Page 54 of Catching Feels

He winks as he hands it to me. “I knew we had something going on between us. You and I are destined to end up together.”

“Watch it,” Hudson says, perfect smile in place.

“And who the fuck are you? The bodyguard?” Jay, who clearly gives zero fucks about Hudson’s size, asks.

“Yeah, Jay.” Hudson pats him on the head. “Now smile, you idiot.”

Smiling like he’s having the time of his life, Jay fires back, “I don’t much appreciate you talking to me like that, you walking fucking tree.”

“I don’t much like you coming on to my sister when she’s clearly uninterested, Jay, yet here we are, celebrating a Jags win like old friends,” Hudson says in the way that is too sincere to actually be, which throws the Jays of the world off.

“Things good?” Fawna asks as I laugh and hand Jay back his phone.

“We’re good.” I look at Nour. “You really want ten shots?”

“Yeah, line ’em up.”

“They’re for sipping,” Fawna says, taking Nour’s card as I hold it out.

“Where’s Mom?” I ask Hudson as I pour the ridiculously priced whiskey into a jigger to measure it before dumping it into rocks glasses.

“She’s never leaving the house.” He smiles. “She’s made friends with a couple of the Blue Valley matriarchy, and they’re planting a garden.”

“Blue Valley, as in the Knights?” Jay snorts. “Fuckers pissed off the whole NFL.”

AJ shakes his head in shock and asks, “Do they know you’ve escaped?”

“The hell you talking about escaped?” Jay looks back. “You the centerfielder for the Jags?”

“I am, and I’m a Knights fan.”

“How you gonna live in Jersey and root for the Knights?”

“I’m a Knights fan, too, Jay,” I say, handing a group of men their beers as I pour them.

“Jesus, I may have to rethink this. You got a good?—”

“I will make good on that threat if you continue,” Nour cuts him off.

“Yeah, no shit. Show some respect,” Bennett adds.

He doesn’t bother looking back as he slides another hundred across the bar and says, “Five dark ales when you get a minute, future ex-wife.”

“That lasted a long time.” I laugh as Fawna steps in to deal with the money.

“You lost me at Knights fan.” He shakes his head.

“Used to be an Eagles fan.”

“Jesus, even that’s a step up from the Knights. What made you jump ship? Don’t tell me … it’s that Kelce clown.”

“Nope, but my favorite Knight has a brother who plays for the Jags.”

“Fucking Hart boys.” He waves me off. “Those bastards must have been born from a gilded vagina. That Rome was overlooked and lucked out that the Jersey’s Jags were watching the NFL draft and …” He stops and looks back at Hudson with recognition in his eyes. “You big bastard, you let me go on and on about the Knights; played me like a fool.” He pushes his phone across the bar. “Take another picture for me, will ya, sweetheart?”

Hudson holds his hand up. “Take it back about the Knights.”

“You’re damn right I’ll lie to you to get a picture, ya big bastard.”

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