Saving Tatum (Trace + Olivia #4) (34 page)

But all my fighting was
futile; because love is one battle you can never overcome. Love always wins.

Jude put me down when we reached the grass. He pulled a beanie out of his back pocket and fixed it on, his damp hair sticking up in the front.

Growing serious, he leaned forward and his nose grazed mine. “Marry me, Tate.”

“What?” I gasped with wide eyes.

“You heard me,” he chuckled, and then like a typical guy his eyes dropped to the swell of my breasts barely contained behind my bra. “Marry me. Maybe not today or tomorrow, or next week or next month, or maybe so,” he shrugged. “It doesn’t matter to me, as long as you promise to marry me one day…” He paused and cracked a grin. “And promise to have lots of my babies.” His hand reached for my stomach, his fingers skimming my skin. “I want it all with you, Tate. Marriage, babies, a house, a
life
. None of it has any meaning without you. Please, say you’ll marry me?”

I stood, mouth agape, and stared at him like he’d grown three heads.
I hadn’t been expecting that to come out of his mouth, especially since I’d shown up today to seek his forgiveness. I was shocked, to say the least, and didn’t know what to say. I knew what I
wanted
to say, but I was scared. I closed my eyes and swallowed thickly, silently telling myself not to be so scared all the time. Pushing my fears and anxieties aside, I spoke. “One day?”

“One day.” He promised. “When you’re ready,” he amended.

I nodded, and a slow smile lifted my lips. “Yes.”

“Yes?” He stepped back with shock. Grinning, he gasped, “You said yes!”

He picked me up around my waist and spun me around. I had no choice but to hold on tight. When he set me down he kissed me soundly, humming low in his throat. He gripped my face between his large hands and pressed his forehead against mine. “We’re getting married,” he grinned.

“One day,” I repeated.

“One day soon.” He whispered lowly. “I hope,” he added, nibbling on my lips. I sank into his touch. I couldn’t get enough of him. Why had I ever thought I could live without this? I was crazy.

He took my hand and sat down in the grass. I lay down beside him and he turned to look at me. “I have so much to tell you,” he smiled, his eyes roaming greedily up and down my body.

“Like what?” I prompted.

Shrugging, he pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. “Well, for starters, since you broke my heart,” his sad eyes slid to me and then he smiled jokingly, “I had to find ways to distract myself so I couldn’t think about you. I spent a lot of time fixing things at Pap’s house, which I’m sure you saw. But there’s something else I did.” His lips turned down in a frown and my heart stopped beating all together. Shit. He was going to tell me he slept with someone else. I knew it. Oh God. I was going to be sick. “I found Julia.”

Okay, that
so
was not what I’d been expecting.

“Julia?
The
Julia? The Julia your grandpa thinks I am during one of his bad days?” I couldn’t get the words past my lips fast enough.

“Yeah,” he nodded, his brown eyes sad.

“Have you talked to her?” I asked.

“Yep,” he tapped his fingers against the top of his knees. “I’ve talked to her. She…uh…she thought my dad put me up to calling. I told her I hadn’t talked to that fucking asshole since I moved out. I explained to her about Pap calling you Julia, and that we were curious.” He shrugged, letting out a sigh.

“And?” I prompted. “Was she nice? What did she have to say? How was she involved with your dad?” I kept firing questions at him, curiosity eating me up.

“She said that her and my dad were high school sweethearts. They planned to get married after college and live happily ever after,” he mumbled.

“Come on, Jude,” I sat up, tucking my damp hair behind my ear. “I know there’s more to the story than that.”

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “She caught him cheating on her with my mom. My mommy’s the best, ain’t she?” He smiled but the happiness from minutes ago was gone. “Julia, uh,” he cleared his throat and his jaw clenched, “she was pregnant at the time.”

“What?!” I gasped, almost falling over with shock.

Jude nodded. “Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction. I have a brother. He’s three years older than me.”

“Wow,” I breathed. “You have a brother?”

He nodded. “Crazy, right?”

I couldn’t believe what he was telling me. He’d not only found Julia, but a brother. Family he never knew he had. I knew since Jude didn’t have a relationship with his mom and dad, that he worried about what would happen once his grandpa was gone. But now he wouldn’t be alone. He had a brother.

“Do you know his name?” I asked.

“Archer,” he answered. “Apparently it’s a family name on her side,” he shrugged, squinting against the descending sun.

“Have you talked to him? Are you going to meet him? Them?”

