Author's Note: I did some research online about Jacksonville, Florida...so I really hope it sounds good to those of you who actually have been there *runs and hides*.
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of the respective owners as most of the Jacksonville trip is cited from several online sites about visiting the place, I don't own those things either.
Early Friday morning of the spring holiday, Charlie drove Jacob and I to the airport. Billy was supposed to go with us, but he claimed he wasn’t feeling well, so Sam had driven Jacob to Charlie’s house that morning.
On the way to the airport, Jacob and Charlie joked that Billy really was just too lazy to get up that early, but later Jacob told me that Billy really had an emergency council meeting to go to and hadn’t wanted to explain to Charlie why that was more important than seeing his son off. Sometimes Charlie could be a little strange when it came to Quileute traditions.
Renee was there to meet us when the plane landed in Jacksonville. As soon as she saw me, she squealed like a teenager and engulfed me in a hug.
“Oh Bella, I’m so glad you’re here! We’re going to have so much fun!”
I couldn’t help but grin at her exuberance. When she pulled away, I turned to Jacob who wore an amused expression, complete with his sunny smile.
“Mom, this is Jacob Black. Jacob, my mom, Renee Dwyer.”
Renee turned to look at Jacob, her eyes widening as soon as she saw him. “Oh my! You are so tall!” she blurted out. “I don’t remember either one of your parents being this tall!”
Jacob chuckled. “Dad said I get my height from my grandfather.”
“Ah that must be it then. You do look like your mother though. And you have her eyes, but your smile is definitely your father’s.”
As Jacob’s smile grew wider, my mother giggled. She actually giggled like a schoolgirl and all I could do was stare at her as Jacob answered her.
“Thanks Mrs. Dwyer. Everyone does say I have dad’s smile when they see both of us together, but it’s rare anyone remembers my mom.”
Renee’s smile turned comforting as she patted Jacob’s arm. “Well, I remember her well, but we’ll talk more at the house, okay? Let’s go get your luggage.”
“Um, mom…” I interrupted. “This is our luggage.”
Jacob and I motioned to the carry-on bags we both carried as Renee’s eyes grew wide.
“That’s it?” At our nods, she shook her head. “Boy, you two sure pack light!”
“It’s just a weekend, mom.”
“I know and I can understand Jacob only having the one bag, but you’re a girl and girls tend to need so much more.. Then again, I forgot you’re Bella Swan and you’re just like your father.” She teased as she moved between us and looped her arms into ours.
She began to lead us out of the terminal as she turned to grin at Jacob. “Oh, I almost forgot! Jacob, honey, you’re practically family. Always have been, so don’t you think it’s a little too formal calling me Mrs. Dwyer?”
“Sorry, Mrs. D…I mean, Renee. Sorry Renee,” he gave her his smile.
“Much better,” she winked as she continued to steer us out of the doors and down the sidewalk to where her car was parked.
The ride to Renee and Phil’s house actually flew by faster than what I would have expected. As Renee chattered on about the things Phil and her had been up to since the last time I had talked to her, Jacob sat in the back seat looking out the window at the passing scenery. I glanced back a couple of times to see him taking it all in like a kid in a candy store.
I knew he had never been out of the state of Washington before, so it was all new to him. Even on the plane he had been so eager to explore everything in sight. He had even begged for the window seat so he could look out of the window as the plane took off or landed. The expression of awe on his face as we flew over the terminals and cities was a sight to see.
I had wondered if he would have a problem with flying, thinking his inner wolf would want to remain in touch with the ground. However, when I mentioned that to him, he smiled at me and said, “I’m still human Bells, so flying shouldn’t affect me. I jump off of cliffs for a thrill, you know. Besides, I’ve always wondered what it was like, it’s got to be cool seeing everything from up high!”
Renee interrupted my thoughts with a question. “So Bella, did your dad give you anymore grief about Jacob coming along?”
I looked up at her even as I heard Jacob chuckling from the back seat. “Not really. After you and Billy each talked to him, he seemed okay with it.”
Renee laughed.
When I had first told Charlie that the tickets were still usable, he had seemed ecstatic that I was going to see my mother, until I asked him if Jacob could come with me by using the second ticket.
