Undeniable (4 page)

Chapter Six

Jude

Me: I’m sorry.

I sent the text three days ago and hadn’t received a response yet. I knew I fucked up the minute the words fell from my mouth, but it was too late to take them back. Just thinking about the hurt look on her face made me feel sick to my stomach.

I had just gotten off the phone with Jett, who informed me that he’d given me a raise. I was now making almost twice as much as I was before. Which was helpful, considering the cops had put a stop to the fights at Mason’s after my attack. He had also said I would be paid for the time I’d been away from work the last two weeks. Then I got a call from my landlord, who told me my rent had been paid for the next three months by an unknown person. It pissed me off even more because I knew that unknown person was also the asshole that was my boss.

Taking handouts was not easy for me.

Opening the door to find Callie standing on my porch with a shit-ton of food was the last straw. Taking it all out on her was wrong of me. I knew Cal wasn’t the type of person to expect anything in return for her kind gestures. Hell, on more than one occasion, I had seen her take money from her own pocket to cover a bill at the restaurant for a guest that may have been running a little low. That’s just the way she was, and I had once again pulled a complete dick move by throwing her kindness back in her face.

I got my ass chewed out by Katelynn and had to calm down a crying Zoey, who was even angrier with me than my sister was. Hearing my niece tell me that I was a bully for making Callie leave was like a punch to the stomach. I knew she was right, but now I couldn’t even get Callie to respond to my apologies. I had tried calling her at least three times, and the text was the final resort.

Jett had also insisted I take another week or two off, but I had news for him—I would be going in tomorrow. This waiting game wasn’t me, and I needed to get out of this apartment before I lost my damn mind.

I dropped my phone to the mattress and stood up, stretching my arms above my head. The ache in my muscles felt good as I shifted from side to side. When I exited my bedroom, Matthew came skidding to a stop at my feet. He held something behind his back, and a look of pure evil covered his small features.

“What are you hiding?” I asked, giving him a stern look. “And before you answer, remember we don’t lie in this house. Give me the truth, boy.”

“I was just holding on to it for her,” he said as his face shifted to pure innocence. The kid was going to have all the ladies hanging on his every word when he got older. I could see it now. He knew how to play anyone with that charming smile and those big, brown puppy-dog eyes. He got better at it daily.

I held out my hand and wiggled my fingers. He slowly brought his hand out from behind his back and placed the item into my palm. “She called me a brat,” he stated, as if that alone was good enough reason for his master plan.

“Well, buddy, calling you a brat wasn’t nice. But that’s not reason enough to take her bracelet. And I’m pretty sure I know what you intended to do with it, and we’ve had this talk before, haven’t we?”

He nodded as his eyes remained locked on mine.

“And what have I told you?” I asked.

“That I can’t flush things.”

“That’s right,” I said. “Now go get dressed. Mrs. Reames is coming over, and running around in your Batman underwear isn’t appropriate.”

I waited for him to hurry off before I walked toward the bedroom the two of them shared. Zoey had her back to the door, but I could see she was messing with a small box she had slid out from under the bed. “What do you got there, Zoe?”

Her little body jumped in surprise, and she spun around with her eyes wide. “Nothing.” She hurried to cover the items in the box with her hands.

“Well now, you know I ain’t falling for that one, right?” I walked farther into the room, and she pushed the box under the bed and spun around again. With her back pressed against the bed, she gazed up at me with the same look of innocence her brother just tried to use.

It was then I noticed her lips looked glossy as if she was wearing lipstick. Her cheeks were a little rosy, and there was a faint pink, glittery look above her eyes. “Zoey, are you wearing makeup?”

“Yes.” She didn’t try to hide it.

“Where did you get makeup?” I had never bought her any.

“Um…” She looked to her side. Zoey couldn’t lie while looking you in the eyes. She was so easy to read. “I’ve had it for a long time. I found it when Matthew and I went outside to play.”

“You just found it outside?”

“Yeah.” She still wouldn’t look at me.

“Let me see it.” She looked up nervously. “Come on, show me.” I knew the story was shit, and I had a feeling what was in that box would confirm that. She knew it too.

