Chapter Seventeen
In the quiet hush of the Airbus, Seth glanced down at Hudson sleeping in the seat beside him.
His son had been out cold for the better part of an hour, his head propped awkwardly against the headrest as they cruised somewhere over Colorado.
The kid had been dragging ass since the four-thirty wake-up call for their seven a.m. flight, grumbling about missing both sleep and his upcoming football game.
Now, with sleep smoothing his perpetual teenage scowl, Hudson looked younger than his sixteen years.
Behind them, Seth heard the low murmur of Beck’s and Heavenly’s voices. He’d sat them together so they could steal a few hours together before his family forced them to pretend they were merely friends.
Fuck. He was asking a lot of the people he loved. His guilt for this subterfuge wouldn’t let up, and the ways this trip could go sideways felt endless.
Unfortunately, the situation he’d wedged Beck and Heavenly into wasn’t the only thing Seth felt bad about. Hudson’s reckless threesome with Casen and Brielle ten days ago was proof that his influence on the kid wasn’t all positive.
He glanced at Hudson again. Since that night, he’d been trying to connect with his son beyond laying down rules and delivering consequences. Hudson needed to know he mattered. Belonged. That he was family—and always would be.
Beck seemed to understand, bless him… The morning after Hudson’s impulsive ménage, the surgeon had joined Seth’s usual morning workout with Hudson.
At first, the mood in the gym had been tense.
Talk had been stilted. Gradually, begrudging monosyllables had become conversation.
Then banter, followed more recently by jokes and laughter.
What had started as father-son bonding time had evolved into something richer—two father figures working with their son, forging something stronger.
That developing connection had been evident last weekend when Hudson had played in his very first football game for his new high school.
Hudson had scored the game-winning touchdown, and his eyes had lit up when he’d noticed Seth, Beck, and Heavenly in the stands cheering wildly.
At the kid’s answering grin, Seth’s heart had melted.
After the game, Hudson wheedled and groused that he needed to celebrate the win with his teammates. Seth reminded him that he was grounded, but rather than taking him home, they had stopped at a burger joint so the four of them could enjoy a victory dinner together.
“Congrats!” Seth toasted his son with a milkshake. “When you scored, I wanted to run out onto the field and high-five you.”
Hudson clinked with his fizzy soda. “Yeah?”
Beck nodded, swallowing a bite of his burger. “Same. You’re damn good.”
“He’s right. I enjoyed watching you play.” Heavenly smiled, dipping a fry in ketchup.
“So…you’re proud of me?”
Hudson’s question felt like a kick in the gut. If his son wasn’t sure how he felt, he needed to make it clear. “Damn right I am.”
Hudson’s answering grin had felt like progress.
What hadn’t? Taking the teenage boy shopping the next day for a suit to wear to Mom’s wedding.
“Shopping?” Hudson reared back. “I’d rather shave an angry lion’s ass with a rusty razor.”
Seth had tried not to laugh as he’d shoved his son into a dressing room. Despite the kid’s sighing and grumbling, they’d outfitted him for the wedding and the cooler weather ahead.
Getting Hudson a haircut hadn’t been much easier. He’d labeled the salon where Seth had his hair cut “bougie.” But…by the time the stylist had finished, Hudson was checking himself out in every passing mirror, all grins.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Seth had asked on their way home.
“Getting out of the house for a while didn’t suck.”
Not exactly a five-star review, but they’d checked everything off their to-do list.
As the memories melted away, Seth glanced between the airplane seats at Beck and Heavenly behind him. The surgeon’s hand covered hers on the armrest, their heads bent close in quiet conversation. She smiled softly at something Beck said.
Watching them, Seth’s heart swelled.
Some part of him wanted to fuck this whole charade. He wasn’t a little boy, and he’d chosen the people he intended to spend his life with. His family needed to accept that.
But he couldn’t rob his mom of her well-deserved wedded bliss.
But after the wedding… Seth wasn’t sure exactly when or how, but he wasn’t going home without telling her the truth.
Behind him, Beck laughed. Seth glanced back at them again, his gaze lingering on the tender intimacy.
He’d never had any doubts that Heavenly would be an amazing mom. But in the past ten days, Beck had proven he’d be a firm yet fair father. That should have allayed some of his fears of fatherhood. But whenever he pictured the three of them with an infant? He couldn’t fucking breathe.
How could he be afraid of getting Heavenly pregnant when the idea turned him on so much?
