Feels Like Home: A Southerland Family Contemporary Romance Book 1 (18 page)

“
Shut up,” said Andrew,
taking one of the subs.

Max sat at Jude’s feet like the poster child
for good Newfoundlands everywhere. “Oh, so now you’re my dog
again.” Jude unwrapped the third sub and set it on the floor in
front of the dog. “Here you go.” Max had practically inhaled the
sub by the time Jude straightened again.

“
Nice.” Andrew nodded to
Max and popped the top on his diet coke.

“
Can’t you keep some
regular coke here?”

“
Do you know how much sugar
is in one of those things? Aren’t you supposed to be some kind of
doctor?”

“
Smart ass.” Jude took a
swallow of his own soda and grimaced. “What makes you think the
aspartame is any better? Studies are starting to show that stuff
might have the same impact on your blood sugar as the real stuff
and it doesn’t taste nearly as good.”

“
We could drink
water.”

“
Naw, need the carbonation
to wash down the grease,” Jude said around a mouthful of sub. He
loved Jeno’s subs. Juicy meatballs cooked in rich marinara and
covered with mozzarella on big yeasty buns that got almost as soft
and gooey as the melted cheese.

Andrew lifted his sub in mock toast. “Not
that I’m not happy to see you, but why are you here aside from
ensuring you’ll have a future patient?”

“
I’m bringing Autumn to
Bailey’s party tomorrow and I want you and my asshole brothers to
behave.”

Andrew choked on his sub and started to
cough. Jude moved to help him, but he held up his hand.

“
I’m okay. I’m okay,” he
said between gasps. He took a swallow of soda and leaned back in
his chair. “You’re bringing Autumn Maddox out on the boat tomorrow?
To meet your family?”

“
I’m not shopping for
rings.” Not yet anyway. That would be crazy. Still, the idea didn’t
freak him out which in and of itself should have freaked him out.
“I want her to meet the family.”

For a moment they looked at each other both
realizing that for Jude it was almost the same thing. He almost
never brought anyone home to meet his family and he certainly
hadn’t done it as an adult. It had been hard enough for him to keep
women from getting too serious without introducing them to his
parents. Now he realized there was nothing he’d like more than to
have Autumn meet his momma and daddy and for them to get to know
her. The thought distracted him so much, he missed what Andrew was
saying.

“
I don’t think it’s a good
idea.”

“
Don’t think what’s a good
idea?”

“
Haven’t you heard anything
I said? Autumn. I don’t think it’s a good idea to introduce her to
your family, especially not at something like Bailey’s birthday.
She might get the wrong idea.”

His anger rose and Jude inhaled nostrils
flaring. “And what idea might that be?”

“
That you’re serious about
her. You know, meeting the parents and all.”

“
I do know. That’s exactly
the impression I want her to get. I am serious about her.” Jude
kept a tight rein on his temper. Andrew was like a brother to him
but he hated the implication in what he was saying, that somehow
Autumn was okay to fuck but not good enough to build a future
with.

“
Are you sure? I mean you
barely know her. That family of hers is bad news. Her brother gets
picked up for something every other week, and her sister’s live in
– what’s his name – Dwayne is bad news. Rumor has it he’s into some
serious shit.”

“
I’m not interested in her
family.” Not strictly true since he loved Abby already and he
didn’t want anything bad to happen to her mother. He’d look into
the Dwayne thing later, but for now he didn’t want to confuse the
issue. “I’m interested in Autumn. She’s amazing – sweet, caring and
responsible. She worked hard to make something of herself. It
couldn’t have been easy. She didn’t have help from anyone but
Marion. And if I’m remembering right, it wasn’t that long ago that
you were interested in her yourself.”

“
That was for some quick
fun. It wasn’t for anything serious.” Andrew must have realized his
mistake when Jude leapt to his feet. “I didn’t mean anything bad by
that. You know I didn’t.”

“
Whatever. Be nice to her
tomorrow and make sure my brothers get the message, too. Max,
come.” Jude walked out with the dog trailing after him, leaving
Andrew alone with his half-eaten sub.

