Chapter One #3
Moving back to their birth town had been a no-brainer for him when Carter had decided he needed a change.
Carter had been done working for the Boston PD after too many times he’d picked up criminals only for them to be released the next day.
After one of those criminals had targeted Carter and his partner, Lucy, seriously injuring Lucy and ending her career, Carter had had enough.
Hudson didn’t care where they lived as long as the two of them were together.
He’d been sixteen when they lost their parents in a car accident.
Carter had just graduated from high school, but he’d put off going to college to keep Hudson in the same high school so he could graduate with his friends.
Hudson would forever be grateful for the sacrifices that Carter had made, even if his brother didn’t see it that way.
Carter assured Hudson he was happy with how things worked out.
It was hard to push down his guilt, but Hudson did his best. Instead of being a lawyer like he’d planned, Carter had gone to the police academy and worked himself up from patrol to a detective. Hudson knew that Carter’s life had been harder due to having to raise him in those last couple of years.
Moving back home to their birthplace? Hudson hadn’t hesitated.
And he loved the small town. Crossing the street to cut through the park, Hudson waved at people that he was starting to recognize and become friends with.
Hudson had a truck that he could have driven into the station, but he loved walking and the park in the center of town was gorgeous.
There were so many trees, bushes, and flowers with benches scattered around that the park was truly a peaceful place.
From what he’d been told, the park was a new addition organized by the mayor once Easton Goldsmith had taken over after the previous mayor had disappeared.
Hudson had no idea what happened to the old mayor, but he was incredibly happy that he had become friends with Easton.
They connected by both being transplants to the small town that had a recent boom of fortune.
He continued his trek through the park, smiling as a small group of children passed while laughing and singing with a young woman hurried after them.
They must be headed to the other side of the park where the playground had been built.
Hudson stepped off the concrete path to allow the group to stay together.
As a big guy, Hudson didn’t leave much room for others.
The shade from the tall tree at his back was nice.
Fall was coming soon but the sun still shone bright and it was warmer than usual for this time of year. Hudson began to resume his walk when he caught movement in a branch above him.
“Oh no!” Hudson murmured.
Striking large brown eyes blinked down at him.
“Not good,” Hudson said. “Not good at all.” He glanced around but there was no one close to him. “How did you get all the way up there?”
He wasn’t expecting an answer as the cat, strange cat indeed, continued to slowly blink at him. Like Hudson had just woken him from a long nap.
“Well, isn’t this a pickle,” Hudson commented.
The cat yawned, showing off surprising sharp teeth while his long tail twitched.
Hudson slid his backpack off his shoulder, placing it on the ground under the tree. Peering up, Hudson had no idea how to get the cat down. It was way up there. Was the cat stuck?
“Here, kitty kitty,” he called softly. Hudson didn’t want to scare the little thing.
The cat’s nose twitched before he yawned again.
“Come on, buddy!” Hudson patted his leg. It worked with dogs, but he was fairly sure that cats didn’t come when called. He’d read that somewhere. He thought anyway. Hudson couldn’t remember.
Giving a long stretch, the cat didn’t seem aware of what a scary position he was in. Even though the cat had wrapped his tail around the branch, he could fall.
This was not good. Not good at all. The cat was just too high. Even at six foot four Hudson had no way of reaching the poor thing.
He pulled out his cell and hit the number for EJ. Hopefully, he’d catch his friend before the other man headed home.
“Hey!” EJ greeted as he answered. “Already home?”
“No.” Hudson shuffled his feet as he stared up at his cat. “Are you still at the firehouse?”
“Just got in my truck,” EJ replied. “Did something happen? Do you need a lift home?”
“Is that ladder still in the back of your truck? The one we used to put up the basket hoop?”
“Sure is,” EJ said. “You want to borrow it? I can drop it off at your house.”
“I’m at the park,” Hudson informed him.
“Across the street?” EJ paused. “Oh, I see you. What’s up?”
“Cat in a tree,” Hudson told him.
EJ’s laugh was quick and bright. “You know we don’t have to really save cats from trees. That’s like…not what we do.”
Hudson sighed. “He’s really high up there. What if he falls?”
“Hud, buddy, he’s a cat. He got himself up there,” EJ said.
The cat in question started walking down the branch of the tree. Not toward the trunk but close to the smaller branches and leaves. Hudson sucked in a breath.
“What?” EJ demanded.
“He’s going to fall,” Hudson shared. “I just know it. This is bad.”
“I’m on my way,” EJ told him. “We’ll rescue your kitty, but he better not scratch me!”
“He’s not going to scratch you.” Hudson didn’t think.
“I’ll be there in a second.”
“Thanks!” Hudson said then hung up the phone.
The beautiful cat sat at the end of the branch, staring at the ground. He’d walked away from Hudson. That really worried him. Was he scaring the poor thing?
“It’s okay!” Hudson called. “My friend is coming with a ladder. We’ll get you down.”
The cat turned his head like he understood what Hudson had said.
“Just stay right there,” Hudson encouraged.
Of course, the darn thing decided in that moment to stand and walk back up the branch.