I stood with my arms crossed, showing no signs of backing down. Zoey rose up on her knees and turned back to face the bed before slowly pulling the box out from under it.

In the center of the box was an electric-blue cosmetic bag with
Callie
embroidered on the top.

My throat grew tight. “Where did you find that, sweetheart?”

“In your bathroom. She left it,” she said with sadness in her eyes. “I didn’t want you to take it away.”

I walked past Zoey and sat on the edge of the bed as I held my hand out to her. “Come here,” I whispered.

She stood up, and I pulled her onto my lap. “You miss Callie?” I asked, and she nodded. Her lower lip trembled, and fuck if it didn’t make my stomach ache with sadness. “What do you say we go see her?”

“Really?” Her eyes instantly brightened up.

“Yeah,” I said with a smile. “Mrs. Reames is coming over to hang with your mom for a bit, and I have to go fill her meds and get a few things from the store. I was planning to let you kids stay here and play, but I’m rethinking that idea. I’m thinking maybe you, me, and Matthew could go to the restaurant and get some lunch.”

She scrunched up her nose. “Does he have to come?”

I chuckled and wrapped my arms around her. “Yeah, sweet girl, he does.”

She let out a deep sigh, which only made me laugh harder. Our little diva.

Chapter Seven

Callie

“Jett, she has to go. I’ve had four complaints in the last two hours,” I said as I walked into his office, interrupting the powwow he and Easton were having. “I’ve had to cover half her section because she’s so damn slow, and she continues to get people’s orders wrong.”

They both just stared at me as I continued to vent my aggravation with Georgia, the waitress from hell. “I told her to spit out her gum at least four times, because I’ve caught her blowing bubbles while taking orders. She dumped a soda in some poor guy’s lap and then proceeded to pat him dry while his fiancée looked like she was about to murder her. She gave her number to another guy because she said, and I quote, ‘He has hands that I’m sure would feel great gripping my ass.’”

Easton choked on his water, and Jett’s eyes almost bugged out of his head.

“Yeah, I know,” I said in a horrified tone. “So can we fire her now?”

Easton broke out in laughter, and Jett shot him a glare. “I’m sorry, but that shit is funny.” He shrugged it off and went back to drinking his water, doing his best to control his laughter.

“Yeah, tell her I need to talk to her. I know you’ve been covering her area, but can you do it for another couple hours? Rita comes in at three.”

“Yeah, I got it,” I assured him as I spun around to find her.

“Thanks, Cal,” Jett hollered, and I just waved it off over my shoulder. Anything was better than dealing with Georgia. I was barely holding it together. She had to go.

I rounded the bar and spotted Georgia but stopped abruptly when I saw who she was talking to. Jude was sitting at her table with Matthew and Zoey across from him. I didn’t like the feeling I got as she openly flirted with Jude. But when she reached out and touched Matthew’s cheek, a sense of possessiveness ran through me, and I felt like bitch-slapping her skanky ass. I knew they were not my family, but damn if I would let her taint them.

I forced my feet to move and closed the distance as Jude looked up to meet my stare, the side of his mouth tipping upward in a cocky smirk. I quickly looked away from him.

Zoey turned around then, and the moment she saw me, she jumped up from her chair and ran in my direction. I lowered to my knees just in time to catch her as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “Callie,” she squealed.

“Hey, sweetie,” I said in return as I hugged her close, choking up. “I’ve missed you.” I didn’t know just how much until I saw her.

“We missed you too. That’s why Uncle Jude brought us here,” she said as she released her hold on my neck.

To say I was shocked that he willingly brought them to see me was an understatement. “Well, I’m glad you’re here.” I couldn’t help grinning as I got a closer look at her face. I knew I had left my makeup bag at Jude’s, but I couldn’t get up enough courage to go back to get it. I remembered how Zoey would watch in amazement when she found me in the bathroom applying eye shadow.

“My makeup looks good on you,” I said. Her cheeks reddened, and she looked down like she was embarrassed. “You can have it.”

“Really?” she asked as she lifted her head, and that smile I adored had returned. I nodded, and she hugged me once more.

