The Posse (22 page)

Jude leaned forward and
covered his hand. “It is kind of serious, sweetie. And am I sure?
Yes.”

“But if you’re just lonely
or need...” Joseph shook his head, clearly deciding not to go down
a road he didn’t want to consider. “Why?”

“Because we’re in love. I
know you probably don’t want to think about that, but it’s the
truth. Not while Dad was alive,” she hastened to add. “This doesn’t
have anything to do with your father, other than that Uncle Logan
and I both loved him, and we always will. I don’t know how these
things work. I don’t know why I’ve been given this second chance,
but if there’s one thing I learned in the last two years, it’s that
life is short. You take it with both hands when it’s offered to
you.”

“I’m not mad at you, Mom.
I’m just kind of shocked. I guess I thought after Dad, there
wouldn’t be anyone else. But if there has to be, I’m glad it’s
Uncle Logan.”

“He’s a very good man.” Jude
smiled, relief filtering into her mind.

“Are you going to marry
him?” Joseph’s voice was neutral.

“I don’t know, honey. I
won’t say no, but we haven’t made any definite plans.”

“Does Meggie know?”

Jude shook her head. “Not
yet. I figured I’d tell her this weekend.” She grinned at her son.
“What a family we are! Never a dull moment, huh?”

“Not lately.” He fiddled
with the glass in front of him. “Mom, do you like Lindsay?”

“I really do. She seems like
a sweet girl, a wonderful mother.”

“She is.” He took a deep
breath. “I think we might get married.”

Jude wasn’t shocked, but she
nodded slowly. “Are you sure that’s the right thing for both of
you? And for the baby?”

He spread his hands on the
table. “Yeah. Pretty sure. I thought I might be in love with her
before all this. And now, I’m sure of it.”

“I want you to think about
it long and hard, both of you. If you’re sure, then I will support
you a hundred percent. How do Lindsay’s parents feel about the
idea?”

“After they met me and we
all got to know each other, they were all for it.”

“That’s good.” Jude paused
and bit her lip. “Joseph, I put the baby’s crib in your room, but I
wasn’t sure what your sleeping arrangements would be.”

Her son smiled. “We’ll both
sleep in my room so we can be there for the baby, but I promise,
that’s all we’ll be doing. Lindsay’s parents talked to me a long
time about what they believe, and Lindsay feels the same way. We
might have started out on the wrong foot, but we’re going to wait
now until we’re sure. Until we’re married.”

His mouth raised in a
half-grin. “But Mom, I really can’t wait for that wedding.”

***

“Well, that went better than I
expected.” Logan was loading the dishwasher as Jude wiped down
counters and the table. “I have to cop to some nerves on my way
over here. But Joseph seemed pretty comfortable with the whole
situation.”

“He is, I think. He was a
little surprised at first, but he pulled it together.” Jude folded
the towel and leaned a hip against the fridge. “Lindsay seems nice,
doesn’t she?”

“Yeah. She’ll keep Joseph on
his toes, I’d say, but if the way he looks at her is any
indication, he won’t mind.”

“It’s sweet, isn’t it?” She
smiled. “But let’s talk about the most important thing. How
adorable is my grandson?”

“He is absolutely the cutest
baby I’ve ever seen.” Logan closed the dishwasher and turned to
grab Jude by the waist, back her against the counter. “How could he
not be with a nana like you?”

Jude looked up at him. “And
you were so good with him. He loved you.” She toyed with a button
on his shirt. “Does it bother you? Not having kids, I mean?
Choosing me definitely means shutting that door.”

“There is no choice, my
love. Besides, I get to share Meggie and Joseph, and I also get a
piece of that little guy. Assuming you’ll stop being so greedy with
him.” He swatted her behind and headed for the coffee pot.

“Very funny. So are you
going to miss me tonight?”

Logan poured some coffee for
both of them and sat down at the table. “You know I am. I’m still
not entirely clear on why I can’t stay if Joseph doesn’t
object.”

