by Carian Cole
Me: Hi.
Jude: What are you up to today?
Me: Just having a tea with Megan at the café.
Jude: Can you meet me at the park in about half an hour?
My stomach flutters with nerves—both the scared and the excited kind.
Me: Sure. Is everything okay?
Jude: I just want to talk.
I almost drop the phone into my tea.
Me: Ok. I’ll be there soon.
“Everything okay?” Megan asks, shifting her eyes to my phone.
“I think so. Jude wants me to meet him. To talk.”
“That’s good, right? Why do you look scared?”
I read the text messages over again.
“I don’t know,” I say. “Meeting somewhere public to talk sounds bad, doesn’t it?”
She rolls her eyes. “Skylar, don’t be so paranoid. You watch too many movies. Not everything is bad news. Your luck is on the upswing now, remember?”
Maybe so, but I have a bad feeling brewing.
“I guess I should go, then.”
We gather our things and walk out front to the street where our cars are parked. I hug her good-bye and tell her I hope she feels better.
“Call me later,” she says as she walks to her car.
I wave at her and climb in my car, but once I put the key in the ignition, it won’t start.
Oh, crap.
I try again, but the engine won’t turn over.
Not again! I should’ve bought a new car with my lottery money instead of continuing to use Jude’s Subaru and waiting for my Corvette to be put back together.
Megan appears at my window. “Is your car broke?”
“Looks like it.” I let out a big sigh and try to start it again, but I get the same result. “This sucks! What am I supposed to do now? Jude’s probably on his way to the park already.”
“I’ll drive you. Let Jude deal with this later.”
“I thought you had to meet Erik?”
“I’ll call him and tell him I’m running late.” She smiles and pulls my door open. “Come on, it won’t take long. Jude will probably come look at the car later. I’m sure he’ll get it to start.”
“Okay…” I say reluctantly.
I’m so distracted on the way to the park, I’m barely bothered by Megan’s bad driving, which seems to have gotten worse, if that’s possible.
“Can you try not to kill us?” I say as she swerves past a car making a left turn and almost drives us into a ditch.
“I’ve got this,” she says over the car horns blaring angrily behind us.
My thoughts shift back to wondering why Jude wants to meet at the park out of the blue.
Why there?
Shouldn’t he be working at the bar?
Why can’t he talk to me tonight at the house?
Megan attempts to distract me by babbling about a movie she and Erik watched last night, but I’m only half-listening.
I feel like a bad friend.
And most likely, Jude’s going to tell me I’m a bad wife and serve me with divorce papers in the middle of the park surrounded by trees and giggling toddlers.
The other real wives in the park will watch and whisper. Somehow, they’ll know I’ve just been dumped. They’ll gawk at his tattoos, and his hair, and his sexy ass, wishing they were single again.
Maybe I’m destined to be laughed at and tormented by others.
I’ll have to watch him walk away, and I’ll be left alone on a park bench with a broken heart and no car.
And even though I’ve got a ton of money in the bank right now, it can’t buy me the things I want most.
Sniffling, I rub my forehead, trying to quell the throbbing pain from all the emotions clashing inside me in a war of sadness, anger, fear, and disappointment. Why am I always the disposable one, and never the choice?
“Skylar, please stop thinking bad thoughts. I had no idea you’d be upset like this.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean just in general because a man wants to talk to you. You’re getting yourself all worked up and you have no reason to.”
I cough back tears. “I’m worried he’s going to have the divorce papers. It feels so final.”
“Are you nuts? Do you really think he’d do that to you? In a park? Or at all? The guy loves you and protects you like a rabid Doberman. Handle your shit, Sky.”
“My shit is handled.”
“It’s soooo not handled.”
Megan is right, I’m an emotional mess, and I don’t even know why.
We pull into the park’s parking lot on screeching wheels, and she idles in a parking spot.
I sigh with relief that we made it here alive, and unbuckle my seatbelt.
“I have to go.” Her fingers tap over her cell phone. “Call me tonight.”
I scan the parking lot. “Jude’s not even here yet.”
“I’m sure he’ll be here any minute.”
“You’re just going to leave me here?”
“I don’t want to be even later meeting Erik. Just wait over by the picnic tables. You’re not going to get dismembered. There’s a bunch of parents and kids right over there.”
I stare out the windshield, feeling even more abandoned. “How am I supposed to get home?”
“Jude’s going to drive you home, wackadoo. Will you relax?”
“Fine,” I huff. “I’ll relax.”
She leans across the car and kisses my cheek. “Please smile, chickie. You’re very loved. Have some faith, okay?”
Nodding, I force myself to smile at her, feeling very disconnected and not very loved at all. I feel like those dogs we see videos of on the internet, where their owners push them out of the car and drive off, and the dog sits on the side of the road—confused and hopeful—wondering when the hell they’re coming back.
After she drives away, I walk to the picnic tables and watch the little kids chase each other while their mothers chitchat.
The minutes tick by.
I chip at my nail polish, and a quick jolt of panic brings up a new worry: maybe he’s not coming.
