38. Evan
Chapter 38
Evan
Another ten days passed before we saw each other again. It wasn’t the longest stretch we’d gone through, but as things heated up in the division, each game became increasingly more important.
We were tied for the Western division with Portland, followed by San Francisco. As much as I wanted to win it all again, this was Alex Hayes’ last season. The quarterback was retiring from the Portland Pirates after fourteen seasons. Part of me hoped he could go out on top, but not enough to lose the game.
We flew to sunny Miami the following Friday for our Sunday afternoon game, then went home to San Diego for our next game with Las Vegas.
Hudson and the kids flew in on Saturday morning, giving us a few hours to be together before I had to go to the hotel. I’d considered getting them a room over there, but it would be impossible to sneak in the governor of the state. So we made the most of the time we had.
Saturday afternoon, we sat on the beach as the kids surfed in the ‘freaking cold water’ as Hudson put it. It was nothing compared to the ice baths after a game. But it was very entertaining when I tried to get Hudson to go in. He looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“That water is fucking cold, Evan. My balls will draw up and disappear, then I’d be the ball-less former governor of California.”
I smirked at him. “Well, we can’t have that, now can we? I like your balls just like they are.”
He stood with his hands propped on his hips, trying to stifle a smile.
So I kissed him, then pulled him down onto the sand.
Hudson was more quiet than normal. “What’s on your mind?”
He looked down at the sand and then at me. “What if I can’t do this?”
“Do what?” I asked quietly. “You can handle anything.”
He huffed out a laugh. “You’re biased. But what happens if we can’t make this work? I’m getting ready to disrupt their lives again. I’ve decided to take a job in Washington without considering their lives and what they might want. I’m juggling a lot of balls in the air and what-ifs.”
I let his words hang in the air a moment before I asked a difficult question. “Are you concerned about me not being able to take care of them?”
He looked at me with a pained expression on his face, but I knew he was going to be honest. “A little bit.”
That hurt more than it should, but I understood where he was coming from.
“I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. I’m just worried that I’ve agreed to consider a job that’s across the country, and I’m a single father. What was I thinking?”
I put my hand over his shoulder and pulled him into me.
“I get I might not appear to be the most responsible person in the world, but I love those two out there. And I thought we had this worked out two weeks ago. What’s changed? Do they not want to move?”
“No, they do,” he said, digging his heel into the sand. “My parents pointed out that I’m saddling you with a lot of responsibility when you have a demanding career of your own.”
“They’re right,” I said, “with one exception.”
Hudson shifted to look at me. “What’s that?”
“I offered to take on that responsibility. You didn’t ask me.”
“But is it fair of me to ask you to assume my role when I’m not here?”
“Yes, if you intend to spend your life with me. That’s what we do for the people we love. We bend and stretch, then adapt to the circumstances. We shift and maneuver, change directions, and protect the most valuable thing.”
Hudson smiled. “Sounds like football to me.”
“Maybe, but it’s the same idea. I may not be good at parenting to begin with, but with practice, I’ll get better. And if anyone knows about that, it’s me.”
He rubbed his fingertips over his lips and nodded as he looked out at his children leaving the water.
“What are you really afraid of, Hudson?”
“Disappointing them. And you. This is going to be hard.”
I laughed. “You’ll never do that. So just relax, babe, and let’s see how things play out on Tuesday. Don’t exhaust yourself before the game starts.”
I stood and grabbed towels for the kids, then wrapped them up. Reaching down, I extended my hand to him. He took it, and I pulled him to his feet. Hudson moved to my side, exactly where he belonged.