“I wasn’t. But my friends are all old ladies in Virginia. I know how it works.”
“Is that why you didn’t engage with her?”
“No, I didn’t engage because Jude and I are not together. He’s free to sleep with whoever he wants.”
I left the room with those words in the air. I placed a hand on my stomach, trying to stem the nausea they caused as I said them out loud.
I went downstairs to my workroom. When I got there, my heart sank. Someone had smashed all my bowls along with the jars that held the herbs, which were now littered across the floor.
The few lotions I had made were smeared on the one wall that wasn’t lined with shelves. I knew the only reason they weren’t tipped over was because they had been bolted to the wall.
I couldn’t hold back the tears. I knew who had done it. I just didn’t know if it had been before or after she’d confronted me in the kitchen. She wanted my husband, despite the fact that he’d made it clear he didn’t want her.
That was the real reason I hadn’t engaged. Zombie had explained about Jenna. Assuring me Jude had never touched her, or any of the whores.
Deep down, I knew I should tell him about this, but I wouldn’t run to him. I was a big girl, and I was here until the baby was born. Jenna and the others would get the hint eventually, that Jude and I were done.
I stepped around the mess and grabbed the broom to start cleaning. I could have asked the prospects to do it, but they would tell Jude.
No, this was my mess to clean up.
That was exactly what I did as I started mentally making a list of everything that needed to be replaced.
I knocked on the doors to church and waited for Jude to answer. When he did, I opened the door and walked in. I still wasn’t sure I should be in here.
“Jude?”
His head popped up, and he smiled.
“Hi.” He got up from his desk and walked around it to meet me by the door. “Come in, babe.”
“I’m fine.” I tried to wave him away, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me further into the room. “I really shouldn’t be in here.”
“Nonsense. When we aren’t having church, this is my office.”
“You don’t have a separate office?” I asked, looking at all the papers on his desk. “How do you keep things private?”
“The only people allowed in here are brothers.”
“That’s what I thought.” I turned to go, but he held onto my hand.
“And my old lady.”
My eyes snapped to his. “I’m not your old lady.”
“You are,” he corrected.
“We aren’t married anymore, Jude.”
He leaned against the table and pulled me closer until I was standing between his legs.
And I let him.
God help me, I let him hold my hand and pull me closer until I was pressed against him.
“We might not be married in the eyes of the law anymore, but as far as the MC is concerned, you are still my old lady.” His hands went to my hips, and mine had a mind of their own and went to his chest. I felt the puckered skin beneath his shirt and frowned.
“Does it still hurt?” I asked as I stared at his chest, knowing I’d seen him rubbing the scars through his shirt.
