Jude (Beautiful Mine #2) (24 page)

JUDE

“I told him we were coming,” Evie said as we pulled up to her old house in our rental car. Her tenant had been a construction worker in town for the year working on some project. Apartments in Halverford were scarce, and the available ones were questionable, at best. He’d scored a deal with Evie’s place. “He said he’ll be working, but we can just go on in.”

She took a deep breath, her blue eyes fixed on the outside of the house. I’d never stopped to think about how hard it was going to be for her to go in there again. It’d been about half a year since she left.

Evie took her time heading up to the front door, running her fingers against wood railing the tenant had apparently sanded and repainted the fall before. He promised her he’d do some improvements to the house since she’d cut him such a good deal on the rent.

She slipped her key into the lock and it popped lightly as if it were brand new. The door swung open and a clean, generic scent welcomed us in.

“Doesn’t smell the way it used to,” she said softly. “I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

I placed my hand as she stood in the foyer. Ahead a sanded, stained, and polished staircase replaced the weathered and beaten one she’d left behind, and I watched as she gazed down at the wooden floor beneath us. No more scuffs and dings; it was shiny and unmarred.

I followed closely behind as she toured the house as if it were the first time she’d ever seen it.

“No more leaks,” she said, flushing the toilet. “Water used to leak from the handle when you flushed. Remember that?”

Her eyes scanned the rest of the bathroom, and I stood back while she tested the old, leaky faucet that had been outfitted with a shiny new chrome set and watched as she checked out how quickly the tub drained. She skipped off to the kitchen and tested the sprayer in the sink that never used to work, but now behaved as if it were brand new. The faint grinding noise the refrigerator used to make was now deadened to a soft murmur. She ran out to the back deck, which had been stained with a gorgeous cedar color, its old, rotting boards replaced by new ones. Even with a light blanket of January snow covering the yard, we could both see the bushes along the fence had been trimmed neatly and the Poplar trees pruned.

“Wow,” Evie said, drawing back toward the center of the house. “It’s like he ticked off everything Julian and I were going to do.”

I smiled. It was as if Julian had sent that guy her way to take care of all the things he’d never had a chance to take care of.

“Everything looks good,” Evie said, buzzing with excitement. “I honestly didn’t know what I was going to come home to. He did a great job.”

I grabbed her by the arm and tucked her close under my own. I wanted to kiss her, but the moment didn’t feel right. I said a quiet “thank you” to Julian for bringing her into my life. I could almost feel him there, standing with us in the foyer.

“I wanted to run over to Mercy Hope before we go to my parents’,” she said, slipping out of my grasp and heading back to the door.

“Don’t you want to see the rest of the house? Your room?”

“No,” she said, her eyes welling as a sentimental smile spread across her sweet lips. “I’m not ready to see our old bedroom. I want to remember it exactly how it was.”

We left the house and headed to the hospital where Julian took his last breath. At least, that was how I was sure Evie remembered of it. She’d stopped at the bank that morning to grab a certified check, feeling the need to make a donation in Julian’s name to the hospital that had always taken such good care of him.

She’d scheduled a meeting with the CEO of the hospital and the VP of Gifts, reiterating with them that the million-dollar donation was to be in Julian’s name. She wanted no part of it. Her only request was that some of the money went to a reading library for patients. It only seemed fitting, since Julian was an avid reader.

“That was very generous of you,” I said to Evie as we left the hospital and headed outside.

Giant snowflakes fell from the sky, peppering our coats and sending deep shivers down my spine.

“I didn’t know it was supposed to snow,” she said, blinking away the giant flakes that fell into her long lashes. The cement was getting slick. The ground was warm enough to melt the flakes as they landed, but the air was cool enough to refreeze them on contact.

“Careful,” I said, grabbing the crook of her elbow and leading her into the parking lot. I glanced around, squinting against all the white and gray that surrounded us until I saw our black Toyota rental. The second we arrived at the car, a black Mercedes pulled up next to us with windows so tinted we couldn’t see in. The air changed, and it wasn’t the weather. We stood, paralyzed as a tall, slender woman with a pale complexion and icy cold stare climbed out.

“Jude?” my mother said.

“Evie, get in the car,” I said, spitting my words. “Now.”

Evie hesitated for a moment before obeying me.

“You followed me here?” I asked.

“No,” she said, clutching her hand over her heart and furrowing her brows. “I didn’t know you were back in town.”

