“Seth agrees but swears New York pizza is way better,” Beck said. “He prefers West Coast Mexican food, though.”
Hudson’s smile was quick but genuine this time. “Yeah, our Mexican sucks. No spice.”
“You like spicy food?”
“Love it. Nothing like a super-hot Thai dish.”
“Seth and I both love that. Her?” He thumbed at Heavenly. “Not so much.”
She swatted his arm. “I’m from Wisconsin! I’ll take cheese curds any day over that.”
“What the hell is a cheese curd?” Hudson asked.
As she explained and finished eating, Beck studied the kid. Beneath the angry armor, Hudson was trying so hard to be tough, to not care. But Beck was beginning to see the cracks.
The question was: what would Seth see when he looked at Hudson tomorrow—a second chance at fatherhood? A gift he’d never expected? Or another son he could lose if he failed to protect him?
Seth had just committed to starting a family with them, but Hudson wasn’t some hypothetical future child. He was real, almost grown, and carrying sixteen years of baggage about the father who’d never been there for him.
“So,” Hudson interrupted Beck’s thoughts. “What time is Cooper supposed to be back tomorrow?”
“If his flight is on time, he should be here by two,” Heavenly supplied.
Hudson nodded as if he couldn’t wait for the confrontation.
“Listen,” Beck said carefully. “I need you to understand something. Seth’s been through a lot. Lost people he loved. Finding out about you is going to be a shock.”
“What are you saying?” Hudson’s voice was deliberately casual, but Beck heard the real question underneath: Will he want me?
Beck exchanged a glance with Heavenly. How the hell was he supposed to explain to the kid who’d come all this way to meet his father that the man might not be emotionally ready to be a dad?
“Just don’t judge him by his initial reaction,” Beck said finally. “You’ve known about him for…how long?”
“Most of my life.”
“Yeah, you’re going to blindside him. It’s not your fault. Just…give him a hot minute to catch up, okay?”
Hudson’s jaw tightened. “If he doesn’t want me around, I’ll just go home. No big deal.”
Wrong. It absolutely was a big deal, and they all knew it. The kid had waited years for this moment. If Seth rejected him tomorrow, it would destroy what was left of Hudson’s already fragile sense of belonging. And Beck didn’t know how to brace either of them.
All he could hope now was that Seth was strong enough to handle what fate had just dropped in his lap.
Once most of the Chinese food had been consumed and the conversation fell into a lull, Hudson pushed back from the table. “Dinner was decent. Thanks. I’m going to crash.”
Already? Then Heavenly realized it was after ten pm on the East Coast. “Sure. There are extra pillows in the closet if you want more,” Heavenly called after him.
“And help yourself to the Xbox,” Beck added. “Seth has a collection of games down there, mostly first-person shooters and RPGs.”
“I play those, too. Cool,” he said before he disappeared down the stairs.
She waited until Hudson’s door closed before tossing the last of the takeout containers in the trash, while Beck wiped off the table. When they finished, he took her hand. “Come on. Let’s go upstairs and talk, little girl.”
“I think we should. There’s…a lot.”
Once they reached their bedroom, Heavenly wrapped her arms around herself as she stared out the window, into the backyard. The pool lights cast rippling blue shadows across the water, but she barely saw them.
“Tell me what you’re thinking.” Beck’s voice was soft behind her, but she heard his concern.
