Page 54 of Too Broken to Love

“And now you’re stuck with me.” Tessa wiped her eyes. “I haven’t said this in a few years, and I should say it every day. Thank you for seeing the good in me when I couldn’t.”

“Stop with the insecurities. My point is, who you are in your heart outshines everything you think tarnished you. From what you’ve told me, Hudson’s emotional maturity is right up there with his ability to please a woman. Tell him the full story about Frank.”

“Can’t debate the pleasing a woman part.” She shouldn’t debate the “tell him about Frank” part either, but her fears and insecurities argued against full disclosure with the ferocity of a lawyer defending a client on death row.

Her phone pinged with a message from an unknown number.

This is Hudson. I won’t be home for dinner. Meeting an old friend of Pop’s. All good on your end?

Despite everything, a slow smile spread across her face as she typed.

Yes. All good.

And when “all good” turned to explosively bad, she wouldn’t run this time.

Tessa surged awake with a scream. Bolting upright, her scratchy throat shredded the sound as her nightmare splintered apart in the sunlight streaming through the window.

I’m okay.

I’m in my bed.

In my mansion.

She dropped her head into her hands and half-sobbed, half-laughed. Her mansion, well, half her mansion, still sounded like a dream.

A much better dream than the ones plaguing her these past few nights.

She shook off her ghosts and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 7:30 a.m. She never slept this late. Going back to work yesterday had been exhausting.

She flopped back onto the big, comfortable bed. Something black and furry slid off the pillow next to her.

“Fluffy?”

It couldn’t be. The only thing that had survived the fire was her lockbox.

With a squeak, she scooped up the football-sized stuffed dog and held him at arm’s length. A thin, deep red collar circled his neck with a note attached.

Fluffy is still a silly name.

She hugged the dog and laughed. “It is not a silly name, you stupid, wonderful man.”

Lia poked her head through the doorway. “Are you talking about Malcolm? ‘Cause he hasn’t admitted he’s an ass yet, but the things he did last night with his tongue were beyond wonderful.”

“I’m talking about Hudson.” She held up the dog, too excited to press Lia for details. “Look what I found next to my pillow?”

Lia bounded to the bed. “Oh my God. Is that Fluffy?”

“Yes. Hudson somehow salvaged him from the fire. I’m so excited I might fall if I stand up.”

Lia laughed. “Oh, sweetie. You’ve been falling for days. You just haven’t realized it yet.”

Tessa stared at Fluffy. With everything going on, Hudson had taken the time to find her silly stuffed dog and return him safe and clean. But more importantly? He’d listened to her cry about why she was attached to it.

Hadn’t made a comment about her mother’s twisted dynamic with Frank.

Hadn’t judged a damn word she’d said.

She pressed her fingers to her mouth. She’d just fallen over the edge for Hudson. “What do I do now?”