go to the fanciest places in town all the time, always wanting the most expensive things on the menu, and ordering the most ridiculous drinks because ‘you can afford it’. I don’t do that to guys I go out with, so why in the world does it make it okay the other way around?

Okay, technically I have money—in a trust fund that Dad set up for me when I was born. Just like all of my brothers and sisters have. But it’s not really mine. I didn’t earn it, so I don’t like to live off of it.

None of us do…well, other than Jennie perhaps, but even still, she’s not extravagant about things except the house and cars she and Troy have. He still works with Jackie’s husband Ethan, so it’s not like he’s just living off her either. Jennie helps out with the foundation and other charities and despite her lack of a filter at times, she’s awesome with what she can get done.

A sound pulls me to the front room, finding Dad sitting in his favorite chair with Mom on his lap and god it makes me smile seeing them like this. Dad’s getting up there, but you’d never know it to see him out and about.

“Not interrupting am I?” I tease, pulling Mom’s attention to us first and her brow lifts seeing the backpack in Maia’s hands.

“Not at all, honey,” Dad states, his voice calm and gentle, the same tone he uses on the grandbabies now and us when we were younger. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Maia. I’m hoping Mom, and you,” I add when his brow lifts a bit at excluding him originally, “can help her out. She needs somewhere safe to stay, especially tonight with this weather.”

“Of course we can help with that,” Mom says, her eyes softening further towards Maia. “Why don’t you come in and we can talk? See what we can do? How old are you, sweetheart?” she adds when Maia finally comes into the room and takes a seat on the couch near them.

“Umm…”

“I’m only asking so we know the best route to take to keep you safe,” Mom promises and I’m relieved when Maia seems to be opening up towards her.

“Seventeen,” Maia admits. “I turned seventeen in June.”

“Okay, and you were living at home until now?” Mom asks.

“Yeah…I…” Maia stops glancing my way as she bites her bottom lip in uncertainty again.

“Why don’t I give you all some space?” I suggest and the relief in her eyes doesn’t bother me. I much prefer to talk to Mom, or Dad, or any of my siblings one-on-one when I’m having problems than in front of a group.

I leave Maia with Mom and Dad, and head back towards the kitchen, smiling when Jillian’s headed down the steps that way as well. The girl loves to snack, even if we’ve just had a four-course meal, she’ll be back for snacks in an hour or two.

We both can get away with it for now still. A perk of me just now being twenty-three while Jillian will be twenty-two next May. She’s the baby of the family, well, of Mom and Dad’s kids. We’ve got lots of nieces and nephews, including the yummy little babies that Jasmine and Carly—my brother Johnnie’s wife—had this year, while Maddie—my brother Jesse’s wife—is due in a little over three months with their fifth.

My oldest niece, Andra, turned twenty in May. She’s a year younger than Jillian is. My sister Jackie actually announced her engagement the day Jillian was born. Not that I remember that. I was just twenty-one months old at that point.

It’s so strange to think that Mom and Dad could have great-grandkids before they’re finished having grandkids, especially when you add in that Jackie’s second daughter, Abby, just turned nineteen in April.

They’re both going to State and staying for the most part in the family condo Mom and Dad bought when Jasmine and Jamison—her twin—both chose to attend State. It takes an hour to drive there from the house, unlike Presley where I went and where Jillian’s in her last year at, which is about a thirty minute drive from home with traffic.

“You’re home late. What’s up?” Jillian asks as she grabs a couple trays out of the fridge, settling them onto the island between us as my stomach growls. It’s almost eight and I haven’t had a thing to eat since a quick bite at lunch.

“Last minute crisis with the new ad they want to roll out. The other group that was in charge of creating them didn’t realize that Insta ads are way different in size than a banner ad,” I muse, rolling my eyes when Jillian laughs. I’m not a huge social media girl. I have accounts but mostly to just keep up with our friends. Well, Jillian’s friends who are also somewhat my friends.

Jillian, however, loves going through and finding videos to send to us. She hates ads though, which I find completely hilarious since she’s getting a degree in marketing, so I know she won’t want to hear about the ones we’re putting out. My little sister is a bit of a contradiction sometimes, but I love her to pieces, especially when she’s got my back at events and jerks I want nothing to do with try to hit on me.

“There’s something else, isn’t there?” she states, and I nod. Her brow lifting until I can’t help but give in, telling her about Maia as we munch on the fruits and veggies.

I’m about to tell her about the question of if we’d call her family when footsteps head our way but they’re not coming our way from the front room but the garage. My head swivels around and a laugh bubbles up seeing Jeffery there scratching his jaw that’s covered in more scruff than normal.

“What cave have you been living in?” Jillian asks, cracking up when she sees him.

I fight to contain my own laugh because it’s true. He does look like he’s been away from society for a while, especially with his normally groomed hair flopping into his eyes. I guess it was kind of long at the last Sunday dinner he came to, which had to have been two weeks ago when we did the birthday dinner for September.

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