In my time at the nursing home with Jude, I’d quickly learned that he took the time to get know everyone. He knew personal details about each person he dealt with, and spent time talking to them. I’d seen several patients’ light up as soon as he entered their room.
I’d never known Jude had this side to him. I’d seen a glimmer of it the day at his grandpa’s, but with each additional day I spent with him a new layer of Jude was exposed. There was far more to Jude than I or anyone else ever knew. I think he wanted people to think he was dumb and nothing but a playboy because that was what was expected of him. In actuality, the man had more of a heart than anyone I knew. He surprised me with his kindness towards the patients he dealt with. Even when he had to deal with someone being fussy he stayed calm and kept a genuine smile on his face. It was obvious to me that he was doing what he loved by taking care of people. I hated to admit it, but I admired that about him.
After talking to Mr. Jenkins for at least twenty minutes, Jude stood and with apology written in his voice he said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Jenkins, but I have to go. I’ll see you again soon, though.”
“Take care,” Mr. Jenkins smiled at me, and then Jude. To Jude he whispered, but loud enough for me to hear him, “Don’t let that one get away.”
“I don’t plan on it,” Jude assured him.
I followed Jude out of the room and cornered him in the hallway. “Are nursing home patients performing some kind of matchmaking service for us or something?”
Jude’s laugh bellowed around the hallway. “Why don’t you just admit that there’s something between us?” He smiled crookedly. “Everyone can see it, so why can’t you?”
“I have twenty/twenty vision,” I replied easily, “clearly everyone else is simply seeing things.”
“You have an answer for everything,” he muttered as he turned down the hallway to visit another patient.
For the rest of the evening I took notes and asked Jude questions. He always surprised me with his long, thought provoking answers. I wondered if he’d ever stop shocking me.
Later that evening, we were getting into his truck when his cellphone beeped with a text message. Jude smiled at whatever the message said.
“What is it?” I asked curiously. I couldn’t seem to stop the words from tumbling out of my mouth.
“Rowan wants to know if we’d like to come over for dinner,” he shrugged.
“How does she know we’re together tonight?” I frowned.
“It?
??s Rowan,” he chuckled, “she knows everything. You want to or not?”
I thought of my mother sitting at home by herself, staring listlessly around at nothing.
A good daughter would refuse the invitation and go home to take care of her.
But I was tired of being good.
“Sounds like fun,” I replied, buckling my seatbelt.
Jude smiled widely. He hadn’t believed I would agree. Was I really that predictable?
We were quiet on the drive to the townhouse Rowan and Trent shared. A few minutes before we arrived, Jude said, “My grandpa has been asking about you.”
“He has?” I don’t know why that fact made me light up so much.
“Yeah, he misses you. He still thinks you’re this mysterious Julia person though,” he chuckled.
Even if to his grandpa I was simply a girl named Julia, that may or may not have ever existed, it still warmed my heart that he missed me. No one had missed me for a long time.
“I’d like to see him again sometime,” I told him, my soft voice betraying a shyness I didn’t normally feel.
“Really?” Jude seemed genuinely surprised by my admission.
“Absolutely,” I nodded as we rounded the corner and the row of townhouses came into view.
He didn’t say anything but the way his lips were pursed I knew he was mulling over my reply.
He parked the truck in front of the house and I hopped out before we could have another heart to heart.