He swallowed thickly and nodded. “Yeah,” he reached for my hand, “they’re supposed to come up to the farm next week for lunch. Archer wants to meet Pap. Julia is coming too. It’ll be nice to meet them, but I’m nervous. I hope you’ll be there with me.”

“Of course I’ll be there,” I gasped. “I want to meet them too.”

“Thanks,” he smiled. He reached over and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against him. His lips brushed against the top of my head. “God,” his voice lowered, “I fucking hated not having you by my side.”

“I felt the same,” I agreed. “You’ll never know how sorry I am for pushing you away and not believing you.”

“Well,” he grinned playfully, “you have our whole lives to make it up to me. I accept payment in—”

“Sexual favors, I know, I know,” I chanted with a laugh. I stood up and stretched my legs. “You’ll have to catch me first before that happens.”

Before he could respond I took off running.

I didn’t know where I was going and I didn’t care.

I let myself smile and laugh as I ran through the field of tall grass and flowers. Jude’s laughter sounded behind me as his footsteps grew closer.

I closed my eyes as I ran, the setting sun warming my face.

I spread my arms out wide like I was flying.

His arm came around my waist and we tumbled to the ground. I ended up on top of him and his hands gripped my waist. My hips dug into his as I lowered my head to kiss him.

As the heat of the kiss grew to scorching temperatures our clothes melted away and we made love there in our meadow.

The sun disappeared beneath the line of trees and the stars soon shimmered above us.

My body curled against his, molding to the shape of him.

Never again would I ever leave this man’s side, because I’d found the one, and he would
always
be worth fighting for.

Chapter Twenty Nine

“Ahhhhh!” Rowan screamed when Jude and I showed up to the Memorial Day party hand in hand. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” She fist-pumped. Sobering, she added, “You two had me worried there for a little while that you weren’t going to work it out.”

Jude chuckled, keeping his arm around me so I couldn’t leave his side. “This one had me worried too.” Looking down at me, he added, “If you hadn’t come to me in a few more days I think I would’ve finally caved and gone after you. I wanted to come to you every day we were apart, but I knew you needed time, so I was giving you that.”

“You’re too perfect for me sometimes,” I replied, trying to keep the dreamy sigh from my voice. I was young and in love, so sometimes it was hard not to act like a lovesick fool.

“Bleh,” Rowan gagged. “Stop with the lovey dovey looks. You’re making me ill.”

Jude and I laughed. Smiling at my best friend, I said, “You wear the same look around Trent all the time and if I recall, you’re marrying him in two weeks.”

Rowan smiled widely, looking around for Trent. “Yeah, I guess I do.” With a gasp, she cried, “You will never believe what he did the other night!”

“What?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t something that was going to gross me out and make me picture Trent naked, because that would be fucking weird.

A blush stained her cheeks as she spoke. “So, we were talking about our honeymoon, and then he started talking
again
about wanting another kid. I want to wait, he doesn’t, blah, blah, blah. Anyway,” she guided us over to a private side of the yard where there weren’t so many guests—and let me tell you, since it was a Wentworth party there were at least a hundred people in attendance, “he got so mad at me for saying that I wasn’t ready that he took all of the condoms and threw them out the window.” Jude snickered. “Oh, that’s not the best part,” Rowan crossed her arms over her chest. “He refused to go outside and get them, so I wouldn’t either. The next morning one of the neighbors is walking their dog, and the little hairy beast tries to eat one of the wrappers. The neighbor then finds all the condoms on the driveway, picks them up, and brings them to the door.” She threw her hands in the air. “I’ve never been more embarrassed in all my life.”

Jude and I dissolved into fits of laughter. “Oh my God,” I wiped tears away, “that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.”

She shook her head. “If I didn’t love him so much, I’d kill him for that stunt.”

“So,” Jude started, “does this mean we should expect a bouncing baby boy or girl in nine months?”

Rowan sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Looks like it.”

“Yes!” Jude cried. “I’m going to be an uncle again!”

Rowan laughed. “Don’t get too excited just yet.”

“I think,” Jude put a hand to his chest, “that I should be your children’s godfather, since Tater Tot here refuses to let me have Jude Jr. for a few more years.”

Rowan’s lips quirked into a smile. “I think Trace would kill me if we didn’t let him be the godfather.”

“I heard my name!”

A moment later Trace, Trenton’s older brother, appeared and slung his arm over Rowan’s shoulder. “You called for me.”

She laughed, pushing him away. “No, I just said your name. There’s a difference.”

