His arms around me, I feel safer and happier than I ever knew was possible. Even naked and exposed, I am happy because I am with him….and because no one is around. But I know he isn’t just referring to here and now. Looking up into his handsome face, I can see my future reflected in his eyes. All I have to do is trust him.
Trust him and trust in myself. That I deserve this. I deserve to be happy.
“You think we can make this work?” I ask.
There is that slow, sexy smile. “I’ve known it from the moment I laid eyes on you. But more and more I think you are the perfect woman for me.” He pauses to give me a soft, slow kiss that has me moving to get as close to him as possible.
But he breaks off the kiss. “There is just one thing.”
I lean back to look at him. Waiting for him to continue.
He clears his throat. “I think I could fall hard for you. It’s possible that I already have. But I don’t want to just be the better option for you. I want you to really want to stay here with me. To have a life together.”
His words make my heart do a little backflip. I grin and then laugh. “I know it, Hudson. I know it in my soul. All day today, it’s all I can think about. A future with you. Not just because I’m here. Not because this is worlds better than anything I could have imagined. And not because you look like Prince Charming.”
I stop while we grin at each other.
“It’s a connection I can’t explain. Like you are my other half that I was missing.”
“That’s how I feel too.” His voice is husky with emotion. The kiss we share is full of meaning. A bond between us. A promise to each other.
* * * * *
A little while later, we pull into his drive up to the cabin. On seeing two trucks parked, Hudson lets out a little sigh. On seeing one of those trucks belongs to the sheriff department, my heart stops and I feel cold all over.
But Hudson brings his truck to a stop and looks at me. “I guess it was too much to hope I would get to keep you to myself for a little while.”
I look between him and the cabin. Imagining being put in handcuffs and carted off to the slammer. All for stealing a beat up old car that nobody ever used. But that car got me here and I refuse to regret that decision.
“Come on then.” Hudson sounds so calm. “You’re going to be a part of this family so I guess you’ll have to meet my brothers.”
His brothers?? I get slowly out of the car to see Hudson greeting two men. All three of them are the same height, same brown hair, and if I look closely they all have a similar nose. Brothers. I feel nervous. I don’t know how to meet my boyfriend's family. What to say to them? What will we talk about?
But Hudson puts his arm around me and makes the introductions. “My brothers are just here to check that you’re not some crazy woman. I’ve just assured them that you are exactly the right amount of crazy for me.”
I blush a little at that introduction. But, as we go inside and sit around the table together, it is quickly easy to see that these men have a loving bond. They tease each other, rile each other up, but underneath all of that is the love of a family.
After the brothers catch up and Hudson’s brothers jokingly try to warn me off him, Hudson gives me a little wink as he pulls Woodrow aside. The wink is to re-assure me but I still sit tensely trying to judge the sheriff's expression as they talk. Griffin, the younger brother, seeing that I am distracted, pulls me into a conversation about history. I remember Hudson warning me about this brother and his love of gates and fences. But he is actually quite interesting. And very observant of everybodies behaviours.
“Whatever it is, you can trust old Woodrow to take care of it.” Griffin draws my eyes back to him. “And it’s obvious that Hudson is smitten with you. He will only have your best interest at heart.”
I give Griffin a warm smile and apologise for being so distracted.
“That’s okay. I can only wish that I’m that distracted one day.” He grins at me. I’m so hopelessly in love it is obvious to everybody around me.
* * * * *
Later, when his brothers have left, Hudson pulls me in for a big hug. “My brothers adore you. Griffin is so taken with you he thinks he might sign up to the Mountain Mates website.”
“Really? I don’t have any siblings. It might be nice to have your family around.”
“Oh you don’t have to worry about that.” Hudson hugs me tight. “They’ll be telling everyone. I’m sure there will be a family dinner and there will be my parents and aunts and uncles and cousins. I’m just hoping they give us a couple of days to ourselves first.”
Leaning back I want to see his face when I ask about the talk he had with his brother, the sheriff.
“Don’t worry it’s all going to be taken care of. Woodrow will see that the car is returned to your father and that no charges will come of it. He is going to give your father just an email address if he wants to reach out to you. And then it’s up to you if you want to speak to him or not.”
I lay my head down on Hudson’s chest. After all these years it is so nice to have someone to share my problems with. Someone to offer support.
