Fool For You (Made for Love Book 4) (52 page)

When I pull out my phone to call him, I tell myself that he’ll know what to do. I justify my decision to reach out to him, knowing that he’ll at least be able to find me a tow-company. I even go so far as to imagine that maybe he knows a thing or two about cars and he could potentially identify what’s wrong with mine—though, that one might be a bit of a stretch. He strikes me as someone who enjoys nice things, like his Porsche, but not someone who could
fix
his nice things. Nevertheless, he’s my first call.

As the phone rings, I discard all my excuses and surrender to the truth. The real reason why I’m calling him is because I don’t want anyone else to come to my aid.

I just want Judah.

I’m slipping into a jacket, about to leave for a late tee time with Aunt Eddalyn, when my phone rings. I pick it up from where I’ve left it, on top of the island in my closet, and see that it’s Teddy. I pause for a moment, a feeling of unease filling my chest as I try and think of why she would be calling me right now. She’s only been gone for a half an hour, and she knows that I have plans this morning.

Realizing that I’ll never know for sure unless I answer, I swipe my finger across the screen and bring the device to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Judah—it’s me.”

“Yes, Teddy. I know who you are,” I reply, a small smile pulling at one corner of my mouth.

“Right,” she murmurs with a nervous laugh. “Well, the reason I’m calling is because—something’s wrong with my car. I managed to pull off onto the side of the road, but given that it stopped accelerating, I’m thinking if I started it up again, I wouldn’t be going anywhere. I don’t really know who to call and so I was just thinking—I was just thinking you could help me?”

I knit my eyebrows together in a scowl, not pleased with this situation in the slightest.

“Teddy, are your hazard lights on?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now, do you not have roadside assistance?” I ask, leaving my closet. I move quickly, heading for the kitchen where I left my tablet.

“No. I don’t think so.”

Her uncertainty is bothersome, but I don’t address it. I unlock my tablet and search for a towing service. “Where are you, exactly? I’m going to have your car picked up and taken to my mechanic.”

“Um, I’m on highway 34. I’m outside of Loveland I…” she stumbles over her words and I get the idea that she’s no longer sure of exactly where she is. “I don’t know, really. Not anymore. I’m, like, in the mountain.”

“I’m going to call you back. Answer when I do.”

“Of course I will.”

I disconnect and call her a tow, explaining where she is and instructing them where I’d like her car taken before giving them my credit card information. When they tell me about how long it’ll take them to get there, I’m instantly furious. Nevertheless, my few choice words don’t change their response.

I don’t hesitate to grab the keys to my Land Rover before making my way to the garage. I dole out further instructions, informing them that I will call back with her vehicle’s information so they can pick up her abandoned car at their
earliest convenience
. There’s no way in hell I’m leaving her on the side of the road for two hours.

As soon as I end the call, I send a text to Aunt Eddalyn, apologizing for my sudden change in plans, and then I start my car and call Teddy. By the time she answers, I’m already pulling out of the driveway.

“Hello?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“I’m coming to get you.”

“You are?”

I don’t miss the note of surprise and excitement in her tone; neither can I ignore the way my chest tightens hearing it.

“Yes. Now, listen to me, sweetheart—you stay in your car until I get there.”

“I will. I should probably call my parents. Um…what should I tell them?”

I know immediately that she’s not asking about what information she should give them regarding her car. Rather, she wants to know if she should tell them that she’s still coming.

When she first told me of her weekend plans, the thought never crossed my mind that I wished to be included. Not once. I wanted my woman in my bed, and her trip meant she wouldn’t be. That was my only concern. As things stand now, I suppose I don’t have a choice but to give it some thought.

I’m fully aware that we have plans tomorrow for her to meet Eddalyn—a woman who could easily be described as my mother in the world of business. Furthermore, I know their introduction will inevitably lead to a call from my own mother, insisting that she, too, would like to meet the woman I’m calling my girlfriend. I won’t lie, that is a meeting I wouldn’t think twice about procrastinating on. It’s not at all that I’m ashamed of Teddy, or that I don’t think she’s good enough to meet my family. But introducing her to my parents speaks of a level of commitment and expectation that I’ve never had in a relationship before.

“Judah?” she murmurs, interrupting my thoughts.

“I’m thinking,” I reply.

I know that she’s been looking forward to seeing her parents. She says it’s been three months since she’s made the time. I have no idea what a trip to Estes with me would mean to her. I’m not sure of what sort of significance she would tack on to my agreeing to escort her. However, something tells me if I say
no
, she’ll be disappointed—and that disappointment will follow me for the rest of the weekend.

I’m not going anywhere. Neither is she. This relationship, while maybe not forever, is
indefinite.
She’s mine, and she’s managed to make me hers—and what I’m about to agree to proves it.

“Tell them you’re still coming. At least for today.”

“Really? Are you sure?” she asks, her voice dripping in hope.

“I’m not a man who says
yes
when I mean
no
, Teddy. Call them and then call me back. I want you on the line until I get there.”

“Okay. I’ll call you back in a minute.”

As I wait for her to call me back, it dawns on me that it’s only a matter of time before her sister finds out about this impromptu visit. A knowing smirk crosses my face. Benjamin has yet to meet the Fitzpatricks. Now, it’s only a matter of time and he’ll have no choice. I’m betting a week, tops. And he thought he was being sly discussing Teddy with Aunt Eddalyn. Payback is a bitch.

