Hudson
My phone pinged as I worked in the studio that morning, where I’d spent hours since meeting Lucy. After months of writer’s block, the lyrics and melodies were pouring out of me, full of lightning strikes and caramel eyes.
I never put out anything I wasn’t entirely proud of. But I knew even after a few days, that this was some of my best work.
The response from Lucy, along with a picture of her gorgeous grin as Jojo gummed at her cheek, had my heart lurching with both warmth and relief. When she’d been slow to reply, I’d worried she was trying to ghost me.
I was forcing myself to go slow with her, knowing she had a past she was contending with that might affect her trust in me. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done when every instinct wanted to hold on and never let go.
Hudson: I’m sure you’re delicious. Taking the boat out today. Any chance I can convince you to be my first mate?
I watched as the text bubbles appeared and disappeared as she no doubt wrestled with how to reply.
Lucy: Okay
Okay? For a second, I simply stared at her response. Despite being what I’d hoped for, I almost couldn’t believe it.
Hudson: You good with dogs?
Lucy: Love them
“You’re good to go, bud.” I grinned down at Ranger, who looked up at me with a cocked head as though he understood exactly what I’d said. Hell, half the time I was sure he did.
Hudson: Pick you up in an hour
I wasn’t going to give her time to change her mind.
Almost exactly an hour later, I was pulling up to the curb in front of Lucy’s house with the boat hitched to the truck.
I didn’t get out on the water often enough. Honestly, I hadn’t even planned to today until Lucy texted. But it had seemed like the perfect way to spend time with her.
She opened her front door and locked it behind her before I even got out, looking gorgeous in jean cutoffs and a white tank, her hair piled high on her head.
I rushed to the other side of the truck, determined to at least open the door for her.
“Hi.” I grinned, catching a whiff of peaches as I helped her into the passenger seat.
“Hi.” Smiling, she climbed into the passenger seat and immediately twisted around to greet Ranger. “Oh my god, he’s so cute,” she crooned, scratching his ears as he licked at her hands, clearly enamored.
The feeling was entirely mutual.
“That’s Ranger,” I introduced. “He’s a good dog.” I put the truck in gear and pulled away from the curb.
“Some sort of lab mix?” she guessed.
I nodded. “That’s what they thought at the shelter. I got him when he was a puppy, about three years ago, in Austin. I was feeling particularly lonely on tour and happened on his face on a high-kill shelter list. Just couldn’t resist.” I shrugged. “Never regretted it.”
She sighed. “I’d love to have one myself. I love animals. My parents just never had the gene, I guess.”
“I always think there’s something wrong with anyone who doesn’t like dogs,” I replied honestly as she turned to face forward and Ranger made himself comfortable on the back seat.
“I think you might just be right,” she mused. “So, I have to tell you, I’m not experienced with boats. So in terms of being your first mate, you’re sort of up a creek.”
I chuckled. “We’ll manage. The lake is calm, and there’s a speed limit, so it’s a nice chill way to introduce you to boating. I brought a paddleboard too, if you feel like going out.”
She grinned over at me. “Sounds fun. I tried it once in Maui.”
“The ocean is much harder. This’ll be a piece of cake,” I assured her as we left town limits and began to ascend the mountain road that led to one of three lakes in the nearby area. This one had the easiest dock to unload on.
“This is beautiful,” she marveled as she gazed out the window at the craggy mountain range and aspen tree line that surrounded us.
I’d always thought so, but seeing it through her eyes, as though for the first time, I appreciated it in a new way.
“Wait ’til you see the water.” I grinned over at her, glad I could be the first to show her some of the best that Green River had to offer.
“Thanks for inviting me. I think it’s just what I needed,” she murmured, and I sensed there was more to that story but didn’t press. For now.
We drove in comfortable silence. I didn’t know her as well as I planned to, but she seemed particularly introspective this morning, and I left her to her thoughts as we neared the dock.
I backed in without a problem, and it wasn’t long before I was cutting the engine and we were hopping down from the truck.
She helped by carrying the paddle as I lifted the paddleboard and hitched it up to the back of the boat. I grabbed the cooler I’d packed in a rush and her tote, then helped her onto the boat as Ranger jumped on.
She laughed in delight as I turned on the motor and we made our way out onto the lake.
“This is awesome!” Her smile wide and her eyes bright, her joy hit me straight in the gut.
With her standing next to me at the helm, I navigated us around the lake, pointing out key landmarks along the way. “This is more of a local spot, so it tends to be less crowded,” I explained as I raised a hand in greeting to one of the few boats we’d passed.
“It’s beautiful.” She sighed, looking overhead at the pair of ospreys that circled. “How long have you had the boat?”
“A few years,” I replied. “We had one growing up, and some of my best memories were our days on the lake. But my dad got tired of keeping it up, and once we all got older, he sold it. It had been a dream of mine to get one of my own that I could share with my siblings. So, as soon as I started to see some success, this was my first big purchase. It’s technically mine, but my siblings borrow it whenever they want.
And frankly, with my travel schedule the last few years, they’ve gotten more use out of it. ”
She nodded thoughtfully. “Do you have a tour coming up?” She winced, her cheeks flushing. “Sorry if I should know that.”
I chuckled. “Somehow my ego will survive,” I assured her. “And no, no tour dates set yet. Gotta get the album out first. You want to get some rays for a bit and then maybe hit the paddleboard?”
At her nod, I dropped anchor, and she headed to the back of the boat, spreading out a towel. When she took off her shorts and tank, leaving her in a yellow bikini, I nearly swallowed my goddamned tongue.
