Page 37 of Engaging with Her Enemy

“Yes.” Ms. Iris reached over and squeezed Ms. Tanya's shoulder. “I'm sure Jimmy and Cameron will be alright.”

Eliza picked that moment to pull up, Carrie sitting in the back seat. Ms. Iris laughed. “I'm surprised Addie hasn't shown up.”

“She had a long night working and was sleeping, according to Cam. I'm glad she doesn't have to worry,” Ms. Tanya said. She peered down at Becky. “Oh, honey, they’re trained for this. No need to get upset?”

No need to get upset? Someone might have fired a gun at Hudson. He could be dead. “I—”

“The shots were fired where Hudson is located.” Ms. Iris announced it before Becky could form the words. “She wants to go make sure he's alright, but Dewey threatened to arrest her.”

Ms. Tanya's worried frown shifted into a small smile. “You and Hudson, huh? He was such a cute kid. I’m happy for you.”

“Look, it's really new—”

“New?” Eliza held her daughter's hand as they joined the women. “Picked up right where they left off. Ms. Roberts said you stayed the night in his room.”

“Really?” Ms. Tanya said. At least her one night with Hudson had helped take Cameron's mom's mind off the potential shootout going on. It hadn't done a thing to help Becky, though. It had to be Barry. The shots fired would be aimed at Hudson. No doubt about it. And here she was, killing time for no damn reason. Shit, she should be out there.

Becky began to pace. No. This couldn’t happen. Was Hudson prone to deathly situations or something? He’d survived going to war, being in an explosion, surely, he’d survive some idiot with a vendetta.

Ms. Iris shook her head. “You should be more discreet, Becky. I make Hugh leave before dawn.”

Eliza covered her ears, Carrie mimicking the action. “I do not want to hear about my father shacking up.”

Carrie, with her green eyes identical to Eliza's, tugged on her hand. “What's shacking up mean, Mama?”

“It's like a grown-up sleepover, baby,” Eliza responded without hesitation.

Becky glanced down the street, wishing she could find a way to go out there and see Hudson. See if he was alright. Damn it, he had to be okay. She’d just found him.

Eliza stepped in her way. “Don't even think about it. You know the state patrol is probably there by now, along with Uncle Jimmy, Cameron, and Dewey. They're trained for this. You can't use your sharp tongue to help.”

Becky knew that, but it was Hudson. “Hudson doesn't carry a weapon.”

“But he's probably trained, right? He was in the military.”

“As an engineer.” A big, dorky, lovable math geek. He wouldn't like that description, but that's how she saw him. He might be strong, but he wasn’t aggressive.

Eliza gave her a hug. “It will be alright. The diner is almost empty. I'll take this shift, and you can go wait for Hudson. I'll send Cameron and Dewey a text to tell Hudson to go over to your place when he's finished.” She gave Becky a shove toward her blue car. “Do not drive to see Hudson. I'm guessing Dewey's warning was real. You know this job is about the only thing that Dewey's serious about.”

Staring into the faces of three women who she considered her family, Becky gave up the argument. “Fine. I'll go sit at my house and go crazy.”

Ms. Tanya crossed her arms. “Good. You could always bake something,” she added with a wink. “You know, take your mind off things. Pass it along toward our house if you don't have any other use for it.”

Ms. Iris added, “It will be okay, honey.”

With an exaggerated huff, Becky stormed away. They all had her best interest at heart. She climbed into her car, glancing at them one last time, giving them a reassuring smile, and then drove out of town. Toward the old mill.

13

Shit. A bullet in the arm wasn't nearly as painful as the explosion, but it sure hurt like hell. Burned deep in his muscle. Fire and ice at the same time as a steady stream of warm blood dripped down his arm and off his fingertips. Sweat rolled in a steady stream between his shoulder blades, his body reacting to the pain.

But the bullet had exited, he knew that, so the blood would ebb shortly. Hopefully.

He'd taken the shot to his arm as Barry and he wrestled for the gun. Hudson had attempted to avoid shooting Barry. But once the gun had discharged and tore through the side of his bicep, Hudson let him have it.

But not with the gun.

Hudson tried to piece together the time between getting shot and Cameron's hands wrapping around his stomach and hauling Hudson away, bringing him back to reality. There was blood. A lot of it and he couldn't tell if it'd come from his wound or Barry's face.

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