Hey Jude (Lennox Valley Chronicles #1)

“Yeah.”

We sit in silence for a moment.

“Hey, have you eaten breakfast?” she asks in a motherly tone. I’m sure she suspects I haven’t fed myself properly, as usual.

“Sort of,” I hedge. “I had half of Wyatt’s eggs and a thinking cookie. Does that count?”

She looks at me blankly. “Did the cookie actually help you think about what else to eat?”

I laugh sardonically. “No. Never does.”

Nat lets out a breath, clearly not at all surprised, and starts the car. “Figures. Well, that settles it. I’m buying you brunch after climbing.” She pulls out into the street.

I look at her adoringly. “See, this is why I love you.”

Nat gives me a look, her eyebrows raised. “Now, about that date last night…”

I grimace. “Buckle up.”

* * *

Gasping, I bolt up out of bed with my face and neck dripping with sweat, my t-shirt soaked through and goosebumps prickling over my bare arms. I’m shivering, heartbeat pounding in my chest. A sudden lurch in my stomach sends me bursting out of my dark bedroom, racing to the bathroom down the hall just in time to vomit into the toilet. I grip the sides of the seat with white knuckles as my head spins.

Moments later, Wyatt comes in, flicking on the glaringly bright light. I wince. Once my eyes adjust, I see concern etched on his half-asleep face.

He rubs my back. “Another nightmare?”

I swallow hard and nod, wiping my mouth on a piece of toilet paper and shutting the toilet lid. I flush, still kneeling on the floor.

Sam appears at the door. “Everything okay?” he asks with matching concern in his eyes.

“I’m fine,” I manage to say in a hoarse voice. “I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” I clear my throat as I push myself up on shaky legs to get my toothbrush.

“Do you need anything, babe?” Wyatt asks, rubbing my back again. “Glass of water? Heating pad?”

Shaking my head, I reach for the toothpaste with a trembling hand. I send them back to bed with promises that the awful part is over now. I’m still shivering, but I know once I change my clothes, I’ll warm up again. I always do.

I really need to go see that therapist Nat recommended, I think numbly. Trauma, anxiety, nightmares, panic attacks… and, hell, probably ADHD in the mix. I really need to look into that. Shit. My mental health isn’t stellar right now. But neither is my bank account, so it’ll have to wait.

I watch from the bathroom as Wyatt rubs Sam’s shoulders reassuringly, mumbling something I can’t quite hear as they shuffle back to Wyatt’s room. Sam looks back at me over his shoulder and gives me a small smile, a mix of sympathy and worry on his face. I turn to finish brushing my teeth as they shut the door.

4

JUDE

“John Harwood! Didn’t expect to see you here,” I call out as I approach the two men, cutting a path through the tall grass. John is standing on the cobblestone pathway next to an older man I presume is Charles Faulkner. John and his wife, Susan, live next door. I’ve been taking care of their property for years now; they were some of my first clients when I started my landscaping business and I have them to thank for referring Charles to me for this job.

“It’s the man himself,” John replies with a grin. “We were just talking about you.”

“Good things, I hope!” I shake his hand and clap him on the shoulder, then turn my attention to the other man, who holds out his hand.

“Charles Faulkner,” he says, gripping my hand in a firm shake. “Nice to meet you, Jude.”

“Likewise,” I say. “Quite the view you’ve got here.” I tilt my chin at the nearby cliff that looks out over Black Bear River, then take a moment to look around at the large property. It looks fairly neglected. Overgrown garden beds edge the perimeter of the old Tudor house. A central yard is flanked by various leggy, half-dead plants, as well as several well-established but overgrown trees, including an enormous horse chestnut and several arbutuses.