Page 24 of Hudson

I pull her by the hand toward me as I lean forward, sliding my other hand around her waist and sealing her body against mine, and before I realize what I’m doing, my lips are on hers.

I almost moan at the contact, her body molding straight into mine. Letting go of her hand, I run my palm up her arm to cup the back of her head, deepening the kiss, the feeling of relief at finally having her in my arms, along with the intense burn I have to take more from her, building in my chest and heating my skin.

As she kisses me back with just as much desperation, her hands rest on my arms, her breasts pressed against me, her body fitting perfectly with mine.

“Wait!” she says suddenly, pulling back. “Hudson, wait.”

I stop immediately, although my hold remains, justloosening, giving her some space. She’s panting, and I blink a few times, feeling like I just woke from a dream.

“Hudson… I can’t… I mean, we can’t…” she starts to say, looking crestfallen. Swallowing audibly, her big eyes look up into mine, and I can see she wants me. But she’s holding back.

I clear my throat. I overstepped. I need to go slower. To show her that she’s safe with me.

“It’s alright, Lacy. I’ve got you.” I tell her the words I told her that night and will repeat to her until I know she believes them. I see her take a big breath, and my eyes trail to her reddened lips before meeting her eyes again.

“But I’m not sure I can let you,” she whispers, and I know it’s her internal struggle. Shit, no one can go through life like she has and not be fearful of giving up control and putting herself first.

“We’ll move together. Slowly. I’ll wait. We can do everything at your pace.” My thumb rubs along her back slower, where I still hold her, trying to give her a bit of comfort and reassurance and give myself a little more time just to have her in my arms. She swallows again and nods.

“Maybe,” she says, and I smile. It isn’t a yes. But it isn’t a no.

“I need to go meet Tanner and you should get home. It’s dark out,” I tell her as I step back, and Lacy drops her hands from my arms. I see her grip on to the desk behind her. Our eyes haven’t left each other, and I take in a breath, my nostrils flaring to get as much oxygen in as possible, because I find it increasingly hard to breathe around this woman.

“Ahh… Thank you for the thorn…” she says hesitantly as she licks her lips. The air around me cools now that we are no longer standing together and helps me get my head back into the day.

“Drive safely.” I grab my things and start to step backward, away from her and toward the door. The grin on my face is impossible to remove. Whether it’s because I had my mouth on hers, the fact that I think she is warming up to me, or just that I got to see her again, I can’t be sure, but she’s smiling back at me and that makes me feel good.

“Next time, I will save you a cookie,” she teases. “I mean, if there is a next time.”

“There will be a next time, Lacy. I will make sure of it.” I huff a laugh and leave her office, forcing myself out the door, almost dancing down the hall to meet Tanner.

13

HUDSON

“Dad, who taught you to catch?” Harvey asks me as we throw a ball in the yard, my parents nearby.

“Grandpa. Right here on this very lawn, actually,” I say, throwing the ball to him, his glove catching it instantly. He has some innate skill with baseball, his coordination on point.

“So Grandpa taught you, and then you taught me!” he says, his smile bright. How the hell did I get so lucky to have such a great kid? I’m not looking forward to the teen years, but right here, right now, I feel like I have done something right.

“That’s right. The Hamilton throw is something passed down through the years of time,” I joke, smirking, enjoying this moment. This is what I wanted from Whispers. The quiet. The peace. The simple life of having space to throw a ball with my son, to have our bare feet in the grass, the late afternoon sun on our backs, and the fresh air in our lungs.

“Your throw is better than your father’s!” my dad says, walking up to us, chuckling. That’s something else I have noticed—how much my parents love having us near them, how much more life they seem to have now that Harvey runs around our property.

“Oh, stop. Both my boys could have played professionally,” my mom says, winking at me, and I huff a laugh.

“Really?” Harvey says, his eyes widening at that prospect.

“Maybe.” I shrug. “But being a doctor is way more fun.” Even though he’s young, Harvey shakes his head at me. The act is simple enough, but the fact that my father does the exact same movement at the exact same time has me pausing.

“Come on, Harvey, let’s go down to the lake to find some tadpoles.” My dad grabs the ball and throws it to me as Harvey chases him down the hill. I relax and walk back to the house to where my mom sits, watching us all.

“He runs so fast, he is likely to break a leg if he isn’t careful,” I murmur to her, watching Harvey speed down the hill with his grandfather.

“He’s just like you were as a kid. It’s nice to see you both settled in so well back here in Whispers. I assume you are happy with the move?” she asks softly.

“It’s going great,” I tell her, smiling. Everything is falling into place. I take a deep breath, loving the fresh air, and I hear my son’s squealing laughter below, my heart inflating even more.

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