Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Jude
“Hey, hey!” I called out as we walked into the kitchen.
Seconds later, there were hugs all around. Damn, it was good to see my brother.
I loved all of my family, but Lincoln, Haven, and I had been closest in our cluster of siblings.
Not counting Bree, but she was gone. Every time I thought of her, my heart ached.
It weighed on me how much I knew Lincoln was carrying her death as if he was actually responsible, when he was probably the only reason we had Tommy with us.
Lincoln stepped back, his smile encompassing all of us. “It’s good to be here.”
My mom beamed all the way through dinner. Tommy bounced around like a ping-pong ball, ecstatic to have another uncle home. Conversation after dinner meandered longer than usual, mostly because we were all soaking in Lincoln’s presence.
Tommy sat back down at the table after putting his plate in the dishwasher. “I still think I should be excused from clean up,” he pointed out.
Lincoln’s brows hitched up, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Oh yeah?”
Tommy’s head bobbed. “I’m cooking most nights for the family now. I want to be a chef.”
Lincoln’s smile was warm as he studied Tommy. “Well, dinner was fu—”
“Front door,” Tommy cut in.
“Front door amazing?” Lincoln’s brows hitched up at that.
“Yeah, Grandma says, ‘shut the front door’ instead of the other thing,” Tommy explained.
Lincoln threw his head back with a bark of a laugh. “Oh yeah, I forgot. Anyway, dinner was amazing. I’m surprised you’re not cooking for the guests.”
Tommy sat up a little straighter. “Grandma lets me help some nights, but I’m not old enough to be officially employed.”
My mom glanced at Lincoln. “He can cook for us and help me in the kitchen, but because that’s a commercial kitchen, there are special regulations about him being on staff.”
“I’m the sous chef,” Tommy explained. “Like Grandma is for me for family dinners.”
Lincoln chuckled. “I’m proud of you, man. You’re getting really good at this cooking stuff.”
Haven stretched an arm across the back of Tommy’s chair, lightly squeezing his shoulder. “We’re going to have to seriously look into culinary school.”
“We have time,” Tommy said somberly. “I’m only in middle school.”
Elsa’s eyes went wide. “When do you start high school?”
“Three and a half years,” Tommy chimed in.
Elsa looked a little panicked.
My mom glanced over. “No need to panic, Elsa, hon. You have time.”
“I just can’t even believe it.” Elsa let out a shuddery sigh. “How is he only three years away from high school?”
“Well, I watched seven kids graduate from high school and I survived,” my mom said. Her eyes landed on Lincoln. “I’m so glad to have you home. Are you really here to stay?”
The hope in her voice nearly cracked my heart.
Lincoln paused for a long moment before he nodded. “I am.”
“Are you ready to start tomorrow?” I asked dryly. “Because I have a group for you.”
“The college kids?” Lincoln flashed a knowing grin. “Asher told me they kicked your ass today after kicking his ass yesterday.”
“Language,” our mom cut in, although she was smiling broadly.
“You think you’ve got the energy for them? They’re training for a long winter trek, so they’re doing miles and miles of backcountry skiing every day. I will never complain about novice customers ever again,” I commented.
Lincoln chuckled. “I’ll take them. Can’t be harder than carrying gear in the field for hotshot firefighting.”
Conversation moved along and somehow turned to Kendall and me. Her blush sent what was now a familiar sizzle of electricity through me when Lincoln looked from her to me and said, “About damn time.”
“What do you mean?” she pressed.
“You and Jude,” Haven offered from my side. “It’s not a secret, so of course we filled Lincoln in as quickly as possible. We had bets on it.”
“You had bets on us?” My gaze arced around the table in disbelief.
Haven’s shrug was unabashed. “Absolutely. Since high school. But then we forgot about it. Lincoln wins, though.”
My mouth dropped open as I looked amongst my brothers.
“What was your guess, then?” Kendall asked, brows hitching up and eyes narrowing. Kendall, a little sassy and saucy, only revved my body’s engine even hotter.
Lincoln glanced at the calendar my mom kept on the wall. “I said it would be after Jude turned thirty. Everybody else thought sooner.”
“I cannot even believe you had bets on us.” Kendall let out a sputtering laugh.
Chloe happened to walk in, catching the tail end of our conversation. “First time I saw you two together, I knew it. I can totally believe they were betting on y’all. If I’d known, I’d have thrown some money in the pot.”
“Chloe, this is Lincoln.” I gestured between them.
“Long-lost Lincoln,” she drawled with a smile.
Lincoln’s eyes narrowed as he studied her. The air had a snap and a crackle to it. “Nice to meet you, Chloe. What brings you here?”
“I help your mama manage the place.”
“Oh, you’re the admin lady.”
“She is my executive assistant,” our mom corrected. “Chloe has been amazing. With a little help from Elsa with hiring her, Chloe’s made magic here.”
“Magic,” Elsa echoed.
Chloe rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to say I’m magic. I will take the compliment of efficient and organized, and maybe a little bossy.”
“We all do what Chloe says,” I offered.
“So who wants those college boys tomorrow?” she asked.
Lincoln lifted a hand. “Already offered.”
After a while, we gradually filtered out of the kitchen. Lincoln walked outside with me. “Where are you staying?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, are you staying here, or going back to town with Kendall?” His gaze held a sly gleam.
I rolled my eyes. “I was planning to go with Kendall.”
“Cool. Can I stay in your room for the night, then?”
“Of course.” I gestured vaguely. “Ever since we got the new place built, as I’m sure they’ve told you, it’s a little…”
“Haphazard,” Lincoln finished for me.
“Haven and Elsa were staying above the barn, but it’s available now.”
“No way I want to stay there,” Lincoln cut in flatly. His gaze was shuttered.
I thought I understood why. That was where we’d stayed after the fire. When our grief was raw and we were crowded in there. The memories carried echoes of pain.
“Completely understand. Otherwise,” I went on, “there’s a staff area in the resort. Long term, once we add more guest rooms, we’ll hire more staff. Mom wants to be able to have people stay here if they want.”
“Makes sense.”
“I’ve been staying in one of the rooms upstairs. Claim it. Asher and Grady have been bunking in another one. There’s a small suite of rooms in there. Same with Cole.”
“Sounds like camp,” Lincoln said.
A chuckle rustled in my throat. “I guess. Except everybody has a private room. Definitely going to be better amenities than what you’re used to.”
Lincoln flashed a grin. “No shit.”
I paused before I turned away. “It’s really good to have you home. You okay?”
Lincoln tipped his head to the side before nodding slowly. “I think I am.”
I pulled him into a back-slapping hug, calling “Goodnight” over my shoulder just before I slipped out the main entrance.