Jude
When I woke up with Harlow beside me, I almost thought I was still dreaming. I rubbed my eyes and stared at her dark hair sprawled out over my bedsheets. Even after the stars had faded from my vision, she was still lying there. Alive and well.
Having her safely in my bed was just about the only thing holding my mind together.
Still, in the morning light I knew it would be best to give her some space.
She’d been through so much. And before the fire, she didn’t even want to talk to me, let alone lay next to me.
The last thing I wanted to do was take advantage of the disaster.
I didn’t want to worm my way into her heart. I wanted Harlow to need me the way I needed her.
By the time the sun rose, I was already on my second cup of coffee, sitting by the living room fireplace, which I’d left unlit this morning despite the chill in the air.
I was resting my head against the back of the armchair, staring at the stairs, waiting for Harlow to walk down them, when a knock sounded at the front door.
I let out a huff and reluctantly got up.
Whitney was there on the other side. Her eyes wrinkled at the corners as she smiled at me, despite the devastation I could see over her head across the dirt road.
“Morning, Judey.”
I ran a hand through my hair, pulling at the strands. “Morning, Whit.”
“How are you, honey?”
“I’ve been better.” I let out an impatient sigh, and looked back into the house. “I don’t think I have time to talk.”
“So irritable—you sound like your brother.” She rolled her eyes at me and shoved her way into my kitchen. She placed a large Dutch oven down on my counter.
Am I so out of it that I didn’t notice Whit’s famous chili? Usually I’d recognize it by just the smell alone.
“I brought this over to help out. But I’ll get out of your hair.” She turned back to the door.
“Wait.”
She was right. Being prickly never got me anywhere. My mind flashed with images of what could have happened—Harlow gone, Wells stuck in the barn—it could have been so much worse.
“Sorry, Whit. I just didn’t sleep well.”
She pulled me into a tight, motherly hug. “I know, Judey. I’m just thankful you’re still here and that everyone’s safe. Just know we’re all here to help out. Is your girl doing okay?”
I didn’t even blink twice at her words. It sounded nice to hear someone call Harlow that. “She is. Recovering, still sleeping.”
Whit nodded. “Well, tell her that I hope she feels better soon. That chili has lots of garlic, bell peppers, and cumin in it. It should help.”
“Thanks, Whit. You didn’t need to do all this, though.”
She squeezed my arm. “I wanted to.”
My smile came more easily now. Yeah, I was worried about Harlow and the farm, but the burned barn across the driveway didn’t feel like it was looming over me as much anymore. Whit kept reassuring me, saying her and Sana would be back with more food soon, as I walked her back to the porch.
The wooden floors of the old house creaked behind us, and I turned to look at the stairs. “I should get back in there.”
“Of course. Take care of your girl.”
My girl. There it was again.
I was steaming milk for a latte, just the way Harlow liked it, by the time she came downstairs. And, fuck, I almost dropped the pitcher when I turned to see her.
Her legs were bare, an expanse of smooth skin stopping at the tops of her thighs. She wore one of my sweaters. It was loose, draping around her neck, but still hugged her hips. My heart clenched at the sight of her, now cleaned up and safe from the fire.
“Sorry.” She tugged on the sleeves as she stood in the middle of the stairs. “My clothes were—”
“Take whatever you need.”
What I really wanted to tell her was to never take it off again. I fucking loved how she looked wearing my clothes. I bet her vanilla scent was going to get caught up in the wool.
She took a seat at a kitchen stool and I pulled myself together long enough to pour the milk into the espresso.
It wasn’t a Sweater Weather coffee, but Kasey had taught me a thing or two.
I slid the mug over the butcher block and almost winced as I realized I’d poured the milk into a pitiful heart shape.
I stared out the window as she took her first sip.
Her tongue darted out to wipe some milk foam from her lip.
“Good?”
“Great. Thank you, really. For everything. But I don’t want to intrude.” Her eyes lowered and darted toward the door. “I should go back to my place.”
“No.” My voice came out hoarse as I protested. “Stay here.”
“It’s no trouble, really, I just—”
“Please.” I finally lent closer, bracing my hands on the counter. “For my own sanity. Stay and let me take care of you.”
“You’ve already done that.”