Autumn sat in her car in front of the Now and
Then Antique Mall and listened to the phone ring. She tried calling
Summer on Friday to tell her about things with Jude, but her sister
hadn’t answered. After their amazing dinner at the Bedford Social
Club there hadn’t been time for talking, but when Jude left this
morning she decided to try again. She was nervous about meeting his
family and thought maybe Summer could help calm her nerves.

When her sister hadn’t answered again, she
started to worry. She’d jumped in the car to try to find a birthday
present for Jude’s sister, Bailey. If Summer didn’t answer this
time, she’d go by the trailer and see what was going on.

Eight rings, nine rings…

She pulled the phone away from her ear to hit
the end call button when she heard her sister’s voice.

“’
lo.” She answered,
sounding groggy and breathless.

Autumn looked at her watch. Almost nine, more
than late enough for Summer to be awake.

“
Hey sis, you
okay?”

“
Tired. What’s
up?”

Autumn heard rustling and then the sound of
cartoons in the background. Summer must have gone out to Abby in
the other room.

“
Jude and I went out last
night.”

“
That’s nice.” Summer
sounded sleepy, and it wasn’t the response Autumn
expected.

“
Yeah, well.”

“
No, tell me.” But she
still sounded barely awake.

“
Tomorrow,” said Autumn.
“After church?”

“
Sure.”

“
Why don’t you let me pick
you guys up?”

“
That’s okay. We’ll meet
you there.”

Autumn hung up the phone, more worried than
she’d been before she talked to her sister. She watched someone
inside the antique store flip the open sign and climbed out of her
car to tackle the day’s next challenge – what to get Jude’s sister
for her birthday.

If she’d had more than two days’ notice, she
could have gone out of town to get something or ordered the perfect
gift online. Not that she had any idea what the perfect gift would
be but she doubted she’d find it at the local Dollar General. That
left the Now and Then. She knew Bailey was older than Summer and
younger than she was and she worked as a chef or something, but
that was it. Maybe she could find some kind of antique kitchen
something.

As if she wasn’t nervous enough about meeting
Jude’s family. He’d tried to put her at ease, but it hadn’t worked.
She’d just started getting used to the idea of having a
relationship with him. She wasn’t sure she was up to being
introduced to his whole family. On a boat.

She wandered up and down aisles crammed tight
with centuries worth of dishes and primitive furniture. Locked
glass cabinets held remnants from the Civil War or the War of
Northern Aggression as Mrs. Jacobs called it in her tenth grade
history class. Autumn started to feel hopeless. Unless she wanted
to show up with a flint lock pistol or a blue willow spittoon, it
didn’t look like she was going to find a present here.

“
Can I help you find
something?” the pretty young sales clerk asked. She looked like she
was around Summer’s age but Autumn didn’t recognize her.

“
I’m looking for a birthday
present.”

“
What do you have in
mind?”

“
Oh, I don’t know. I don’t
know her very well. She’s about your age.”

The young woman took a step back. “And you
came here to find her a present?”

“
Not the best plan, I know
but I don’t have much time. I know she likes to cook. I think she
works as a chef. The party is today. I’m desperate.”

“
You don’t mean Bailey
Southerland, do you?”

“
Yes,” said Autumn not sure
whether to be wary or grateful.

“
I know the perfect thing.
Follow me.”

Autumn followed the clerk down the aisle to a
painted hoosier tucked in the corner. The clerk reached to the back
and pulled out a ceramic owl cookie jar. It had an orange belly
with painted feathers and two huge yellow painted eyes. The head
lifted off to get to the cookies. It was hideous and adorable at
the same time.

“
Are you sure?” The little
round owl had a definite appeal but it wasn’t subtle. Bailey would
either love it or hate it.

“
Positive. I went to school
with Bailey. I’ve known her for years. She’s going to love
it.”

“
Okay, I’ll take it. Can
you wrap it for me?”