“How’d you find me?”

She shook her head. “I wasn’t looking for you. Believe me.”

My blood boiled with an intensity so fervent I couldn’t feel the ice cold wind as it brushed my face, and each flake that fell onto my exposed skin melted before it had a chance.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded to know.

She looked me up and down and then tugged on her long woolen coat. Holding her head high, she said, “Chemo.”

“Chemo?” I asked in disbelief. “Just another one of your ploys. God, it never ends with you.”

Her face froze in one expressionless position as her bony fingers reached up to her hat where her blonde hair suck out, barely grazing her shoulders. With one slow pull, her hat came off. Her other hand lifted to her forehead, where she grabbed the bangs of her hair and pulled back, revealing a bald head. She’d been wearing a wig.

“Believe me now?” she said, her voice faltering in a rare moment of vulnerability. In all my years, I’d never seen her look as raw as she did standing there in the parking lot of a hospital in her fancy coat next to her fancy car with no hair on her head.

“Jesus,” I said, raking my fingers across my face. As I stared into her cool blue eyes, all I could think about was the time I was sick with pneumonia as a child.

“Don’t I get a nurse too, mommy?” I’d asked from my bed as my lungs burned with each wheezing breath.

“No,” she said, standing at the foot of my bed. “Nurses are only for Julian.”

“But what if I need something?” my nine-year-old self asked. “Who’s going to help me?”

“You’re not that sick, Jude,” she’d huffed as she walked away. “God, you’re such a needy little boy.”

I had opened my mouth to say something, but all that came out were uncontrollable, barking coughs. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t stop coughing. I reached my hand out to the near-empty water glass on my nightstand, but I didn’t have the strength to reach it. My eyes pleaded with hers for help, but she walked away, shutting the door hard behind her.

“So, there you have it,” Caroline said, slipping her wig back on and securing it with her hat. “I’m dying.”

I rolled my eyes. Knowing her, she was milking it for all it was worth. I knew with 100% certainty she could afford the best medical treatment available. “I highly doubt that.”

Her eyes widened. “I very well could die, Jude. And what happens then? You’ll be sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” I scoffed.

“Sorry for making the wrong choices in life,” she said as her gaze turned toward Evie in the car and her body remained frigid and stoic. She stood firm in her delusional beliefs.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said. “You never wanted me. I was always a burden to you. The day I walked out, I did you and Dad a favor. You should be thanking me.”

“I never felt that way about you,” she lied, placing her hand over her heart in a feeble attempt to make me feel guilty. “I loved you, Jude. You were my baby. And you left me when I needed you the most.”

“Don’t be so needy.” I breezed past her and got in the car. I wasted no time starting it off and peeling away, leaving her in a cloud of exhaust as we sped away.

“What was that about?” Evie said. I felt her careful eyes on me. “Does she really have cancer?”

“Apparently.”

“She said she had breast cancer last year, right after Julian and I were married, but we didn’t believe her,” Evie said, reaching her hand over to take mine.

“Serves her right,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Jude,” Evie said sternly.

“Which way to your parents’ house again?” I asked, changing the subject. As far as I was concerned, Caroline was officially dead to me, and thank God for that.

EVIE

Jax and Carys’ wedding day was nothing short of extravagant. Hydrangeas, peonies, and lilacs sat pretty in milky pink vases in every corner of the reception hall in elaborate, look-at-me displays. Tables housed gold leafed china atop white linens as crystal goblets and polished silver topped the look. A string quartet played ceremony music while a live band was set up and ready to go for the reception.

I scanned the seats outside as I waited for the ceremony to start. Jude stood next to me, filling out every inch of his gray linen suit. With a fresh shave and haircut, he looked like a million bucks, and the dimpled smile he flashed me the second he saw me in my bridesmaid dress made me weak in the knees.

The sky was clear and the sun was shining. A light May breeze rustled the leaves of the palms outside.

“Places!” the wedding coordinator barked as she rushed between the members of the wedding party, mumbling something into her mouthpiece.

I stood next to Jude, slipping my arm into his elbow as he nudged me. The second the string quartet began to play, we took our places and marched, one couple at a time, down the aisle.

I fought tears as Jax and Carys exchanged the most beautiful handwritten vows I’d ever heard, and every once in a while I snuck in a look at Jude from across the way. Standing tall with his hands folded in front of him, he was all business, sexy and serious.

