Page 87 of Please, Sir

The old man saunters off after placing an order, and Jake turns to us. “Jo, you got some friends waitin’,” he says, nodding his head to the area adjacent to our booth.

Alexa, Carrie, Kelly and Jasmine stand huddled, and Jasmine waves Jo Jo over.

“Speak of the devils,” she groans.

She gets to her feet and walks over, folding her arms over her chest. “Hey Jas,” she greets, and I roll my stool a little closer to Jake just to eavesdrop.

“Alexa, Carrie and Kelly have something they want to say to you,” Jasmine says, her tone firm. I love Jasmine’s transformation this season. She went from minion to a baddie with a mind of her own, and I’m proud of her.

Alexa clears her throat. “I’m really sorry for making fun of you. I was just jealous that Rawley asked you to the dance.”

Carrie nods her head. “I like you. I don’t know why I joined in. I’m really sorry, Jo Jo,” she says, pressing her body to Jolene’s, forcing a hug. But Jo Jo eventually returns it, and just as Kelly begins to apologize, Jake grips my knee and brings his lips to my ear.

“What do you say we give her a minute and we go revisit that place behind the barn, where we first met?” he asks, the low, smoky tone of his voice making my nipples hard and my welts flare.

We tell Jo Jo we’ll be back, and I look over my shoulder at them as Jake guides us off. She’s laughing, and so are the other girls, and just knowing it’s all coming together for her nearly makes me cry.

“I’m so happy they worked it out,” I tell Jake, who tugs our joined hands as we reach the barn. We move to the backside and he presses me against the sun-heated wood, pinning my wrists above my head with just one hand. He tips his hat back, exposing the most handsome face I’ve ever seen. With his free hand, he commands my focus, grabbing my jaw. “Thank you,” he says, his voice raspy and raw, emotion and desire tangling inside him, I can feel it.

I always feel how Jake is feeling.

“What for?” I ask, breathless in our heated moment of privacy.

I almost think for a second he’s gonna do something crazy and shove his hand down the front of my jeans and finger me, or spit in my mouth then use my face to get off. I neverknow with this wild-hearted man of mine. Instead, his eyes search mine as he says, “For giving us a life back.”

I can hardly hear my own words when I respond. “You two did the same for me.”

With my wrist still pinned and my face still in his grip, he kisses me. He pulls back a bit, then presses our foreheads together.

“I love you, Riley.”

Tears sting my eyes. “I love you, too, Jake.”

He lets my hands free, and kisses the inside of my palm, the same place he sucked the splinter out all those months ago. We link our hands together and walk back to the booth, where Jo Jo and her friends have started taking everything down as the market comes to an end.

The girls come back to our place that night and have a huge sleepover. Jake makes them mini pizzas and rents them movies, and the two of us hole up in our room, enjoying our privacy.

As we're dozing off, he tells me he loves me again, and I can’t help but say it back, along with my favorite word.

“I love you, too… sir.”

EPILOGUE

Five YearsLater

“Alright girls. Listen up. As I’m really no longer able to be out here with you girls in the way I like, I have a mid-season replacement. She’s a college student, working on her degree at Bluebell State, with plans to teach and coach here. I expect you girls to show her the respect you show me, and work as hard for her as you do for me,” Riley says, herhands poised on her lower back. “Girls, this is Jolene Turner, my step-daughter and former Bluebell High cheerleader.”

“Hi,” I wave at the girls, thinking how young they look even though I’m only five years older than them. “You guys can call me Jo Jo.”

A wave of voices reply, “Hi, Jo Jo.”

Riley gets practice going, and once the girls are well into working on their routine, Leah Mitchell appears in the gym door. She clicks her way across the shiny floors until she stands before us in her bright crimson suit and loud, fuschia beaded necklace.

“Jo Jo, there you are. Once you’re done with practice, stop by the office and grab your intake forms, okay?” Leah says, smiling.

I nod. “I will. And thank you again for giving me an internship with you my freshman year. I realize freshman year it’s really unheard of but–”

“You can handle it. And four years with me is better than two. You’re gonna learn a lot. I just hope you don’t change your mind about this,” Leah says.

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