Chapter 33
~Riley~
Two hours later, after a quick change into a red and black tartan dress and black tights for dinner, I meet Hudson in the hotel lobby. His laid-back, wide smile is back in place, and his eyes roam over my outfit with obvious approval.
“My family won’t be that upset if we cancel. Maybe we could just stay here.”
His eyebrows lift in an obviously teasing way, but I can see his fists clench, as if he’s holding himself back from touching me. To be honest, I’d really like to give him a hug right now, but too many people are walking around and anyone could see us.
“We can cancel if you’re not feeling up to it. Are you hurt?”
He told me over text earlier that he was fine, and he brushes my concern away now with a wave of his hand. “A few bruises, that’s all. The restaurant’s just a couple of blocks away, so I thought we could walk if that’s okay.”
“Sure.” I put on the coat that I brought with me, watching him carefully for any sign that he’s upset over today’s results. “Other than the bruises, how are you feeling?”
He shrugs. “You win some, you lose some. Today, I lost, but it’s not going to ruin my day.”
I’ve never met anyone who stays on such an even keel all the time. Whatever Hudson’s secret is, I need to figure it out and steal it for myself.
“What did you tell Hannah you’re doing tonight?” he asks as we head out onto the street together. The sidewalks are clear of snow, but the wind is bitterly cold, and I tuck my chin down into my scarf to keep warm.
“I said I have a friend in the city who got in touch with me and invited me out,” I admit. I don’t like lying to my friend, but this thing with Hudson is so new, I’m not ready to let anyone else in on it yet.
“Did you tell her that friend might invite you to stay overnight?”
His wink sends a welcome flush of heat through my body, helping against the chill of the air. “No, but if I need to, I’m sure I can tell her that later.”
Hudson’s grin stays on his face until we reach the restaurant. He opens the door for me, and we’re led to a table where a large group is already gathered. Everyone greets Hudson warmly and then, almost in unison, their curious, interested eyes all move to me.
“Can we get an extra place setting?” Hudson asks the hostess who brought us to the table before taking my coat like the gentleman he is. “Riley, this is my family. Over there is my mom and dad.”
He points at the middle-aged couple at the end of the table. His dad’s hair is almost the same shade as Hudson’s with a few grey streaks thrown in and his mom has one of the friendliest faces I’ve ever seen beneath a trim blonde bob. The skin around her eyes crinkles when she smiles at me.
“The pretty one is Sutton, and the two brats here are Tyler and Zac.”
Hudson’s sister, Sutton, is indeed very pretty.
She also has red hair but hers is straight, and she gives me a wave from her spot next to her dad.
Tyler looks to be about 16 and his cheeks turn red as soon as my eyes land on him.
Zac is the youngest and his hair is blonder, more like his mom’s.
He also waves at me, like Sutton did, but not quite as smoothly.
“Everyone, this is Riley. She’s the one I told you about before.”
That’s all he says, leaving me wondering exactly what he told them. We all say hello while Hudson hangs our coats on some hooks on the wall near the table. Our waitress brings over an extra chair and cutlery for me so I can sit down next to Zac, and Hudson squeezes in between me and his mom.
“How are you?” Hudson’s mom asks her son as soon as he settles, grabbing his chin and turning his face from side to side to examine him. “Did you hurt anything?”
“Do you mean during the warm-up or when I fell on my ass on the Axel?” he replies with a self-deprecating laugh.
“She means when that jackass ran into you,” Tyler supplies.
“Language,” their mom warns before turning back to Hudson. “Seriously, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Hudson promises. “It threw me off my game a bit today, but it won’t have any impact on the rest of the season. Not worth dwelling on.”
Sutton notices my incredulous expression and shoots me a grin. “Does it drive you nuts how calm he always is?”
I try not to choke in surprise at how easily she read my reaction. “Uh, kind of, yeah. I’ve never met anyone who never gets upset.”
The whole family chuckles at that, exchanging knowing glances.
“Are you his girlfriend?” Zac blurts out, as if the question has been building inside him since I arrived and he can’t keep it in a second longer.
