Lucy
After the discovery that Hudson could make one hell of an omelet but couldn’t brew a pot of drinkable coffee if his life depended on it, we made our way into Greta’s bakery. Coffee was a requirement if I was going to make any sort of coherent decisions with the lack of sleep I’d had.
“The usual?” Greta tilted a brow in greeting, as though we walked in hand in hand every morning.
“Did you know?” I demanded.
“Know what? That the man is gorgeous but can’t make a drinkable cup of coffee to save his life?” she answered innocently. “Why, yes, yes I did. And it helps keep me gainfully employed, thank you very much.”
“You two are fired,” Hudson muttered without ire, his delicious mouth tilted up at the corners.
I distantly heard Greta speaking to me, but I was too transfixed by that mouth of his—a mouth that I now knew could do things to me that I’d only ever read about in books.
“Baby,” he chuckled in tender admonishment.
“What?” I snapped my attention back to Greta, all too aware that my cheeks were flaming.
It looked like she was at least attempting to mask her grin. “Safe to say I’ll be seeing you two in here together a lot from now on?”
“I bet Lucy can manage to teach me how to make a proper pot of coffee, so it’s a bit of a crapshoot. I keep her in bed, then no. We want to venture out, then yes.”
I socked him in the side. “You want another cup of coffee ever in your life, I’d stop talking.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned down at me.
“You still coming to Katie’s fundraiser?” Greta asked, thankfully changing the subject while preparing our drinks.
With all the unwelcome excitement, I’d completely forgotten about Katie’s humane society fundraiser.
“Yes,” I answered emphatically, as Hudson replied, “Maybe.”
I shot him a look. “I promised her I’d go.”
“That was before your place was broken into.”
“What?” Greta gasped, holding out our drinks. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“I’m fine,” I assured her. “And I’m not sure yet. We’re on our way to the station after this. But I’m sure whatever happened didn’t have anything to do with the puppies and kittens that need new homes.” I looked up at Hudson, batting my eyelashes theatrically.
“I’m more concerned with the human company,” he muttered.
“Well, then you can come with us, spend some of that hard-earned cash on a good cause, and watch my back all at the same time,” I suggested.
“Imagine I can do that.” He pressed a chaste kiss to my lips before turning back to Greta to settle our bill.
“See you then. And, girl, don’t think you’re getting out of cocktails with me and Katie. Seems we have a lot to catch up on,” she called as we made our way to the door.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I replied sincerely, holding up my drink in thanks as we headed out to Hudson’s truck.
Despite my best effort to cling to the levity of the morning, as we walked to the police station, a beautiful brick building in the center of town, my anxiety was getting the best of me.
“Baby,” Hudson murmured, gripping mine assuredly, no doubt picking up on my escalating nerves.
“Let’s just get this over with,” I replied as we crested the steps and entered the building.
“Why, Hudson Carter, to what do I owe the pleasure?” an older woman with graying hair and mischievous eyes called from behind the front desk.
“See you haven’t lost any of that spunk.” Hudson chuckled. “Judy, meet my girl, Lucy. Lucy, meet Judy. She’s been working here longer than I’ve been alive.”
“Watch your tongue,” she chided before turning warm eyes to me. “Nice to meet you. Glad someone came along and claimed this man before I had to go and pick up the mantle.”
I let out an involuntary snort of amusement before quickly masking it. “Glad to be of service.”
Griffin appeared from deeper in the building, greeting us with the serious expression I was becoming accustomed to. With a head tilt, he gestured for us to follow him.
After a small wave in parting to Judy, we headed through the station toward what I presumed to be Griffin’s office.
Griffin shut the door behind us and cocked his head toward the laptop on his desk before swiveling it in our direction. “Like I explained on the phone, all we have is the Ring cam footage. It’s a bit grainy, and I don’t recognize him but thought you might.” He turned his eyes to me.
I was coming to appreciate Griffin’s blunt demeanor. He was a man who got straight to the point, and in moments like these, where the unknown was making my heart pound uncomfortably in my chest, I appreciated it.
“Lay it on me,” I replied, taking a deep breath as Hudson and I both leaned in, and Griffin hit Play on the footage.
At first, all it showed was a grainy image of my house.
The porch lights were on, just as I’d left them, assuming I’d return after dark.
When the figure of a man appeared, my breath caught.
The stark evidence that my place had been violated was a shock to my system.
Wearing a hoodie and a ball cap pulled low over his brow, he approached my house with his back turned to the camera.
I watched as he tampered with my locks and pushed his way inside.
I stared at the computer screen with bated breath as the door hung open for several moments before he appeared again, empty-handed, and quickly stalked down the street and off camera.
His face was obscured, but by his build, I could confirm one thing—it wasn’t Josh.
I didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. Because whoever the man was, I’d never seen him before.
“You don’t recognize him,” Griffin surmised from my expression.
“No,” I muttered in frustration. “But I can confirm it isn’t Josh. This guy is much taller and leaner. Who would do this?”
“Probably someone who wants to get to me through you,” Hudson growled in fury beside me. “It’s too fucking coincidental.”
Both Griffin and I snapped our gazes to Hudson, who pushed away from the desk, his hands balled into fists at his sides.
