Page 113 of Her Goal
“I know.”
“So you and my family really have been talking behind my back, huh?”
“Talking, scheming, whatever you want to call it.”
I press my lips together, feeling mildly betrayed but mostly amused.
Hudson slides his hand down my arm and locks eyes with me. “Leah, I understand if this is overwhelming. Maybe I’m not the hockey guy you had in mind. I want to be. I’ll also do anything to ease your overwhelm. I don’t want to wear you down. Rather, show you that it’ll be worth it to give me a chance. I’ll pursue you?—”
“Thanks for the flowers, by the way. That was another first … and the chocolates, the books. All of it.” It’s then I realize the man has been wooing me. I’m so accustomed to just being one of the guys that I haven’t let myself see that I finally got what I’d always wanted—from Hudson of all people.
This. Changes. Everything.
“You deserve even more.”
No. That does.
Then, my chest contracts because I’m not sure that’s true. I’ve been horrible to this man even if he doesn’t know it. Even if he started it. We all did dumb things in high school. I’m surprised Cara gave me the time of day after participating in the theft of Howie. What about the emails?
Looking around at the tidy kitchen, even after Hudson prepared this big meal, I ask, “Do you have a housekeeper?”
“Not yet, but this house is my biggest yet, so I was considering it.”
“Do you have a professional organizer? Personal assistant? Team of elves who put away the salt and pepper shakers, toss out the used toilet paper rolls, and sweep the floors?”
“What? No. Should I?”
I shake my head. “It’s just that everything is so neat in here. Will you help me clean my room?”
“Do you mean pack to move?” Hope filters through his voice and I assume he refers to us moving in together after we get married.
“Like tidy up.”
His lips part with laughter. “Sure. If that means you’ll go to the Cobbiton HoCo with me.”
I frown. “I was kind of hoping for one of those signs like guys made in high school.”
“Don’t push it.” He waggles his eyebrows in a flirty way.
After dessert, hours of talking, and me promising to sleep at my mom and dad’s house instead of risking life and limb walking from my car to my apartment at this hour, Hudson walks me outside.
Under the stars, with him so warm and close, and after a wonderful night, maybe this could work. Possibly. There are a few more hurdles to clear, though. A big one, actually and it hasYour Secret Adversarywritten all over it.
“Can I see the ring?” I ask.
“You want to look at it?”
“Yeah,” I whisper, worried and excited in equal measure.
He takes it out of his pocket and the black velvet box makes a little popping sound when it opens. Maybe that’s where the expression,Pop the questioncomes from. I bet Margo knows.
Hudson starts, “If you don’t like it?—”
“It’s beautiful.” I gaze at the gleaming dark stone surrounded by shining diamonds set in a platinum band.
“It’s a natural black diamond. The jeweler said they come this way because they contain graphite.”
I glance up at him. “Like what hockey sticks are made out of?”
