Chapter 32
***Joe***
I rolled my sleeves up to my elbows as we walked down to the lake.
My slacks were too hot and I felt sweat beading already.
My pulse was racing and I didn’t know what I was doing.
I was Jud’s older brother. I’d practically raised him.
I knew how much his fair girl meant to him but I couldn’t just give up Ada.
I wasn’t even sure I liked her, or she liked me, but there was something there.
Guilt ate at me for not just giving Jud what he wanted but I couldn’t make myself do it. The reason was in knee-deep water in a pink bikini, pointing in the water for Milo, who clung to her side and hip like a monkey.
She looked up and spotted us all coming her way and her eyes went wide. I saw her blush from the edge of the beach and took in a deep breath. I didn’t even know what I wanted from her. I should’ve just backed off and acted like a decent brother.
Then Ada gasped and came jogging towards us and I forgot how to swallow.
She sat Milo down on a towel and then moved to Jud.
She gently cupped his face and turned it to see the bruise already forming.
Then she moved to Collin and did the same, wincing as she took in his quickly forming black eyes.
When she stood in front of me, her hands felt like silk on my chin as she looked at the side of my face.
She met my gaze and her bright smile was nowhere to be seen. She swallowed and then moved away from us. She stared out over the lake and when she turned back to us, her eyes were full of sorrow. “This is my fault.”
“The fuck it is.” Jud stepped forward to grab her but she held up her hand. “Ada...”
“You should fire me.” She was staring directly at me. “I’ve made a mess of things. You want to fire me anyway, Joe. Just do it. I deserve it.”
I shook my head. “No.”
She looked frustrated. “You hit each other. Right? That’s what happened, isn’t it? And now the three of you are down here, looking at me with your eyes all soft and cuddly and I don’t have an answer.”
“Soft and cuddly?” Collin’s humor came back first.
I pointed at Jud. “He started it.”
Jud raised his eyebrows. “Seriously?”
Ada wrapped her arms around her waist and glanced back at the twins playing in the water. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. I just... I don’t know.”
Jud rested his hand on the small of her back. “It’s okay, Ada.”
Collin and I exchanged a look, waiting on Jud to lay claim to her the way he had been in Collin’s office. We were both almost knocked off our feet by what he said next, though.
“You don’t need an answer. You don’t have to choose.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Are you coming in for lunch?”
Ada looked just as confused as I felt when she turned into him. “Jud...”
He kissed her and tried to tuck one of her unruly curls behind her ear unsuccessfully. “I’ve waited a decade, Ada. You’ll be surprised by how much I’m willing to do for you. We can talk later, though. Okay?”
My heart pounded as I watched my little brother flay himself open for Ada.
His words held such a depth of honesty that I knew he meant it.
If Ada never chose between the three of us, he’d still give himself to her fully.
I realized I’d never felt that way about anyone before.
I’d never loved so wholly and selflessly. I didn’t even think it was possible.
Collin rubbed at his chest and I wondered if he was feeling the same thing I was. “Well, anything I say now is going to sound lame.”
Ada laughed through the tears filling her eyes. She cupped Jud’s cheek and then stepped back. “This is crazy.”
Jud nodded. “Yeah, but we’re not bored. That’s something.”
He and Collin went ahead of me towards the house, leaving me to share one meaningful look with Ada before I followed them.
Back in the kitchen, Jud sat at the island and let out a big breath. “Well, shit.”
Collin stood across from him and I sat next to him. We all stayed quiet, lost in our own thoughts, until David came in with bags of groceries and screamed when he saw us sitting there.
“What are you guys doing? You scared me!” He looked at our pensive faces and shook his head. “Oh, no! You’re letting me go, aren’t you? What did I do? Was it the orange juice? That was someone else. The sour cream? That was someone else, too. I can’t name names but I swear it wasn’t me.”
I shook my head at him. “No, you’re not fired, David. We’d starve to death without you. We’re just sitting here.”
“That’s weird. I’m really glad you’re not firing me, but this is just as weird.
” He blew out a relieved sigh. “Speaking of starving, I ran into Henry from the diner today. He was very upset with me and seems to think I don’t let you all leave the house.
He couldn’t understand why else you haven’t been in for breakfast in over a month. ”
Collin frowned. “Henry?”
“The owner of the diner that you used to visit once a week?” David started unpacking bags of groceries. “Why did you stop going?”
I frowned, thinking back. The last time we were there, the waitress got our order wrong. That had happened before, though, and we always went back. The only other thing that changed was Ada. She’d turned breakfast into an experience. Every morning, there was something.
“We just stopped, I guess.” I shrugged and pretended like I wasn’t reeling from seeing how much we’d changed since Ada arrived. Our routines had been so exact before her.
“Uh huh.” David laughed to himself. “Sure.”
I looked out the window and could just see Ada playing in the water with the kids. She’d changed so much already. I wasn’t sure I could handle it if things kept changing.