by R. C. Martin
“Um, I’m on highway 34. I’m outside of Loveland I…” she stumbles over her words and I get the idea that she’s no longer sure of exactly where she is. “I don’t know, really. Not anymore. I’m, like, in the mountain.”
“I’m going to call you back. Answer when I do.”
“Of course I will.”
I disconnect and call her a tow, explaining where she is and instructing them where I’d like her car taken before giving them my credit card information. When they tell me about how long it’ll take them to get there, I’m instantly furious. Nevertheless, my few choice words don’t change their response.
I don’t hesitate to grab the keys to my Land Rover before making my way to the garage. I dole out further instructions, informing them that I will call back with her vehicle’s information so they can pick up her abandoned car at their earliest convenience. There’s no way in hell I’m leaving her on the side of the road for two hours.
As soon as I end the call, I send a text to Aunt Eddalyn, apologizing for my sudden change in plans, and then I start my car and call Teddy. By the time she answers, I’m already pulling out of the driveway.
“Hello?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“I’m coming to get you.”
“You are?”
I don’t miss the note of surprise and excitement in her tone; neither can I ignore the way my chest tightens hearing it.
“Yes. Now, listen to me, sweetheart—you stay in your car until I get there.”
“I will. I should probably call my parents. Um…what should I tell them?”
I know immediately that she’s not asking about what information she should give them regarding her car. Rather, she wants to know if she should tell them that she’s still coming.
When she first told me of her weekend plans, the thought never crossed my mind that I wished to be included. Not once. I wanted my woman in my bed, and her trip meant she wouldn’t be. That was my only concern. As things stand now, I suppose I don’t have a choice but to give it some thought.
I’m fully aware that we have plans tomorrow for her to meet Eddalyn—a woman who could easily be described as my mother in the world of business. Furthermore, I know their introduction will inevitably lead to a call from my own mother, insisting that she, too, would like to meet the woman I’m calling my girlfriend. I won’t lie, that is a meeting I wouldn’t think twice about procrastinating on. It’s not at all that I’m ashamed of Teddy, or that I don’t think she’s good enough to meet my family. But introducing her to my parents speaks of a level of commitment and expectation that I’ve never had in a relationship before.
“Judah?” she murmurs, interrupting my thoughts.
“I’m thinking,” I reply.
I know that she’s been looking forward to seeing her parents. She says it’s been three months since she’s made the time. I have no idea what a trip to Estes with me would mean to her. I’m not sure of what sort of significance she would tack on to my agreeing to escort her. However, something tells me if I say no, she’ll be disappointed—and that disappointment will follow me for the rest of the weekend.
I’m not going anywhere. Neither is she. This relationship, while maybe not forever, is indefinite. She’s mine, and she’s managed to make me hers—and what I’m about to agree to proves it.
“Tell them you’re still coming. At least for today.”
“Really? Are you sure?” she asks, her voice dripping in hope.
“I’m not a man who says yes when I mean no, Teddy. Call them and then call me back. I want you on the line until I get there.”
“Okay. I’ll call you back in a minute.”
As I wait for her to call me back, it dawns on me that it’s only a matter of time before her sister finds out about this impromptu visit. A knowing smirk crosses my face. Benjamin has yet to meet the Fitzpatricks. Now, it’s only a matter of time and he’ll have no choice. I’m betting a week, tops. And he thought he was being sly discussing Teddy with Aunt Eddalyn. Payback is a bitch.
Victory is mine.
Judah stays on the phone with me until his black Land Rover eases by me and comes to a full stop on the shoulder of the road that’s barely wide enough to fit the SUV. He hops out of the vehicle, striding toward my driver’s side door confidently—his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses, but his gaze clearly looking down the stretch of road, checking for cars. He’s so unbelievably sexy. It doesn’t matter if he’s stripped down naked, or fully clothed, I could stare at the man all day.
He’s got on a pair of dark, tan khakis, a navy blue and white striped thermal over a white collared shirt, and a light-weight black jacket. Without even looking, I know he’s got a watch attached to his left wrist, and I imagine that he smells delectable. Keeping my hands off of him for the duration of the day, especially after our fun-filled morning, will definitely be a challenge.
He opens my door and signals for me to hop out. I do so without hesitation. He grabs the back of my neck and kisses the top of my head before he speaks. “Is there anything in here you need to put in my car?”
“No,” I reply, shaking my head as I look up at him. “Just my bag is all. It’s in the back seat.”
He dips his chin in acknowledgement. “Come on. I need to make a quick call and then we’ll be on our way. I’ll get your bag.”
“Judah?” He grunts his response before I continue. “Thank you.”
He presses a quick, solid kiss against my lips. “You’re welcome. In the car, sweetheart.”
I hurry to the passenger side of his vehicle and climb in. It’s another five minutes before he joins me, setting my bag in the floor of his back seat.
“They’ll call me when they’ve arrived. Might be a couple hours.”
“How much is it going to be?” I ask, worried about how far away we are outside of town.
“Don’t worry about it, Teddy. I’ll cover it.”
