"It's a good fit for you, and I won't let him run you out of town."
"You think I should stay and fight?" Was I strong enough to do this? Could I defend my shop and everything I believed in? The point of my shop was to make women comfortable in their own skin, to pose in lingerie if they wanted to. I wanted them to be confident. And here I was running from the first sign of trouble.
"Yeah, I do."
"Okay." My stomach was roiling with anxiety, but this felt like the right thing to do. I already had my shop renovated to my tastes. I couldn't imagine going anywhere else. "I'm not ready to give up."
"Yes, that's my girl." He hauled me off the stool so that I was standing in front of him, and he kissed me. "I want to do so many things to you. But first, we need to finish up and get our shopping on. Then we'll do something fun."
"What if Ayla joins us at some point?"
He grinned. "That would be great. We'll plan on something that would be fun for her too."
My shoulders lowered. This thing with Hudson might just work out. He'd passed his first test. He'd supported me when I was upset instead of telling me that my feelings and worries weren't valid. My ex would have told me that I shouldn't be upset. That this was how the business world worked, and I should get over it. It was nice to have someone validate my feelings and vow to be there for me.
"I'm going to this meeting. I'm the one handling the project. Plus, I want to be there for you. I won't let this Bill guy railroad anyone, especially you."
I placed my hands on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. "Thank you."
He dropped another soft kiss on my lips. "I know you can stand up to guys like him, but I want to be there for you."
It felt amazing to have him by my side.
CHAPTER 23
HUDSON
After grocery shopping, we went to a winter festival I found on a nearby farm. We paid the entrance fee and wandered the tables where there were craft items for sale and hot chocolate to sip.
There was even an ice-skating rink and horse-drawn carriage rides. I wished that Ayla could be with us too, but we could take her when it was her weekend to be with us.
We were going to be a unit. A family. I might be jumping ahead a little bit, but I was hopeful that Angela would get on board with the idea of us.
"You want to take a carriage ride?" I asked her.
"I've never gone on one before."
I grabbed her gloved hand, throwing my hot chocolate cup out. "Then we have to do it."
She laughed as she hurried to catch up with me. I paid for two tickets for the ride, then got in line with other couples and families waiting for the next carriage to arrive.
The landscape was covered in snow. In the winter, the white stuff tended to stick around with the cold temperatures. In spring, the melting snow, and growth of plants was a welcomed sight.
The next carriage arrived, and we waited for everyone to disembark. Then the line started boarding. We sat in the back, and I placed my arm around Angela. She snuggled close, still cradling her hot chocolate.
The carriage moved forward, the horses snuffling in the cold air. The other people talked quietly among themselves, but the snow gave the air a peaceful quality.
Angela rested her head on my chest. "This is nice."
I squeezed her shoulder. "I'm glad I found this place."
"Me too." Flurries fell from the sky, and Angela held her hand out to catch one. The flakes fell on her lashes, making her look like a snow angel.
In my head, her name made me think of angels, and her lingerie only reinforced the idea. She was angelic and sexy. A mix of sweet and vixen.
She was perfect, and I couldn't believe that no one else had claimed her for their very own. Her ex was obviously an idiot. Angela was the best kind of pressure. She made you want to be a better man for her.
I wanted to rise to the occasion. To be a man she could be proud to call hers.
