Hey Jude (Lennox Valley Chronicles #1)

I raise my eyebrows at him, then turn to Mitch, hoping he’ll come to my defense. He says nothing, just raises his hands in front of him like he doesn’t want to get involved.

“Teddy?” I look at him hopefully.

“Hey, I don’t know, man,” he hedges. He looks like he has more to say.

“Out with it.” I narrow my eyes at him.

“Okay, I’m just saying… last time I had that look on my face, Lisa ended up pregnant.”

The team erupts in laughter.

“Okay.” I roll my eyes. “Laugh it up, guys.”

“No, but seriously, boss,” Teddy says, slapping me on the shoulder as he leaves for another load, “you guys make a cute couple.”

“Yeah, and she’s a good egg,” Steph adds. “If you don’t go for it, I will.” She winks at me, spinning her ball cap backwards as she turns to climb the steps.

Mitch and Dimitri both smile knowingly at me, evidently agreeing with the others. They retreat up the stairs and head back to the truck for more plants.

Left alone for the moment, I run my hands through my hair and blow out a long breath. I feel a strange mixture of embarrassment and relief.

Smiling to myself, I pull out my phone.

The others are onto us. I don’t think we’ve been as stealthy as planned.

Oops. Everything okay?

Yes and apparently we have their blessing.

Aww. Well good because I don’t know if you noticed, but it’s Friday.

How could I forget?

20

OLENA

Jude’s hand runs lazily along my thigh as he drives us into town. He told me our plans were a surprise, so I dressed simply in nice jeans and a fitted, button-up silk top. Remembering Jude’s promise from Monday, I told Wyatt not to expect me home tonight.

Wearing a black t-shirt and jeans, Jude looks… edible. I can’t stop staring at him. The setting sun casts a golden glow on his face as he drives, a hint of auburn shining in his dark beard. He glances over at me and smiles. Returning his eyes to the road, he slides his hand higher. My eyes roll involuntarily and I exhale; I’m having a hard time keeping my composure as electricity spreads up my leg from his touch.

“That is a very dangerous move,” I say, leaning back against the headrest and turning to look at him. He grins. “Unless you’re planning to find somewhere to pull over, you’d better keep those hands in check.” I raise an eyebrow at him.

He pulls his hand away, feigning innocence. “My sincere apologies,” he says solemnly, then smiles at me, his green eyes shining with mischief. He pulls into the parking lot of a place I don’t remember from before I’d moved to Seattle. In the front window, a sign reading “The Battle Axe” sits above a logo of a wooden target. I look inside and my eyes widen.

“We’re going axe throwing?” I ask, beaming at him. I’ve always wanted to try it.

“I thought we could work through some of this… tension,” he says, his eyes traveling over my body and shamelessly lingering on my breasts. Shutting off the truck, he leans over, reaches a hand to the back of my neck, and pulls me in for a kiss.

Our lips part and I smile up at him. “We’ll have to leave the truck first.”

Reluctantly, we climb out. As we walk in the door of The Battle Axe, the sound of Celtic punk music fills my ears. I peer past the front desk to see paired throwing lanes with wooden targets mounted on the walls, each pair separated from the lanes next to it by a section of chain-link fence. There’s a mural behind the front desk of a badass Viking woman holding two axes across her chest.

A muscular woman with pink hair and full sleeve tattoos greets us as we step up to the desk. She taps a pen against her palm and smiles at us.

“Jude, welcome back,” she smiles at him with a nod. “Same as usual? Or…?” She looks at me, inquiring.

“Ooh, do you come here often?” I tease, leaning forward on the desk and twisting up to look at him.