Chapter 19
SPENCER
Opening my front door, I beam a smile when I find Hudson standing there with Gracie in a baby carrier on his chest, arms and legs stuck out like a starfish. In true Hudson fashion, he has sunglasses over his eyes and swipes them off with style, and a winning grin is permanent on his face.
The man is in his early forties but is the image of every man’s hope of aging well, down to his lack of gray, not even a strand in his dark hair.
“I believe we need to discuss something,” he announces.
I scratch my cheek and make an awkward attempt at a grin. “Don’t you have a football team to coach?” I hold the door open as he walks right in.
My neighbor, friend, and April’s uncle. I knew this moment would come, and somehow, I knew he wouldn’t want to kill me either.
“I have a few hours off before I need to catch a flight for our next game, and I welcome the opportunity to investigate why I hear rumors around town that my niece is temporarily living with you, and my wife isn’t spilling the tea.”
“April isn’t here, by the way.”
“I know, I saw her leave with the dog for a walk. That’s fine. I wanted to talk man to man.” Hudson leans against the window wall of my living room.
I roll my eyes in entertainment. “April is heading back to the city, probably tomorrow.”
“Why is she staying with you to begin with? I thought you two detest one another.” It feels like his eyes are trying to catch me out.
I clear my throat. “She’s using my kitchen.”
His look tells me that he is waiting for more.
“Helping with Hadley.”
Still no response.
“Can we leave it at that?” I try my luck.
He studies me for a second, looks down at his daughter, and his face softens. “Fine.”
I blow out a breath of relief.
“Was it the baby shower?”
My eyes snap to him and panic sets in. “Baby shower?” My voice is uneasy.
“Yeah. I sent you back for a gift that I might not have really forgotten.” He winks at me. “Was that the start of whatever you two young ones are up to?”
I chuckle a laugh. “You could say it’s something like that.” I kind of figured he was attempting a setup, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
“The thing is, I think this is great, you could use someone like her, and April deserves to move on from that little punk who I think we are all happy didn’t lock her into marriage. But April is…”
“Feisty?”
“Yes, but I think she is still recovering a little from the last year. So, all I can say, and I know you know this, is that April isn’t one of those girls who will wait for you after your games for a good time. She can give a lot if that’s what she receives. You’d be lucky.”
I stare at him intensely, more because I’m lost in thought of her visiting me at a game.
“I hear what you are saying.” Boy, do I hear him. He now has wheels turning in my head because I’m already trying to figure out what’s happening.
“It’s kind of big… I mean, she is involved with Hadley now.”
“We’re friends,” I reiterate.
Hudson holds up his hand. “So you said.” I hear the disbelief. “But I’ve never seen you bring any woman around Hadley that is just a friend.”
I adjust my neck as he points out all the facts that I already know, and I’m well aware that anyone on the outside can see my predicament too.
“Uncle Bay!” April calls out as Pickles walks in before her. I forget she sometimes calls him a nickname, something about studying the Hudson Bay in school.
Hudson is quick to meet her halfway and offers an arm for a side hug. “Hey there. Heard you’ve been shaking up my neighborhood.”
“Something like that.” April gives him a hug and touches Gracie’s head before walking into the kitchen. “Coffee anyone?”
“Sure. I have time for one quick cup,” he calls out.
April is busy looking in a cupboard. “Hey, Spence, where are the extra coffee beans? They're in the pantry, right? Can you show me?”
“Ooh, she's calling you Spence,” Hudson mumbles to me and flashes his eyes.
I laugh under my breath at this odd morning. “Be right back.”
Following April to the pantry, she's pretending to be searching for something before she closes the door behind us.
“He’s here!” she loudly whispers. Her calm persona has faded into curious fear.
“Yeah, and? We knew he would eventually get the memo that you’re shacking up in my humble abode.”
“Is he being all… I don’t know… uncle-y?”
“Is that a word?”
She pokes a finger into my chest. “Now isn’t the time to be a smartass. I don’t want him to find out what we did, I mean the video.”
Now I’m having fun. “But he can know about everything else?”
She growls a sound before plunging forward to kiss me hard on the mouth. It is so fucking good. I like the way she kisses when it’s spontaneous.
Pulling away, she smiles as her thumb glides along my jawline. “Thought you might need something to calm you down.”
I step closer to her, framing her hips with my hands. “I’m calm. I don’t falter under pressure. Babe, I’m a baseball player.”
She bursts out laughing. “Well, won’t you just save the world.
” She’s mocking me. “Oh, look, I found the coffee!” she announces so Hudson can hear and reaches behind me to grab the coffee.
I love that she follows through with her performance because I just filled the coffee machine this morning and I know it doesn’t need beans.
