Page 31 of Slap Shot

“It’s a good thing you didn’t say anything inappropriate.”

“Inappropriate?” Emmy snorts. “We all know Hudson is a please and thank you kind of man, even when he’s fu?—”

“Let’s save the talk about my personal life for later,” Hudson cuts in, and I bite back a laugh when he adds a reluctant, “please.”

“Told you,” Emmy whispers loud enough for him to hear.

“Madeline and I were out looking at apartments this morning. There’snothingavailable in this city.” Piper sighs andputs her chin in her hand, defeated. “She should just live with you.”

“I offered,” he says, then he pauses. “Can you let me talk to Madeline, please? And take me off speakerphone.”

“Hello?” I say when Lexi hands over the phone.

“Hey,” he answers. “The search is that bad?”

“It’s not great, but it’s fine. I have faith there will be a breakthrough this afternoon.”

“I’m serious about that offer, Madeline. You can stay at my place if you want.”

“I have Lucy, remember?”

“I didn’t forget about your daughter. I have four bedrooms, and there is plenty of space.”

“Wouldn’t that be a massive invasion of your privacy?”

“Not unless you’re going to record me in the shower.”

My cheeks heat at the thought of him under hot water. What he might look like without a shirt on and if his muscles are as big as I think they are.

“I would never do that,” I blurt.

“I know you wouldn’t. I’m just giving you a hard time. Think about it: you’ll be around almost every day. Sometimes late at night. Might be easier for you if you walked down the hall after dinner instead of trying to get across town. And I don’t like the idea of you alone on the streets when it’s nearing midnight. Especially with Lucy.”

I didn’t consider the transportation aspect of my job. I don’t have a car in DC. Taking the Metro to and from his place multiple times a day—sometimes with my daughter and bags of food in tow—sounds like a logistical nightmare.

“We don’t know each other,” I say.

“What do you want to know?”

“You could have a foot fetish.”

“I don’t have a foot fetish.”

“You could be a murderer.”

“I don’t have enough free time to be a murderer, and I saw how good you are with knives. I wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”

That makes me laugh, and I bite my bottom lip. “Why would you offer your house to someone you don’t know?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” Hudson says, voice calm. “You work hard. You want the best for your daughter and you’re a good mom. I have space—tons of it. And it should go to good use.”

I’ve always had a good intuition, and it’s only gotten better since becoming a parent. I know with every fiber of my being Hudson is a decent guy. Someone who would never,everhurt me or Lucy. Someone I can trust, someone who would help, and in a city where I don’t have any resources on hand, where I’m essentially alone, I need all the support I can get.

“Okay,” I whisper, and I swear I can hear his smile through the phone. “That… that sounds good to me.”

“Great. I head out of town tomorrow for an away game, but I’ll be back late Wednesday night. What do you think about meeting somewhere neutral on Thursday, and then y’all can move in on Friday? I know a great frozen yogurt shop near a park. Might be less overwhelming.”

“She loves frozen yogurt. We could do after school on Thursday, as long as you’re okay with pushing back our menu planning another day or two.”

---