3
Jude
Jude felt lower than an earthworm with a tax bill. The room hadn’t been as bad as he thought it would be, but he knew this was the last place any of his friends would have booked into for a weekend of fun in the sun. He didn’t know how, but he’d make this up to Ronan and Fitz if it was the last thing he did. He supposed a good way to start was by paying for lunch.
Everyone was gathered on the beach, staring out at the sea. Jude could tell Wolf wanted to run into the waves and splash around, but that would have to wait until after lunch. “Let’s go check out the pier,” Jude said. “There are supposed to be a lot of restaurants there.”
“Sounds good to me. I’m starving,” Ronan said. He took off at the head of the group, leaving Jude to wonder if his best friend was avoiding him.
Jude hoped the hell not. Just in case, he stayed at the back of the group with Cope and Lizbet, who was insisting she wanted to walk on her own but kept slipping and falling on the sand. Finally, Jude scooped her up, making his one-year-old daughter cry. Cope swooped in and took her. The baby instantly settled. What the hell else could possibly go wrong? Rogue wave? Food poisoning? Attacks by rabid seagulls? He didn’t know and, truth be told, didn’t want to find out.
Minutes later, they arrived at the Old Orchard Beach Pier. It was lit up in flashing lights that were barely visible in the summer sun. Jude knew it would look incredible when it got dark. As with everything else so far, it had unrealized potential that Jude desperately hoped would be fulfilled.
As they walked up the ramp, Jude heard the kids start to shout for candy. There were stands for fried dough, fudge, candied apples, gummy animals, and ice cream. He could smell hot dogs and burgers on a grill, along with the familiar scent of lobster and clarified butter.
“What’s everyone in the mood for?” Jude asked. “Lunch is on me.”
“Let’s see what else there is.” Ronan hung back and slung an arm around Jude. “Sorry I was such a dick when we got here. This place isn’t what I expected based on what you told us. That’s on me. We’re gonna have a great time here. Stop beating yourself up. You don’t have to pay for everything to make this up to us. But let me tell you, if Everly gets doused in a bucket of pig’s blood, we’re getting the hell out of here ASAP. Got it?”
Jude snorted. He obviously wasn’t the only one who’d been thinking the start to this trip sounded like a Stephen King novel. “Got it. Ditto for seeing a crazy pet cemetery or if Wolfie makes friends with a little girl who can set things on fire with her mind.”
Ronan laughed and led Jude further down the pier. Every type of carnival food imaginable was available, from foot-long hot dogs to churros. Jude wanted to eat everything in sight but knew it would be up to the kids where they landed. “What looks good, Wolf?”
“Everything, Daddy! I want a giant hot dog, waffle fries, a bucket of chicky nugs, and fried strippers.” Wolf’s dark eyes glowed with excitement.
Jude bit his lower lip to keep from laughing. “What are fried strippers?” Aside from the obvious, which Jude knew they didn’t serve in Maine. The state was called Vacationland, not Cannibal Land. The only other thing he could think of was clam strips. Wolf wasn’t as big into seafood as Aurora was, and to the best of his knowledge, his son had never eaten a clam.
“You know those yummy candy bars Dad gets at the store?” Wolf shot Jude a look that said he was wondering if his father was losing his mind.
“Oh, you mean Snickers?” Definitely not pole dancers, then. Jude remembered seeing a booth further back that featured deep-fried candy bars, among other heart-attack-inducing delicacies.
Wolf nodded. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Aurora and Everly screaming, “Unicorns!” in perfect tandem.
The girls ran to a game stand where you had to pop balloons with darts to win a prize. Jude knew from experience that the Aurora-sized unicorns were the top prize, and it would cost approximately four million dollars to win one, let alone two.
“Let’s give it a try,” Fitz said, pulling out his wallet and heading for the game booth. He turned to Jace. “Pray for me.”
Jace laughed and held up his hands with his fingers double-crossed for luck.
“Same goes for me,” Ronan followed along behind Fitz with a determined look on his face.
“I’m gonna give it a try too,” Jude said to Cope. “Maybe with three of us giving it a go, we’ll have more luck.”
“I hope so.” Cope pressed a kiss to Jude’s cheek. “Go get ’em, tiger.”
Jude growled and forked his money over to the teenage girl running the game. She traded his money for three blue darts. Ronan’s were green, and Fitz’s were red.
Ronan threw his first projectile, and it hit a balloon but bounced off, almost landing back on the booth.
“Oh, Jeez.” Everly shook her head. “We’re never gonna get unicorns like this.”
Aurora, wearing a bleak look on her face, nodded.
