The Posse

by Tawdra Kandle

  “Ah, Uncle Logan drove me in this morning.” She avoided meeting her son’s eyes and turned to Sadie. “Are you sure you’re okay here?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Get going.” Sadie shooed them out.

  Jude climbed into the backseat next to the baby’s car seat. As Joseph and Lindsay buckled him in, she pulled out her phone and texted Logan the update in plans.

  As soon as they arrived home, Lindsay ducked into Joseph’s bedroom to nurse the baby. Jude changed and headed for the kitchen to start dinner.

  Joseph sat at the table, staring at the glass of water in front of him. He smiled at his mother as she came in.

  “I was just sitting here thinking how much I miss Dad.” His voice was thick, and Jude laid a hand on his shoulder.

  “I know. I miss him, too. Every day.” She pulled out the chair across from her son.

  “Mom.” Something in his voice made Jude wary. “I know you miss Dad. But is something going on with you and Uncle Logan?”

  Jude leaned back in her chair and heaved a breath. “Why do you ask?”

  “Since when does anyone drive you to the Tide for opening? And when I went to put some of the baby’s clothes into the washer, I found a load still in there. With a man’s boxer shorts.”

  She nodded. “Yes. I was going to tell you, but we were going to wait for dinner, tell you together. I’m sorry.”

  Joseph stared at her. “Mom...are you sure? And is this serious, or are you just messing around?”

  Jude leaned forward and covered his hand. “It is kind of serious, sweetie. And am I sure? Yes.”

  “But if you’re just lonely or need...” Joseph shook his head, clearly deciding not to go down a road he didn’t want to consider. “Why?”

  “Because we’re in love. I know you probably don’t want to think about that, but it’s the truth. Not while Dad was alive,” she hastened to add. “This doesn’t have anything to do with your father, other than that Uncle Logan and I both loved him, and we always will. I don’t know how these things work. I don’t know why I’ve been given this second chance, but if there’s one thing I learned in the last two years, it’s that life is short. You take it with both hands when it’s offered to you.”

  “I’m not mad at you, Mom. I’m just kind of shocked. I guess I thought after Dad, there wouldn’t be anyone else. But if there has to be, I’m glad it’s Uncle Logan.”

  “He’s a very good man.” Jude smiled, relief filtering into her mind.

  “Are you going to marry him?” Joseph’s voice was neutral.

  “I don’t know, honey. I won’t say no, but we haven’t made any definite plans.”

  “Does Meggie know?”

  Jude shook her head. “Not yet. I figured I’d tell her this weekend.” She grinned at her son. “What a family we are! Never a dull moment, huh?”

  “Not lately.” He fiddled with the glass in front of him. “Mom, do you like Lindsay?”

  “I really do. She seems like a sweet girl, a wonderful mother.”

  “She is.” He took a deep breath. “I think we might get married.”

  Jude wasn’t shocked, but she nodded slowly. “Are you sure that’s the right thing for both of you? And for the baby?”

  He spread his hands on the table. “Yeah. Pretty sure. I thought I might be in love with her before all this. And now, I’m sure of it.”

  “I want you to think about it long and hard, both of you. If you’re sure, then I will support you a hundred percent. How do Lindsay’s parents feel about the idea?”

  “After they met me and we all got to know each other, they were all for it.”

  “That’s good.” Jude paused and bit her lip. “Joseph, I put the baby’s crib in your room, but I wasn’t sure what your sleeping arrangements would be.”

  Her son smiled. “We’ll both sleep in my room so we can be there for the baby, but I promise, that’s all we’ll be doing. Lindsay’s parents talked to me a long time about what they believe, and Lindsay feels the same way. We might have started out on the wrong foot, but we’re going to wait now until we’re sure. Until we’re married.”

  His mouth raised in a half-grin. “But Mom, I really can’t wait for that wedding.”

  ***

  “Well, that went better than I expected.” Logan was loading the dishwasher as Jude wiped down counters and the table. “I have to cop to some nerves on my way over here. But Joseph seemed pretty comfortable with the whole situation.”

