Page 17 of Axe Backwards
“I mean it, kid. If you’re gonna survive this, you need a killer outfit and a hot date.”
Chapter 6
Noah
“I’m worried about you,” Jude called from the floor as Tess crawled all over him.
I shook my head and continued to cut the blueberries into microscopic pieces. Jude was always worried about me. It was the natural order of the universe.
Gus was the responsible eldest brother and had been our father’s right hand.
Owen was brilliant, ambitious and diligent.
Finn, dedicated and focused, went straight into the Navy and became a pilot.
Jude and I were a matching set. Physically, at least.
We looked alike, but our temperaments couldn’t have been more different.
He was cautious and quiet.
I was his opposite.
Yin and yang, as my mother used to call us.
We balanced out well.
All our lives, it felt as though neither of us could exist without the other.
Even during all the years I stayed away, we’d remained close. Although we rarely did more than text, we were always connected, and we always understood one another. Even when we didn’t communicate, I could feel him.
“When are you not worried about me?” I quipped.
He picked up Tess and blew on her belly. “You know what I mean. Doing this all yourself? After everything that happened?”
I continued prepping Tess’s dinner, trying to ignore the sincerity in his voice. Though I wouldn’t admit it, I was screwed. I’d been placed in an impossible situation, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. “I’ve got this down.”
I’d come by my confidence naturally.
Failing or falling—part of my daily life—I’d pick myself up and move on to the next adventure or injury.
I didn’t sweat much. Being part of a big family had its advantages. My dad was too busy to pay much attention, and my siblings let me be me. My mom never pressured me to change or pursue a different path. She was busy enough trying to keep us all alive and fed.
I spent my childhood in the woods, running free with Jude, without a care in the world. School was challenging, and I struggled to fit in at times. But I had my brothers and a giant forest, and that was enough.
After high school, Lovewell felt too small. When the world called, I left. And I’d been making it work ever since.
“This is a good place to grow up,” I said.
He stood and buckled Tess into her highchair. Jude had only met her a week ago, and he had it down already. It was who he was. Thoughtful, thorough. It was why he was so good at what he did for the family timber business. It was why he was such an incredible musician. “The best place.”
“I want her to grow up surrounded by people who love her.”
“We’ll give her that.”
“But.” I sighed, my heart pinching.
He folded his hands over his T-shirt—today’s read “Catalina Wine Mixer”—and waited for me to finish. Jude had never been scared off by a little silence.
