Page 82 of Accidentally Falling
“As you should,” Ellison confirms. “Max! Show me how that thing breaks down again,” she yells, drawing the attention of all the guys in the circle.
“You just want to stare at my ass, Eddie.” He grins as he places his hands on his hips, adoration in his eyes as he looks at her.
“It’s a nice ass, Max.”
“I think I just threw up in my mouth,” Bodhi deadpans. The rest of the guys snicker as Montana turns around with faux indignation.
“Mind your business. I’m flirtin’ with my wife.”
“Good lord, he’s hot. Excuse me, y’all. I have to go do very naked things with that man,” Ellison says, setting her drink down and using the table to help her stand. “You guys stay as long as you like.”
The rest of us giggle as my sister leads her husband back toward their house, the two of them already kissing and pawing at each other.
“You know,” Nessa drawls, “if I didn’t like them so much, I’d find them completely obnoxious.”
“But look how cute they are!” Ella coos.
“Should we pick a book club book without her?” Lana asks but I shake my head.
“No. She’ll be mad and then she’ll pick something awful so we all have to suffer through it next month.”
“You know I just come to drink, right?” Nessa says. “Bea gives me the highlights. Hey, where is she today?”
“I think Archer took her away for the weekend,” Lana says with her eyebrows raised.
“No way! Is he finally gonna ask her to marry him?” Ella squeals. “Oh my gosh, those two are my favorite! Hestillblushes every time he sees me at The Poppyseed even though we’re friends now.”
“He is precious, isn’t he?” I muse, remembering how I’d talked to him and Montana for the paper because despite the odds, their families’ farms continued to thrive. It gave me hope for the quirky, small town, and it was one of the things that really made me fall in love with Blackstone Falls.
“Definitely,” Lana says. “That reminds me I need to get more soap from Bea when they’re home.”
“For you?” Ella asks. “I think I have some if it’s an emergency.” She winks and I just shake my head.
“No, it’s for Mason.”
Nessa snorts out a laugh. “I love that all these big strong men love that damn soap so much.”
“He says he likes the way it makes his skin feel,” I parrot and the girls laugh even though they’re all nodding in agreement.
“Don’t hear you complainin’, Tennessee,” Jude murmurs, the words all low and throaty.
“Never said I was—just that it’s adorable.”
Narrowing his eyes at me, his lips quirk up on one side. “Well, let’s get you on home and I’ll show you just how adorable I can be.”
I don’t hear what anyone else says as Jude offers me his hand.
And I take it, letting him lead me back toward the truck.
Because it’sdefinitelytime to go home.
46
JUDE
“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask, not bothering to ease into the conversation. The clock is ticking and our baby could be here anytime in the next three weeks.
And she still isn’t talking to her mother.