“Now wait just a minute, Bella! Going to Florida for a weekend with your boyfriend is not acceptable! Even if it is Jacob! Why don’t you invite one of your friends…like Angela?”
“But Jacob is my friend, dad. I mean, I like Angela, but I’m closest to Jacob…he knows me and I’m just not that comfortable with anyone else.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea Bella. And I know your mom will agree with me.”
“What if I ask her and see?” I actually wasn’t as confident as I hoped I sounded, but I was hoping Renee would be easier to convince than Charlie was.
Luckily, Renee didn’t see a problem with it at all. She really wanted to meet Jacob and she told Charlie that we would always be supervised, plus Jacob was getting the sofa bed while I got the extra bedroom. The fact that Renee had mapped out our visit and sleeping arrangements so quickly had Charlie finally relenting. It also helped when Billy vouched for Jacob, saying he trusted his son to behave himself with me.
Even Charlie couldn’t deny that Jacob had always been trustworthy, a true stand-up guy. Plus, everyone knew Charlie secretly liked the fact that I would have someone to look out for me in the form of Jacob Black.
In the end, Charlie agreed to let Jacob go with me, resigning himself to the fact that there really wasn’t a better choice for a travel companion and everyone else didn’t seem to have a problem with it. Obviously Renee’s immediate acceptance of Jacob, and her plans for our stay with her, had been the biggest factor in letting the wind out of Charlie’s sails over his reluctance of letting his only daughter take a weekend trip to Florida with her boyfriend.
*****************************************
It was mid-afternoon by the time we arrived at Renee’s house which was set not too far from the beach. We could actually see the ocean from the back patio of the house, but it was still a bit of a walk from the house to the beach itself. Since Jacob was already so used to living near a beach, he was very eager to visit one that wasn’t anywhere near as cold as the ones in La Push were.
Renee could see the excitement on his face as she finished showing us around her modest house and finally the patio. She chuckled as she told us that Phil was out of town until Sunday which meant we had her all to ourselves.
So for the time being, she suggested that we unpack and relax a bit while she made us some sandwiches since she knew we hadn’t had lunch yet. At the mention of food, Jacob’s eyes left the view of the ocean and came to rest on Renee. I stifled the urge to laugh at how much he resembled a kid just then.
Already I could see the difference in him from the serious boy-man he was when at home. It was evident in the way he seemed to look at everything with wide eyes while the sunny smile that I loved to see never seemed to leave his face. He looked happy and relaxed as he figuratively skipped behind Renee back into the house.
I took my bag into the room I would be staying in while Renee showed Jacob where he could stash his bag. Closing the door, I set the bag on the bed and rummaged around for my one piece swimsuit. It was the same dark blue one I had from back when I lived in Phoenix, which meant it was a few years old, but it still fit well. Since I was never one to shop, I hadn’t gone to buy me a new one, never thinking I would have need of one in a place such as Forks.
I also pulled out a pair of khaki shorts and a halter top tee to wear over the suit. Once I’d gathered up the rest of the stuff I needed, I ducked into the hall bathroom to quickly freshen up and change. Just as I walked back out of the bathroom when I was done, Jacob was coming down the hall with his own change of clothes.
He spotted me and grinned, catching my hand in his before I could go back into the bedroom. I looked up in question as he leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips before going into the bathroom. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw him smile at me before the door closed completely.
Dumping my things in the bedroom, I then made my way to the kitchen to see if Renee needed any help with the sandwiches. She was at the counter surrounded by lettuce, tomatoes, cheese slices, several lunch meats, a loaf of bread, a jar of pickles and several other condiments looking a bit flustered.
“Need help?” I asked, making her turn in my direction.
“Oh hon! I have no idea what you or Jacob like on your sandwiches, so I thought I’d put all the stuff I had out here and let you two make them yourselves.”
I chuckled at her rush of words. She was still the same flighty Renee I knew and loved.
“It’s okay, mom. I’ll make them. Jacob’s not picky. He’ll eat almost anything.”
With that, I started making a sandwich for Jacob while Renee got a tray and placed some glasses and a pitcher of iced tea on it. When Jacob came into the kitchen, I gave him his plate with two sandwiches on it and mom pointed to the bowl of chips she had prepared.
