Chapter 3
NATALIE
“Want to get a drink?” Huxley asked at the end of the workday.
“Of course.”
“Guess what?” He was grinning like an idiot.
“I can’t even begin to guess,” I said. I was tired.
Playing games was not at the top of my list. Hux was a giant child.
It could be fun, but it could also be exhausting.
Still, it made it much easier to get through a grueling day.
Hux knew how to work hard without looking like he was working hard.
He was always joking and keeping things light.
“Hudson is back!”
“Hudson?” I repeated with some confusion.
“Hudson,” he said with a laugh. “My brother! The three of us are back together! He’s done with the Navy. He’s back in town! We’re celebrating at the pub.”
“Oh,” I said with surprise. “Wow. That’s awesome.”
I was struggling for the right words. I loved Hux.
I loved Teresa. Hudson was like a giant cactus.
The man intimidated me. It had been years since I had seen him, but he still made me nervous.
He had the epitome of a thousand-yard stare.
His face was expressionless. I could never tell if he was happy or sad or ready to kill someone with his pinky.
I knew he was some badass SEAL, but not much else.
The man was big and abrasive. And of course, handsome as hell.
It was not okay a man could be that hot and scary at the same time.
If I didn’t know him and I saw him in a dark alley, I would be terrified.
I would have my hands on my bear spray ready to attack.
He looked like the rougher, tougher version of Huxley.
Even before he went into the military, he had that prickly-pear thing going on.
And of course, I had a crush on him. Why were girls always attracted to the bad boys?
It was something in the DNA. For all our talk about being strong and independent, a man like that made the ovaries squeeze and sex dominated our thoughts.
Not that I would ever have a chance with a man like him.
I imagined Hudson with some tall, thin woman with bright red lips and wearing lots of leather.
She’d be a badass just like him. They would have wild crazy monkey sex that broke beds and put holes in walls.
I was not the kind of girl who got guys like that. Not that I wanted one. I wanted a good man that had a decent job. We’d buy a house and have two kids. I would have a little garden in the back, and he would tinker in the garage. Nice, simple, and easy.
“You have to come with me,” Hux said.
“What?” I blinked. I had spaced out.
“Let’s go. I can’t wait to see him. Teresa said he looks good.”
“I would need to go home and change,” I said, stalling. “Go ahead and go. I’m not going to get in the way of your family reunion. You guys haven’t seen each other in forever. You need time to catch up.”
“He’s at the pub,” he said with a laugh. “From what Teresa said, he’s holding court with half the town. Everyone is there to welcome him home.”
That could actually work to my advantage.
I would show up, say hello, and drink a couple beers while fading into the crowd and looking like I was part of the party.
Hux would be satisfied I supported his family.
Hudson, if he even remembered who I was, would know I showed up.
The town would see me there. I could have a drink and quietly slip away without offending anyone.
“Okay,” I said, shrugging. “Sure. How long has it been since he’s been home?”
“Years,” he said. “Too damn long.”
“Alright, let’s do this,” I said. “I’m pretty thirsty.”
We locked up and walked to the pub together.
We did a lot of walking. I always wondered why I wasn’t much thinner than I was.
I just had one of those bodies that was meant to be thick.
I could starve and work out and I was certain I would still be packing these extra pounds around.
My doctor said I was healthy, and that was all that mattered.
If I would have been born a century earlier, I would fit right in with the standard of beauty.
“Holy shit,” Hux said. “The place is packed!”
“Did I sleep through the week?” I asked. “Is it Friday?”
“It’s the return of the man!”
He picked up his pace when he saw the pub was packed. Cars littered the parking lot. The door had been propped open like Teresa always did on the weekends when the crowds proved to be too much for the old AC unit.
We wedged our way inside. The crowd was in good spirits. There was a lot of laughter and conversation. It was nice to see everyone having a good time.
There was a crowd in the back corner. Guys were shouting and cheering someone on. I couldn’t quite see what was happening.
“Hux!”
We both turned to see Teresa waving at us. Hux waved back. “Where is he?”
She pointed to the crowd in the corner. I wasn’t surprised. Hudson was a superstar in town. There were plenty of guys and gals that had gone on to join the military, but Hudson was a SEAL. Plus, he had that air of mystery and danger about him. People wanted to know him.
“Beer?” Teresa shouted over the crowd.
“Hell yeah!” Huxley laughed.
He managed to get through the sea of people and get us each a beer. “Let’s go say hi,” he said.
I smiled and sipped my beer to keep from having to answer.
We smiled, said a few words to the people we knew, and managed to get to the outer ring of people surrounding the table where Hudson was apparently holding court.
I tried to get a glimpse of him and nearly got elbowed in the face when the guy in front of me raised his fist in the air and shouted.
“What the hell?” I muttered.
That was when the crowd parted, and I got my first glimpse of the man of the hour.
