40. Hudson
40
HUDSON
I ’m running around my place, trying to keep busy. If I don’t, I will blow a fuse.
“So this is all I need, then?” Lacy asks. Her mom is heading into Williamstown today for her transfusion, and Lacy’s nervous, I can tell. She’s fidgeting, her shoulders tight.
“Why won’t you let me go with you today? I promise I’m a great support person.”
“No. It’s fine. I know you’re busy. Besides, I’ll be fine. Mom will be fine.”
I feel like she says the words more for her own reassurance than mine. The gate intercom buzzes through the kitchen, and I look at the screen, seeing Connor’s truck and who looks to be Sawyer in the passenger side.
“Connor and Sawyer are here,” I tell her, Harvey’s head pops up from where it’s been buried in a book about planes his aunt sent him this week. Having a sister-in-law who owns Bloomers Books is a godsend when it comes to those kinds of gifts .
“Oh? Boys’ day?” Lacy asks, her smile small but there, and I sigh.
“Since you won’t let me go with you, I need a distraction,” I murmur, keen to take the opportunity with Sawyer in town to talk to him about the situation at Lacy’s college while she isn’t here.
“I will be fine, I promise. Mom is the one doing the hard work today, not me,” she reiterates as I see her trimming the stems on some wildflowers that Harvey picked for her. She was only popping in to get the paperwork she needed for the hospital today but took the time to cuddle my son after he presented her with the bouquet this morning, and now she is taking great pride in getting them ready for the vase. I like having her in my house, moving around my kitchen; this whole situation is very domesticated, and it feels good.
“Morning, lovebirds,” Connor says, waltzing into the kitchen like he owns the place. Lacy rolls her eyes as I shake his hand and give him a backslap.
“Door was open!” Sawyer says, announcing his entrance. Connor comes and goes from place so regularly he is almost part of the furniture, so I’m not surprised they just walked in.
“Nice flowers. Pick them yourself?” Connor asks Lacy, clearly teasing her, and I see their dynamic now. At first, I was jealous, but now I see them more like siblings. It’s hilarious, actually.
“As a matter of fact, they are from Harvey,” Lacy says proudly. “Did you tell the boys how much you luuurrved the massage in New York? So much so, you are hiring the therapist and practically dragging her to Whispers?” Lacy teases him, and Sawyer and I cough out a laugh. Connor was less than impressed that he had a sound healing massage when I whisked Lacy away from her work commitments back in New York, but Connor doesn’t have a quick comeback like he usually does, which has me squinting at him.
“Are you blushing?” I ask, shocked. Connor doesn’t get embarrassed about anything, and now my interest is piqued.
“Shut up,” he mutters, before heading to my refrigerator and opening it, grabbing out the juice.
“What did I miss?” Sawyer asks, and Lacy and I look at each other in shock at the coy way Connor is acting. I’m about to push him some more to find out exactly what happened in New York with this therapist, because something clearly did, when my gate intercom buzzes again.
“I’ll check it!” Harvey hollers as I look at my best friend. A grin slowly comes to my face at the realization that Connor Whiteman is not as infallible as people might think.
“Who is it, buddy?” I ask Harvey as he walks back to us.
“Ahhh, it’s Poppy and Nanna,” he says, and I still.
“Who?” Sawyer asks, frowning, and I run my hands through my hair. Of course they didn’t tell me when they were arriving. So typical of them to just turn up unannounced.
“My former in-laws,” I say as my eyes flick to Lacy.
“Oh shit, I didn’t know they were here; otherwise, we could have come by tomorrow,” Connor says, and I shake my head.
“I knew they were coming; I just didn’t know it was today. They failed to mention exactly when they might come to town.” Seeing them now is one of the last things I want to do today.
“I should go. I’ll just get these beautiful flowers in some water, then I will leave you all to it,” Lacy says with a tight smile as her movements quicken, clearly uncomfortable with the situation on top of what is already a stressful day for her.
She is beautiful today, even with a million things on her mind. I don’t care if my former in-laws meet her. It was bound to happen one day; it might as well be now because she isn’t going anywhere. Before I can say anything else, I hear the front door open.
“Anyone home!” my former father-in-law yells out as he walks in like he owns the place. Not that dissimilar to Connor, yet Gordon is no friend of mine. I take a deep breath to steel myself, trying to remain courteous for Harvey’s sake.
“Good morning, Gordon. I wasn’t expecting you today,” I say, letting him and everyone else here know that their visit is unexpected.
“Oh, Gordon, you said you told him we were coming,” Gloria, my former mother-in-law, huffs from behind him. “I hope we’re not interrupting?” Coming into the kitchen, she sees everyone here. Dressed to impress, high heels on and fully made up, as only a socialite from the city can be.
“Not at all. You remember, Connor. And this is my friend, Sawyer,” I say to her as I step forward and kiss her on the cheek in greeting. It hasn’t gotten past me that Harvey remains back at the table, obviously not eager to see them either. I don’t blame him. He hasn’t seen them in a while, and even then, their visits were few and far between, despite them wanting full control and say in his life. They are practically strangers.
“And this is my partner, Lacy,” I introduce them, my gaze finding Lacy in the kitchen, but I freeze as soon as I take her in. She’s holding the vase of flowers, smiling and looking radiant, but then her eyes lock on my father-in-law, and she goes deathly pale.
“Lacy?” I question, as Connor frowns and takes a small step toward her protectively, and Sawyer looks at my in-laws inquisitively.
“Lacy?” I move toward her and take the vase from her shaking hands, and she clears her throat.
