-10 years earlier-

Becca frowned at Jerry and squinted. "Swear?"

Jerry grinned. "Swear. One cone. All me."

Becca sighed. "Fine. If you're lying, I'll beat you up."

He nodded. "On three?"

"On three."

Becca got to the top first, as usual. She smiled down at him. He was at least three branches down. "Sucker. You'll never be as good as I am."

-Present-

"Come on. You know you want to..." Jerry waved the money in front of her face. She rolled her eyes. "Haha. Hillarious. I've beat you ever since we were 8. As if you could finally do it."

"Hey, it's been a month since we raced. How do you know that I haven't gotten stronger?" He plopped down beside her beanbag.

"Because you've been away with that hunting competition to prove you're good at it."

"You can get stronger in hunting." He retorted.

She put the book down on her lap. "Yes. But you ain't even using dogs. You're cheating and waiting in a blind. Everyone knows that takes the least effort."

He pouted. "Twenty."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Twenty?" She repeated.

"Yes. And before you say it-" he raised a hand. "I know you'll beat me up if I'm lying."

She smiled and jumped up. "Be prepared to lose twenty bucks."

They went outside and stopped at the bottom of the old peach tree. "On three."

"One. Two. Three!" Jerry shouted, and clambered up to the top of the tree.

Where Becca was reclined against a large branch, grinning.

"Pay up." She put her hand out, and he grudgingly gave her the bill.

"You're never going to go soft, huh?"

"Nope."

She started the climb back down, and jumped when there was only 5 feet left to the ground.

"You're never going to get fast, are you?" She called up.

Jerry frowned and jumped the remaining 8 feet.

Mistake.

"Oww..." He groaned and rolled over. "Think I did something to my ankle again."

"Idiot."

"Thanks. You're a great friend."

Becca leaned against the trunk of the tree. "I know." Then she pulled out her phone and dialed.

"Hey, mom, problem-" She paused and listened to the other end. "No, not the roof this time. Peach tree." She paused again, then bit her lip and smiled. "Who do you think won?"

Jerry scowled and pushed himself up. Her and her mother. Did they really have to be so much alike?

At seventeen, Becca looked almost identical to her mother, save for the blond hair and grey-green eyes. Her mother was brown hair with blue, but the differences pretty much halted there. They had the same smile, the same nose, the same can-do attitude, and the same crazy streak.

"If you could stop bragging about your win, my ankle is sprained yet again."

"Right. Sorry. Mom, can you come get him? Probably ER."

She hung up and helped Jerry to the house. "I've told you over and over again how to land. Absorb the blow through your body, not just your feet."

"Excuse me, miss I'm-amazing-at-all-things-including-beekeeping."

"Hey, what's wrong with bees?"

"Their stinger."

"That's why you wear the suit."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"I can't, sprained ankle."

Becca sighed and helped him up the steps. "I've beaten you up with a broken leg, arm, and hand."

"Miss I'm-amazing-at-all-things." He retorted, and collapsed onto the porch swing. "Except romance. When do you plan on getting a boyfriend?" He added, poking her side. She picked up a pitcher of tea that was randomly sitting there and poured into a glass.

"I don't know. I'll ask Megan."

Megan was one of Becca's only friends that was a girl. She had several boyfriends before, with each relationship lasting at least a couple months. She was just good with boys, and her current one had been with her for a year. Becca liked her because she was smart, would listen to her problems, and didn't give a flying crap if someone said anything bad about her.

Jerry reached for the pitcher of tea, grimacing when his foot shifted. "Good. At least then you'll have a sliver of hope."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on. What's wrong with not wanting a boyfriend?"

"For one thing, that's probably not something your mom and dad would approve of, and I know everyone at church won't..." He said, throwing in a grin.

She slapped the back of his head.

"I do want a boyfriend, that's not what I mean. But I don't feel like doing all of it. I hear about it all the time. 'Oh, he broke my heart, the world's gonna end!'. Why should I date someone, and end up liking them, if they won't stay with me anyway?"

"You'll take risks with everything else."

She took another sip of tea and deftly changed the subject. "Mom's here. Get up."

She helped him off the porch then, and her mom hopped out and helped too.

