Page 54 of Lost Then Found
I chuckle. “Oh, I know.”
Hudson raises an eyebrow. “You do?”
“Oh yeah,” I say, shaking my head. “One time, when we were kids, I picked her up and threw her in the lake.”
Hudson’s jaw drops. “No way.”
“Oh yeah,” I say, grinning. “Middle of summer, hot as hell, and she wouldn’t get in the water, so I helped.”
“What did she do?”
I smirk. “Came out swinging. Chased me all the way around town, soaking wet, and found me hiding out in the Bluebell. She went to the back, found an entire cooler of ice water, and dumped it on my head in front of everybody.”
Hudson loses it, laughing so hard he nearly falls off the bed. “That’s awesome.”
I grin, watching him,reallywatching him. Soaking up every little thing, filing it away in my mind to remember later.
I just met this kid. How is it possible to know someone for such a shortamount of time and already know you’d do anything for them?
Is that what being a parent feels like?
Hudson wipes at his eyes, still laughing. “Man, I wish I could’ve seen that.”
A knock sounds at the door, and then Lark’s head pokes in, her blonde hair swinging around her shoulders. “Alright, kiddo. Bedtime.”
Hudson groans, flopping back onto the bed. “Mom, come on. Just a little longer?”
She arches a brow. “It’s a school night.”
He crosses his arms, lips pressing into a pout. “That’s just a technicality.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ll see you again really soon.”
Hudson pushes up on his elbows, eyes lighting up. “Yeah? When?”
I glance at Lark.
She hesitates for half a second before saying, “What about this? Maybe Boone can start taking you to baseball practice and bringing you home.” She turns back to me. “Unless that interferes with the ranch, but—”
“I’ll do it,” I cut in immediately.
Because that’s what parents do, right? They move things around. Make time.
No clue how she’s been doing this on her own all these years. The diner. Raising Hudson. Handling every damn thing without flinching. I wouldn’t have lasted a month.
Her shoulders drop a little, like she didn’t know how I was going to respond. “Great. His practices are Tuesdays and Thursdays at Rockwell Field, five o’clock.”
I nod. “I’ll be there.”
Hudson grins. “Awesome.”
I reach out, ruffle his hair. He bats my hand away with a laugh. “Alright, get to bed, slugger.”
Before he can fire back, Lark steps into the doorway, arms crossed. “Teeth. Pajamas. Lights out.”
Hudson groans like she just ended his whole life. “Yes, ma’am.”
He salutes her like a smartass and disappears down the hall, still grinning.
