Hey Jude (Lennox Valley Chronicles #1)

Dimitri joins me and we haul paving stones from a nearby pile, arranging them into a circular pattern around the dug-out area on the ground. The basic structure only takes us about fifteen minutes. Assuring him I can finish the rest myself, I send Dimitri to install the swing while I do the finishing touches here.

I’m hauling up a bag of decorative river rock when Olena and the electrician walk down the steps, deep in conversation about lighting.

She stops short when she sees me.

“Jude, hi,” she says, looking surprised and a little flushed. “I didn’t know you were over here.”

“Hey,” I say, not able to help staring at her. With effort, I remember there’s another person with us. “Jude Sharpe. Nice to meet you.” I smile at the electrician, an older man with a red nose and thick gray eyebrows. I put the bag of rocks down beside the fire pit and take off my glove to shake his hand.

“Peter Sparling,” he says.

I nod.

“We were just looking over all the areas that will need electrical installed,” Olena explains, holding my gaze.

“Go for it, by all means.” I smile at Peter politely and gesture for them to come into the secluded garden space.

As they walk in, Olena continues talking to Peter, somehow forming complete sentences like a pro.

My mouth only wants to be doing one thing right now—and it’s definitely not talking.

“So, around the fire pit there will be six posts in a hexagon shape; we’ll have string lighting hung between those. So we’ll need a plug at the base of one of them.”

She must feel my eyes raking over her.

Peter considers. “So, the question is, where are those going in the ground and which one you want hooked up to power.”

“I was thinking the one that makes the most sense is the…” Olena’s eyes find mine and she falters. “The uh…”

I wink at her, then turn away to open a bag of sand with my pocket knife.

I hear her recover behind me. “Sorry. What was I saying? Right. The one closest to the path is probably best, since I assume the line will be coming from that direction.”

My back is to them both, but I’m smiling to myself as I pour the sand into the pit.

* * *

The arborist crew descends on us midday Wednesday to take out the two sick maples, so our lunch break is not remotely enjoyable; the sound of chainsaws ripping through branches ruins any chance of conversation or rest. My crew piles into Teddy’s truck to pick up lunch in town and escape the noise. I stay behind to manage the carnage from the tree removal.

Olena stays behind, too, and sits in her car with the doors and windows shut, ear protection on, eating snacks while she looks over some paperwork. I’m glad she packed food today, because I’m fresh out of protein bars.

My phone buzzes in my pocket.

is it Friday yet?

is there something you’re looking forward to in particular?

well I just started seeing this guy at work…

oh, do tell

he’s very handsome

yeah? go on

and kind of quiet and mysterious sometimes

he sounds dreamy.