10. Evan
Chapter 10
Evan
I dropped Hudson’s bag in the guest room next to mine, then took the stairs two at a time back to the kitchen.
Leaning on the island, I watched as Hudson dug through my packed refrigerator, mumbling to himself as he dug for the cold cuts and cheeses I’d bought.
“Good lord,” he muttered, unaware I had returned. “How long does he think we’re staying?”
I grinned. “As long as you want,” I replied, making him jump. “And I didn’t want my guests to be hungry.”
His color had returned, which made me feel better.
“Jack eats a lot, but not this much.”
He gestured to the subzero refrigerator full of everything imaginable a teenager would want to eat.
“Have you forgotten what I do for a living? Buying extra food is not a big deal.”
“You don’t have to bribe them, Evan. They already like you.”
I smiled as Hudson kept his eyes on me. I moved a little closer and pulled out the potato chips.
“And what about you? Do I need to bribe you?”
He snorted. “Uh, no. I like you just fine.”
Jack and Erin returned to the kitchen before I could hit him with a suggestive line. They were dressed for the beach.
“Hope you guys are hungry.” I turned my attention to them. “I thought we’d grill out tonight. Steaks and burgers. Maybe some shrimp on the grill.”
“I’m always hungry.” Jack patted his stomach.
Hudson raised a brow. “That sounds great, but you don’t know how to cook. Remember?”
I rolled my eyes. “I might not be able to do much in here, but I grill a mean steak. And burgers.”
“By mean, do you mean burned?” Jack asked teasingly.
Widening my eyes, Hud and Erin laughed as I pretended to be offended.
“You punk,” I said, grabbing him by the head. “You’re supposed to be my number one fan.”
Jack laughed and squirmed as I messed up his hair. “I’m sorry!”
I winked at Erin, letting her in on the joke. She obviously enjoyed me torturing her brother.
“You better be,” I teased, letting him go.
Glancing over at Hudson, his arm was around Erin while mine was draped over Jack’s shoulders. He smiled when our eyes met.
That brief moment gave me a glimpse at the life I never knew I wanted. A partner who I was crazy about and kids we both enjoyed spending time with.
Hudson looked away, and down at the food spread across the bar.
“Alright, guys. Let’s eat. The beach is waiting.” He kissed Erin’s head, and I let Jack go.
Over lunch, we discussed all the things the kids wanted to do. Surfing and playing football were at the top of the list. “We’re going to go spend some time with our Nana,” Erin announced.
I glanced at Hudson. “My mother-in-law lives in Escondido.”
I nodded, thinking about time alone with him. I was probably gonna need another shower.
“Yeah,” I said. “But you wanna go to the zoo, right?” I tried to keep a straight face as long as I could.
“Uh, sure?” Jack replied.
He stared wide-eyed at his father with a pleading gaze.
“But we’ve already been there a lot.”
Erin and Jack looked at each other as if trying to decide which one of them was going to break it to me that they were too old for the zoo.
I laughed and let them off the hook. “I’m kidding. No zoo.”
They both appeared to be relieved as we finished up lunch. Hudson looked at me over his sandwich.
“Feeling better?”
“Much better,” he said, picking up his electrolyte water. He glanced at his kids, both engrossed in their food, before gazing back at me.
After we finished, the kids helped me put everything away while Hudson changed clothes. And when he returned, I almost swallowed my tongue at how good he looked.
Navy board shorts and a white tank showed off his lean, but physically fit, body.
He smirked when he caught me staring but turned his attention to his kids. “Did you put on sunscreen?”
A chorus of ‘Yes, Dad’ came from them, making me chuckle. Teenagers.
“Okay, then,” he said, putting on his sunglasses. “We’re ready. Lead the way.”
I grinned and motioned toward the door. “After you. Surfboards are downstairs.”
The kids took off with Hudson following them. I stole a peek at his firm ass and lithe body as he walked in front of me.
I was definitely going to need another shower.
When we reached the bottom deck, I opened the storage closet that housed my surfboards. Jack and Erin chose their favorites and carefully pulled them from the rack, but Hudson didn’t take one. Instead, he stepped back and watched as I lifted mine from the top rack.
“Are you coming, Dad?” Jack asked, motioning to the beach.
It was hard to miss the color blooming on his neck, but he played it off well.
“Yes, but I think I’ll wait until tomorrow to get on a board,” he chuckled, running his hand over the back of his neck. “It’s been a while. Wouldn’t want to embarrass myself.”
I shrugged. “I get that. But what if you just sat on it out in the water with us? Might be good to see you not being so perfect all of the time.”
Hudson propped his hands on his hips and chuckled nervously. “Breaking my neck is not good for anyone, Evan.”
Jack tilted his head to the side. “Can you do that sitting on a surfboard?”
I laughed, but Hud didn’t appreciate the humor.
“I have responsibilities to my kids and the people of California.” He pointed toward them. “I’m their only parent. Being reckless isn’t me.”
“Okay, Hud,” I said, placing my hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with. No one is pressuring you. For anything.”
“It’s okay, Daddy. Tomorrow is good. We’ll probably look stupid out there on our own. Especially Jack,” she teased, before running to get out of his reach.
Jack ran after her, taking the heat off their father. When they were out of earshot, I turned back to him.
“Are you okay?”
Hudson ran his hands through his hair and nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
“I’m not sure I believe that, but I’ll drop it for now. Let’s just go have fun and relax. This is your vacation, remember?”
Hudson released a weighted breath and chuckled. “Yeah, okay.”
He studied the closet as if trying to decide what to do.
“Why don’t we take it down there, in case you feel adventurous? If not, you can sit on it.”
He nodded, his relief almost palpable. But the tendons in his neck were still taut, and his jaw was tight. I could feel the stress radiating off him. Fighting the urge to reach out and massage his shoulders, I opened the closet and took out his board.
“Let’s go, Hudson.”
I turned and headed toward the water, checking over my shoulder to make sure he was following me.
“You’re awfully bossy,” he grumbled, making me smile.
“Takes one to know one,” I shot back over my shoulder as I walked down the stairs to the beach.
“Some friend you are.”
Now I was laughing. “Stop your whining. Look at this view. What more could you want from a vacation?’
“Not to drown,” he quipped.
“That’s gonna be hard to do from the sand, old man.”
I winced, waiting for him to hit me with an insult. But Hudson laughed, a little lighter than I expected him to be.
“I’ll show you an old man.”
When we reached the bottom of the steps, he jogged away toward his kids, making me smile.
“I wish,” I mumbled to myself as Hudson turned to grin at me.
I picked up my pace and quickly caught up to them. Dropping my board on the sand, I pulled my T-shirt over my head and tossed it over my shoulder.
“Let’s go slow pokes,” I yelled to the kids.
Running toward the waves, I dove into the chilly water with a smile on my face, trying to deflate the erection he’d given me.