Chapter 38: Portia

It was what he said, how he said it, the way he kissed me before he admitted he'd already made plans for our future. It might have been naïve to believe that two foster kids who'd been to hell and back could end up with a happily ever after that included each other, but it was a dream I wanted to fall into head first.

There was no resistance on his part when I linked my arm in his and redirected us back to our bed and breakfast. I'd rather hold his hand, but if we ran into Ernie and Hensley, us being arm in arm wouldn't rouse any suspicion. By the time we climbed the steps into the B&B, the quick pace back had left us winded. We hadn't seen or heard from my parents since lunch, and my best guess was they were off touring lighthouses or something equally as boring, which would allow us several hours before they would expect to have dinner. I planned to enjoy every minute.

Jude closed the door to our room and engaged the lock. The moment he faced me, my fingers worked the zipper on