“Are you sure?” He gives me a sidelong glance as he starts the engine, and I offer him my most innocent grin. “Thank you.”
“Where am I going?” he asks, pulling back out onto the road.
“You’ll stay on 34 for a while longer. We’ve got at least another half an hour.”
“Anything I should know about your parents before I meet them?”
“You mean like how my dad has a gun on him at all times, and he threatens to shoot the stray cats in the neighborhood? Or how my mom thinks life is a musical, so she sings half of her conversations?”
He pulls his eyebrows together in a scowl before he looks at me warily. I keep a straight face for all of two seconds before I burst into laughter.
“I’m kidding!” I insist, reaching over to squeeze the hand that rests in his lap. He doesn’t stop me when I slide my palm under his, lacing our fingers together. “My dad does have a gun. He’s a police officer. But he’s the gentlest man I’ve ever met. And my mom isn’t crazy, I promise. She’s a mediocre singer at best, but she only sings to herself when she’s cleaning.”
“And what does she do for a living?”
“She’s a guidance counselor.”
He nods, as if he’s soaking in this new information. “What have you told them about me?”
I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, wondering if my honest answer will be offensive. “Um…they know that you exist, that your name is Judah, and you helped me celebrate my birthday.”
“All right.”
“Do your parents know anything about me?”
“No,” he answers simply.
“Oh,” I mutter.
“Teddy, it should come as no surprise to you that I don’t make a habit of talking to my parents about the women in my life. Inevitably, they will find out about you. Between Ben and Eddalyn, it’s only a matter of time.”
He’s right. I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s not particularly chatty about what’s going on between us. What we have is new and different for both of us. We’ve be
en so focused on building something, and I feel like we’ve been through so much together already, we haven’t really had time to invite anyone else into our relationship.
We spend the rest of our drive talking about Estes Park. I’m appalled when Judah tells me he’s never been, and I make a mental note to make time for us to do a little exploring before we leave for the day. It isn’t until we pull into my parents’ driveway that I start to feel nervous. I love the man beside me like I’ve never loved anyone before, and I really want them to like him. I could use a good pep-talk from my sister right now. She’s going to flip her shit when I tell her that Judah met mom and dad.
Judah stows his sunglasses before we both climb out of his vehicle and make our way to the front door. I take his hand once more, and he doesn’t refuse me before I walk right into the house. I call for my parents just as soon as we cross the threshold. It’s my mother who answers first, shouting from somewhere upstairs that they’ll be out in a minute. Almost as soon as she gets the last word out, my father is making his way down.
He’s not particularly tall, standing a couple inches shy of six feet, but he’s built like a man you’d think twice about disrespecting. Of course, as I’ve gotten older, he’s grown a little soft around his middle, but what I told Judah is true—he’s a very mild-mannered man with a kind disposition. He’s where I get my red hair, and where Harper gets her green eyes; his light up at the sight of me.
“Well, hello, daughter of mine. My goodness, I just about forgot what you look like.”
I playfully roll my eyes as I step away from Judah to greet him with a hug. “Hey, dad.”
He doesn’t hold me long, and when I take a step back, I know why. His eyes are glued to my boyfriend.
“And who do we have here?”
“Dad, this is Judah,” I answer. “Judah, this is my dad.”
“Officer Fitzpatrick,” says Judah, holding his hand out.
I swear, he melts my heart a little more with his hello.
“Call me Sean,” my dad insists, wrapping his hand around Jude’s in a manly shake.
In spite of his friendly words, I can tell that my dad is not too certain about Jude. It’s been so long since I brought someone home, I can’t figure out if his response is just that of a cautious father, or if it’s Judah himself that rubs him the wrong way. It’s subtle, as he has a remarkable poker face, but I’ve known him for twenty-three years—I can see it. Whatever it is that’s bothering him, I hope he’ll relax soon. I’m relieved when my mother comes down the stairs to join us. That is, until her eyes practically fall out of their sockets at the sight of the tall man standing beside me.
My mom is the same height as me, standing at five-six, with dark blonde hair that lays just past her shoulders. She’s thin, but not overly so—any excess weight she carries always fondly referred to as her mom-padding. I get my brown eyes from her, only hers are a bit darker.
“Well, you’re quite handsome,” she says in greeting, her eyes scrutinizing Jude.
It takes everything in me not to groan in embarrassment. She is right, after all, so I can’t exactly blame her. I’ve got myself one gorgeous man. He chuckles as he holds his hand out to introduce himself.
“Mrs. Fitzpatrick.”
“Judah, right?”
“Yes.”
She doesn’t insist that he call her Renee—a fact that I pick up on right away. I try not to let my disappointment show as both of my parents play nice. I remind myself that I’m their baby—their baby who has avoided romantic entanglements for years. They’re allowed to be guarded and cautious. Though, I wish they would trust that I wouldn’t bring home someone I didn’t trust myself.
“Why don’t you two come in? Have a seat. Teddy, honey, tell us what happened to your car.”