  “He is, I think. He was a little surprised at first, but he pulled it together.” Jude folded the towel and leaned a hip against the fridge. “Lindsay seems nice, doesn’t she?”

  “Yeah. She’ll keep Joseph on his toes, I’d say, but if the way he looks at her is any indication, he won’t mind.”

  “It’s sweet, isn’t it?” She smiled. “But let’s talk about the most important thing. How adorable is my grandson?”

  “He is absolutely the cutest baby I’ve ever seen.” Logan closed the dishwasher and turned to grab Jude by the waist, back her against the counter. “How could he not be with a nana like you?”

  Jude looked up at him. “And you were so good with him. He loved you.” She toyed with a button on his shirt. “Does it bother you? Not having kids, I mean? Choosing me definitely means shutting that door.”

  “There is no choice, my love. Besides, I get to share Meggie and Joseph, and I also get a piece of that little guy. Assuming you’ll stop being so greedy with him.” He swatted her behind and headed for the coffee pot.

  “Very funny. So are you going to miss me tonight?”

  Logan poured some coffee for both of them and sat down at the table. “You know I am. I’m still not entirely clear on why I can’t stay if Joseph doesn’t object.”

  “It’s not so much for Joseph as for Lindsay. She and Joseph have made a commitment to wait on being together until they get married—if they get married. I respect that, and I don’t want to make her uncomfortable.”

  “I have to admit, I’m impressed by them. I’m not sure I could have done the same thing at their age.”

  “Daniel and I did.” Jude sipped from her mug.

  “Really?”

  “Yes. Why do you think we got married before he finished college?” She glanced at him. “Daniel never told you that?”

  “No. Contrary to what you might think, men don’t sit around talking about their sex lives.” He considered, and then added, “Much, anyway.”

  Jude laughed. “Are you coming to pick me up in the morning? Or do you want to sleep in? I’ll be fine.”

  “Nope, you’re not getting rid of me that easily. I’ll be here at the crack of—well, dark. And then I’m taking Joseph to lunch.”

  “I heard that. He’s going to drop Lindsay and DJ off at the Tide before he meets you. I get to show them off to all my customers.”

  “When do we expect Meghan?”

  Jude winced a little. “Probably after dinner. I’m a little more worried about her than I was about Joseph. He’s in a place where showing grace is easy, because he needs it, too. But Meggie...she was a daddy’s girl. And she can be a little rigid. I’m really not sure how she’s going to react.”

  That worry stayed with her through the next day, even as she enjoyed the time with Lindsay and DJ.

  “Do you know you’re the sixth generation of my family to be in this restaurant?” She bounced the baby on her hip.

  “Really? That is so cool.” Lindsay sat at a nearby table. “I love this place. And Joseph walked the baby and me around town today. It’s perfect.”

  “The Cove is pretty amazing.” Jude perched on the edge of a chair and turned the baby around, laying him on her knees so she could look into his eyes. They were blue, which of course could change one day, but for now, he had Daniel’s eyes.

  “Lindsay, I know this isn’t the way you probably planned to start a family. But I want to thank you, not only for this sweet boy, but for not giving up so easily on my son. And what you named th
e baby...” She kissed his chubby bare feet. “It means so much.”

  “It was an honor.” Lindsay reached across to touch the baby’s soft head. “It wasn’t easy, when I found out he was coming. I didn’t know until after...well, Joseph was already gone. I went home, and my parents were devastated. But once they came around, I had lots of support. It wasn’t that I didn’t want Joseph involved. I wasn’t trying to hide the baby from him. But I figured he was dealing with enough.

  “If I had it to over again, maybe I would do it differently. But I always wanted DJ to know his dad. And all of you, too.”

  “Thank you.” Jude buried her head in the folds of DJ’s neck and nuzzled. “Oh, little man, what am I going to do with you on the other side of the state?”

  “Just as I suspected.” Logan approached. “You leave a woman with another man, and when you come back, she’s kissing his neck.”

  Jude looked up, laughing. “Sorry, Logan. You’re just going to have to accept that you now have competition.”

