He was thinking of a way to get out of going. I shook my head at him. "This is your first meeting as the leader of the Jacobsons." I felt my lips smile with pride. "You have to go. Show them who's boss."
He laughed reluctantly . "That would be you , gorgeous. I thought we went over this?"
"So I can come, too?" I remembered our friend that needed to be found and dealt with. "We need to figure out what to do about Marcus."
"Next time, sure. I'll handle it, I promise. This time? Wedding stuff." He pointed to the floor. "And you're staying right here."
"OK," I said easily. "Well, have fun."
"Doubtful," he grumbled. "It'll all be formalities and tradition and…things like that. I won't be gone too long. We're taking it to Kyle's tonight since all the girls are here getting things ready."
"Getting ready for this weekend, right?" I said, biting my lip to tamp down on my excitement.
"Yep. Just a few days now." He cupped my cheek. "Then you'll be Mrs. Jacobson, and I'll be Mr. Visionary."
I burst out laughing. He l aughed, too, and kissed my smil ing mouth. "I love you."
"I love you , " he insisted in a rumble.
When he bent to kiss me again , I welcomed it, but Gran had other plans. "Stop that right now and get your butt outta this house!" We both looked at her, Caleb's hand still on my cheek. "I mean it! Get gone!"
He sighed and gave me a sullen look. "I'll pick you up in a little bit."
"I'll be here," I told him and managed to pull him down to kiss him right before he was dragged away.
Gran swatted his butt and shooed him away out the door. "Now, we can get down to business. " She rubbed her hands together like a villai n. I felt my eyebrows rise.
"Shouldn't we wait for Rachel?"
"Oh, she's coming with Je n. They'll be here in a little bit." She smiled showing teeth. "Now, let me show you something."
She took my hand. It was impossible not to notice the cool and wrinkled feel of them. We went upstairs to the bedroom where she slept. She looked back at me and then to the trunk at the end of the bed. She started to kneel down and I rushed to help her. While gripping her elbow, I went down with her to my knees. She gave me a smile that said what she was about to show me meant a lot to her. I waited with silent patience.
"This," she started and pulled a box out of the chest, "was mine."
The white top came off the box and she rummaged through the silver tissue paper to reveal a swath of red material. I knew immediately what it was.
Her wedding dress.
I pulled it from the box gently and held it up. It was a long dress with a small train , I assumed , because the fabric just kept going and going. "Gran, it's beautiful."
"I know," she said and laughed. She touched the side of the dress, rubbing it in her fingers and I saw in her mind as she remembered wearing it and feeling as beautiful as a woman ever felt. Grandpa Ray watched her and his mouth fell open as she came to him. It was almost enough to giggle about, but Gran was so wrapped up in her memory. She smiled, though her eyes watered.
I touched her arm. "You looked amazing in this dress, Gran."
She nodded. "My grandmother made it for me. And now I want you to wear it."
I felt my chin fall in shock, but before I could say anything I heard a gasp. I turned to look and saw Jen and Rachel in the doorway. Rachel was smiling and looking at me funny. I would have been worried had I not been able to read her mind, but she was thinking about how beautiful I was going to look in it. The funny look was because she was trying not to cry. I glanced back at Gran and saw a tear run down to her chin. When I looked back at Rachel, she wiped under her eyes. I flicked a look at Jen and saw her sniff.
Oh, boy. This had to be stopped.
"No crying allowed!" I said and laughed. "Come on, guys. You're going to make me cry." Rachel chuckled, but Gran gave me a hilariously snooty look. "Besides…" I braced myself. "I can't wear the dress, Gran."
Her face fell. I rushed on so she didn't
He laughed reluctantly . "That would be you , gorgeous. I thought we went over this?"
"So I can come, too?" I remembered our friend that needed to be found and dealt with. "We need to figure out what to do about Marcus."
"Next time, sure. I'll handle it, I promise. This time? Wedding stuff." He pointed to the floor. "And you're staying right here."
"OK," I said easily. "Well, have fun."
"Doubtful," he grumbled. "It'll all be formalities and tradition and…things like that. I won't be gone too long. We're taking it to Kyle's tonight since all the girls are here getting things ready."
"Getting ready for this weekend, right?" I said, biting my lip to tamp down on my excitement.
"Yep. Just a few days now." He cupped my cheek. "Then you'll be Mrs. Jacobson, and I'll be Mr. Visionary."
I burst out laughing. He l aughed, too, and kissed my smil ing mouth. "I love you."
"I love you , " he insisted in a rumble.
When he bent to kiss me again , I welcomed it, but Gran had other plans. "Stop that right now and get your butt outta this house!" We both looked at her, Caleb's hand still on my cheek. "I mean it! Get gone!"
He sighed and gave me a sullen look. "I'll pick you up in a little bit."
"I'll be here," I told him and managed to pull him down to kiss him right before he was dragged away.
Gran swatted his butt and shooed him away out the door. "Now, we can get down to business. " She rubbed her hands together like a villai n. I felt my eyebrows rise.
"Shouldn't we wait for Rachel?"
"Oh, she's coming with Je n. They'll be here in a little bit." She smiled showing teeth. "Now, let me show you something."
She took my hand. It was impossible not to notice the cool and wrinkled feel of them. We went upstairs to the bedroom where she slept. She looked back at me and then to the trunk at the end of the bed. She started to kneel down and I rushed to help her. While gripping her elbow, I went down with her to my knees. She gave me a smile that said what she was about to show me meant a lot to her. I waited with silent patience.
"This," she started and pulled a box out of the chest, "was mine."
The white top came off the box and she rummaged through the silver tissue paper to reveal a swath of red material. I knew immediately what it was.
Her wedding dress.
I pulled it from the box gently and held it up. It was a long dress with a small train , I assumed , because the fabric just kept going and going. "Gran, it's beautiful."
"I know," she said and laughed. She touched the side of the dress, rubbing it in her fingers and I saw in her mind as she remembered wearing it and feeling as beautiful as a woman ever felt. Grandpa Ray watched her and his mouth fell open as she came to him. It was almost enough to giggle about, but Gran was so wrapped up in her memory. She smiled, though her eyes watered.
I touched her arm. "You looked amazing in this dress, Gran."
She nodded. "My grandmother made it for me. And now I want you to wear it."
I felt my chin fall in shock, but before I could say anything I heard a gasp. I turned to look and saw Jen and Rachel in the doorway. Rachel was smiling and looking at me funny. I would have been worried had I not been able to read her mind, but she was thinking about how beautiful I was going to look in it. The funny look was because she was trying not to cry. I glanced back at Gran and saw a tear run down to her chin. When I looked back at Rachel, she wiped under her eyes. I flicked a look at Jen and saw her sniff.
Oh, boy. This had to be stopped.
"No crying allowed!" I said and laughed. "Come on, guys. You're going to make me cry." Rachel chuckled, but Gran gave me a hilariously snooty look. "Besides…" I braced myself. "I can't wear the dress, Gran."
Her face fell. I rushed on so she didn't
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