Trace + Olivia Series Boxed Set (183 page)

It didn’t take long for waiters to start serving us. I expected some kind of fancy fare, but I was pleasantly surprised to see they served us normal backyard party food. Burgers, hotdogs, mac n’ cheese, you name it and it was accounted for. 

There were already plates in front of each of us and we were allowed to grab whatever we wanted to eat. 

I chose a cheeseburger, some mac n’ cheese, and assorted fruit. Jude grabbed a bit of everything and I had no doubt he would eat it all. 

Across from me, Trace grabbed two hot dogs and drenched them in ketchup. He cut up a hot dog for Dean and covered that in ketchup as well.

“Trace,” Olivia scolded, wrinkling her nose, “that’s not necessary.”

“Hey,” he pointed at her, “you can’t start them loving ketchup or Star Wars too young. You’re the freak that doesn’t like either.” Across from me I looked at Dean, who was currently shoving pieces of hot dog in his mouth and getting ketchup all over his face, and noticed that beneath his open plaid shirt he was wearing a shirt with a Star Wars logo. Clearly Trace had dressed him. 

“Ketchup is gross,” she countered, “and Star Wars is weird.”

Trace gasped. “Take that back.”

I laughed at their playful interaction. No matter how much they might banter back and forth, that was just their relationship, but you could always see the love shining through in everything they did. 

Jude bumped my shoulder and I looked up at him with a smile. I giggled when I saw mayonnaise sitting in the corner of his mouth. I lifted my head to kiss it away. 

“Are you happy?” Jude asked me. 

“Very,” I replied, and it was the truth. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been happier. 

Jude grinned widely. “Do I make you happy?”

“The happiest,” I responded. 

Lowering his voice, he nuzzled his face against my ear. “I’ve wanted you for so long that I stopped believing we’d ever happen. Thank you.”

“For what?” My brows furrowed together in puzzlement.

“For giving me your heart, your love, your future,” he shrugged, squeezing my thigh. “Thank you for giving it all to me. You could’ve chosen any guy to love, but you picked me.”

“I didn’t pick you, Jude,” I smiled, kissing his stubbled cheek, “we picked each other.”

He chuckled. “That sounds about right.”

Rowan bumped my shoulder, distracting me. I turned my head to look at her. “What?” I asked.

She giggled. “I was a bit afraid that the way you guys were staring at each other you might end up having sex on the table.”

“Rowan!” I gasped in shock.

“Table sex?” Trace piped in. “Table sex is the best. I mean, all kinds of sex is the best—”

“Trace!” Olivia hissed. “Be quiet,” she nodded her head at Dean. 

Tristan and Ivy didn’t seem bothered by the outburst—although, there was a bit of a blush staining Ivy’s cheeks. 

Olivia’s warning came a bit too late though. “Sex! Sex! Sex!” Dean chanted, smacking his small fists against the table.

Olivia shook her head, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment. She slowly raised her hands to hide her face as other people gathered at the Memorial Day party turned to stare.

Trace put a hand over his son’s mouth and waved at the staring people with a smirk on his face. “Nothing to see here folks. Look away.”

Slowly, they turned away and back to their meals.

“Now, Dean,” Trace looked down at his son, still not moving his hand, “we can’t say that word so loud, okay?”

The little boy looked up at his dad and nodded. Trace lowered his hand and then Dean started in again with a quieter chant of, “Sex, sex, sex.”

“Oh, God,” Olivia groaned. “Someone give him another word to say, please. Anything. I beg of you. He’s like a parrot, repeating every thing you say.”

Jude looked at Dean and said, “Tater Tot.”

Dean quieted and tilted his head. “Tater Tot?”

Jude nodded. “This,” he pointed at me, “is Tater Tot.”

Dean looked at me with a puzzled brow. “Tater, Tater, Tater,” he began to chant. 

“Thanks,” Olivia shot Jude a smile.

“No problem,” he tilted his head in her direction.

“Why do you call Tatum that?” Tristan leaned around Trent and Row to peer at Jude. 

