Page 222 of Beautiful Collide

Sunlight fillsthe barn with a soft glow as Hudson leads me to mysurprise. When he finally stops, my eyes go wide.

No way am I going up there.

I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans and glance at the ladder Hudson wants me to climb.

“Nope.”

“I’ll be right behind you. Trust me.”

My heart is racing, though I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it’s the climb. Or perhaps it’s Hudson asking me to trust him again.

This man seems to think pushing my limits is his job.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” His calm voice wants to reassure me. It’s sweet, and I might complain, but he does have a point. Each day that he has pushed my limits, I have felt amazing after, so maybe he’s on to something. “But I know you can do it,” he says, sealing the deal.

I put my hand on the ladder but pause, my grip tightening.

Backing down isn’t an option.

Not again.

Not this time.

I need to challenge myself.

Trust that I will be okay and not just because Hudson is behind me, but because I know in my heart, I’ll be safe.

“Fine. I’ll do it.” The words come out quickly, despite my uncertainty.

I don’t want to change my mind.

I need to do this. So I do. I take a step up, then another, and another until I’m at the top.

Once on solid ground, I stop short, surprised by what I find.

The space is unexpectedly charming, with sunlight pouring in through a large arched window.

It feels like we are in another country. It’s magical.

He really pulled out all the stops.

In the center, Hudson has set up a blanket, and on top of it sits two Mason jars filled with pale yellow lemonade. There is also some wrapped bundle that I have to assume is food.

He steps up behind me, his larger-than-life presence filling the small space.

“Fancy,” I say, turning over my shoulder to look at him.

Hudson shrugs, grinning like this is no big deal. “Hey, I have standards.” He leads me to the blanket, then drops down and pats the spot beside him for me to sit.

I hesitate.

But finally, I lower myself beside him, legs folded awkwardly beneath me.

He unwraps the bundle, revealing slices of red apple and a handful of sugar cubes nestled in a cloth.

“Snacks for the horses?” I shoot him a sideways glance.

“And us.” He pops a sugar cube into his mouth like it’s a piece of candy.

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