Lucy
“One more. Give me one more, Luce,” Hudson ground out as he thrust inside me later that night.
My back arched as he held my legs against my body, reaching impossibly deep inside me, his blue eyes scorching as he stared down at me. My hungry gaze roved him, appreciating the way his muscles flexed with effort as his thrusts intensified.
“Need you with me, babe.” His guttural tone signaled he was at the very edge of his control—just where I wanted him most.
I cried out, losing sense of everything but Hudson as he groaned in relief moments later.
My legs fell limply on either side of him as he remained kneeling, his large hands settling on my hips. He stared down at me with unmistakable appreciation.
He’d looked at me like that from the very beginning. At first, I’d been self-conscious, bracing for some sort of rebuke. Now, I reveled in it, trusting his love for me—a love I had finally learned to give myself.
“I’m going to need another shower.” He chuckled as he withdrew from my body and collapsed gently over me, nuzzling my neck.
“Mm-hmm.” Blissful and boneless, I could barely form words.
“She’s gone nonverbal. I’ll take that as a good sign.” Amusement colored his voice.
I swatted him playfully before wrapping my arms around his neck, wanting to keep him close.
When I was coherent enough, we showered together for the second time that day—this one shorter than the last, both eager to return to bed.
“I talked to Goodie about my folks.” After he turned off the light, I draped my leg over his while his arm settled around me in our standard sleeping position. “I think maybe I’ll call them,” I murmured as his fingers sifted through my hair. “I think I’ll always wonder if I don’t.”
That was the crux of it. Though the idea of inviting them back into my life—even in some small way—made me anxious, I knew I’d always wonder what might have been. They were getting older, and I didn’t have forever with them. In my heart of hearts, I knew I still had it in me to try.
I felt his lips touch my hair. “Whatever you need, Luce. If you want, I’ll sit with you when you do.”
“Yeah.” I sighed, sleep tugging at me. “I think that would be good.” A yawn escaped. “Everything good downstairs?”
He chuckled softly. “Yeah, the standard fur pile. Both cats are cuddled with Ranger, much to his dismay. The shepherds are content on the stairs.”
Despite the beds we’d laid out for Griffin’s dogs, they preferred the stairs. I marveled at their instinct to keep guard, even in sleep.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been asleep when the dogs started barking and the alarm began blaring.
Disoriented, I sat up as Hudson vaulted from the bed, moving with incredible speed. “Call 911. I’m going to check it out.”
“Check it out? No, honey, stay here.” My voice rose over the chaos of the alarm and the dogs absolutely losing their minds downstairs.
I scrambled for my phone, already dialing as he left the room, dressed only in his gray sweats.
“Be careful!” My voice shook as the phone rang in my ear.
“9-1-1, what’s the location of your emergency?”
“It’s Lucy Kincaid. Our alarm triggered, and Hudson went to check it out.” My heart hammered in my ears, keeping tempo with the blaring alarm. The dogs were outside now—Hudson had likely released them to search the property.
“Hi, Lucy. Deb here.” Recognition softened her tone. “We’ve got the report of the alarm, and deputies are on their way. Griffin’s off shift, but I called him in. They should be to you within ten minutes.”
Ten minutes felt like an eternity as I paced, feeling helpless while Hudson waded into God knows what.
“I have to go see if he’s okay.” I tugged a hoodie on over my sleep shirt.
“Hudson would want you to stay put.” Her reply was firm “Help will be there shortly.”
“Thank you, Deb.” I winced as I hung up on her. She wouldn’t like that very much. At some point, I’d have to drop some cupcakes by to apologize.
I cautiously crept down the dark staircase, hearing the dogs barking and snarling outside. A chill went down my spine as Hudson’s bellow echoed in the distance.
I pulled my hoodie tighter around me as I neared the front door—only for it to be kicked open. An unfamiliar man, who I could only assume to be Spencer Jones, came barreling inside.
He slammed it behind him, the lock snicking into place a far louder boom than the still-blaring alarm.
“I only want a fucking picture!” His hysterical scream sent me racing for the kitchen, intent on escaping through the side door.
My leg was grabbed from behind, and I crashed to the floor. I screamed as I was dragged backward by the ankle.
“I will get my fucking story, even if it’s about me.” He panted as I thrashed, unable to gain purchase on the smooth floor.
“It’ll be about you rotting in jail, you psychopath!” I flipped onto my back and kicked out with my free foot, trying to make contact.
“You are fucking dead.” Hudson’s snarl cut through the chaos as his imposing form appeared behind Spencer. His arm locked around the man’s neck in a choke hold, forcing him to release me as the dogs snarled at his side, ready to engage.
“You okay?” Hudson’s gaze swept over me.
“Fine.” Breathless, I scrambled to my feet and followed as Hudson manhandled the flailing man outside, shoving him onto the ground and kneeling on his back.
“Get back inside, Luce.” His bare chest heaved, and I realized his lip was bleeding. “I don’t want you anywhere near this piece of shit.”
Sirens wailed in the distance as I stepped into the yard. Ranger bounded toward me, circling my legs as though we were having a party. Sadie and Shadow remained at Hudson’s side, ready to maim.
“Lucy.” Frustration edged his voice. “Baby, you’re barefoot.”
His concern for me, despite the circumstances, made me all the more determined to remain by his side.
“And you’re shirtless,” I challenged. “I assume that’s Jones?”
“It’s him.” Disgust laced his tone as Jones wriggled beneath him. The man’s pants were torn, and grass stains covered his tee. “Caught him trying to scale the house. He got ahead of me. I’m sorry, baby.”