We all make our way into the family room, my parents sitting on one couch, and Judah and I occupying the matching piece that sits just cater-corner. I don’t know whether to sit closer to Judah or farther away from him, so I sit somewhere in between. I don’t want to be so close that I give them the impression that our level of intimacy is way higher than they probably assume; but I also don’t want to be so far way from him that he doesn’t feel that I’m in this with him when my parents start their interrogation.
And there will be an interrogation.
I can feel it.
For an hour and a half, there seems to be a never ending stream of questions. I assume this is normal and that the Fitzpatricks are doing what any self-respecting parents would do. I am a stranger in their home whom their daughter appears to be quite fond of—not to mention, at least one of them has to assume she’s seen my dick.
My mind drifts off, my thoughts taking me back to last night when she blew me. God, I love being inside of her mouth. Love it even more when she holds perfectly still, allowing me to fuck her just the way I want—my hands fisted in her hair, my hips pumping in quick, short movements, my cock hitting the back of her throat.
I clear my throat, discarding the memory when I feel myself starting to get hard. As I tune back into the conversation, Teddy is explaining how we came to know that our siblings were dating one another. I swear, we’ve exhausted all avenues of conversation regarding me and our relationship thus far—outside of the intimate details, of course. I’m relieved as fuck when my phone rings, giving me an excuse to step away for a moment.
When I return to the room, Teddy and Mrs. Fitzpatrick are gone. Officer Fitzpatrick locks eyes with me, offering no explanation as I return to my seat. As a man, I find it hard to be intimidated by him. Physically, there are very few men I’ve met who present themselves as an indomitable threat, and he is not one of them. As an officer of the law, I have the utmost respect for him. His job is both noteworthy and dangerous. Holding that kind of position has never appealed to me, but I appreciate that there are men who are brave enough to take on the task. Nevertheless, if he’s aiming to strike me with fear just now, he’ll be sorely disappointed.
He might be the father of the woman sharing my bed, but I’ve earned the right to have her there. Whatever concerns he has, they belong to him, not me—and I’m not going anywhere. Theodora isn’t going anywhere, either—she’s mine; so whatever he’s trying to say with his stare, I sure as hell have no intention of backing off.
“How old did you say you were?” he asks.
“I’ll be thirty-two in December.”
He leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what is a man like you doing with my daughter?”
I lean back against the couch, propping my right ankle over my left knee before I ask, “A man like me?”
“You’re managing partner of a design firm that sounds pretty lucrative. I can tell by the clothes you wear, that watch on your arm, and the vehicle you have parked in my driveway that you’re not lacking in success. You seem like a very bright and talented fellow, but Teddy is still just a kid.”
“Teddy is not a kid. She may be your youngest child, but she’s an adult, capable of making her own choices.”
“That may be so, but there’s almost a decade between the two of you. What are your intentions, Judah?”
“My intentions?” I ask with a slight scowl, wondering who the fuck he thinks I am.
“I see the way she looks at you. She’s quite attached. Since you are not a father yourself, you might not understand my concern, given the length of time you two have known each other—but if you have no intention of sticking around for the long haul, I would rather you not use my daughter as your play thing.”
“Officer Fitzpatrick,” I begin, discarding his earlier request for me to address him by his first name. “I am not a fortune teller. I will not claim to know what my future with Teddy looks like; but I would ask that you respect me enough not to assume that I would dare come into your house if Teddy was nothing more to me than a play thing. I have better things to do with my time than meet the parents of a woman whose feelings I care nothing about.�
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Silence settles between us for a moment, his eyes still intently trained on me.
“Are you a man who wishes to one day be married?”
I cough out a humorless laugh, shaking my head as I finally pull my gaze away from his. “Until a couple months ago, I wasn’t a man who wished to be in a monogamous relationship at all. Marriage is not something I think about.”
He grunts, causing me to shift my focus back on him.
“I know my girls. They’re the marrying kind.”
“I’ve never lied to her about our relationship. I’m no manipulative bastard, and her choice to be with me is exactly that—her choice. So long as Teddy chooses me, I’m not worried about whether or not she’s the marrying kind.”
“Fair enough,” he mumbles. “The girls went to go put something together for lunch. They should be back any minute now.”
I offer him no more than a nod, which he seems to accept. He’s still eyeing me wearily, which I could do without, but I don’t mention it.
“You’re an honest man. I respect that,” he finally says.
I relax, letting my guard down just a little. I can’t blame the man for doing what he thinks is best for his daughter, especially considering her past. “You’re a good father. I respect that, as well.”
He holds out his hand and I grip his palm with my own. We shake cordially, and our conversation is finally put to bed.
When Judah steps away to take his phone call, mom suggests that we slip into the kitchen and throw something together for a quick lunch. Now, as we stand side by side constructing turkey and cheese sandwiches, I wonder what Jude and dad will talk about when he returns to the room. They know just about everything there is to know about my man, now. Well—all his surface level details. I’ll admit I’m more than a little bit proud that I know so much more about him than my parents or a lot of other people ever will.
“Teddy, honey, can I be honest with you about something?” my mom asks, breaking me from my thoughts.