“Because, her nickname’s Tate and it sounds a lot like Tater, so I settled on Tater Tot. Plus, it used to make her ears turn red anytime I said it. Now she doesn’t do it and I know it’s ‘cause she secretly likes it,” he chuckled, rubbing my shoulders.

I didn’t agree with him, but I didn’t deny it either, because he was right. Now I loved that stupid nickname, because Jude was the only person that called me that. I’d missed hearing him call me that during our time apart more than I’d care to admit.

When we finished eating people came to clear off the tables and take them away so the whole lawn was free for roaming. 

A DJ started up in the corner and Jude grabbed my hand, dragging me over to where others were gathering to dance. 

“Dance with me,” he pleaded, his bottom lip jutting out enough to be cute, but not look stupid. 

I couldn’t resist that face, so of course I said yes. 

It was a fast-paced country song and Jude seemed to know all the words, singing them under his breath as he spun me around.

Somehow I ended up with my back to his front. His hands fisted against the bottom of my dress, dragging it up dangerously high as I swayed my hips against his. He felt hard and lethal behind me, like a predator, but I wasn’t scared. I craved his touch. I needed it more than I needed the air I breathed.

He brushed my hair over my one shoulder before his hands returned to my hips. He pressed his face against my neck, planting small kisses to the skin there. I giggled as his stubble tickled me.

“God, I love that sound,” he groaned.

“What?” I asked, my voice light and carefree sounding.

“Your laugh,” he bit my earlobe. “It’s music to my ears.”

“That’s silly, Jude.” I closed my eyes and reached up to wrap my arms around his neck. “It’s just a laugh.”

“Nah, with you it’s not.” His voice grew deep with seriousness. “You used to never laugh, and now you do it all the time. It always makes me smile hearing it—knowing that you’re happy.”

“Mmm,” I leaned my body fully against him, playing with the hairs at the base of his neck, “I think you’re trying to flatter me.”

“Nope,” he bit my neck lightly, “just being honest, baby.”

The song changed to something slower and he turned me around so we faced each other once more. I let out a small scream as I stumbled, but he was quick to catch me before I could fall. 

He held me close, leaning down to brush his forehead against mine. He was dressed casually today in a pair of khaki shorts and a white t-shirt, but he also wore his favorite beanie.

“You know,” I laughed, remembering a conversation we had so long ago, “you never told me what these rules were you made with yourself that you’ve broken with me. Care to tell me about it now?” I smiled up at him.

He chuckled, kissing the end of my nose. “I can’t believe you remembered that.”

“I did,” I nodded. “So come on, tell me. I’m curious.”

“Well,” he grinned widely, “it was only one rule to be honest.”

I leaned my head back to stare into his warm brown eyes. “And what was it?” I asked, trying to keep the pleading tone from my voice.

He lowered his head to whisper in my ear. “Never fall in love.”

I closed my eyes and let out a happy, contented sigh. I leaned up on my tiptoes, and with my fingers tangled in his hair I tilted his head down so I could reach his ear. “Funny, Brooks. I had the same rule.”

He grinned down at me with a boyish smile. “It’s amazing how these things work out, isn’t it?”

I smiled in response and leaned my head against his chest. Listening to the steady thump, thump, thump of his heart. My laugh was music to his ears and this was my music. “Amazing,” I agreed, letting my eyes drift closed.

“It’s time for the fireworks!” Someone yelled and the music cut off.

I jumped as one boomed in the sky and then my mouth fell open in awe at the display. These were real fireworks. Not the kind you got at the stand by 7-Eleven.

Someone handed Jude and me sparklers and then lit them for us.

Tristan ran by us with two in his hands, laughing as Dean chased him. Rowan cried after him, worrying about him getting burned, while Trent chuckled, “He’s a boy, leave him alone.”

I leaned my head on Jude’s shoulder, a small smile on his lips. 

I used to think I didn’t have a family, but looking around at my friends and the man by my side that I loved more than anything, I knew that I did have a family. I wasn’t alone. I was surrounded by people that loved me and I loved them just as much in return. 

