15. Harlow #2
“We’re good.” He squeezed my hand back. “About five years ago, we convinced Darren to let us buy him out. He didn’t want legacy, he just wanted money.
So, he was happy to get rid of the responsibility and move on to whatever he thought was bigger and better.
He’s probably out there trying to sell snake oil now, but I try not to keep up with him.
” Jude let out a long breath. “When we got ownership, we officially registered as a cidery—not just a farm that makes apple products—and the rest is history. But yeah, that’s a reason people might be hesitant about the town being commercialized. It needs to be handled carefully.”
I gave him another nod. This one was full of certainty.
My heart ached at the thought of a young Jude, filled with hope and love for his father, slowly discovering that the man who was supposed to take care of him cared more about money.
A boy who couldn’t trust his parent with the thing he cared most about.
I must’ve been gripping his hand tighter than I realized because Jude’s other hand clasped over mine.
“You better not be worrying, sweetheart, because we’re better than we’ve ever been.”
“That is amazing, Jude. It really is.”
He gestured toward the old stone building in front of us. “Let’s go inside.”
If I had any say in it, the ciderhouse was going to get its own social media page.
It was charming, with rustic decor and historic details from the original stable kept intact, and some old wooden cider making equipment decorating the bar too.
The stone building, and its wooden extension, was beautiful but unassuming.
That was part of its charm, the way it just blended into the farm flawlessly.
I sat on one of the lounges outside, watching through the window as Jude poured us two glasses at the bar.
The sun danced between the lattices of the patio above me as I admired the space.
I knew the fire pit by my feet would be blissful as the sun set.
I wouldn’t mind spending more evenings out here at all.
“Fallen Leaves.” Jude placed two glasses on the table in front of me.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he ever used those old apple grinders they kept in the bar. The way his arms looked almost had me betting on it.
I looked away from his exposed skin and rolled up sleeves with a blush, taking an eager sip of my drink. Of course, it was perfect. A deeper orange than other ciders I’d seen before. Smooth and refreshing, ideal for after a long orchard walk. I could get used to life like this.
I snuggled back into the pillows behind me, still cradling my glass, as Jude sat himself down. It had been only a week and we’d barely scratched the surface of Autumn Creek, but I was already slowly falling for the town.
Maybe it was just Jude’s nostalgia rubbing off on me, or the way he almost shone as he raved about the place. Or maybe I was just really enjoying myself here.
Hard to tell.
I had never thought small town life would suit me. The city didn’t make me feel like an outsider when life was such a blur. No one knew my name, because no one knew anyone’s name. I felt anonymous and I felt fine.
Moving around all my life had always been hard. And I wasn’t going to attempt to wedge myself into an imperfect place anymore.
Still, this town felt comforting, and dare I say it, homelike.
But that word was dangerous. I knew I had no home, at least not the kind that people talked about—no family house to return to, with my height marked on the wall.
There was no hometown that I knew like the back of my hand waiting for me. I had learned to live with that.
Maybe one day I would find somewhere that felt like home.
But I wouldn’t let myself get attached to a place that could let me down.
Even if Autumn Creek was stealing a piece of my heart, I wasn’t certain that I’d fit in here.
And there were so many other places out there to explore.
That’s what my parents had always done, travelled around, living nomadically.
If I looked hard enough, surely I’d eventually find somewhere that felt just right.
Autumn Creek was nice, but it wasn’t home. I was sure I’d know instantly if it was.
“Hey.” Jude nudged my foot with his. “Where’d you go?”
See, no one would notice that in a big city. They’d just walk by. I couldn’t be sure if it was a good or a bad thing.
I didn’t need to burden him with my thoughts right now, so I just replied, “Thinking about the festival,” and took a long sip of cider. “There’s so many good selling points here, I almost don’t know where to start.”
Jude nodded. “There’s downtown and other farms, too. But I would selfishly love to bring more traffic here.”
“Selfish?” I chuckled. “Overbearing and protective, maybe. But you’re not selfish.”
He rolled his eyes and pointed across a field. “Do you see that old barn? It would be a good event space. I’ll talk to Colt about clearing it out for the festival.”
My eyes lit up at the idea of a wooden barn strung with fairy lights and filled with music. “Definitely. I can go check it out.”
Jude reached out a hand, stopping me from jumping up from the couch. “After this.”
“Fine, after this.”
I rolled my eyes back at him, but maybe he was right. Right now I just needed to relax and drink some fresh apple cider, because slowing down to take this all in did actually seem to be helping me think.