Chapter 12
chapter
twelve
Jude
Six weeks later…
“I should’ve known you hyenas would try and steal my girl,” I say to my sisters. I pull Emory into my lap. “She is mine.”
“You have to share her!” Juliette says. “That’s what you’d tell us to do.”
“She’s not wrong,” Aria says. “Up top, baby girl.” She holds her hand up for Juliette to give her a high five.
Emory giggles and snuggles into my neck. “I think they’ve got you, babe.”
Dammit, I love it when she calls me that. I know I’m going to lose this fight, but I’m not willing to admit it just yet.
“It’s just book club,” Sofia says. “You act like we’re taking her to a drug deal.”
“No drugs!” I say.
“Yes, yes, we know,” Juliette says. “And no sex. And no vaping. And the list goes on.”
“Just keeping you safe until I’m no longer legally obligated to do so.”
“That’s a crock of shit and you know it,” Emory says. “You’ll be taking care of your girls for the rest of your life.”
“Only you. And Rosie and Lola. Those three,” I motion to the opposite side of the living room where my sisters are waiting impatiently. “I’m going to marry them off so they can be another man’s problem.”
“I might take you up on that,” Sofia says. “What about Donovan? He’s so hot.”
I’m already shaking my head. “Absolutely not. First of all, Donovan is way too old for you. Secondly, he’s been in love with someone else for a long time. But also, he’s way too old for you-”
“You already said that,” Aria points out.
“Makes it even more true then,” I say. “Also, he’s a professional athlete. You do not need that lifestyle.”
Sofia rolls her eyes. “Sheesh. That lifestyle, again, like there’s nefarious things going on. He plays football, Jude; he’s not in a gang.”
Emory laughs. The soft puffs of her breath feather across my neck.
“Do you have to go?” I ask her quietly.
“No,” she says.
“Do you want to go?”
“Well, kind of. So far I haven’t met too many people in town. Except y’all and the girls said that a bunch of the women in town go to this book club. And I’ll actually be able to participate because I’ve read the book they’re discussing.” She looks me in the face and gives me a naughty grin. “It’s the bear shifter book you overheard me reading to Rosie that day.”
“Exactly,” Aria says. “Bear shifter. Big, manly bear with a giant?—”
“Noooo,” I say loudly to cover anything else my sister is about to say. “I seriously regret teaching y’all to read.”
All three of my siblings laugh. “You didn’t teach any of us to read, jackass,” Sofia says.
“Minor details,” I say.
“Please, Jude, let her come with us. Marcus was a great book. It was super funny, and I’m sure she can tell you all about it later,” Juliette says.
“I’m not preventing her from going. Emory is her own woman who is free to do what she wants any time. As long as it doesn’t involve any other men.” I narrow my eyes at my girl. “You and I need to have a long discussion about this bear shifter.”
She leans in closely to my ear. “I’ll read you all the dirty parts when I get home.”
Home. She’s been saying it more and more. Little slips like that letting me know she’s settled in. Is she over all her fears? Probably not. We’ll likely deal with those her entire life. But I’m not going anywhere. Unless I have to follow her somewhere.
“I love you, Peaches.”
She kisses me. “I love you too. I’ll be back soon. Promise.”
I sigh as I watch every piece of my heart walk out the door. Maybe I should join the book club.