“Atlanta.” Connor whistles. “Big city boy. How are you handling the quiet up here?”
“I’m adjusting.” Jude takes a sip of his beer. “The quiet is actually one of the things I like most about this place.”
“Well, that andme.” I put my arm around Jude’s shoulders. “Bet you never had a better partner, right?”
Jude looks like he’s trying not to laugh as he shrugs off my arm. “You’re an okay partner.”
Connor chuckles. “You two make a good team. One of you is quiet and one of you is loud. That dynamic probably keeps the bad guys on their toes.”
Jude sighs. “If only it were that easy.”
My dad nods. “Ain’t that the truth.”
The Walsh kids suddenly barrel through the room, nearly knock Jude sideways. He sidesteps them with a disconcerted laugh.
“Sorry about that,” Dana says, snagging her son by the back of his shirt as he tries to rocket past. “Did you pilfer the candy dish, Thomas? Is that why you’re acting like a meth addict on speed? You better have left some candy for everyone else.”
Thomas looks guilty and she drags him off into the other room.
“Uh, oh.” Connor raises his brows. “Mom’s mad.”
Dad, Jack, and I all laugh, but Jude gets an uneasy look in his eyes, as if he’s remembering something painful. I recall what he said about his abusive parents, but when our eyes meet, he simply smiles.
When dinner is ready, we crowd around the dining table. Candles flicker in the center beside a low arrangement of pine branches and dried berries. The table is so loaded with food there’s barely room for plates or wine glasses.
Dad carves the turkey. Mom orchestrates the passing of dishes with the precision of a Marine sergeant. Jack piles his plate absurdly high, and Connor’s daughter tugs on Jude’s sleeve.
“Are you a real policeman like Liam?” Lilly asks, her eyes wide.
“I am,” he says, leaning down to her level. “Why do you ask?”
She considers his question. “You seem too quiet.”
“Do I?” Jude grimaces. “Well, I really am a policeman.”
“Do you have a gun?”
“Not on me.” He laughs gruffly. “I carry one at work.”
She nods, looking wise beyond her eight years. “Of course you’d need one. Because of the bad guys.”
Jude catches my eye across the table and the corner of his mouth twitches. I grin back at him. Then Kara’s hand finds my knee under the table and my smile fades. I wouldn’t usually mind if she grabbed my leg under the table, but it feels possessive today. Almost scolding. As if she’s warning me not to be too warm and friendly to Jude.
Fuck that.
I move my leg away from her hand, and she gives me a funny look. “What’s wrong with you?” she asks.
“Nothing is wrong. Everything is great.” My face feels stiff as I smile at her.
“You sure?” She flicks her gaze to Jude and then back to me.
“Yes.”
We’re interrupted when Dana asks me to pass the mashed potatoes. I relax a little when Kara offers Jude the gravy and she smiles at him. I hate how my mood changes every five seconds based on how Kara treats Jude. I’ve never been in such an awkward position before. I’ve never had a girlfriend who disliked my best friend.
Because that’s what Jude is to me. Even if I haven’t known him that long, we’re really close. We have the same sense of humor and we share so many common interests. I’ve never been this close to another shifter, not counting family. If Kara can’t accept Jude in my life, I’m going to have to make a decision, and that isn’t a decision I want to make. I want thembothin my life.
The meal is everything it should be. The turkey is perfect, the skin crispy, the meat falling apart. The sweet potatoes are rich and buttery. Mom’s cranberry sauce has that tart bite that balances everything. Conversation flows easily as the kids giggle and squirm in their seats. It’s a warm, homey day and I hope Jude is happy he came.
