My Soul Loves: Hidden Creek Series #1

by Barbara Gee

  When he was finished, he came into the bedroom dressed only in a pair of black athletic shorts and my breath caught in the middle of an inhale. Wow. Just….wow. I tried not to stare, but it was impossible. The man was put together so perfectly and my eyes seemed to have a mind of their own.

  His comfy state of dress was made possible by JP, who had come through for us yet again, going by Jude’s house that morning and packing a whole duffle bag of clothes—items that were comfortable and easy to put on, like the shorts. It was a good thing JP had brought that bag, because I didn’t have a single item of male clothing in my house.

  I went down the hall to the bathroom and washed my hands thoroughly, then made Jude sit on the edge of the bed, right by a lamp. It was a little hard to concentrate on changing the dressings with the smell of fresh, clean man wafting all around me, but I did my best.

  He’d covered the wounds with some sticky, waterproof patches the nurse had given him when he was discharged, with instructions to use them when he showered for at least the first five days. After that, if he was healing well, it would be okay for the wounds to get wet.

  I carefully pried the patches off, along with the old gauze, wincing when I saw the raw, red skin pulled together with staples.

  “Oh, Jude,” I whispered. Tears threatened and I kept my face averted so he wouldn’t see.

  He gently rubbed the top of my head, his fingers threading through my hair. “I’m fine, Ava. These’ll heal in no time.”

  “I hope so.” I pressed a kiss to his bare shoulder before opening a new package of gauze. “I can’t even tell you how many prayers I’ve said in the last twenty-four hours. I think God might be getting tired of me thanking Him for watching over us. And that you weren’t hurt any worse.”

  “I’ve said more than a few myself,” Jude said softly, “only mine include thanking Him that I was the one who got shot instead of you or Donna.” He twined his fingers around a lock of my hair. “I have no regrets, Ava. So if you’re still feeling guilty, stop.”

  My gaze jumped to his face as I tried to swallow around the enormous lump that had suddenly formed in my throat. He was such a good man. A good, kind, God-fearing man, and my heart was so full of love I could hardly stand it.

  “I don’t deserve you,” I said thickly.

  He leaned over and kissed me lightly. “I disagree.”

  I bent my head and stared again at the ravages of the bullet.

  “It wasn’t my time, sweetheart. Or yours. Or Donna’s. Let’s just be grateful for that and move on, okay?” He ruffled my hair again. “Now get to it, Nurse Milton. I’m ready to lie down.”

  I glanced up again and saw nothing but warmth in his eyes. When he said he had no regrets, I believed him. I gave him a grateful smile and got back to my task.

  I gently touched the skin surrounding his wounds, checking for heat. I also checked for excessive redness or streaks, moving the lamp closer so I could get a good look. I’d been informed upon checkout from the hospital that gunshot wounds were prone to infection from the debris carried into the body by the bullet and it was important to check for signs of infection every day. Even though Jude was on some pretty strong antibiotics, there was no guarantee there wouldn’t be problems.

  His skin felt cool to the touch, and the redness was confined to the edges that were stapled. So far so good.

  I applied a thin film of ointment and taped fresh gauze over both areas. “There. That should do it until tomorrow evening.” I grinned at him. “Aren’t you glad you came home with me so I can take care of you? The big one on your back would’ve been hard to do on your own.”

  “My mama would’ve been glad to come over and do it,” he teased, watching me as I gathered up the trash and threw it away.

  “Yeah, I suppose she would have.”

  “But yes, I’m glad I came home with you,” he said sweetly.

  I chuckled. “Good. I’m going to go get you a glass of ice water. See if you can get comfortable in the bed. If you need a harder or softer pillow, just say so. I have plenty.”

  When I returned with the water, he was lying on his right side, the blankets pulled to his waist.

  I put the glass on his nightstand and looked him over. “Do you usually sleep on your side?” I wondered.

  “Nah, my back. But this’ll be okay.”

  “Hang on a sec.”

