Saving Tatum (Trace + Olivia #4)

by Micalea Smeltzer

  “Thank you,” I smiled.

  Jude started to say goodbye to his grandpa, but Jerry interrupted him. “There’s something I’d like to give you too.” He nodded his head back up the steps.

  “Oh,” Jude sobered. “Yeah, okay.”

  I started to follow, but Jerry said, “Tatum, would you mind waiting down here?”

  “Not at all,” I smiled. I stood by the door, looking out the window.

  They must have been having a long talk, because ten minutes had past by the time Jude returned. Jude seemed oddly serious, and I worried that maybe Jerry had told him something that upset him. Something told me not to ask though.

  Shaking his head free of his thoughts, Jude smiled. “Date time.”

  “Bye Jerry!” I called to the man who stood at the top of the steps. He nodded in acknowledgement, watching the two of us.

  Once in the truck, I asked Jude, “Where are we going?”

  “Not far,” was his reply.

  I knew Jude well enough to know that was all he was going to say on the matter.

  A few minutes later he was backing his truck up to the pond. I couldn’t help grinning. I’d been picturing a restaurant or the movies for our first real date—something cliché—but leave it to Jude to surprise me.

  He grabbed a blanket and hopped out of the truck. I followed.

  He put the tailgate down and grabbed a picnic basket. I noticed the bed of the truck was covered in blankets and pillows.

  He strolled over and found a spot he liked. He unfolded the blanket and fluffed it, spreading it down on the ground. I kicked off my shoes, grinning.

  “A picnic?” I asked, although I already knew the answer.

  He grinned. “Was it a good idea?”

  “It was a great idea,” I smiled back, my body filling with happiness. Only Jude could make me feel this happy without even trying.

  I sat down on the soft blanket and he took the spot beside me, kicking off his boots.

  “I wanted our first date to be special…something you’d always remember.”

  My heart swelled at his thoughtfulness.

  Looking around the field and the pond in front of us, I smiled. “This is perfect.” It was the truth too. He couldn’t have come up with anything better.

  “Good.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek.

  My heart swelled. I’d never known someone could make you feel so…loved without even saying it. But I guess that was the thing, love was more than just the words, you had to feel it, because at the end of the day words weren’t everything. They would’ve been nice to hear, but I knew neither of us was ready. So, for now, I was content in what I felt. Words could come later.

  He grabbed the picnic basket and lifted the lid. He placed several different types of sandwiches, bottles of water, chips, and an assortment of fruit. He’d even packed paper plates, napkins, and forks. He hadn’t forgotten anything.

  I was so incredibly touched that tears pricked my eyes—and after my day, I was a tad over emotional.

  Jude didn’t seem to mind though.

  He unwrapped the sandwiches and said, “Those two are turkey and these two are chicken salad, and those two are ham. I wasn’t sure what you’d prefer so I thought I’d give you some options.”

  I reached out and grabbed a plate with a turkey sandwich.

  He chuckled. “I thought you might pick that one.” He handed me a small bag of chips and grabbed one for himself. He wiggled around, getting comfortable on the blanket. He set the bowl of fruit between us and handed me one of the forks. “I thought it would be easier if we shared,” he explained. He picked up his own plate—one with a ham sandwich.

  I took a bite of sandwich, staring ahead as the sun started to lower. Sunset was fast approaching and we were going to get to watch it. Out here, in the middle of a field and surrounded by nature, little things like a sunset seemed magnified. You were able to watch it in all its glory as it was meant to be seen. People tended to get too caught up in their lives and forgot to appreciate such simple beauty. Not Jude. He saw the beauty in everything, and that’s why he picked this as our first official date.

  “This is so amazing,” I finally spoke, breaking the quiet. The sun bathed us in an orange glow.

  “I’m glad you think so.”

  I grabbed my fork and stabbed a grape with it. It popped in my mouth, the juices exploding. Even though our meal was simple, I swore nothing had ever tasted this good before.

  I speared a piece of watermelon next.

