“Then, Mr. Jude, I have to ask this. What are your intentions toward Ms. Kay?” He stepped back as if he was afraid Jude would hit him.
“I intend to marry her as soon as possible, and when her term is up in the senate I plan to move her permanently to my North Carolina farm and spend the rest of my life loving her.”
Gilbert lifted his eyebrows. “Boy, you do know what you want, don’t you?”
“Absolutely, and I’m the luckiest man on earth because Kay says she wants to spend the rest of her life with me.”
“She sure was happy when she went to work this morning. She said you and she had something you wanted to tell me tonight and for me to prepare a Southern country meal for dinner.” He had a question on his face. “You wouldn’t want to clue me in, would you?”
“Nope. Kay wants to do it her way and I’m going to let her to do that.” He stood “I think I’ll call a cab and spend some time at the Smithsonian. I haven’t been there in years.”
Gilbert watched the big man leave and sighed. He couldn’t help liking Jude Winslow, and he hoped the man was sincere. Ms. Kay deserved someone who would love her, and only her, for the rest of her life. If Mr. Jude would do that, he’d have Gilbert’s devotion for the rest of his life, too.
CHAPTER 21
On Wednesday, Jude made arrangements for the three of them to fly to North Carolina on Thursday. The vote on the education bill came up on Wednesday morning. Kay was nervous, but was sure they had enough votes for it to pass, which it did.
Wednesday night, they packed their suitcases and Gilbert twittered around the house taking care of last minute details. “I’m not sure I should go, Ms. Kay. What will those people think of me? A lot of people can’t accept my role in your life.”
“Don’t worry about them, Gilbert. Most of them will think I have an unusual person as a housekeeper, but they’ll eventually get used to you. They’ll end up thinking you’re a special person. See how much you’ve grown on Jude since he’s been here?”
“Mr. Jude may be the exception. Others may think differently.”
“I don’t think so.”
“She’s right, Gilbert. I may even have you working in the barn, or rounding up cattle before it’s over with,” Jude teased him.
“Oh, Mr. Jude, I don’t think I’d be much help with those things.”
“Of course you wouldn’t, Gilbert. I’ve seen how you handle yourself on the ranch. The farm isn’t much different.”
“We just don’t have a desert,” Jude offered.
“Oh, dear, Ms. Kay, what have you gotten us into?”
“You’ll be fine, Gilbert. I’ll take care of you.” She grinned at him.
“And I’ll help her, Gilbert.”
•♥ •
Their plane landed in Asheville at one on Thursday afternoon. They arrived before closing time, so they made a stop at the courthouse. Gilbert waited in the limo wondering what in the world they were doing in this government building. Were the officials expecting Ms. Kay? Would there be a round of parties for her as there often were when they visited a new town? Of course, he had to admit most of those parties had been in her state and were thrown by people who had supported her election. Though she’d been born here, he wasn’t sure what the people of North Carolina would do.
It wasn’t long until the two of them came out of the building. They were laughing and smiling. As they climbed back into the car, Gilbert moved to the seat facing them as they sat on the back. Of course, as close as they were sitting, he’d have had plenty of room on the seat with them.
“Well, we did it.”
“What in the world did you do, Ms. Kay?”
“Look,” She held a piece of paper out for him to see. “It’s a marriage license!”
“Yep, it sure is,” Jude said. “I wanted to be prepared. I want to get her connected to me legal and binding before she ups and changes her mind.”
“No chance of that, farm boy. You’re stuck with me now.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek.
He folded his arms around her and covered her lips. Gilbert blushed.
Jude let Kay go and looked at him. “You might as well get used to it, Gilbert. Since you’ll be living in the house with us, I don’t want you to be embarrassed, but you’re going to see me kissing the woman I love every day. Probably more than one time each day.”
“I’ll do my best to get used to it, Mr. Jude, but Ms. Kay has been so proper for so long, it might be hard. It’s nice to see someone love her so much, though.”
“I love her more than anyone in the world can imagine.” Jude kissed Kay again.
