Page 18 of Forged Forever

“Oh, that sounds yummy. I’m sure Alex and Steven are enjoying all the wonderful food.”

“I hope so. Mr. and Mrs. Grant often take some home with them for dinner. Luckily, we get along well, and she always leaves me a spotless kitchen after she prepares lunch.”

“I’m glad you’re happy. When do you apply for culinary school?” Unlike traditional colleges, applications aren’t due by mid-January.

“March 1st for Charleston and the 15th for Columbia. Once they go over my application, I’ll go in and cook a few dishes for them for evaluation. I get a week’s notice to prepare the menu.”

“I have zero doubts you’ll knock their socks off, E.” He blushes as I give his hand a squeeze.

We stay in the pool for another hour until Bay can drag Olivia from the water.

Bay drops me back home so I can shower, with Olivia talking a mile a minute. Alex, E, Seb, and I are going to rent a movie at Jake’s house this evening while Ray joins Dad and Troy at the movies.

Dad barbecues burgers for us and Troy while I make potato salad, and we eat at the table inside tonight. “The windows look great, Dad. So, that’s everything then? No more renovations?”

“I ordered new shutters today, pre-painted, but that will be the last project, darling,” he smiles.

“Awesome.”

“Don’t hold your breath, Summer,” Troy adds. “He’ll find something else to build or fix. He can’t help himself.” Dad pushes Troy’s shoulder as Troy laughs.

“I’m not addicted to renovations. It kept me busy. Now I have Summer for that.”

“Maybe,” Troy shrugs. “You still have plenty of land to build another structure.” They continue to rib each other as we eat.

I fill the dishwasher after our meal and then drive myself to the condo. As I’m climbing out of my Jeep, Alex pulls in beside me. Seb quickly hops out, dipping me backwards and planting a kiss on my lips. He’s grinning like a fool when we break apart. “Well, hello to you too.” I’m a little disoriented.

Alex hugs me while I stand there gathering my scattered brain. Patting his back, I shake my head. The hurricane struck. Waving to E, Seb slings an arm over my shoulder and steers us towards the front door.

Jake is already in his lift chair when we enter, and Ray waves goodbye, leaving for the movies. Taking a seat on the couch beside Jake, I grab his hand. “Hey handsome. Ready for the movie?”

“Yeah. Hey,” he says, motioning me closer, his voice dropping. “Should we invite Janus to watch?”

“Absolutely.” I squeeze his hand. “Janus,” I call, going into Jake’s room to find her on Ray’s wheeled chair, the tv on low. “You are welcome to join us for the movie.”

“Thank you, dear,” she smiles kindly, “but I’m not a fan of action movies. Besides, I’m going to get some knitting done this evening.” She holds up a bag full of yarn and knitting needles.

“Okay. Should I close the door? It might get loud. I’ll come get you if Jake needs anything.” She hesitates for a moment before agreeing. Gently clicking the door shut, I walk back out. Alex is placing a tray of snacks on the coffee table while Seb has a tray of drinks. E is popping popcorn, so I grab several bowls to fill with ice cream.

Alex turns down the lights, and Seb rents the movie once everyone settles in with their chosen snacks. It’s a great movie that keeps me on the edge of my seat, and we all watch without talking until the very end. As Alex stands to brighten the room, Jake lets out an enormous yawn. Smiling at him, I kiss his cheek as Seb grabs his wheelchair. The guys stay close as Jake transfers himself over, and I open the bedroom door and lower his bed so Janus can help him slide onto the mattress. She helps him get comfortable while I pull his blankets over him. “Goodnight handsome. Sweet dreams. We’ll be in the living room until Ray comes back.”

Jake puckers his lips, so I give him a peck before he closes his eyes. Waving to Janus, I quietly slip back out. E and Alex are cleaning up the food and dishes as I join Seb on the couch.

Alex and I spend Sunday morning at the gun range with Dad again. I’m getting better and hit the bullseye once. We stay for two hours this time, and Dad offers to continue training us on Sunday mornings until we're comfortable.

Chapter 11

With Nick gone and Seb in a separate relationship with E, plus Alex being single, we decided on a group dinner in Charleston for Valentine’s Day. E made arrangements to help the chef prepare a special menu, and Bay and Penny are joining us.

Since it’s Friday and we had school today, I made a batch of coconut cream and chocolate-dipped strawberries last night, packing them in a cooler to take with me. I drive over to Jake’s condo right after school with my goodies.

Walking into his room, I find Ray, Jake, and Will there. “Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.”

“Happy Valentine's Day, Sum,” Jake smiles. He slides a bouquet of flowers over on his table. “Got these for you, beautiful.”

I set the cooler on the table and pick up the arrangement. There are red lilies, white roses, and sweet peas. A mixture of me, Mom, and Lily bee’s flowers. “All our favorites. Thank you, handsome.” I lean over and give him a peck on the lips. It's so special that he included their flowers in the bouquet. He’s thoughtful like that, knowing how much they mean to me.

Opening the cooler, I pull out the coconut cream and 3 containers of dipped strawberries. I give one to Will and the second to Ray. Opening Jake’s portion, I feed him one. “So good, Sum. Thanks.”