Chapter 30
HUDSON
Itugged the denim jacket over Ivy’s shoulders, smoothing the sleeves down her arms as she bounced on the edge of my bed. With all her excitement, the scrunchie I’d used to secure her hair into a ponytail earlier had slipped, leaving it messy.
“You ready for movie night, Bug?” I crouched to zip her jacket.
“Yes, Daddy!” She clapped her hands, eyes shining. “Big, big screen outside. Popcorn. Can we get popcorn?”
I grinned. “We’ll get popcorn. Promise.”
“Yay! I love popcorn, Daddy!”
“I know you do. Why don’t you ask Matt to braid your hair like he does Junebug’s tail? It’s gone all messy again.”
“Okay, Daddee!”
She wriggled off the bed and darted down the hall before I could even grab her sneakers. By the time I followed, sneakers dangling from one hand and brush in the other, she’d already scrambled into his lap like she belonged there.
“Matt, hair all messy.” She yanked out the scrunchie. “Make it pretty, p’ease?”
My chest gave that familiar squeeze, the one I got a dozen times a day now. Watching her lean into him, trusting him with something as small as her hair.
“Always, sweetheart.”
Smiling, I handed him the brush and leaned over to kiss him briefly. “You know it’d be easier if you taught me how to do it.”
“But I want to do it all the time. It’s our thing. She likes pretty braids, and I like doing it for her.”
I kissed the top of Ivy’s head. “All right, then. Let me finish getting dressed while you two play hair salon.”
Matty slid the brush gently through Ivy’s hair. His big hands were tender, working with the same patience he had with his rescued horses.
I ducked back into the bedroom for my jacket and shoes and spritzed cologne on. When I returned, tugging at my zipper, I froze in the hall. Their voices carried low and soft through the room.
“Maaatt,” Ivy whispered, her voice small, careful, “do you know where my mama is?”
The question knocked the breath out of me. She’d seemed so well adjusted lately, but it was foolish of me to think she had forgotten her mother had left. The question still cut as deeply as the last time she’d asked me.
“I’m sorry, baby girl,” he said gently. “I don’t know. But I’m sure wherever she is, she’s thinking about you and missing you a whole lot.”
“Why she leave?” Ivy asked. “She come back?”
“Sometimes, adults need help. And sometimes, they have to go away for a while to find it. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love and think about you.”
There was a long pause. Then Ivy’s little voice wobbling. “Will Daddy leave me too? I don’t want Daddy to go.”
The floor dropped from under me. I hadn’t known she’d ever thought about that. I would never leave her no matter what. I clenched my hand around my keys.
“No, sweetheart. You’re the love of your daddy’s life. Everything he does is for you, and I promise you, Ivy, that Daddy will never leave you. Not ever.”
“Will you leave, Maaatt?”
“Ne-ver.” His voice cracked, but I heard the smile in his voice. “You see, I love your daddy very much, and I love you too, so I will always be here to take care of both of you.”
I inched forward so I could see them. Matt was tying a ribbon in a bow at the end of her braid. “Can babies have two daddies?”
My heart skipped a beat, and my chest rose and fell hard. Where was she going with this?
Matty blinked, dropping his hand from her hair. “Yes, they can. Why do you ask?”
She turned around to face him and patted his cheek. “I want you to be my other daddy too.”
Matty’s fingers trembled as he took her little hand in his. His eyes shone, his mouth working around words that didn’t want to come. “Oh, Ivy… I would love to be your daddy. More than anything. But maybe we should ask your daddy first. What do you think?”
That was my cue, though I hadn’t meant to eavesdrop this long. I stepped forward, heart in my throat.
Ivy spotted me instantly. “Daddy!” she squealed. “Can Matt be Daddy too? P’ease?”
I looked at her, at the hope spilling out of her little face, then at Matty, so undone he could barely breathe. His eyes were as shiny as, no doubt, mine were. My chest burned, and the answer was the easiest thing I’d ever said.
“Yes, Bug,” I said, voice rough. “He can for sure be your other daddy if that’s what you and he want.”
Her squeal rang out like bells. She threw her arms wide around Matty’s neck. “Now I got two daddies!”