“It’s not so much for Joseph
as for Lindsay. She and Joseph have made a commitment to wait on
being together until they get married—if they get married. I
respect that, and I don’t want to make her uncomfortable.”

“I have to admit, I’m
impressed by them. I’m not sure I could have done the same thing at
their age.”

“Daniel and I did.” Jude
sipped from her mug.

“Really?”

“Yes. Why do you think we
got married before he finished college?” She glanced at him.
“Daniel never told you that?”

“No. Contrary to what you
might think, men don’t sit around talking about their sex lives.”
He considered, and then added, “Much, anyway.”

Jude laughed. “Are you
coming to pick me up in the morning? Or do you want to sleep in?
I’ll be fine.”

“Nope, you’re not getting
rid of me that easily. I’ll be here at the crack of—well, dark. And
then I’m taking Joseph to lunch.”

“I heard that. He’s going to
drop Lindsay and DJ off at the Tide before he meets you. I get to
show them off to all my customers.”

“When do we expect
Meghan?”

Jude winced a little.
“Probably after dinner. I’m a little more worried about her than I
was about Joseph. He’s in a place where showing grace is easy,
because he needs it, too. But Meggie...she was a daddy’s girl. And
she can be a little rigid. I’m really not sure how she’s going to
react.”

That worry stayed with her
through the next day, even as she enjoyed the time with Lindsay and
DJ.

“Do you know you’re the
sixth generation of my family to be in this restaurant?” She
bounced the baby on her hip.

“Really? That is so cool.”
Lindsay sat at a nearby table. “I love this place. And Joseph
walked the baby and me around town today. It’s perfect.”

“The Cove is pretty
amazing.” Jude perched on the edge of a chair and turned the baby
around, laying him on her knees so she could look into his eyes.
They were blue, which of course could change one day, but for now,
he had Daniel’s eyes.

“Lindsay, I know this isn’t
the way you probably planned to start a family. But I want to thank
you, not only for this sweet boy, but for not giving up so easily
on my son. And what you named the baby...” She kissed his chubby
bare feet. “It means so much.”

“It was an honor.” Lindsay
reached across to touch the baby’s soft head. “It wasn’t easy, when
I found out he was coming. I didn’t know until after...well, Joseph
was already gone. I went home, and my parents were devastated. But
once they came around, I had lots of support. It wasn’t that I
didn’t want Joseph involved. I wasn’t trying to hide the baby from
him. But I figured he was dealing with enough.

“If I had it to over again,
maybe I would do it differently. But I always wanted DJ to know his
dad. And all of you, too.”

“Thank you.” Jude buried her
head in the folds of DJ’s neck and nuzzled. “Oh, little man, what
am I going to do with you on the other side of the state?”

“Just as I suspected.” Logan
approached. “You leave a woman with another man, and when you come
back, she’s kissing his neck.”

Jude looked up, laughing.
“Sorry, Logan. You’re just going to have to accept that you now
have competition.”

Joseph took Lindsay and the
baby home, and Logan sat down on a barstool.

“Don’t you have to go back
to work?” Jude began bussing a table.

“No, I had cleared the
afternoon. I’ll catch up on a few things tomorrow. Where’re Sadie
and Mack?”

“Mack had a doctor’s
appointment, so I gave them the afternoon off. How was lunch?”

“Interesting. I was
impressed with how much Joseph already has thought this whole
situation through. He has some good ideas for their future.”

“Really? That’s nice to
hear.” Jude carried the dishes into the kitchen. “You want a beer?
It’s Friday, you’re done work.”

“If you’re offering, sure.”
Logan watched her reach under the bar, come up with the bottle and
pop the top.

When she began to slide it
across the bar to him, he shook his head. “I think I need a more
personal delivery.”

“Oh, you do, do you?” She
smirked as she came back around the bar and stood in front of him
with the bottle. “Doesn’t the delivery girl get a tip?”

“I think it would only be
right.” He pulled her between his legs, angled his head and took
possession of her mouth. He sucked her lower lip and then tangled
his tongue with hers.