While the clerk boxed the owl and found some
pretty paper to wrap it in, Autumn caught her glancing at her like
she was trying to figure something out. It made her uncomfortable
but not enough to say anything.

“
Are you Autumn
Maddox?”

Caught off guard, Autumn nodded.

“
I knew it! You’re seeing
Doctor Southerland.” She said it like a statement not a question
and Autumn’s stomach dropped. God, gossip moved fast in this town.
“Momma has been talking about you for two days now. I’m Shelby
Adair, Jean Marie Adair’s daughter. Were you really sitting on his
lap on your front porch?”

Unable to form coherent words, Autumn nodded
again.

“
Good for you! It’s about
time someone caught that man.” Shelby looked Autumn over from head
to toe. “You’re pretty, too, and I know you didn’t get those
clothes around here.”

Autumn looked down at her cigarette pants.
“Thank you. No wait, I haven’t caught anyone,” she stuttered.

“
You’re going to Bailey’s
birthday party aren’t you?”

“
Yes, but…”

“
Jude Southerland hasn’t
taken a girl home to meet his family since I was in grade school.
Believe me, I’d have heard about it if he had. Whoever he’s dating
is big news with the Ladies Auxiliary and my mother is president of
the Ladies Auxiliary.” She finished taping the dusky lavender
floral paper and started on the bow. “This is going to drive them
crazy. Momma’s already gone on and on about a Maddox dating a
Southerland.”

The way she said it, Autumn could imagine
Mrs. Adair on the phone complaining to the other women in the town
about her. She cringed and Shelby seemed to realize she’d said too
much.

“
Don’t worry about them.
They don’t know anything about anywhere but this small slice of the
world.” She handed Autumn the present, her mouth turning up in an
overly bright smile. “I like you already and I don’t even know
you.”

“
Thank you.” Autumn took
the box and tried to muster enough enthusiasm so Shelby wouldn’t
worry. What she’d said might be true. They might only know this
small slice of the world, but it was the slice where Jude
belonged.

By the time Jude pulled up in front of her
house, Autumn’s nerves had managed to burn away most of what Shelby
said. She’d worry about what the town thought later. She had to
make it through the party with Jude’s family first.

She didn’t wait for him to get out of the
car. She grabbed Bailey’s present and as much courage as she could
muster and went out to meet him.

“
Thanks for coming out.”
Jude leaned across the seat for a quick kiss. “I was afraid if I
went to the door the mongrel would eat the car.”

Autumn let herself sink into him for a
moment, enjoying the feel of his strong warm chest through the
cotton of his t-shirt under her hand. He’d just left her bed a
couple of hours ago and she wanted him again already. He was an
amazing lover – sweet and tender or demanding and possessive. She
didn’t think she’d ever get enough of him.

Heat flared between them. The kiss on her
cheek which had started as chaste morphed to something hotter as
his mouth found the sensitive skin behind her ear. She tipped her
head, offering him her throat.

Max whined from the back and Jude leaned back
in his seat.

“
We’ve got to go before I
blow off my baby sister’s party to take you inside and back to
bed.” His voice sounded ragged and she loved that she wasn’t the
only one struggling with control.

She sat back in her own seat and took a few
deep breaths to keep from pouncing on him.

“
Why does your car smell
like chicken?”

“
I told Bailey I’d get
chicken from Hawks. She always cooks for everyone. She ought to get
at least one day off. I had to put it in the trunk with the cooler
to keep it safe from the chicken thief. But now he’s starting to
eye the leather upholstery. You hurt my car and I’m taking you to
the pound,” he called over his shoulder to the back seat. The dog
lay down and put his huge head on his paws.

“
I think you hurt his
feelings.”

“
That’s nothing compared to
what I’m going to hurt if he goes after the chicken,” he said
backing out of the driveway. “You didn’t have to get a
present.”

“
I wanted to.” She smoothed
the slightly rumpled bow still unsure whether she’d made a mistake
with the owl. “I wasn’t sure what to choose. I hope she likes
it.”