I’m just about to text him to make sure he’s actually on his way when suddenly Cheap Trick’s I Want You to Want Me starts blasting from the parking lot. I turn my head to see a shiny, old silver Corvette pull into a spot. The engine rumbles so loud the ground vibrates.
Putting my hand up to block the sun, I squint at the car, and my chest clenches with grief.
It looks just like mine, only without the rust and dents. The chrome rims glint in the sun, the metallic paint sparkles like millions of tiny diamonds.
It’s absolutely beautiful—my dream car.
I watch with envy as a tall guy wearing sunglasses steps out of it. His muscular arms are sleeved with tats and his hair is tied back in a low ponytail, and oh my God, there’s no denying that familiar smirk as he leans back against the hood of the car and looks in my direction.
“Lucky?” I say to myself, swirling with confusion as I slowly walk across the park to him as if I’m in a dream.
“Sorry I’m late,” he says, holding up a spark plug. “I had to pull this out of your car while you were in the cafe so Megan could drive you here.”
What the what?
They planned this?
My mouth falls open as my gaze roves over the car. The curve of the fenders. The sleek hood.
“Jude… is this—” I stammer, circling the car in disbelief. I run my hand across the smooth paint.
“Your car? You bet your sweet ass it is.” He holds the keys out to me. My hand shakes like a leaf as I take them. “I bought it for you, Skylar. It was the only way I could get you to take my fucking money.”
Tears start to stream down my cheeks. “You did?” I choke and cover my mouth with my hand. “You did this for me?”
“Yup. Do you really think I’ve been working on my bike in the garage all this time? I’ve been going crazy trying to get this done. It was in the shop for two w
eeks, and you didn’t even realize it wasn’t in the garage. The whole lottery ticket thing, and then my accident, and then you getting all impatient, kinda threw a monkey wrench in my plans though, and I had to speed things up.”
“What do you mean?”
He smiles that adorable, boyish smile I haven’t seen in weeks. “Don’t you want to check out the inside?”
“Yes” I wipe at my eyes. “I think I’m in shock… I can’t believe you did this—” I climb into the driver’s seat and touch the new bright-red upholstery. It smells so new and clean. Everything’s been restored—the steering wheel, the pedals, the stereo, the floorboards. And from the sound of it, the engine and pipes and things I don’t even know the proper names of. It’s like it’s a brand-new car again.
Bittersweet happiness lodges in my throat. Oh, Papa. Look at our car.
Jude gets in the passenger seat and pushes his sunglasses up onto his head.
“Do you like it?” he asks.
Bursting into full-blown tears, I throw my arms around him and hug him as hard as I can. “I love it. It’s exactly how me and Papa dreamed it would look someday.” I suck in a shuddering breath. “I don’t know how to thank you for this. This means so much to me. You’re the best person in the whole world.”
“You can thank me by saying yes,” he says, untangling from me.
“Say yes?” I repeat, furrowing my brows at him. “To wh—”
I follow his gaze to a thin chain hanging from the rearview mirror. Something silvery and dazzling is dangling from it.
My hands fly up to cover my mouth and my eyes bulge. “Oh my God, Jude. What is that?”
Completely stunned into silence, I watch him take the chain off the mirror and then undo the clasp to pull the rings off it.
Holding the diamond ring in front of me, he leans forward, splays his hand across my cheek, and kisses me like he wants to swallow me up.
When we finally part, I’m breathless and swaying in the seat.
“You better breathe, Sparkles, or I’m gonna have to give you CPR.”
“Jude… is that…” My voice catches in my throat.
“A vintage engagement ring? Yup. And your wedding band. I know you were getting upset, but I needed time to do this right.” He lifts his eyes to meet mine. “I love you, Skylar. I’m not afraid to say it or feel it anymore. I love you so fucking much. I don’t want you to leave. Ever. I promise I’ll never hold you back from what you want. I want you to have everything you dream of. I want us to build a life together. We can travel, like you always wanted. We can run the bar together, and you can still do photography and social media. We’re perfect together, and I don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks. I’m not letting my fears get in the way of what we both want anymore.”
I gasp when he slips both rings onto my finger.
“Will you be my wife? For real this time?”
“Yes,” I whisper, staring at the rings. “Yes! That’s all I’ve been dreaming of.” New tears roll down my cheeks, and I grab his face and kiss him. “I love you,” I say breathlessly. “I really love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” He brings my hand to his lips and kisses it. “I really love saying that. Promise me it’ll be forever,” he says. “No matter what, promise me we’ll always work it out. I’d never get through losing you.”
“I promise.” I squeeze his hand. “But you really have to talk to me. I get you’re the sexy, strong, silent type, but maybe dial back on the silent, okay?” I say playfully.
He grins and my heart swoons. “I’m tryin’. I said a lot today.”
“You did. And I can’t believe you did all this.” I kiss him again.
He pulls me into his arms from across the console. I don’t want to let him go. I’m afraid I’m dreaming, and I’ll wake up and this will all be gone.
I nuzzle my face into his neck and inhale his cozy scent. “Is this real?” I whisper. “I’m so scared this isn’t real.”
Cupping the back of my head, he holds me to him. “It’s real, baby.” He hugs me for a long time, then touches my chin, lifting my face to his. “I’ve messed up a lot. I should’ve told you how I felt sooner. I just wanted to do things right.”