Matty pressed his cheek against Ivy’s hair, laughing shakily, and when he looked up at me, I caught the discreet swipe of his thumb across the corner of his eye. A tear, gone almost as quick as it had fallen. He’d never looked more undone or more beautiful.
“Come on, Daddy Matt,” Ivy scrambled off his lap and grabbed his hand. “Let’s go! Movie, movie, movie!”
She tugged on him like she could drag his much-larger frame out the door by sheer determination. Matty let himself be pulled along, shaking his head but grinning. “All right, all right, lead the way, princess.”
“Cowboy!”
“Oops, sorry.”
Ivy ran ahead of us, giving me the chance to slip a hand around Matty’s waist and kiss his cheek. “We okay?”
“Yeah. Never been better.”
We piled into his truck, Ivy happily seated in her car seat in the cab.
She hummed tunelessly, bouncing her heels against the seat.
By the time we rolled into the open commons, the place was already alive with families and couples spreading blankets and lawn chairs, a giant blow-up screen stretched tall against the twilight sky.
The air smelled of butter and cut grass, and the whole town buzzed with that small-town excitement.
I wasn’t surprised at how busy it was. Given we didn’t have a conventional cinema, whenever the movies were on, practically everyone in town attended.
Gray and Ozzie were already there, and Ozzie texted me their location, where he’d kept a patch of grass available for us next to them. Lawson was leaning on his elbows while Opie fussed with a basket beside him. He was pouting, probably from the fact that I didn’t see a hen feather in sight.
Ivy spotted them, let go of my hand, and squealed at the top of her lungs, “Paapaa!” She ran straight for Gray. “Paapaa! Paapaa! I got two daddies now!” She sounded so proud of her accomplishment.
When she threw herself at him, Gray caught her easily. “That so? You lucky girl.”
Ozzie grinned and gave me a thumbs-up I pretended not to see. My face burned hotter than the fading sun. Matty looked like his heart had cracked wide open in the best way possible.
We settled onto our blanket. Ivy plopped herself between Gray and Ozzie, demanding to be tucked under Papa’s arm like he was a second armrest. My chest tugged watching it. How easily she gave her whole little heart to these people who were now our family.
“I’m getting us popcorn and soda.” I patted my pocket for my wallet. “Do you want anything?”
Matty brushed his hand against mine. “Stay. I’ll get it.” He stood and strode off toward the concession stand, his broad shoulders cutting through the crowd.
The screen flickered, and the chatter dimmed. Ivy leaned across Ozzie, eyes wide with anticipation. “Daddy, can I have some candy too, pleasepleaseplease?”
“Just a little.” I pushed up from the blanket. “I’ll go find your Matt, see if I can wheedle candy out of him.”
Weaving through the crowd, I scanned for his dark hair, his frame. Found him almost at the head of the concession line, talking to someone.
Todd from the clinic.
I frowned. Todd leaned in close, smiling up at Matty like he hung the moon. His hand brushed Matty’s arm like he had the right. He was flirting with Matty. My breath caught in my throat as I willed myself not to feel jealousy, but the contact between them stung.
My chest tightened, and I curled my fists at my sides as I watched them.
Matty didn’t flinch at the contact, but a beat later, he casually pulled his arm back, easing it out of reach like it was nothing.
The rational part of my brain whispered that Matty wasn’t encouraging it, that Todd was the one crossing lines.
But all I saw was Todd standing there like he had some claim, while the man who had just braided my daughter’s hair and been asked to be her daddy was smiling at him in the moonlight.
I squared my shoulders and closed the distance, settling in at Matty’s side like I’d been born there.
My hand found his waist without hesitation, thumb stroking a slow, deliberate circle through the fabric of his shirt.
He startled, then relaxed, leaning into me like it was natural. Which, hell, it was.
“Hey, Ivy decided she wants candy too,” I said, keeping my tone even, friendly. I brushed a quick kiss over Matty’s temple, then looked at the other man. “Todd, what’s up?”
“Hudson.” He narrowed his eyes slightly. “So… you two are dating?”
Matty opened his mouth, but I beat him to it. “More like living together,” I said easily, squeezing Matty’s waist for good measure. “Surprised you didn’t hear already. Town gossip travels faster than wildfire.”
Todd’s smile flattened. “I don’t pay attention to gossip.”