“Can one of you bring that with you into the dining room?” She picked up the tray with the tea and glasses and walked out of the room while Jacob grabbed the bowl of chips with his free hand.
“Do you want more than those two sandwiches?” I asked before he left the room.
He shook his head. “I’m good. Thanks, Bells.”
I smiled after he planted a kiss on my cheek and followed Renee out of the room. I finished making my own sandwich, then joined them in the dining room.
Renee glanced at the sandwich I was carrying, then looked at the plate with two sandwiches in front of Jacob.
“Are you really that hungry?”
Jacob and I both chuckled as he answered her. “I’m a growing teenage boy, as my dad likes to say.”
Renee laughed. “Well then, that saying is true! Sorry, I never had a teenage boy to watch.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Not even dad?”
She picked up her tea as she muttered, “I was too busy paying attention to other things about him.”
She chugged her tea as I nearly choked on the potato chip I’d started munching on. Jacob just shrugged and dug into his first sandwich.
Typical Jacob.
In no time at all we had finished our meal, then Jacob and I cleaned and put up everything while Renee went to change into her beachwear. Once we had our towels and other things, Jacob and I followed Renee down the path that led to the beach.
Jacob had volunteered to carry the beach bag and a small ice chest that Renee had packed with ice, water bottles and sodas. His gesture had prompted Renee to say what a gentleman he was and that Billy had obviously raised him well. Jacob had actually blushed at her compliment which made me grin. It was rare that he was the awkward one between us.
At the beach, Renee chose a spot for us and spread out the blanket she had brought with her. She told Jacob to set the ice chest on one corner as she took the bag and set it on another corner. Then the three of us sat on the blanket where Renee and I began to pass the sun screen from on to the other after we had stripped down to our bathing suits.
Jacob helped me rub the cream onto my shoulders and back before I did Renee’s. While I worked on her, Jacob began to rub some on his legs and arms.
When I gave him a look, he shrugged. “There’s never this much sun at home, so I have no idea if I burn. Better to be safe than sorry.”
Renee chuckled. “He’s got a point.”
I nodded as I finished her up then held my hand out to Jacob. “Want me to do your back?”
He grinned as he handed me the sun screen then lifted his shirt off of him and tossed it near the ice chest. We both heard Renee’s swift intake of breath and when I turned to look at her, she seemed to look like a fish out of water.
“Oh…um…didn’t you say you were only seventeen, Jacob?”
Again he blushed as he muttered. “Yeah.”
“Hm, well, that’s nice.” I did my best not to gape at the fact that my own mother was ogling my boyfriend as she got up and said, “I think I’m going to go take a dip.”
And with that, she was gone. I heard Jacob chuckling as he sat down in front of me with his back to me so I could put the sun screen on him.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
He looked over his shoulder at me. A devilish grin on his face. “Your mom thinks I’m hot.”
I gasped as I pushed his shoulder. “Ew, Jake! Ew!”
He started laughing harder and I couldn’t help but laugh along with him as I began to spread the cream over his shoulders and back while he did his chest. This time, I couldn’t help but take the time to admire his physique, seeing what I knew Renee had seen.
His shoulders were broad and heavily muscled beneath the smooth, russet skin. I trailed my fingers over the musculature there, down to his shoulder blades and then to the broad expanse of his back. The way his muscles bunched and moved beneath my palms had me suddenly wondering why I had never really paid this much attention to him before.
Jacob Black was hot!
And not in the “my temperature always runs 108.9 degrees” kind of way, but in the way that made women sit up and take notice. Suddenly, I felt very inadequate next to him and yet I couldn’t stop running my hands all over that silky smooth skin and hard muscles.
“Bells? Bella, honey?” His husky voice snapped me out of my revelry.
“Huh?” I asked, already feeling my cheeks heating up from my furious blushing. I knew he had to know what I’d been doing and the sudden smirk on his face just confirmed it.
He turned around to face me. “I can let you finish my chest, if you’d like.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, Jake! I’m going for a swim.”
His laughter followed me all the way to the water.
**************************************
We spent a few hours enjoying ourselves out there that day.
Renee went back to the blanket once Jacob had come to join me in the water. Jacob and I swam around and goofed off together for a while. We even chased each other a few times and dunked each other often. At least I tried to dunk Jacob more times than he did me, but I knew he often cheated and allowed me to dunk him because I was not as strong as he was.
