“It’s all right, Eden. I don’t mind. To be honest, I’ve never seen Jude in such a good mood. He really likes you.”
I knew she was fishing for my confession of how much I liked him, but I skirted around the topic. “My dad nearly fell on his face. He recognized your brother instantly. Everyone really liked him, even my sister, Sophie, and she’s not easily won over.”
“Jude has that way about him. He can turn his charm on and off like a faucet, and people become enamored with him instantly.”
I could usually read Finley’s thoughts, and it seemed as if she’d mentioned the on and off charm thing to warn me. I had the distinct and rotten feeling that she was cautioning me not to take my relationship with Jude too seriously.
It was definitely time for a topic change. “How was your dad feeling when he left? Is he rested enough for the tour?”
She tossed the bags of chips into the dough. “I guess. I tried to tell him to drink more water and eat better, but he’s not really the kind of person you can tell to do stuff. I brought up to him the possibility of slowing down on the tours, and Ray, his agent, nearly had a stroke. A lot of people look at my dad as a major commodity. They don’t seem to get that he’s someone’s father and that he’s getting too old for so many concerts.”
I grabbed a spoon and helped her drop raw cookie dough onto the pan. “When will he be back?”
“Who knows.” She loaded her spoon and shoved the raw dough into her mouth. “Oh my gosh,” she mumbled with a full mouth, “that is so good.” She dug her spoon in again and stuck it in front of my mouth.
“What about the raw egg?” I asked, and wondered why I always had to be so damn practical. I pushed the dough into my mouth. It was delicious. “Salmonella be damned. It’s worth the risk.”
“Excuse me,” Finley said, “but Beverly Hills chickens do not carry bacteria.”
“That sounds plausible— if there were chickens in Beverly Hills, but I have my doubts about that.”
She motioned over to the television. “We’ve got pigs.”
“True. But most pigs wallow in mud, not on expensive, imported rugs.”
She laughed and hugged me. “I missed you, Eden. Now, while these are baking, let’s go up to see what I’m going to wear tonight. I haven’t seen Max in days, so this is going to take some major decision making.”
The cookies nearly burned while Finley laid out dress after dress and checked them against the volume of tan she had. “Certain dresses go with certain amounts of suntan. Unfortunately, I’m still in the semi-tourist mode, which means my skin and hair color are only a few shades apart.” She looked over at me. “Did you bring a dress?”
“Nah, the two I have are out of date and don’t fit great anymore. I’m fine with my shorts.”
“Nonsense.” She took my hand and led me across the stair landing to the other side of the house.
Finley threw open a door to a bedroom that was decorated heavily in pink satin. The bed was round and covered with white furry pillows. “It’s a guest room for my dad’s lady friends.” She opened a door to a deep closet filled with women’s clothes and shoes. “Sometimes they stay longer than expected, so he likes to have a wardrobe for them. Don’t worry, everything has been dry cleaned.” She searched through a line of flirty looking dresses and produced a short, flouncy sleeveless dress with a halter style top. It was made of an incredibly soft blue cotton fabric. She held it up in front of me. “This should fit, and it will go perfect with your skin. Your skin always looks tanned even without sun, lucky bum.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve worn a dress. It’s going to feel foreign.” The whole idea actually excited me, and I couldn’t wait to try it on.
Finley and I had stuffed ourselves from cookie tasting, and we had no appetite for dinner. She texted her brothers to let them know they were on their own for finding food. Jude answered that he’d be late, and I tried hard not to show my disappointment.
But on the bright side, the dress fit perfectly and I loved it. I stood in the mirror and spun around several times to make the perky skirt spin.
Finley poked her head inside my room. “Wow, can I pick or what?”
“It’s definitely the prettiest thing I’ve ever worn. I feel feminine for a change.”
She laughed. “Please, with that body, you’d be feminine in a pair of farmer’s overalls. Max is on his way, and Cole’s in the shower. Not sure about Jude, but I’m sure he’ll saunter in sooner or later. He’s going to fall over dead when he sees you.”
For the first half of the evening I was a fifth wheel in my awesome little party dress. I’d busied myself devouring the cookies, and eventually, the creamy, blue fabric was covered in crumbs. I hibernated into the couch cushions, listening to the conversation and trying not to dwell on the fact that Jude obviously had no particular interest in coming home to see me.
Cole’s friend, Teresa, was one of those girls who liked to command the attention of everyone in the room and worked tirelessly at it. She was expensively dressed but in a tacky way, and aside from being pretty, it was hard to find what Cole might see in her. She’d flirted with Max all evening. Finley seemed to be regretting the whole night, but she kept her cool. I was close to giving up on Jude’s arrival, but I stayed around for Finley’s sake. She’d been so excited about the evening, but it was slowly disintegrating into a mild disaster— with the exception of the cookies, which were delicious.
Teresa was boring us with a dull monologue about a trip to the mall when the dogs jumped up and trotted to the side door of the kitchen. Jude walked in. He looked tired and dusty from a long day of construction. And my heart surged instantly. His weary green eyes flashed my way immediately. I was not imagining his reaction to my dress.
“Hey, Jude,” Teresa called enthusiastically. With the way she’d been acting, I wasn’t the least bit surprised when she hopped off the couch in her low cut tank top and short jean skirt to give Jude a hug.
He put up his hands to stop her. “You don’t want to do that. I’m covered in sweat and dirt.”
Her shoulders shrank some in disappointment.
Jude combed his fingers through his hair as he headed to the stairs. “Eden, can I see you a minute?”
I looked at Finley feeling as if I should get permission before abandoning her.
She mouthed the words hurry back to me, and I walked out to the hallway. Jude had already disappeared around the corner, and as I turned, he reached out and pulled me into his arms.
“What about the sweat and dirt?” I wiped my finger across his chin.
“Serves you right for wearing that dress.” He kissed me long and hard, and instantly, I felt like melted butter beneath his touch. His gaze went beyond hunger, and his fingers grasped my arms in a way that seemed he had no intention of ever letting me go. “Lose your buddies. I’m not sharing you with anyone tonight. I’ve been going nuts all day thinking about you.” He lifted a swollen red finger where the nail had begun to turn black. “And it’s dangerous.”
I took hold of his wrist and kissed the finger. “How’s that?”
His dark lashes lowered, shadowing his ravenous gaze. “It’s a start.”
“I can’t leave your sister. That girl Cole invited has been awful. She’s all over Max, and I think she’s doing it just to get a rise out of Finley.”
“Sounds like Teresa hasn’t changed much.” His rough finger traced along the strap of my dress. “Finley will survive. I need you more.”
And here it was, the major piece of complication I’d stuck into my life puzzle. I was here to be a companion for Finley, but I’d let Jude get into my head and my heart, and now I was being torn between responsibility and my own needs.