Strawberry Wine (Winner of The Write Affair) | ✔️

Chapter 21

Ch. 21

Friday morning greeted me with sunny skies and comfortable temperatures. It was the perfect day to kick off the Strawberry Festival! My little Georgia town was extremely proud of the annual event, and spared no expense at making everything just right.

Festival patrons traveled from far and wide to experience the many pleasantries Lakeside had to offer. From the much anticipated Strawberry Pancake Breakfast that signaled the beginning of the fair, to the scores of strawberry treats and goodies offered throughout the entire downtown area, including the famous homegrown strawberry wine. The festival was, without a doubt, the highlight of the summer.

Even Gramps and Mags took the day off from the farm to commemorate the affair. They always helped out at the breakfast; whipping up the hotcakes and serving them to the guests. And I was looking forward to wandering around the festival with Jake, as both my parents and his aunt and uncle would be preoccupied with the weekend celebration. It would feel as if we were on our own, with no one to answer to but ourselves.

However, my first responsibility included making sure Ruby was all set with her designated royal responsibilities. She was expected to make an appearance at the pancake breakfast and charm those in attendance. But Ruby hadn't been awake before noon since summer vacation began, and I knew I would have to serve as her wake up call.  After my third attempt, I started getting nervous. I let the phone ring as long as it would, when finally she decided to pick up.

"Rise and shine, Queen Ruby," I called sweetly into the phone.

"Ugh. What time is it?"

"It's time to get up. That strawberry breakfast isn't going to wait for you to get there, you know."

She let out a long sigh. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, you have to. You wanted this, Ruby, now you have to follow through."

"You sound like my mother."

I rolled my eyes. The last thing I wanted to do was argue with Ruby that early in the morning.

"You're coming to pick me up, right?" I asked, changing the subject.

I heard her snort on the other end of the phone. "Do I have a choice?"

"If you would rather attend the breakfast on your own, I'd be happy to go back to bed." I smiled to myself, knowing I had her.

Ruby sighed again, this time in defeat. "I'll be there. Just give me forty five minutes."

"I don't want to be late. If my pancakes are cold, I'm going to kick your royal a--" But she had already hung up.

I showered and dressed in record time, finally making my way downstairs to wait for my ride. My parents had already left to help out with the breakfast, so it was just me alone with my thoughts. I sat in a comfy chair near the front window and twirled my hair around my finger. My mind drifted to Jake, as it always seemed to. I was excited to be meeting up with him later--it was all I could think about! Every time I pictured his face my stomach would tighten. Was this normal? Did he get butterflies when he thought of me, too? Probably not.

Our relationship was moving along rather smoothly and I couldn't help but wonder what this weekend had in store. I knew we would be left to our own devices and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. On one hand, I was really looking forward to be alone with him. I loved everything about him. His sense of humor, his kindness, the way that he looked. And the way he looked at me.

On the other hand, I was scared to death. I felt like a fish out of water. All of these feelings I had for him were so new to me. I talked to Ruby about it a little, but even then I held back. It felt so personal.

Jake and I had discussed the future of our union, as well. He always made sure that I felt comfortable, and that things weren't rushing along too quickly. He was a gentleman, in every sense of the word.

But something was coming, I could sense it.

There was a part of me that still could not believe my good fortune for having met Jake. My girlfriend's were always prodding me for more information about him, but I just didn't want to talk to them about it. They would get so frustrated by my lack of cooperation. We always gossiped about the guys we liked! But this was different. I didn't want them to know how I felt about Jake. Or how we would spend hours at the lake, listening to music and talking. And I certainly didn't want to regale them with the stories that emerged from the back seat of his truck! I'd barely even shared those intimate details with Ruby. All of those reasons were what forced me to believe this relationship was different. That he was different.

I had not yet told Jake that I loved him, or that I thought I was in love with him, but I could tell he already knew. I guess when it really is true love you know it. Just like Mags had promised.

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