Page 107 of While We Waited

He cringes.

“Exactly. Like that!”

He blows out a breath. “Can we sit down?” He doesn’t wait for my answer before picking me up and carrying me to the bedroom.

“You can’t carry me around without my permission.”

He lays on the bed and settles me on top of him so I’m straddling him.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have carried you without your permission but you were swaying and it scared me.”

“Oh.”

“Can I speak now?”

I shrug. “You can speak, but it won’t change a thing.”

“Sunshine, what I have to say changes everything.”

A tiny spark of hope ignites in my belly. I try to extinguish it. Having my hopes crushed will make things hurt even worse than they already do.

“I did regret the end of my football career. I thought being an athlete is who I am. But when Seth offered me the position, I realized an athlete is notwhoI am, it’swhatI was. There’s more to me than my ability to catch a ball or sprint down a football field.”

“Of course, there is. You’re the owner of this resort. A resort everyone on the island thought was doomed to fail.”

His brow wrinkles. “The smugglers thought I was doomed to fail?”

“Have you seen the price of your rooms? And the chalets cost even more. Most tourists to Smuggler’s Hideaway stay in theMermaid Hoteland go to theRumrunnerfor two-dollar beernight. Your hoity-toity resort wasn’t a step up. It was another floor all together.”

“The smugglers thought I was going to fail,” he mutters.

“But you didn’t.” I clear my throat. “There’s clearly more to you than football. There always has been. You practically raised your brothers. You’re a great son. All of your employees rave about your management skills.”

“They do?”

I frown at him. “Don’t beg for compliments. It’s unbecoming.”

“I wasn’t begging for compliments.”

“But if you want to accept this position, I’m not going to stand in your way. Which is why I need to leave.”

My hands tremble and my eyes are itchy but I’m not standing in his way. If this is what Hudson needs to be happy, I’ll make sure he gets it. All I want is for him to be happy. Even if it’s not with me.

I start to climb off of his lap but he clamps his hands on my hips to stop me.

“I’m trying to tell you I don’t want the position, Sunshine. I don’t want to leave you or Sprog. I love you.”

My mouth drops open. “What?”

He uses a finger to close my mouth. “I love you. I think I’ve known it for a while, but I was afraid.”

“Afraid of what? I’m not scary. Besides the one time with the high school principal but really, she should have known not to enter the office when the door wasn’t locked.”

He chuckles. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, my crazy girl. But I wasn’t scared of you. I was scared I’d ruin us. I’m good at ruining good things.”

“What good things have you ruined? If you say your football career, I’m going to throat punch you.”

He barks out a laugh. “You’re going to throat punch me? I tell you I love you and this is your response?”

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