17. Jude
Jude
The smell of aromatic spices, soy, and sizzling meat almost had me openly drooling as I pushed the door surrounded by black painted brick.
Kaneko Ramen was cozy and compact, with slate grey walls, and bright red fabric hanging above the bar, which took up most of the room.
And even just entering into this building from Main Street seemed to satiate my hunger for a second.
With the weather cooling down, ramen was at the top of my list of things I was craving. Well, almost at the top.
Looking around the restaurant, I paused. Yuri wasn’t behind the bar like she usually was. Instead, she was sitting engrossed in conversation. Harlow sat opposite her, with dark hair flowing down her back and a smile on her lips.
It caught me off guard seeing her here. The woman who had taken up residence in my house and mind, sitting casually in my favourite takeout spot.
She was everywhere—there on the porch when I looked out from my kitchen window, and there when I closed my eyes at night.
Almost like a ghost I couldn’t shake, but at the same time an obsession I didn’t want to let go of.
The more we worked together, the more I enjoyed her company. I looked forward to seeing her every morning, waving through the window before she drove off. I was becoming attached to her company, whether I liked it or not.
Yuri spun around. “Jude, we were just talking about you.”
An amused smile crossed my lips as I walked closer. “Oh yeah?” My eyes darted to Harlow, and her reddened cheeks.
Her pretty brown eyes met mine. “Talking about the festival. I’ve heard great things about the food here, so we’ve been discussing having them sign on as an official vendor.”
Yuri smoothed her hands over her black apron. “An instant yes, of course.”
“Glad to have you on board.” My gaze quickly fell back to Harlow. “But you’re telling me you still haven’t tried the food?”
“I’m about to,” she replied.
“You won’t be disappointed. Yuri quite literally puts magic in her broth.” I turned my head to the owner of Kaneko Ramen. “When you guys are finished, we’ll have two black garlic ramens, please.”
“On it.” Yuri gave me a half salute, then walked into the kitchen, leaving Harlow and me alone.
I took a seat at the table, and my hand ran over the nape of my neck. “So, the plumber finally came to look at your shower. It’s some kind of broken valve. He has to order some specialty parts because of the house’s age. I’m sorry about this whole—”
“Don’t worry. You know, it’s actually not so bad being appointed to use your fancy guest bathroom.” She laughed softly. “I guess you’re stuck with me in your space for a bit longer then.”
An easy smile crossed my lips. I don’t mind that so much. But I shouldn’t linger on those thoughts, even if they kept creeping into my mind. I needed to keep things professional and platonic only. So, I moved the topic on. “How did that meeting with Kase go last week?”
“It was really good.” Her eyes lit up, and I couldn’t help but match her expression.
“We’re going to keep it going, kind of like a social club or something.
I left feeling so inspired!” She shook her head with a soft laugh, silky hair falling over her shoulders.
“I even put together some posters yesterday and handed them out to businesses on Main Street.”
“Seriously? That’s great.” I grinned.
“It’s nothing.”
“Nah.” I moved closer and sat in the chair opposite her. “You’re a good partner. We make a great team.” Our eyes met again, holding each other’s gaze for a moment too long, before I sat back and said, “I’ll have to go looking for them. Is there one at Sweater Weather?”
“Yeah, but it was just something quick, don’t worry about—”
“I’m sure they’re amazing.”
“I played around with digitally drawing some fall doodles on the page, they look all right.” She shrugged. “I guess it was just kind of fun to walk around Autumn Creek all day, playing pretend, like I could actually picture myself belonging in a place like this.”
A frown crossed my face as I cocked my head at her. “Why couldn’t you belong in Autumn Creek?”
She laughed, but it came out dry. Like she was brushing me off. “It’s nothing.”
“Come on.” I leaned closer. I couldn’t help it.
“I don’t know. It’s just…” She sighed. “As a kid, I let myself get upset, trying to cling to places I couldn’t stay in.