Gilbert grinned and looked out the window. “There sure are a lot of mountains.”
“You’re in the Blue Ridge, Gilbert,” Kay said. “Aren’t they beautiful with the snow? Some of the views around here are breathtaking.”
“It looks like it has snowed some since I left.” Jude looked out the window.
“What in the world am I going to do here?” Gilbert said aloud before he could stop himself.
“What do you enjoy doing, Gilbert?” Jude looked at him.
“Well, I like to swim. I take part in some book clubs because I like to read. I love the ballet and the theater.” He looked at Jude. “Tell me about Coverton Mills. Can I do any of those things there?”
“It’s not a very big place. The town itself is surrounded by six major farms and a few smaller ones which stretch out to the valley. We also have some cultural activities around. Flat Rock isn’t far away, and they have a great theater group. You might see a ballet here now and then, but it’s only around thirty-five miles or so to Ashville where you can find most anything in the way of the arts. In fact, it’s a very artsy town. Nearby Hendersonville is a historical place, and there are often festivities and artsy things going on there, too.” Jude grinned at him. “I have a big swimming pool in my backyard, but of course, you’ll have to wait until summer to take advantage of that.”
“It doesn’t sound bad, does it Ms. Kay?”
“Not at all. And wait until you meet some of the people. They’re the most loving and generous folks you’ll ever want to know. You’re going to love them, and I’m sure they’ll love you, too.”
He was quiet a minute then he asked, “Does your house have a third floor where I could have my own bedroom, Mr. Jude?”
“No. It only has two floors. Our bedroom suite is on the first floor and you’re welcome to choose any of the rooms upstairs. If they don’t suit you, there’s an apartment over the garage and a guest house on the property.”
“I don’t think I’d want to be in a separate house, but that apartment sounds lovely. I’d like to have my own little place. Is it big enough to have a sitting area?”
“Oh, yes. There’s a bedroom, bath, living room, and a small kitchen.”
“All of that over a garage.”
“It’s a good-sized garage.”
“I see.” Gilbert bit his lip. “I think I might like that. Would I have far to walk to get to the house?”
“There’s an entrance to the house from the garage. You’d only have to go down the steps and through an enclosed walkway.”
“It’s a big house, Gilbert. You’re going to be surprised. As well as the swimming pool, there are a tennis court and a small fishing lake below the back lawn that we can enjoy this summer.” Kay smiled at him.
“That sounds lovely,” Gilbert’s eyes began to sparkle. “Maybe I’m going to like this place after all.”
“I hope you do, because it’s going to be our home.” She looked at Jude and he pulled her closer to him.
“If you want to make it our home, I’ll adjust, Ms. Kay.”
“I have no doubts about that, Gilbert.” Kay turned to Jude. “Have you talked to Red today?”
“No, honey, have you?”
“I called him last night. I promised to call him when we get to your house. I hope you don’t mind.”
“I won’t mind on one condition. I want yo
u to start calling it our house. As my wife, it’ll become as much yours as it is mine.”
“I’m like Gilbert—that’ll take a little while to get used to. But not to worry,” she snuggled into him. “I’ll start trying today.”
“Oh, my goodness!” Gilbert was leaning up and looking out of the window.
“What is it, Gilbert?”
“This place has a gate. Look at it. There’s a big W on it.”
The limo pulled to a stop and the buzzer sounded. Jude picked up the microphone and said, “Pull a little to the left near that brick column and I’ll put in the code to open it.”
The driver obeyed, and as soon as Jude pushed some numbers, the gate swung wide. In a matter of minutes, they wound their way up a drive and stopped in front of a spread out European style house with many angles.
“Oh, Ms. Kay,” Gilbert said as his eyes grew wide. “I was a little worried that Mr. Jude was after your money, but it doesn’t look like he needs it.”
Kay chuckled. “No, Gilbert. It must be something else about me which attracts him. He doesn’t need my money.”
