How could I be so stupid to think he’d have nothing of his own going on? How could I think I could just call him after years of not talking to him and just barge into his life simply because mine was falling apart? Hell, for all I knew he could have a family of his own. The last thing they probably needed was some couch dweller from Jude’s high school years. Isn’t that the final puzzle piece for any family—a freeloader army vet with one arm and a beast of a German shepherd as a service dog?
“Hello?” he asked into the line, his voice uncertain. “You still there?”
“Yeah,” I choked out. “Sorry for both—”
“It’s really good to hear from you.” He cut through my attempt at trying to end the call before I made even more of a fool of myself. “It’s been too long, Micah.” There was pain in his voice as he said my name. It’d been years since I actually heard him say it, especially since we’d only communicated through a few e-mails and Facebook messages over the years. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss hearing my name come from his mouth.
“Sorry for that,” I said, gathering my courage from the change in his tone. “How would you feel about a visitor, well, two actually?”
“Seriously?” He seemed happy at the idea. “Hell yeah. When?” A desire to know what his smile looked like overtook all my senses.
After a quick estimate based on the last road sign I’d seen, I said, “An hour or so.”
“Uh.” The single syllable sounded frantic. For a split second, I worried that he was going to call me out on how the hell I knew where he lived, even though he’d told me he stayed in Galveston to take care of his dad. Just because they were words I’d committed to memory didn’t mean he had to remember saying them.
Since he seemed caught off guard, I tried to pull the words back. “It’s fine. I shouldn’t have—”
He interrupted again, putting me at ease with his soft laughter. “No, it’s okay, really. It’s just that it’s six in the morning.” A twitch of nervousness covered his voice as he realized he’d called me back so early and it put me even more at ease. It became clear he was at least a little nervous, too.
If it wasn’t nervousness, it was annoyance, and I just didn’t want to go there right now. All I wanted was somewhere to sleep, maybe grab a quick shower and a hot meal. Then I’d hit the road again, drive off somewhere unknown and never look back.
Because suddenly, the prospect of seeing Jude became terrifying. Andhomewas the last place I wanted to go.
He took the cue from my silence and his voice, warm and soothing, flowed through the line. “An hour is fine.” His tone indicated he was anything but annoyed. In fact, it sounded like there was so much more he didn’t say.
Not having the energy to pick at that thought, I instead muttered a quick “Thanks.”
Quickly, he added, “I’m leaving for work, though.”
“Oh. Okay, then maybe another day,” I blurted, both disappointed and relieved at the idea of not having to see him.
Seemingly paying no mind to my suggestion of some other time, he told me where he had a spare key hidden. “I’ll be home around four. So I’ll see you then.”
Before I could spit out my objections—because the idea of being alone in Jude’s home all day had my heart racing in an entirely new form of anxiety—the line went dead.
Staring down at my phone, I could hardly believe what the hell had just happened. I’d sounded like a fool the entire time I was talking, yet still, he wanted to see me. That thought alone helped spur me on.
With Sarge at my side, I walked back to the car. After turning the ignition, I realized I didn’t know exactly where I was going. Sure, I knew he still lived near the same small town we both did all those years ago, but I didn’t have his actual address.
The idea of calling him back put a knot in my stomach. I was already a fool for calling him out of nowhere and assuming he could take me in. There was no chance in hell I was calling him back and asking for the address.
Sure, you can just drive around all damn day. Maybe go door to door asking if this is where Jude lives.
Angry at my own sarcastic suggestion, I barely registered my phone buzzing in the cup holder. A new text notification flashed across the screen. It was from Jude.
Figured you’d need this, unless you were planning on going door to door.
A second message included his address, and the third readSee you later.
I didn’t respond.
I didn’t know how to.
Hell, I was lucky I made it through the conversation with him without sounding too much like an ass. So I said nothing and drove on with the early morning sun shining in my eyes, trying my best to ignore the spark of hope blooming in my chest.