For so long I’d closed myself off from caring about anything and anyone. It was so much easier to build a fortress around my heart than risk getting hurt, but then this crazy cocky guy knocked it down and showed me what life was really about.

I smiled up at him and he turned his head to smile at me.

Fireworks lit up the night sky above us as we swayed our sparklers through the air.

A part of me wanted to stay frozen in this moment forever, but life didn’t have a pause button and you had to keep moving forward. So that’s what I was doing.

AS I DROVE TO the farm my hand shook with nerves against the steering wheel. I wasn’t even nervous for myself, oh no this shaking jittery mess I’d become was reserved solely for worrying about Jude.

I hoped and prayed that everything went okay when he met Julia and Archer. I was going to be there for support, but there wasn’t much I could do to distract him if this turned out to be a really bad idea. On second thought, I could probably flash him my boob and he’d be a happy camper.

I’d stopped at Starbucks on my way to the farm and gotten myself an iced coffee. I hadn’t gotten much sleep last night and needed the caffeine to keep me awake.

The lack of sleep was due entirely to the fact that while we were having lunch with Julia and Archer, my dad would be arriving home. Jude and I were supposed to have dinner with him and I was worrying myself sick over what might transpire between us. 

Today was going to be full of family time, but I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

When I pulled up in front of the farmhouse I spotted Jude sitting on the porch steps, his elbows resting on his knees with his head in his hands. He looked as tired as me. I got out of the car, coffee in hand, and sat down beside him.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, staring out at the horses grazing beyond us.

“Scared out of mind,” he admitted. “I have a fucking brother, how weird is that, Tate?” He peered down at me with his dark eyes. “But what if he hates me? What if all this blows up in my face?”

I set my drink beside me on the step and wrapped my hands around his muscular arm, giving it a light squeeze. “You can’t worry about that,” I shrugged. “Think positive. He might be a really cool guy, or he could be a major douche nozzle, in which case I will gladly kick him in the balls for you.” I smiled innocently, batting my eyelashes.

That got him to laugh, which had been my goal. “You’d that for me, wouldn’t you?”

“Uh, of course,” I looked at him like I was crazy. “I already took on a guy three times my size for you. I think I’ve proven my worth. After all, look at this face,” I pointed at myself, “no one expects me to be such a badass, so they never see me coming.”

“God, I love you,” he laughed, slinging his arm over my shoulders and pulling my body against his. He rubbed his face into my hair, humming under his breath. 

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you trying to distract me with your declarations of love?” I slid away from him, quirking my lips so he’d know I was only joking. “Check out these muscles, Brooks,” I flexed my arms. “I’m like your own personal bodyguard.”

“Gotta keep the chicks away from me, don’t you?” He chuckled, reaching for me and lifting me onto his lap. 

“Hell yes,” I nodded with a grin. “You’re a slut magnet. These bitches best learn to back up off my man.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, staring into his eyes. “Don’t worry,” I leaned forward, my voice growing serious, “I trust you.”

“You do?” He asked, surprise coloring his tone. 

“I do,” I stated firmly. My voice softening, I frowned. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

He smoothed his fingers through my blonde hair and then took my chin in his hand. “It’s in the past now, baby. I’m over it. Sitting here with the woman of my dreams in my arms I’ve never been happier. That’s what I choose to focus on. Every relationship has ups and downs, Tate,” he smoothed his thumb over my jaw, “that’s normal. I’ve learned to cherish every moment you choose to spend with me.” His eyes dropped to my lips and his eyes darkened.  “Because with you by my side I’m the luckiest son of a bitch on this whole damn earth.”

My lips quirked into a half smile. “That was quite the declaration.”

“It’s the truth,” he stated flatly. His eyes darkened with heat. “You’re worth it all, Tate.”

I grinned at that and he chuckled.

“Ah, there’s the dimple I love,” he leaned forward, kissing my cheek. “I still don’t get to see it often enough,” he added with a slight frown. “We’ve got to work on that.”