  I went out to the closet in the hall and grabbed a stack of pillows. Then I went around to the other side of the bed and placed them under his shoulders, upper back, and hips, making sure to avoid the bandaged area.

  “Okay, try that. They’ll kind of wedge you up so you’re at least a little bit on your back.”

  He rolled off his side, letting his weight settle against the pillows. I circled back around so I could see his face.

  “Much better,” he declared.

  “Comfortable enough for a good night’s sleep?” I asked hopefully.

  “Oh yeah. I just need to wind down some. I think I’m still a little keyed up from all the company today. I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “Everyone wanted to check on the hometown hero,” I said.

  He grunted. “Let’s hope they got their fill and can forget about it now. I talked enough today to last me a week.”

  I folded my arms and gave him a wry look. “If it were me, I’d turn on the TV and find something relaxing to watch for a while. But I’m guessing that’s a no-go for my TV-hating man.”

  “A definite no-go,” he agreed.

  “Okay, then just lie there and try to decompress for a bit,” I said. “I’m going to go take a quick shower, then I’ll come back to tuck you in.” I tried to smile as I said that, but a yawn caught me off guard, making him chuckle.

  “You might fall asleep before you make it back in here.”

  I shook my head, stifling a second yawn. “I’ll be back. Promise.”

  The shower revived me somewhat. I put on my favorite plaid sleep pants and a soft, oversized tee. I went across the hall and stuck my head into Jude’s room, half expecting to see him in a dead sleep.

  He was awake and reading something on his phone. Seeing me, he turned it off and put it on the table by his bed, looking a little sheepish.

  “Let me guess, you were checking your work email,” I said, shaking my head as I walked toward the bed. “I told you to relax, not worry about work.”

  “It was just one.” He held out a hand. “Come do your tucking-in thing. I’m fading fast.”

  I perched on the edge of his bed and looked at him uncertainly. “I’ve only ever tucked in my nieces. I’m not sure what to do with a grown man. I don’t suppose you’re into bedtime stories?”

  He shook his head slowly. “No, babe. No stories.” He patted the bed by my hip. “Lie down. I’ve missed being alone with you.”

  I didn’t need to be asked twice. I stretched out against him and draped my arm across his ribs, careful to stay well above his injury.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” I said, rubbing my cheek against the bare skin of his chest. “I’d worry too much if I couldn’t see you with my own eyes.”

  His arm came around me, pulling me in tighter. “I’m glad, too. Seems I don’t mind a little bit of fussing after all.”

  I scootched up in the bed, until my face was even with his. He was so beautiful. I trailed my fingertips down the side of his face and brushed my knuckles back and forth along the strong line of his jaw. His eyes glittered in the glow from the lamp and I wanted to kiss him worse than anything.

  “You look worried,” he said softly. “What are you thinking about?”

  I told him the truth. “I’m afraid you’re too tired for me to kiss you the way I’ve wanted to ever since you rescued Donna and me,” I whispered. “But I don’t think I can wait until you’re rested up.”

  His hand moved over my back, hot and restless. “Never too tired for that, Ava,” he murmured. “I don’t want to hurt your lip though.”

  “It’s fine. I
t doesn’t hurt at all anymore.”

  “Then I think you should kiss me the way you’ve been wanting to,” he said, his eyes crinkling with his smile.

  That was all I needed to hear. Our lips met and the passion we’d kept at bay all day instantly ignited. Jude rolled back up onto his side and then farther, until I was on my back in the curve of his arm, his chest pressed against me, warm through the thin cotton of my shirt.

  I plunged one hand into his hair and explored him with the other. The alluring curve where neck became shoulder, the bulging muscles of his biceps, the sculpted lines of his chest and back.

  He tore his mouth from mine as his fingers locked around my wrist, the glitter of his eyes more pronounced.

  “I might be a little impaired, sweetheart,” he growled, “but I’m far from incapacitated.” He laced his fingers through mine. “This hand feels way too good on me. So good I’m having trouble remembering why we can’t do what we both want to.”