As the driver let them out of the car, Jude paid him. “When I opened the gate, I turned the sensor on so it’ll open automatically when you go out.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Jude turned back to Kay and Gilbert. “Well, honey, we’re home. Did you tell Gilbert how much decorating you were going to have to do?”
“No, but he’ll see when he gets inside. He loves to decorate, too. I’ll have to watch him, though, or he’ll have all our rooms painted purple. It’s his favorite color.”
“Tell you what, Gilbert. Forget about putting purple in our part of the house unless Kay wants it somewhere and you can put it all over the walls in your apartment if you want to.”
“Ms. Kay. I’m beginning to see why you like this man so much.”
CHAPTER 22
At noon on Friday, Kay and Jude sat on his terrace having lunch with Cole, Alisa, Red, and Darlene. After they told the group they were engaged, Cole said, “Well, Dad, I’m glad to see you took my advice. I told you if you wanted the woman, you needed to go for it. Then I turned around and almost messed it all up for you.”
“Best advice you ever gave me son, and as Kay says, the other is all forgiven.” Jude reached over and took Kay’s hand and winked at her. “I’m so glad I took his first advice.”
“I’m glad you took it, too.” Kay’s eyes sparkled when she looked at him. She turned to Cole. “Honey, it worked out. Let’s pretend the mix-up never happened and let’s all forget about it.”
“Having my Aunt Kay here is going to be the answer to my prayers. Though I almost blew it, too. I’m so glad she forgave me. Now, we have a very important part of our family back, and this time I intend for it to be permanent.”
“Amen.” Darlene agreed. “And like Red, I’m just grateful you found it in your heart to forgive us all, Kay.”
“That’s what families do, Darlene. They forgive each other.” Kay reached out and took her hand.
“You’re right, Dad. She’s a special lady.” Alisa looked at her father-in-law.
“Yes, she is, honey.”
“Have you set a wedding date yet?” Darlene sipped her tea.
“Boy, you girls don’t mind getting to the point, do you?” Cole laughed.
“Of course not. We love weddings. Can we help with it, Kay?” Alisa was excited. “I want to get you two married as fast as we can. Since Dad won’t let her out of his sight, it’s got to be legal before people start to talk. We can’t have a political scandal right here in this house, and I’m sure this house is where they’re going to stay together forever.”
Darlene said, “You’re right about that, so I want to help with the wedding, too. Let’s make it a family affair.”
Cole looked at Red. “Women!”
“But guys, would we have it any other way?” Jude’s eyebrow shot up. “And to answer your question, yes, we’ve set a date and we’re going to expect support from the four of you to help us pull it off. That’s why Kay insisted on having you here for lunch today instead of waiting until the celebration of her return Sunday night.”
“I’m so glad you invited us. I’ve never had such wonderful shrimp,” Red said.
“Gilbert is a whiz with shrimp. He knows it’s one of my favorite sea foods, and he makes it for me often.”
“I’m assuming he’s settled your housekeeping problem, Dad.”
“He sure has, Cole. He’s already taken over my kitchen and you wouldn’t believe what he’s accomplished. I told him it was his domain and he’s already arranged it to suit himself.” Jude smiled at Kay. “I have a feeling we’re going to have some good meals in this house from now on.”
“When we arrived yesterday, Jude told him to make himself at home, and in two hours, he had a wonderful meal set up for us.”
“Candles and everything.” Jude smiled. “He’s going to see to it that his Ms. Kay, as he calls her, has everything she’s used to. No more of this haphazard meal planning in my kitchen.”
“That’ll be good for you, Dad.” Alisa smiled. “Sometimes, Cole and I worried about the way you ate.”
“From now on, I’m going to see that Jude is well taken care of, Alisa.”
“He looks pretty happy now, so I guess you’re already doing a good job of that, Kay.” Cole smiled at her.
Darlene stuck a shrimp in her mouth and changed the subject. “Okay, tell us about this wedding. When’s it going to happen?”
Before either could answer, a voice interrupted them. “Ex…ex…cuse me, Ju…Jude. Got…got…got problem with ma…. mare.”
“Don’t worry about interrupting, Doby. Do you need me to come to the barn?”
