to,” I said softly. I knew what it was like to be asked something that you didn’t want to talk about and it sucked. I might not have liked Jude but I was really working on at least tolerating him.
“You’re not the first person to ask me that question,” he whispered, squinting against the sun, “but you are the first one I’ve ever wanted to tell the truth.”
His words caused my heart to stop momentarily. I didn’t know whether I was excited about knowing something about Jude that no one else knew or terrified. Probably terrified.
He looked at the clock on the dashboard and said, “I’m never late, so if I call the nursing home they’ll understand, but there’s something I need to show you to make you understand why .”
“Oookay,” I drew out the word. “You’re not kidnapping me, are you?”
“No,” he laughed. “You’d only find a way to escape if I tried that.”
“True,” I agreed.
Jude pulled out his cellphone and called the nursing home. I was surprised by how easily they let him off the hook.
“They love me,” he shrugged when I stared at him incredulously. “They gave me the whole evening off. I’ll just put in some extra time for a few days to make up for it.”
“Man,” I shook my head, stifling a laugh, “you are quite the charmer.”
He glanced at me with a wide smile, displaying his perfect white teeth. “Except my charms don’t work on this one girl that I really, really like. It kinda sucks.”
“I’m sure you’re terribly sad,” I played along, looking out the window. “I bet you cry yourself to sleep every night.”
“I do. I use my teddy bear to mop up my tears and I also suck on my thumb,” he rambled, not missing a beat.
“Now that ,” I couldn’t help laughing, “is something I’d love to see.”
“You can come over anytime,” he grinned. “There’s plenty of room in my bed for an extra snuggle buddy. But you already knew that,” he winked, laughing under his breath.
I had no comeback for that one and he knew it.
We grew quiet as he turned off the highway and drove along. The town soon disappeared, replaced by the country and a dirt road. A wooden fence kept cattle from crossing into the road and trees were everywhere, blanketing the sky around us.
“Where are we going?” I asked, unable to handle the suspense a moment longer.
“To answer your question.”
“I really hate show and tell,” I muttered under my breath. “You better not take me to a whorehouse or something.”
He let out a belly laugh and smiled crookedly . “You’re funny.”
“I was being serious,” I replied.
“I know you were,” he grinned at me, “that’s why it was funny.”
The dirt road narrowed into a driveway and I stared around in awe at all the animals. There were goats, cows, sheep, llamas, and the most beautiful horses I’d ever seen. “Wow,” I breathed, unable to keep myself from uttering the word.
“I know, right,” Jude agreed. “It’s beautiful here. My favorite place in the world.” He whispered the last part.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” I admitted, still in awe of the spectacular property.
“You’ve never been on a farm?” He asked, his tone of voice incredulous. “Isn’t that like a prerequisite to live here?”
“My parent’s are pretty citified,” I mumbled. “My mom would’ve complained that she was getting her shoes dirty and my dad wouldn’t have set foot at a place like this. Did you grow up here?” I realized immediately that maybe I shouldn’t have asked the question since our deal was one question a day, but I couldn’t help myself.
He answered anyway, despite my slipup in our plan. “Yes and no.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, my nose crinkling in confusion.
He shrugged and I let it drop. I didn’t want him prying into my life, so I wouldn’t do the same to him.
The trees pulled away, hanging in a way that they almost framed the two-story white house. A porch
“You’re not the first person to ask me that question,” he whispered, squinting against the sun, “but you are the first one I’ve ever wanted to tell the truth.”
His words caused my heart to stop momentarily. I didn’t know whether I was excited about knowing something about Jude that no one else knew or terrified. Probably terrified.
He looked at the clock on the dashboard and said, “I’m never late, so if I call the nursing home they’ll understand, but there’s something I need to show you to make you understand why .”
“Oookay,” I drew out the word. “You’re not kidnapping me, are you?”
“No,” he laughed. “You’d only find a way to escape if I tried that.”
“True,” I agreed.
Jude pulled out his cellphone and called the nursing home. I was surprised by how easily they let him off the hook.
“They love me,” he shrugged when I stared at him incredulously. “They gave me the whole evening off. I’ll just put in some extra time for a few days to make up for it.”
“Man,” I shook my head, stifling a laugh, “you are quite the charmer.”
He glanced at me with a wide smile, displaying his perfect white teeth. “Except my charms don’t work on this one girl that I really, really like. It kinda sucks.”
“I’m sure you’re terribly sad,” I played along, looking out the window. “I bet you cry yourself to sleep every night.”
“I do. I use my teddy bear to mop up my tears and I also suck on my thumb,” he rambled, not missing a beat.
“Now that ,” I couldn’t help laughing, “is something I’d love to see.”
“You can come over anytime,” he grinned. “There’s plenty of room in my bed for an extra snuggle buddy. But you already knew that,” he winked, laughing under his breath.
I had no comeback for that one and he knew it.
We grew quiet as he turned off the highway and drove along. The town soon disappeared, replaced by the country and a dirt road. A wooden fence kept cattle from crossing into the road and trees were everywhere, blanketing the sky around us.
“Where are we going?” I asked, unable to handle the suspense a moment longer.
“To answer your question.”
“I really hate show and tell,” I muttered under my breath. “You better not take me to a whorehouse or something.”
He let out a belly laugh and smiled crookedly . “You’re funny.”
“I was being serious,” I replied.
“I know you were,” he grinned at me, “that’s why it was funny.”
The dirt road narrowed into a driveway and I stared around in awe at all the animals. There were goats, cows, sheep, llamas, and the most beautiful horses I’d ever seen. “Wow,” I breathed, unable to keep myself from uttering the word.
“I know, right,” Jude agreed. “It’s beautiful here. My favorite place in the world.” He whispered the last part.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” I admitted, still in awe of the spectacular property.
“You’ve never been on a farm?” He asked, his tone of voice incredulous. “Isn’t that like a prerequisite to live here?”
“My parent’s are pretty citified,” I mumbled. “My mom would’ve complained that she was getting her shoes dirty and my dad wouldn’t have set foot at a place like this. Did you grow up here?” I realized immediately that maybe I shouldn’t have asked the question since our deal was one question a day, but I couldn’t help myself.
He answered anyway, despite my slipup in our plan. “Yes and no.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, my nose crinkling in confusion.
He shrugged and I let it drop. I didn’t want him prying into my life, so I wouldn’t do the same to him.
The trees pulled away, hanging in a way that they almost framed the two-story white house. A porch
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