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I raise my hand a stop her, my stomach churning. “You’re right. I don’t want to hear this.”
“What she’s trying to say is, we’re in uncharted territory as well,” Jamie says calmly. “However, the only thing that matters to us is Judge’s happiness. What he had with us was temporary and only half of what he needed and deserved. I know we don’t need to tell you how special he is.”
I tilt my head. “The three of you love him, don’t you?” I ask softly. As much as I don’t want to feel this toward them, sympathy spins a web inside me.
Jamie drops her gaze to her lap, a small smile playing on her lips. She brings her eyes back to mine.
“We do, but not in the way you love him. It’s more of an affectionate kind of love, and not the all-consuming kind you two share. Judge will always have a place in our hearts. He was there for us during the darkest parts of our lives, he gave us what we needed, and in exchange, we gave ourselves to him. Not because he requested it or even suggested it. It was our way of giving our gratitude. But that’s over now. We never expected more from him, and the three of us are happy that he found you and Maisy. Truly happy, Ellie.”
I take a few seconds and let my eyes take in each woman. Beautiful doesn’t seem like a strong enough word to describe them. Outwardly, they’re perfect, something I’ll never be. Gorgeous hair, stunning eyes, slim but shapely figures. Elegance oozes off them, despite the small, dusty Texas town they reside in. Their kind and open expressions seem authentic.
“So, what is it you want from me?” I ask, more than curious.
Layla leans forward, her hands pressed together in prayer style. “Only to be your friends,” she says earnestly. “You and Maisy are important to Judge, and we’d really like to get to know you both. Not to be close to him or keep a connection with him, but because what he cares about, we care about.”
The thought of being friends with the women Judge slept with doesn’t sit well with me, but looking at their hopeful faces, the sincerity in their expressions, the seeming honesty in their words…. Maybe they really do want to be friends.
For the first time since they got here, Gillian speaks. “Judge loves you, Ellie. Those few weeks he was here after the surgery and you were in Kentucky, he was utterly miserable. Grouchy, never smiling, always in a dark mood. He was content in his life before you came back, but he was quiet, ruthless, and kept a part of himself hidden. He was content, but he wasn’t really happy. Since you showed up, he’s different. Lighter, more relaxed than we’ve ever seen him. He’s finally truly happy. We never gave him that. Only you and Maisy. Yes, we miss him, but it’s the friendship we miss more than anything. We would never do anything to jeopardize his happiness. If you can’t get past what we had with him and want nothing to do with us, we’ll keep away, but we really hope you’ll give us the chance to show you we’re sincere.”
I clasp my hands together and push them between my knees. Each pair of eyes watches me with naked longing. Could I be friends with these women, knowing they’ve been intimate with Judge? People do it every day. They divorce, remarry, and the new spouses become best friends with the old. I’ve always found the idea strange, but maybe it’s not.
I relax the tension in my hands and smooth them over my knees. “Okay.”
“Really?” Layla asks, her eyes widening in disbelief and her shoulders going ramrod straight.
“Really.” My smile is natural.
I don’t know, maybe I should be worried that they’re only using me to get to Judge, but something tells me they aren’t. Judge has told me a couple of times that they want to get to know Maisy and me, and I trust him.
“So.” Layla claps, her grin big enough to show teeth. “Where is that precious girl of yours?”
I laugh, my anxiety slowly fading. “She’s actually with Judge.” I look at the time on my phone. “Or she should be. He’s picking her up from JW and Eden’s. She spent the night with Thea.”
“It’s so good she’s making friends. It must have been hard on her, moving so far away.”
I look at Gillian. “She adjusted better than I thought she would.”
“That’s good to hear. When my parents moved me across the country when I was thirteen, I thought the world was ending. I threatened to run away.” She rolls her eyes. “Of course, all that changed, the moment I laid eyes on Jasper Callaway.” She sighs, her lips tipping up. “He was the first boy I loved and the first to break my heart when he traded me for Amelia.”
“Thank God I still have a couple of years left before I have to deal with that,” I comment with a shudder.
“Judge is going to be a bear with her, scaring away all the boys with just a simple look.”
I have to agree with Layla. I’m sure if it were up to her dad, Maisy wouldn’t have her first date until she was thirty.
We talk for a few more minutes about all the ways Judge will make Maisy’s suitors miserable. We laugh, we giggle, we share smiles, and surprisingly, I quickly become comfortable talking to them. They make it very easy to like them, and a twinge of guilt hi
ts me for the way I automatically misjudged their intentions. After the first fifteen minutes, I no longer believe they have nefarious plans to try and steal Judge back, and I feel stupid for even thinking it.
We all turn our heads toward the door when it opens. Laughter reaches our ears before Maisy comes waltzing in, followed by a grinning Judge. Maisy has her head bent, looking at her tablet, as she continues rambling about something. Judge’s smile fades as he takes in the room and its occupants. When his eyes land on me in question, I offer him a smile, letting him know everything is okay. His shoulders relax and he returns my smile.
I get up and walk around the couch to meet them.
“Did you enjoy yourself at Thea’s?” I ask Maisy, palming her cheeks and lifting her head so I can kiss her forehead.
“Yep. We made chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast for her mom and dad.”
“Oh goodness. Tell me you cleaned up your mess.”
