Together

Chapter 36

Connie and Brianna had walked the girls down to the park for the afternoon. "So how do you feel knowing that the wedding is less than two weeks away?" Connie smiled as she pushed Mia's pram. She hadn't put an awful lot of thought into how close the wedding was other than when somebody bought it up.

"I can't believe that I'm actually getting married again... I can't believe that I'm marrying Jacob. It's all so surreal, like I'm waiting to wake up anytime soon." Brianna glanced across at Connie who was forcing a smile as they sat down. "He's not going to leave you, you know." "You can't know that. It'll only be a matter of time until he realises the huge mistake he's making."

Brianna laughed shaking her head causing Connie's head to snap round and look at her. "You really have no idea do you?" Connie watched as Brianna smiled looking at her. "Jacob has never been one to settle down with someone like he has with you. He used to say to me, why settle with someone when you know they're not the one? When you find them, you'll know and when you know that's when you stay."

Watching Grace running around the park with her friend Brianna sighed. "He might seem like a big tough guy, but honestly? He couldn't be more different. Connie you've given him the life he always dreamed of but assumed he would never have. He's not about to let that all go, trust me." A small smile came to her lips before she looked up to where Grace was calling her. She was hanging upside down on a climbing frame seemingly stuck. Shaking her head Connie got up jogging over to her with a laugh.

The boys had been wandering around all morning before deciding to stay on the beach until they needed to get ready for the evening. Jacob was sitting on the stones flicking through the most recent images on his phone. "When did we take photos?" Iain jogged over taking the phone with a laugh. "I have no idea but you wanna pray our boss never sees these."

Jacob laughed looking at the images. They started reasonably acceptable, a few of them as a group around the table. Then there was one of Jacob, Cal and Max at the bar. They gradually got worse until Jacob couldn't believe what had occurred last night. "Were we that drunk that we took our clothes off?" He looked sideways to where Cal was laying with sunglasses and a towel over his head. "I don't know where I live right now, don't expect me to remember what we did yesterday."

Leaving Cal to wallow in self pity Jacob jumped up moving to the rest of the group. They seemed to have adopted a frisbee and were throwing it across the beach. Jacob joined in with the game as they talked. "So what's happening tonight?" Reaching sideways Jacob caught the disk throwing it over to Max. "Drinking hopefully, Iain?"

Iain managed to catch hold of it last minute before shrugging. "Well there's the bar we were at last night but I'm not sure if loverboy over there managed to get us banned or not." Jez shrugged holding his hands up. "I can't help how the ladies fall for me old man-" "'ey less of the old man, alright." Jez caught the frisbee before it hit his face with a laugh. "Anyway Max you said a fair few things last night too." "Difference is I wasn't a dick about it."

They continued messing around until Max looked up. "Here watch this... Lofty go long!" Max shouted over to the curly haired man who looked up and ran to catch it. Of course Lofty being Lofty didn't look where he was going until he jumped landing face first in the sea. Jacob tried stifling his laughter while the others were bent down laughing.

"Alright that's enough, Lofty get yourself sorted mate..." Iain threw a towel to him as he nodded solemnly wiping his face. "Come on you lot-" "Where we going?" Iain glanced back to Jacob. "You didn't think I hadn't included some sort of competition for ya?" Jacob smirked as they all headed back up towards the chalets.

On getting back everyone did as Iain said before reconvening outside. "Fancy sharing what we're doing?" "Tell me whatever it is involves alcohol." People glanced to Cal as Jacob arched a brow. "You were on deaths door 10 minutes ago-" "Drink through the pain mate, did you not learn anything at med school?"

Iain remained quiet on what it was they were going to do this afternoon until they got to what they had assumed was a club house for the site they were on. "Iain, I know I said was up for a laugh but kids entertainment isn't really what I had in mind..." Jacob stepped beside him as they waited in a reception area. "How many children have you seen around this site?"

It was only then that he realised in fact that there hadn't been any children here. "Good afternoon, you must be the Masters party?" "That's us, and that's him..." The young receptionist smiled before moving from behind the desk. "Come through this way."

Jacob and Cal shrugged before wandering after her through to an outdoors area. In front of them was a large swimming pool, nobody else there other than them. They continued walking until they stopped around the corner. "Iain I'm all for fun, but aren't slip and slides for kids?" Jacob looked to the two water slides that stretched across the floor.

He looked to the end where there was a table with several red cups lined up in two lines. "I smell vodka." Cal laughed nodding towards the cups turning to Iain. "I hear the husband to be is competitive-" "Only a little-" "He got beaten in arm wrestle by his fiancee and has never dropped it!" Jacob glanced round at Max shaking his head. "She cheated and you know it!"

Max and Lofty rolled their eyes before all attention was back on the other woman. "There'll be two teams, both behind a separate slide. The aim is to make your way to the end, jump up and drink whatever is in the cup. Before the next person can go you must flip your cup over making it land upside down. First team to finish wins."

Everyone was suddenly more up for it after hearing alcohol was involved. They were all in shorts placing everything else to one side. The teams had been decided and it was Jacob, Adam, Max and Jez versus Iain, Connor, Dan, Cal and Lofty. "Hold on you've got less people to get through!" Jacob shrugged about to answer before noticing someone else walking through from reception. "What's this about a competition?"

Jacob moved from where he was stood embracing the other man in a tight hug. "Ah man, Kieran what are you doing here!?" Standing up he looked over at the other man. "Well when I get a phone call from your missus about a wedding and stag do I could barely refuse. Nice of you to let me know, some cousin you are!" Jacob laughed before shrugging. "How'd you get here?" "Well your beautiful fiancee told me about someone else who would be coming late, got in touch with them."

Looking around him Brad and Fletch walked in laughing. "Late to the party as always then!" "Some of us have to work Dean, you might want to try it sometime... Good to see you again Jacob." He greeted Fletch who disappeared over to everyone else before Jacob looked to Brad. "Family man?" He laughed nodding before shaking his hand. "I see you're the same, congratulations mate I'm pleased for you."

After a few minutes Jacob turned around to Max's voice. "Not to be impatient but can we get on to beating them already?" "Ooh fighting talk Maxwell, that's brave from a porter." Cal smirked as everyone rejoined their groups. Fletch and Kieran joined Jacob's team while Brad jumped over with Iain. "Okay so on my count you can start, no cheating!"

What seemed like such a simple game had become something the complete opposite. Jacob had gone first head on with Cal, both slid until they hit the grass the other end. Pushing themselves up in a hurry they ran to the table grabbing the first drinks and downing them placing the cups on the edge of the table. They began tapping the bottom flicking them over, continuously going until Jacob did it first. "Go!"

Max went next as Cal managed to get his cup over sending the next from his team. They continued until it was Iain and Kieran, the final ones from either team. They were neck and neck as they slid along the tracks to the end.

Iain was first to the cups drinking it beginning to flip it. Kieran drank his placing it on the edge before tapping it over on his first try. Throwing his arms up everyone on his team began cheering and high fiving each other.

Dan and Cal both looked to each other before walking towards Jacob. They grabbed an arm each and dragged him towards the pool chucking him in. Iain was laughing from the side lines before Fletch knocked him forwards falling sideways beside Jacob. Jez and Max followed running before shouting as they jumped in.

Before long every one of them was in the pool half dressed. The sun was still high in the sky despite it being late afternoon. Acting like a group of children, they continued to splash each other having a laugh enjoying the day.