Following her back into the kitchen with a bag of coffee beans, I know it’s obvious that we look like two souls who just had a G-rated version of a frisky pantry fling. Proven by the fact that Hudson’s smile is still just the way we left it.
“Heard you’re heading back to the city,” Hudson says to April as I lean over the kitchen island.
“Yeah, can’t stay in this perfect little town forever.” She focuses on pressing buttons on the coffee machine.
“You’ll be back soon, I’m sure,” he adds and then looks to his side at me.
“I mean, I always come visit Piper.”
Why do I want her to say she’ll come back for me and Hadley? This is Hudson’s way to trigger my mind, I know his tactics.
April hands him a cup of coffee. “You know, I once had an uncle who was very adamant that I’m not allowed to date athletes.
In fact, I wasn’t even allowed to attend his games for fear a big bad athlete would hit on me.
Where did that uncle go?” She feigns curiosity and brings her finger to her chin.
He grins wide at her humor. “Spencer isn’t just an athlete, he’s on my Hudson Arrows approved list. Besides, I need to focus on indoctrinating my daughter for the next eighteen years that athletes are a no-go, so I’m releasing you from my reins.
” His voice turns saccharine as he coos with his daughter.
“Don’t be a player hater,” April quips, and it causes me to laugh.
“Are we done with this topic?” I suggest.
Hudson waves a hand in the air. “Sure. I’ve made my voice heard.” Hudson turns to me with his lips on the coffee cup, taking a sip. “By the way, Ford is going to come to one of my home games, want a seat also? A little neighborhood block party in the stands?”
“Sounds good.”
“Swell. You’ll be in the city then, and I’m assuming April is in the city too. Okay, great. That’s me, gotta go.” He strings words together, sets his cup down, and claps his hands.
I just shake my head at his ability to literally set us up for a last-minute play, no different than his football games when he coaches to win.
And maybe April could be the winning play in the home stretch.
April stands by her car and closes the door, with Pickles in the back.
“That’s us, all packed and ready to go,” she states.
She made a big breakfast for Hadley before coming with us for school drop-off. But her departure is happening now while Hadley is at school, which is probably easier.
I knock on the hood of her car. “Yep. Back to the city, free from me.”
“Hmm, yeah.”
She’s trapped between the car and my body, and neither one of us seems ready to move. Last night we had dinner with Hadley, and after Hadley went to bed, April snuck into my room like she has been doing every night this week.
“I labeled a bunch of stuff in the freezer, in case you get stuck on dinner, since you don’t have a babysitter yet,” she mentions, and I love that she’s taking care of us as a parting gift.
“We’ll eat it, I’m sure,” I promise.
Her eyes are searching for a clue.
“You’ll let me know when you get back? Those foxes on the road, you know. They come out of nowhere.”
Her closed lips move side to side. “Just like pitchers, I guess.”
“Why is that plural?” I raise a brow.
She grabs hold of my open jacket. “Pitcher. He was a real piece of work at the start.”
I slant a shoulder up to my ear. “Bet you loved it.”
She nods once.
We are drawing out this minute. “It’s been fun.” She looks away, and I can tell she’s putting up a defense.
But I want to tear it down.
“April.”
Her eyes meet my own, hopeful. “Yeah?”
“Do you think that I can visit you in the city?”
“Sure. You’re always welcome.” She doesn’t seem to get it.
I tilt her chin up with my long finger. “As in, I want to keep seeing you. I can visit you, and you can visit us here.”
A smile begins to form. “I mean, I guess that makes sense. Pickles and Hadley kind of have a bond I’m jealous of.”
I step closer, bringing her mouth closer to mine, at a distance that has our breaths mingling. “Stop avoiding the obvious. You don’t want this to stop, and I don’t want it to either.”
“Telling me what I feel, now?” She’s impossible, yet I grin before I slam my lips onto hers to kiss her and to confirm that I’m absolutely right.
She dips her tongue into my mouth to deepen our kiss. A sound vibrates from the back of her throat into my mouth as her body arches into mine.
I don’t dare break this moment, but we can’t stay like this all day. But damn, there is a fire inside of me that I didn’t know was possible. A want for someone that I can only describe as new, but I’m not ready to let it go.
She reluctantly breaks away; our lips push and pull in a magnetic dance.
“You’re right,” she rasps between kisses.
“I’m always right.”
I cradle her face in my hands and our eyes lock. I even nuzzle our noses together, and I’m beginning to wonder what version of myself this is, softer for sure, and I recognize a sweltering flare inside of me that realizes this woman could bring me to my knees because I want her.
“I guess I’ll be seeing you around then?” She attempts to hide her smirk.
“Lucky you.” I follow her to the driver’s seat and hold the door open as she slides into her seat.
“Yeah, maybe I am,” she laments.
I hope she is because that would mean I’m the guy that deserves to share a life with someone like her, and I’m still not sure I believe that.