I tried to fit into molds that didn’t suit me, and with groups that didn’t want someone temporary, like me, to intrude.
I’ve been a passerby my whole life—just a background character in someone else’s story.
And in London, things were a little more permanent, but they didn’t feel right.
So after some time and heartbreak of trying to hang on to imperfect places, I decided to just focus on me. ”
I nodded slowly. Suddenly the emotion I’d noticed in her eyes was so clear. She was independent, strong, and hardworking, but she was lonely. When’s the last time someone was there to catch her when she falls?
“You deserve somewhere that wants you to stay. Any town would be lucky to have you.”
Just as she parted her lips to reply, Yuri pushed open the door with a paper bag in hand. I pulled out my wallet as she began typing on the card machine. Harlow was quiet, but her gaze darted between it and me, until I shot her a wink and she rolled her eyes.
Yuri passed over the bag. “Enjoy your evening.”
“Thanks so much.” I stood up but Harlow still looked a little shocked. “Are you coming with me?”
“I-I was going to eat here.”
“Alone?” I cocked a brow at her. “Come home with me.” I paused for a second but she didn’t reply just yet. “Or if you insist, I can stay and eat here, too.”
She stood up from her seat and began heading to the door, and I walked along by her side.
“I was just going to kill time while I waited for Kasey. She’s taking me back to the farm tonight.”
“I’ll drive you.” There was a beat of silence before I added, “It’s just economical. I’m heading back there anyway.”
I didn’t know why I was insisting, or why my words felt like they were exploding out of me before my brain could catch up. But something inside of me was desperate to watch out for her. Especially after what she’d told me tonight.
“I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“You’re no trouble, Harlow.”
She laughed. “Aren’t I?” The breeze outside picked up her dark brown locks, sending a few in front of her eyes and I had to tuck my hand into my pocket to stop myself from brushing them away from her face.
“You don’t need to wait around for Kasey.” I leaned closer, slipping her bag from her shoulder, taking the weight of it into my hand. Then I started walking off, and she had no choice but to follow me. No more indecision allowed. I have her laptop and dinner.
“Let’s go.”
I swear I heard her mutter “pushy” under her breath.
I hadn’t shared my dinner table with another person in a while. Much to his dismay, Colt’s house was usually where our family gathered. But tonight, Harlow Spencer sat across from me, chatting and keeping my attention the entire meal.
She was more captivating than anything else I would have been doing tonight. Just hearing her go off on a tangent was even more engrossing than the Ottawa Freeze pre-season game I had been planning on watching.
I knew she was on a short-term contract, and she’d made it clear she had no interest in staying in Autumn Creek. I shouldn’t get attached. Still, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about her so damn much.
I cracked a window as I washed our bowls, trying to allow the nighttime air to pull my thoughts away from her.
She’d had a rough time—finding her partner cheating and then ending up in a town so far away from everything and everyone she knew would be tough.
Not to mention that she was stuck with me as a co-worker and roommate.
It must’ve sucked.
I should’ve left her alone.
Not long later, Harlow went back to her room, which I hoped was at least a bit cozier now.
Especially with the draft stopper I’d ordered that was tucked against her door.
I wandered up to my office, focusing my attention on cider sales sheets, and time slipped away until a familiar voice came from the hallway, back inside my house again. But now she sounded stressed.
“Harlow,” I called out. “Are you all right?”
I guess she’d come in for a shower. We had quickly fallen into a comfortable routine—I’d say hi, we’d make small talk, and she’d disappear into the guest bathroom, steam escaping from under the door as she showered.
A few days ago, I picked up some soaps, made by Sana, and left them in there. She’d come out smelling like vanilla and cinnamon, and now I couldn’t sip my morning coffee without thinking about her.
Had I forgotten to restock the towels or—
“I understand. But can you please just not ring the bell?”
I pushed up from my chair. Even through the thick wooden door, I could hear how the brightness in her voice had drained away.