  When my belly was full I gathered up my trash. Jude took it from me and set it in the basket. The only thing that would make it even better was—

  “Dessert,” Jude grinned, pulling another plate out of the basket. Two large slices of double chocolate cake sat atop it. “I know you love sweet things.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, my sweet tooth is quite a monster.”

  He took the saran wrap off and grabbed two clean forks from the basket. He set the plate between us, like he’d done with the fruit bowl, only this time he rolled onto his stomach. I mimicked his position.

  We ate the cake and enjoyed the sunset. It wouldn’t be long till darkness fell.

  When the cake was gone—I finished off his piece as well—I asked, “Did you make this?”

  He laughed. “I wish I could take credit, but no. I picked up the cake from a local bakery.”

  “It was fantastic.”

  “I’m glad you liked it.” His voice lowered and his brown eyes darkened. He closed the distance between us quickly and kissed me. He grinned, licking his lips. “You had icing on your lips. I couldn’t resist.”

  I bowed my head, smiling. “Jude?”

  “Yeah?” He asked, watching me closely.

  “I think it’s safe to say this has been the best first date ever.”

  He grinned, his eyes brightening. “And it’s not over yet.”

  “It’s not?” I asked with a surprise.

  He shook his head. “Oh no, Tate, it’s only getting started.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “What else do you have planned?”

  He rolled onto his back and reached over, grabbing me around my waist. He moved me onto my back as well, and made sure my body was glued to his without a sliver of space between us. I tossed my leg over his and laid my head on his shoulder. I sighed with happiness and smiled.

  The sun was a huge orange ball surrounding us. The air was growing cool, but the light from the sun swathed us in warmth. The flowers around us seemed to glow, as if the sun lit them like a candle. I’d never seen a more beautiful sight.

  We didn’t say anything. We didn’t need to. Just being with each other was enough.

  As if sensing that I was growing sleepy—from my full belly and the last of the days warmth blanketing my body—Jude jumped up and reached down to pull me up beside him.

  “What are we doing?” I laughed.

  “Hang on, you’ll see.” He pulled his iPhone out and music flowed around us. I recognized the song and couldn’t help smiling. It was perfect. Jude didn’t do anything halfway. He went all out. Even though I already thought our date was perfect, he wasn’t done wowing me yet. He grabbed me around the waist with one hand and pulled my body against his. With his free hand he entwined our hands together. We began to sway to the music and he sang the lyrics softly in my ear. I closed my eyes, smiling, as I laid my head against his chest.

  Happiness wasn’t just one feeling. It was many, all combined, and Jude gave me that. I wasn’t lying when I told him he was my happy. He made everything better without even trying. All he had to do was just be him. All the extra stuff was icing on the figurative cake—because I ate the real one.

  I shivered as the sun went down and the air cooled even more. He stopped dancing long enough to grab the blanket from the ground and wrap it around us.

  I looked up at him with heated eyes. What was he doing to me?

  We started swaying again and the song changed to another. He sang along to that on
e too. When it finished he leaned in close to me. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

  “’Bout time, Brooks,” I grinned.

  My eyes shut and he closed the distance between us. He kissed me slowly at first, then more deeply. He took his time, making sure I felt the kiss all the way down to the tips of my toes. He reached up to take my cheeks in his large hands and the blanket dropped to the ground.

  His lips moved against mine and mine were more than happy to answer every stroke of his.

  Every time we kissed it was exciting and different. He always found a way to make it even better than the last.

  His tongue stroked mine and I gasped. My fingers tangled in the soft strands of his brown hair, drawing him closer.

  His hand found my neck, tilting my head back. He kissed me slow. Then hard. Then fast. Then slow again. He deepened it, his tongue stroking lightly against mine. If kisses could make you dizzy, then this was one of those kisses.

  With a grin, he broke the kiss. He smiled down at me like I was his world.

  I squeaked in surprise when he turned me around so my back was to his front. His hand eased up my top and then under the edge of the tank I wore. His fingers stroked lightly against my skin in tantalizing circles. I reached up and tucked my hair behind my ear. He rubbed his nose against my cheek and then I felt his mouth against my ear.

