Chapter 30 – Jude
Chapter Thirty
JUDE
Iwake-up before Mabel. Our bodies are still entangled but at some point during the night, my erection deflated and I’m—unfortunately—no longer inside her. I take a moment to soak in how good this feels but I know I have to get up and go back to my room.
I don’t want to.
No, I want to stay in this bed with Mabel until it’s time to get in my truck and drive back to the Farm in three days.
That’s not a possibility, though. Mabel’s whole family is here with us and her brother still hates my guts more than he hates anything else. I won’t put Mabel in the middle of whatever’s going on with Paul, but I do need to figure out what the hell I did to piss him off so catastrophically.
“Trouble, I’m going to go back to my room before everyone wakes up.” It’s not my intention to wake her up fully, but I want her aware that I’m leaving. Mabel stirs, burrowing deeper against my body.
“Don’t go.”
My heart stutters. “Oh, babe. I have to, but if you need me, I’ll come back again tonight, okay?
” Mabel nods but doesn’t loosen her tight hold of my body.
“Mabel, you’re killing me.” My poor girl.
If she really still needs me, I’d stay all morning but I don’t think her sleepy brain is fully processing what’s going on.
Pressing a kiss to the top of her sleep mussed hair seems to do the trick in rousing her enough to release me. Probably my morning breath.
“Come back tonight.” Mabel demands before turning onto her other side and cocooning herself in the blanket that used to be draped over both of our bodies.
With the blanket removed from my body, the chill in the air makes it abundantly obvious that I’m bottomless.
Damn, it’s cold. I make quick work of hopping out of bed and pulling my underwear and sleep shorts back on.
Once everything is situated like it needs to be, I slowly crack the door to Mabel’s room open and peer out into the hallway.
The coast is clear.
Which is a very good thing. For one, I don’t want anyone spotting me sneaking out. For two, I look like a damn idiot trying to tip-toe as sneakily as possible to the door to my own room. Once I get to my door without incident, I let out an overdramatic sigh of relief and slip into my room.
I close myself in with the plan to climb into my unused bed and rest until more occupants of the house are up.
Slowly, the house starts to wake-up. I probably stay in my room for longer than necessary but I don’t need any hint of suspicion coming my way.
After hearing multiple bodies moving around out my door and Henry’s young voice echo throughout the basement, I feel confident that I’m good to get up and join the land of the living.
I pull on a pair of outdoor shorts and an old Warren Farms t-shirt. I don’t bother with shoes yet but I do grab a pair of socks and sneakers to bring upstairs with me, assuming they will be needed at some point today.
“Good morning, everyone.” My voice is sleep-rough, slightly scratchy from my small nap after returning to my room. A multitude of voices call out good morning as well and I let my gaze wander around the room, taking in everyone who’s up.
Paul is splayed on the ground with Henry sitting on his back, rolling a toy car along his back. Anika, Lola and Mama D are in the kitchen each of them working on a different part of breakfast.
Mabel, Elle and Patrick are missing which makes things slightly awkward for me.
Not trying to entertain the thought of broaching the subject of years worth of dislike at this moment, in front of everyone, I make my way over to the trio working on breakfast.
“Judey, how’d you sleep?” Mama D’s smile is wide and unassuming while memories of how I spent the night continue to play on repeat in my mind’s eye.
I barely manage to cough out, “Fine.” I ask if there’s anything I can help with but I’m quickly shoo’d away. Lola finishes up buttering toast and adding it to a tall stack before joining me at the dining table.
“No talking shop, you two!” Mama D pre-chastises us. She’s been adamant that this is a weekend for relaxing. I’m sure it’s basically the same for Lola, but it’s quite hard to separate work—the Farm is my whole life.
“Good morning Warren family!” Patrick’s voice rings through the cabin, he’s currently leaning over the railing from the upstairs loft.
Elle is close behind him, holding onto his hips with a frown on her face.
“Get back here you psycho. You can’t accidentally kill yourself until we’re married.
” Patrick barks out a laugh and leans back into her body. Her grip turns into a tight hug.
The pang of jealousy that I always choose to ignore when I see the two of them together as a couple doesn’t hit as hard in my chest as it typically does. Which is dumb. What’s happened between me and Mabel is nothing like the relationship between Elle and Patrick.
I’d like it to be but I’m not going to push the issue. We definitely need to have a conversation of what this is and what Mabel wants us to be. At least I know she wants to share her bed with me again tonight.
I’d take any and everything Mabel would be willing to give me, if she wanted anything more than comfort for now. The ball’s in her court and I’m just along for the ride at this point.