Page 9 of The Geography of Happiness

Judah’s gaze grew steely. “She’s worked her butt off for this, Terry. We both have. No one deserves this opportunity more than Hannah. Pull the rug out from under her and she might never forgive you. Ask me how I know.”

I didn’t need to. Dance was Judah’s life. Maybe not in the way it had once been, or how he might’ve hoped as a kid, but it stillmeant everything to him and all the kids lucky enough to learn in his studio. Including Hannah.

When I didn’t answer, Judah sighed and softened his tone. “I know it’ll be hard for both of you. But this isHannah’stime, Terry. She’s more than ready and she needs this. Hannah’s not like other fourteen-year-olds. She’s grown up fast because she’s had to. And she’s good, Terry. She has a gift, and she needs to use it if you want her to live with passion and meaning in her life.”

And no one understood more about that than Judah.

He continued, “So, hover all you want, put every precaution in place, but please don’t stand in her way.”

I blinked back the tears threatening in my eyes but not quick enough to avoid Judah’s canny gaze, and before he could say something I got there first. “I will talk to you, I promise, but not now. And if I remember right—” I raised a brow. “—you happen to know a fair bit about not being ready to talk, so maybe you can give me some space here.”

Judah flushed as the sting of my words hit home. Disappointment crossed his face, and I wished I could haul the words back. But it was too late.

He eyed me sideways. “Fuck you for going there, arsehole. Back then we weren’t friends like we are now. Plus,Iremember a certain someone banging on at me about just how far I had my head up my arse at the time and that I didn’t have to do it alone. So, I’m telling you the same thing. You don’t have to do it alone, babe. I’m here, okay? Whenever you’re ready.”

We stared at each other for a long moment, and I broke first. “You’re right. Do I need to say I’m sorry again?”

Judah blew me a kiss. “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

I rolled my eyes. “Jesus Christ, you’re impossible, but okay, I’m sorry... again.”

He grinned. “And I forgive you, on the condition you tell Morgan how calmly I handled all this.”

I groaned. “Really?”

Judah raised a brow.

I shook my head in defeat. “Okay, fine.”

“Excellent.” He shot me a bright smile but there was something off about it.

I studied him for a moment, and that’s when I saw it. Tight lines pulling at his mouth and a pallor to his skin that highlighted the dark circles under his eyes. Judah looked... wrung out.Fuck.Some best friend I turned out to be. I eyeballed him.

“You had an attack, didn’t you?”

A flash of frustration crossed his face, but he didn’t try to deny it like he would’ve done when we were first getting to know each other. “Nothing too serious. I’m coming out of it.” He brushed it off and I knew better than to push too hard. We were two peas in a secretive pod.

“So, how is life in the Mackenzie?” He changed the subject. “Are there cowboys? Please tell me there are cowboys.”

I had to laugh. “No, you tosser. It’s a sheep station, remember? Shepherds, not cowboys.”

He considered that. “Sweaty straight men in black tee-shirts trailing after smelly sheep? The imagery lacks a certain hotness factor.”

“And that’s where you’d be wrong,” I told him. “The dog trainer is married to the helicopter pilot who flew us in. Both men.”

Judah’s brows hit his hairline. “Really?”

“And the station is run by another handsome gay couple.”

“Whoa!” Judah interjected. “Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack.”

He blew a low whistle as I continued. “And all the aforementioned men would—according to the Judah Madden hotness scale, which is unfortunately engraved on my brain—meet your hot-enough-to-melt-your-eyeballs gold standard.”

Judah’s gaze narrowed further. “Now you’re just fucking with me.”

I placed my hand over my heart. “I swear.”

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