Ch. 22

Ruby really came through as the reigning Strawberry Queen. She had the breakfast crowd captivated, and left them wanting more. I watched her shine from my chair nestled safely in the corner, far away from the limelight. She was a natural; if her mom could have made it that morning she would have been proud.

"Are you having a good time?" Ruby asked, in between mingling with the guests.

"I'm having a blast," I deadpanned.

She raised her eyebrows and fixed me with a look. "Oh, come on! You could at least be social, Addy."

"I don't want to be social. This is your affair. I'm just along for the ride."

"Suit yourself," she exclaimed, and turned sharply to greet a well-wisher.

"Not having any fun?" a deep voice came from behind me.

There were those pesky butterflies again.

"Jake." I sucked in a breath and turned to face him. He was wearing my favorite outfit, a tight back t-shirt with jeans that hugged his frame and those worn-in cowboy boots. Jake grinned back at me and leaned in closer for a peck on the cheek. I watched Mags smile from across the room and then turn quickly away, not wanting to be caught. I thought I was going to die.

Please, God--don't let my parents be watching!

I felt my cheeks warm as I looked down, embarrassed by the public display of affection. What I would have given for a rock to climb under.

Jake only chuckled and brushed away the hair that fell into my face. "Are you ready?" he asked.  "I can't wait for you to show me around."

The awkwardness passed and I once again had a hard time hiding my enthusiasm. I'd been looking forward to this weekend for so long! What made it even better was knowing that I would be able to share in the excitement with Jake. I had our whole day planned, from sampling all of the strawberry treats, to listening to live music play at the gazebo in Lakeside Park. I was also looking forward to the arts and crafts area. The festival always displayed an impressive amount of works from local artists, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics and woodwork. But my favorite section was photography. Lakeside was such a beautiful area, and I was always amazed by the sights captured on film.

"So, what's first on our itinerary?" he asked.

I looked up at him sheepishly. "Don't laugh, but every year I get a caricature."

Jake looked skeptical. "You're kidding, right?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not. I have an album full of them at home, starting from the time I was about four years old on up. It's just what I do," I answered, haughtily.

"Alright now, don't go getting all defensive on me, Addison," he said, playfully nudging me in the ribs. "I want to do whatever you want to do."

"Okay then, caricatures it is!" I linked my arm through his and we started walking toward the door.

"And where do you think you're going?" I heard a brassy voice call from behind. We turned around to find Ruby with her hands on her hips, glaring at us.

"I'm going to show Jake around the festival."

"You're not going to leave me here on my own, are you?" she pouted.

"You're not on own, Ruby. You have a roomful of adoring fans. Besides, it's almost noon. I've been here with you for hours!"

She attempted to hide the smile forming on her lips, but failed miserably. "They really do like me, don't they?"

"What's not to like?" Jake piped in. "You make a wonderful queen, Ruby. Probably the best Lakeside has ever seen."

Ruby's cheeks turned a dark shade of pink which, of course, complimented her complexion perfectly. I still got a kick out of watching her swoon over Jake.

"Thank you, Jake. That's so sweet of you to say," Ruby gushed.

"Well, it's the truth," he continued. "Addison promised to show me around, but we'd like to catch up with you later if you have time. How about you text her when you have a free moment? In the meantime, I see several people waiting to get their picture taken with you."

Ruby turned around and smiled at the small gathering lingering patiently behind her.

She gave them a wave. "I guess you're right!" she exclaimed over her shoulder. "I'd better go. Have fun, you two!" And off she went.

I gave Jake an impressed smirk, and shook my head. "You're so good with her."

He laughed. "Oh, she's not so bad. She just likes the attention. It makes her feel important."

"You know how to sweet talk her. She's putty in your hands."

"I don't know about all that," he said, chuckling again. "Now enough talk about Ruby. Let's go have some fun!"

I smiled and let him lead me out the door into the bright summer sun. Inhaling the wafts of sugar lingering in the air, I felt on top of the world. Nothing was going to ruin this perfect weekend! As we walked through the decorated downtown area, I noticed the appreciative glances from the females we passed and had to stifle a giggle. I was walking with the most handsome guy at the fair, and everyone knew it.

Suddenly, my nerves took over. What was I doing? How could I have let myself fall in love Jake? He would be leaving town in just a few shorts weeks--how was I going to manage without him? I stopped to blindly study a ceramic cat displayed at one of the artist's booths and tried to calm my mounting anxiety.

"Hey," Jake said quietly, interrupting my thoughts. "Are you alright?"

There was that question again. The same one that had popped up so many times during the short period of time I'd known him.

I looked up at him and felt my eyes fill with tears. "I'm fine," I squeaked.

A soft smile lifted the corners of his lips. "I think you're lying."

I shook my head in protest, but could feel the lump in my throat growing larger.

"What are you thinking about?" he prodded.

I swallowed hard, and wiped at a tear that had escaped. "Nothing," I insisted.

Jake turned, taking me gently by the shoulders, forcing me to look him in the eye. "What's going on?" he asked again.

Without warning, my tears spilled over like a faucet, betraying me.

"Addison?" he questioned, his voice laced with concern.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it." I sniffed loudly, horrified by my reaction. I owed him an explanation, and not being very quick on my feet, was unable to come up with a suitable lie. "I was thinking of you leaving next month," I blurted out, surprisingly relieved by my confession.

Jake let a out small sigh, and regarded me carefully. "I've been thinking about that, too," he admitted.

Shocked, I looked up at him. Was he serious?

His gaze fell to the ground. "I wasn't expecting to come to Lakeside this summer and fall in love."

My heart sank into my stomach. Did he just say what I thought he said? Did he love me the way that I loved him? Jake's admission didn't make me feel any better--only worse. To know that he returned my feelings was almost too much to bear.

A depressing melody from an instrumental band wafted across from the park, adding to my misery. "I'm so sorry," was all I could think to say.

He laughed lightly and brought his hand up to my cheek, causing my heart to skip a beat. "What are you sorry for? I wouldn't trade this for the world." He smiled down at me, his eyes soft and moist.

"I've never felt this way before..." I was unable to complete my sentence. The butterflies in my stomach were fluttering much too quickly. I was starting to feel nauseous.

"Neither have I."

Slowly, he brought me closer until I was pressed against his body, then he lowered his lips onto mine. It was the softest, most meaningful kiss I had ever received.

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