Page 17 of Ghost of Christmas Future
Jude stood rooted to the spot, watching his future self and Wolf hug each other. Bertha was right. It was time to get moving. His future started today and Jude wouldn’t miss it for anything.
12
Cope
Thankfully, a night in his own bed had done Cope a world of good. He’d stuck one of Jude’s shirts on his pillow and had cuddled up alongside it. Although it wasn’t the same as having Jude in bed with him, it was close enough to put Cope to sleep. He’d slept for six straight hours, gotten up to go to the bathroom and then slept for three more hours, when a call from Tennyson had woken him up.
After filling up on pancakes and bacon at Ronan’s house, Cope was off to the hospital. Today, it would be just Wolf, Ronan and himself. Fitz would be spending the night with Jude. Kaye had left earlier to spend some time with Jude and would be bringing Running Eagle home after Cope arrived. Jude’s friends and family staying all night to make sure he was protected was a gift Cope would never be able to repay.
Ronan loaded Cope into his SUV and headed for Fitzgibbon’s house to pick up Wolf.
“How is Everly this morning?” Cope asked Ronan. She and the older kids had spent the night at Fitz’s house while Ezra and Lizbet slept at Ronan’s.
Ronan smiled. “She’s back to her usual plucky self. Reaching Jude inside his coma really knocked the stuffing out of her yesterday. She spent the rest of the day watching movies with Aurora while Fitz and Jace pampered her. Everly jokingly asked if she could move in with Fitz since Aurora doesn’t have to make her bed, clean her room, set the table or help take out the trash.”
“Staying with Uncle Fitz rocks!” Wolf echoed Everly’s sentiment. “I wish you and Daddy would pamper me like they do with Aurora.” Wolf folded his arms over his chest.
“Your father and I catered to your every need when you were a baby. We fed you, bathed you, changed your stinky diapers.”
Wolf wrinkled his nose. “I know, Dad, but sometimes it’s nice to have someone do everything for you.”
Cope couldn’t agree more. He’d love to have someone pamper him and make suppers, do laundry, and clean the house for the week, but that was neither here nor there. “I’m going to need your help with Daddy when he comes home. He’s gonna need even more help with his broken left arm.”
“I’ll scratch his butt for him!” Wolf snickered, but quickly sobered. “Is Daddy really coming home?”
That was the million dollar question, wasn’t it? “Everly says yes. When I spoke to his doctor this morning, she said Daddy had improved overnight. We have to keep believing, right?”
“Right,” Wolf agreed. “I had a talk with Everly yesterday about what a jerk I was the other day.”
Remembering what happened in the hospital that first day with Wolf yelling at Everly because she couldn’t reach Jude hurt Cope’s heart. He knew it had upset Wolf too, but with Jude’s condition still up in the air, he hadn’t come down too hard on his son. He knew Wolf would straighten things out with Everly when the time was right. “How did that go?”
Wolf sniffled. “Everly understood why I was mad. She hugged me and told me she forgave me and would always be my bestest friend even when I was a dumbass.” The little boy burst into tears.
Cope snorted. He tried to stop himself from laughing, but couldn’t. “Everly called you a dumbass?”
“Uh-huh!” Wolf wailed, half laughing, half crying. “Don’t be mad at her Uncle Ronan, Iwasa dumbass.”
“I’m not mad at Everly. How could I be? I’m the one who taught her that word in the first place. At least now she’s only saying it when adultscan’thear her. If you can’t be good, don’t get caught!”
Wolf giggled. “Thanks, Uncle Ronan.”
“You’re welcome, buddy. Like your Dad said, we’re all gonna have to pitch in to help when Jude comes home. We’ve got the Christmas block party coming up and Jude was supposed to man the s’mores station.”
“I can do that,” Cope said. “It was so much fun last year watching the kids toast their own marshmallows.”
“We’re having Christmas dinner at my house this year and Jude was gonna come over and help me cook the prime rib.”
“I’ll do that!” Wolf volunteered excitedly. “I love cooking with Dad. What do you need help with?”
Ronan eyed Wolf in the rearview mirror. “Can you peel potatoes and carrots?”
“Yup! I do that when we make beef stew.” Wolf’s dark eyes lit with excitement.
“You’re hired!” Ronan elbowed Cope, who had been thinking about all the other things Wolf could help with while Jude was recovering.
“I can also help Daddy cut his meat. He did it for me when I was little, now I can do it for him!”
Ten minutes later, Ronan pulled into the hospital parking lot and found a space. As they walked toward the entrance, it started to snow.
