Page 105 of Promise Me

This right here, this bond Hudson and I have—nothing can take it away from us.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

HUDSON

The last week has been a blur. If I haven’t been working at the bar and Sadie hasn’t been working on her ideas for Sips and Stories, we’ve been holed up in my apartment.

Mostly naked, a little tired, but definitely happier than I’ve been in years.

Which is how I ended up where I am now.

Sunday morning breakfast used to be a thing back when I was a kid. My mom would make a huge spread of dishes. She’d have bacon, sausage, eggs both cheesy scrambled and over easy, toast, pancakes, and fruit. She’d wake up before everyone else and make sure the table was set before we all woke up. It never occurred to me at the time, but now that I’m older, I’ve realized that it sure as hell could not have been easy, let alone cheap, to raise three boys.

I put my truck in park outside of my dad’s house and take notice that both Miles’s and Luca’s vehicles are already here.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice that even though I left and changed over the years, and even though our mom is nolonger with us, the tradition is still alive and well with my family.

Honestly, I was hoping this is what I’d show up to.

After I first moved back home, Luca sent a text to me every Saturday night to remind me of this. That went on for about three months before the messages stopped.

Hell, I’ve been a shitty brother and son for the last three years. If Sadie has taught me anything in the last month, it’s that it’s never too late to make amends.

I grab the bag of donuts and the dish of spinach and egg quiche Sadie whipped up this morning that I brought with me.

When I told her the story of Sunday breakfast, I didn’t think she would read so much into it, but as it’s been extremely clear, she simply just keeps surprising me.

I don’t knock on the front door. Instead, I walk in only to freeze. Luca, Miles, and my father are all sitting at the table. Their gazes quickly shift to me.

I brace myself for some smart-ass comments or “it’s about damn time” teasing, but my dad just smiles as Luca says, “That better be Sadie’s cooking and not yours.”

It’s a tease, but not the one I was expecting.

I hold up the bag. “And Brooke’s donuts, fresh from this morning.”

Miles jumps up and yanks the bag out of my hand as I set the quiche on the table to go with their bacon and eggs.

“Chocolate glazed, hell yes.”

Then, as if my being here isn’t something out of the ordinary, they continue their conversation. I take my seat, and Dad hands me a plate and fork without a word.

“So, if she isn’t going to hire you to do the rebuild for them, who is she going to hire?” Miles directs his question at Luca.

“Fuck if I know. I told her it would be twice as expensive if she hired someone who wasn’t local, but she said, and I quote,I’d pay any amount of money if the result is that I don’t have to see your arrogant face every single day.”

Miles bursts into deep laughter while my dad shakes his head.

“Who are we talking about?” I ask, plating up some quiche and passing the dish to Luca.

“Shay Parker.”

“Shay Parker, as in Leo Parker’s little sister, Shay?”

“That’s the one.” Luca blows out a breath.

Leo Parker has been a sore subject for Luca since his sophomore year of high school. From first grade, it was Leo and Luca, troublemakers and best friends till the end. Until they weren’t. Leo was the one friend Luca and Miles didn’t fight over. It was like everyone knew Leo and Luca were a one-of-a-kind duo.

I tried to coax him to tell me why they aren’t friends anymore, but Luca went with the standard “we just grew apart” answer.

---