A Jock & His One True Love

Chapter 1: Jules' POV

First day of college, you'd think I would be more excited, however, Jannie is sick which means I can't go anywhere. I have to miss my first class. The doctor doesn't open until nine and my class starts at eight. Seeing we are up and ready anyway, I decide we can walk and talk to my professor before class, don't want him thinking I am a total flake.

Jannie is technically my sister, but our mom passed away during her birth and BAM, I'm a mom to a little girl. Her dad isn't in the picture, not sure who he is actually. My dad passed away when I was 10 and my mom wasn't right afterwards. But Jannie, she is my everything. Her beautiful, big sky blue eyes which mine and her curly auburn hair makes her my mini me. She even has my deep dimple. She is a little over a year old, yes I finished my senior year of high school as a mom.

It wasn't easy, we didn't have any family near by so it was up to make it work. I did. Kept my grades up and was able to continue to get my full ride scholarship to the college of my dreams, University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Sold our house, moved three states away and here we are. Ready to take on the world - Jannie and me.

"Come on Jannie, we have to go meet my teacher before we take you to the doctor." Grabbing my baby's hand, I reach for her bag before walking out the door of our small apartment.  I was lucky I was able to find a place near campus. Jannie will be attending the daycare on campus while I am in classes. I have money put aside from the sale of the house and mom's life insurance that should be able to get us through the next 10 years comfortably. I pick Jannie up to start the half-mile walk to the university and to keep her safe from her little legs running away from me - she's discovered running instead of walking, makes life interesting when walking near streets.

The walk is easy, not a lot of people out this early. Walking through the front gate of the university is incredible. The beautiful brick walls and the old style buildings are everywhere you look. Tall trees covering the green grass courtyards. I still can't believe I'm here. "You ready for this awesome year, Jannie baby?" Her sweet little smile says it all, she's with me.

Walking across campus to the English building, I notice a group of guys running around the courtyard. I assume they are the some of the football team as they are throwing a football around. Some of them are really built. I lift Jannie up more on my hip as we continue to walk across the courtyard. I look down at her and kiss her forehead. Just as my lips touch her head, we are hit from the side. I try to turn my body so that I hit the pavement and not Jannie when a pair of hands wrap around us both. We are pulled into a very sweaty, muscular chest.

I look down and see huge hands wrapped around Jannie and I casing me. The hands stay wrapped around us even after I am stable with both feet on the ground. Jannie is looking up to the person that has. She can face him, I have my back to his chest. I turn my head slightly to the right to see who still has us in a tight grip when I am blindsided by the biggest smile and prettiest green eyes I've ever seen. This man is a God. His face is clean of facial hair with a square chin. He has 'just woke up' dirty blonde hair and a pair of eyes that could hypnotize you.

"You know you can let us go now, right?" I say to the mystery man.

"Why would I want to, I have two very beautiful ladies in my arms right now, that has never happened before," mystery guy says.

"I doubt that," I mutter.

"I am sorry for hitting you by the way."

"No harm, you caught us and kept us on our feet. Thank you for that. You could have let us fall"

"Not a chance. My name is Jake, what's yours pretty lady?" Jake says looking at Jannie.

"Ja-n-I-e. You're pretty," she replies and then ducks her head under my chin. I didn't think he could smile any bigger, I was wrong. She doesn't talk to strangers, so this is a shocker for me. I just hug her a little closer to my chest.

"Jake, you can let us go now. Thank you for helping us, but we have places to be this morning." I said trying to walk forward out of his arms. I am almost clear of his hands when he tightens his arms up around us and brings us back in.

Oh great, the rest of the guys head over to us. "Jake, dude, who are your pretty ladies?" A guy the size of a tank asks.

"This gorgeous little beauty is Jannie and .... " looking for me to finish the sentence I respond "Jules."

I turn in Jake's arms so that we are face to face now with Jannie in between us, "Please let us go, I have to meet with my professor before class and then I have to take Jannie to the doctor, she isn't feeling well today."

Looking down at me and then Jannie, Jake replies "Can I help? Want me to watch Jannie so you can meet with your professor?" Snapping my head up to see Jake already looking at me, I am so incredibly shocked that I am speechless. Nobody has ever offered to help me, especially not a stranger. It has me choked up and I feel the tears in my eyes, so I look down at Jannie and then the ground.

Clearing my throat, "thank you, that offer means a lot to me but I got her. I think I have taken enough of your time this morning." Backing out of his arms "I'm sure we will see you around" turning around and heading towards the English building again, I smile and know coming here was the right choice for Jannie and me. We will be fine. This new chapter will be everything I want  for her and me. 

"Jannie baby, we got this. You and me baby girl." I squeeze her a little tighter and keep walking. I walk into the English building and look for my class. Once I find it I look around the empty hallway, hoping this brief meeting will go well and that the professor is cool. Sending a little prayer upstairs, I take a deep breathe and open the door. I can do this, one step at a time. Simple. Introduce myself and let him know I can't be there today. Hopefully, he will give me the syllabus so I can review that later today. I finally get my first look at a college classroom. The classroom is large and set up like an auditorium setting. Several rows of desks fill up the back of the room and I see the professor at the bottom of the rows standing near his desk with his back to me.I feel Jannie's breathe even out so I know she is sleeping again, understandable with a fever.

Professor Watkins looks up when we enter the room, "can I help you?" Professor Watkins is a 30-something, wiry built, attractive man, however, I just met a team full of Gods so he really isn't anything I would daydream about.

"Hi Professor Watkins, I am Jules Matthews. I have your class in 30-minutes, unfortunately my baby is sick and I have to take her to the doctor at nine. I just wanted to stop in and introduce myself and see if I can pick up the syllabus to review?"

"It is nice to meet you Ms. Matthews. Will missing class be a usual occurrence?"

"No, sir, she is hardly sick. I have her registered for the daycare on campus but they won't take her when she is sick and today she woke up with a fever and runny nose, which she didn't have yesterday so I don't know what it is. Anyway, I didn't want you to think I was a flake by not showing up to the first day of class. I am looking forward to this class so I wanted to introduce myself."

"Alright, I won't judge you until you show me the type of student you are going to be. Let me grab you a syllabus and your reading assignments for the year," he says as he heads to his desk where he has stacks of papers. "Here we are, your syllabus is straight forward, read it over though. It has important information that will help you during the year and it breaks up what will be taught throughout the semester. Also, here is the reading list for the semester. You must read four of these books and write a detailed report on each book choosing a side of readable or not. Each report must be 10-pages with quotes and details from the book backing up your reason to have someone read/not read that book. Understand?"

"Yes. Thank you again for your help. I will see you on Wednesday." Taking the papers, I swing Jannie's bag around to the front of me and put the papers in the bag. That went so much better than expected. He seems nice until you piss him off. Hopefully, this class will be as easy as he made it sound.

"Alright baby, let's get you to the doctor."