Itook advantage of Jude being occupied with his mom and sister and spent some time taming my hair. I smoothed it into a loose side braid, which I considered an improvement over the somewhat wild ponytail I’d been sporting. I applied a touch of eye shadow and mascara too, and switched my faded T-shirt for a pale green, cap-sleeved top.
Feeling more presentable, I headed back downstairs, ignoring the guilt I felt when I walked past my locked office door. I’d get back into my work routine when Jude went back to his own place, but for now the lure of knowing he was downstairs was too much to resist. I knew Ian would understand.
When I got to the bottom of the stairs, my gaze went right to Jude. He was talking to his mom, but he immediately turned his head toward me, as if sensing I was there.
His smile turned me inside out, and when he held his hand out to me there was no chance I was going anywhere other than to his side. He tugged me down to sit on the arm of the chair, his own arm coming around my hips, hand splayed on my thigh.
“Jude told us how your friend Donna charged that man with a dead branch,” Janna said, her dark eyes sparkling. “I think I’d like to meet her one day.”
She’s a feisty lady,” I said proudly, “and she’s thoroughly enjoying the attention from all this. But then again, she’s not the one who got shot,” I added with an apologetic look. “I know I’ve said it before, but I really hope you guys know how sorry I am that Jude got hurt because of my issues. I never thought for a second Abigail would dream up something like this.”
“I’m just glad Donna and Jude got there when they did,” Camilla declared. “If that man had gotten you in his car, things would have been so much worse.”
“You and me both,” Jude said softly.
Camilla looked at us and smiled approvingly. “Okay, you two, we’re going to get out of your hair for now, but if you don’t mind, Ava, we’ll come back this evening and bring dinner. Hank and Jed will come too. Jude says he’s staying with you for one more night, and I’d love to cook for everyone.”
I wasn’t about to turn down that very kind offer. We made plans, and just in time, too, because the doorbell rang again. This time it was some of the guys from Owens Construction.
I made another pot of coffee….and Priscilla’s coffee cake was soon history.
Jude was indeed a very popular guy.
***
Dinner was delicious and the company was great, but I was ready for a quiet house. As soon as his family was out the door, I urged Jude upstairs. He didn’t complain, which meant he was tired again.
After he showered, I sat beside him on the bed and put on the new dressings, like last night, only I might have spent a little more time checking for heat around the wounds. And I might have checked in a larger circumference, keeping a serious expression on my face, until he put a finger under my chin and tilted my face up so I had to look at him.
“Any sign of infection?” he muttered.
“Well, I thought maybe there was some warmth here,” I said, feigning concern as I pressed a palm to the smooth skin of his side, above the wound, tracing his ribs with my fingertips. “And maybe here.” I moved to his hard, ridged stomach.
His eyes glowed in the light of the lamp. “That’s strange, considering it’s quite a ways from the affected area,” he pointed out.
“Well, yeah, I guess, if you want to get technical about it.” I grinned and shrugged. “But it’s not like I’ve had any formal training as a nurse. It’s a very easy mistake to make.”
He put a hand up to my face, his thumb stroking back and forth over my cheek. My gaze dropped to his mouth.
“I want to kiss you, Ava, but I need to ask you something first.”
“Okay, but hurry,” I said, making him smile.
“This morning,” he began, “when Priscilla was here.”
I winced. “Oh. Yeah. I’m really sorry about that. I would’ve stopped her if I’d known she was going to ask you those questions.”
“Why?” he asked, running his hand along the length of my braid.
I frowned, wondering why he had to ask. “Because she put you on the spot and you had to say things to placate her.”
He tilted his head. “You mean like when I said I had honorable intentions and wouldn’t be with you if I wasn’t serious about us?”
“Yeah. That,” I said, my shoulders slumping. “I’ve been so determined not to make you feel any pressure, and then Priscilla goes and puts it all out there.”
His eyes narrowed. “What kind of pressure are you talking about?”
I looked down, plucking at the knots on the bed’s comforter. Now I was the one being put on the spot. So much for keeping my feelings hidden until he could catch up.
I shrugged one shoulder self-consciously. “Pressure to—you know—feel the same way I do. I don’t want you to feel bad if you aren’t there yet. I mean, it either happens or it doesn’t, and we have plenty of time to find out. Priscilla is the one trying to rush things, not me.”
He was quiet for a long moment and I shifted uncomfortably, halfway expecting the “I just need some time” line.
“Exactly how do you feel, Ava?” he asked instead, his voice low and rough. “It would help if I knew.”
I was so surprised by his question that my eyes flew up to meet his again. He looked curious, maybe even.….hopeful?
I exhaled slowly, gathering my courage. “Well I hope you aren’t expecting me to say I’m falling in love with you,” I said quietly, watching for his reaction.
He looked disappointed, there was no mistaking it, and I suddenly found a whole lot more courage. Could it be that Jude was ready to hear what I was finally ready to tell him?
