Long after dark, he roused to the sound of Nicole’s voice lifted in song. She sang with the radio, her voice blending with Randy Travis in his classic hit, “Forever And Ever, Amen.” Although he had never been much of a fan, the simple, yet poignant lyrics did a number on Jude’s heart. That’s what we’re talking about here, he thought, forever and ever. The idea appealed on a deep level and her voice played inner chords, music for his soul alone. His emotions kindled his ever-smoldering desire into open flame and he had to take her, make her one with him now.
Jude pushed back the recliner and stood. He grasped both Nicole’s hands and pulled her to her feet. “I need some lovin’,” he said.
Without hesitation, she came to him and linked her arms behind his head as if they were about to slow dance. Nicole lifted up on tiptoe and kissed the hollow in his throat. The impact of her soft, warm lips against his flesh sent sharp, delicious shivers through his body. His cock tightened and turned to stone.
He reached up and undid her ponytail. Her hair cascaded free in waves, the scent of her balsam shampoo entering his nose and mingling with her rose perfume. Jude thrust one big hand into the mass of her curls and wrapped his free arm around her. He lowered his lips onto hers and kissed with slow fervor. Her lips matched his and melted against his mouth like warm honey. Nicole shifted her hand until her fingers stroked his face with such light caresses, they teased his need into a new level of agony.
Every muscle tensed as he ached for more. Jude pulled his mouth from hers and used his lips to place a series of kisses down her throat. He paused when he reached her hollow and shifted until he nibbled her upper shoulder. When she made yipping noises, he knew she liked it and ramped up his efforts. He enjoyed the texture of her skin against his teeth and the taste of it, too. Jude bit with gentle motions until he knew he’d leave a mark, low enough that it’d be hidden by her blouse. Once he finished the love tattoo, he undid her blouse and removed her bra. Then he licked a path down to the valley between her breasts as she writhed in his arms with apparent appreciation.
When Jude cupped her breast in his hand, admiring the fullness and weight of it, she moaned. He parted his lips and took the nipple into his mouth. When he suckled it, Nicole cried out in wordless ecstasy. He didn’t rush, took his time, and repeated it with the other one. When the fabric of her blouse brushed his cheek, the sensation created an erotic wave of sheer pleasure.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered. If he owned a couch, he thought he would just take her where they were but he’d rather not put her down on the floor or rug.
“Yes, please.” Nicole took a few steps and stumbled. Jude suspected her legs might be as shaky as his so he swept her up in his arms. He cradled her against his chest as he mounted the stairs. At the top, he put her down, then kissed her with a blinding fury, tempered with tenderness. Still kissing, hands roaming and caressing, they stumbled into his bedroom and undressed with abandon. His shirt hit the floor, her blouse falling beside it. Jude undid his jeans and stepped out of them in a hurry. Nicole managed to remove hers and Jude used both hands to slide her silky panties down to her ankles. When she stepped out of them, he placed her on her back and took her with swift, savage strokes.
He couldn’t have waited any longer and from the wild cries she made, he doubted Nicole could have either. Jude pumped into her with a powerful rhythm as desire surged through his body, as intense as an electric charge. Nicole clung tight to him, her fingers raking over his back hard enough to hurt, but he welcomed the pain. In a wild, wonderful rush, they climbed together toward the pinnacle and then climaxed. His excitement erupted and poured into her, unhampered by a condom or any device. Somewhere in the dim reaches of his mind, Jude remembered he should ask her if she used any protection. Surely, she’s on the pill, he thought. He made a mental note he doubted he would remember later, to buy a box of condoms.
Then he forgot everything in the feverish intense sensations that convulsed his body and he came with blinding joy, his wordless cry blending with Nicole’s.
Chapter Twelve
On Monday morning, after he dropped Nicole at Cockrell’s Country Inn, Jude headed home to get the woodstove ready for winter. Last night, after making love, they had both noticed the pervasive cold chill in the old house. The farmhouse lacked central heat and the Rykers had always managed with the woodstove and fireplace. Although Jude spent a portion of the summer cutting wood, he had forgotten to make sure the chimney was clear and the stovepipe in good condition.