Seth didn’t have an answer. Even more baffling, despite being conflicted, he’d enthusiastically joined Beck in taking Heavenly unprotected every night since her period had ended. And he loved every minute of it.
Would he regret that if she missed her next period?
Suddenly, the speakers in the cabin crackled. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re beginning our descent into LaGuardia Airport. Please return your seats to their upright position and…”
Beside Seth, Hudson stirred, blinking groggily as he straightened in his seat. “We there yet?”
“In about fifteen minutes. Good nap?”
“Yeah. I was fucking tired.”
Seth felt that down to his bones, but they still had an eventful evening ahead of them. Hell, an eventful weekend.
Besides showing off Heavenly to his family and announcing their engagement while also introducing Hudson and Beck to everyone, he’d be meeting Laura and her new husband to finalize Hudson’s custody arrangement.
He was definitely going to need extra coffee. And his wits.
“You know you’ll have to watch your mouth in front of Grandma Grace,” he told his son.
Hudson gave a typical teenage roll of his eyes. “I figured.” Then he peered out the window at the sprawling cityscape below. “Holy shit, this place is massive.”
Seth followed his gaze, feeling mixed emotions tighten his chest. He loved the city, but returning always brought back a mixed bag of memories. “You’ve never been to New York before?”
“No. Mom always said it was too expensive and too dangerous.”
“Only if you don’t know where to go and how to act. We’ll visit a lot, and I’ll show you.”
A surprising hint of a smile played at Hudson’s lips. “Cool.”
Finally, the plane touched down with a gentle bump. Seth’s anxiety ratcheted up. He just had to keep everyone happy and his secrets intact until after the wedding.
As they taxied to the gate, Seth turned in his seat to catch Beck’s eye. “You two good back there?”
“Great,” Beck replied, but Seth caught the tension in his posture. Heavenly looked nervous, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Hey,” Seth said softly. “Stop worrying. Everyone will love you.”
“I hope so,” she whispered. “I just… I want to make a good impression.”
“Be yourself and you will.”
When the plane rolled to a stop, Hudson gathered his backpack. “So what can I expect? Will your family give me the third degree?”
“First of all, they’re your family, too. Grandma Grace will want to know everything about you. Fair warning: besides being very Catholic and traditional, she’s not exactly subtle.”
“Got it.”
“She means well. And your uncles Jack and Connor… Well, don’t take advice from them—on anything.”
“Why not?”
“Because they’re twenty-two, impulsive, and they’ll try to drag you into shit you’ll get grounded for. You’ve been warned. Make good choices.”
They made their way off the plane and through the jetway, Hudson sticking close to Seth’s side as they navigated the crowded airport. The kid looked wide-eyed, taking in everything—the controlled chaos of travelers, the cacophony of announcements, the sheer scale of it all.
“Baggage claim is this way.” Seth guided the others.
As they walked, he found himself falling into step beside Beck while Heavenly and Hudson chatted about a funny T-shirt in a passing sundry shop. This was probably the last chance they’d have to talk freely until they were all home.
“You good?” Seth asked quietly.
Beck’s expression was carefully neutral. “I’ll do my best not to screw this up for you.”
“I know, and I’m sorry to put you through this shit. It’s temporary. I promise.”
“Heavenly and I will hold you to that.” Beck’s voice was low, meant only for Seth’s ears. “I’m not a good liar, and I’m nervous as hell about pretending she means nothing to me.”
“Four days,” Seth vowed.
“Four days,” Beck seconded. “I don’t know if I can keep up the farce for longer than that.”
“I won’t ask you to. After the wedding, you’ll never have to pretend again.” Seth looked forward to that day.
They reached baggage claim and found their carousel, joining the crowd of waiting passengers. Hudson stood next to the conveyor belt, absently watching the luggage go by.
Their bags finally appeared. Together, they made their way toward ground transportation, a surprisingly cool breeze whipping in the air. A few minutes later, they were settled in a black SUV, Hudson claiming the passenger’s seat so he could gawk at the city.
“First time in New York?” their driver asked, catching Hudson’s wide-eyed expression.
“Yeah,” the kid replied. “It’s something…”
The driver, a middle-aged man, laughed. “We’re barely out of the parking lot. You ain’t seen nothing yet, kid.”
Since the driver already had Grace’s address in Westchester County, Seth settled back to watch the familiar landmarks—and the traffic—slide by.