Page 43 of Strangely Normal

“You’re a popular girl this morning,” I said.

“It’s Max. He wants me to call him. He says he’s worried about me.”

I lowered my yarn disaster into my lap. “So call him. You know how many guys out there take the time to worry about anyone but themselves?”

“Three maybe four?” Finley laughed.

“That’s being generous. Call him.”

“I will. When you go on your ride with Jude.” She looked slyly up at me.

“Oh, he asked you already?”

“This morning. But I told him not to go far. That thing is dangerous.” She picked up her yarn, and her fingers moved quickly with the needles. “Just be careful, Eden.”

“I wasn’t planning on jumping off the back or anything.”

She stopped knitting. “You know what I mean. And it has got nothing to do with the ride.”

“I know.” We’d been sitting with our legs crossed on the floor, and I stretched them out to wake my sleepy feet. “All I can tell you is that I’m usually pretty level headed when it comes to guys.”

“Have you ever been with a guy like Jude?”

“No, definitely not.”

“That’s why I’m telling you to be careful. He likes you for sure. That I’ve known from the start, but my brother has never settled down with one girl before.”

I wasn’t sure if she was telling me this for my protection or her own. I knew falling for Jude completely screwed things up, and I as much as I didn’t want to mess up this awesome summer job, I’d never had a guy like Jude interested in me before. I was, after all, only human.

Finley stretched out her legs too. “Like I’ve said before, I love him but sometimes he’s an ass.”

“Mental note taken.” Unfortunately, I sort of knew what I was getting into with Jude. For a guy like him this was probably just a summer fling, or now that he was off house arrest, it might just be a June fling. Or even a one week fling. I was determined not to go crazy about the guy. Even if he left, I would stay on with Finley and be perfectly content. Hopefully.

I pulled on jeans and sneakers for the ride. I only wished I’d had a pair of cool motorcycle boots to go with the helmet. And maybe a leather jacket with a flaming skull on the back.

Jude was out front dressed head to toe in black and looking completely breathtaking straddling his bike. His smile matched my enthusiasm for the ride.

He adjusted the helmet strap beneath my chin and then leaned over and kissed me. “Let’s go, biker mama.”

I threw my leg over the seat and wrapped my arms around his rock hard stomach. “I’m ready to roll.”

The bike rumbled beneath us as we turned down the tree-lined path and through the security gates. The experience was exactly as I’d dreamed it. It felt like we were flying, and I laughed like a little kid as he picked up speed and raced down the street. We toured the scenic streets around the estate. Grand, stately mansions lined both sides of the road, as we rode through a world so different than mine it was like being on a different planet. And as beautiful and grand as it all was, I still missed my modest little home and nutty parents. Even though I was having a blast and the summer of a lifetime, I felt the constant ache of homesickness.

We pulled onto a pathway that led to a small park. The grass was as green as an Irish landscape and flowers lined the children’s play area. Aside from one older woman in a maid’s uniform who watched attentively as two small girls played on the slide, the place was deserted. We parked the bike and got off.

Jude took my hand. “There’s a cool, little manmade waterfall and pond around the bend.”

“Well, of course there is. I mean every park I’ve ever been to has a waterfall and pond.”

We walked along a neatly paved path. One side of it was bordered by a small stream that looked as if each polished stone had been hand placed to create the perfect flow of water. Large, smooth rocks and a sparkling waterfall sat at the top of small hill. We walked under the shade of a tree with manicured branches that jutted out like a massive umbrella. Jude leaned back against the wide trunk and pulled me into his arms.

“You seemed to know exactly where to lead me— to this wonderfully secluded tree. Almost as if you’ve been here quite often before,” I teased.

“Contrary to what my backstabbing siblings may have told you, I am not an animal.” He reached up and held my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I like you a lot, Eden. And I don’t like many people. I’m not using you.”

“No?” I lifted my face and kissed his jaw. “Because I’m totally using you for that friggin’ Harley back there.”

“Yeah, I already figured that out. But I’m willing to accept it as long as you spend time with me.”

---