“Usually, when someone says my name it’s because they want me. I’m a very likable guy,” he grinned at Jude and me. His dark hair fell messily over his forehead, shielding his green eyes. Heavy stubble dotted his cheeks and chin. He was dressed the same way he always was, jeans, a white shirt, and a plaid shirt over top.

“Trace!” His wife called, walking up to us. “Grace won’t stop crying,” she held their baby daughter. “She needs to go to sleep before the fireworks start
in an hour or she’ll get too upset to sleep.” Olivia rocked the crying baby in her arms. The poor woman looked exhausted, but happy. Their son, Dean, the cutest three year old I’d ever seen clung to her leg peeking shyly at us. He had a mop of dark wavy hair and green eyes like his dad. He was even dressed similarly in a plaid shirt.

Trace held out his arms for Grace and began to sing to the baby. Her cries ceased and she looked up at her daddy in awe. She was dressed in an adorable pink and purple flowered dress, with a white headband around her head. Like her brother she had dark
slightly curly hair.

“I’ll see you guys later,” Trace called, walking off and into the large mansion singing to his daughter.

Something about seeing Trace with his kids made me look up at Jude and think about him as a father one day. Our kids would be the luckiest kids on the planet.

Dean tugged on Olivia’s jeans and she lowered to pick up the boy, grunting at his weight. Dean laid his head on her shoulder, blinking curious owlish eyes at all of us. “Where daddy go?” He asked her.

“He went to put Gracie to bed,” she kissed his cheek. He wiggled in her arms, wanting down now.

“Where Rent?” Dean asked, looking around.

Olivia held out her hand for him. “I don’t know. Let’s go find him.”

Rowan nodded her head for us to follow Olivia and Dean.

We found Trent sitting at a table with Ivy and Tristan playing a card game. When Dean saw his uncle he screamed, “Rent!” and took off running.

Olivia shook her head and smiled at us. “He’s such a handful, but I love him so much.”

“Believe me, I understand completely,” Rowan nodded towards Tristan. “Kids are hard work, but worth every second of it.”

Olivia nodded her head in agreement. “Grace makes our family feel complete…although,” she bit her lip, “Trace is already talking about wanting another baby. I think he’d be happy if I spent the next ten years of my life pregnant,” she laughed. “He loves being a father,” her eyes grew misty, and at that moment he returned. When Dean saw his daddy he forgot all about Trent and took off running once more. Trace pretended to fall to the ground when the little boy collided with his legs and the two tumbled to the ground. Trace picked up his son, tossing him in the air. “Seeing him with our children,” Olivia sighed dreamily, watching her husband and son, “makes me love him even more and I never thought that was possible.”

Trace picked up Dean, lifting the small boy onto his shoulders, and sauntered over to us. Dean pulled and plucked at Trace’s hair, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“When are we eating?” Trace asked. “I’m hungry.” Catching sight of his mom he yelled her over.

Lily Wentworth breezed over, her dark hair blowing around her shoulders and her blue eyes bright. “Yes?” She asked.

“I want to know when we’re eating. I need food.”

“Food! Food!” Dean cried, beating the top of Trace’s head with his hands.

“Calm down, Dean.” Trace reached up, grabbing the little boy’s hands. “You’re going to hurt daddy.”

Dean frowned and when Trace released his small hands the boy ceased his onslaught.

Lily smiled beautifully. She reminded me of an heiress or maybe a princess with her effortless beauty and kind personality. “You’re always hungry,” she laughed at her oldest son, “but the food is almost ready. Why don’t you guys go ahead and get seated at one of the tables.” She waved her hand to the many picnic tables littering the green lawn. Each table was covered with a checkered red and white tablecloth.

“Sounds good,” Trace grinned, lifting Dean off from around his neck. Dean giggled in delight as Trace spun him through the air.

Trent and Jude pushed two of the picnic tables together so we’d all be able to sit together.

It didn’t take long for waiters to start serving us. I expected some kind of fancy fare, but I was pleasantly surprised to see they served us normal backyard party food. Burgers, hotdogs, mac n’ cheese, you name it and it was accounted for.

T
here were already plates in front of each of us and we were allowed to grab whatever we wanted to eat.

I chose a cheeseburger, some mac n’ cheese, and assorted fruit. Jude grabbed a bit of everything and I had no doubt he would eat it all.

Across from me, Trace grabbed two hot dogs and drenched them in ketchup. He cut up a hot dog for Dean and covered that in ketchup as well.