Looking over her shoulder, I found Georgia staring at me as if I had just interrupted some intimate moment she was having with Jude and the kids.

“Jett needs to see you in his office,” I told her, and she narrowed her eyes at me. “Now.”

“But I have tables to take care of.”

I closed my eyes tightly, relishing Zoey’s hug before I had to face the ugliness once more. I released Zoey, and she made her way back to the table as I stepped closer to Georgia. I was doing my best to keep our conversation as quiet as possible. The guests did not need to see or hear it. “Now you and I both know I’ve been waiting on over half your customers since you got here today. So you stepping away to go to Jett’s office won’t matter. I have it covered.”

Georgia huffed in frustration and pushed past me. I had the urge to yank on her hair as I stumbled, but I took a deep breath instead.

“Rough day?” Jude asked. He had heard me bitching about the waitress’ laziness and clumsiness on more than one occasion.

I turned around to face him and nodded. I was still pissed at him and had no intention of letting go of my anger so easily. Even though he had brought two very special people to see me, that didn’t fully make up for how rude he was when I was just being generous.

“What do you two think about making your own chocolate shakes?” I asked as I looked directly at Matthew and Zoey. “With whipped cream and sprinkles.”

Their eyes lit up, and my heart fluttered in my chest. This day had started out to be shitty, but it had just become one of the best I’d had in almost a week.

I linked hands with the kids as I led them away from the table and toward the small bar area just off the kitchen that held all the tools to make the perfect shakes. I looked back over my shoulder and found Jude watching us with a look I’d never seen before. He looked almost happy.

One at a time, I placed Zoey and Matthew onto a stool at the counter. Once I was sure they were safely seated, I stepped behind it and put two child-sized shake cups in front of them.

“Chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry?” I asked.

“Chocolate,” Matthew said with excitement. His little feet hung over the edge of the stool, and he was caged in by the arms of the chair. An uneasy feeling stirred within my stomach at the thought of him toppling the chair from bouncing around.

“Okay, but no wiggling. You sit very still in that chair. Okay?” He nodded, still wearing the biggest smile I had ever seen on him.

I turned to Zoey. “What about you?”

“Vanilla with rainbow sprinkles.” Her eyes grew wide, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Okay, one chocolate and one vanilla. With rainbow sprinkles,” I said before turning around to get to work.

“And a strawberry too.”

My body froze and my heart lurched as Jude’s deep voice sent chills over my back and arms. I hadn’t expected him to join us, but I was secretly thrilled he had. I wouldn’t tell him that, though. I took in a deep breath as I nodded without turning around to face him. I needed just a few more minutes to calm my nerves and stop my hands from trembling. I stood with my back to them as I slowly mixed each shake and only turned around long enough to grab the cups to pour the mixtures into.

Once each had their shakes, I grabbed the whipped cream and assorted sprinkles and turned to fully face them. I could feel Jude’s eyes on me, but I concentrated on the kids instead. I tipped the can of whipped cream upside down, pressed the nozzle, and topped off each cup. Zoey of course got the rainbow sprinkles, just as she asked for, and Matthew and Jude went with the chocolate flakes. I watched as Matthew imitated Jude’s every move as his uncle shook the sprinkles evenly onto his shake. Once they’d added the sprinkles, the kids dug in.

Jude held his spoon over the top of his shake and twisted it around between his fingers. As the seconds ticked by, I became more and more nervous.

“I really am sorry for the way I’ve treated you,” he said in a low tone. The kids were so consumed with their sugary treats that they were completely oblivious to anything else. “I am grateful for what you did for my family. I know you didn’t have to.” He lifted his eyes to meet mine.

His stare always did things to my senses. I tried to swallow past the dryness in my throat.

“You didn’t have to put your life on hold to take care of them,” he said.

“I wanted to.” I shrugged and looked back at Matthew and Zoey. “Nothing I did while you were in the hospital, or even after you got out, was because I felt sorry for any of you. It wasn’t charity. It was because I care.”

Too many emotions were hitting me all at once, and I needed some space. “I need to go check on my tables,” I said in a rush and didn’t stick around long enough to wait for his reply.