Hey Jude (Lennox Valley Chronicles #1)

Jude hangs up.

I throw him a quizzical look.

“Well, it appears Teddy’s dentist gave him the good drugs for his procedure and he can’t drive. So we’re down one more person.” Jude ponders a moment, then curses softly under his breath, slipping his phone into his back pocket.

“Did you need him today?” I ask, noting his furrowed brow.

“Yeah, actually.”

“Well, I can stay to help.” The words come out before I realize what I’ve said.

Jude gives me an uncertain look, then smiles. “I’m not going to ask you to do that.”

Instead of backtracking, I double down. “What, you don’t think I can do manual labor?” I tease. “Come on, I’m up for some hard work.” My eyes challenge him to argue.

He smiles, lowering his eyes briefly before meeting my gaze and hopping down off the truck. “Okay, but… you’re gonna get dirty.”

* * *

Steph finds a hoodie in her car to lend to me. “Trust me, you’re not gonna want to get dirt all over your clothes,” she says with a knowing look.

I’m grateful for the heads up. I hadn’t thought about what I was wearing before impulsively offering to help. I tie my hair up in a quick ponytail and she hands me a pair of work gloves. I’m suddenly feeling out of my element. Why did I offer to do this again? I think wistfully about being home in my cozy bedroom, working on the renderings in front of my laptop. They’ll have to wait until tomorrow.

A dump truck full of fresh, black soil beeps a warning as it backs down the driveway. At Jude’s direction, the driver unloads the dark earth onto a few tarps laid out on the grass.

Jude and Steph shovel the soil from the pile into two wheelbarrows for me and Dimitri to move over to various marked areas on the property. Jude tells Dimitri to top up the soil along the garden beds around the house; he tells me to wheel my barrow over to the too far gone area, which Teddy had dug out on Monday.

When I return to the pile of soil after several trips with the wheelbarrow, I discover Jude and I are alone, Steph having moved on to help Dimitri with the garden beds.

Jude gives me a once-over. “How’re you doing so far?” he asks, leaning on the handle of the shovel.

“Oh, fine.” I’m breathing a little hard and can feel sweat trickling down my neck. “I just… I don’t normally do this much heavy lifting.” I sigh and smile at him bravely.

He tilts his head at me, smirking. “Must be hard being stuck behind your desk all day,” he teases as he plunges his shovel into the pile of dirt.

I nod. “It is brutal,” I deadpan, putting my gloved hands on my hips, my breathing slowing down.

“Sounds pretty rough.” He scoops a shovelful of soil and turns it into the wheelbarrow, the muscles of his tattooed forearms shining with a hint of sweat. “I bet your fingers cramp up from typing so much.”

“They really do,” I say, playing along innocently.

“You probably have to readjust your reading glasses from time to time too,” he continues, then adds sarcastically, “How do you manage it all?” He smirks as he lets another scoop of soil fall.

I smile sheepishly and lower my eyes, laughing softly. “I actually do have reading glasses.” I meet his gaze again and don’t look away.

Fire flashes in Jude’s eyes and he pauses his digging. His expression turns darker than before.

I smirk at him with a raised eyebrow. “What, you wanna see them?” I ask, openly flirting. It looks like some of Carol’s audacity has rubbed off on me because I’m failing miserably at keeping this professional.

He blows out a hard breath, looking away from me. I catch a hint of a smile as he turns.

I grab Steph’s abandoned shovel and drive it into the pile of soil beside him. “Focus up, Jude. Back to work.”

* * *

I’m off the hook by mid-afternoon when Jude assures me he, Steph, and Dimitri can handle the rest of the day’s tasks.

He leans against the side of his truck. “Thanks again for your help. You really didn’t have to stay.”