Our Little Love Story *NOW PUBLISHED ON AMAZON KINDLE!!*

chapter thirty eight

My eyes fluttered open. I had that sudden sense of not knowing where I was, and then it all came back to me. It was officially my second day in California. I had flown out on a Friday afternoon, and because of the time change from Illinois to California, arrived still on Friday afternoon. Jet lag had gotten the better of me, and I had crashed in the bed --mine and Jared’s bed-- and slept like the dead. He had weekends off, and was able to get away a couple of hours early to meet me at the airport. 

I had brought as many clothes as I could in my three suitcases, and stuffed my two carryon bags to the brim. My parents were paying a small fortune to send a couple of boxes of other odd and end things to me. 

My parents. I let out a sigh as I stared at the plain ceiling remembering our good bye. I don’t know which was worse --saying good bye to them, or Sam. His poor sweet eyes were overflowing with tears. He just didn’t understand why his Tiffy had to go. I promised him that I would be back soon, and often. That seemed to satisfy his mind and ease his little heart, and we had left soon after. 

The scent of bacon and eggs wafted into the bedroom, catching my attention. My belly grumbled with a fierceness that had me climbing out of bed to go investigate. Rubbing my eyes and stretching, I stepped out of the bedroom --our room-- and into the small hallway that led into the living room. The kitchenette area was off to the left of the living room. Jared was standing at the stove, his back to me when I walked in. I leaned up against a wall and watched him cooking breakfast. A small smile spread across my lips.

Sensing someone was behind him (I had discovered that since being in the Marines, he had an uncanny way of knowing when someone else entered a room, without even having to see or hear them.), he turned around, spatula in hand. I raised my eyebrows, but said nothing; my smile spreading further. 

“We have a big day, little miss,” Jared announced, turning back to his work on the stove. 

“Oh?” I asked, stepping across the threshold and into the kitchen. I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his thin waist and rested my cheek on his back.

“Yeah,” he replied, placing some eggs and a few pieces of bacon on a plate. “Sight-seeing. And a special surprise.”

“What kind of surprise?” I asked, stepping to the left of him and taking the plate of food that he offered to me. My stomach continued to growl, anticipating food. 

“Just a--uh, little…hobby…I’ve gotten into since being out here,” he said with a wink. Ugh, I hated when he tried to be mysterious. He could be pretty good at it, but sometimes I wished that he’d just come out and tell me whatever it was. 

“A hobby?” I questioned, hoping that he would elaborate.

“Mm-hmm. But first, breakfast, the meal of champions!” he replied, retrieving his own plate and walking with me to the small kitchen table setting near the living room.

We sat and ate in silence, devouring our food like neither one of us had eaten in days. 

****

Jared took me around the city, driving past and stopping at odd and end places that were special to him. I was still anticipating what this surprise was, and he hadn’t let any hints as to what it might be slip.

“Okay, are you ready for the main surprise of the day?” Jared asked after we had stopped at a small snow cone shack. I hadn’t had a snow cone in years! 

“Mmm, sure,” I answered, sipping on the sweet, fruity drink. 

“Alright, then, let’s go,” he said, climbing into his truck. That was another thing that I hadn’t realized I guess. Jared had another vehicle to get around in while he was in California. It was a cherry red Ford truck; extended cab. ‘To haul my friends around,’ he had said when we climbed in it and left the airport.