“I need to go,” she says quietly, looking at me, my father-in-law, and back to me again. I can hear her breathing quicken, and she seems a little panicked. While I expected meeting my former in-laws may create a little awkwardness, I wasn’t expecting this level of fear. She swallows audibly before she gives everyone a fake smile and practically bolts from my kitchen, striding right out the door.
I look over everyone, confused, before I shove the vase of flowers into Connor’s hands and run after her.
“Lacy,” I call out as I reach her outside my front door. “Wait.” Grabbing her elbow, I turn her to face me. My breath catches at the petrified look on her face, and my senses heighten .
“Talk to me, baby. Tell me what’s going on,” I ask her, searching her eyes. Clearly, she isn’t okay. I can almost feel the unease vibrating from her body, but I have no idea why, and it has my heart pounding.
“It’s fine. I need to go and get Mom ready, that’s all. I’ll talk to you later,” she rushes out, giving me another forced smile before she slips from my grasp again and runs to her car, but not before she looks over my shoulder, and her expression falls.
I watch her get in her car and take off down the drive before I turn around and see my father-in-law standing there in the open doorway. He hasn’t looked at me once, his eyes still on Lacy’s car, even though it’s barely visible. I see his eyes crease, and his mouth turns up in a sick smirk, and then it clicks. My stomach drops, and my anger rises.
“Did you tell me you are lecturing at Willowstone at the moment, Gordon?” I ask as I tentatively step toward him, and only now does he look at me, giving me a smarmy smile. I don’t know how I know, but I do. I spot Sawyer and Connor, as well as Gloria behind him, probably wondering what is going on.
“I lead their statistic faculty,” he says, nodding, pocketing his hands and rocking back on his heels like the arrogant son of bitch he is. I see red.
I stride toward him, and without any warning, I throw my fist at his cheek so hard, I feel like I broke my own hand.
“You sick son of a bitch,” I yell as he falls, his knees hitting the ground in front of me as I hear the scream from his wife .
“I’ll charge you with assault!” he splutters at me as he tries to get up, and I lunge at him again.
“What the hell?” Connor says, grabbing me from behind, pulling me back. I shout and kick and elbow Connor in the torso, trying to get out of his hold, because I want to pummel this sick, preying asshole into the ground. I can’t even see straight, I’m so enraged.
“You’re a fucking pedophile!” I yell, feeling like I am out of my own body. I have never been this angry. Ever.
“She was of age!” he barks at me, and I freeze. Gloria gasps in horror. He isn’t denying it. I see Sawyer out straighten the corner of my eye, paying very close attention now, the lawyer in him kicking in.
“She was your college student. You groomed her!” I shout or growl; I don’t even know what I sound like at this point. I see my mom and dad come out from their place and walk swiftly toward us, hearing the commotion.
“She wanted it. They all do,” he says quietly, but not quietly enough, by the looks Sawyer and Connor have on their faces. Connor’s grip on me loosens, and while I haven’t actually said Lacy’s name, it’s apparent exactly who I am talking about. Connor steps forward, fists tightening.
“I think you both need to leave,” Sawyer says, stepping in between Gordon, Connor, and me, aware things are not going to get any better.
“What is he talking about? What is going on?” Gloria asks as I see my mom rush inside, no doubt going to find Harvey as my father stands watching.
“Do we need to call the police?” my father asks, looking at Gordon. Two totally different men. My father is strong, solid, a workhorse. Jeans and a casual shirt are his daily attire. My father-in-law is in a suit and wouldn’t know a hard day’s work if he tried. One contributes, one just takes.
“Yes! We do. Your son assaulted my husband!” Gloria screams. The entitlement of these fucking people is astounding.
“No. No police,” Gordon says, wiping the blood from his lip, which I busted open. Pity there isn’t a doctor in town who will see to his injuries because he sure as fuck isn’t welcome at my hospital.
“She doesn’t know, does she?” I say, looking at his wife, who looks stricken, but I don’t hold back. I can’t. “Gloria, your husband preys on college students. Gives them good grades for sexual acts. When they don’t comply, he fails them and then stalks them until they agree to come back and make up their grades at a special summer school. It probably makes them a little more accessible, doesn’t it, Gordon? Since the number of staff at the school over the summer break reduces quite a bit. Less people. Less eyes?”
Not even acknowledging me, he grabs his wife’s elbow and leads her toward their car. His eyes flame as he glances at me, and I can tell I’m right.
“Fuck, how long have you been doing this? How many young women have you assaulted?” I ask, and I see Sawyer on the phone, no doubt to the authorities. We will let them go for now; we can’t hold them, but they won’t get far. It’s all out now, and he needs to be dealt with. His game is up.
“I have no fucking idea what you are talking about, and if you don’t stop with this nonsense, I will sue you for defamation!” he yells, and he knows he’s fucked. He knows I will stop at nothing to end him and that I have deep enough pockets to do it.
“Sounds like that will be the least of your problems,” Connor says, coming to stand next to me with his arms crossed over his chest. Connor is massive. Bigger than Tanner. Tall, broad, and the one person I don’t ever want to get in a fight with. Clearly, Gordon agrees, because his mouth is now tightly closed, and he gets in his car, barking at his wife to do the same. They drive out of my place so quickly their tires almost screech.
“I called the police. He won’t get far,” my mom says, and I turn, seeing her standing in the doorway. She wasn’t here for all of it, but I don’t have to tell her. She knows. They all do.
I just hope Lacy will forgive me for what I have done. Because I promised her I wouldn’t do anything until she was ready. Now, I’ve broken that promise.