The woman had an incredible body—long, lean legs, lush hips, full breasts—and when she turned around, I had to fight an audible groan. Her delicious ass would fit perfectly in my hands.
I gave myself a mental shake, knowing my swim trunks would do little to hide my body’s reaction if I didn’t get a handle on myself.
Focusing on my own clothes, I whipped off my shirt and was gratified to see her fight her reaction to my bare torso.
I’d never been so grateful that I kept myself in shape and logged so many hours in the gym.
She stretched out on her back, and I couldn’t resist letting my gaze sweep appreciatively over her gorgeous form.
“How’s that coming? The album, I mean.” She looked over at me as I sat beside her, elbows braced on my bent knees, Ranger lying alongside me.
“Well, up until a few days ago, very slowly. Then I met this absolutely captivating girl who gave me some inspiration.” I winked down at her.
“Glad to be of service, I guess?” She laughed, clearly uncomfortable with praise.
“Whoever was in your life before me had their head up their ass,” I muttered.
“Why do you say that?” She looked confused.
“Because as gorgeous as your blush is, it tells me no one’s spent the time they should telling you how amazing you are.”
She bit her lip, her silence all the proof I needed.
“You referenced a previous relationship the other night. That breakup recent?”
She shot me a surprised look. “You want to talk exes?”
I shrugged. “I don’t want to. But I do want to get to know you, and your past is part of that equation. And, selfishly, I want to make sure your heart’s not caught up in someone that can’t be me.”
“Damn, but you really put it out there, don’t you?” Her lips twitched with a semblance of a smile.
“Only way to be.” I shrugged easily. I’d never hesitated going after something I wanted. And I’d never wanted anything the way I wanted her.
“No one has my heart,” she assured me. “And I’ve never spent a moment regretting my breakup with Josh, even though I admit it was recent. I guess it says a lot about our relationship that it was so easy to get over. Though, he’s not getting the message.”
Her admission made my hackles rise.
“He never treated me well. He didn’t want to be with me for the right reasons, nor did my parents care one bit about that fact.
At the end of the day, I was a pawn in his political aspirations and my parents’ never-ending need for power and sitting at the top of the social pyramid.
” Her expression told me how thoroughly exhausted she was by the whole thing.
“What I am struggling with is how long I let that go on for. And how, in finally choosing me, I lost my parents. I finally took my mother’s call a few days ago, and that didn’t go well.
I guess the fact that I really have to cut ties with her and my dad hadn’t hit me until that moment.
Then it hit me hard. Sorry, I don’t know why I’m telling you this. ”
“Because I want to hear it.” Her moment of vulnerability gave me a small window into the heart of her.
Now I wanted to blast it wide open. “I can’t imagine not having my parents in my life—but more so not having parents that I want there.
That must be really fucking hard, and it sounds like it’s been hard for a long time.
But you did the most difficult thing. You walked away.
I hope you’re damn proud of that. You should be. ”
“I’m getting there,” she murmured. “And now, can we lighten things up bit?” She raised a playful brow.
I rose to standing, holding a hand out to her. “We definitely can.”
She took my hand as I pulled her up and to the edge of the boat. “What do you say? Count of three?”
She laughed but nodded, her hand still in mine as I counted us down and we jumped into the lake, Ranger not far behind.
For hours we just… played. There wasn’t another word for it. We splashed around in the lake. She took a lap around on the paddleboard, grinning from ear to ear the whole time.
I took a turn with Ranger in tow. Once I’d introduced him to paddleboarding years ago, I couldn’t take it out without him wanting to join.
We ate the sandwiches and drank the ciders I’d packed, chatting about everything and nothing. Despite the constant hum of electricity between us and my urge to kiss her, it was easy and the most fun I’d had with a woman in my life.
I didn’t want it to end.
But as the sun sank in the sky, I brought the boat in. Lucy helped by gathering our things while I hitched up the boat. Ranger jumped in the back of the truck, and we loaded the rest of the gear before I turned on the engine and pulled onto the road.
Riley’s name flashed on the dash just as I was searching for any excuse to extend our time together. I declined the call, not wanting to be rude, but when he called right back, I looked over to Lucy. “It’s my brother, you mind?”
“Not at all.” She shook her head.
“What’s up, Ri?” I asked by way of greeting, knowing there must be something important if he’d called twice.
“Griff had some fencing go down. His dogs got out. He’s on shift and can’t get away. Me, Mom, and Pop are over here doing some repairs but could use another set of hands. And his damn dogs won’t come to any of us worth a damn,” he grumbled in frustration.
“I’m on my way,” I replied without delay, knowing either of my brothers would do the same for me. “I have Lucy with me. She lives in town, so I’ll need to drop her off and then circle back to Griff’s.”
Lucy reached over, putting a hand on my forearm. “I could help, if you want,” she offered quietly. “I don’t want you to have to go out of your way to drop me off. I mean, if you’d rather I didn’t, that’s fine but....” Her cheeks flushed as she trailed off.
I grinned over at her. “I’d love if you came. But you have to put up with my crazy parents and brother.”
“Don’t listen to that shit. I’m charming,” Riley scoffed.
“So I’ve heard,” Lucy said with a laugh.
“What have you been telling her?” Riley demanded.
“The truth,” I deadpanned. “We’ll be there in a few.” I hung up, looking over at her. “Just when I was looking for an excuse to spend more time with you.” I grinned. “Just didn’t imagine it involving my family, at least not tonight. They’re a lot, but they’ll love you.”
A feeling I found myself rushing toward at a blinding pace, with no desire to slow down.