Fool For You (Made for Love Book 4) (68 page)

“JD, it’s so good to see you. You look so handsome. Gosh, every time I see you, I wonder where my boy has gone.”

“He ran off and turned himself into a fine man, is all,” says Joe.

When my mom let’s me go, I reach out to shake his hand, and he pulls me in for a hug. My stepfather is a few inches shorter than me, and he’s grown a bit stocky over the years, but he’s still what most would consider handsome. He’s as close to a father as I’ve ever had, and he treats my mother well, which helped forge a solid relationship of respect between the two of us.

“It’s good to see you, Joe.”

“You as well, JD—you as well.”

I turn back to reach for Teddy. As soon as I stick my hand out, she slides hers into mine. She smiles at me, and the familiar ache in my chest resonates as I read the love in her eyes. It makes me want to kiss her, but I restrain myself and introduce her to my parents.

“Teddy, this is my mother, Annelise, and my stepfather, Joseph.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Delaney, it’s really nice to meet you,” she says, holding out her free hand to greet them both with a handshake.

“Please, do call me Ann,” my mother insists.

“And I go by Joe.”

“Well, shall we sit? Your brother should be here soon. And your
sister
, I hear.”

“Yeah,” Teddy replies shyly.

“That’s a story I’d like to hear,” says Joe. “Sit. We’ll order drinks while we wait.”

F
or days, I’ve been so concerned with how Judah’s mom would receive me—so concerned that I didn’t stop and think what it would really be like to see Judah interact with his parents. He’s different with them; and I don’t mean that in the sense that he
himself
behaves differently, because he doesn’t. It’s more in the way he allows himself to be received. The mere fact that he answers to
JD
astounds me—I also find it incredibly endearing, and I love it.

Harper and Ben show up not ten minutes after we all sit and order drinks. I relax a little having my sister at the table with me, tossing me winks every so often. Just as I told Judah she would be, she’s incredibly charming. She makes all of us laugh as she shares stories from her classroom when Ann inquires about what she likes most about teaching. I can tell that she’s got both Ann and Joe eating out of the palm of her hand, and Ben looks upon her with so much pride and love. If I were a fly on a wall instead of a guest at the table, I’d be jealous—but I
am
a guest at the table, and I’ve got Judah.

His hand has maintained a constant presence on my thigh since we sat down. He’s seated on my right side and, much like this morning, he uses his fingers to caress my tattoo. He pushed the skirt of my dress up enough to reveal the bottom of my dream catcher, giving him access to my bare skin. He’s had my whole body buzzing from his possessive touch all evening. Now, a quickie in his Porsche doesn’t sound so appalling.

I, of course, am not overlooked, despite Harper’s dazzling personality. I offer bits and pieces of information to the Delaneys, as well. I tell them about the art history degree I graduated with earlier this year, and I gush about Mountain Time Art Gallery—which of course leads to the story of how Jude and I met. We tell the story together, skipping over the hairiest of details, and exchanging conspiratorial glances every time we do. All the while, I notice how Joe seems to look between the two of us with the same expression he offered Ben and Harper. Ann, on the other hand, seems to study me with a little more caution. It’s subtle, but as a woman who has been living in fear of this evening for a week now—it doesn’t go unnoticed.

I try not to read into it, understanding that it’s only natural. Judah is her first born. While I can tell that she loves Ben fiercely, I imagine her love for Judah must feel different. After all, she carried him in her womb for nine months and raised him as a single mother for the first few years of his life. What they share is unique and beautiful, and I can’t fault her for her motherly precautions.

Just before we order dessert, I excuse myself to use the restroom. Harper is quick to get up from the table too, and she grabs my hand as we walk away from the group.

“Oh. My. Fucking. God,” she states, each word clearly meant to be its own sentence.

“What?” I ask, a little alarmed that those are the first words to come out of her mouth now that we’re alone.

“I don’t know what you’ve done to that man since the last time I saw him, but—oh, shit!” She bursts into a fit of giggles and I look at her as if she’s gone insane. “I’m sorry,” she laughs, wrapping her arms around me. “I forgot you let him put his dick inside of you,” she murmurs directly into my ear. “You must be
really
good in bed. I’m proud.”

“
Harper!
” I shriek, pushing her off of me. “What the hell?”

“I’m sorry,” she replies with an eye roll. “That was crass, I know. But I’m mostly joking. Well, actually, no. I’m not. I imagine you probably have some innate skills—you are a Fitzpatrick girl, like myself.”

I cringe, trying desperately
not
to think about my sister with Ben.

“
Why
are we talking about this?” I demand to know.

She stops me in the dimly lit hallway that houses the bathrooms, gripping both of my shoulders. “Because—Judah is like a
lion
at that table, and you are his feline. It’s so fucking hot. It’s also a little intimidating. I’ve never seen a man be so possessive, and yet so gentle at the same time. I see the way he looks at you. The way he touches you. If he’s not in love with you, he’s falling.
Fast
.”

I soften a little at her words, but then shake my head at her before I tell her, “He hasn’t told me that he loves me.”