"Never gonna learn, Jerry? My girl's always gonna beat everyone with tree climbing. Got it from me."

He smiled good-naturedly. "Hey, she didn't beat Ben!"

"I had a broken leg, and I was only a foot behind him." Becca reminded him, helping him into the front seat of the truck.

"It was a foot and a half."

She scowled and jostled him for good measure.

Becca's mom grinned. "Now, now. Play nice, Bec."

She simply stuck her tongue out and climbed in the seat behind him.

On the way there, Becca and her mother sang loudly to the tune of the country music playing from the radio, and Jerry stuck his fingers in his ears and grimaced.

Mrs. Ginald cranked it up louder.

-10 minutes later-

"Hey, Harry!" Becca called, and sprinted over to hug the secretary of ER.

"Hey, sweetpea."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Oh, it's Jerry. What's it this time? He didn't jump out of the pickup again, did he?"

"Nope. Thought he could beat me with the peach tree."

Harry turned to him. "Are you never gonna learn?"

Jerry rolled his eyes. "Hey, it's your job to write it all down and get me to the doctor, not make fun of me."

He grinned. "Alright. Doctor Regassa will probably be able to see you soon."

They stayed in the waiting room until the nurse came, when Jerry left. "Hey, I'll call your mom." Becca said. "I can't stay here. I've gotta trail ride with Ben. His new horse's been acting up."

Jerry shook his head. "Nah, I called her on the way here, stupid. She's coming. Oh, and that horse he's got is a hard one, so don't get on 'em so quick."

She did a mock salute. "Will do. Mom, home?" Her mother looked up from her cell. "No, your truck's fixed. We're gonna go pick it up."

"Alright."

They were fairly silent on the way to the shop where her dad worked, and her mom looked worried. "Um, you okay?"

She smiled and looked over. "Yeah, it's just... your great uncle Richard died from cancer. I know you didn't know him, but we're the only family he's got, and I've got to plan a bunch of stuff."

"Oh. Okay."

She got out once they reached the shop, and ran to hug her dad. "Hey. How was school?"

She made a face. "You ask me that every day, and I always tell you it's sucky."

"What'd you learn?"

Becca sighed and pushed a bang out of her eyes. "Nothing, really dad. A bunch of math crap. I still don't see why you're making me take my twelfth grade classes this year, too. Why can't I do it like everyone else?"

"Because you're smart enough, and next year you won't have to do it all. You've got this."

She harrumphed. "Sure. You fixed my truck?"

"Yeah. Just had to fix the fluid tank. It's fine."

"Thanks, daddy." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, then climbed into her four-door red GMC.

"Bye!" She waved as she pulled out, then headed home.

Becca turned the radio on, and almost didn't hear the phone ringing. She turned it off and put it to her ear. "Yep."

"Becca, you say hello." Her mother scolded. "Fine. Hello?"

"Have you ever heard of Goplonin?"

"Yeah. Some big car security business."

"Well, your great uncle Richard's last name is Lonin."

"Um, ok?"

Her mother inhaled from the other side. "He owned the company."

"Alright... so what? I don't care. Big-shot companies annoy me."

"We're his only family. He signed the company over to us in the will."

Becca frowned and turned into their mile-long drive way. "And... that means what exactly?"

"He invested in Apple and Walmart and Droid when their stocks were cheaper."

What? She understood the basics of the stock market... you invest money in something, the company uses the money, and if they end up being successful, you get money. If they don't, you lose money. That was part of the reason for the Great Depression in the 20's.

"Becca.... your father just got a call. We've got his company, one that is thriving at the moment, ready to be signed over to us, and $800,000 dollars from the stock."

[A/N. I know the basis of the whole arranged marriage thing in the U.S. is illegal. I've got a partial explanation coming up for that. Don't worry. In case anyone is confused: All this is in the great-uncle's will. Her dad got a call at some point before Becca got there, and talked to her mom when Becca drove home. This is going to be a long-term thing. Now, I know that a ton of people are doing the whole arranged-marriage thing, but I couldn't help myself. The idea is just so fun! I probably won't ever try to get this published, because it's not even legal, but all rights reserved!]