I hadn’t had any time to process what any of it meant. Or if it meant anything at all. There was no way I was ready to talk about it.
“Okay, well as soon as you want to talk about the fact that you’re in love, we’re here.”
“I’m not in love.” Sadly, my statement didn’t come out with as much conviction as I’d hoped.
“Yes, you are,” Cara insisted.
“If you weren’t in love, we would’ve already had a play by play of last night,” Destiny pointed out. “I have to admit, it’s a little disappointing.”
“Disappointing,” I repeated defensively. The urge to defend Hud overwhelmed me and before I knew it, I was doing just that. Words were flying out of my mouth faster than I could keep up with them. “Hud is amazing. Not only is he building a camp for underprivileged and disabled kids, he’s also using the facility as an animal rescue. He’s dedicated his life to serving people in his job and now he’s using his own money and doing it in his free time, too. He’s one of the most honest and hard-working men I know, and he would be the most if it wasn’t for my dad and brothers—but he’s right up there with them. He would do anything for anyone, and he does. He takes care of everyone, but especially the people he loves. Why in the hell would it be disappointing if I was in love with him?”
Cara and Destiny were both staring at me silently. They gave each other a knowing glance that made me want to hit something, and when they turned back to me they were wearing identical grins on their faces.
Destiny held up her hands in mock-surrender. “I meant the fact that we wouldn’t be getting a play by play was disappointing. I’ve always wanted to know if the myths and rumors about what Hud is packing are true.”
They were.
“Whoa, if the blush that just shot up your cheeks is any indication, I’d say they are.” Destiny clapped her hands and giggled.
I shook my head. I wasn’t easily embarrassed. Growing up with eight brothers kind of took care of that. But right now I had to admit, I was. And not just because I may have just given away the fact that Hud was hung like a horse. No, my embarrassment stemmed from my rant.
Where had that come from?
“Okay.” Cara clapped her hands together, which she always did when she was trying to change the subject, in an effort to keep the peace. “Well, if you guys have time, I really would love your advice on flowers, music, and table cloths. We’re keeping it really simple, but I still want it to feel like a wedding.”
We all hopped up and gathered around the kitchen table. As we sat in planning mode, I tried to keep my mind on the linens, centerpieces, and song selections—but all I could think about was my over-the-top reaction to Destiny’s comment.
The more I thought about it, the more I kept coming back to the same conclusion…I was in love with Hud. Madly. Completely. In love.
And all he wanted was one night.
Chapter 21
Hudson
“Confidence is the feeling you have before you understand the situation.”
~ Loretta Reed
“It’s so good to have two of my boys under one roof,” my mom gushed as she handed me a dish to put away on a high shelf.
My brother Holden was home for my parents’ anniversary party the following weekend. He’d just competed and defended his world title belt and he planned on taking some time off to be here for a few weeks.
“Have you heard from Hayden lately?” he asked as he finished off his third piece of apple pie.
We’d always teased him that he had a hollow leg. It amazed me how much food he could put down in one sitting.
“Yesterday. We Facetimed. He’s…” She waved the dish towel she was holding in the air. “Somewhere in the desert. He couldn’t say where, but he looked good.”
My youngest brother Hayden was an Army Ranger and it seemed that the better he was at his job, the less we knew about where he was or what he was doing. I was beyond proud of my baby brother. Proud and worried.
He texted and emailed when he could, and he managed to Facetime my mom once a week, which we were all grateful for. If he didn’t, my poor mom would most likely make herself sick imagining the worst.
Just like I had when I’d gotten that text from Harmony. Before spending the past few weeks with Harmony, I’d never understood my mom’s tendency to always jump to the worst-case scenario conclusion. But now…now I knew exactly where she was coming from.
I loved my parents. I loved my brothers. And I worried about them a normal, healthy amount. Unlike the abnormal, not even close to healthy amount that I worried about Harmony.
This morning when I’d turned around from the stove and seen her crying at the kitchen table, my heart felt like it stopped beating in my chest. And it didn’t start again until I knew that she was okay. Physically, at least. She wasn’t emotionally okay until she’d found out Cara was pregnant, not sick.