  “Want to know a secret?”

  I smiled. “Yeah.”

  He chuckled warmly at my enthusiasm. “You’re beautiful.”

  I reached behind me, wrapping my arms around his neck. I moved my hips to the beat of the song and his hands rose higher.

  “You’re a charmer, Jude Brooks.”

  He kissed the skin below my ear. “I’m no such thing.”

  “Mhmm,” I closed my eyes, a small smile on my face.

  He lowered his head, nuzzling my neck. His stubble scratched at my skin.

  “The sun’s going down.” He whispered huskily in my ear. “Watch the stars with me?”

  I couldn’t seem to find my voice, so I nodded in reply.

  He turned me around so I faced him once more and my eyes popped open. “I want you to know that you make me want things I’ve never wanted with anyone else.” He swallowed thickly. “You should already know that,” he cracked a smile, “but I wanted to say the words out loud. I want you to know that you’re more for me.” He rubbed a strand of my hair between his fingers. “You’ve always been different, Tate. I used to watch you in high school and I couldn’t believe how beautiful you were and unlike other guys, I loved your tough girl attitude. You didn’t take shit from anyone. You weren’t afraid to speak your mind. I’ve always found that insanely attractive about you. But back then,” he smoothed a finger over my cheek, “it wasn’t our time. This, right now,” he leaned his forehead against mine, “is our time.”

  I nodded in agreement. “Our time.”

  He picked up the blanket and I thought it was to spread it back on the ground, but he didn’t. Instead he draped it over his arm and led me over to the truck. He put the tailgate down and grabbed me by my hips, lifting me up and onto the mountain of blankets and pillows.

  I scooted back and found it surprisingly comfortable. He climbed in beside me and lay down on his back, fluffing a pillow behind his head.

  We watched the last of the sun creep down below the line of the trees.

  The sky became a pretty deep purple before darkening completely.

  Under normal circumstances I would’ve been scared to death out in the middle of nowhere in complete darkness, but with Jude I wasn’t afraid at all. He made me feel comfortable and safe. I didn’t fear him and I knew he’d protect me from anything hiding in the dark. I trusted him fully.

  He spread the blanket overtop of us and I rolled onto my side snuggling close to him. I laid my hand against his chest, rubbing my fingers in light circles over the thin cotton of his shirt.

  I felt his lips brush my forehead in a barely there kiss and then his fingers smoothed through my hair. “You always smell so good,” he breathed.

  I laughed, raising my head a bit to look in his eyes. “That was a strange thing to say.”

  “What’s wrong with saying you smell good? Isn’t that a good thing?”

  I laughed again and laid my head down. “Yeah, it’s a good thing.”

  “What perfume do you use? I can’t figure out the scent.” His fingers rubbed my back.

  “I don’t use perfume, just my shampoo and conditioner and that’s jasmine scented, but I showered with you this morning, remember? So I guess I smell like you.”

  His chuckle vibrated my body and without even looking I knew he was grinning. “That’s why you smell even better today. I really like you smelling like me.”

  “Don’t get all territorial man-beast on me now,” I laughed, pinching his chest lightly and then rubbing my fingers soothingly over the area.

  “Me? Territorial? Never,” he gasped.

  We both laughed at that.

  “Tate,” he said suddenly.

  “Yeah?” I asked, stifling a yawn. Despite the fact that it wasn’t that late, I felt exhausted after all of today’s activities.

  “We’re supposed to be stargazing.”

  “Oh, right.” I turned my head slightly and looked up at the night sky. Out here in the country you could see all the stars. There had to be hundreds, or thousands, maybe even more like a million. Regardless, they were stunning in their simplicity. They sparkled above us and almost seemed to be winking.

  “Oh! Look a shooting star!” I pointed.

  Jude started to laugh and I frowned.

  “That was a plane, Tatum.” His body shook as he continued to laugh.

  “Oh.” I mumbled. “My bad.”

  “You see that star up there,” he pointed.

  I squinted, trying to see which one he was trying to show me. “I think so.”

