Read Online Saving Tatum (Trace + Olivia #4) by Micalea Smeltzer - Free Book Online Page A

muttered, suddenly feeling even more uncomfortable. It had to be a terrible thing to lose your memories.
    “It has everything to do with it,” Jude said simply. Pointing in the direction of the kitchen, he explained, “That man in there practically raised me. He was more of a dad to me than mine ever was. Watching him slowly start forgetting things hurt more than anything. When I started college, I knew I wanted to be a nurse and work in a nursing home. I wanted to work with people like my grandpa and maybe make their day a little nicer. I want to help , because watching someone you love slip away day by day is a terrible thing. If I can ease the burden for another family, I’m glad to do so.”
    I think my mouth fell off at one point during his speech and currently rolled around on the floor.
    Jude Brooks had a heart.
    Hell must have frozen over. Between this, and my conflicted feelings over Graham’s death, today was proving overwhelming.
    “You don’t need to say anything,” he shrugged. “But that’s the truth.”
    I shut my mouth, because if I spoke I might say something nice to him and that would not be good. Instead, I nodded.
    “Are you okay to go back in there?” He asked, appearing nervous—like he believed I’d be afraid of his grandpa.
    “Of course,” I replied. “He’s not a rabid animal.”
    Jude threw his head back and laughed merrily about that. He laughed a lot. Most guys didn’t. It would be refreshing if he wasn’t, well, Jude .
    Back in the kitchen, his grandpa said, “Son, get the yard mowed. You’ve got all day to flirt with the pretty girl.”
    I looked out the kitchen window at the sky beyond. It was getting dark now, too dark to mow.
    “I’m going, I’m going,” Jude chanted.
    “You can’t mow in the dark!” I cried. I don’t know why I was coming to Jude’s defense, but I knew I couldn’t let him do that. On a property this large, it would be impossible to mow in the dark.
    He leaned into me, brushing strands of my blonde hair off my shoulder with a single flick of his fingers. Whispering in my ear, he said, “I installed a headlight on it. I’ll be fine. Besides, I won’t do it all. Just enough to make him happy.”
    “But—” I gaped.
    “You’ll be okay?” He framed it as a question.
    I looked from his grandpa to him and nodded.
    “Just play along,” Jude reminded me.
    His steps thumped against the old floors as he headed outside. The screen door creaked shut and I was left alone with the eldest Brooks.
    “Lovely morning, isn’t it?” He nodded towards the window.
    “Beautiful.” I agreed.
    “Are you hungry?” He asked. “I made plenty. Grab a plate for yourself.”
    “I already ate,” I assured him. “But thank you for asking.”
    He nodded. “I see you have manners. I like that. You’re a pretty girl, Julia.”
    “Thank you,” I said again.
    “You’re too good for Andrew,” he continued. “That boy’s trouble.”
    “Is that so?” I asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down across from him. The table and chair set looked like it was made in the seventies. The chairs were a pukey green color and the table was a dark wood. “Tell me more about Andrew.”
    The man smiled, his eyes lighting up. He lapsed into a tale about a wild boy and all the shenanigans he pulled. I wondered if Jude’s dad was really like that, or if his grandpa’s Alzheimer’s had caused him to combine Andrew and Jude’s childhood.
    I found myself intrigued by everything the man said. I didn’t want him to stop telling me stories of his and Andrew’s past. I wanted to ask him about Jude, but since I was ‘playing along’ I knew that was strictly forbidden and I didn’t want to make his grandpa mad by asking something he didn’t remember.
    “Come with me,” the man stood. “I’m Jerry, by the way. I’m so sorry I didn’t introduce myself. My rude son should have made the introduction for us.”
    “Sometimes Andrew forgets his manners,” I said. It