Page 84 of Hart Breaker

“That was a breath of relief. I didn’t wanna do the whole abused kid shit because that’s not who I am.”

“It’s who he is.” I squeeze his hand. “My dad …” I feel my eyes tear up. “His bio parents were awful. Years of horrific abuse. The system failed, until it didn’t. He went to the Brooks family in Blue Valley. They’re awesome, but it still took years after that and an accident. Mom’s first boyfriend died, and she found out she was pregnant with Luke. Dad stepped up and forced himself to stop believing he was going to be the same way they were. It wasn’t DNA or nature vs. nurture; it was a choice. I’ll leave out all the gory details, but he’s the best dad ever.”

When he’s quiet for a minute, I realize what I’ve done. “Hudson, you’re not capable of?—”

“Damn right, I’m not.”

“I’m sorry if?—”

“Don’t be that. I’m just … Wow, this is a lot.”

“We don’t have to?—”

“We do. We will.” He laughs. “On the list of date ideas, one was actually therapy.”

“What?” I laugh.

“Yeah, I was thinking we both had shit to unpack, and why not get some help, hire some mental movers, if you will?”

“You really think we need therapy already?”

“You don’t want to know all the shit I’ve thought, but it all boiled down to what I would do to make sure no one ever hurt you again which, ironically, would save me from getting hurt. I told you epic.”

“Unstoppable,” I counter.

“We’re gonna be both.” He kisses my hand, and instead of letting go when he makes the next turn, he puts my hand on his heart. “Stay right there, okay?”

After he showed me the stadium from the outside, the pub the Jags go to after winning games, and CeCe’s vet clinic, we head to Jillian’s.

“I can’t believe she bought a flower shop.” I shake my head.

“You’ll have to ask her how she got roped into that.” He chuckles.

“Spill it.”

“Oh no, it’s best to be felt.”

“What does that even mean?” I ask.

I see the sign, “Etta’s Harts & Flowers,” and there is no E in “Heart,” just like their last name.

“She ended up buying the building. There are a few apartments that she bullied us into helping renovate.” He turns into an alley. “I stay here or at Rome’s when I’m in Jersey.”

“You’re all into real estate.”

He nods. “Nice to know you have a place to call yours.”

I know we’ve stepped out of the deep end, but I can’t help but ask, “Are you going to buy a place here or …?”

He parks the vehicle, kills the ignition, and turns to face me. “Rome’s team’s here, and Jillian has the shop. Rome’s girl, CeCe, has a sister here and a business, too. CeCe has another sister in Texas, where they grew up. It’s a small town; they love it there. They might end up that way someday, but not in the near future. Jillian will never be too far from Mom, and Nour’s sister works with CeCe, so they’ll be here, too.” He kisses my hand. “My home is in Blue Valley. Mom’s place is there, too. And you know who else is there?” he asks as he’s opening his door. And then he gets out—just gets right out—hurries around the vehicle, and opens my door.

“What is happening?” I ask as he takes my hand and all but drags me to the back of the building, punches in a code, and pulls me into a room full of flowers.

He turns around, picks me up, and sets my ass in the middle of a worktable covered with bundles of white sage, greenery, and … unicorn horns? Nope, they’re vibrators shaped like unicorn horns.

“One minute,” he says as he walks through a doorway and leaves me amongst the … vibrators.

In far less than one minute, he’s walking in with a hand behind his back. “Now, where were we?”

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