Page 22 of Georgia-Blue & Hudson

“What about me?”

“Can you see yourself having kids?”

He stares straight ahead as he drives the winding track back up toward the distillery.

“Someday, maybe.”

“Your dad would love that.”

“My momma woulda loved it even more.”

I swallow hard when he mentions his mom. I know it hit them both so hard. I don’t think Huck will ever truly recover. He’s still very lost without her. “Huds, I’m sorry.” I touch his forearm. “I didn’t mean to?—”

He shakes his head. “It’s okay. I don’t talk about her much. But if you don’t talk about them sometimes, it’s like they never existed. That seems worse somehow.”

I’ve never heard Hudson say something like this before. I guess we don’t ride together in his truck all that much, but still.“Your mom would be so proud of you,” I whisper.

He looks straight ahead but doesn’t say anything for a long while. I don’t know if I’ve overstepped the mark, but he brought it up. “I’m not sure about that. I’ve been trying to find my feet back on the farm for a while now.”

“I know how you feel.” I don’t mean to make it seem like it’s all about me, but one thing I’ve always been able to do is be myself around him. Sometimes too much.

He glances at me again. “You seem pretty accomplished to me,Princess.”

At least he didn’t put the precious in front of it this time. Still, it makes me smile when he does. I’ve never hidden the fact I am a little precious, even if I might seem tough, mighty and witty most of the time. “You think so?”

“I know so.”

“My mom says my time will come,” I blurt, clearly knowing no boundaries. But this is what happens on a night filled with elation and a glass or two of the good stuff.

I get real chatty and honest.

“What does that mean?”

I glance out the window. “It means I’m holding out forthe one.”

His hands stiffen on the wheel. “You really think there’s one person for everyone and all of that kooky stuff you spout?”

He doesn’t even make it sound like a question, just a foregone conclusion. One that’s entirely correct. I also ignore the ‘kooky’ comment.

“You don’t?”

“I think people often mistake attraction for rightness.”

“That’s awfully deep. I notice you’ve been a bit quiet on the social scene for a while. When were you last attracted to someone, Mister Philosophical?”

He glances at me again and I’ve no idea what he’s thinking, or what those dark eyes are truly saying. “I think we need to get off this subject.”

“Hmm.” I tap my fingers on my chin. “Don’t tell me you’re abstaining too?”

He makes another noise in his throat. Rounding the corner, past the distillery, we’re getting closer to my place. “Abstaining?” His face pulls a frown. It might be dark but I can still see the furrowed brow of confusion. I’m sureabstainingis not a word too familiar in the Hudson Nash book of rules.

“Fine. Don’t tell me. I’m just trying to help.”

“Thanks for the pep talk but I’m doing great.”

I fold my arms across my chest. “You’re no fun, do you know that?”

“Not what I’ve been told,honey.”

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