“Lucky, it’s okay…”
“It’s not. I let all this age shit and my fears of getting hurt mess with my head. From now on, I’m listening to my heart and my gut. We’ll learn to trust and love and grow together. I want us to have a real wedding and a honeymoon. And I’ve been thinking I want to sell the house.”
“Sell your house?” I repeat. “Why?” He’s done so much work on that house.
“Because it’s not our home, and it has too many bad memories for both of us. It’s bad juju. I found a piece of land for sale, not too far from Aunt Suzy and Uncle Al. We can build a house there. Make it our dream home.”
My heartbeats speed up with happiness. My own home. With my husband. “Can we have a big bathtub? And a porch, and a window seat in the bedroom?”
He laughs and kisses my nose. “You can have whatever you want.”
I wet my lips. “Okay, but I have one condition.”
“Name it.”
“You have to let me put some of my money toward it. I need to feel like I contributed to our home.” I refuse to take any more free rides from him. I want us to be equal and fair, two adults.
“Skylar—”
“I mean it, Jude. This is important to me.”
He nods and gives me a quick, soft kiss. “Okay, babe. I get it. And I’m having the lawyer get rid of the pre-nup. What’s mine is yours.”
“And what’s mine is yours.” Closing my eyes, I lean my head against his and whisper, “I love you,” before pulling away.
“I love you. Now start up your car and drive us home like you stole it. We’re moving your stuff into the right bedroom tonight, Mrs. Lucketti. No more guest room. I’m gonna kiss my bride all night, every night.”
Chapter 55
Jude
When I pull into the driveway, I kill the engine, stare at the front door, and exhale a massive breath.
I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off me.
Today I officially closed my construction business, and if all goes well with the bar, my time of sweating and freezing my ass off outside every day and coming home with my back killing me is over.
Well, except for me and Skylar’s new house, which we start building next month. That’s a project I don’t mind killing myself over, though. That’ll be a total labor of love.
Once inside, I find her sitting on the couch in the living room with Cassie and Gus—one on each side of her feet like furry bookends.
She’s engrossed in her laptop, probably taking one of her online classes or saving decor ideas on one of our many wish-list boards.
I take a few moments to just look at her and fall in love with her all over again from across the room. My wife. She’s seriously the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, with her long hair flowing over her shoulders—one bared by the pink sweater slouched halfway down her arm. I smile at the small four-leaf clover tattoo with Lucky in tiny print on her shoulder.
So. Fucking. Sexy.
All mine.
Smiling, I walk up behind the couch and touch her shoulders, and she bends her head backward, all smiles and blue eyes looking up at me, extending her arms up to pull me down for a kiss.
I kiss her hungrily and slowly move my hands from her shoulders to embrace her neck. She murmurs my name and the vibration of her throat against my fingertips drives me wild.
“I’m gonna go take a shower. I want you naked in our bed when I get out,” I growl against her lips.
When I move to pull away, she grabs the back of my head, clutching my hair.
“Forget the shower,” she says in a sultry voice. “I want you dirty. Right here. Right now.”
“Fuck,” I whisper-groan. My cock is already rock hard, straining against my zipper.
I cover her mouth with mine and sl
ide my hands down the front of her sweater and suck in a breath when my palms find her bare-breasted. I move my lips down to her neck, then her collarbone, sucking the delicate flesh between my lips. Her nails dig into my scalp, her head tilts to the side. Leaning over her, I skim my hand down between her thighs to cup her pussy through her jeans. I can feel her warm, wet heat through the fabric.
She grabs her laptop, slams it closed, and tosses it on the cushion next to her.
In a quick motion, I scoop her up in my arms and sit her on the back of the couch, facing me. I stand between her legs, and with a smile, she pulls off my dusty sweatshirt, then reaches to undo my jeans. Going in for another long kiss, I kick off my boots. Her bare foot pushes my jeans down, and I hurriedly step out of them and yank her sweater up over her head. She grips my arms as I grab the waistband of her jeans and pull them off without bothering to unzip them.
I glance down to see kitten-faced panties equipped with little fuzzy fabric ears sticking up from the waistband.
“Did you wear these for me, you little imp?” I hook my fingers in the thin straps and pull them off her.
She giggles. “Of course.”
“I’m keeping them.”
She wraps her long, toned legs around me and pulls me in, reaching down to cup her hand around my cock. Grabbing the back of my neck with her other hand, she tugs me back to her lips.
“You’re so fucking hard,” she whispers, making my dick twitch in her hand.
I stroke her pussy, and she all but purrs and writhes against my hand. “And you’re so fuckin’ wet.” I bite her lip, and she lets out a little sexy yelp.
Hooking her heels into my ass, she guides my cock into her pussy and arches back, gripping my shoulders as I sink my shaft deep into her. I bow my head to feast on her uplifted breasts, flicking my tongue over her perfect nipples.
She breathes my name as she moves her hips up and down to meet my thrusts. Her tight walls pull me in, my balls slap against her pink flesh, the sound of rhythmic, wet suction an erotic chorus between us.