“I’ll come get you this afternoon,” Jude promised Nicole. He nuzzled her lips as they stood on the inn’s front porch before he headed for his truck. “I’ll take you out to eat somewhere tonight and we’ll find something to do.”
“I still think you should let me stay at your house,” Nicole said.
Last night, curled in his arms, she had suggested it and although he wanted it, too, Jude rejected the idea. “I told you, it’s too risky right now,” he said. “I’d rather you be here, at least some of the time. If Junior or whoever he’s working with gets wind of what I’m up to, you’d be a target. Don’t let Mary give you any crap about staying over, you hear?”
“I won’t,” Nicole said with a faint smile.
After a stop at the hardware store and lumberyard, Jude headed home to work. The early morning cool dissipated as the sun came out and lit the woods with autumn glory. As he replaced worn-out parts and cleaned both the flue and chimney, he caught himself whistling, something he hadn’t done in years. At noon, he paused long enough for a roast beef sandwich and washed it down with strong, undiluted iced tea. He finished by two, lit a small fire in the hearth and stove to check his work, and when satisfied everything was operational, he showered.
At the inn, Rick greeted him with a cool nod. “I suppose you’re here after Nicole,” he said, his tone grumpy.
“Yeah,” he said. “We’ve got a date.”
“How’s your nephew?” Rick’s tone thawed a little.
“He’s healing, thanks for asking,” Jude said. “I’m going over to stay with him during his girlfriend’s funeral tomorrow, keep him company.”
“That’s a bad deal, that girl dying,” Rick said. “I’m sorry to hear it, even though I didn’t know her.”
“It’s rough for David,” Jude said. Nicole came down the stairs, her smile as bright as the crimson sweater she wore paired with black jeans. “Hi, honey.”
“Hello, Jude.”
He couldn’t resist a quick kiss, careful not to smudge her lipstick. “I guess you’re ready to go?”
Nicole nodded and linked her arm through his. “Yes, I am.”
They held hands on the way to his truck. “You look pretty,” he told her. “I missed you.”
She laughed. “It’s only been a few hours, Jude—but I missed you, too. Where are we going?”
“Take your pick. We can go for Mexican or Thai or grab a burger somewhere.”
“Mexican sounds good if it’s authentic.”
He nodded. “It is. I’ve eaten there several times and it’s excellent.”
At the simple restaurant with whitewashed walls, decorated with a few serapes and sombreros, they snacked on chips and salsa while waiting for their meal. Jude talked about his repairs, humdrum stuff, but she appeared to enjoy hearing about it. Beneath the table, their knees touched. By the time the waiter delivered his burritos tipicos platter and Nicole’s enchiladas, he wasn’t sure what he hungered for more, the food or Nicole. After the warm food took up residence in his belly, the fatigue of his physical work settled over him like a blanket and he figured he needed sleep more than sex.
“Tomorrow’s the funeral,” he said. “I planned to get to the hospital early. Would you want to come with me to help distract David?”
“Sure,” she said. “I’d like that as long as you don’t think he’ll mind.”
“Not a chance,” Jude replied. “The chance to get some hot gossip about his uncle’s woman might be the one thing
to keep his mind off his loss. I’ll pick you up at seven thirty, then.”
“Perfect. So, what now?”
“You tell me, honey. If you want to see a movie, there’s a little retro theater over on Main Street, or we can drive to the big town to have a choice. We can go on a little drive before it gets too dark. Or anything you want to do.”
Her eyes sparkled as she scraped up the last bite of refried beans. “We could go to your house.”
God, how he wanted that, too, tonight, and maybe every night. “Honey, I’d love it but it’s past seven now. We both have to be up early and besides, Rick seemed a little cool when I came to pick you up earlier. Did he or Mary say anything?”
Nicole’s thin, kissable lips twisted into a wry knot. “She mentioned it didn’t look nice for me to be out all night and she wouldn’t want any of the other guests to think I was—and I’m quoting now—‘a wanton woman’.”
