Page 16 of A Pen Pal for Christmas

It was the same thing I saw all week whenever I ran into him around town or the inn: he was intimidating in an intriguing way, but he never held the energy of someone looking for a fight. He was calm, steady. Relaxed, even.

It was a breath of fresh air.

My gaze was glued to him as his hazel eyes bounced around the space. He found Ida, and when she subtly tipped her chin in my direction, his gaze swung right to me. When our eyes locked, he almost looked pleased. Not surprised to see me, but almost like he was looking for me to begin with. It warmed me for reasons I didn’t care to unpack, but then something shifted in his expression as he spotted Dane at my table.

Without hesitation, Hudson walked over, his stride purposeful but still calming as he devoured the space between us. I was pretty sure Dane was speaking to me as I watched Hudson’s approach, but I didn’t hear a thing.

"Everything okay here?" Hudson asked, his deep voice cutting through the haze in my mind—and whatever Dane was saying.

Dane bristled, straightening to his full height. "Who’s asking?"

"A friend," Hudson replied smoothly. His tone was polite but firm. His posture was still relaxed as he tucked his hands into his pockets, once again proving that the calmness I enjoyed didn’t make him any less intimidating when he wanted to be. “And you are?"

"None of your business," Dane shot back.

Hudson opened his mouth to reply as his shoulders became impossibly more broad, and images of these two getting into some kind of brawl, ruining the atmosphere of this cozy cafe, had my throat tightening.

"Dane," I said on a sigh. "Just… go."

Dane hesitated, his jaw tightening as he looked between me and Hudson. Finally, he exhaled sharply and stepped back. “We’ll talk later,” he said quietly, his eyes lingering on me before he turned and walked out of the coffee shop.

Hudson waited until the door closed before turning his attention fully to me. His gaze softened, and his lips curved into a faint smile. “Looked like you could use a little backup,” he said, his voice warm despite the ice in his eyes.

“Thanks,” I replied, my fingers tightening around my coffee cup once again. I was going to start losing feeling in them soon.

Grace edged around Hudson and slid back into her seat, her wide eyes darting between Hudson and me.

“See you around, Sofia.” Hudson said before he turned, and Ida’s knowing smile widened as he greeted her, leaning down to kiss her cheek lightly before moving to the counter to order a coffee to go.

I watched as he exchanged a few quiet words with Ida while he waited for his drink, his body language still giving off that relaxed but commanding vibe. Then, with his coffee in hand, he strode out of the shop, the bell jingling softly behind him.

“Um, okay,” Grace said, breaking my trance. “Care to explain what the heck just happened?”

CHAPTER 6

Hudson

Still reelingafter that tense moment at the cafe, I stepped through the doors of the Snow Hill Inn and hung my coat on the rack. I crossed the foyer, the polished wood floors creaked softly under my boots as I headed for the front desk. Nick Patterson leaned over a stack of paperwork, his phone tucked between his shoulder and ear.

A faint smile tugged at my lips. I’d already been in town for a week, and I still hadn’t run into my old friend thanks to how busy his life seemed to be. But even though it had been a while since I’d last seen him, I was glad to know the guy was still happily multi-tasking his way through life.

Nick looked up as I approached, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before it shifted into a wide grin. He ended his call quickly. “Hudson. I heard you were back.”

I chuckled, shaking my hand. “And what? You didn’t believe it?”

“Considering how long it’s taken for us to run into each other even though you’re crashing under my roof?”

“Fair point. But I hear you’re a busy guy. Love seeing that you’re holding down the fort.”

“Someone’s gotta keep my mother from running herself into the ground,” Nick said with a laugh, clapping me on the shoulder. “Good to see you, man. What’s it been? Five, six years?”

“Give or take,” I replied, the ease between us settling in like no time had passed at all.

Nick leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms. “How’s life?”

I shrugged. “Recruiting duty starts next month, so I’m squeezing in some downtime while I can.”

“When we were kids, our downtime involved sneaking out to cause havoc behind the inn after curfew,” Nick said, a laugh in his voice.

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