Page 27 of Worth the Risk

“You told me once you are a stand-in-the-candy-store type of woman.”

Ah, yes, I did. The night we met.

“True.” I touch his arm to insist he stay close, and I lean in to speak low. “But you know I’m not that young, right? I’m very legal and can’t be bribed with candy.”

Hudson roars a laugh and continues to grin wide as he guides me by the hand farther into the store which has an ice cream parlor set up as a 1950s diner. Then my eyes catch a display, and I know that it is the reason why he brought me here.

“Gingerbread,” I gasp. There are entire families of gingerbread cookies and different gingerbread men in different themes… doctors, firemen…

Hudson moves to stand behind me, and he rests his hands on my shoulders. “Look to the left.”

My eyes dart to the end and a wide smile takes over my face. “My goodness, you are a local hero.” There is a gingerbread man with an iced jersey that says coach, and I realize it’s Hudson.

“I’ve always loved gingerbread.” I hear his sinister undertone.

Ignoring him, I’m too much in my element and walk closer to the cookies behind a glass display case. “You’ve been hiding this up your sleeve this whole time?”

This is quite a coincidence, considering my nickname and references. Mostly, I love that he brought me here. He put thought into it.

“Wait.” He holds up his hand. “Is this our gamechanger?”

I can’t help it, and I walk into his arms that naturally wrap around my middle. “No, but this is quite a surprise and may just be the highlight of our day.”

His look warns me before he pulls me closer and runs his hand down to my behind since nobody is around. “Highlight of the day? Not a fucking chance.”

* * *

I stockedup on a bag of cola gummies. Hudson wasn’t impressed with my choice, as he went for licorice. In the end, we didn’t buy any gingerbread. Turns out the owner is not actually called Joe but Pete, an older man who clearly runs the place for fun. He is also the swimmer in the lake every morning. Hudson spoke to him for a few minutes while I stayed to the side, not quite sure how to interact. What does one do in my position? My awkwardness didn’t last long, as Hudson kept glancing at me with a wink or soft smile.

After that visit, we moved to the restaurant on the lake called Catch 22. As soon as we entered, the staff looked at Hudson like he’s royalty, yet Hudson didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he asked one of the waitresses how her daughter was and asked the bus boy who brought us water how college was going.

Despite the lunchtime hour, it wasn’t too busy, but still we nabbed a table away from everyone outside on the deck.

“Is there anyone in this town whose name you don’t know?” I ask, quite taken by the man in front of me.

Hudson places his menu to the side. “I’m nobody special. I may have money and name, but I eat and sleep just like everyone. If I’m treated differently, then I have no hope of trying to live a somewhat laid-back life. I only use my fortune when I need to.”

“Such as?”

He takes a sip of his iced tea. “A nice house, and when I found out I might have a son, I made sure I had the best investigator and lawyer around. And you better believe that I made sure Drew has a top-notch honeymoon too. I wasn’t allowed to contribute to the wedding, as my daughter-in-law’s family went traditional.”

“Good for you, Hudson, and you have excellent taste in location when it comes to real estate. I don’t know why I haven’t been out here before. April mentioned Lake Spark a few times.”

“A lot of people from the city head up to Wisconsin or Lake Galena. I’m not complaining, though, it keeps this little corner of the state a secret paradise.” He untucks his sunglasses from his shirt and throws them on over his eyes. “Have an idea of what you want to eat?”

I examine the menu. “Probably the chicken club sandwich with fries. I’ll do an extra Pilates class when I’m back in the city.”

“There is actually a Pilates and yoga studio in the hotel, Dizzy Duck, that’s the name. In case you want to join a class for future reference, in case you ever decide you want to return.” His voice dances, and I know he’s testing the waters to see what I’m feeling.

“I will remember that.” I close my menu and sit tall just as the waitress arrives to take our order.

By the time food arrives, I realize I’ve lost track of time because I’m enjoying every word that Hudson speaks. It’s a calm feeling that I felt the moment I woke up, but now it’s just more… confirming. I’m where I should be.

“I had a bad relationship,” I admit out loud, and I’m not sure why it rolled off my tongue without thought.

Hudson immediately darts his gaze to me and takes his sunglasses off. “Don’t we all at some point in our lives?”

I shrug and stare at the fork in my hand. “It’s a little more than that. We were living together very briefly. Not many people know. I was young, foolish, and it wasn’t meant to be. My grandmother refusing to have him come to Friday dinners should have been a sign. She didn’t approve, and she’s a good judge of character.”

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