His stomach knotted. “You don’t deserve that, Nicole, and I’m sorry.” Maybe he should have left her alone instead of tainting her reputation.
She reached across the table and twined her fingers through his. “I’m not. We haven’t done anything to apologize for and nothing that’s wrong. And I’m not upset by it, Jude.”
“That’s good to know. Do they still have a television in the parlor at the inn?”
“I think so. Why?”
“I thought we could go salvage your reputation, watch a little TV, and then I’ll give you a chaste good night kiss.”
He watched the play of emotions cross her face and when she smiled, he did, too. “I’d like that,” she said.
“So would I.”
At Cockrell’s Country Inn, they found the parlor empty, not surprising on a Monday night in October. They sat down on the plaid loveseat together and although they sat close and Jude’s arm draped across Nicole’s shoulders, they kept contact low-key. After flipping through the available satellite channels, they settled on a 1940s movie. The Ghost And Mrs. Muir proved to be more entertaining than Jude expected but the warm room and his day’s labor made him drowsy. He never realized he’d fallen asleep until Nicole shook him awake.
“Did I snore?” he asked, afraid of the answer.
Merriment twinkled in her eyes and she grinned. “Oh, yeah, you did, big time.”
“Shit.”
“It’s okay. I know you’re tired. I wouldn’t wake you but it’s after ten and we have an early start tomorrow.”
He scrubbed his face with both hands. “You’re right. I’d better go home.”
****
In the morning, as a steady rain fell from a slate- gray sky, Jude arrived early enough to eat breakfast at the inn. Mary insisted, although she wasn’t as exuberant in her praise. Despite that, the biscuits and sausage gravy were delicious and Jude was better prepared to face the day after the meal. Despite the somber day and his duty, his mood remained good until after they reached the hospital.
He found David in a foul mood and although the kid had every reason to be upset, Jude’s patience eroded after an hour of attempting to take his mind off his loss. His nephew lay with one arm flung across his closed eyes and refused to say anything. Jude’s efforts to offer cheer, a little guidance, and every attempt at distraction, fell flat. Bringing Nicole along appeared to be a mistake because it apparently reminded David of the girlfriend he had lost. Nicole noticed and excused herself to grab a soda downstairs. Jude sat in the worn recliner and stared through the window. Above his head, the television blared, although David wasn’t watching.
“I shoulda been there,” David said, his voice louder than earlier when he barely whispered. He removed his arm from his eyes as he spoke.
Jude suppressed a sigh and came over to stand beside the bed. “You’re not in shape to go anywhere,” he said. “I get how much you wanted to be there so you could pay your respects to your girl and mourn but it’s not possible. Your leg’s still in traction and it needs to be or it might not heal straight. I don’t imagine you want to limp for the rest of your life.”
Sullen as a surprised opossum, David frowned. “No.”
“You had surgery, too. That incision in your gut needs to heal, too. Last thing you need is to bust open the stitches and go back into surgery. You already have another operation lined up to put pins in your legs later this week. Then you’ll be out of traction, at least.”
“I guess.”
“And you suffered a concussion, too. Kid, you were hurt pretty damn bad. You’re not invincible. None of us are. I understand you loved Sierra and I’m sorry she’s gone. It’s not fair, shouldn’t have happened, but it did. Having a setback isn’t going to bring her back, is it?”
David sighed and snorted. “No, but…”
“No buts,” Jude said, firm. “Sierra wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself, would she?”
After a long pause, David shook his head. Tears stood in his eyes. “I doubt it. You don’t understand, Uncle Jude. Have you ever lost anybody you love?”
“You know I have. Daddy five years ago, and my mama when I was a little boy, not much older than your sister is now.”
With his bottom lip jutting out, David glared at Jude. “But you’ve never lost a woman you love, have you? So you don’t know what it’s like.”
Whoa. He came to offer company and comfort but damned if the kid hadn’t blindsided him hard. “No,” Jude replied. “I haven’t, son. But then, I’ve never loved a woman until…”
“You love her,” David said. “I saw the way you look at her.”