I couldn’t remember the last time I had ever had that much fun or laughed as much as I did that day with Jacob. As we chased each other down the beach, splashing water at each other, we were being nothing more than typical teenagers goofing off at the beach. It was almost like we were nothing more than friends again.
Almost.
Until Jacob caught me in his arms and pulled me close to him. With my wet bathing suit clad body pressed tightly to his bare chest while his arms wrapped around my waist, he lowered his lips to mine and kissed me. The water swirled around us, reaching up to my waist and his thighs, as he deepened the kiss. Bending me slightly back as one of his hands slid down to my ass and the other up my back, his tongue swirled over my lips, asking for entrance.
“Jake…my mother,” I mumbled against his lips.
“She’s on her stomach…facing away from us,” he answered as he nipped at my bottom lip and pulled me even closer to his body.
I could feel his growing hardness against my stomach and it made my cheeks flame as I gasped, parting my lips. He slid his tongue inside my mouth and for a while, I forgot all about Renee lying on the beach or anyone else for that matter as his tongue teased mine. His kisses were always so all consuming, so…heated. I could never resist once he got me going and sometimes it was so hard to make him stop…because I didn’t want him to.
But I knew if I didn’t, we would end up embarrassing ourselves. So when I felt one of his hands move up my ribs and lightly brush the underside of my breast, I squeaked and began pushing him away. It was not an easy feat because of my body’s reluctance and his body’s strength.
“Jake,” I panted. “Please!”
He pressed another kiss on my lips. “I know, enough.”
“Yeah,” I mumbled.
He chuckled and gave me one more kiss on my forehead before setting me on my feet, making sure I got my balance before letting me go. Taking my hand in his, we walked back to the blanket and I was thankful neither Renee nor anyone else had seen our little display.
Not too long after that we returned to Renee’s house where we all showered and dressed to go out to a nearby restaurant to eat dinner. After dinner, we returned to the house with movies that Renee had rented for us and went to change into our PJs before getting comfy on the sofa bed in the living room to watch them. Renee had made popcorn, which Jacob mostly ate during the first movie which was an action one.
After that movie, Renee began to tell Jacob stories about his parents and the rare times she spent with Sarah, his mother.
“Sarah had the twins by the time I was pregnant with Bella, so she helped me deal with being pregnant at such a young age. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know how I would have gotten through it really. I didn’t have my mother there or any other woman whom I was close to, except for Sarah.
She was always so kind and so understanding. I think it was because of her that Bella’s father and I lasted as long as we did. She was one of the only things I really missed when I moved away…her warm nature and the way she always drew you in with her eyes.
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul and every time I looked into hers, I really believed that. I was so upset that Charlie didn’t tell me about Sarah’s passing until long after the funeral, but it was a typical guy thing to do and I know he was too upset at the time to do much.”
She sighed. “I still think of her quite often, and I’m glad she was there for me and for Bella. Just like the twins were there for Bella…and now you are.”
I smiled and gave his arm a squeeze, seeing the tears in his eyes. I knew how hard it was for him to talk about his mom, so it had to be just as hard to hear someone else remembering her.
Renee continued to talk a little bit more, telling us how Sarah used to keep Billy and Charlie in line since she was so much more mature than Renee had been. Of course, we knew Renee was still a teenager when she met Charlie and had married him at the young age of nineteen, but even she admitted that Sarah was always so much more wise even at a young age.
Eventually Renee ran out of things to say and we resumed watching movies until Renee began nodding off. She finally gave up fighting off sleep and told us she was going to bed.
“Don’t stay up too late, okay?” She told us as she disappeared into her room.
I curled up against Jacob’s side as we finished watching the movie together, then started the last one. However, fifteen minutes into the movie, I was fast asleep in Jacob’s arms.
******************************************
I woke up the next morning to find myself alone on the sofa bed, but I could hear Jacob and Renee talking in the kitchen. I sat up, stretched and yawned before climbing out of bed and walking into the kitchen to see Renee leaning against the counter while Jacob appeared to be making an omelet. I couldn’t help but gape at the sight of my boyfriend chatting happily away with my mother while cooking breakfast.