Who is she talking to?
I stepped into the hallway and heard a muffled voice, and realized she was on the phone.
“Could you”—she was almost pleading—“ask the drivers not to?” She hummed in response. “Sorry, I’m just writing that down.”
There was a short pause, and suddenly I could hear the other voice more clearly.
“It’ll be between eight in the morning and midday.”
Harlow’s voice dropped again. “Okay.” Then I heard nails tapping on her phone screen. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“And thank you for choosing Let’s Get Moving.”
“Yeah…” Harlow’s voice trailed off and then there was just silence.
I really shouldn’t have listened as long as I did, even though I still wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. But I’d heard enough, so I made my way downstairs to the kitchen, and poured some cider into a pan with a splash of cinnamon, leaving it to heat up.
I was glad I’d started the comforting drink, because when Harlow stepped down the stairs she looked like she needed it.
“You okay?” I asked as she appeared with damp skin and slumped shoulders.
“Yeah.” She sighed, sliding onto a stool at my kitchen island. “I mean, not really, but it’s fine.”
“Fine? That phone call didn’t sound great.”
She raised her brows at me from across the counter.
“Hey, it’s an old house. The soundproofing isn’t the best.” I raised my hands in defense, but I’d learned my lesson about pushing her too far before. “We don’t have to talk about it. I hope this helps a bit.”
I moved to pour her hot cider into a cup. As I slid it over, her eyes shone in the warm light of my kitchen.
“For me?”
“Of course.”
She blew into the mug, with her face propped up against her hand on the counter. It was cute, with her oversized sweater and hair tied up away from her face. Even so, worry gnawed at me.
After a few moments she broke the silence. “The moving company called and they’re delivering my stuff to Ottawa this weekend.”
“Ottawa.” My brows furrowed. “But you live here.”
“Yeah. Something about not being able to change the delivery address.”
My jaw ticked. There was no way she was easily making it to Ottawa. I knew how her ex had treated her too. They weren’t on good terms, so I could only assume a guy like that wouldn’t make it simple. And her rental car had been towed from the garage by now.
“I’ll go with you.” I hadn’t really thought it over, but there was no regret or resistance in my mind. Of course I would help her. If I was her I wouldn’t want to face that alone.
“Really?” She hesitated. “You don’t need to, Jude.”
“You don’t have a car.”
“I’ll rent another one. The company owes me anyway.”
“Surely you could use some help.”
“It’s not that much stuff!”
“But I want to help you,” I insisted.
She shook her head. “No, you don’t! This is some apology for being a dick to me when I arrived. I don’t need your help.”
A slight smirk landed on my face. “Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. But I promise this isn’t me paying my debt to you.”
“Then why, Bramley?”
“I wish I knew,” I murmured, and then more loudly, I replied, “I’m just being neighbourly. I don’t like the idea of you having to go back to your ex’s place by yourself. That’s what you were talking about on the phone, right?”
Her eyes narrowed. “So you were listening in.”
“I filled in the gaps.”
She didn’t respond, instead just slowly sipped her cider.
So I tried again. “Let me help you.”
“Fine.” She let out a breath. “Consider the favour you owe me called in. And only because he might be slightly less of an ass if you’re there.”
I nodded. “You shouldn’t have to deal with him. I’ll bring Colt’s truck with a trailer. It’ll be quick.”
“It’s just some books, clothes—coats, dresses…” She trailed off, she hid her head behind her hands. “Ugh. Maybe a chair or two.”
My thoughts might have slipped away when she said dresses.
I liked the sound of more of those. Yesterday morning, she’d appeared on the porch in some kind of skirt that flowed around her hips in the breeze.
My eyes had trailed down her legs, right to her boots that now wore some dirt and scratches. Her shoes looked right at home here.
I’d drive her anywhere to pick up more outfits like that.
“Don’t worry. Whatever it is, I’ve got you.”