Hudson hovered beneath the thing in case the worst happened.
This really was an unusual cat. Not that Hudson was an expert or anything, but it looked a lot bigger than other cats that he’d seen.
Not in size but in length. Maybe it was a kitten?
The creature couldn’t weigh more than ten pounds, but it was long.
Plus, the tawny color with black circles appeared closer to some of the wild animals that Hudson had seen on TV.
“Be careful!” Hudson said, a little too loud, when the feline began to walk headfirst down the trunk of the tree. That…cats did that?
“What are you yelling at?” EJ asked as he jogged closer.
Hudson had moved closer to the trunk, not realizing that EJ had parked close.
“He doesn’t look stuck to me,” EJ pointed at the cat walking confidently down toward them.
“Not now!” Hudson threw his hands up in frustration. “But he was so high!”
The cat crouched just above his head and Hudson reached out and grabbed him.
The cat howled before freezing in his hand.
“It’s okay, buddy.” Hudson brought his new friend up to his face. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
The feline rumbled then did the strangest thing. He licked Hudson’s chin. Maybe he was grateful to Hudson after all?
“No collar,” Hudson told EJ.
The cat started to rub under his chin, across his chest, before trying to get inside Hudson’s shirt.
“Oh!” Hudson managed as he fought to keep the cat from his shirt collar. The cat’s rumble grew. There was no way that classified as a purr. If this was a bigger cat like a jaguar or cougar, Hudson would expect the sound but not this little thing.
“Looks like he likes you.” EJ smacked Hudson’s shoulder as he laughed.
While not heavy, it was awkward holding the feline when it was determined that he wanted Hudson’s clothes. “Hey, buddy.” Hudson shifted the feline onto its back to cradle it against his chest.
“It’s a boy!” EJ announced. “Congratulations!”
Hudson shook his head at EJ’s teasing.
The cat’s brown eyes flicked from Hudson to EJ and back.
“It’s okay. No one is going to hurt you. But I can’t just let you go up the tree again. Do you have a home?”
“If that thing answers you, I’m out of here,” EJ joked.
“What do I do?” Hudson questioned.
“Take him to the vet. Surely they’d know what to do. It’s not like there are a lot of strays around here. He must belong to someone,” EJ suggested.
For some reason Hudson hated the thought of his new friend being stuck in a cage as they looked for his owner.
He rubbed the feline’s stomach as he thought over his options.
Carter might not mind if Hudson brought the little one home.
At least until they could ask around or maybe put out flyers or something.
The cat threw his head back as Hudson continued to pet his stomach.
“You’re not taking him to the vet, are you?” EJ questioned.
“What if he gets scared there?” Hudson asked.
EJ sighed.
“I won’t keep him! Just take him home until we find his owner,” Hudson said.
“Both you and Carter work a lot,” EJ pointed out.
He worked shifts so he was on for two days and off the three after. But his brother worked either day or night. Carter at least went home every day. Was it fair to his brother to force him to take care of this cat when Hudson was at the fire station? Probably not. Hudson’s shoulders slumped.
The cat caught Hudson’s hand between his paws.
“I don’t know what to do with you, buddy,” Hudson admitted.
Lifting his head, the cat licked Hudson’s cheek, drawing a smile from him. This sweet little thing didn’t deserve to be abandoned. When Hudson found the owner, he was going to give them a very serious talking-to.
“Bas!”
Hudson and EJ’s heads both snapped up as a young man jogged in their direction.
He held the cat closer to his chest as he watched the approaching stranger. No, wait! Hudson had met the man earlier that day.
“Hey!” the dark-haired man said as he stopped next to them.
“Noah, right?” EJ said. “From the bakery?”
That’s right. They’d gone in that morning, picking up some sweet treats to get them through the last long few hours of their shift.
“That’s me!” Noah replied with a grin. “I see you found Bas.”
Hudson frowned. “Is he yours? He was up in the tree. He could have fallen and gotten hurt!”
Noah blinked at Hudson before glancing down at the cat. “Uh, not mine. I mean, he belongs to a friend.”
“He doesn’t even have a collar!” Hudson pointed out.
Noah pressed his lips together, but it looked like he was trying not to smile. Hudson wasn’t finding anything funny about this situation. “Yeah, I’ll make sure…his owner keeps a better eye on him.”
Before Hudson could protest, Noah scooped Bas out of his arms.
What a strange name. Hudson wondered what it stood for.
“Anyway, thanks for looking after this guy.” Noah swung Bas over his shoulder. With Bas’s front across his small chest, the cat’s legs went all the way down his back and past his ass. “I better get him home!”
Hudson watched as Noah trotted off.
The cat, Bas, turned his head to look back at Hudson. He looked sad at being taken away. Hudson was sad. He should be relieved that Bas had a home, shouldn’t he?
EJ patted his back. “Sorry, bud, maybe you can keep the next cat you rescue from a tree.”
It was probably for the best. Hudson didn’t need the responsibility of a pet when he was still trying to settle into a new house and job.
“Come on,” EJ urged. “I’ll drop you off at home.”