“You don’t know that,” Griffin put in.
“It’s also coincidental that I just moved here and have a persistent ex and domineering parents. Just because it isn’t one of them, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have something to do with me,” I insisted, my mind whirling with possibilities, and none of them good.
“Either way, you would have been a sitting duck had you been home. Should have never fucking started with you like this,” Hudson muttered, sending me reeling back as though he’d physically struck me.
“Hud,” Griffin warned, eyeing his brother like a loaded gun.
“What was I fucking thinking? Fuck!” Hudson exploded, raking his hands through his hair. “So fucking stupid.”
“No, apparently I am,” I bit out before shoving past Hudson, flinging the door open, and striding out of the station, barely restraining the urge to run.
I distantly heard him bellow my name, but I was already out of the building and heading in the opposite direction of his truck.
I didn’t know where I was headed—his words a painful, pounding rhythm in my chest.
Should have never started with you.
I couldn’t go home. Despite what he’d said, I knew he’d come after me. And apparently, my home wasn’t safe anymore anyway. I needed time to collect myself.
Or at least to attempt to.
When the city library came into view—a beautiful brick building with stained glass windows—I stepped inside without second thought. The space felt instantly familiar; libraries and bookstores had been my refuge more times than I could count in my youth.
The soothing scent of books greeted me as I entered the foyer.
Pausing, I took in the two-story structure with vaulted ceilings and rows upon rows of books ready to be explored.
With a quick wave to the librarian behind the desk, an older woman with a kind smile, I climbed the stairs to the second floor, eager to find a corner of peace.
My fingers glided over the book spines as I passed, relishing the peaceful silence of the cavernous space. Gradually, my heart rate slowed to a familiar, steady cadence rather than the frantic beat from moments before, allowing my mind to clear and make way for reason.
I’d never seen Hudson as furious as he’d been after watching the footage. But what I saw in his eyes was more than rage—it was stark, cold fear. Fear for me.
He was blaming himself. He took so much on his shoulders, especially when it came to me. Despite how raw I felt, I couldn’t bring myself to believe he could regret us. That he could regret me.
I pulled one of my favorite books off the shelf and found a cozy chair to curl up in, needing to get lost in it before I faced reality.
It wasn’t long before my eyes drifted closed, the lack of sleep from the night before and the chaos of the morning taking their toll.
I woke an indeterminable amount of time later as I was lifted into familiar arms.
“Lucy! Fucking Christ!” Hudson’s hushed urgency made my eyes snap to his anxious face. “You scared the ever-living shit out of me!” he growled, holding me tight against him.
“I’m fine, Hudson. Put me down,” I demanded, trying to blink awake my sleep-addled brain.
“You’re not fine. I’m not fine,” he insisted, though his face softened as he took me in. “I didn’t know where you were—no one did. I’ve been to every place I could think you would go. I’ve been out of my mind.”
“And what is it you want, Hudson? An apology?” I shot him an incredulous look. “You essentially said you wished you’d never met me, and I need to apologize for needing space? Go to hell,” I growled as I wriggled in his arms to no avail.
“Let’s get you home,” he insisted, no doubt not wanting to have this talk in such a quiet space where anyone could overhear.
On that, at least, I could agree.
“You are not carrying me.” I pushed against his hard chest. He had the nerve to look amused as he put me down dutifully and swept out his arm, gesturing for me to go first.
I stalked through the library, determined to walk the few blocks to my house.
“Baby, it’s pouring,” he said, stating the obvious as I stepped outside.
“Then you’d better get in your truck and go home,” I grumbled, the downpour immediately soaking me to the bone as I began the walk home.
He kept pace with me, allowing me to stew in silence until we reached my door. There, he halted my progress by taking my keys and insisting on entering my house alone, no doubt wanting to make sure it was safe before I went inside.
“I’ve got to get cleaned up,” I informed him when he returned with a nod and gestured for me to go inside. “You can let yourself out.”
I turned, ready to give him a piece of my mind, when he hauled me up into his arms, making me squeal in protest.
“Baby, if you think I’m leaving your side, I have more work to do than I thought. Let’s get you in the shower. You’re freezing.” He carried me toward the bathroom, his tone gentle.
I made a noise of protest, and he paused in the doorway of the bathroom, burying his nose in my hair as if scenting me.
“Lucy, I could live a thousand lives and not regret a single breath with you. You have to know that. You know that, don’t you?
” he demanded. “I fucked up this morning. I was so blind with rage that your house was broken into—potentially because of me, and definitely because I didn’t take the right measures—that I didn’t think about what I was saying.
I hurt you, and I’m so fucking sorry, baby, but that is not what I meant when I expressed regret.
I regret being na?ve. I should have known this would happen when I set my sights on you—should have known the roaches would come climbing out of the walls.
I regret not preparing for that eventuality.
That’s what I regret. Never you. Never us. ”
He breathed into my neck as he held me close to his body. “Never, baby. You’re my fucking everything. I’ll spend the rest of my life convincing you. But right now, I gotta get you warm.”
Never you.
Never us.
With that mantra, one that could only be described as love, playing in my head, I allowed him to carry me toward the shower.