“It’s not always an easy thing for men to do,” she says with a shrug. “And you two haven’t been together for
that
long. What’s it been? Two months since you made it official? You’ve got to give his head a chance to catch up with his heart, babe. But he’s
totally
head-over-heels into you. It’s as plain as day. I’m sure his mom is blinded by it,” she says, linking her arm with mine as we continue to make our way into the bathroom.

“She doesn’t look too sure of me,” I admit.

“Teddy Bear, she’s sitting across from her son’s potential
forever girl
. Of course she doesn’t look too sure of you. Remember how mom reacted to Judah? It’s maternal instinct. You’ll see one day.”

A pang of sadness hits me square in the chest as I stop in front of an empty stall.

“No, Harper. I won’t.”

“Oh,
fuck
,” she hisses. “I wasn’t—I didn’t—shit, I’m sorry, sis.” She reaches over and rubs her hand across my lower back. I draw in a deep breath as she continues. “You never know, though. You have options. You could—”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I interrupt her, my voice soft as I turn my gaze on her. “It’s okay. I’m okay,” I assure her, not entirely certain that I’m telling the whole truth. “Let’s just pee so we can get back out there.”

“Yeah.”

After we’ve both finished and we’re standing together at the sink, washing our hands, Harper leans over and kisses my cheek. I smile at her reflection in the mirror in front of us, and she smiles back at me. We dry our hands, and then she wraps her fingers around mine, giving them a squeeze before we make our exit.

“Come on, Theodora. It’s time we got you back to your lion.”

Silence settles over the table after Harper and Teddy leave for the restroom. I look to Ben and we share a smirk, both of us waiting to see which of our parents will speak first. My bet is mother. She must be anxious to attack us with questions she’s too impatient to wait to ask at a more opportune time. That being said, the woman never had a hard time getting her point across in five minutes or less. And sure enough—

“The family resemblance between them is striking. They’re both beautiful girls,” she begins. “I heard somewhere that red heads are fewer and fewer these days, and here my boys are, each with one on their arm.”

I take a sip at my scotch, knowing better than to speak. Her time is ticking, and she’s not finished.

“Though, I must say, I find it interesting that you are with the older sister, Ben, and JD—you’re with the younger. Seems a bit backwards.”

“They’re different women, mom. What does their age have to do with anything?” asks Ben.

“Nothing, I suppose,” she says with a false smile. “Except—Judah, Teddy is a bit young. I’m…
surprised
at your age gap.”

“I don’t know,” Joe interjects. “She appears quite taken by JD. I think they look good together.”

“No, you’re right,” she says, reaching over to pat his hand. “You do make a fine couple. I just worry. I wonder how long it’ll last; how long before she changes her mind about what she wants. It’s what young people do—and she’s at that stage in life where nothing is certain. I remember being in my early twenties. Don’t you? You’re not the same man you were then, JD. There’s so much self discovery that takes place within this window of time.”

She hasn’t yet revealed what she’s getting at—but I don’t appreciate the assumptions she’s making. We’ve been here for all of an hour and a half, and already she thinks she knows the nature of Teddy’s heart. But she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know Theodora’s past. She doesn’t know the ways in which she is mature beyond her years. She doesn’t know about the intricacies of our relationship. I love my mother, and I won’t argue with her—but I also do not wish to subject myself to much more of her opinion.

“Make your point, mother,” I insist, wishing for the conclusion of this conversation.

She sits up straighter before she continues. “I see the way you look at her. She’s not the only one smitten. I just don’t want to see you in ruins if it all comes crashing down. You think I don’t know,” she says, pointing at me from where she sits. “You think I don’t know about that girl who broke your heart all those years ago. A mother knows these things, Judah, whether you speak of them or not. She changed you. I know you came out stronger, but this is different. Your decision to even bring her here speaks volumes. You’re invested. Your heart is on your sleeve, JD, and I just—”

“Enough. Please,” I mutter. I try not to frown at her, but I fail. Not once has she ever spoken to me about the aftermath of Aubrey. To bring her up now is uncalled for—and to question my ability to handle myself, regardless of the direction that my relationship with Teddy goes, is unwarranted. She knows not how I conduct myself. She knows not the depths of Teddy’s feelings for me. She doesn’t
know
, therefore she cannot
understand
, and I will no longer entertain the conversation.

“She’s good for him, mom. And she’s not a flight risk. I—”

“Benjamin…” I shoot him a warning glare. I don’t need him to fight my battles. Neither do I wish for him to defend my woman. I brought Teddy down for an introduction, not an evaluation.

“JD, you know I trust you—”

“Good,” I interrupt. “Then there’s nothing more to discuss.”

Before she can say anything else, the girls return to the table. As Teddy takes her seat beside me, I slip my hand beneath the hem of her skirt, gripping my fingers around her thigh. My cordial mood is waning, and I no longer wish for Teddy to be here—underneath the scrutinizing gaze of my mother.
This
is exactly what she was afraid of, and I want her out of here before she even suspects that my mother has a single doubt.