“Mm.” I tilted my head. “Thing is, there’s usually some truth in it.” I let that hang in the air, polite smile fixed while Matty shifted beside me, clearly picking up the undercurrent.
An awkward silence stretched. Todd shoved his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “Well, then. Good for you.”
“Thanks,” I said shortly. Then I tipped my chin toward the line, which had moved up. “We should order stuff. Our daughter’s waiting.” I made sure to emphasize our daughter as I took a step forward, subtly closing the conversation.
“Right.” Todd lingered a half second longer than he needed to, then muttered something under his breath and peeled away into the crowd.
The second he was gone, Matty twisted to look at me. “What was that?”
I snorted, tightening my arm around him, then gave him a jab in the gut with my fist. He let out a soft “oof,” glaring at me.
“Don’t you know when a guy’s flirting with you?”
Matty blinked, wide-eyed, all innocence. “Is that what that was?” His voice was all fake-earnest, like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.
“Matty,” I huffed as I stepped away, irritation buzzing in my chest.
Before I could stalk off, his hand shot out, catching my wrist. He tugged me back with more strength than I’d expected, forcing me to face him. His grin was small, crooked, but his eyes… his eyes were soft as hell. “Hudson. I’m kidding. I know.”
I swallowed. The tension in my chest loosened but wasn’t gone entirely. “I know I don’t… I don’t have any right to be jealous. Not with my past.” The words came out rough, low, like I had to grind them through gravel to speak them. “But—”
“Shut up.” Matty leaned in and kissed me, firm and steady, not caring that people milled around us with sodas and candy. “You have every right to be jealous. I’m glad you are.”
I pulled back just far enough to search his face. “Glad?”
He brushed his nose against mine, his smile tugging at my heart. “Means you want me all to yourself.”
“Of course I do.” My voice cracked on the words, raw and honest. “Have you looked at yourself lately?”
He grazed my jaw with his thumb, then stepped back, nodding toward the counter. “So you want me for my hotness. Got it.”
“Just don’t let other men grab you in public.”
“So they can do it in private, then?”
My death glare made him laugh. He gripped my jaw and planted his lips on mine in a kiss that should have been kept private, but I couldn’t pull away.
“Next!”
I broke the kiss reluctantly. The teen behind the counter was leaning over, eyebrows arched as she tried not to smirk. Matty gave a low chuckle, not the least bit embarrassed, and squeezed my hand.
“You don’t have to worry,” he whispered in my ear. “No one else will be grabbing me, period.”
In no time, the girl slid the popcorn, nachos, cans of soda, and candy across the counter, still grinning at us. Matty scooped them up with an easy “thanks,” then shoved the cans into my arms.
We made our way back through the crowd, the sky deepening to indigo overhead, laughter and chatter floating around us. Todd’s casual touching wasn’t far from my mind, though. I couldn’t get the image out of my mind. He’d looked at Matty intimately, like it wasn’t the first time he’d done that.
“Has Todd ever flirted with you before?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even.
“Hud…”
The way he said my name in warning made me stop. So I was right. “What are you not telling me?”
“I’m not hiding anything.” He exhaled through his nose. “Just… what happened between me and Todd was before you and me.”
My mouth went dry. My reaction was ridiculous. I’d been “married” for the past four years, and his past relationships should hardly affect me, but the thought of Matty being with someone else the way he was with me left me feeling hollow. “You had a relationship with him?”
Matty shook his head. “Not exactly. It was sex. That’s all it ever was.”
“He still wants you,” I grumbled.
“It doesn’t matter,” Matty said firmly, tugging me back into motion. “I broke it off before you and I became a thing again, and it’s not even a thought in my head anymore. My whole world is you and Ivy now. Don’t give him a second thought.”
His voice was steady, certain, and it took the bite right out of my jealousy. I let out a breath and squeezed his hand tighter, the weight in my chest easing as we stepped up to the blanket and our family.
Ivy squealed, clapping her hands. “Popcorn! Candy! Gimme gimme!”
Laughing, Matty plopped down beside her, tugging gently on her braid, while I sank onto his other side. Ivy nestled between his legs, Matty holding the tub of popcorn for her. His thigh pressed warm against mine.
Seeing him with Ivy, the jealousy faded into something else entirely.
Peace.
Family.
Mine.