  Joseph took Lindsay and the baby home, and Logan sat down on a barstool.

  “Don’t you have to go back to work?” Jude began bussing a table.

  “No, I had cleared the afternoon. I’ll catch up on a few things tomorrow. Where’re Sadie and Mack?”

  “Mack had a doctor’s appointment, so I gave them the afternoon off. How was lunch?”

  “Interesting. I was impressed with how much Joseph already has thought this whole situation through. He has some good ideas for their future.”

  “Really? That’s nice to hear.” Jude carried the dishes into the kitchen. “You want a beer? It’s Friday, you’re done work.”

  “If you’re offering, sure.” Logan watched her reach under the bar, come up with the bottle and pop the top.

  When she began to slide it across the bar to him, he shook his head. “I think I need a more personal delivery.”

  “Oh, you do, do you?” She smirked as she came back around the bar and stood in front of him with the bottle. “Doesn’t the delivery girl get a tip?”

  “I think it would only be right.” He pulled her between his legs, angled his head and took possession of her mouth. He sucked her lower lip and then tangled his tongue with hers.

  Jude looped her arms around his neck. “I take it you missed me last night?”

  “Mom?”

  Jude jerked back, nearly knocked Logan off the barstool. Across the room, just inside the open door, stood Meghan.

  Jude scrambled to her daughter. “Meggie! You’re early. I didn’t expect you until after dinner.” She pulled her into a hug.

  “My last class was canceled.” Meghan kept her voice neutral. “Uncle Logan?”

  “Hi, Meggie.” He didn’t move from the stool.

  “What’s going on?” The girl turned toward her mother. “Were you kissing Uncle Logan?”

  “I...” Jude turned to look at Logan. He shrugged.

  “Yes, Meghan. I was kissing Uncle Logan. We—we’re seeing each other.” She shot him a look, and he smiled in encouragement.

  Meghan’s mouth had dropped open. “Seeing each other? What does that mean?”

  “Meghan, you’re almost twenty-two years old. I think you know what it means.”

  “I can’t believe this.” She hitched the backpack higher on her shoulder. “How could you let this happen?”

  “It’s not something we ‘let’ happen. It’s something we’ve chosen.”

  Meghan looked down, her mouth tight. “I can’t deal with this right now. I’m going home. Is Joseph there?”

  “Yes, he just headed back there with Lindsay and DJ. Give me a minute to close up, and Logan and I will go home with you.”

  “No.” She turned back to the door. “I want to go now. I’ll see you there later.” She stomped out the door.

  Jude sighed and slumped against the bar. “That did not go well.”

  Logan folded her into his arms. “I’m sorry, Jude. But try not to let her get to you. She just needs a little time.”

  Dinner that night was a stiff and tense meal, so different than the night before. Meghan loved the baby, but she was cool to Lindsay, bordered on rude to Logan and barely spoke two words to her mother.

  The next morning, Jude cried all the way to the Tide. Driving the car, Logan felt more helpless than he ever had in his life.

  After he left the restaurant, he turned back to Jude’s house and let himself into the kitchen. It was still quiet, but Lindsay sat at the kitchen table, holding the baby.

  “Good morning,” she said, keeping her voice low.

  “Everyone else still asleep?” Logan poured his second cup of coffee that morning.

  Lindsay nodded. “The baby was awake a few times last night, and Joseph insists on getting up. So I thought I’d let him sleep in a little this morning.”

  Logan cast his eyes upward. “And Meghan?”

  She shook her head. “Haven’t seen her.”

  He sat across the table, watching this pretty young girl with the drowsy baby on her lap. “You know it’s nothing personal, Lindsay. With Meggie, I mean. She’s not a bad person. Just someone who’s had to deal with more that her fair share this year.”

  Lindsay smiled. “Oh, thanks, Logan. I’m not worried about it. I have three sisters. There’s not much someone like Meghan can do to really get under my skin.”

  “That’s smart.” Logan took a swig of coffee. “I had a good talk with Joseph yesterday at lunch. He’s pretty determined that you two should get married, the sooner the better. How do you feel about that?”

