Chapter Twenty-Two #2
His early morning conversation with Carl had gone better than expected.
Hell, better than he’d dared hope. Carl was in their corner, and that was huge.
Now he just had to get through today—talk to his brothers during the reception, feel them out, and pray they were as open-minded as he hoped they’d be.
But first, he had another potentially awkward situation to navigate.
In a couple of hours, he’d be meeting Hudson’s mother at a diner off I-95.
They’d go over the custody arrangement one last time, sign the papers, then head to a nearby bank to get everything notarized.
His attorney in California had worked with Laura’s in Connecticut to hammer out the details.
Primary custody to Seth, generous visitation for Laura—two weeks in the summer, every other Christmas, and at least part of every spring break.
Hudson had agreed, and both he and Laura thought this arrangement was for the best.
Barring any unforeseen difficulties, he’d officially be Hudson’s father by noon. Meeting Laura on his mother’s wedding day wasn’t ideal timing. He’d be racing to get back in time, but it was the only day that had worked for everyone’s schedules.
With one potential snag: he was bringing Beck and Heavenly with him.
Seth refused to be less than honest with Laura.
He was done pretending. Done acting like he was ashamed of the people he intended to spend his life with.
Laura deserved to know who would be part of Hudson’s life, helping him raise the kid, going forward.
If Laura had a problem, they’d deal with it.
But he wasn’t going into this arrangement with secrets hanging over his head.
Besides, withholding the truth had landed them here. He hadn’t been honest about his age that summer. She’d never told him she was pregnant. So now had to be different.
Seth took another sip of coffee, letting its warmth settle in his chest.
Beck entered the kitchen and made a beeline for the coffeemaker, pouring himself a generous cup before dropping into the chair across from Seth.
He took a long sip, then exhaled with satisfaction. “How you feeling?”
“Better now that I’m caffeinating.” Seth lifted his mug in salute. “It’s going to be a long day.” He leaned closer, dropping his voice to a whisper. “And hopefully a long night alone with Heavenly.”
Beck smirked. “Amen.”
They sat in comfortable silence, the kitchen warming as morning light filtered through the windows. Somewhere upstairs, a door closed. The pipes groaned as someone turned on a shower. A hairdryer hummed.
“So...you ready to see Laura this morning?” Beck studied him over the rim of his mug.
Seth shrugged, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension knotting there. “As ready as I’ll ever be. I hope she won’t change her mind about shared custody once I tell her about the three of us. I’ve really gotten attached to Hudson.”
Beck smiled. “I’ve gotten attached to the little shit, too.”
That made Seth laugh. “I know. I’ve seen it. He’s a teenager, so it’s a given he’s going to test his limits, but with affection and boundaries, he’s coming around.”
“Not as much pushback. And definitely a lot less snark,” Beck agreed, lowering his cup. “He can be a handful, but he’s got a good heart. It really shows when he’s not trying to act all tough. Especially around your mom.”
Seth nodded. “Exactly. She already loves him unconditionally. He needs more of that.”
“Yep.” Beck peered at him with curiosity. “It’s been…what, seventeen years since you saw Laura?”
“It has. We’ve talked on the phone a few times since Hudson moved in with us, but I haven’t actually seen her since I was fifteen.” Seth grimaced. “So I’m expecting this reunion to be awkward as hell.”
Beck tilted his head. “Were you serious about her back then?”
“I thought I was. Hell, I thought I was in love.” Seth gave a self-deprecating laugh. “But I was fifteen. I didn’t know what the fuck love was. And now that I do? I realize it was just a crush.”
Beck’s lips curved into a sly grin. “So teenage Seth was clueless? Shocking.”
“And you weren’t?” Seth’s mouth twitched despite himself. “At fifteen, you were still masturbating in the shower. You had no idea what a naked girl even looked like.”
“Bite my ass. Besides, I learned fast, thanks to Gloria.”
Together they laughed, but the levity faded. Seth’s expression turned serious. “All joking aside, I hate that I lost all those years with Hudson.”
“C’mon. What kind of father would you have been at fifteen?”
Seth shrugged, conceding the point. “Shitty. I couldn’t have been the father he needed as a teenager. I was just a kid myself. I would have tried, but…”
“Probably why Laura left. What about later, after you were grown and married?”
“Honestly? I’m not sure I would have been much better. Hudson would’ve created a mountain of friction between me and Autumn. She wouldn’t have handled Laura’s presence in my life well.”
Beck leaned forward slightly. “Because she would have been jealous? You hadn’t touched Laura in years.”
“That wouldn’t have mattered,” Seth said without hesitation. “Autumn never felt comfortable around my family. Mom didn’t like her much, so adding an ex and a kid into the mix?” He shook his head. “That would’ve been a disaster.”
“Grace seems to like most everyone. What did she have against Autumn?”
“She thought Autumn was too needy, too clingy. Lacked independence. That was true, but…”
“Even then your inner Dom wanted to care for and protect her.”