I scrunched my face up, my heart pounding. “And the reason I’m not going to say that is because I’m already way past the falling part. I’ve pretty much already gone splat.”
His eyes heated instantly and I could tell he wanted to smile, but he held back. We just stared at each other for a few seconds, and then he broke the silence.
“So….in other words?” he prompted.
I swallowed audibly. I wanted to tell him, I really did, but saying those three little words—it was terrifying.
“I’ve never said it to anyone other than my family,” I whispered.
His lips curved up just a tiny bit. “Me neither.”
“Really?” That was hard to believe, because I had no doubt he’d been involved in way more relationships than I had.
He nodded. “Really.”
I licked my lips nervously. “It might seem like it’s too soon, but I’ve known for a while now.”
He reached over and wrapped his hand around my knee. “Me too.”
I forgot to breathe as my heart did a long, slow roll. Was this really happening?
I closed my eyes on a shaky exhale, then opened them to look directly into his. His smile had grown and he raised a dark brow, waiting.
“Together?” I asked hopefully. “On the count of three?”
“We don’t need to count,” he murmured, leaning closer. “We can just say it.”
And so we did.
“I love you.”
Our words and breath mingled as I met his mouth halfway. The kiss was light and sweet because we were both smiling too much for anything else. I pulled away just long enough to tell him I really did love him so so much and was glad to finally be able to say it. Then he pulled me close and kissed me as if his goal was to make me forget any other males existed, either on this planet or in the universe.
And for me, they didn’t. At least, none like Jude Keller.
By the time the kiss ended, my heart was racing and my whole body tingled with awareness and desire. I gave him a slightly dazed smile, then let my head fall to his chest.
“I should go,” I sighed. “You’re making me forget all my good intentions.”
He groaned, his arms tightening around me. “I wish you could sleep here again, but I guess that would be asking for trouble.”
“Yeah, it definitely would,” I murmured, listening to the steady beat of his heart under my ear. Was that heart really mine? Had Jude really told me he loved me?
“I do love you, Ava,” he said, as if he’d read my mind. “Don’t ever doubt that, and don’t start thinking this is too good to be true. You know what happened the last time you did that.”
I propped my chin on his shoulder and looked at him. “You know me pretty well,” I admitted. “When I wake up tomorrow I won’t know whether this was real or just a really great dream.”
He gave a low chuckle. “Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to make sure you know it’s real,” he promised, his eyes glinting.
“Oh yeah?” I raised my brows and gave him a knowing look. “Think you’ll have time before you leave for work?”
He looked surprised, then sheepish. “How’d you know I was going to work?”
I poked his chest with my finger. “Because I know you. You didn’t have a lot pain today, and it’ll be even better tomorrow. Plus, I don’t think you can handle another day of sitting around chatting with well-meaning visitors.”
He let his head fall back with a moan. “You are so right about that. Work is way easier than what I’ve gone through the last two days.”
I nodded. “I get it, and I’m not surprised—I expected you to go back quickly. But I’m still afraid you’re going to overdo it.”
“I won’t. I’ll be at my desk most of the time. We need to finish up the bid for that student center at the college. The deadline is Friday.”
“Desk is good,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t get to the office and find a million other things waiting for him as a result of his Monday off. “Just know your limits. Listen to your body and don’t push it.” I gave him a warning look and one more poke. “I’m trusting you. Don’t let me down.”
He smiled and grabbed my finger. “I’ll be good. Promise.” He rubbed his other hand up and down my back. “Thanks for letting me stay here.”
I nodded. “I know you would’ve been fine on your own, but I needed you here for a little while.”
His eyes searched mine. “You’ll be okay by yourself, right? You won’t be jumping at every little noise?”
I shrugged. “I might do a little jumping every now and then, but I trust the security system. And Abigail would be foolish to try anything else so soon.”
“Let’s hope they find her before she can come up with another plan.”
“Yeah, that would be a relief for sure. Until then, I promise to be careful and do the things you asked. I have no desire to go back out to the woods, anyway.”
His hand slid beneath my shirt, warm on the small of my back. “When this is all over, we’ll go back out to there together. Face the fear and all that.”
I nodded and raised my hand to trail a fingertip across the arch of his brow, down the side of his face, and along his jaw. That woods was going to haunt me for a long time. Not because of my own ordeal, but because it was where I’d come so close to losing the man I was in love with.
“Stop thinking about whatever it is that’s making you look sad,” Jude ordered, reading my mind yet again. “We both survived, sweetheart. Concentrate on that. And on the fact that I’ll go to sleep tonight with a huge smile on my face because of you.”
I smiled gratefully. “I’d much rather concentrate on that.”
He dipped his head to hold my gaze. “I love you, Ava.”
“I love you too. So much.”
Our kiss was soft and lingering, then I promised him I’d have breakfast ready at six-thirty and reluctantly said good night.
Jude wasn’t the only one who went to sleep with a smile on his face.