Page 39 of Protecting Vidalia
“Can we borrow your phone?” Dark Hair asked tentatively. “We left ours in the cabin and I need to call our dad.”
Vidalia’s eyes widened. “Are you brothers? You don’t look anything alike.”
“We’re adopted,” Carrot Top replied sheepishly. “Dad isn’t going to be happy about the cabin though. Especially since I’m guessing we’ll be responsible for the repairs. He was going to join us for the weekend. We just came up ahead of him to do some hiking.”
While the boys were using his office, Jake set about making some pancakes for breakfast. He always had pancake mix on hand, it was a quick fix. He threw some sausage links in a skillet to go with it, took some orange juice out of the fridge and called it good. “Breakfast on,” he called to the three sitting in the living room where Vidalia was grilling them. She was worried about Sushi and Buttons, he could tell.
They were just finishing up their food on paper plates when Jake heard the rumble of a pickup truck pull up outside. He went to the door and managed to open it just as a huge man with a beefy fist raised stood there ready to knock. His brown eyes raked over Jake. The man had to be six-foot four and at least 275 pounds. His red checked flannel shirt didn’t hold much of a belly either and Jake knew he’d be a mean customer in a fight.
“You got two knuckle heads in there that belong to me?” He growled.
“Dad!” The twin voices behind him rang out and the boys walked up as Jake moved aside, a sheepish look on their faces.
Jake almost felt sorry for the young men, but not completely. They were about to get a royal ass chewing if he was any judge of character, and they deserved it.
“I should bang your heads together,” the man groused, but he stepped forward and put a large hand on each shoulder, his eyes roving them for damages in spite of his irritation. “Tell the man thank you for saving your puny asses and let’s go see what the damages are.”
Vidalia stood beside Jake as he received the boys’ heartfelt thanks and huge handpump of a handshake from their father. “I’m beholden to you,” he stated simply.
“You don’t owe me anything,” Jake replied with a grin.
“Don’t be too hard on them,” Vidalia piped up with a small smile.
“Oh, they’ll be spending the summer repairing the damages to our cabin if I’m not mistaken,” he boomed. “I just bought it too.” He winked at her. “Insurance will cover it of course, but they’ll work it off just the same.”
“Well, welcome to the area,” Jake replied with a grin. “They didn’t say they owned the cabin. It looks like we are going to be neighbors. I’m Jake Bonner.”
“That’s because they don’t own it, I do,” The large man pumped Jake’s hand again. “I’m pleased to meet you, Jake. I’m Marvin Feldman and these two scoundrels are Jason and John.” He pointed to Carrot Top and Dark Hair respectively. “If you have anything you need help with over the summer, you just call me. These two chowderheads will be delighted to help. Won’t you boys?”
“Oh, sure,”
“Yeah, of course.”
Both replies were mumbled and the boys flushed an even deeper red. “I’ll remember that,” Jake replied with a lazy grin. “I might have trees that need cutting down for firewood and a few other chores.”
The boys looked panicked and their father chuckled. “That’s good. They need to stay busy or they always find trouble.” He scratched his head. “Or trouble finds them. I don’t remember having that much trouble when I was seventeen, but then I might have some selective memory going on.” He winked at Vidalia and Jake, then turned around. “Okay, haul it to the truck,” he boomed, waving the boys out the door. “Let’s get out of these folks’ hair.”
After they left, Jake turned to Vidalia. “Given that the parks department is out hunting for Sushi and Buttons, we probably shouldn’t go hiking today, not until we hear from the ranger,” he said.
She nodded. “And going back to my cabin, which is close to the epicenter, would be out of the question, right?” She sighed when he nodded. “I guess you’re stuck with me then.”
“I can’t think of a better person to be stuck with,” he drawled, sliding his arms around her and pulling her tight. “Maybe we can talk now, since we didn’t get to last night.” He took her hand and pulled her over to one of the recliners and sat down, then pulled her into his lap. So, Ms. Trouble, let’s talk.”
“Okay,” she said with a grin. Then she dipped her head and started kissing him.
Rational thought went out of Jake’s head until he heard the doorknob of his front door open and a gasp rip from a throat. Quickly he looked around Vidalia to see who had walked in without permission. “Mom—Dad—hi.” Then he sighed. He really should start locking his door.
***
VIDALIA FELT THE REDcreeping up her throat as she jumped off Jake’s lap and nervously pushed her fall of auburn hair behind her ears. “Uh...hi,” she said faintly, grateful when Jake stood up and put his arm possessively around her.
“Would you like us to come back later?” The woman asked with a broad grin.
“No. No—of course not,” Jake hastily replied. “Come on in. I have someone I’d like you to meet anyway. He took her hand and walked over to his parents. “This is Vidalia Minton. Vidalia—these are my parents, Amelia and Steve.
Vidalia mentally groaned. Meeting the parents hadn’t been on her list of things to do while she was here. Especially not when she was lip-locking with their son. Embarrassed, she nodded at them.
Jake looked like his dad, she decided. They had the same square jaw and gray smoky eyes. His dad was a little stockier than Jake but it wasn’t a stretch to think he’d look like him one day, down to the silver streaks in the sides of his hairline. His eyes twinkled in approval as he studied her in return.
