Hudson swung off Spencer, allowing Griffin to cuff him and haul him to his feet.
Hudson prowled over and immediately took me into his arms.I hadn’t realized how badly I was shaking until he pulled me close.
“You’re bleeding.”I reached up, gently swiping at his lip.
He grunted.“I let him get one in.Figure now we can add assault to the charges.”
“Crazy man.”I burrowed into him, relieved he was safe and whole.
“I’m so fucking sorry he was able to get at you.No one scares you,” he growled.“No one hurts you or our family.”
“I know, honey.I’m okay.You were right there.We’re both okay.”I repeated the words, needing to reassure myself.“He, however, is not.”I got my first real look at Jones—clothes in tatters, bleeding from the nose, eyes wild with fear as he eyed the dogs.“He does have a skinny neck,” I noted absently as Griffin shoved him into the back of his truck.
Hudson threw back his head and laughed.“Baby, I swear, how can you make me laugh right now?”
“I’m special, I guess.”
Relief coursed through me as this chapter came to an abrupt end, allowing us to move on with our lives.
“Yeah, baby,” he murmured into my hair as he squeezed me tight.“You are.”
I sat in my favorite nook in our kitchen, the sun pouring through the windows as I sipped coffee in the morning light.
It had been just over a week since Spencer Jones had been arrested, but with all that had happened, it felt much longer.
Hudson’s team had done everything they could to subdue the media firestorm that followed, but the news had spread regardless.I’d elected to stay off social media for the time being, avoiding the trolls that inevitably came out of hiding when there was a sensational story to devour.
Once Hudson was satisfied that Spencer would be doing time, he seemed to settle marginally.He continued to blame himself for Spencer getting his hands on me—even if only for a moment.I knew that, along with my assurances, it would take time for that wound to heal.
In the meantime, I accepted that his overprotective nature was more pronounced than usual.He wanted to keep me close, only voluntarily leaving my side to work out at our gym, where he’d been logging more hours than usual.
That was where he emerged from now, creating a mouthwatering distraction with his bare torso glistening with sweat.
“Whatcha doin’, pretty girl?”He grabbed a banana and leaned his hip against the counter, his fathomless blue eyes fixed on me.
“Bolstering myself.”I offered a dry smile as Ranger lay sprawled at my feet, groaning as he attempted to get comfortable with two cats nestled at his side.
Hudson stepped into my space and cupped the back of my neck, leaning in close.“You nervous about today?”He pressed his forehead to mine.
“A little.Well, maybe a lot,” I admitted when he shot me a skeptical look.
After the news about Jones had spread, my parents had called Goodie, concerned for me.I’d made the decision to call them, wanting to assure them I was safe.We’d spoken a few times since; the first conversations were stilted but gradually became easier as we attempted to navigate a new road that might bring us back together.
They’d asked to visit, and after talking it over with Hudson and Goodie, I’d agreed.We were meeting for lunch at Goodie’s that afternoon.
“I’ll be there with you the whole time.”Hudson’s thumb brushed along my neck.“I’ll shoot you some silly faces to lighten the mood if it gets tense.”
“You do have a wealth of those.Jojo highly appreciates them.”I smiled, imagining what an incredible father he’d be when the time came.
“One of my many talents.”He chuckled, straightening and shaking his sweaty head at me.
I squealed as droplets of sweat landed on me.“You’re getting me all sweaty, Hudson!”
Feigning remorse, he hoisted me over his shoulder and swatted my backside.“Oh damn.Guess you have to come shower with me.”
By the time we pulled up to Goodie’s that afternoon, I felt as mellow as the situation would allow.Hudson had made it his mission to work out my stress—multiple times.
He shot me a devilish grin, as though reading my mind, and put the truck in Park, looking utterly edible in his trademark ball cap.