The moment Carys and Jax exchanged rings and were pronounced man and wife, he scooped her up and carried her down the aisle, proudly showing her off for all the world to see. Her lithe frame was nothing in his arms as her thin arm hooked around the back of his shoulders, holding him tight. I giggled quietly as I knew Carys was secretly annoyed at being carried like that. She hated tradition, but she did a great job at hiding it.

I walked forward, meeting Jude at the foot of the altar and taking his arm as we followed the wedding party.

“Everyone, if I could have your attention,” the lead singer of the wedding band boomed over the microphone as people began piling into the reception hall. The room grew quiet except for some clinking of silverware and guests who couldn’t help but continue chatting away. “Food will be served shortly. Please find your seats. We’re going to begin with a toast to the bride and groom, starting with the best man.”

Jude stood up from his place at the head table, mic in hand, and cleared his throat.

“Jax. Carys.” He turned toward them, one hand in his pocket. “I’ve known Jax for a very long time. He’s like a brother to me. I can’t say how honored I am that I was chosen to stand next to you on this important day. You have the sort of crazy, passionate love most of us should be so lucky to experience someday, and I hope you don’t ever lose that.”

He lifted his drink and the room filled with a reserved clapping as he handed me the microphone.

“I’m Evie Garner-Willoughby,” I said, as if my last name would hold any clout in that crowd. “I’ve known Carys since we were kids. The moment I met Jax, I knew they’d be perfect for each other, and against both their wishes, I set them up on an informal blind date.”

I cringed on the inside, my face growing hot. I wasn’t a wordsmith like Jude. I didn’t have an ounce of the breezy confidence he oozed from every pore.

“Take care of her, Jax,” I continued. “And Carys, take care of him, too. Remember to be forgiving and gracious to one another, and never give up. Even on your hardest days. Love you guys.”

I raised my glass, face glowing red as all eyes released me from their gaze and turned upon the beaming bride and groom. Applause consumed the air.

“That was sweet,” Carys whispered after she’d turned to me. She placed a hand over mine. “Thank you.”

The moment the dinner wrapped up, Jax and Carys took up residence in the center of the dance floor as the band played their version of Van Morrison’s
Someone Like You
and Jude slipped over to Carys’ empty seat.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” he asked me.

I ducked down. With my blush dress, my spray tan, and my fancy hair and makeup, I felt pretty. But it was good to hear it, too.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” I said, drinking in the handsome man sitting before me. I bit my lip as I imagined the ripples of his muscles underneath his gray jacket. Oh, the things I planned to do to him that night…

The song finished and the bandleader announced the wedding party dance.

“May I have this dance?” Jude said, standing up and placing his hand out for mine.

***

The blackout shades of our hotel room were much appreciated the following morning. My feet ached from dancing all night. My mouth ached from smiling for a thousand photos. My stomach growled. I squinted at the alarm clock on the bedside table. A quarter to ten. We needed to check out soon.

Jude rested peacefully, his tan skin contrasting against the white pillow in the darkness of the room. I grazed the side of his face with my hand, unable to resist touching him, and then I traced my finger down his rigid jaw, across his perfect pillowed lips, and down the ripples and bends of his muscular chest.

“Evie,” he groaned. I’d woken him.

“I couldn’t resist,” I said coyly, a mischievous smile in my voice.

His lips twisted into a smile as he slipped his hand behind my hips and pulled me into him. I could taste champagne remnants on my breath from the night before, and Jude’s cologne and aftershave were still going strong, radiating off his warm skin.

“What time is it?” he mumbled, the vibration of his voice tickling my ear.

“Almost ten,” I said. “We have to check out in an hour. Go back to sleep for a bit. I’m going to order us some breakfast and jump in the shower.”

I slid a foot out onto the floor, but Jude’s strong arm quickly pulled me back under the covers. In the dark of the room, it felt like night, but I could still see the shimmer of his champagne eyes as he pulled me into him.

“Want to go to the beach after this?” he asked, his gaze searching mine, but for what, I didn’t know.

***

I kicked my shoes off and let the warm sand filter between my toes. Jude laid out on a navy blue beach towel, his face covered by his hat. Something about being outside and in touch with nature grounded me and brought peace to my soul. It was the only thing that ever made sense to me, and every time I made that connection, I always wondered why I didn’t spend more time outdoors.