Hudson Steele was sitting at the table with a grin on his face.
His face was clean shaven with a hint of darkness along his jawline.
He was wearing a plain black T-shirt that hugged his upper body.
Someone handed him a beer, which he slammed in just a few seconds.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him as he swallowed.
His Adam’s apple moved up and down. Clearly, he had spent hours outside under a hot sun somewhere in the world given his deep tan.
His black hair was cut short on the sides and just a little longer on the top. I could only see his profile, but he was just as gorgeous as I remembered. It was no wonder the single ladies were fawning over him. He would be one hell of a ride.
Oh god.
I couldn’t believe I’d just had the thought. That was totally inappropriate. I wasn’t like that. I didn’t prey on men in search of a good lay. I gave myself a mental shake. I could not think of him like that.
“Hux! Get in there! Let’s see if you’re tougher than your brother!”
The crowd opened a little more and people shoved Huxley forward. Hudson looked up at his brother and flashed a cocky grin. “Can you handle this?” Hudson asked him.
“I can,” Hux replied and flopped into the chair across from Hudson.
I hung back and watched the show. Although it wasn’t that much of a show.
Hudson swiftly kicked his little brother’s ass.
It wasn’t like it was much of a challenge.
The two laughed it off and got up from the table to hug one another.
I stood back and watched as the brothers reunited.
Hudson was barely taller than Huxley, but I guessed he outweighed him by a good fifty pounds.
The arm-wrestling shenanigans ceased, and the crowd dispersed a little. That was when Hudson spotted me. Those dark green eyes landed on me, and for a brief second, I was frozen.
He smirked and shook his head. “Well, if it isn’t the little Sprite,” he teased.
Sprite was my name as well as my nickname. He always called me a sprite, as in a pixie. It wasn’t exactly creative genius but back in the day it had been funny. “Hi,” I said. “You’re back.”
I supposed I wasn’t exactly witty either.
“I’m back,” he said. “I need another beer. Join me.”
“I think there are about a hundred people that have joined you.”
Huxley was already gone. He returned a minute later with three bottles of beer. “Want to see who can slam it faster?” Hudson said to his brother.
I rolled my eyes. “I would have thought you two would have grown out of this need to compete on everything.”
“Not a chance,” Hudson said. “Young bucks always like to think they’re as good as I am. I have to prove them wrong.”
“On the count of three,” Huxley said.
“Oh good, maturity runs in the family,” I said with a shake of my head.
“Go!” One of the guys that had been close enough to hear the conversation shouted the word. Both Hux and Hudson started gulping their beer. I should have known this would turn into a frat party.
Hudson finished first. I wasn’t all that surprised. Huxley wasn’t far behind him. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and then belched. At least Hudson had the common decency not to burp.
“Told you,” Hudson said with a laugh. “Keep trying, little brother. You’ll get it one of these times.”
Hudson wrapped an arm around his brother’s shoulders and leaned against him. It was good to see them together and happy.
“I don’t think you should encourage him,” I said. “I’m not sure Hux has quite the stomach you do.”
“I can absolutely keep up,” Hux argued.
I winced. “Can you? I think I remember an incident within the last month or so that involved you falling off the curb after a few too many.”
“I tripped,” he said, shrugging. “No big deal. I’ll get us another. Good thing we get free drinks.”
“Free drinks?” Someone in the crowd pushed in closer.
“No,” I quickly corrected. “No free drinks.”
Hux made his way up to the bar. Theresa gave him two additional beers and sent him on his way. “I guess your return from the Navy is good for business,” I said to Hudson.
“It’s a novelty,” he said, shrugging. “It will soon wear off. It won’t be long before these same assholes all want to kick my cocky ass.”
“Never happen,” Hux said. “They have to go through me first.”
“More like they’ll have to get through Teresa,” I said with a laugh. “She’s scarier than you.”
Both brothers agreed. Hux slapped his older brother on the shoulder. “Damn, I can’t believe you’re here,” he said. “You should have told us you were coming.”
“I didn’t want you guys to get up and move,” Hudson joked.
“You’re back. Camden is finally home again.” Hux was clearly on his way to a good buzz, and as usual, he got very emotional. Not in the sense he would start crying, but he tended to pour his heart out. We’d had more than one very deep conversation after a few drinks together.
“I hear the two of you have gone into business together,” Hudson said.
“We have,” I said. “Mostly Hux is the business guy. I’m just the girl that draws all day.”
“Good,” Hudson said and once again put his arm around Hux’s shoulders. “We have business to talk about. Don’t run off, Sprite.”
He led him away and I saw the perfect opportunity to make my escape.
Unfortunately, a few people I knew caught me.
I was pulled into a conversation about the current tourism in the town and how it was more than usual.
Of course, the next person would say it was less than normal.
It was the standard conversation we had at the beginning of every summer.
I barely heard a word. My mind was still on Hudson.