Hey Jude (Lennox Valley Chronicles #1)

I tilt my head, my expression flat. Is he kidding me with this?

“I am a brilliant and capable landscape designer.” He looks at me expectantly, eyebrows raised.

I roll my eyes and turn back to the river.

“Olena!” he calls out.

I say nothing.

After a beat, his footsteps shake the dock behind me as he approaches. I turn to look up at him towering over me.

“Get up,” he says.

Again, rolling my eyes, I reluctantly push up to standing, brushing the fly-away hairs away from my face.

“I am a brilliant and capable landscape designer,” he repeats with total seriousness.

“Jude, this is silly.” I frown as I look around us, checking for onlookers.

“Say it.” He ducks his head to get in front of my face, making me look at him.

I roll my eyes again. “I am a brilliant and capable landscape designer,” I mumble quietly, looking away from his intense gaze.

“Yes, you fucking are.”

I look up, meeting his eyes, a small smile tugging at my mouth.

He smiles encouragingly at me. “Now say… I deserve to be successful and happy.”

“Ugh, Jude…” I frown at him. I hate this.

“Say it!” He lifts his eyebrows, not backing off.

I blow out a breath. “I deserve to be successful and happy,” I say quietly.

He backs up a few feet. “Louder for the people in the cheap seats!” He’s grinning at me, gesturing for me to try again.

I chuckle, feeling ridiculous, although his enthusiasm is starting to work its magic.

I squeeze my eyes shut. “I deserve to be successful and happy!” I call out, then wrinkle my nose. The words feel so phony.

“Sorry! Still can’t hear you!” Jude calls back to me, cupping his ear with one hand as he walks backward toward the far end of the dock.

I ball my hands into fists at my sides, narrowing my eyes at him, then take a deep breath. “I deserve to be successful and happy!” I shout loudly, throwing my head back, my voice bouncing off the rocky hillside. I laugh and cover my face with my hands.

Jude whoops from across the dock, cupping his hands over his mouth. He drops them to his sides and walks back to me with a grin, his eyes gleaming.

“Well, that was fucking painful,” I say, laughing softly. I fall into his chest and wrap my arms around him.

His hands rub gently between my shoulder blades. “The truth hurts—or so I hear,” he replies dryly, squeezing me.

I close my eyes as I nuzzle into him, still feeling like a cheeseball. “That was really corny, you know,” I say against his chest.

The deep sound of his laugh rumbles against my ear. “I know. Brutal. But I had to take one for the team.”

I smile to myself. We do make a good team.

My eyes widen as an idea occurs to me. “What are you doing tomorrow night?” I look up at him.