  Lindsay smiled, her cheeks pinking. “I guess I’d say I’m on the same page.” She shifted the baby in her arms, touched his cheek. “It must seem really fast to you and Jude in some ways. But Joseph and I were getting serious last year before he left. I know a lot happened in between then and now, but...” She looked down at the baby. “I still love him. I never stopped.”

  Logan cleared his throat. “I can relate to that. A lot of people might say Jude and I are moving fast too. Some have said it. But I guess when you know, really know you’re with the person you love, waiting around doesn’t make much sense.”

  “That’s it exactly.” The baby gurgled, and Lindsay laughed. “DJ agrees.”

  Logan smiled. “You and I have a lot in common right now. We’re both coming into this family at a time when they’re still healing. It isn’t always going to be easy. If you ever need someone to talk to, don’t hesitate.” He set down his mug, toyed with the handle. “I appreciate how Joseph is handling everything with his mom and me.”

  Lindsay shrugged. “He was a little rattled about it when we first got back here and he suspected something was going on. But we talked about it. I reminded him we weren’t exactly poster children for doing things the easy way.”

  “I thought you might have had something to do with that. Thanks, Lindsay.”

  There was a sound outside the kitchen, and Meghan appeared from around the corner, wearing sweats that ended at the knee and a huge green t-shirt. She stopped short at the sight of Logan and Lindsay.

  “Good morning.” Logan held up his mug. “Want some coffee? Your mom made it before she left, so it’s safe to drink.”

  Meghan lounged against the doorway. “What are you doing here? You sleep here, too?” Behind the insolent tone, Logan heard pain.

  “No,” he answered evenly. “I slept at my house. Came by to pick up your mom and drive her to work, and then came back here. To talk to you.”

  Meggie snorted and shoved off the wall. “Well, here I am. So talk.”

  Lindsay pushed back her chair. “I think someone needs his diaper changed.” She cast a sympathetic look at Logan as she slipped past Meghan.

  “Sit down, Meggie.” When she continued to stay with her arms crossed, Logan rolled his eyes. “Meghan, you’re almost twenty-two years old. Start acting like it. Sit down so we can talk like grown-ups.”

  With a heavy sigh that Logan guessed was supposed to indi
cate long-suffering, Meghan scraped back the chair and dropped into it.

  He picked up his mug and filled it before pulling out a clean cup. He doctored both coffees and set one before the sulking girl at the end of the table.

  They sat in silence for a few moments, with Meghan refusing to meet his eyes.

  Logan gritted his teeth. She wasn’t going to make this easy in any way. Part of him wanted to walk away, let Meggie figure it out for herself. But then he remembered Jude’s tears in the car that morning, and his resolve strengthened.

  “Meghan, I’ve known you since the day you were born. I was at the Tide with your mom and dad the day she went into labor, and I went to the hospital with them. Outside of your parents, I was the first one to see your face. And since that day, I’ve loved you like my own.”

  Meggie kept her eyes down on the table, but Logan detected a quiver in her bottom lip.

  “Your father was my best friend, bar none. All of us in the posse love each other like brothers, you know that. But we all have closer connections, too. Mark and Cooper hang out. Daniel and I were buds from elementary school. When we were in middle school, my mom walked out on our family. Daniel kept me from freaking out. He took me home for dinner every night for a year, made sure I was okay.”

  Logan wondered if Meghan had heard this before. He never talked about his family, and he doubted Daniel had mentioned it. He saw her swallow hard.

  “You mom and dad were together from the time we started high school. Even before then, we all knew they had something special. Jude had stars in her eyes when she looked at Daniel, and Daniel just plain never saw anyone else.

  “I’m going to be honest with you, Meggie. I had a crush on your mom in those days, too. If Daniel hadn’t been there first, no question I would have chased her. But the fact was, your dad was there, and even if I had wanted to throw away our friendship to get in the middle of them, it wouldn’t have mattered. So I settled for being a friend, and that worked for a long time.”

  “Until when?” Meghan spit out the words. “Until Daddy was sick? Or before that?”