As they all settled into their chairs, Heavenly looked around the kitchen table. Having a teenage boy here—especially Seth’s son—felt surreal. He’d been here for twenty-four hours, but she supposed that Hudson’s presence would take some getting used to—for all of them.
As they each filled their plates with the pasta and salad Beck had prepared, Seth and Hudson immediately launched into good-natured ribbing about their gaming session.
“That last headshot was pure luck,” Seth said, passing the garlic bread.
“Luck, my ass. I’ve got skills you can only dream of, old man.” Hudson’s grin was the first genuine smile Heavenly had seen from him, and it transformed his entire face. The defensive armor was still there, but it had definitely softened.
Beck caught her eye across the table. He’d seemingly noticed the change, too.
“Yeah?” Seth tossed back. “Who saved your scrawny ass more than once from incoming hostiles, whelp?”
“Bite me,” Hudson groused.
Seth laughed, then turned his attention to her and Beck. “What did you two do while we went on a Call of Duty killing spree?”
“I slaved away in the kitchen like a proper housewife,” Beck said dryly.
“I’m jealous. Cooking sounds like paradise compared to studying for Monday’s Pharmacology test,” Heavenly groaned. “I crammed all afternoon, and I still don’t know if I have a prayer of passing.”
“You’re still in school?” Hudson frowned. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-three, and I’m studying to become a nurse. I just started my final year. It’s getting harder—lots of memorization. Drug interactions, dosages, contraindications.” She twirled pasta around her fork. “It’s worth it, though. My dad was sick for so long with Guillain-Barré before he died, so I decided to devote my life to helping people.”
The teenager seemed impressed. “That’s actually…cool.”
“It is, and she’ll be a great nurse.” Seth smiled her way before slanting Hudson a pointed stare. “Speaking of school…”
He rolled his eyes. “I know. You already told me I’m going.”
“Damn straight. Every day.”
“I heard you.”
“Good.” Seth turned to Beck. “What do you know about the schools around here? I need to get Hudson enrolled ASAP.”
Beck shrugged. “I’ve never paid much attention. I know there’s a local high school and a couple of private academies, but you might be better off talking to that retired teacher down the street or the folks next door who have three kids. They’ll know which schools are actually good.”
“I’ll do that. I’m already leaning toward one of the private academies.”
“Wait. Whoa…” Hudson shook his head. “Don’t put me in a fucking all-boys school. Please.”
Seth shot him a warning look. “Language.”
The kid shot him a glare. “I’m serious. I’ll lose my fucking mind.”
Seth wasn’t going to win the F-bomb battle, in Heavenly’s estimation. First, he and Beck used the word constantly. Second, trying to change Hudson’s habits—especially since Seth had functionally been his father for a handful of hours—seemed unlikely. And really, would cleaning up Hudson’s language really matter that much in the long run? Breaking down his walls and making him feel like family were the far bigger issues.
Beck suppressed a smile. “Why would you lose your mind? I mean, academic emphasis. Focus on sports.”
Seth joined in, also trying not to laugh. “Exactly. Lots of great connections. School spirit…”
“But there’s no pus—” Hudson slanted a glance at Heavenly, then stopped himself. “Um, girls.”
At that, they all burst out laughing.
“Hey, private schools aren’t all bad. I went to one when I was about your age,” Beck offered. “I turned out okay.”
Seth snorted. “Did you, really?”