  I closed my eyes and pushed my face into his neck, resisting the urge to kiss my way along the smooth, warm skin. I wanted more, but he was right to stop it now, before temptation clouded our better judgment.

  He let go of my hand and ran his palm lightly up and down my back as our breathing gradually slowed. After a few minutes, he dropped a kiss onto my head, then shifted back onto the pillows I’d piled behind him.

  “Stay,” he said, his voice low and sleepy, his arm still tight across my back. “Just stay here with me. I want you close.”

  I readily curled up against him, crooking my arm across his chest. I didn’t dare get under the blankets with him, but I was plenty warm right where I was, thanks to the heat of his big body.

  I felt the tension of the last day and a half leave my own body as if by magic and I breathed a contented sigh. Blanket or not, I was right where I wanted to be.

  Chapter 31

  Iwoke before he did. I was on my right side now and so was he, our bodies in a cozy spoon. I lay still, reveling in the feel of him against my back, his arm across my stomach. If I could only wake up like this every morning, I’d be one happy gal.

  I squinted at the clock on the nightstand and saw it was seven o’clock. We’d slept almost ten hours.

  I carefully slid out from under his arm and stood, stretching luxuriously. Sleeping with Jude—and I mean that in the most innocent way—definitely agreed with me. I felt well-rested and ready to take on the day.

  He continued to slumber, so I quietly left the room, closing the door all but a crack. I went to my bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth, then I changed into jeans and a T-shirt and padded barefoot down the hall to my office. I knew Ian would already be up and working, and I needed to call him.

  Although he’d been interviewed extensively by the police last evening, in cooperation with our local sheriff’s office, he and I hadn’t had a chance to talk. I had no doubt he felt terrible about everything, and I could certainly relate to that.

  He answered my video call on the first ring and I could see right away he was suffering. He apologized over and over, even though I assured him I didn’t blame him at all.

  Like me, he was kicking himself for not realizing just how vindictive Abigail could be, and he was appalled that she’d retaliated against me instead of him. The cops had also told him about the cameras. He admitted to being upset that I hadn’t told him myself, but when I explained that I hadn’t wanted to come between him and Abigail, he said he understood the tough position I’d been in.

  Overall, I think Ian felt even worse about everything than I did. Abigail had shown some worrying signs of being unhealthily attached to him, and her jealousy went way beyond normal, but never once had he thought she’d harm anyone. He assured me he’d told the cops everything he could think of that might help find her and would contact them if he thought of anything else.

  When I told him I hadn’t gotten any updates on the case, he urged me to call the sheriff’s office today to see what was going on. I promised I would, even though I was sure I’d have gotten a call if there’d been any news.

  After we hung up, I decided to make good on my promise right then, before the day got too busy.

  I called and was connected to Deputy Clauson, one of the guys who’d come to the scene. The one who had given me his T-shirt, in fact.

  He was very personable, although he didn’t have much to tell me. Andrew still wasn’t talking, not to them, or even to his state-appointed attorney. He hadn’t said a single word since they’d arrested him.

  Andrew’s home address, according to his driver’s license, was in Hanover, Pennsylvania, and that made sense, as I knew Abigail had lived somewhere in Pennsylvania before moving to DC to be with Ian. Local police had checked Andrew’s house, but unfortunately, Abigail wasn’t there waiting for her brother to show up with me in tow, and there was no evidence she had been. The place was being watched around the clock, however, in case she showed up.

  Her parents had been located, but they claimed they hadn’t talked to either of their children in more than eight years.

  I asked the deputy what would happen if Andrew continued his silence, and he said the preliminary hearing was scheduled for the day after tomorrow, and if Andrew didn’t start speaking before then, the judge would most likely enter a not-guilty plea on his behalf and schedule a trial.

  I asked about bail and was told that wasn’t likely, since Andrew had been caught in the act and was considered dangerous. If nothing changed, the trial would most likely be scheduled within three months, and there was no reason to believe Andrew wouldn’t be found guilty.