Victory is mine
.

Judah stays on the phone with me until his black Land Rover eases by me and comes to a full stop on the shoulder of the road that’s barely wide enough to fit the SUV. He hops out of the vehicle, striding toward my driver’s side door confidently—his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses, but his gaze clearly looking down the stretch of road, checking for cars. He’s so unbelievably sexy. It doesn’t matter if he’s stripped down naked, or fully clothed, I could stare at the man all day.

He’s got on a pair of dark, tan khakis, a navy blue and white striped thermal over a white collared shirt, and a light-weight black jacket. Without even looking, I know he’s got a watch attached to his left wrist, and I imagine that he smells delectable. Keeping my hands off of him for the duration of the day, especially after our fun-filled morning, will definitely be a challenge.

He opens my door and signals for me to hop out. I do so without hesitation. He grabs the back of my neck and kisses the top of my head before he speaks. “Is there anything in here you need to put in my car?”

“No,” I reply, shaking my head as I look up at him. “Just my bag is all. It’s in the back seat.”

He dips his chin in acknowledgement. “Come on. I need to make a quick call and then we’ll be on our way. I’ll get your bag.”

“Judah?” He grunts his response before I continue. “Thank you.”

He presses a quick, solid kiss against my lips. “You’re welcome. In the car, sweetheart.”

I hurry to the passenger side of his vehicle and climb in. It’s another five minutes before he joins me, setting my bag in the floor of his back seat.

“They’ll call me when they’ve arrived. Might be a couple hours.”

“How much is it going to be?” I ask, worried about how far away we are outside of town.

“Don’t worry about it, Teddy. I’ll cover it.”

“Are you sure?” He gives me a sidelong glance as he starts the engine, and I offer him my most innocent grin. “Thank you.”

“Where am I going?” he asks, pulling back out onto the road.

“You’ll stay on 34 for a while longer. We’ve got at least another half an hour.”

“Anything I should know about your parents before I meet them?”

“You mean like how my dad has a gun on him at all times, and he threatens to shoot the stray cats in the neighborhood? Or how my mom thinks life is a musical, so she sings half of her conversations?”

He pulls his eyebrows together in a scowl before he looks at me warily. I keep a straight face for all of two seconds before I burst into laughter.

“I’m kidding!” I insist, reaching over to squeeze the hand that rests in his lap. He doesn’t stop me when I slide my palm under his, lacing our fingers together. “My dad does have a gun. He’s a police officer. But he’s the gentlest man I’ve ever met. And my mom isn’t crazy, I promise. She’s a mediocre singer at best, but she only sings to herself when she’s cleaning.”

“And what does she do for a living?”

“She’s a guidance counselor.”

He nods, as if he’s soaking in this new information. “What have you told them about me?”

I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, wondering if my honest answer will be offensive. “Um…they know that you exist, that your name is Judah, and you helped me celebrate my birthday.”

“All right.”

“Do your parents know anything about me?”

“No,” he answers simply.

“Oh,” I mutter.

“Teddy, it should come as no surprise to you that I don’t make a habit of talking to my parents about the women in my life. Inevitably, they will find out about you. Between Ben and Eddalyn, it’s only a matter of time.”

He’s right. I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s not particularly chatty about what’s going on between us. What we have is new and different for both of us. We’ve been so focused on
building
something, and I feel like we’ve been through so much together already, we haven’t really had time to invite anyone else into our relationship.

We spend the rest of our drive talking about Estes Park. I’m appalled when Judah tells me he’s never been, and I make a mental note to make time for us to do a little exploring before we leave for the day. It isn’t until we pull into my parents’ driveway that I start to feel nervous. I love the man beside me like I’ve never loved anyone before, and I really want them to like him. I could use a good pep-talk from my sister right now. She’s going to flip her shit when I tell her that Judah met mom and dad.

Judah stows his sunglasses before we both climb out of his vehicle and make our way to the front door. I take his hand once more, and he doesn’t refuse me before I walk right into the house. I call for my parents just as soon as we cross the threshold. It’s my mother who answers first, shouting from somewhere upstairs that they’ll be out in a minute. Almost as soon as she gets the last word out, my father is making his way down.

He’s not particularly tall, standing a couple inches shy of six feet, but he’s built like a man you’d think twice about disrespecting. Of course, as I’ve gotten older, he’s grown a little soft around his middle, but what I told Judah is true—he’s a very mild-mannered man with a kind disposition. He’s where I get my red hair, and where Harper gets her green eyes; his light up at the sight of me.

“Well, hello, daughter of mine. My goodness, I just about forgot what you look like.”

I playfully roll my eyes as I step away from Judah to greet him with a hug. “Hey, dad.”

He doesn’t hold me long, and when I take a step back, I know why. His eyes are glued to my boyfriend.

“And who do we have here?”

“Dad, this is Judah,” I answer. “Judah, this is my dad.”

“Officer Fitzpatrick,” says Judah, holding his hand out.

I swear, he melts my heart a little more with his hello.

“Call me Sean,” my dad insists, wrapping his hand around Jude’s in a manly shake.