“Something like that.” April gives him a hug and touches Gracie’s head before walking into the kitchen. “Coffee anyone?”
“Sure. I have time for one quick cup,” he calls out.
April is busy looking in a cupboard. “Hey, Spence, where are the extra coffee beans? They're in the pantry, right? Can you show me?”
“Ooh, she's calling you Spence,” Hudson mumbles to me and flashes his eyes.
I laugh under my breath at this odd morning. “Be right back.”
Following April to the pantry, she's pretending to be searching for something before she closes the door behind us.
“He’s here!” she loudly whispers. Her calm persona has faded into curious fear.
“Yeah, and? We knew he would eventually get the memo that you’re shacking up in my humble abode.”
“Is he being all… I don’t know… uncle-y?”
“Is that a word?”
She pokes a finger into my chest. “Now isn’t the time to be a smartass. I don’t want him to find out what we did, I mean the video.”
Now I’m having fun. “But he can know about everything else?”
She growls a sound before plunging forward to kiss me hard on the mouth. It is so fucking good. I like the way she kisses when it’s spontaneous.
Pulling away, she smiles as her thumb glides along my jawline. “Thought you might need something to calm you down.”
I step closer to her, framing her hips with my hands. “I’m calm. I don’t falter under pressure. Babe, I’m a baseball player.”
She bursts out laughing. “Well, won’t you just save the world.” She’s mocking me. “Oh, look, I found the coffee!” she announces so Hudson can hear and reaches behind me to grab the coffee. I love that she follows through with her performance because I just filled the coffee machine this morning and I know it doesn’t need beans.
Following her back into the kitchen with a bag of coffee beans, I know it’s obvious that we look like two souls who just had a G-rated version of a frisky pantry fling. Proven by the fact that Hudson’s smile is still just the way we left it.
“Heard you’re heading back to the city,” Hudson says to April as I lean over the kitchen island.
“Yeah, can’t stay in this perfect little town forever.” She focuses on pressing buttons on the coffee machine.
“You’ll be back soon, I’m sure,” he adds and then looks to his side at me.
“I mean, I always come visit Piper.”
Why do I want her to say she’ll come back for me and Hadley? This is Hudson’s way to trigger my mind, I know his tactics.
April hands him a cup of coffee. “You know, I once had an uncle who was very adamant that I’m not allowed to date athletes. In fact, I wasn’t even allowed to attend his games for fear a big bad athlete would hit on me. Where did that uncle go?” She feigns curiosity and brings her finger to her chin.
He grins wide at her humor. “Spencer isn’t just an athlete, he’s on my Hudson Arrows approved list. Besides, I need to focus on indoctrinating my daughter for the next eighteen years that athletes are a no-go, so I’m releasing you from my reins.” His voice turns saccharine as he coos with his daughter.
“Don’t be a player hater,” April quips, and it causes me to laugh.
“Are we done with this topic?” I suggest.
Hudson waves a hand in the air. “Sure. I’ve made my voice heard.” Hudson turns to me with his lips on the coffee cup, taking a sip. “By the way, Ford is going to come to one of my home games, want a seat also? A little neighborhood block party in the stands?”
“Sounds good.”
“Swell. You’ll be in the city then, and I’m assuming April is in the city too. Okay, great. That’s me, gotta go.” He strings words together, sets his cup down, and claps his hands.
I just shake my head at his ability to literally set us up for a last-minute play, no different than his football games when he coaches to win.
