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“We’ve managed to make assplay corny.”
For a second, Judge did nothing.
Then, his arms convulsing around his woman, he burst out laughing.
* * *
One week later…
It was the next Saturday night and Judge was driving them away from dinner at her dad’s house.
It had become a thing.
They’d fallen into a variety of rituals.
Wednesday, up in Prescott, Chloe showed after she drove up from work, and since she usually arrived between seven and eight, he either had dinner waiting for her, or they went out.
Sometimes, Rix met them out. Sometimes, a few of his friends met them out. Sometimes, it was just them.
Thursday night, Judge came home to her cooking.
Friday morning, she made the massive sacrifice of getting up early and getting ready with him. He made the massive sacrifice of not telling her every time how adorable she was in her grumpy morning moods.
She went down the mountain.
He and Zeke went down it nine hours later.
Friday night was date night, no exceptions. Dinner. Maybe dinner and a movie. And then home, fuck and sleep.
When she worked during the day Saturday, he and Zeke took runs or hikes around the Phoenix area. Chloe would sometimes leave a grocery list that said, If you have the time and inclination, chéri… (he always did). He met with friends who lived in the Valley. And he always ran the vacuum, top to bottom in her house before she got home, so Zeke didn’t leave her with a layer of fur everywhere that she had to clean up.
She came home, and they often went out with her friends. They also had their Cooking Club at Mi and Jacob’s, which Rix drove down to attend (and he’d stayed with Chloe and Judge). The next Club at Chloe’s, Rix came to as well. The next was that following week, and they’d decided on a change of plans, with Chloe spending the weekend at his, and Rix, Mi and Jacob cooking in his kitchen, with Mi and Jake spending the night.
In Phoenix, on Saturdays, they might also meet Genny and Duncan for dinner like they had the weekend before (if they were in town).
Or, more often, went out to dinner with Tom or to his house to eat.
Like tonight.
Sundays for them were sacrosanct. Time in. Sleeping in. Cooking together. Eating. Fucking. Zoning out in front of the TV. Sometimes reading together.
No chores. No errands. Just togetherness.
Judge woke early Monday so he and Zeke could get up to Prescott.
The only blip in this was when he had to take a trip to a new school they were introducing the program to in Denver, so he could go to an assembly, talk to the kids, pitch the program and get recruits.
They’d been together four months.
Chloe gave more than any girlfriend had before.
It still wasn’t enough.
This was an issue, because if it wasn’t enough already, it was only going to feel more that way.
And he had no desire to move to Phoenix.
She’d confessed LA was out, but she did not say she’d lied about not wanting to move to Prescott.
Shit was eventually going to get real, and that was going to be sooner rather than later.
Because he hated to leave on Monday morning, she didn’t even try to hide she hated it too, they were going to be apart only three days and not even full days.
And they both thought it sucked.
Because it sucked.
So, yeah.
It was going to get real.
Soon.
But right now, she was unusually quiet.
He gave her that until they were on Scottsdale Road and he was done giving it to her.
“Where’s your head at?”
“He’s lonely.”
Tom Pierce adored his daughter, and Judge could not deny that it felt super fucking good that Tom liked Judge for his girl.
He not only showed it on a variety of occasions, at one point, a few weeks ago, when Chloe had excused herself to go to the bathroom, he’d shared it straight out.
“You are not what I expected,” he’d said. “And that’s a good thing. I won’t betray her confidence by telling you something it’s hers to tell, but I’m pleased she’s finally with a man who cares more about her than whatever he’s convinced himself is more important than the woman in his life. Nothing is more important than that. I’ve heard the road’s been rocky. I won’t speak for Sasha, she has her work to do after she behaved the way she did. But you should know, it brings me relief Chloe isn’t carrying it all on her shoulders anymore. She has someone who will help her bear the weight. Or help her to understand, she can choose to lose it when she’s ready.”
Yeah.
That was what he said.
So yeah, that felt fucking great.
Nevertheless, Chloe was correct.
Tom was lonely.
…whatever he’s convinced himself is more important than the woman in his life. Nothing is more important than that.
