realize our brother must’ve thrown down
a hunk of change to buy that ring!”
I knew Jason was right. A ring like that must’ve cost
a small fortune. Sure, the Nelson’s were fairly wealthy—the Asshole
was an executive with Coke, but at the same time, they weren’t
giving their sons thousand dollar monthly allowances or anything.
With Jake’s intense sports schedule, he didn’t get in a lot of work
hours either.
Suddenly, Jonathan smacked himself on the forehead.
“Baseball cards!”
We all exchanged looks. “What the hell are you
talking about, bro?” Jason asked.
“Remember like a month ago when Jake decided to sell
some of his baseball cards on eBay?”
Jason nodded.
“I bet that’s where he got the money. I mean, he had
some that were worth a lot of money that Grandpa Nelson had given
him.”
“I’ll be damned,” Jason muttered.
Jonathan sighed. “Course, we’re forgetting
something.”
“What’s that?” Jason asked.
“Um, how about the fact our baby brother was thinking
about marriage? That’s pretty damn near shocking if you ask me,”
Jonathan replied.
Alex, who had been quiet for most of the morning,
cleared his throat. “Yeah, I was pretty shocked when I saw that
ring. I mean, Jake didn’t impress me as the marrying kind—well, at
least not until he was thirty or forty.”
Jason grunted. “I figured he’d be more like some Hugh
Hefner and have about three women living with him.”
Jonathan laughed. “Me too, man.”
Sean shook his head. “Forget about marriage. I can’t
believe he was actually in love for once.”
The others murmured in agreement. “Knowing Jake, it
wasn’t about love,” Ryan said.
“What do you mean?” I asked. Nibbling my lip, I
debated telling the guys about the flashback I’d had the night
before about Jake admitting to being in love.
“Probably some chick heard about his reputation and
told him she wouldn’t sleep with him without a ring on her
finger—you know to prove she wasn’t just some conquest. Since there
wasn’t a piece of ass Jake couldn’t have, he probably liked the
idea of the challenge, so he bought the ring.”
“Man, that’s a pretty screwed up theory and screwed
up view of Jake!” Ryan argued.
Jonathan shook his head. “Yeah, it is, but it also
sounds like something Jake would do. Hell, he’d probably let the
chick keep the ring in the end, too.”
Scratching the back of my neck, I said, “Nah, I don’t
think so.”
Jason raised his eyebrows. “Oh really? You think Jake
actually had a conscience and wouldn’t do something like that?”
I nodded.
Jason snorted. “Words of wisdom coming from the kid
Jake duct taped to his chair in kindergarten.”
While the others howled in laughter, I merely shook
my head. “He was changing. You know—like maturing or
something.”
“Are you serious?” Jonathan asked.
I thought of the brilliantly vivid flashback I’d had
last night. “I know he was sincere about the ring because he told
me he’d fallen in love with a girl.”
“Really?” Jason asked.
“Yeah. But he wouldn’t tell me who she was because he
hadn’t had the chance to tell her yet. He thought she deserved to
know before I did. So like I said, he really was changing into this
caring and compassionate dude.”
“Wow, that’s deep,” Jonathan replied. He stared out
over the water. “Deep like the deep end of the pool…”
I exchanged a glance with Alex. “Um, Jonathan, what
the hell are you talking about?”
He turned back at me. “No, you’re right. Jake really
was good guy sometimes.” Jason coughed next to him. “No, man, he
was. You and I both know that. He was better than the both of us
put together.”
Jason sighed. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” He shook
his head. “Sure as hell doesn’t say much for us, does it?”
“So, just how do you propose to find this girl?”
Jonathan asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
He snorted. “It’s not gonna be easy!”
“I
a hunk of change to buy that ring!”
I knew Jason was right. A ring like that must’ve cost
a small fortune. Sure, the Nelson’s were fairly wealthy—the Asshole
was an executive with Coke, but at the same time, they weren’t
giving their sons thousand dollar monthly allowances or anything.
With Jake’s intense sports schedule, he didn’t get in a lot of work
hours either.
Suddenly, Jonathan smacked himself on the forehead.
“Baseball cards!”
We all exchanged looks. “What the hell are you
talking about, bro?” Jason asked.
“Remember like a month ago when Jake decided to sell
some of his baseball cards on eBay?”
Jason nodded.
“I bet that’s where he got the money. I mean, he had
some that were worth a lot of money that Grandpa Nelson had given
him.”
“I’ll be damned,” Jason muttered.
Jonathan sighed. “Course, we’re forgetting
something.”
“What’s that?” Jason asked.
“Um, how about the fact our baby brother was thinking
about marriage? That’s pretty damn near shocking if you ask me,”
Jonathan replied.
Alex, who had been quiet for most of the morning,
cleared his throat. “Yeah, I was pretty shocked when I saw that
ring. I mean, Jake didn’t impress me as the marrying kind—well, at
least not until he was thirty or forty.”
Jason grunted. “I figured he’d be more like some Hugh
Hefner and have about three women living with him.”
Jonathan laughed. “Me too, man.”
Sean shook his head. “Forget about marriage. I can’t
believe he was actually in love for once.”
The others murmured in agreement. “Knowing Jake, it
wasn’t about love,” Ryan said.
“What do you mean?” I asked. Nibbling my lip, I
debated telling the guys about the flashback I’d had the night
before about Jake admitting to being in love.
“Probably some chick heard about his reputation and
told him she wouldn’t sleep with him without a ring on her
finger—you know to prove she wasn’t just some conquest. Since there
wasn’t a piece of ass Jake couldn’t have, he probably liked the
idea of the challenge, so he bought the ring.”
“Man, that’s a pretty screwed up theory and screwed
up view of Jake!” Ryan argued.
Jonathan shook his head. “Yeah, it is, but it also
sounds like something Jake would do. Hell, he’d probably let the
chick keep the ring in the end, too.”
Scratching the back of my neck, I said, “Nah, I don’t
think so.”
Jason raised his eyebrows. “Oh really? You think Jake
actually had a conscience and wouldn’t do something like that?”
I nodded.
Jason snorted. “Words of wisdom coming from the kid
Jake duct taped to his chair in kindergarten.”
While the others howled in laughter, I merely shook
my head. “He was changing. You know—like maturing or
something.”
“Are you serious?” Jonathan asked.
I thought of the brilliantly vivid flashback I’d had
last night. “I know he was sincere about the ring because he told
me he’d fallen in love with a girl.”
“Really?” Jason asked.
“Yeah. But he wouldn’t tell me who she was because he
hadn’t had the chance to tell her yet. He thought she deserved to
know before I did. So like I said, he really was changing into this
caring and compassionate dude.”
“Wow, that’s deep,” Jonathan replied. He stared out
over the water. “Deep like the deep end of the pool…”
I exchanged a glance with Alex. “Um, Jonathan, what
the hell are you talking about?”
He turned back at me. “No, you’re right. Jake really
was good guy sometimes.” Jason coughed next to him. “No, man, he
was. You and I both know that. He was better than the both of us
put together.”
Jason sighed. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” He shook
his head. “Sure as hell doesn’t say much for us, does it?”
“So, just how do you propose to find this girl?”
Jonathan asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
He snorted. “It’s not gonna be easy!”
“I
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