Hey Jude (Lennox Valley Chronicles #1)

“I can see that,” he says. “You know, Lynn and I can see how good you are for Olena. Ever since you first came over for Marchmas, we’ve really gotten a good feeling about you.”

“Thank you.” I drop my gaze for a moment and smile, then meet his eyes again. “I feel the same way, to be honest.” They’d been nothing but warm and welcoming to me that night, as well as every time I’ve seen them since; they’ve treated me like part of the family.

He nods, smiling. “We got the feeling you’re… let’s say, in it for a long haul.” He gestures at me with the glass in his hand, watching my reaction.

I pause for a moment. “Yes, sir,” I reply sincerely. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good man.” He nods. “In that case, welcome to the family.” He holds out his glass, smiling.

His words hit me hard for reasons he doesn’t yet understand. “Thank you,” is all I can say, touching my glass to his, trying hard to maintain an air of casualness.

I turn to find Olena, but she’s not with Nat and her mother anymore.

Suddenly, she appears beside me, out of breath. “Starscape!” she shouts over the music, breathing like she’s just run across the room. “Starscape Manor! That’s what they’re calling it!” Her eyes are dancing with excitement. “I just talked to Carol! Isn’t it perfect? With the lights and everything?” She squeezes my hands, David still watching us.

“Yeah, it’s perfect,” I say, smiling, as she reaches up to my neck and pulls me into a hug.

“My girl, are you going to dance with your old man, or what?” David interrupts, putting down his drink, and holds out his hand to Olena.

She smiles up at me, raising her eyebrows, then kisses my cheek. “You’re next,” she says in my ear, then takes her dad’s hand, following him onto the dance floor.

EPILOGUE

OLENA

One year later

The sound of the river burbles along in front of me as I sit cross-legged with a book in my lap, swaying gently in the new swing. Jude installed it a few weeks ago under the arbutus tree and I can’t get enough of sitting down here. The light is fading, and I reach over to the switch nearby, flicking on the fairy lights above me. I look up and smile at the twinkling of stars above my head—our own private little slice of Starscape Manor. I stretch out my limbs; my bare legs and feet are tanned from working outside in the summer sun, my sandals discarded on the rocks below me. I twist around when I hear footsteps on the stairs.

Jude descends the zig-zag of steps that connect our house to this place, smiling as he approaches me. “I’m never gonna get tired of you wearing those,” he says, grinning, as I pull my reading glasses up to rest in my hair.

A light breeze catches wisps of my hair from my messy bun, drawing them over my face. I brush them back and grin at Jude, scooting over on the bench swing to make room for him.

“Hey.” I press a kiss to his cheek as he sits down beside me, slipping my arm under his.

“I have a surprise for you.” He puts his hand in his pocket and pulls out a small white card, handing it to me.

I turn over the business card, pulling my glasses back down to read it in the dim light. I catch Jude’s arched eyebrow as he watches me. The card reads “MacMillan & Sharpe Landscape Services” in a classy modern script.

My eyes snap up to his. “Jude!”

“What do you think?” He smiles at me. “The truck goes in for a new decal next week.”

I look back down at the card in my hand, running my fingers over the embossed lettering. My eyes well up as I meet Jude’s gaze once more, pulling off my glasses and placing them on the bench beside me.

“It’s perfect,” I breathe, holding the card to my chest. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” He chuckles and kisses me.

“You won’t miss the old name?” I search his expression.

“No, not at all,” he says quickly. “Sharpe Blades sounded kind of badass when I was twenty-five. But it’s time for an upgrade.”

I smile at him.

“And time to make this working together thing official,” he says, running a hand along my thigh. “The card’s just a sample. The name isn’t final if you want to change it.”

I lean in and kiss him softly. “No, I love it,” I say, beaming as I look at the card once more before tucking it into my book before turning to him again. “And I love you.”