Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
LUKAS
I’ve never been the kind of man who takes things slowly. It’s always come naturally to me; on the ice, in life, with women. Instinct more than anything else. When I want something, I go after it without hesitation, no second-guessing, or lingering on whether I should.
At least that’s how it used to be.
Now I’m standing in my kitchen, staring at my phone as if it might give me the right answer if I wait long enough, and it’s almost laughable how unfamiliar this feels. Because with Kate, nothing about this is instinct anymore. Its intention and that matters more.
I replay yesterday in my head, not because I can’t let it go, but because I don’t want to.
The way she stood at the edge of the rink, composed but observant, taking everything in without needing to be the centre of it.
How Hudson stayed quiet at first, measuring, watching.
And the moment it shifted, it was small and subtle, but it was definitely there.
That’s the thing with Kate’s world; it doesn’t open easily. You don’t force your way into it. You have to earn it, piece by piece. And for the first time in my life, I want to earn something rather than just have it.
I pick my phone up again before I can overthink it.
Lukas: Are you free tonight?
I stare at the message for half a second, then send it. It’s simple and uncomplicated. Still, I don’t move far.
Her reply doesn’t come immediately, which I expect and love; it means she’s not hanging on my every word.
She’s probably with Hudson, or doing something sensible, or thinking about it in that careful, deliberate way she has.
I lean back against the counter, exhaling slowly.
I’m not used to waiting like this. I don’t usually wait for a woman to reply to my messages for more than thirty seconds.
But this doesn’t feel like waiting. I’m giving her space to meet me halfway.
My phone buzzes a few minutes later.
Kate: I have Hudson.
I smile at that. Of course she does.
Lukas: Then we include him. Something easy. No pressure.
There’s a longer pause this time. I can almost see her weighing it up. Thinking about whether this is too much, too soon.
So I add another message before she can talk herself out of it.
Lukas: Or I can wait.
That’s new too. The willingness to step back rather than push forward does not come easily to me.
Her reply comes through a moment later.
Kate: No, we can do something. Just make it simple.
A strange warmth settles in my chest at that.
Lukas: Good. I’ll come to you. Text me your address.
I don’t give her time to argue before I follow up.
Lukas: What does Hudson like?
Her response is quicker this time.
Kate: Food. Football. Not being embarrassed by his mum.
I laugh loudly, shaking my head.
Lukas: That last one might be difficult.
Three dots appear, then disappear, before her text comes through.
Kate: Don’t you dare.
I grin, pushing off the counter now, already moving towards my room to grab a jacket.
Lukas: Relax. I will behave.
Mostly.
By the time I pull up outside her house, I’m aware of something I don’t usually feel before seeing someone. Anticipation. Not the kind that’s purely physical or easy to satisfy, but something steadier and deeper.
I spot Hudson first when the front door opens. He steps out ahead of her, hands shoved into his hoodie pocket, scanning my car as he assesses it. I respect that.
Kate follows a second later, locking the door behind her, and for a moment, I just look at her. She’s dressed casually in jeans, a soft jumper, hair pulled back in a way that looks effortless but probably isn’t. She looks graceful and beautiful.
“Hey,” she says as they reach the car.
“Hi,” I reply, stepping out.
Hudson gives me a small nod. “Alright.”
“Alright,” I echo with a grin.
There’s a brief pause, but it’s not awkward. “We’re not doing anything weird, right?” Hudson asks suddenly, glancing between us.
Kate groans softly. “Hudson,”
I hold a hand up, cutting her off gently. “No weird things,” I promise, seriously. “I thought we could grab something to eat.”
Hudson studies me, then nods. I’ll take that as approval, for now at least.
We end up at the local pizza place, nothing fancy. The restaurant is loud enough that our conversation doesn’t feel forced, but not so loud that it gets lost completely. It feels normal, and I realise quickly that I like it.
Hudson relaxes faster around me this time. He talks more, engages without needing to be pulled into it, and I don’t miss the way Kate watches that happen. She’s letting herself breathe a little easier with every minute that passes.
At one point, Hudson launches into something about a match he played recently, and I let him talk without interrupting him. I listen intently to every word he says, giving him my undivided attention.
Kate catches my eye briefly across the table.
There’s something there; it almost feels like gratitude.
I slide my hand along the bench seat and hook my little finger with hers.
I don’t make a thing of it, but I hold her gaze for a second longer than necessary before I move my hand to cover hers completely, then I return my attention to Hudson.
“Sounds like you made the right call,” I say when he finishes.
He shrugs, but there’s that flicker of pride again. “Yeah.”
“You trust your instincts?” I ask.
“Mostly.”
“Good,” I nod. “You should.”
Kate squeezes my hand under the table. It’s not accidental, and neither of us pulls away. Instead, I shuffle a little closer and grip her hand a little tighter.
Once we’ve all eaten, we head out of the restaurant and begin to walk towards the lake. It’s not planned; it just happens. Hudson walks slightly ahead of us, kicking at something on the pavement, giving us space without making it obvious. Smart kid.
Kate falls into step beside me, her shoulder close enough that I feel the warmth of her through her jumper. “You didn’t have to do this,” she says.
“I wanted to.” The truth is, I want to spend all of my free time with her, and if that means getting to know her son, then that’s what I’ll do.
She glances at me. “You’re very intentional.”
“That surprises you?” My brow scrunches quizzically.
“Yes,” she admits. “A little.”
I smile faintly. “It shouldn’t.”
There’s a pause in conversation as we head nearer the lake, and then, “Hudson likes you,” she says as she nods towards her son.
I glance ahead at him, then back at her. “I think he tolerates me for your benefit.”
She laughs at my observation. “For him, that’s the same thing.”
I slow slightly, so our hands brush, and then I let my fingers curl around hers. I don’t rush it or look at her straight away. But I hold her hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
She stills momentarily, then her fingers tighten around mine.
And that’s it, there’s no hesitation or pulling away.
It’s acceptance, I see it when I glance at her.
She’s looking ahead at Hudson, but there’s something softer in her expression now.
It’s as though she’s decided it’s okay to take what she wants in life.
We circle the small lake, with Hudson stopping occasionally to try skimming stones across the water. Once he starts to get bored and the night air chills a little more, we head back to my car.
When we reach her house again, Hudson disappears inside almost immediately, muttering something about homework and messaging his friends. Which leaves us alone, finally.
“You’re good with him,” she says after a moment.
“I like him, he seems like a good kid.”
I step a little closer, not enough to crowd her, but enough that she has to look at me properly. “I like you too, Kate,” I add quietly.
Her breath catches at my words. “I know,” she says.
“Do you?”
She hesitates. “Yeah,” she says eventually. “I think I do.”
I study her, then reach up, brushing my thumb lightly along her jaw. It’s a slow, deliberate movement. I’m giving her time to stop me if she wants to. I’m always making sure she knows she’s in control of this.
She doesn’t stop me, so I lean in. The kiss is soft and slow, and it’s not about taking anything, it’s about building something instead.
Her hand slides to my chest, gripping slightly as though she needs to anchor herself, and I feel it all the way through me.
When I pull back, I don’t go far. “You’re still thinking,” I murmur.
She huffs. “I don’t know how not to.”
“Then I will do it for you,” I tease her.
That earns me a smile. It feels dangerous to some degree because I realise, standing here with her, that this isn’t something I can walk away from easily. Not anymore.
And the truth that I don’t want to settles in without resistance.