“Ye…Yes.” He nodded.
“Honey, you tell the kids what we’re planning and I’ll be back in a little while.” He kissed the top of Kay’s head. “Do you mind?”
“Of course not. If I’m going to live on this farm with you, I guess I might as well get used to interruptions.”
He winked at her. “Don’t let Gilbert throw the shrimp out. I may want seconds when I get back.” He stepped off the terrace and climbed into the pickup truck beside Doby.
Cole smiled at Kay. “In case you’re wondering, Doby Martin is Dad’s right-hand man. He practically runs this place when Dad’s not here. Doby is good at a lot of things, but unfortunately since his return from the service, a lot of people treat him as if he’s mentally retarded; but he’s not at all. His mind is as good as it ever was, but his stuttering is a stumbling block for some people.”
Cole took a breath. “When he got home, he couldn’t find a job anywhere in town. He decided to try Asheville. He didn’t have any luck there either, but on his way home, his old truck died down the road not far from here. He walked up to the farm and asked Dad if he could use jumper cables to get it started. Of course, Dad went to help him and by the time the truck was running, Doby had a job here on the farm and he’s been here around a couple of months now. Dad says he’s the best hand he has.”
“Where did he spend his military service, Cole?” Kay was curious.
“The Middle East. He was a prisoner of war there. Came home a hero, but that didn’t last long. His speech problem became an embarrassment to the town when the media tried to interview him. Eventually, he quit giving interviews, and now Dad’s about the only person he’ll have a long conversation with.”
“Doby is a nice guy. It’s a shame about his voice,” Red said. “It could happen to any of us. Jude takes the time to listen and to give Doby the respect he deserves.”
Kay smiled. “Jude is a good man. I’m so lucky I met him.”
“I think he’d say he was the lucky one, Kay.” Cole grinned at her.
“I think you’re both lucky to have found each other,” Alisa said.
“I’m glad Doby was able to come home, even if he does have a speech problem. If I could have my Jimmy back, I wouldn’t care if he coul
dn’t talk at all.”
“What do you mean, Kay?” Darlene looked at her.
She shook her head. “It’s not time to talk about that now. Let me tell you about the wedding. I think Jude and I have everything planned, but you might have some suggestions.”
•♥ •
As they got out of the truck at the barn, Jude went to the stall where Doby had put the mare. “What seems to be her trouble?”
“I…I…thought it…wa…was a ro…rock. Can’t see one.”
Seeing that Doby had left the headstall on the horse, Jude took hold of it and said in a calming voice, “Come on Moonflower, let me see how you’re walking.”
He led the mare out into the passageway of the barn. She was limping noticeably. He rubbed the leg, but didn’t find any place it seemed to be injured. He walked her a little more.
“I agree with you, Doby. She walks like she has picked up a rock.” He knelt and turned the horse’s foot up to inspect the shoe.
Doby was holding the horse now. “Se… see… any… th… thing?”
“No.” Jude continued to look at the foot. “Maybe I do after all. Get those large pliers off that hook over there, and let me see what I can do for her.”
Doby handed them to him and Jude pulled at an almost invisible object. “I guess you noticed that lady I kissed as you came to the house.”
“Yes.”
“Get used to seeing her around, Doby. I’m going to marry her.”
“Re…re…really?” Surprise showed in his face.
“Yep. You never get too old for love.”
“No…s…s…sir. She’s pre…pretty.”
“Thank you. I think she is, too.” Jude dislodged a piece of glass from the horse’s hoof. “I’ll be damned.” He held it up “Look at that, Doby. It looks like the square corner of a bottle. You haven’t seen any of the hands leaving their liquor bottles around here, have you?”
“No…s…sir.”
“I realize they drink on the job sometimes, but I haven’t been able to catch them. I know one thing, they sure better keep their empty bottles off my land. It’s a good thing her leg wasn’t cut or worse. Even so, I’m afraid she might not be out of the woods yet.”
Second Chance Dreams (A Coverton Mills Romance Book 2) Page 18