“Trace,” Olivia scolded, wrinkling her nose, “that’s not necessary.”

“Hey,” he pointed at her, “you can’t start them loving ketchup or Star Wars too young. You’re the freak that doesn’t like either.” Across from me I looked at Dean, who was currently shoving pieces of hot dog in his mouth and getting ketchup all over his face, and noticed that beneath his open plaid shirt he was wearing a shirt with a Star Wars logo. Clearly Trace had dressed him.

“Ketchup is gross,” she countered, “and Star Wars is weird.”

Trace gasped. “Take that back.”

I laughed at their playful interaction. No matter how much they might banter back and forth, that was just their relationship, but you could always see the love shining through in everything they did.

Jude bumped my shoulder and I looked up at him with a smile. I giggled when I saw mayonnaise sitting in the corner of his mouth. I lifted my head to kiss it away.

“Are you happy?” Jude asked me.

“Very,” I replied, and it was the truth. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been happier.

Jude grinned widely. “Do I make you happy?”

“The happiest,” I responded.

Lowering his voice, he nuzzled his face against my ear. “I’ve wanted you for so long that I stopped believing we’d ever happen. Thank you.”

“For what?” My brows furrowed together in puzzlement.

“For giving me your heart, your love, your future,” he shrugged, squeezing my thigh. “Thank you for giving it all to me. You could’ve chosen any guy to love, but you picked me.”

“I didn’t pick you, Jude,” I smiled, kissing his stubbled cheek, “we picked each other.”

He chuckled. “That sounds about right.”

Rowan bumped my shoulder, distracting me. I turned my head to look at her. “What?” I asked.

She giggled. “I was a bit afraid that the way you guys were staring at each other you might end up having sex on the table.”

“Rowan!” I gasped in shock.

“Table sex?” Trace piped in. “Table sex is the best. I mean, all kinds of sex
is the best—”

“Trace!” Olivia hissed. “Be quiet,” she nodded her head at Dean.

Tristan and Ivy didn’t seem bothered by the outburst—although, there was a bit of a blush staining Ivy’s cheeks.

Olivia’s warning came a bit too late though. “Sex! Sex! Sex!” Dean chanted, smacking his small fists against the table.

Olivia shook her head, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment. She slowly raised her hands to hide her face as other people gathered at the Memorial Day party turned to stare.

Trace put a hand over his son’s mouth and waved at the staring people with a smirk on his face. “Nothing to see here folks. Look away.”

Slowly, they turned away and back to their meals.

“Now, Dean,” Trace looked down at his son, still not moving his hand, “we can’t say that word so loud, okay?”

The little boy looked up at his dad and nodded. Trace lowered his hand and then Dean started in again with a quieter chant of, “Sex, sex, sex.”

“Oh, God,” Olivia groaned. “Someone give him another word to say,
please
. Anything. I beg of you. He’s like a parrot, repeating every thing you say.”

Jude looked at Dean and said, “Tater Tot.”

Dean quieted and tilted his head. “Tater Tot?”

Jude nodded. “This,” he pointed at me, “is Tater Tot.”

Dean looked at me with a puzzled brow. “Tater, Tater, Tater,” he began to chant.

“Thanks,” Olivia shot Jude a smile.

“No problem,” he tilted his head in her direction.

“Why do you call Tatum that?” Tristan leaned around Trent and Row to peer at Jude.

“Because, her nickname’s Tate and it sounds a lot like Tater, so I settled on Tater Tot. Plus, it used to make her ears turn red anytime I said it. Now she doesn’t do it and I know it’s ‘cause she secretly likes it,” he chuckled, rubbing my shoulders.

I didn’t agree with him, but I didn’t deny it either, because he was right. Now I loved that stupid nickname, because Jude was the only person that called me that. I’d missed hearing him call me that during our time apart more than I’d care to admit.

When we finished eating people came to clear off the tables and take them away so the whole lawn was free for roaming.

A DJ started up in the corner and Jude grabbed my hand, dragging me over to where others were gathering to dance.

“Dance with me,” he pleaded, his bottom lip jutting out enough to be cute, but not look stupid.

I couldn’t resist that face, so of course I said
yes.

It was a fast-paced country song and Jude seemed to know all the words, singing them under his breath as he spun me around.

Somehow I ended up with my back to his front. His hands fisted against the bottom of my dress, dragging it up dangerously high as I swayed my hips against his. He felt hard and lethal behind me, like a predator, but I wasn’t scared. I craved his touch. I needed it more than I needed the air I breathed.