“Exactly. And anything that took my focus from Autumn scared her. She hated my job, so she would have viewed Laura as a threat and Hudson as competition for my attention.” Seth shrugged.
“After she and Tristan died…I wouldn’t have been capable of even being present for Hudson, much less giving him what he needed.
To find Silas, I went dark. Worked for Nikolai.
I disappeared for almost a year. Hudson would’ve been…
eight? Nine? Too young to understand why his dad abandoned him.
So even though Hudson’s childhood was rough and I hate that he was damn near grown before we met… it was probably for the best.”
Beck studied him, clearly turning that over in his head. “Things happen for a reason.”
Seth met his eyes and nodded slowly. “Even when those reasons suck.”
The sound of footsteps on the stairs drew their attention. Then Heavenly appeared in the doorway, flashing them both a warm smile as she headed for the coffeemaker. “Morning.”
Hudson trailed behind her, dressed and ready but still half-awake as he poured a glass of orange juice. “Hey.”
“Morning, you two,” Seth greeted.
Beck grinned. “Everyone sleep okay?”
Heavenly shot him a reproving glance that went straight over Hudson’s head. “Kinda. Hard to sleep, you know?”
Seth looked at his son, chest swelling with pride. “This morning is a big deal for us, buddy.”
“Yeah.” Hudson shrugged like he was playing it cool, but there was a flicker of excitement in his eyes. “And it’ll be good to see Mom, too.”
“I’m sure she’s looking forward to it,” Seth replied.
Carl and his mom swept into the kitchen next. She was already dressed, her energy buzzing as she made a beeline for the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. “Good morning, everyone.”
“Morning,” Seth said, leading the chorus that Beck, Heavenly, and Hudson joined.
Carl tipped his head and saluted him with a nod and a knowing grin.
“Ready to be a bride today?” Seth asked. His mom’s excitement was endearing.
“As I’ll ever be.”
“You are, and you haven’t forgotten anything.” Carl kissed her softly.
She sent her groom a sheepish smile. “You’re right.” Then she turned to Seth. “So you’ll be back from meeting Laura by two?”
“Should be,” Seth assured her. “Still plenty of time.”
“The wedding is at five, and there’s still so much to do.”
“Like what?”
“Hair and makeup starts at three. And I still need to pack our bag for the honeymoon suite tonight, plus—”
“Grace.” Carl cupped her shoulder, his tone warm but firm. “We’ll get it all done. Everything is going to be fine.”
She exhaled, visibly steadying herself. “You’re right. Of course you’re right.” She looked back at Seth. “Call if you’re going to be late, okay?”
“We’ll be there way before five,” Beck said easily. “I’ll make sure.”
His mom smiled, then squeezed his shoulder. “Thank you. When Seth was a teenager, I didn’t think he could tell time, since he almost always stayed out past his curfew.”
“That was on purpose, Mom,” Seth quipped.
Everyone laughed.
“I’ll take your tux to the church,” Carl offered. “One less thing to worry about.”
“Perfect,” Seth said. “I appreciate it.”
Mom crossed the room to Hudson, who leaned against the kitchen counter. She set down her coffee, expression softening as she wrapped him in a tight hug. “It’s not just my big day, but yours, too, sweetheart. I’m so excited! Next time I see you, you’ll officially be a Cooper.”
Despite being sixteen, Hudson towered over her as he returned the hug, gently patting her back without a trace of teenage snark. “I’m excited, too, Grandma.”
Seth pinged with pride as he watched their exchange. By his side, Heavenly looked a bit wistful.
Moments later, his mom released Hudson, her eyes glassy as she cupped his cheek. “We’ll have a special toast just for you tonight at the reception.”
“Really?” The teen grinned.
“Yep. Grab your coat and shoes. We need to leave soon.”
“On it,” Hudson replied before he raced out the kitchen.
“He’s such a good boy, Seth,” his mom cooed, gaze trailing after him.
“Like father, like son.” Seth winked.
“Oh, please. You were a handful at his age.” She swatted his shoulder playfully before suddenly turning somber. “I know it was only because you’d taken on so many adult responsibilities.”
“I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.” Seth captured her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Someone had to keep my bratty brothers in line.”
“You did an excellent job,” she announced before bending and planting a quick kiss on the top of Seth’s head. “And you turned into an amazing man.”
Seth stilled. Would she still think that come Monday, once he’d spilled the truth?
“Come on, my beautiful bride-to-be. Let’s go pack that suitcase for tonight.” Carl slipped his arm around his mom’s waist and guided her upstairs. “See you at the church.”
“Goodbye.” Grace blew them all air kisses.
“See you then,” Heavenly promised.
Seth stood, draining the last of his coffee and setting the mug in the dishwasher. Beck and Heavenly followed suit before Heavenly moved to his side, slipping her hand into his. “Ready? Do you have the paperwork?”
“I do. We should get going.” Seth tried not to let his nerves show.
What if Laura was so appalled by his life choices that she refused to sign the paperwork?