Chapter 19 Jude
JUDE
Seeing Olena Tuesday morning is almost painful.
After she left my house last night, I stood with my forehead pressed to the door for several minutes, trying to fight the urge to run after her and pull her back into my arms. I only let myself move after I heard her car leaving the driveway.
I cleaned up dinner, smiling to myself the entire time, then took a cold shower. Still, I barely slept.
This morning, she texted me.
OLENA
let the suffering begin
ME
way ahead of you.
As she steps out of her car in the Faulkners’ driveway, I blow out a breath.
She’s done nothing to ease my pain. Her hair is in two French braids…
aaaaaaannnd the grown man in me is suddenly nowhere to be found.
It takes all my willpower not to reach out and tug on them like a boy in a schoolyard.
Except, unlike a schoolboy, I wouldn’t run away.
My eyes lock on her. She meets my gaze.
“Morning, Jude,” says Mitch as he walks past us.
My eyes barely leave Olena’s. “Hey, Mitch, good to have you back.”
She smiles as she adjusts the strap of her shoulder bag. I want to tear off her clothes.
“Morning, Olena,” Mitch says to her.
“Good morning,” she says, glancing at him, then back at me with a hint of heat in her eyes. The look on her face tells me she’s drowning in this just as much as I am.
The memory of her on my lap last night flashes into my mind and I stare at her lips.
I’m desperate to finish what we started; I don’t know how I’m going to get through this week at work.
But we promised to act like professionals.
I can’t let my inner Tarzan take her right here on the ground—however much I may want to.
I take a deep breath to make sure I don’t embarrass myself.
We are going to have our work cut out for us here. Work. I’m at work.
I tear my eyes away and find my gloves in the truck, then head across the property to get started on the stone firepit in the center of the sunken garden.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Olena shaking hands with the electrician who just arrived.
I breathe a sigh of relief that she’ll be busy and, hopefully, far enough away from me that I can think straight.
Dimitri joins me and we haul paving stones from a nearby pile, arranging them into a circular pattern around the dug-out area on the ground.
The basic structure only takes us about fifteen minutes.
Assuring him I can finish the rest myself, I send Dimitri to install the swing while I do the finishing touches here.
I’m hauling up a bag of decorative river rock when Olena and the electrician walk down the steps, deep in conversation about lighting.
She stops short when she sees me.
“Jude, hi,” she says, looking surprised and a little flushed. “I didn’t know you were over here.”
“Hey,” I say, not able to help staring at her.
With effort, I remember there’s another person with us.
“Jude Sharpe. Nice to meet you.” I smile at the electrician, an older man with a red nose and thick gray eyebrows.
I put the bag of rocks down beside the fire pit and take off my glove to shake his hand.
“Peter Sparling,” he says.
I nod.
“We were just looking over all the areas that will need electrical installed,” Olena explains, holding my gaze.
“Go for it, by all means.” I smile at Peter politely and gesture for them to come into the secluded garden space.
As they walk in, Olena continues talking to Peter, somehow forming complete sentences like a pro.
My mouth only wants to be doing one thing right now—and it’s definitely not talking.
“So, around the fire pit there will be six posts in a hexagon shape; we’ll have string lighting hung between those. So we’ll need a plug at the base of one of them.”
She must feel my eyes raking over her.
Peter considers. “So, the question is, where are those going in the ground and which one you want hooked up to power.”
“I was thinking the one that makes the most sense is the…” Olena’s eyes find mine and she falters. “The uh…”
I wink at her, then turn away to open a bag of sand with my pocket knife.
I hear her recover behind me. “Sorry. What was I saying? Right. The one closest to the path is probably best, since I assume the line will be coming from that direction.”
My back is to them both, but I’m smiling to myself as I pour the sand into the pit.
The arborist crew descends on us midday Wednesday to take out the two sick maples, so our lunch break is not remotely enjoyable; the sound of chainsaws ripping through branches ruins any chance of conversation or rest. My crew piles into Teddy’s truck to pick up lunch in town and escape the noise.
I stay behind to manage the carnage from the tree removal.
Olena stays behind, too, and sits in her car with the doors and windows shut, ear protection on, eating snacks while she looks over some paperwork. I’m glad she packed food today, because I’m fresh out of protein bars.
My phone buzzes in my pocket.
OLENA
is it Friday yet?
ME
is there something you’re looking forward to in particular?
OLENA
well I just started seeing this guy at work…
ME
oh, do tell
OLENA
he’s very handsome
ME
yeah? go on
OLENA
and kind of quiet and mysterious sometimes
ME
he sounds dreamy.
OLENA
you have no idea.
ME
so what’s happening Friday?
OLENA
I’m not sure but he promised to show me a good time.
ME
like a gentleman
OLENA
oh that remains to be seen.
ME
I’m actually seeing someone at work too
OLENA
oh?
ME
yeah but she’s driving me up the wall
OLENA
how so?
ME
yesterday she showed up wearing her hair in two braids
OLENA
what’s wrong with braids?
ME
they are very… distracting
OLENA
why’s that?
ME
I kept imagining pulling them.
OLENA
that’s very immature of you
ME
trust me, my thoughts in this area were very much mature in nature.
OLENA
scandalous
ME
oh, have I offended you?
OLENA
oh it takes a lot more than that to offend me.
ME
I’ll have to work harder then.
OLENA
you seem like the imaginative type. I’m sure you’ll find a way.
I smirk to myself and shake my head, pocketing my phone.