  That was good news, but of course Abigail remained a huge loose end. Deputy Clauson promised to let me know if anything came to light, big or small. All I could do was thank him and hope Abigail would make a mistake that led the cops—or Ian—right to her.

  I hung up and typed out an email to Ian with a summary of everything I’d been told. I’d just clicked the send button when I heard footsteps coming up behind me, then warm hands settling on my shoulders. I smiled as Jude pulled my chair back so I was halfway reclining, which gave me an upside-down look at his very handsome face.

  “What good is an expensive, impenetrable security door when you leave it wide open?” he drawled.

  I reached up to grab onto his triceps. “I’ll never lock you out,” I told him. “How’re you feeling?”

  “Stiff, but things will loosen up now that I’m up and around. I slept great, though.”

  “Me, too.” I grinned and raised my brows. “Apparently, I liked sharing a bed with a hot guy. Who knew?”

  He gave me the smile I loved, then leaned down and gave me an exquisite, upside-down, minty-fresh kiss.

  Mmm. I also liked sharing kisses with a hot guy who took the time to brush his teeth in the morning.

  When he straightened back up and let go of my chair, I spun it around to face him, enjoying the sight of him in low-slung sweatpants and a loose-fitting T-shirt. I might have been a little dazed from his kiss, but I distinctly heard his stomach growl. I laughed and got to my feet.

  “I can take care of that,” I said, patting that hungry stomach as I walked past. “Come keep me company.”

  ***

  While we ate blueberry pancakes and sausage, I filled Jude in on what Deputy Clauson had said. Like Ian, Jude was extremely frustrated knowing Abigail was still out there somewhere, still posing a threat. We had no clues whatsoever, and if Andrew didn’t start talking, she could probably hide indefinitely.

  “Ian doesn’t know of any other friends she might get help from?”

  I poked at a sausage link. “He didn’t even know about Andrew.”

  Jude put down his fork and reached across the table for my hand. I looked at him, tilting my head curiously when I saw his serious expression.

  “Ava, we can’t make the mistake of underestimating this girl again. I need you to promise me you’ll be careful. You can’t take any risks—not one. Stay out of the woods unless
I’m with you. Don’t go anywhere after dark, unless I’m with you. If you go into town during the day, be constantly aware of your surroundings. Make sure there are other people around. Never leave the house without arming your security system, and when you’re here, keep the perimeter armed, so you’ll know if there’s any exterior activity at the doors or windows. And lock your security door when you’re working. Every time.”

  I turned my hand over and laced my fingers through his. “Unless you’re here.”

  “Yeah.” He looked at me searchingly, then gave me a relieved smile. “I was afraid I’d make you mad with all those demands.”

  “How can I be mad when you’re trying to keep me safe?”

  “Because you’re an independent woman used to making your own decisions, and I’m telling you what to do in no uncertain terms.”

  “At least I know you care.”

  He raised a brow. “I hope you knew that long before now.”

  I shrugged and tried not to smile too big. I adored the way his blue eyes sparkled when he looked at me like that. I wanted to see that sparkle every single day for the rest of my life—but that was getting a bit ahead of myself. Or, rather, ahead of him. I was hopeful he’d get there, I just had to be patient.

  I let go of his hand so he could finish eating.

  “I promise to be careful, but you need to be on guard too, Jude. She might have found out you were the one who took Andrew down.”

  “I’ll be on the lookout,” he said, taking another pancake from the platter. “These are great, by the way. I really love your Grandma’s recipe book.”

  I was glad to see his appetite was back, because yesterday he hadn’t eaten much. A good night’s rest had done wonders; you’d never know from looking at him this morning that he’d been shot less than two days ago.

  His quick recovery meant he’d be going back to work—and his own house—soon. That was probably for the best. Before I got too used to having him around.

  He finished his breakfast and sat back with a satisfied smile.