I look to Hudson for an answer to that, and he responds with an easy grin, reaching over to place his hand on top of mine. “Yeah, she’s my girlfriend, but we’re keeping it quiet for now. No talking to the tabloids, okay?”
He fixes a fake menacing glare on his younger brother who scoffs in return. “Like anyone cares who you date.”
“Well, apparently you do, since you just asked about it.”
The siblings keep teasing each other, and no one makes me feel uncomfortable for even a second. They accept my presence there as if it’s completely normal and expected.
“I saw your skate in Helsinki,” Hudson’s mom says to me once we all have our food and everyone’s busy eating. “You looked wonderful.”
“I liked your music,” his dad adds, reminding me that Hudson mentioned he’s a Bon Jovi fan.
“Thank you.” I try not to blush as I return her smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever skated better. Moving to Riverbend has been good for me.”
My eyes slide to Hudson before I can stop them and he beams back at me, knowing I’m talking about him as much as the coaching staff.
“I was so disappointed we couldn’t be there in person,” she continues. “Was your family there to watch you?
“No. My mom’s usually busy with work. I don’t know my dad and I don’t have any siblings. Most of the time, it’s just me.”
I have no idea why I blurted all that out. I guess I’m so used to Hudson saying whatever comes into his head that I forgot to turn my filter on.
His arm slips around my shoulders, solid and comfortable. “Well, that’s not happening anymore. Who’s up for a trip to US Nationals in January?”
“Where are they?” Sutton asks.
Everyone looks at me again, so I stutter out the answer. “Uh, Denver.”
“That’s not too far,” Mrs Baker muses.
“Do I get to miss school?” Zac asks hopefully.
Sutton pulls out her phone to check flights and before I know it, they really are planning a trip to come and see me skate even though they’ve only just met me.
I’m starting to understand where Hudson gets his impulsiveness from.
By the time dinner ends, I have a standing invitation to join them every Sunday for dinner and a brand-new cheering section.
“We better get back on the road,” Mr Baker announces. “It’s a three-hour drive and the boys have school tomorrow. You guys are coming home in the morning?”
Hudson confirms that’s the case. Everyone hugs me like I’m an old friend, and I follow Hudson back out into the cold, feeling slightly shell-shocked from the whole encounter.
“Is your family always like that?”
I don’t have a lot of experience with families in general, but I never felt entirely comfortable with Trevor’s parents even after two years together. Evelyn’s mom only ever tolerated me. The Bakers feel like a completely different species.
Hudson glances back over his shoulder as if they might be following us. “That was them on their best behaviour. Usually, they’re not so reserved.”
“Reserved?!” I sputter, and he grins as he wraps his arm around me again. As good as it feels, he still hasn’t really answered my question. “Are they so accepting of every girl you introduce them to?”
Even with the bulky layers of coats between us, I can feel him stiffen. For most people, it wouldn’t be anything unusual, but Hudson is usually so loose that it seems significant.
“To be honest, there haven’t been many girls who have joined us for dinner.”
“How many is ‘not many’?”
I’m being nosy, I know, but I can’t help it.
“Besides you? One.”
Wow. A strange form of pride swells in my chest, but I’m also very curious about this other ‘one’. “Who is she?”
Although I look up at him when I ask, Hudson keeps facing straight ahead. “She was my girlfriend in high school. We were together for just over two years, like you and Trevor.”
Interesting. I wonder why he hasn’t mentioned her before, but it’s not like we’ve delved too deeply into our dating histories. Although he knows about Trevor, he’s never pressed me about anyone else.
“Are you still friends?” I ask tentatively, not even sure why I’m asking. Will I be jealous if he says yes, or relieved to know he can stay friends with an ex? That could be a good omen for us if we do eventually break up.
“No.” His answer is soft and not at all his usual lighthearted tone. “She’s not in my life anymore.”
The way he says it makes it clear to me that there’s more to the story, but before I can ask, Hudson shakes away his somber mood and turns to me with a smile.
“Do you really want to spend tonight talking about our exes, or would you like to come spend the night in my room and see exactly what it’s like to be my girlfriend?”