Page 43 of What About Us
He squeezes me, and his voice sobers when he speaks. “You’ll always have me,” he says, and his thumb makes circles on my lower back. “You’re my girl.” The way he says it is meant to be friendly, I’m sure, but it sets off a flutter of butterflies in my stomach, nonetheless. “And you have to know I’d rather have you here than her. You never need an invitation.”
My traitorous eye lets one fat tear leak out and I swipe it away quickly, grateful he can’t see my face. But he doesn’t have to. He knows me well enough to know when my emotions get the best of me.
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. I want to stay, but not with her here. I’m too stingy, and seeing someone else here with him would be too much. Even if he’s assured me nothing is going on between them. Plus, she’ll likely do everything in her power to make it seem otherwise, and I’d rather shove toothpicks under my fingernails than watch that shit.
“I’ll make something up,” he says, suddenly. “I’ll just tell Mom and Pop we have to leave—”
Something dislodges in my chest at his words and relief sweeps through every fiber of my body. I immediately relax, my limbs feeling heavy from holding them so tightly the last thirty minutes. I didn’t realize just how anxious this whole situation made me, and I feel like I’ve just run a mile or something. I only know I want to go home and crash. I feel so exhausted all of a sudden.
“Thank you for the invitation, but I think I’ll just go home, take a bath, and maybe read for a bit. But you and Paige stay.” I pull back to look up at him with a small smile.
He looks so concerned and so sweet. I have a sudden urge to press my lips to his. The realization stuns me, and the skin on the back of my neck prickles at the thought of being so bold. What would it feel like to be able to do that right here, right now, without fear of the consequences?
He nods. “If you’re sure? Mom’s making cornbread,” he says, wagging his eyebrows at me. He knows I’m a sucker for Emily’s cornbread.
I’m not sure, but I nod, anyway. “I’m sure.”
He huffs out a little laugh and nods, before pulling me back in for another hug.
“But I wouldn’t be opposed to you bringing me home some cornbread,” I say, looking up at him with a sheepish smile.
“You got it.”
I push up onto my toes to rest my chin on his shoulder, savoring being in his arms, even if it’s just as friends. I catch sight of Erin watching us acrossthe drive. Normally, I’d keep my arms wrapped around his middle, but I’m feeling a little catty and more than a little triumphant. So, I slide my arms around his neck and lean in to press a kiss on his neck, just slow enough, letting my lips linger there as she looks on. He shivers a little and it makes me smile when he presses a kiss to my temple.
I try to tell myself it’s all a show for her on my part, but my body lights up at the contact and I hold on for seconds longer than I normally would. I have the urge to launch myself into his arms and wrap my legs fully around his waist, but I figure that might be a little over the top.
He pulls back a few seconds later and walks me to my car, where he opens the door and then shuts it for me after I climb inside. I crank the engine, and he steps back.
“See you at home,” he says over the sound of the Volvo cranking to life.
I nod, throwing the car into reverse. “Don’t forget my cornbread,” I say, and he smirks. When I swing the car out onto the road and drive away, he’s standing in the rearview, watching me leave.
Chapter 14
Hudson
The midday sun beatsdown on the top of my head and shoulders. Hank and I have been pulling and replacing fence posts to expand the garden at Mom and Pop’s for a couple of hours. Since being back, I’ve been splitting my time between here and Hutch’s, and we’ve nearly got the new dock ready out at his place.
When I showed up this morning, he asked me if I’d be interested in helping out around here on a more permanent basis once the twins are born. I’d thought he was fucking with me at the time because, like me, Hank rarely asks for help. But ever since Wren got pregnant, he’s been different. He’s got a family to think of now, and even though he loves this ranch, I’d bet my left nut that he’d give it all up in a heartbeat if Wren asked him too. Not that she would. She loves it just as much as he does.
The thought doesn’t necessarily excite me, and its hard fucking work with long hours. He can hire someone if he needs to, but part of me feels obligated to help. Maybe obligation is too strong a word. Duty is probably more accurate. Either way, I told him I’d think about it. I’m still considering Trevor’s offer to help out at Roxy’s. I know it’s not owningmy own place or anything, but if I had to choose between helping with the ranch or the bar, one is definitely more appealing than the other.
I’ve just tossed a rotted fence post to the side and picked my shovel back up when my phone rings. It’s Finn’s ringtone, and I fish the phone out of my back pocket. The picture I took of her and Paige in front of the Rockefeller Christmas tree last year lights up the screen.
“Hey, Jameson,” I say and clamp the phone between my shoulder and my ear. Sweat rolls down my forehead and I swipe it away with the back of my wrist.
“No, I’m sorry,” a woman’s voice says. “Is this Hudson?”
Confusion wrinkles my brow, and I briefly pull the phone away from my ear to look at the screen. “Who’s calling?”
“My name is Shelly, and I’m a guest here at Timber Haven. Finnley asked me to call you.”
“Is she all right?” I ask, apprehension simmers to life in my chest.
“I’m not really sure,” she says. “She’s not feeling well, and she doesn’t look good.” My heartbeat thuds in my ears. I don’t know this woman, and yet, I can tell by the tone of her voice that she’s worried.
I drop the shovel I was just using and tug off my gloves, already moving toward Hank across the garden. He’s leaned against his own shovel, eyes questioning, but he straightens when he clocks the look on my face.