Renee turned to me with a smile. “Ah, you’re awake!”
Jacob winked at me. “Morning Bells.”
“Morning,” I mumbled as I rubbed my eyes.
Renee chuckled. “I was chopping veggies to make omelets when Jacob came in and volunteered to cook them. He said they’re the one thing he knows how to cook well, so I said he could cook while I chopped the ingredients.”
I nodded. I knew Jacob was good at making omelets and he was right. Omelets were the one thing he was really good at cooking on a stove, the rest of his cooking was done on a grill. Besides, he knew he had a better chance of producing an edible breakfast more than Renee could. He had listened to my stories of my mother’s horrible catastrophes in the kitchen.
“Okay, well I’m going to take a shower, unless you need my help?”
Jacob shook his head. “I got it Bella.”
Renee nodded. “Yes, go take a shower. After breakfast I thought I could take you two for some Jacksonville sightseeing.”
Jacob grinned. “Sounds good, Renee.”
“Sure, sure,” I replied. It really didn’t make a difference to me, but I knew Jacob was excited to explore a new city, so I agreed to go along for his sake.
After breakfast Renee and I cleaned up while Jacob took his shower, then we were off to the city. Turned out, both Renee and Jacob had an abundance of energy and I was left trying to keep up with the two of them. Renee took us to Jacksonville Landing in downtown Jacksonville, where we did mostly window shopping at stores such as Sports Mania, Alycat, Sundrez and Nine West. We even spent an extraordinary amount of time at The Toy Factory, playing with all of the unique toys we found there.
At first I was a little hesitant to do so, but Jacob’s exuberance and then Renee’s added to the mix, was too hard for me to ignore. Soon, all three of us were giggling like kids as we discovered and played with various toys in the store.
When we were done there, we stopped for lunch and an hour-long break at The American Café there at the Landing. I just had a Cobb salad while Renee had a Turkey Ciabatta and Jacob had a house salad, a Bacon Cheddar Burger with fries and a slice of chocolate cake which he tried to share with me. He ended up eating all but two bites of the cake since the salad had filled me up.
After lunch, we continued shopping around the Landing for a little longer before Renee took us to the Museum of Science and History where we explored many of the exhibits and played with the many hands-on activities the place had. Towards the end, we even went to the Planetarium to watch a presentation of the Solar System and finally a laser light show set to a mix of popular songs of the day.
By the time we left the museum, the sun was beginning to go down, so Renee thought it was the perfect time to take a walk through the Cummer Museum Gardens on our way to dinner. The walk was a leisurely one, with Jacob and I holding hands while Renee flitted from plant to plant enjoying the sights and smells surrounding us.
Eventually, Jacob and I found ourselves alone and went to sit on a bench that faced one of the many reflecting pools there. The place was so lush and full of fountains, arbors and sculptures that there were plenty of secluded places for couples to have a moment or two to themselves.
I settled myself into the crook of Jacob’s shoulder and felt him wrap his arm around me until his warm hand began to rub my arm. We sat there in silence, content to just be together while butterflies flitted around us to the sound of rushing water. The quiet moment lasted until Jacob took his free hand and tilted my head back so he could lean down to kiss me. I welcomed the kiss, feeling relaxed and content from the vibe of the garden.
When his hand moved to cup my cheek, I didn’t stop him from deepening the kiss. Instead, I parted my lips, granting him access as I ran my hands up his arms until I could curl my fingers around his biceps. His tongue danced with mine, making me feel light-headed and my knees went weak. It wasn’t until he stopped kissing me and set me on my feet that I realized that sometime during the kiss, he had gotten to his feet, taking me with him.
He gave me a tender smile and I couldn’t help but smile back at him even knowing that I had to have a goofy look on my face. He pressed his lips against mine for a quick kiss before wrapping an arm around my waist and looking in the direction we had originally come from. A couple of seconds later, Renee came into view and I knew she was the reason Jacob had ended the kiss when he had.
She caught sight of us and smiled. “There you are! I thought I’d lost you two! Come on, we should get to the restaurant for dinner or we’ll miss the lights of Friendship Fountain later!”
Jacob and I shared a smile as we followed Renee out of the gardens to continue the rest of our evening in downtown Jacksonville.
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