I walk over to the Faulkners’ front door to ask them what to do with the firewood, passing her car on my way.
Unable to resist, I stop to tap on her window, pulling off my ear protection.
She rolls the window down and pulls one side of her earmuff away from her ear, wincing at the noise.
I brace my hands over the door frame, leaning in.
“How goes the suffering?” I shout over the roaring noise.
“Oh, it’s pure hell. You?” she shouts back, squinting up at me.
“Same.” I grin, staring at her mouth. I want to kiss her.
“Good.” She smiles wickedly… and rolls up her window in my face.
I give her a rueful smile as I rub my jaw, shaking my head, and continue walking to the house.
Steph and I are crouched beside one another on Thursday afternoon, a stack of empty nursery pots between us.
We’ve been planting ornamental grasses and shrubs along the garden beds edging the cliff-side.
I pat the soil around the base of the azalea I’ve just put in the ground and stand to take stock of our progress.
The day is sunny and Murphy stretches out nearby, soaking it in.
I walk over to give him a scratch. When I straighten, I stretch my arms back, feeling the pull in my chest muscles.
I’ve been hunched over all morning and my body is feeling it.
“Jude!” Carol’s voice comes from over my shoulder.
I turn around and see her walking quickly along the cobblestone path toward me. “Hey, Carol. Nice to see you again,” I say with a smile.
“I came out to admire your progress.” She places her hands on her hips and scans the property. “My goodness! It’s looking fantastic out here!” She beams at me.
It’s true; we’ve made a huge impact on this property in a short time.
“Thanks. I think it’s all coming together.” I smile at her. “The lighting should be going in tomorrow too,” I explain, scanning the property. My eyes catch on Olena across the yard, talking to a man with a clipboard as he gestures at the ground. An irrigation truck sits in the driveway.
“Oh, wonderful!” Carol clasps her hands together.
My gaze lingers on Olena, watching her easy manner, the way she tucks her hair behind her ear. I am vaguely aware of Carol strolling around the area where we’ve been working, looking at all the plants.
Her voice gushes from nearby. “Oh, I love this seating area, especially with the flowers framing each side. It’s going to be stunning. Well done!”
When I don’t respond, she evidently catches the source of my distraction. She appears at my side, pulling my attention back. She gives me a knowing smile, squeezing my arm. “I remember when Charles used to look at me like that,” she says quietly, a warm, wistful tone in her voice.
Caught off guard, I chuckle good-naturedly, trying to cover up my embarrassment at being caught staring at Olena while at work. “Like what? I was just… uh…” I trail off, unable to come up with a good excuse.
“Admiring the view?” Carol pats my shoulder. “It’s okay, darling. We were all young once.”
I stare at Carol, speechless.
She winks at me.
I don’t know how to respond. “I—”
“Just treat her well.” She raises her eyebrows, challenging me with a protective look in her eye.
“Of course,” is all I can say.
Another delivery from the nursery arrives on Friday, most of the plants destined for the sunken garden. Unloading and carrying them there, my team’s energy is buzzing.
“Big plans this weekend, Teddy?” Steph asks, placing a heavy pot down beside a line of others and wiping her hands on her cargo pants.
“I have little kids. Surviving the weekend is the only big plan.” Teddy laughs, descending the stairs heavily as he carries a sprawling blueberry bush and tries not to get poked in the face by the branches. He bends, grimacing as he puts the pot down with the rest.
Mitch and Dimitri navigate the steps carefully, balancing a larger rose bush between them. “I remember those days,” Mitch notes gruffly. “You’re in the trenches, Ted.”
Teddy raises his eyebrows and nods; he looks tired.
“What about you, Jude?” Steph asks.
“Oh, I think we know.” Teddy pumps his eyebrows, smiling, and the others snicker.
“What does that mean?” I ask defensively.
“Oh, come on, Jude.” Steph throws me a knowing look.
“What?” I press.
She rolls her eyes. “You and Olena were tense as fuck around each other on Monday and, ever since then, you’ve been ogling each other like damn teenagers.” Steph raises her eyebrows at me, smirking.
I scoff, folding my arms over my chest with a frown.
“Yeah, it’s been hard to miss,” Dimitri adds with a chuckle.
I raise my eyebrows at him, then turn to Mitch, hoping he’ll come to my defense. He says nothing, just raises his hands in front of him like he doesn’t want to get involved.
“Teddy?” I look at him hopefully.
“Hey, I don’t know, man,” he hedges. He looks like he has more to say.
“Out with it.” I narrow my eyes at him.
“Okay, I’m just saying… last time I had that look on my face, Lisa ended up pregnant.”
The team erupts in laughter.
“Okay.” I roll my eyes. “Laugh it up, guys.”
“No, but seriously, boss,” Teddy says, slapping me on the shoulder as he leaves for another load, “you guys make a cute couple.”
“Yeah, and she’s a good egg,” Steph adds. “If you don’t go for it, I will.” She winks at me, spinning her ball cap backwards as she turns to climb the steps.
Mitch and Dimitri both smile knowingly at me, evidently agreeing with the others. They retreat up the stairs and head back to the truck for more plants.
Left alone for the moment, I run my hands through my hair and blow out a long breath. I feel a strange mixture of embarrassment and relief.
Smiling to myself, I pull out my phone.
ME
The others are onto us. I don’t think we’ve been as stealthy as planned.
OLENA
Oops. Everything okay?
ME
Yes and apparently we have their blessing.
OLENA
Aww. Well good because I don’t know if you noticed, but it’s Friday.
ME
How could I forget?