Summer Dreams

Riding

Jacob smirked crookedly at my reaction. "Hey, chill Bells. It's only tree frog. It's harmless. We're more danger to it than it is to us." 

"How do you figure that?" I shouted. "It almost gave me a heart-attack!"  

I heard a small snicker come from him and a small glimpse of a smirk come to his mouth before it disappeared. "Well if you had grabbed it wrong you would have hurt him. Your hands are dry so that will damage his skin which he uses to drink through and knowing girls, you probably have some kind of cream or soaps on your skin which would hurt him too." 

I stared at Jacob like he was green and had two big eyes. "How do you know all this?" I questioned softly. 

He shrugged his shoulders and put the green frog down on the corner of the veranda - out of harms way. I now noticed it was green with some gold down its sides. It was a big frog and it was kind of pretty - for a frog that is. 

"My mom loved nature. She taught me a lot of it. We used to have loads of books with animals in it, from all over the world. She used to pick some out and tell me about them. She kept saying how when I grew up and when we had enough money, she wanted to travel the world and see all the animals. I wanted to too, but sadly that never happened. If I had my guess, that frog is a Green and Gold Bell Frog. It's endangered." A small smile curved over the corner of his mouth as he stared down at the frog as it jumped into the long and wet grass around the house. I could tell Jacob missed his mother and really had a passion for animals too. He knew too much about them not to. 

"I'm sure she's proud of you," I whispered softly, staring at where the frog had gone, too. Then, I could feel Jacob's eyes staring in my direction. I really did think she would be proud of Jake. He was so down to earth, friendly and sweet, not to mention he really did know his animal facts. He spoke as though he knew frogs like he knew the back of his hand. It was hard to believe he was just a teenager. 

"You really think so?" Jacob asked. 

I nodded and smiled, looking into his eyes. "Yes." 

He smiled back. "Thanks Bella." He sighed and looked out to the stormy night. "I guess I better go. Dad will be freaking out otherwise." Before I could say another word, I felt those warm and soft lips against my own. I smiled into them and wrapped my arms around Jacob. He held the kiss for a moment and then broke off. I smiled up at him. "What was that for?" 

He smirked crookedly and pointed to the ceiling of the veranda above us, where there was some kind of plant with a red bow wrapped around it. "Mistletoe," he answered. I watched as his smirk turned into a grin.  

I felt my face turn red, though I didn't try to hide it. How hadn't I seen that? I didn't even know where Charlie would have found or gotten the stuff in the first place. It was so unlike him to be doing all this stuff for Christmas. He wasn't one for celebrating the holidays at all. Especially Christmas. . . 

"Alright, I'm going now, before I kiss you again and get caught by your father," Jake chuckled and kissed my cheek.  

I smiled crookedly and nodded. "Will I see you again tomorrow?" 

"Whether it's raining or not, you will," he smiled crookedly again and walked out towards his ute, still parked in the driveway.  

"Good. I look forward to it," I said as Jake got in and started its engine. He waved with another one of his bright smiles and backed his ute out of the driveway and disappeared onto the road. I could see the faint white light of the ute's headlights going down the road, through the trees, sitting beside the road.  

Seeing a bright flash of lightning cross the sky, I smiled widely, feeling excited and almost as though I was on a sugar high. Everything in the world felt and seemed right all because of Jacob. I had never felt these things before. I hadn't ever felt so happy, so excited, so high, so energetic or so light. I felt complete, something I had always thought I felt until now. Jacob completed me in ways I'd never thought were possible.