AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As I open the bottle of wine, I see another pot on the stove. “What are we having?”
“Garlic ranch mashed potatoes and salmon along with those biscuits you ate five of last time.” He grins at me. I hand him his beer while he moves the green beans around the oiled pan. “Thanks.”
Grabbing a stool from his island, I sit and watch him work, knowing I should be asking what I can help with, but I’d really rather sit here and admire him.
Jeez, I need a hobby.
“Full disclosure, it was the day before my period.”
“I’m not judging, just saying why I made them.”
I sip my wine. “Which raises the question… why are you making all my favorite foods?”
He chuckles and wipes his hands on a dish towel before throwing it over his shoulder. “Can’t I do something nice for you?”
Jude does a lot of nice things for me, but I’m not sure he’s ever made an entire meal of all my favorite foods. He hates green beans, and usually, it’s an argument about what vegetables we’re going to eat. He loves asparagus, and I’m a green bean lover, especially when they’re cooked on the stove with oil and seasonings only he can perfect.
“You mentioned celebrating, but you’re in joggers with no socks.”
He looks down at himself as though he doesn’t remember what he changed into after his shower. “I should’ve dressed up.”
My head tilts. “Why?”
He picks up a hot pad and removes the salmon from the oven, placing it on the stove. “We’re getting there.”
“When?”
He grabs two plates and shakes his head, laughing to himself.
Knowing he’s not going to tell me until he’s good and ready, I enjoy my wine. “Whatever.” I refill my wine glass. The crisp cool sweetness is too good not to have another serving. “So… my mom told me to let the farm go.”
He stops mashing the potatoes for a second, but then his forearm flexes as he hammers the masher up and down again. “She did?”
“She said it was time for me to leave Willowbrook.”
Again, he stops mashing for the briefest of seconds, but he doesn’t look at me. “What did you say?”
“I told her no. My life is here. I told her about my idea for the chicken farm. She liked it.”
He pulls the masher from the potatoes, pounding it against the edge of the metal pot, and the remaining potatoes fall back into the pot. “Oh.”
I know he’d be upset if I left Willowbrook. I would be upset if he did.
“She said she’d move into assisted living. Leave the land and house to just go up for auction. Why would I do that?”
He places the masher in the sink and wipes his hands on the towel, leaning against the counter, his eyes on me. “It makes sense. Maybe you should do it.”
“What?”
He breaks the distance, picking up his beer and gulping a few mouthfuls before coming to the other side of the island. “You should’ve gotten out of here a long time ago.”
My heart cracks. Jude wants me to leave? If he were leaving, I’d throw myself on his hood, telling him I was going with him. But Jude doesn’t have that luxury because his obligation is to the farm. Well, mine is too. My mom is dependent on me, just as so many are dependent on Jude for the ranch to be successful.
“I don’t want to.”
“Why not?” He finishes his beer.
I haven’t seen him finish one so fast since Ben’s welcome home party. I sip my own wine. “Why am I not going to leave?”
