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I had no idea what we were doing here, but somehow, we ended up with two young adults under our care. How the fuck did that happen? I truly had a soft spot for those in need, apparently.
Judah tugged me back, pressing his chest into me and kissing my ear. “You do feel jealous, too, huh?”
I rolled my eyes but smiled. “Aye, maybe.”
Hilton bounced on the tips of his toes and clapped his hands. His dramatic change in emotions felt like a seesaw, and we were now seeing a completely different angle of it. “I should go home and get some clothes then.”
“I’ll come with you,” Ellis said, straightening his shoulders. “It’ll give me something to do today.”
Hilton hooked his arm around Ellis’s and beamed at him. “We’re gonna be best friends, El.”
I groaned. Fuck, I hope not.
Ellis and Hilton left, and with them out of the house, Judah and I were alone. The sexy times we’d had earlier this morning were long forgotten. Instead, we decided to go for a drive to Lake Ontario. It’d been a long time since I’d gone there without any reason but to relax. Some jobs I’d had in the past required me to do long hours over six days, and with only one day off, I slept.
It was busy around the lake as there was a farmers’ market, but we managed to steal a parking spot close to the event. As soon as we both exited the car and Judah locked it, he took my hand in his, and we walked peacefully toward the stalls that had been set up for the day. I knew sometimes Shep came with the Kings, so I kept an eye out for bikes, but I hadn’t seen any yet.
It was warmer out than usual today, so I simply wore a white T-shirt that clung to my chest and a pair of shorts with flip-flops. Judah’s top was classier—Ralph Lauren, which only made me think about last night and those jerks that he called friends.
“Have you come to the market since...?” He trailed off, and I knew what he meant. Since Mum died. She’d loved going to things like the farmers’ market, though I didn’t remember it ever being this big. Stalls were spread out across a large area, and the variety of items for sale ranged a lot more than they had the last time I’d come here.
I squeezed his hand in reassurance. I wasn’t sad talking about her. There were a lot of things I missed about her, but I cherished the time I’d had with her. “No. The last time I came here was the week before she died. I managed to sneak her out of the hospital, and I wheeled her around here. Wasn’t easy with the grass.” I kicked the ground beneath my feet gently.
“There’s a lady here now, she makes bear claws. They’re fucking delicious.” His eyes slid down my chest, and I grinned, arching my pecs out more than necessary. I didn’t miss the way his pupils dilated and how he swallowed, the apple of his throat bobbing. “Fuck, Puffin.”
“Yes?” I smirked.
“You know what you’re doing. Stop it or we won’t be away from the house for very long.”
I chuckled and waved my hand. “Then lead the way to these bear claws.”
He wasted no time, dragging me through the crowd that had gathered to find a treasure. There were all sorts of items for sale, from fresh fruits and vegetables, cupcakes, handmade children’s toys, and fresh fish.
At one point, while we were trying to get to these famous bear claws that had Judah in a hurry, a little girl ran into us and fell back on her behind. Her mother apologized profusely, but I shook my head and helped the little girl stand again.
“I’ll be back. I can’t remember where the stall is. Stay here.” Judah let go of my hand and rushed off, and I blinked after him, surprised at how excited he was by the prospect of these baked goods.
I smiled at the mother and little girl. “No harm done. It’s very busy today.”
The mother laughed. “I haven’t seen it like this in some time. Have a good day.”
Then, she was off again, the little girl now clutched in her arms as she maneuvered her way through the people. I sidled off toward the outskirts beside a stall that had an open space next to it and got out of the way. I was a big man, and I’d seen enough irritated glances sent in my direction for blocking the walking path.
I smiled and peered around at the area. Mum would’ve loved to see the market now. She’d always said there was nothing better than homemade products, and she was right. There was a certain love that came with items that had been created or grown by hand.
Five minutes later Judah was back, a paper bag clutched in his hand like a trophy as he came to a halt beside me. He half yanked out the bear claw, using the paper as a napkin as he held it up to my mouth.
“Take a bite.”
I raised my eyebrows but didn’t question him as I opened my mouth dutifully, taking a large bite of the baked good. I chewed thoughtfully, keeping my facial expression neutral even as the taste exploded in my mouth in an array of delicious flavors. It was perfect, the first time I’d ever tasted one, and I already loved it.
“What do you think?” Judah stared at me, his mouth parted and brown eyes wide in an appearance of hope. He was handsome like this, carefree and happy, and the more I looked at the older version of him, the more I realized how deeply in love I was. He’d been a missing piece of my soul that had now been reconnected to the rest. Who cared about the people who tried to tear us apart? We could handle them.
“Mm. It’s okay,” I said as seriously as I could.
His shoulders slumped. “Fuck. I thought they were good.”
I laughed at his downtrodden reaction and cradled his face in my hands, placing a kiss on his delectable mouth. “It was delicious.”
