Page 43 of Waiting for Forever
Carl, who’d followed Hudson to the truck, held up a stepladder. “What do you say we hang this beauty?”
Paige nodded enthusiastically.
Hudson made short work of hanging the swing, then he gestured to it. “A throne for my princess.”
She giggled, then hurried to sit on the swing. Giving a small kick, she started it swaying back and forth, certain Hudson had just created what was destined to be her favorite place in the house.
Rising, she kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. It’s perfect!”
“Hey, a swing.”
They all turned around at the sound of Tyson’s voice coming up the sidewalk. Harley and Cal were with him, Cal carrying Paige’s beloved nephew, Johnny, in his baby carrier. They’d named their son after Harley’s brother, who’d passed away a few years earlier.
“Hudson made it for me,” Paige said.
Tyson whistled. “Damn, man. You could give Logan a run for his money on handcrafted furniture. Just don’t tell him I said that.”
They all laughed, then Paige led everyone inside, giving them the official first tour. Every member of her family was blown away by the renovations she and Hudson had done, all of them admitting they’d been wrong about their concerns when they first saw the place.
She and Hudson took turns telling some of their funny mishap stories and pointing out the true gems of the older home, including the hardwood flooring beneath the carpet, hand-carved banister, and the arched doorways they both loved so much.
Once the rest of her family had arrived and received the tour, they moved the party to the backyard. They’d been blessed with a beautiful, warm April day.
Hudson manned the grill with Cal and Gia’s fiancé, Xander, as everyone else stood around, chatting while watching the kids.
Harley and Adele sat together, exchanging what they called war stories about sleepless nights, jaundice, and teething, while pondering what in the hell made baby shit smell so bad.
Lacy sat in an Adirondack with her feet propped up on the edge of the unlit firepit. Paige winced as she looked at Lacy’s ankles, becauseouch. That was some first-rate swelling there. Logan sat next to her, looking just as anxious as Cal had at the gender party.
TJ chased his grandson, Henry, around the yard, while Dad held Johnny in his arms, cooing to the wee baby so sweetly, Paige stared, unable to look away.
“Told you he’d lose his mind over a grandkid,” Tyson said, stepping next her. “He’s already asking when we’re having another one.”
“You’re kidding?”
Tyson grinned. “Nope. But I can tell you right now, that’s not happening until the three of us start getting a hell of a lot more sleep than we are currently. So…maybe you could take one for the team, pull the heat off us.”
Paige snorted. “I’m not engaged or married,” she pointed out.
“I know. But I just learned that Hudson’s moving in here, and given the way the man can’t take his eyes off you for more than three seconds, I think it’s safe to say those two things you just mentioned lacking will happen sooner rather than later.”
Paige grinned. “I hope you’re right.”
Tyson wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “You’ve got it bad, baby sister. And I’m glad. Hudson’s a hell of a guy.”
“He is,” she agreed. “He really is.” Then, she gasped in a quick breath, capturing Tyson’s attention.
Cal was now holding Johnny…as Dad and Hudson stepped away from the grill. Paige couldn’t tell what the conversation was about, but it was clearly something serious, given the fact Hudson wasn’t smiling.
“Shit,” she breathed. “Everything has been going so well between them.”
“And it probably still is,” Tyson reassured her. Then he pointed. “There. See?”
Paige watched as her dad and Hudson shook hands, Dad even going so far as to place his hand on Hudson’s shoulder.
She didn’t have a clue what had just transpired, but given the way Dad and Hudson were now smiling, it wasn’t a bad thing.
“Hey,” Hudson said, coming over to her and Tyson.