The ocean air left salt on my tongue and my hair became entangled with each passing gust of wind as the sun warmed my fair skin. For the first time in almost a year, everything felt right again. I laid down on my towel next to Jude and watched the rise and fall of his chest as the waves crashed along the shore.

The beach was bare. According to Jude, seventy-five degrees was chilly for the Malibu locals, but to Kansas natives like us, it felt perfect.

I scooted closer to him, slipping my arm around his waist and trying not to disturb him. With my head resting on the round camber of his shoulder, I inhaled his musky scent. It had quickly become my favorite smell in the entire world: a perfect blend of cedar, patchouli, and bergamot mixed with lemongrass bar soap and coconut suntan oil. Heaven on earth.

Jude roused from his catnap and sat up. “Hey.”

“Hi,” I said, flashing him a smile as I tried to see his sparkling eyes behind his pitch black Ray Bans.

“Want to go for a walk?”

“Sure.” I stood and dusted the sand off my legs, reaching for his hand and tugging him up. He pulled me close as we trudged along the sandy shore, each step taking us closer the the lapping waves of cool ocean water.

I shielded my eyes as I glanced up at him, his chocolate hair parted on the side and slicked over and his tan growing darker by the minute. He looked like a Ken doll, or an extra from a 1960s beach movie.

“Why are you staring at me?” he asked.

“Because you’re really, really hot,” I said with a giggle.

He smiled and shook his head, running his fingers through my hair playfully. “I like your hair like this, by the way.”

I’d let my hair dry naturally that morning, opting not to fight my natural wave, and the salty sea air had already done a number on it.

“Look at this shell,” I said, stopping to pick up a pearlescent peach conch sticking up from the sand. “It’s huge.”

“Don’t see those every day,” he said.

I peered inside, making sure it was vacated, and pressed it up against my ear.

“Can you hear the ocean?” he asked.

“I think so,” I said, concentrating. “Or I might just be hearing the real ocean. Here, you try.”

I spun around to hand him the conch shell, only he was no longer at my level. He was down on one knee, staring up at me with a smile consuming his face.

“What’s this?” I said, my hand flying to my mouth. I bit my lip in an effort to stifle the smile that wanted to take over.

“Evie,” he said, reaching up and grabbing my left hand. “I love you so much. I don’t ever want to lose you again. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. Be mine. Forever. Marry me?”

I was speechless as I stood, mouth gaping, staring into his gorgeous hazel eyes. I wanted to scream “yes” and jump up and down like a crazy person, but instead I froze. I wanted to remember that moment forever: the way he was looking at me, his earnest, hopeful, wild-eyed expression, and the amount of sheer love that spilled over my body and warmed me from head to toe.

“I don’t have a ring,” he confessed. “Not yet. This wasn’t exactly planned.”

I smiled, nodding and pulling him up to a standing position. He wrapped his arms around my waist, picking me up off the ground and swinging me around.

“Yes!” I finally shouted as the words found their way out of my mouth. “I’ll marry you.”

He kissed me hard and sat me back down, beaming. I’d never seen him so happy.

“I don’t know what came over me,” he said, studying my face as if he couldn’t bear to look away. “Just seeing you there today, toes in the sand, wind blowing your hair… something clicked inside me. And after everything we’ve been through and seeing how happy Jax and Carys are, I just can’t let you get away again. What we have is real, Evie. Don’t ever leave me again.”

I leaned in to him, pressing my head against his beating heart as the cool water kissed our feet.

“I’ll get you a ring,” he said as we turned to walk back. “We can go ring shopping tomorrow, if you want.”

“I’m not worried about the ring,” I said, interlacing my fingers with his, the familiarity of the conversation bearing a striking resemblance to the one I’d had with Julian once.

“I don’t want you to go too long without one,” he added. “I want the whole world to know you’re taken.”

I smiled and blinked away a tear. He loved me just as much as Julian did, and in a weird sort of way, it was almost like Julian was reminding me of his love through Jude. I refused to let this love slip through my fingers again.

Another month would bring the anniversary of Julian’s death. In some ways, it felt like yesterday, but in other ways, it was a lifetime ago. That chapter of my life had come and gone in the blink of an eye, those fleeting moments residing forever in the deepest part of my soul. My future was in the man standing before me, of that I could be certain, and in a strange twist of fate, Julian had been the one to set us up. I’d never be sure, but I’d always wonder if he knew exactly what he was doing all along.