called, “Bye, mom!” Although, she probably didn’t even hear me.
Jude stood beside his truck, leaning against the passenger door. As I approached he opened the door and I hopped inside. He slid into the driver’s seat and said, “Someone seems eager to see me.” His grin spread across his face, lightening his eyes to a golden color.
“More like eager to get out of the house,” I mumbled.
He nodded his head sympathetically like he understood.
Buckling the seatbelt, I asked, “Where are we going?”
He snorted, driving out of the neighborhood. All the houses looked the same, blending together. I wondered if the people living behind the walls were aware of how bad things were for me, or were they oblivious to everything but their own lives? Probably the latter.
“Where’s the fun in telling you?” He responded.
I should’ve known to expect that kind of answer from him.
I sat back in the seat and brought my feet up against the dashboard, resolving not to ask him any more questions.
Surprisingly, he grew quiet. I didn’t know he could go a minute without filling a void with the sound of his voice.
A little while later he turned down a familiar dirt road. “I thought we were doing something before we went to your grandpa’s?” I asked, as the trees grew plentiful. They were only beginning to bud, but there were so many of them that they provided a decent amount of shade.
“We are.”
That’s all he said on the matter and I knew I wouldn’t get anything else out of him.
Suddenly, he stopped the truck, putting it in park.
I looked around, waiting to see something profound. “Why are we stopping here?” I as ked, when I didn’t see anything but grass and trees.
“I hope you don’t mind walking,” he smiled, reaching into the back of his truck for something. “ It’s about a mile walk to get where we’re going.”
“I’ll be fine,” I assured him just as he dropped whatever he’d been looking for into my lap. I picked up the Shenandoah University sweatshirt and stared at it. “Why do I need this? I’m already wearing a sweatshirt.”
He narrowed his eyes at what I wore. “Uh, yeah, that thin thing isn’t going to do anything to keep you warm. Put the sweatshirt on and don’t argue with me. I won’t have you getting sick on my conscience.”
“Do you even have a conscience?” I countered, pulling the sweatshirt on. It was warm from the heat of the car and smelled woodsy and masculine with something else that I couldn’t put my finger on that was inherently Jude.
He grabbed another sweatshirt from the back and shrugged it on before climbing out of the truck with a blanket tucked under his arm. I did the same, standing by the fence as he came around. He tossed the blanket over the fence and grabbed ahold of the top part of the fence and hoisted himself over with one easy jump. Um, yeah…there was no way I could do that in these jeans. It wasn’t that the fence was that high or anything, but I wasn’t sure I was graceful enough not to make a fool of myself. I’m sure Jude would find it absolutely hysterical if I fell on my face.
He held out a hand for me. “Just put your feet on the bottom piece and lift your leg over. I’ll help you.”
I looked at him hesitantly.
He thrust his hand towards me again. “Come on, Tater Tot, just take my hand. I would never let you fall.”
I reluctantly did what he asked and let him help me over. Somehow, on my way to the other side I lost my balance and my body slammed into his. We fell to the ground but somehow Jude maneuvered us so that he took the brunt of the fall. He grunted from the impact and then again when my elbow hit his ribs by accident.
“I’m so sorry!” I immediately jumped to my feet.
Jude was sprawled on the ground with brown pieces of grass stuck in his hair. He seemed stunned, but then he started to laugh. “I said I wouldn’t let you fall and then you went and tackled me. I wasn’t prepared for that pretty
Jude stood beside his truck, leaning against the passenger door. As I approached he opened the door and I hopped inside. He slid into the driver’s seat and said, “Someone seems eager to see me.” His grin spread across his face, lightening his eyes to a golden color.
“More like eager to get out of the house,” I mumbled.
He nodded his head sympathetically like he understood.
Buckling the seatbelt, I asked, “Where are we going?”
He snorted, driving out of the neighborhood. All the houses looked the same, blending together. I wondered if the people living behind the walls were aware of how bad things were for me, or were they oblivious to everything but their own lives? Probably the latter.
“Where’s the fun in telling you?” He responded.
I should’ve known to expect that kind of answer from him.
I sat back in the seat and brought my feet up against the dashboard, resolving not to ask him any more questions.
Surprisingly, he grew quiet. I didn’t know he could go a minute without filling a void with the sound of his voice.
A little while later he turned down a familiar dirt road. “I thought we were doing something before we went to your grandpa’s?” I asked, as the trees grew plentiful. They were only beginning to bud, but there were so many of them that they provided a decent amount of shade.
“We are.”
That’s all he said on the matter and I knew I wouldn’t get anything else out of him.
Suddenly, he stopped the truck, putting it in park.
I looked around, waiting to see something profound. “Why are we stopping here?” I as ked, when I didn’t see anything but grass and trees.
“I hope you don’t mind walking,” he smiled, reaching into the back of his truck for something. “ It’s about a mile walk to get where we’re going.”
“I’ll be fine,” I assured him just as he dropped whatever he’d been looking for into my lap. I picked up the Shenandoah University sweatshirt and stared at it. “Why do I need this? I’m already wearing a sweatshirt.”
He narrowed his eyes at what I wore. “Uh, yeah, that thin thing isn’t going to do anything to keep you warm. Put the sweatshirt on and don’t argue with me. I won’t have you getting sick on my conscience.”
“Do you even have a conscience?” I countered, pulling the sweatshirt on. It was warm from the heat of the car and smelled woodsy and masculine with something else that I couldn’t put my finger on that was inherently Jude.
He grabbed another sweatshirt from the back and shrugged it on before climbing out of the truck with a blanket tucked under his arm. I did the same, standing by the fence as he came around. He tossed the blanket over the fence and grabbed ahold of the top part of the fence and hoisted himself over with one easy jump. Um, yeah…there was no way I could do that in these jeans. It wasn’t that the fence was that high or anything, but I wasn’t sure I was graceful enough not to make a fool of myself. I’m sure Jude would find it absolutely hysterical if I fell on my face.
He held out a hand for me. “Just put your feet on the bottom piece and lift your leg over. I’ll help you.”
I looked at him hesitantly.
He thrust his hand towards me again. “Come on, Tater Tot, just take my hand. I would never let you fall.”
I reluctantly did what he asked and let him help me over. Somehow, on my way to the other side I lost my balance and my body slammed into his. We fell to the ground but somehow Jude maneuvered us so that he took the brunt of the fall. He grunted from the impact and then again when my elbow hit his ribs by accident.
“I’m so sorry!” I immediately jumped to my feet.
Jude was sprawled on the ground with brown pieces of grass stuck in his hair. He seemed stunned, but then he started to laugh. “I said I wouldn’t let you fall and then you went and tackled me. I wasn’t prepared for that pretty
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