Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
“That was intense.” Colton climbed into the SUV and snapped his seatbelt, relieved to be getting Riley back to the safety of the Hudson estate. Then it was off to his parents’ for Thanksgiving leftovers and football.
Paul pulled onto the freeway. “Sure kept us on our toes. I was watching hands like crazy.”
“It’ll be nice to let down a little. Hope the folks saved me a huge plate, because I’m starving.” He looked at Riley. “You promise you won’t be leaving again today?”
A grin crossed her face. “Oh, absolutely. I want you guys to enjoy some time with your families, so don’t worry about me.”
As if he could help it. Still, he couldn’t wait to spend some downtime with the family. And as long as Riley was safely tucked away at the estate, she would be fine.
“Okay, but I’ll be back later tonight.”
“I’m not worried.”
She pulled out her phone and typed out a text. A week ago, her I’ve-got-a-secret grin would’ve put him on alert. But now she was much too aware of the danger that lurked outside the Hudson gate.
As the SUV continued down the interstate, Paul taking one exit, driving along the feeder road, then taking the next freeway entrance to determine if they were being followed, Colton put his head back and closed his eyes.
The tension of the day slowly ebbed from his shoulders as he relaxed into the leather interior.
“Wow!” Trevor’s exclamation jolted him upright as they pulled through the gate and made their way toward the house. “I don’t think I’ve seen so many limos in one place since the Oscars.”
“You got to cover the Oscars?” Paul asked.
“Last year. Blankenship and I were hired for an actor who lives here in Houston. He wasn’t a nominee, but we got to walk the red carpet. That was kind of cool.”
Colton threw Riley a glance. “I didn’t know you were expecting guests today.”
“Trust me.” There was that grin again. Like a little girl with something she was dying to tell. “I’m perfectly safe with these guests. But I’m sure you’ll all want to come inside to check it out.”
“Absolutely.” And he’d probably have to let his family know he wouldn’t be there, after all. With this many people at the estate, how could they know for sure their man of many disguises hadn’t found a way in?
Paul pulled up to the steps leading to the front door to drop them off before he took the SUV to the garage.
Colton came around to open her door, taking her hand to help her out as he’d always done.
But when she smiled up at him, his irritation at not being alerted to today’s festivities dissipated into the brisk November air.
If he had to miss Thanksgiving with his family, he couldn’t think of another he’d rather be with for the holiday.
Maybe he’d let himself get drawn in a little more than he usually did, but it was impossible to spend the amount of time they’d spent with Riley and not be her friend.
It was as if she wouldn’t stand for it. If she was going to be anywhere near you for any length of time, she was going to get inside.
And she had. More than anybody before her, besides the woman he’d married.
In the house, the din of dozens of voices talking all at once and music emanating from speakers in the family room mingled with the enticing aroma of whatever five-star-quality dishes Hilda had prepared.
After taking Riley’s coat and hanging it with his in the closet, they walked through an arched entryway to the family room.
Colton stopped short. “What on earth?”
Riley turned and smiled up at them. “Happy Thanksgiving, you guys. Trevor, Gemma and the rest of your family should be here somewhere. Colton, yours—”
“Colton, my boy!” The booming voice from the middle of the room could belong to only one person.
“—are here too.” She finished with a chuckle.
Sure enough, his still distinguished, gray-haired father appeared from the milling guests and walked toward them with Colton’s striking ash blonde mother.
“What are you doing here?” he asked his parents.
His dad stood smiling at Riley while his mother gave him a hug. “You must be Miss Hudson.”
“Yes, sir. Call me Riley.”
“Fred Blankenship. And this beautiful woman here is my wife, Evelyn. Lisa and the kids are out in the gym, and Micah’s planted in front of the football games. You have a beautiful home here.”
Colton couldn’t seem to engage but instead stood there and stared like he’d never set eyes on any of them before. But then, his professional life had never collided head-on with his personal one before, and he was still reeling from the impact.
“Actually, I don’t live here.” Riley apparently had no problem finding her words. “Only until I find a new place. I don’t plan to go back to mine longer than it takes to pack it up.”
“Oh?”
“Long story, Dad.” Colton’s brain finally caught up to what his eyes were seeing. “But, again, what are you doing here? I thought you were just going to keep a plate for me.”