Jude raised his hands in surrender. “I’m busted, then, because, yeah, I do. But she’s the first one and I hope the last. And, if anything happened to Nicole, I’d hurt bad, I can’t deny it.”
“Try to imagine it,” the teenager said. “Then maybe you can guess how I feel.”
With a lump in his throat, Jude could visualize it much too well. “I already do, David,” he said. His voice cracked on the words. “I can’t totally explain everything now but Nicole may be in danger and I’m doing everything I can to protect her. If I lost her, I couldn’t stand it. So, yeah, maybe I get it better than you think.”
David said nothing. After a pause of a minute, he said. “Everyone else keeps telling me I’m young, I’ll get over it, I’ll find someone else one of these days, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to ever forget Sierra, no matter how much it hurts.”
“You won’t,” Jude said. “And you’ll move on—you have to, David, there’s no other option, but you’ll never forget or get over this. It’ll always be a part of you. When you’re ready, if you ever are, then maybe you can find another woman, one who’ll understand.”
The tears he had noticed earlier in David’s eyes spilled down his cheeks and became a torrent. Outside, the skies opened up and dumped heavy rain so thick Jude couldn’t see through it. “Uncle Jude, maybe you understand a little,” David said. Then he wept. He began to sob, hard, and his body shook from crying. His monitors went crazy as his blood pressure and pulse spiked. Jude wished he could take the boy into his arms and hold him tight to offer comfort, but it wasn’t possible. He held David’s hand between both of his.
“Let it all out, kid,” he said, his voice gruff with emotion. “Then let it go. It’s the first time you’ve cried, isn’t it?”
The teen nodded through his tears. Certain that the catharsis would help, Jude ached as he watched. No matter how much he wanted to ease David’s suffering, he couldn’t. A nurse poked her head into the room and approached the bed. “Is everything all right?” she asked. Her voice rang so bright it reminded him of a chirping bird.
“Yeah, it’s good,” Jude told her. “He’s dealing with his loss for the first time but he’s okay.”
Her expression changed, uncertain, then she nodded. “Well, that’s good, I think. Do you need anything?”
She addressed David who shook his head, then she glanced at Jude. He shrugged. “Another box of tissues, maybe?”
“Sure.”
>
After the storm of tears ended, David wore an expression of grim endurance. Jude hoped he had managed to help the kid deal with his grief and that he’d turned a corner. He released his hand and settled back into the uncomfortable chair.
“Uncle Jude?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you came to stay with me today,” David said. “You helped.”
Tears blinded Jude for a moment but he didn’t shed them. “I’m glad,” he said.
“I think I’ll sleep awhile if you want to go find Nicole,” the teen said. “But come back, okay?”
“Sure,” Jude said. “I will. Sleep well, David.”
He waited until the kid slept, then left the room. After brushing any remaining tears from his eyes and schooling his expression to be bland, he joined Nicole in the waiting room. And they sat in quiet harmony for a very long time.
Chapter Thirteen
After the funeral, half the Rykers showed up at the hospital to check on David, although a few, Elijah and his wife included, went to the gathering afterward at Sierra’s church. The waiting room filled with family and a few friends, each eager to share details of the service. Jude shook hands and exchanged greetings and a few hugs. Adam stood in the doorway and inclined his head, an invitation to follow him, so Jude rose. “I’ll be back in a little while,” he told Nicole, who nodded.
In the hallway, Adam led him down into the older portion of the hospital and to the seldom-used waiting room. “What’s up?” Jude asked.
His brother ran one hand over his short , cropped hair and grimaced. “A lot, apparently,” he said. “First, the prosecuting attorney dismissed any charges against Junior for what he called ‘lack of evidence’, which is bullshit. He showed up at the funeral, which pissed me off. I thought Elijah was going to deck him and he probably would’ve if Tania hadn’t stopped him. After the service, we went to the graveyard and I watched a bunch of guys gather at Junior’s truck. I’m pretty sure they were sipping ‘shine but I didn’t go over to see. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be welcome.”
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