Page 95 of The One I Stood Beside

Chapter Thirty

Sadie

Lottie knocks on my door. “Yoo-hoo! You ready? Let’s go.” She comes into the small hallway of my cottage and stands outside my bathroom. “Dropped another delivery off.” She cringes and eyes the kitchen table where the other deliveries over the past couple of days sit.

I finish curling my hair, ducking my head out of the bathroom to see another bouquet of wildflowers and a note from Jude.

He’s left one on my porch each morning.

The first note said he was sorry and wanted to talk when I was ready.

The second note said he loved me and realized what a fool he was for not seeing what he sees now. Asking again to talk so he can grovel like he should.

I step out of the bathroom and walk over to the wildflower bouquet. Little does he know the smell of them makes me nauseated.

I open the letter and read his scrawling handwriting.

Sadie,

Our house is too empty. Our bed is too cold. I miss you.

Yours always,

Jude

Lottie snags the card and drops it on the table. “Time to go.” She grabs her purse and walks to the door.

“Calling me this morning and saying you’re taking me to lunch isn’t a lot of notice.” I come to a stop when I see my mom standing by Lottie’s car. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, I invited your mom. She needs to get out of the house.”

My mom shrugs. “I can always do lunch.”

I nod and shut the door of the cottage.

I let Mom have the front seat, and I sit in the back, Jude’s last letter rolling over and over in my mind. I pull out my phone.

I’ll be by this evening.

The three dots appear immediately, and my heart warms as though maybe he was waiting for me to text him.

I won’t be home. How about tomorrow?

Tomorrow? Seriously? For a guy who has been begging to see me, he’s willing to wait until tomorrow?

I stuff my phone back in my purse before I text something angry.

Lottie steers the car onto the highway.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“I told you. Lunch.” She eyes me in the rearview mirror.

“Where?”

“Lincoln.” She smiles at me.

“Oh, I love Lincoln,” Mom says. “I needed a day out. Thanks for the invite, Lottie.” She pats Lottie’s leg and straightens in her chair as if she can’t contain her excitement.

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