“Your Riley here gave us a call last week and asked if we’d be interested in having our family dinner with hers, so you could have Thanksgiving with your own. Took us about half a second to accept. Private car picked us up and the whole nine yards.”
“That’s so … nice.”
And so Riley.
Her laughter did that thing to his pulse that had him thinking a check-up might be in order. “We had to use two different car services to have enough vehicles to get everybody here. Wanted to make y’all feel special.”
His father gave her a wink. “It worked. We felt like celebrities.”
“As you should. I hope you’re all being well taken care of. I apologize we were longer at the shelter than we intended. We’ve planned our family Thanksgiving for the evening since we started serving down there several years ago.”
“Early, late. Doesn’t matter. And your family has been taking extremely good care of us.”
“Riley, honey.” Candace strolled up to them, her usual smile in place.
“Hi, Mom. Thanks for welcoming all my guests.”
“Of course. Where’s Paul?”
“Right here.” Paul appeared at her side, his bewildered gaze raking the bustling room.
“Paul, your lovely wife and little boy are with Alex and Delia upstairs. They should be down momentarily. Your mother is out in the greenhouse—my dad loves showing off his flowers and found a kindred spirit in your mom—and I believe your father is upstairs in the media room.”
“They’re here?”
“Riley arranged it. She wanted you boys to share the holiday with your families. And we were only too happy to comply.”
“Wow. That was really thoughtful.”
Riley blushed again and glanced over at Colton. He must look like an idiot, but he couldn’t stop staring at this woman who apparently knew no limits.
“I hated the idea of you guys being stuck with me on a holiday. So, the day after the fundraiser at the Cantrells’, I called Mack to tell him what I wanted to do.
I was delighted he finally relented and gave me all the phone numbers.
I simply told him I doubted you would sue him for allowing me to arrange for your families to have a gourmet Thanksgiving dinner.
Then, of course, extending him an invitation as well. ”
Candace craned her neck. “Yes, Mack and his family are here somewhere too. Now, you all have strict instructions to enjoy the rest of the day. Riley’s perfectly safe here, so you guys are officially off-duty. No weapons allowed at the table.”
Trevor chuckled. “Maybe we should ask Mack about that.”
“Mack’s on board. You can secure them in the study, out of the way of children. The gate is closed, and our regular detail is covering the cameras in shifts so they can eat. Nobody’s getting onto the estate who shouldn’t be here.”
Colton inclined his head toward her. “Yes, ma’am. We’ll take care of it.”
Once they’d left their firearms in the locked study, Colton returned to the family room.
A buffet of appetizers and drinks had been set out on the heated veranda, children of various ages and sizes ran throughout the rooms, and people stood in groups he’d have never expected, visiting like old friends.
He caught sight of his sister and her kids walking in the door from the veranda laughing with Sadie, Riley’s sister-in-law, and her daughter.
His mother and Candace stood chatting like they’d known each other for years, and Trevor’s mother sat with a woman he remembered from Barbara’s birthday party the previous week. Avery’s socialite mom?
And then there was Detective John Stapleton and Riley’s brother Kevin moving quickly down from the screening room to the buffet table and back up again.
He located Riley, now with her friends on the other side of the room. She peered over her shoulder, her eyes meeting his across the expanse as she sent him one of those smiles that warmed his insides.
A hand clapped him on the shoulder from behind. “A little thunderstruck, son?”
He pulled his attention from the petite dynamo across the room to his father beside him. “I am a little, I guess. Riley definitely does not operate between the lines.”
His dad gave him a little shake. “Come on. Let’s get some appetizers and head upstairs to catch some football.”
Colton glanced at Riley and back to his dad. “Sure. I guess she’s all right.”
After grabbing some finger foods and a soda from the buffet, he and his dad made their way to the media room upstairs, where three football games played at once on separate screens.
The one in the middle had the sound turned up, the two on either side muted.
Several men, and even a couple of ladies, sat comfortably in rows of fat, cushioned recliners with beverage holders built into the arms, while others stood in the back.
Although living in such extravagance was foreign to him, he could definitely get used to having a room outfitted with multiple large-screen televisions and seating for all his buddies.
He wasn’t sure sitting on the sofa in front of his flat screen at home, clicking between channels to check various scores, would suffice after this.