Fitz tossed one of his darts and missed the balloons entirely. The dart stuck into the corkboard wall.
“Talk about dull as fuck,” Jude muttered, tapping his finger on the point of the dart. Reminding himself why winning was so important, he took a deep breath and threw. Just like Fitz, the dart hit a balloon but failed to break it. In that instant of failure, Jude felt like he could cry. It wasn’t like him to be this emotional, but he was still feeling awful for being duped when it came to the hotel.
Setting a hand on Jude’s shoulder, Cope picked up one of his two remaining darts. With what looked like practiced ease, Cope gently lofted a dart toward the board and popped a blue balloon.
“Winner,” the teenager said, sounding completely bored.
Cope picked up Jude’s final dart and threw it with the same easy style as the first time. It popped a green balloon.
“Winner.” The game attendant rolled her eyes.
A small smile curled Cope’s lips. He took a step to the left and pointed to Ronan’s two remaining chances to win Everly the unicorn stuffy of her dreams.
“Go for it.” Ronan held up his crossed fingers.
Taking a deep breath, Cope grabbed one of Ronan’s green darts and let it fly. Like the others, it popped a balloon. Ditto for Ronan’s last one.
“They’re all yours,” Fitz said, stepping out of the way with a little bow.
Jude couldn’t believe his eyes. How the hell was Cope so good at throwing carnival darts? He couldn’t wait to hear the explanation.
“Winner,” the girl said when Cope’s next dart struck home. “Winner,” she added when Cope landed the sixth dart.
“What can we get for six hits?” Cope asked. He hooked a thumb toward Everly and Aurora, who were jumping up and down with joy.
“One big one.” The girl grabbed a unicorn with a bright green mane and set it on the booth in front of Cope. “Or two little ones.” Reaching under the counter, the girl pulled out two smaller unicorns, both with aqua manes.
“I’ll take the little ones. Do you have them in pink and purple?”
Without saying a word, the girl reached into the box and poked around a bit before handing Cope what he’d asked for.
“Thanks. You made my nieces’ day.” Cope turned and handed the unicorns to the girls. Aurora picked the pink, and Everly took the purple. Both girls ran to the booth and hugged the attendant.
“This is the best job in the whole entire world!” Everly gushed. “Don’t worry about Brad, he’s just a stupid prick. Harmon is much better!”
The girl, whose name tag read “Sandy,” stared at Everly with wide eyes. “How did you know about Brad?”
Everly tapped the side of her head. “I’m tiny but mighty. Harmon’s gonna ask you to Homecoming, and you’re gonna win a beautiful crown.”
“I am?” Sandy smiled. She reached under the counter and pulled out three more unicorns. One was neon green, one was aqua, and the other fluorescent yellow. She handed them to Everly, who offered Aurora first pick. She took the green one. “Thank you. The last one’s for your little friend.” She waved to Lizbet, who was waving from her stroller.
Everly hugged Sandy. “No, thank you! These unicorns are my new favorites. I’m gonna name one Sandy and the other one Marie.”
Sandy wore a surprised look. “How did you know my middle name is Marie?”
“My gift told me.” With a giggle, Everly reached for Aurora’s hand, and together, they ran toward Cope, who knelt down to meet them.
“Thanks, Uncle Cope. You’re my hero!” She wrapped her arms around Cope’s neck.
“Mine too.” Aurora joined in the group hug. Aurora handed the blue stuffie to Lizbet, who squealed with joy.
“How do you like that? I’m a hero.” Cope grinned at Jude. He linked his arm with Jude’s. “You know what this hero needs?”
“A sloppy, wet blowjob?” Jude whispered into Cope’s ear.
“Yes, but I need a foot-long dog first.” Cope laughed. “Maybe two if you play your cards right.” He waggled his eyebrows and tugged Jude toward the stand with the giant dogs.
“Come on, everyone, lunch is on me.” He waved everyone along, loving how the kids were skipping after him. “After lunch, we’ll see if Dad can win something for you, okay?” he asked Wolf.
Wolf shook his head, sending his shaggy hair flying. “That’s okay, Daddy. It was fun to see how excited the girls were. We can stop at the toy shop after lunch. They had some really cool rubber bugs I want to add to my collection.”
“You got it, buddy. Just promise me you won’t stick them in the girls’ beds or Ronan’s, got it?”
Wolf started to laugh. He held his belly and giggled for all he was worth. “How did you know I was gonna put them in Uncle Ronan’s bed?”
“Because it’s what I would do! Like father, like son!” Jude scooped his son into his arms. Maybe he’d get a pack of the rubber bugs for himself. Just because he was in the doghouse didn’t mean he could have a little fun for himself. Did it?