Page 14 of Catching Feels

“You and your dad have plans.” The idea of going somewhere with anyone other than my brothers or Mom is tempting, but … I don’t want?—”

“Seriously, he’d probably love to get to know some of the people I spend time with. But if you don’t want to, then?—”

“I’d actually love to.”

“Perfect.” She smiles big. “I’ll message CeCe now.”

We message back and forth with Rome and CeCe, and it’s a go. Rome changes his ticket from his name to mine, and even books me a room at the hotel where Cora and her dad are staying.

It doesn’t take long before she falls asleep, and I decide to check the app to see if he’s responded.

I feel my face spilt into a grin when I see he has.

SportsManSam: You going to be around in about an hour? If so, hit me up. Let’s nail *hammer emoji* this down.

GoodTimesOnly: Sorry, spotty service. Any chance you’d be up to meeting in NYC Monday late evening? I have “a thing” with my girls, so I probably won’t have a moment alone until late, but I do have a room that’s all mine. Think about it. Let me know tomorrow? Sleep well, SMS.

X

SportsManSam: No need to think about it. Can’t wait to meet up with you. Send me deets when you get them.

It may be in poor judgment to play this game, but I’m resigned to go through with this. But I won’t be sending him details until an hour before I have them. So, instead of replying right away, I scroll up and look at his pictures again. Those abs of his … yeah, I am totally doing this.

I’m not one to use words like “picturesque,” but Skaneateles, New York, is deserving of such a word.

“It’s beautiful here,” Cora says, looking out the window as we pass by the stone buildings.

“You’ll have to come up at Christmastime. They have Dickens weekends.” Hudson chuckles. “Kind of cool.”

A few minutes later, as we’re turning down West Lake Road, I watch Hudson’s eyes shine with restrained excitement and pride.

I lean forward and squeeze his shoulder. “Feel like home?”

“More and more every day,” he admits.

A few minutes later, he’s turning into the driveway.

“My goodness, that went quickly,” Mom says as the new home on his property comes into view. “I love that they decided to match the exterior to your house.”

“Looks like it belongs, yeah?” Rome asks.

Mom smiles. “Certainly does.”

Hudson pulls in behind the contractors’ vehicles in the driveway. “Let’s check it out.” He then throws the vehicle in park and gets out.

Rome climbs out of the passenger side and opens CeCe’s door, while Hudson opens Mom’s. Cora and I file out of the third row behind them.

Stepping out on the porch, Ryan Brooks, the general contractor and a seriously handsome man in his fifties, says with a smile, “Look, it’s the Harts.”

His stunning daughter, Riley, who is tall, all legs, with thick, long black hair, steps out, and her brother, Jackson, the strong, silent, and also hot as hell type, nods.

“Look, it’s the Brooks family, working on Mother’s Day.” Hudson shakes his head. “Say it ain’t so.”

Ryan’s wife, Jade, steps out of the house, her long, black hair in a thick braid hanging over her shoulder. “We’re heading to brunch at the brewery to meet the rest of the family. I insisted they show me their latest project.” She looks at her husband and kids. “It’s incredible.”

Riley takes her hand. “Let’s leave them to it.”

Roman shakes their hands. “Thank you.”

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