Riley’s oldest brother walked up to him. “Colton.”
“Alex. Quite the day.”
“It always is, with the shelter dinner, then ours. Although my sister has outdone herself this year.” Alex’s laughter matched his eyes.
Brown, like Drew and Kevin, as opposed to deep emerald like his sister and mother.
“We saw y’all at the shelter dinner, but you looked pretty busy, so we thought it best to stay out of your way. ”
“Busy’s an understatement. Having an extra detail along with us was huge. Too many things to watch at the same time.”
Alex’s expression sobered. “I can’t believe it’s come to this. That we’d have to be concerned about somebody hurting Riley. Riley. Of all people. The woman who would give the coat off her back in the middle of a blizzard if she thought someone needed it more.” He shook his head. “I don’t get it.”
“I don’t either. Only thing I can figure is it’s either her station or her work.”
Alex’s brow furrowed. “Her social station, I understand. But her work?”
“She gets people off who were convicted of horrible crimes. I’m sure, even with all of that evidence, there are folks who refuse to see the truth. She said she gets letters sometimes from family members or loved ones of victims who think she’s on the wrong side. Could be somebody out for revenge.”
“Threatening letters?”
“She didn’t indicate they were, but who knows? Then again, it could be straight-up stalker.”
Kevin’s wife Sadie walked in to announce dinner was ready to be served.
Alex put his hand on Colton’s shoulder. “We’d better head down, but I wanted to say thanks for all you and your guys are doing for my sister. If there’s anything we can do for you, for any of you, please let us know.”
“Thanks. It’s an honor to do everything we can for Riley. She’s … special.”
Alex grinned as they sauntered down the hall with a dozen other guys, including Drew and Dad still discussing the Houston Texans last touchdown. “She is that. Now she just needs to set ol’ Harding straight.”
Colton chuckled. “An odd pairing if I’ve seen one.”
“She felt sorry for him after a failed relationship and didn’t realize until it was too late he’d decided theirs was the real deal. Now she doesn’t know how to get out of it without hurting him again. That’s all according to Delia. Girl talk and all that.”
They rounded the bottom of the stairs and moved into the living room, where several tables dressed in fall finery had been set up for the day’s feast. “I’ve only seen the man once, but when we vetted him, there wasn’t a whole lot on his background aside from his financial history. Not a lot of substance.”
“She’ll come to her senses.” Alex stopped at the table designated for the Blankenship family. “And hopefully find someone more deserving of her.” He held out his hand, and Colton took it in a firm shake. “Glad your family could be here with us today. Enjoy your dinner.”
“Yes. You too.”
As Alex walked away, Colton panned the room and the guests taking their places behind their chairs to wait for grace to be said and the line to start through the mile-long buffet.
His eyes met Riley’s across the room, and everything else faded into the background.
The conversations taking place around him, children’s laughter …
all drowned out by the beating of his heart.
Kevin said something to her, and she pulled her focus away, shattering the spell. Giving his head a shake, Colton turned back to the table and stared down at the china plate waiting to be filled.
He was in uncharted territory here. He’d been immune to the charms of other women who had tried to get his attention for four years now.
On purpose. Yet in mere days, this woman—this one small, silken-haired, doe-eyed beauty—had managed to get under his skin like nobody had in … well, that nobody ever had.
Being with Theresa had been simple. They’d been friends forever before settling into marriage. No skyrockets or fireworks. It was comfortable … uncomplicated.
Until it wasn’t. A gunshot wound and arduous, four-month-long recovery, followed by infertility, and then cancer had tried them to their very souls.
But they’d been in it together to the tragic end.
After which he’d told himself never again.
He’d never again bind himself to someone so closely that life could be that painful.
That he could be left so bereft at the end of it.
So, how, in less than two weeks, had Riley Hudson managed to penetrate his steel-plated heart? To get inside him, get him to open up, confess things to her, make him feel things he’d never wanted to again?
It didn’t matter that she was a beautiful, fun-loving, smart, caring woman any man would be blessed to be with. She had no place in his life. In his heart. None. He had to get that straight. Or he was of no use to her in the one way, the only way, he could be.
He needed to protect her. Take care of her. Keep her alive.
And then leave her.