Summer is still lingering in the air but there is a cool chill running through the strangely empty house. The last time I saw Jackie she was on her way to New York. I feel like it has been a lifetime since that moment but today is the day that she jumps back into my arms. I hear the car roll down the driveway. She still has the same feelings as she did when she left, right?

I stay sitting on the couch so I don’t look to eager, like I’ve been just waiting for her. The doors close to the car and the poarch creeks. Wiping my sweaty hands on my pants I sit with my eyes focused on the tv. The door flung open and banged into the side of the house.  

“Hey, Cole can you help with the bags from the car?” My dad says dropping the three bags he was able to grab.

“Yeah, sure no problem,” I said creeping towards the door.

I saw out of the corner of my eye Jackie walking up the back steps. She’s saying hi to all the other boys before me? I ran to the car just in time to grab the falling avalanche of bags. The bags must have weighed 1000 pounds, it was impossible to carry them in. I rushed to the back to see Jackie after all of the bags were inside. I slowed down right before opening the screen door.

“Oh hey, Jackie and Danny you guys are home already I thought you just left,” I grab a glass off the table and sat in a patio chair.

“Danny was New York as amazing as you expected?” Parker was basically on top of him asking about the trip. I leaned back in the chair waiting for Jackie to notice me. As I looked around the backyard I realized there was an extra head. Who was the new guy? Was he one of my brother’s friend?

“Oh, Cole there you are,” Jackie squealed as she walked towards me.

“This is Brad,” She pointed her hand towards the unfamiliar male I was confused about earlier.

“Oh hey, I’m Cole, Jackie’s…” I waited for Jackie to finish my sentence. What was I to her?

“Nice to meet …” Brad could even finish his sentence before Jackie had yanked him towards the backyard.

“Yes this is one of the Walter’s, Cole. Now let’s go see the ranch,” Jackie was only talking to Brad and barely acknowledged me.

“Hey Cole how was the summer without me?” Danny tried to make conversation with me but I blew him off. I was shocked that Jackie didn’t say anything. I walked to my shed and shut the door right behind me. The next time I looked up from my motorcycle I was fixing up, I could hear the chirps of crickets and frogs in the dark night. The day had flown by and I had no plans on going to see Jackie before she came to me. For the next two days there was no words exchanged between me and Jackie until Jackie came into my shed.

“Ummm can I help you?” I asked as she just let herself in.

“I haven’t really seen you since I’ve been home. What’s up?”

“Don’t you have another boy to run off with?” I mumbled to myself.

“Cole he’s just an old friend I haven’t seen since I moved here to Colorado. He asked if he could stay for a few days to see the amazing family I kept bragging about. Did you think I was replacing you or something?”

That’s exactly what I thought but Jackie couldn’t get it out of me that easily.

“Replacing me? I know I could never be replaced I mean, I am Cole Walter after all,” I smirked and shot Jackie a wink.

“Cole clearly your upset. Everyday that I was in New York I thought about you and now you’ve just been hiding away and acting like we never kissed before I left.”

What she was saying was exactly how I was acting but I didn’t know how else to act, this is always the way I act. Never opening up to anyone means no one can hurt you.

“Are you sure you want to be with me and not Brad?” I said in an agrily tone.

“Cole, I promise to put you first for the rest of the summer. I just want to spend time with you before you go to college,” She said this almost like begging me to accept the somewhat apology.

“Fine,” I let in, “I thought you fell in love with Brad when you were back in New York and that you just forgot about me. I realize now that you were just excited to see an old friend again.”

“Cole how could I just forget about you? I mean, come on you are Cole Walter.” We both laughed at her making fun of me. I guess I had nothing to worry about after all.

Surprisingly Brad got along with most of the boys for the rest of his stay. This made more time for Jackie and I to spend together. I noticed Jackie would make up excuses to leave Brad and come find me around the house. After Brad left, Jackie and I spent most of the days by the secret beach behind all the barns. We watched the sky go from dark blue to purple into pink and red as the sun went down every night. She even came with me to move all my stuff into my dorm room at the end of the summer.

“Cole this isn’t goodbye just a see you later.” Jackie whispered to me after all my belongings were in my room.

“Of course not I could never say goodbye to you Jackie. Just promise me you won’t go back to New York and bring more boys home,” I smirked

“Can’t promise anything,” She winked at me and then I scooped her up and gave her one last kiss before she headed back to the house with all the other boys.