Jude looped her arms around
his neck. “I take it you missed me last night?”

“Mom?”

Jude jerked back, nearly
knocked Logan off the barstool. Across the room, just inside the
open door, stood Meghan.

Jude scrambled to her
daughter. “Meggie! You’re early. I didn’t expect you until after
dinner.” She pulled her into a hug.

“My last class was
canceled.” Meghan kept her voice neutral. “Uncle Logan?”

“Hi, Meggie.” He didn’t move
from the stool.

“What’s going on?” The girl
turned toward her mother. “Were you
kissing
Uncle
Logan?”

“I...” Jude turned to look
at Logan. He shrugged.

“Yes, Meghan. I was kissing
Uncle Logan. We—we’re seeing each other.” She shot him a look, and
he smiled in encouragement.

Meghan’s mouth had dropped
open. “Seeing each other? What does that mean?”

“Meghan, you’re almost
twenty-two years old. I think you know what it means.”

“I can’t believe this.” She
hitched the backpack higher on her shoulder. “How could you let
this happen?”

“It’s not something we ‘let’
happen. It’s something we’ve chosen.”

Meghan looked down, her
mouth tight. “I can’t deal with this right now. I’m going home. Is
Joseph there?”

“Yes, he just headed back
there with Lindsay and DJ. Give me a minute to close up, and Logan
and I will go home with you.”

“No.” She turned back to the
door. “I want to go now. I’ll see you there later.” She stomped out
the door.

Jude sighed and slumped
against the bar. “That did not go well.”

Logan folded her into his
arms. “I’m sorry, Jude. But try not to let her get to you. She just
needs a little time.”

Dinner that night was a
stiff and tense meal, so different than the night before. Meghan
loved the baby, but she was cool to Lindsay, bordered on rude to
Logan and barely spoke two words to her mother.

The next morning, Jude cried
all the way to the Tide. Driving the car, Logan felt more helpless
than he ever had in his life.

After he left the
restaurant, he turned back to Jude’s house and let himself into the
kitchen. It was still quiet, but Lindsay sat at the kitchen table,
holding the baby.

“Good morning,” she said,
keeping her voice low.

“Everyone else still
asleep?” Logan poured his second cup of coffee that morning.

Lindsay nodded. “The baby
was awake a few times last night, and Joseph insists on getting up.
So I thought I’d let him sleep in a little this morning.”

Logan cast his eyes upward.
“And Meghan?”

She shook her head. “Haven’t
seen her.”

He sat across the table,
watching this pretty young girl with the drowsy baby on her lap.
“You know it’s nothing personal, Lindsay. With Meggie, I mean.
She’s not a bad person. Just someone who’s had to deal with more
that her fair share this year.”

Lindsay smiled. “Oh, thanks,
Logan. I’m not worried about it. I have three sisters. There’s not
much someone like Meghan can do to really get under my skin.”

“That’s smart.” Logan took a
swig of coffee. “I had a good talk with Joseph yesterday at lunch.
He’s pretty determined that you two should get married, the sooner
the better. How do you feel about that?”

Lindsay smiled, her cheeks
pinking. “I guess I’d say I’m on the same page.” She shifted the
baby in her arms, touched his cheek. “It must seem really fast to
you and Jude in some ways. But Joseph and I were getting serious
last year before he left. I know a lot happened in between then and
now, but...” She looked down at the baby. “I still love him. I
never stopped.”

Logan cleared his throat. “I
can relate to that. A lot of people might say Jude and I are moving
fast too. Some have said it. But I guess when you know, really know
you’re with the person you love, waiting around doesn’t make much
sense.”

“That’s it exactly.” The
baby gurgled, and Lindsay laughed. “DJ agrees.”

Logan smiled. “You and I
have a lot in common right now. We’re both coming into this family
at a time when they’re still healing. It isn’t always going to be
easy. If you ever need someone to talk to, don’t hesitate.” He set
down his mug, toyed with the handle. “I appreciate how Joseph is
handling everything with his mom and me.”