I dragged a hand through my hair yet again. It must look so messed up by now, after all my worrying. “It’s not just the fire. I don’t want to sweep away what you were feeling beforehand, Harlow. I fucked up.”
“That’s not important for now.”
“It is to me. I couldn’t stand seeing you hurt like that.
I should have spoken to you before the meeting.
I just…” My fingers gripped the butcher block counter even tighter.
“I didn’t want you to have to put up with anything more from Callahan.
After everything he did, I just wanted him gone.
And then I thought I scared you off. I thought you were done with Autumn Creek, done with me. ”
“Done with—” She cut herself off, her chocolate eyes widening. “Wait, Callahan is gone?”
The rough emotions, wound up tightly inside of me, broke open as I stared into her eyes. “You don’t know…” It wasn’t a question, more a realization. I’d been so caught up in dealing with that asshole, then the fire, and making sure Harlow and Wells were okay. I hadn’t even stopped to fill her in.
I began slowly. “The comments and the taunting, I couldn’t believe someone who lives in Autumn Creek would say those things after all you’ve done, unless they had another reason to disrupt the festival.
So, it had Thomas’s name written all over it.
Colt’s buddy, some tech guy from Toronto, helped fill in the gaps.
And the asshole didn’t even shy away from it when he was called out.
” I cleared my throat as I remembered how I’d seen red when he’d haughtily sat back and asked am I not allowed to express an opinion?
“I wanted him far away from you, from the council, from anything to do with this town.” My head shook at the memory of him, scoffing at the bullying allegations after Harlow had left.
I’d wanted to confront him without her hearing his bullshit excuses.
He’d fought back, calling me lovestruck and stupid. But he wasn’t even smart enough to log out of his burner accounts when Dawn told him to open up his phone.
“But there was more than one account that had a problem with me,” Harlow replied, her beautiful eyes glassy, as she looked up at me.
“Thomas had two. Trevor had a couple. I knew Callahan owned some properties around Autumn Creek. Ends up, the two of them were planning to start a property management company. They figured if they spread some inflammatory comments and amplified concerns, they could stop tourists from being interested in Autumn Creek. He didn’t mind if businesses went under, if that meant the property prices would tank, and he could buy them up.
So, of course, he didn’t want things to get too nice around here. ”
“He wanted to sabotage the festival because of that?” Harlow’s mouth dropped open.
I crossed my arms and nodded, keeping my eyes locked on her. “He admitted some of it after I brought it all to light. He even tried to get us in on his scheme—said it would be good for the council.”
Harlow screwed up her nose in disgust.
“But he’s gone.” I slowly let my arms unfurl. “Dawn fired him on the spot.”
Her eyes softened, and as they did I saw a wave of emotions move through them. “I-it just felt like I wasn’t wanted there. And I get it. I’m still an outsider. But—”
“No, Harlow. No.” I gritted my teeth. “I just didn’t want you to hear Callahan’s crap. He didn’t like how you were helping the town. I didn’t want him to turn on you. But I should have handled it better.”
Somewhere between my anger, I’d come to the sobering realization that I’d acted like Thomas Callahan when Harlow had arrived in Autumn Creek.
I’d been protective and scared, and I’d taken it out on her.
Although I liked to think my fear wasn’t as self-centered as his, I never wanted to be like that again.
“I should’ve let you explain before I pushed you away. It could have been…I could have…” Tears slipped from her eyes and her words dropped away.
My hands turned to fists at the thought of what could have happened. I took her all in, sitting in my kitchen, in my house, right where I wanted her to be. I committed it to memory, etching the sight into my brain. “It’s okay.” I leaned in closer. “I’m so glad you’re here with me.”
She let out a long, shaky sigh. “I thought you were all sick of me. I thought everyone wanted me gone.” Her watery eyes met mine.” Even then, I knew deep down I wanted to stay.”
“Sweetheart, no one wants you gone, certainly not me.” I rounded the kitchen counter that had been separating us and pulled her up from her seat.
I cupped her jaw gently, holding her gaze.
“Stay for Halloween and the excessive birthday party Kase always throws. I want you by my side when I’m dressed up and handing out candy at Sweater Weather.
Even after that, I want you here when the first snow falls, and when we’re walking through feet of it.
