Page 38 of Forecasting the Forward

He leans forward slightly, forcing Rodney to peer up at him. “And you have no idea who you’re dealing with. Might want to Google my name, asshole. I’m not the nobody you assume. Enjoy your dinner, folks. We’ll see ourselves out.”

Jacob grabs my hand and strides confidently to the door. I hear my mother shouting for me to stop, someone laughing hysterically, and another person stomping. I assume that last one is my brother, who, for a man in his late thirties, can throw an epic temper tantrum.

Quickly grabbing our coats from an attendant, we’re silent as we walk to Jacob’s rental car. I’m growing more and more anxious with each passing minute. The drive to the hotel is tense. So tense that I begin to hyperventilate. I don’t know how to get out of this. Jacob probably hates me. He’ll leave tonight, and I’ll have to go to the funeral by myself. My brother will probably lock me in the basement and force a marriage to Richard Gaines by tomorrow evening. I’ll never get back to Colorado, and who will take Thunder? My mother hates dogs. Richard Gaines probably hates dogs. I bet he has a hairless cat that he treats like a child. Richard has to be pushing fifty, but looks even older. Sagging skin on both him and his hairless cat undoubtedly, and I bet he’ll want an heir the old fashioned way.

God, I’m such a fuck-up. I thought I could get through this week unscathed, and now I’ve brought someone else down into it. There’s no way out of this. What am I supposed to do? How can I make sure Jacob doesn’t hate me? Why did he even go along with all of this? I’m a mess in real life and online, but at least he now knows so he can sever all ties with me. I’ve managed to destroy a relationship with the real-life Jacob, and the online Jacob, in one fell swoop.

“Baby, I need you to breathe.”

I hated my childhood. Hated it. Rodney was vicious. My mother horribly cruel. My father a constant force with his disapproving glare. Nothing I ever did was right. It took years of therapy for me to gain even one ounce of self-confidence after so much time dealing with psychological abuse. I don’t know if I can recover from this one.

Every single person at that dinner looked down on Jacob as soon as I introduced him. When I gave his name to the butler, I wasn’t surprised when it was misspelled on the name card on the table. Jake Marshall. But Jacob didn’t even blink as he tossed the name card next to mine down the table.

He’s such a good man, and I’m an absolute disaster.

“Spitfire. Come back to me, darlin’.”

I feel something rub across my cheek, and my eyes suddenly focus. The passenger door is open, and Jacob is crouched next to me, holding my face in his hands. His eyes are full of compassion and empathy. He swipes a thumb across my skin again, and I realize he’s wiping tears away. My breathing is choppy, and I take a deep inhale as I attempt to regulate my emotions.

“That’s good. Slow and steady. I’ve got you,” Jacob says quietly. I look around, recognizing the back of the hotel parking lot. God, I didn’t even realize we had arrived back here.

“I’m sorry,” I say automatically, so tuned to apologize for any infraction.

“Nothing to apologize for. You have every right to be upset. What your family did back there …” he trails off. “I’m furious for you. Hell, it took every bit of my self-control not to throw your brother onto the table. And Grandpa better think twice before he comes after you for a wedding with Dick the Prick.”

A snort bursts from my lips, and Jacob gives me a grin. “There’s my girl. I’ve got you. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I can’t go to the funeral now. I can’t face them,” I whisper.

“Oh, we’re definitely not going. In fact, we’re getting the fuck out of this town right now. No time to waste, darlin’. Let’s get inside and pack up.” Jacob stands, extending a hand to me, and pulls me out of the car.

“What do you mean? Oh. You have to go to Cleveland.”

“Tomorrow, yes. I’m hoping you’ll go with me, but first, we have to go somewhere else.”

“Where?” I ask.

“I’ll explain once we get to the airport.”

One hour later,we’re changed, packed, and at the Indianapolis Airport. After turning in his rental car keys, Jacob turns to me. “I need you to breathe. Promise you won’t freak out?”

My heart rate immediately increases. He’s going to send me back to Denver. He’ll probably block my number. I wouldn’t blame him, but it’ll still sting.

“Becca,” he says with a laugh. “Don’t spiral.”

“It’s hard. I don’t like spontaneity,” I admit.

He gives me a soft smile, pushing a lock of hair behind my ear. “I can tell. But I’m hoping you’ll relax and let me take care of things. Do you trust me?”

I study him for a moment. He waits patiently, a small smile under his day-old scruff, and his blue eyes sparkling as they stay centered on me. And I realize that I do trust him. He’s shown me nothing but steadfastness since we met. “I trust you, Jacob.”

The small smile breaks into a wide grin. “Alright. That’s good. That’s real good, darlin’. Because the best thing I can think of to do, to ensure your safety and security, is for us to get married. Right now.”

My mouth drops open as I stare at him incredulously. “I didn’t mean that! It was the first thing that popped in my head. You don’t have to do this, Jacob. Seriously. Your heart is in the right place, but I’ll figure out something with my family.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t trust them. I can take care of you, Spitfire. I’ll be a good fake husband, I promise. Hell, maybe even one day you’ll consider me your real husband. But for now,I’ve got us booked on the last flight outta here. We’ve got a flight to Vegas with a layover in Dallas.”

“Ho — how did you do this?” I stammer.

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