  “That’s the North Star.”

  “How can you tell?” I asked. I’d never been that into stars and knew very little about them. I wondered why Jude seemed so fascinated by them.

  “Because, Tater Tot, I know everything.”

  I smacked his chest lightly in a playful manner. “That’s a shitty answer, Brooks. You’ve got to give me something better than that.”

  “What’s a better answer than that?” He chuckled. “I really do know everything. I’m kind of brilliant like that. Borderline genius.”

  “Mhmm, liar.” I laughed, drawing random designs on his chest as I looked up at the sky.

  “You wound me. My feelings are hurt now.”

  “Oh please,” I rolled my eyes despite the fact that he couldn’t see, “I know it would take a lot more than that to get to you.”

  “You’re right,” he sighed, sobering. “I grew a thick skin a long time ago.”

  “I hate that things were so awful for you,” I whispered.

  “Hey,” he stroked his fingers gently through my hair, “things weren’t so great for you either.”

  “You know,” I started, drumming my fingers against his chest, “I think maybe we should try to find Julia.”

  “Julia?” He repeated in surprise. “The girl Pap thinks you are when he’s having one of his episodes?”

  I nodded and then said, “Yes. I don’t know why…but I just have this feeling like it’s important that we find her. It’s weird.” I squirmed a bit, thinking he’d tell me I was crazy and to let it drop. He didn’t, though.

  “Hmm,” he tapped his fingers against my arm as he thought, “let’s do it then.”

  “You don’t think I’m crazy?” I asked, sitting up. One hand was pressed against his chest and my other against the blankets. My hair fell forward, hiding my face. He pushed it back over my shoulder and cupped my cheek.

  “Maybe a little,” he grinned and I bowed my head. “How do we even go about finding her? She might not even be real you know.”

  “I asked your grandpa about her today,” I shrugged before laying back down in my
previous position.

  “You did?” His tone was full of surprise. Obviously he hadn’t been at all curious about the girl named Julia, while I found it to be a mystery I was desperate to solve. Just call me Nancy Drew.

  “I did,” I replied. “He said her name was Julia Hansen. I didn’t ask him anything else.” I purposely left out the part where I did ask if Andrew, Jude’s dad, had loved her. “Of course, she’s probably married now, but it’s a start.”

  “Look at you,” he chuckled, tweaking my nose, “my little detective.”

  “Hey,” I laughed, “if he’s going to think I’m this Julia person half the time then I deserve to know who she is.”

  “I guess so.” Suddenly he pointed up at the sky. “Look, Tate! Now, that’s a shooting star.”

  I gazed up in awe at the light streaking across the sky.

  “Make a wish,” he whispered.

  I closed my eyes, but I didn’t wish for anything. After all, I now had everything.

  “What did you wish for?” He asked me.

  “I can’t tell you that. You know that would break the rules,” I smiled.

  He rolled on top of me, pining me against the blankets with hands on either side of my head. “You make me want to break all the rules I made for myself,” he confessed.

  “And what would those rules be exactly?” I asked, tilting my head slightly to side.

  He bit his lips, debating what he was going to say next. “I can’t tell you yet.”

  “Can’t or won’t?” I countered.

  “Won’t,” he answered immediately. “I’ll tell you soon, though. When I’m ready.”

  I nodded. “Okay. As long as you promise not to forget. I’m really curious about all these rules you want to break with me.”

  “One day,” he promised. His face grew serious, his eyes darkening to the point that they were nearly black. “Tate…” He swallowed thickly, his eyes closing. They opened wide and he took a breath. “Will you make love with me under the stars?”

  I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck and brought him down to the point that our lips were almost touching, but not quite. Before I kissed him, I said, “Do you really need to ask?”

  I didn’t wait for him to reply. I closed that last millimeter between us and kissed him. He growled low in his throat. Jude initiated pretty much everything between us, but I was discovering that I could make him crazy by kissing him. I think it pleased him to know that he wasn’t the only one that wanted this. I wished I could be as open with my feelings as him. I was getting better but I wasn’t quite there yet.