Just then, multiple emergency vehicles came racing up the drive, Griffin’s truck leading the pack. He jumped out of the vehicle in plain clothes, gun drawn, and moved to his brother’s side.
Hudson swung off Spencer, allowing Griffin to cuff him and haul him to his feet.
Hudson prowled over and immediately took me into his arms. I hadn’t realized how badly I was shaking until he pulled me close.
“You’re bleeding.” I reached up, gently swiping at his lip.
He grunted. “I let him get one in. Figure now we can add assault to the charges.”
“Crazy man.” I burrowed into him, relieved he was safe and whole.
“I’m so fucking sorry he was able to get at you. No one scares you,” he growled. “No one hurts you or our family.”
“I know, honey. I’m okay. You were right there.
We’re both okay.” I repeated the words, needing to reassure myself.
“He, however, is not.” I got my first real look at Jones—clothes in tatters, bleeding from the nose, eyes wild with fear as he eyed the dogs.
“He does have a skinny neck,” I noted absently as Griffin shoved him into the back of his truck.
Hudson threw back his head and laughed. “Baby, I swear, how can you make me laugh right now?”
“I’m special, I guess.”
Relief coursed through me as this chapter came to an abrupt end, allowing us to move on with our lives.
“Yeah, baby,” he murmured into my hair as he squeezed me tight. “You are.”
I sat in my favorite nook in our kitchen, the sun pouring through the windows as I sipped coffee in the morning light.
It had been just over a week since Spencer Jones had been arrested, but with all that had happened, it felt much longer.
Hudson’s team had done everything they could to subdue the media firestorm that followed, but the news had spread regardless. I’d elected to stay off social media for the time being, avoiding the trolls that inevitably came out of hiding when there was a sensational story to devour.
Once Hudson was satisfied that Spencer would be doing time, he seemed to settle marginally. He continued to blame himself for Spencer getting his hands on me—even if only for a moment. I knew that, along with my assurances, it would take time for that wound to heal.
In the meantime, I accepted that his overprotective nature was more pronounced than usual. He wanted to keep me close, only voluntarily leaving my side to work out at our gym, where he’d been logging more hours than usual.
That was where he emerged from now, creating a mouthwatering distraction with his bare torso glistening with sweat.
“Whatcha doin’, pretty girl?” He grabbed a banana and leaned his hip against the counter, his fathomless blue eyes fixed on me.
“Bolstering myself.” I offered a dry smile as Ranger lay sprawled at my feet, groaning as he attempted to get comfortable with two cats nestled at his side.
Hudson stepped into my space and cupped the back of my neck, leaning in close. “You nervous about today?” He pressed his forehead to mine.
“A little. Well, maybe a lot,” I admitted when he shot me a skeptical look.
After the news about Jones had spread, my parents had called Goodie, concerned for me.
I’d made the decision to call them, wanting to assure them I was safe.
We’d spoken a few times since; the first conversations were stilted but gradually became easier as we attempted to navigate a new road that might bring us back together.
They’d asked to visit, and after talking it over with Hudson and Goodie, I’d agreed. We were meeting for lunch at Goodie’s that afternoon.
“I’ll be there with you the whole time.” Hudson’s thumb brushed along my neck. “I’ll shoot you some silly faces to lighten the mood if it gets tense.”
“You do have a wealth of those. Jojo highly appreciates them.” I smiled, imagining what an incredible father he’d be when the time came.
“One of my many talents.” He chuckled, straightening and shaking his sweaty head at me.
I squealed as droplets of sweat landed on me. “You’re getting me all sweaty, Hudson!”
Feigning remorse, he hoisted me over his shoulder and swatted my backside. “Oh damn. Guess you have to come shower with me.”
By the time we pulled up to Goodie’s that afternoon, I felt as mellow as the situation would allow. Hudson had made it his mission to work out my stress—multiple times.
He shot me a devilish grin, as though reading my mind, and put the truck in Park, looking utterly edible in his trademark ball cap.
“What?” I demanded, my cheeks flushing from his appreciative gaze.
“You’re beautiful, baby.” Adoration shone in his gaze.
“I don’t look like I spent the morning being ravished in bed?” I bit my lip worriedly, lowering the visor to look at my hair.
“Ravished, huh?” He licked his bottom lip, making my insides quiver.
“Okay, crazy man.” I playfully narrowed my eyes at him. “No more of that. I’ve got to get my head in the game.”
His expression sobered. “Remember, darlin’, they’re on your turf. This is all on your terms. You don’t like the way this is goin’, we leave—no questions asked. But I’d imagine they’re a hell of a lot more nervous than you are.”
Before moving to Green River, I would have said it was impossible to make my parents nervous. But after our encounter in New York and our subsequent conversations, I now knew that wasn’t true. Maybe they did have something they cared enough about to make them vulnerable.
And maybe, just maybe, that thing was me.
When we walked into Goodie’s hand in hand, I clocked my parents immediately. They were seated at a four-top, looking tense but hopeful.
Then I noticed the rest of the patrons, and the sight had me blinking back tears.
Griff and Riley sat at the bar, lifting their chins in silent solidarity when I looked their way. Daphne sat beside Riley, bouncing Jo in her lap, and shot me a wink when our eyes met.
Greta and Katie occupied a nearby two-top, offering warm, supportive smiles. Behind the bar, Goodie held court, her steady gaze fixed on me, no doubt ready to support whatever outcome this meal produced.
They were all here for me.
In my time in Green River, not only had I met the man of my dreams, but I’d found my people—my extended family, ready to have my back. And I realized that, no matter what happened today, I would always have that. I wasn’t alone.
The realization straightened my spine, filling me with a quiet confidence. Whatever lay ahead with my parents, I had my own future to look forward to.