Page 21 of Jude

However, the sudden, rigid set of his jaw signaled to me that the conversation was over as the man retreated behind his walls again.

We veered into a local suburb, one with beautiful, stately homes.

After a few twists and turns, the truck slowed.

Jude drove down a long lane that led into a gravel driveway, lined with towering, ancient white pines that arched over a sprawling, timber-framed farmhouse.

A shaded porch with white wooden railings wrapped the house, featuring cedar planters overflowing with vibrant crimson berries and lush greenery.

It was warm, welcoming, and I gazed at it in wonder at how gorgeous the home was.

Just as Jude killed the engine of the Ford pickup, three more vehicles pulled into the entryway right behind us.

Doors slammed, and voices rose in a rapid-fire chorus as people poured out into the yard.

I stared at their arms, loaded with foil-covered platters, carrying ice chests, and wrapped gift boxes.

Jude got out and hugged them all as they crowded around him with excitement; it was clear everyone adored him.

This was his extended family, most of them resembling Kian: a dozen aunts, uncles, and cousins from the Martinez side.

A couple of teenage boys started kicking a soccer ball across the grass while the girls headed for a pretty swing set.

The older adults shouted greetings over the hoods of the trucks; their loud voices blended with the music drifting from the house.

I shrank back into the truck’s leather seat, filled with angst.

What was I walking into?

Would they think of me as a party crasher and treat me like one?

The screen door opened fully and bounced on its hinges.

A petite, fit, and stunning older woman in her mid-fifties with a short, asymmetric haircut of silver-streaked dark hair came rushing down the porch steps.

She wore an apron printed with wild-hued cockatoos and a pair of colorful canvas sneakers.

Jude gestured at me to get out, jerking his chin through the windscreen.

The woman greeted the other visitors as I exited the truck with trepidation in my step, while Jude grabbed our bags.

When the guests disappeared inside the house in a wave of laughter, the diminutive lady turned to us.

Her bright blue eyes crinkled with deep affection as she swiveled towards my escort.

‘I was saving my best for last!’

She called out in a musical lilt that matched Jude’s Australian accent.

‘Judah! You’re finally home, you oversized gorgeous teddy bear!’

She threw her arms around his torso, her arms scarcely reaching his chest, before turning her gaze on me.

I rounded the cab front as she studied me.

I wondered what she’d think of my pale cheeks, the shadowed circles under my eyes, and the way my shoulders slouched.

‘Oh, look at you, darling,’ she breathed, stepping forward and wrapping me in an embrace that was perfumed with the aroma of baking and an expensive scent. ‘Kian told me you were coming with Jude. Welcome to my home, honey.’