I want you to be here when we drink under the apple trees and dance around the bonfire in the new year, and when the apple blossoms light up the orchard in the spring.
Most of all, I want to be there when you get home, I want to cook you dinner and pour you a glass of cider.
I want to pull you closer under my sheets and hold you when I wake up in the morning.
You feel like home to me, Harlow Spencer, and if you left you’d take a piece of my heart with you. ”
Her chocolate eyes melted right in front of me.
“Home,” she repeated the word with a smile. “I like the sound of that a lot. I’d really like to belong in Autumn Creek.”
“You already do.”
She stared up at me with those doe eyes, like she was thinking long and hard about what she was going to say next. I didn’t mind waiting. I just brushed my fingers over her jawline. My other hand rubbed her lower back, pulling her in tighter.
I loved having her here first thing in the morning. I always enjoyed seeing her on the porch, at work, and around Main Street, but having her all to myself was even better. I loved watching her drink the coffee I’d made. I loved seeing her safe and under my roof. Fuck, I think I might just—
“I love you, Harlow.”
The words blurted out of me like my lungs couldn’t contain them any longer.
Her eyes crinkled at the edges. “I was just thinking that, too.”
“Really?”
“I love you, Jude Bramley. I really do.”
I leaned down, brushing kisses over her cheekbones and lower until I reached her lips. She tasted like coffee and sunshine, and her hands wrapped easily around my neck, pulling me in. I lazily trailed my lips over hers as we fit together like puzzle pieces.
I lifted myself away from her, just for a second, and murmured, “Jump.”
Her eyes widened, then they sparkled. She did as I asked and I grabbed her thighs, holding her in the air and lifting her onto the countertop.
“Hmm.” I took her in.
“What?”
“You’re the perfect height.” I pressed a kiss to her neck, and then one to her collarbone. I was so used to looking down at Harlow, but right now I could have her so easily. I could feel her breath hitch as I touched that sensitive part of her throat.
“Wait.”
I paused my movements, but she still shivered as my breath danced over her skin. “What?”
Her hands were on my shoulders, pushing me back. “Before I get too distracted—”
“By what?”
She scoffed, and I smirked in reply.
“I need to tell you. I said no to the job in Vancouver. I’ve been looking at apartments here in Autumn Creek as well. Just online so far, but there are some nice ones. So, I know I haven’t actually said it yet, but I will be staying. I’m not going to get scared off no matter what happens.”
I nodded slowly, running a hand over my jaw. I had let the stubble there get too long while I’d been worrying about the woman sitting in front of me.
She cocked her head. “That’s what you want, right?”
“Of course. I’m just trying to figure out how to tell you that I want you to stay closer.”
“Closer?”
“Yeah.” I chuckled at my own absurdity. “Under my roof, if I can have it my way.”
“Jude.” She rolled her eyes. “I can’t stay in the studio. It’s cozy and I love the farm, but I want to have space to put my things. I want to buy trinkets at the market and to lounge around. I want a home.”
My voice came out more husky than I intended.
“I have more space than I can fill myself. If you want a home, then consider mine yours.” I looked around the house and my jaw tightened as I added, “But if a space of your own is what you want, I’ll help you move.
I’ll make your place nice for you too, like you deserve. ”
Her eyes shot out wide. “So, it’s not just staying in Autumn Creek, you want me here? Living with you?”
A raspy laugh left my lips. “Yeah.”
We’d almost been living together since we’d met—figuring out each other’s schedules, sharing a space, existing side by side. And I fucking loved it when she slept in my bed last night. No more playing house. I wanted to do it for real now.
“I-I still owe you rent, Bramley,” she finally sputtered out.
I rolled my eyes, thinking about how she’d insisted on paying me to live in that tiny room. But I had plans to for that, so I simply replied, “Sure.” Then stepped closer to her and let her legs press into the sides of mine. “Do you want me to plead with you to stay? Because I just might.”
A grin crossed her face, and it made my heart soar. I’d succeeded in making her smile, and I’d keep making it my mission to do that every single day.
“Please, sweetheart, stay here and let me take care of you. Stay in my town, my bed, in my house—fuck it, Harlow, make it our house. I love you being here.”
“Okay.” There was a sparkle in her eyes as she replied. “I like me here, too.”