Page 35 of Preacher

“I can imagine, especially at your age.”

“You saw that, huh?”

“I did.” He gave me a slight grimace. “I’m sure that was tough.”

“You could say that.” I hated that he knew that about me. It was something I didn’t share with anyone. Partly out of embarrassment and partly because it wasn’t a choice I would’ve made for myself. But it was out there. He knew all about it, so there was no sense in trying to avoid it. “I hadn’t even had a boyfriend, and I was suddenly married to a man twice my age.”

“So, this wasn’t something you wanted?”

“God, no,” I scoffed. “But I didn’t have a choice in the matter.”

“Sounds like there’s a story there.”

“There is, but let’s save it for another day.”

“Fair enough.” He studied me for a moment, then asked, “What about you and your boys? Are you guys close?”

“As close as we can be,” I admitted. “They are my whole world. Sergei’s my firstborn, and it shows. He’s eager to please, but he has a lot of his father in him and can be stubborn at times. Viktor is more reserved, but in a good way. He has a kind soul. And Nikolai is the youngest and has the biggest heart, but at times, he’s the hardest to reach. But I get it. I can be hard to reach, too.”

“We all can.”

“I guess so.” I didn’t want the conversation to be all about me, so I asked, “What about you and your boys?”

“Memphis is my oldest. He’s stubborn as hell, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders. And Beckett was…” He stopped and exhaled a deep breath. “I lost him a while back, and I’m still trying to make sense of it all.”

“I’m so sorry.”

Hudson gave a small nod, brushing off the pain as he added, “It’s a story for another day.”

I had no idea what had happened, but I could tell by the expression on his face that the death of his son had hit him hard. The last thing I wanted to do was cause him anymore pain, so I nodded and said, “Another day.”

The waitress returned with our food and drinks. She placed everything on the table, then gave Hudson a flirty smile before rushing back to the kitchen. Hudson reached for his burger as he asked, “Are we done with the heavy stuff?”

“Umm, I might be mistaken, but I do believe you were the one who started it with the heavy stuff.”

“Maybe, but I’ve had enough for one night. How about you?”

“Yes, I’m good.”

“Good. Now, dig in.” He motioned his head towards my plate. “It’ll be the best burger you’ve ever had.”

I picked up my burger and took a bite, and just like he’d promised, it was amazing. “Wow.”

“See. I told ya.”

“I’m glad to see you’re a man of your word.”

“That I am.”

“So, tell me, Hudson… what does a man of his word motorcycle president do for fun?”

“Well, at the moment, he’s having dinner with a beautiful woman.”

“And you’re having fun?”

“Absolutely.”

“Good. I am, too.”

---