Chapter 13 – Mabel
Chapter Thirteen
MABEL
Ali M
Hey Mabel! I’m back in town for the week, do you have anytime to get together?
Me
Yes!!! Tell me when you have time and I will make it work.
Ali M
Yay!! I will double check with my parents and let you know asap.
Me
Perfect, I can’t wait to see you
Ican’t keep the smile off my face as I pocket my phone.
Ali is a few years younger than me and used to work at The Farm as my assistant while she was in high school.
Despite the age difference, we got along like peanut butter and jelly.
She had moved down to St. George so she could go to Utah Tech to get a degree in management.
She’s been greatly missed and keeping in contact has been difficult with our schedules but we do our best to keep updated on each other’s lives through text as best we could.
A knock on my workshop door pulls me out of my walk down memory lane. I quickly yell out, “Come in!” and Jude’s big body fills up the doorway.
“You’re late.” I cross my arms and do my best to look angry. In truth, I’ve been feeling so conflicted in my reactions to him that I feel like I could die. My actions from last week, the last time the two of us were in here, still makes my stomach twist up in knots.
Jude just grunts in response, turning his back to me to close the door.
“Come on, come on. We don’t have all day.
” I insist, even though I’ve finished with labeling the different types of honey jars and packaging up the soap and lotion bundles we offer as well.
The market last weekend almost cleaned me out of the honey sticks I was able to make last week while Jude was looking for puppies.
Making them is pretty simple but it is monotonous work.
Over the last year or so, they’ve become one of our best sellers and if last weekend was any indicator, we need to make a shit ton to compensate for the almost full week I’m taking off to entertain my mother’s determination to get the whole ‘family’ time up at the cabin.
I love the cabin, it’s one of my most favorite places in the world but I’ve had a sense of foreboding about the weekend since Mama made us all confirm we would be there.
“Dammit Mabel, I thought I told you to get some better shoes.” Jude’s gruff voice pulls me out of my mental doom spiral. Like a switch, my embarrassment burns away transforming into an inferno of annoyance.
“And I told you to keep your fetishes away from me!” I all but stomp my sandal clad foot and glare up at this demanding, sexy, jerk wad.
“If you don’t like the way I handle my business, you can run off and go tell Lola how terrible of a job I’m doing.” I make a shooing motion, half hoping he’ll take me up on my offer and leave to complain to my little sister.
Jude’s jaw clenches and he walks deeper into my work space. It feels like his features harden as he lifts a hand, tucking a strand of my chocolate waves behind my ear. All my breath rushes out of me in a surprised gasp.
I thought moves like that only happened in romance novels.
“And I told you, Trouble, that’s not very work appropriate but after I’m done helping you out today, you name the time and the place and I’ll give you as much time as you need to discover every fetish, every kink, every dirty thought I’ve ever had until you feel completely satisfied.”
Fuck.
My.
Life.
His stupid big hand is still hovering by the side of my face and it takes every ounce of willpower I have to not snuggle into his palm. My core clenches on nothing. The warmth radiating off his body is scalding.
I try to swallow but my throat is dry as hell.
Damn him.
Damn him to hell.
Scoffing, I jerk my head away from his hand. “Trust me, Muscles, you wouldn’t survive that kind of chat.” My words come out breathy and it’s all I can do to stop myself from attacking Jude and forcing him to tell me every deep dark desire resting in that giant head of his.
“Sure. Let’s get to work, Trouble.” I can hear the amusement in his voice and now I want to attack him for a whole new reason.
Asshole.
I miss Ali more than ever. Working beside Jude is a reminder of how nice it is to not work alone and how quickly things can get done. I’m also not extremely attracted to Ali, which, compared to having Jude next to me, makes things exponentially easier to get work done.
Damn, I never thought this shadowing would bring anything positive but maybe I need to consider talking to Lola about hiring a new assistant.
The work goes quickly and once we are done, I confirm the actual one hundred percent real start time for the market tomorrow, and we finally part ways for the night.
As I walk to my house, I pull out my phone and shoot a text to my sisters to confirm our plans for pedicures for my birthday.
Me
Are we carpooling to the salon?
Elle
We can if you don’t mind sitting in the back. Patrick has a meeting with someone about tours.
Ugh. I don’t know if I could stand a ride into town with the lovebirds.
Lola
Can’t I have a meeting in town, I’ll be down there all morning.
Me
I’ll drive myself. Your back seat is uncomfortable
Elle
Bullshit.
Lola
It kind of is, Elle.
Me
And why is he having a meeting on a Saturday?
Elle
Fuck if I know.
Lola
I don’t have any record of him meeting with someone.
Elle
Then text him, damn. I’m not his secretary.
Me
Sorry Bubs.
Lola
My bad. You’re right. It’s hard to take off the boss hat sometimes.
Elle
You’re fine.
Me
Yeah, no worries Lo. We know you’re doing your best. Who do you have a meeting with??
Lola
Sorry, can’t hear you. Going through a tunnel. See you on Saturday!
Elle
Oh fuck no. You can run but you can’t hide little sister.
I chuckle at the exchange. Lola should know she can’t keep secrets from us. She should remember that we don’t keep secrets from each other. Lola is sorely mistaken if she thinks she won’t be the main topic of conversation on Saturday.