Page 117 of Counted

There was always a chance the sixtysomething sociology professor at the college where she was currently teaching would retire, creating an opening that she might fill. Until then, teaching part-time was working out fine.

Except for today. Today she was on the verge of collapse by the time she completed the fifty-five-minute drive home.

After parking her car in the garage, she sat for a couple of minutes, breathing and finding the energy to actually heft herself out of the car. Then she walked inside.

This wing of the house was quiet since Jude’s father was currently out of town on business. He and Jude had gotten closer over the past couple of years, but the man would always be a workaholic. She checked the kitchen and found Nancy chopping vegetables for dinner.

Nancy asked how her class went and how she was feeling, so Eve chatted with her for a few minutes, maintaining a warm smile so Nancy wouldn’t suspect she felt like falling over.

When they’d finished the friendly conversation, Eve kept walking to the other wing of the house.

Jude would be in the library.

He almost always was.

She found him sitting at the desk in front of his laptop. A couple of months ago, he’d started another new book and was currently completely wrapped up in it.

At the sight of his back and the thick, tousled dark hair—he’d cut it last year on a whim but was now growing it out again—her chest clenched and then relaxed into a spreading warmth of affection, familiarity, security, attraction, and possessiveness.

All of it at once.

He was so consumed by his work that he didn’t even hear her come into the room. She let her bag quietly slip to the floor.

They’d spent many months experimenting with various routines and positions to prevent Jude’s tension headaches, but they’d finally landed on a system that worked. He’d switched to a desk that transitioned between sitting and standing, and he made himself alternate positions regularly. He also forced himself to take regular breaks and drink water instead of coffee throughout the day. He still occasionally got headaches if he had particularly long days working, but not nearly as consistently as before.

They’d also made progress with the migraines, and he rarely got more than one a month anymore. Currently it had been seven weeks since he’d had one.

She was trying to be quiet, but she stepped on a squeaky plank on the floor. Jude straightened up and turned his desk chair, his distracted expression brightening visibly when he processed her presence.

She leaned down to kiss him but didn’t get on his lap or deepen the kiss. She really wasn’t in the mood for sexy time right now.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, his eyes scanning her face, running down her body, and then returning to meet her eyes.

“I’m fine. Kind of tired. But class went fine.”

“Good.”

“How’s the book going today?”

“Not bad. I’ve gotten a lot done. I’m almost finished with this chapter.”

“That’s great. Go ahead and finish it now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I’m going to sit on the couch and do a lot of not moving.”

He chuckled at that, although he was still scrutinizing her closely.

“I’m serious. Finish your chapter. I know how frustrating it is to have to quit when you’re almost at a stopping place.”

“Okay. I’ll only be fifteen or twenty minutes.”

“Perfect.” She went to sit on the couch, checking her phone since she knew Jude was still watching her.

When he finally turned back around and started typing again, she put her phone on the side table, toed off her shoes, and stretched out on the couch.

She closed her eyes, purely to rest them, but she somehow ended up drifting into a light doze. She wasn’t aware of any time passing at all before she was awakened by someone gently lifting her head.

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