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Liam climbed out of the car and ran up to the man who stood on the front steps, staring down at her. He was dressed simply. Faded denim clung to his long legs, topped by a white T-shirt and a blue-and-white plaid. The sleeves were rolled up on the shirt, exposing his muscular forearms and those tantalizing tattoos. His hair was combed back and looked fresh, as if he’d just come out of the shower, and every single thing about him called to that part of her she’d kept locked away for so long.
Hudson broke eye contact and leaned close to hear whatever it was Liam was saying. He ruffled her son’s hair and then pointed to the front door.
The time to retreat had passed. Rebecca hadn’t gotten through the last year and a half by hiding in the shadows. Maybe her mother was right. Maybe she had been a runner, the keyword being had. But no more. It was time for her to figure this out. Whatever this was.
She opened the car door and headed for the house.
Chapter 27
“So Liam tells me he’s away next weekend at a hockey camp.”
“He is,” Rebecca answered slowly, moving around Hudson so that she could lean against the counter and watch her son. Her boy was in the family room with Hudson’s father and Darlene, trying to explain the intricacies of some virtual game all the kids were playing. He was pointing his phone at the window, and Hudson grinned because, clearly, the older two were at a total loss.
“He’s good with the old folks.” Hudson moved closer to Rebecca. “Not many kids his age would interact with them the way he does.”
“He had a bit of a rough patch last year, acting out, being disrespectful. For a while, I was worried about him.” Rebecca folded the towel in her hand and placed it on the counter. “But Liam’s got a big heart, and age doesn’t matter to him. If you treat him kindly, he’s all in. He doesn’t discriminate.”
He watched her closely. Saw the love and pride. “You did good, Becs.”
She turned to him then, but he couldn’t read her. Hell, he’d been trying to all night. Ever since she’d shown up for dinner. No one had been more surprised than Hudson to find Rebecca and Liam in the driveway. He’d figured it was Nash swinging by to see the old man.
“What about you?” she asked, head cocked to the side.
“Me?”
“Kids. Do you want them?”
“Yeah,” he answered slowly, nodding. “I do. Some day. With the right person.”
They’d suddenly strayed into heavy territory, and she shuffled her feet a bit, though she never took her eyes from his.
“You and Candace never had that conversation?”
“Candace and I weren’t married long enough to have that conversation. But maybe that was because we both knew a kid for us would have been a huge mistake.”
She glanced back to Liam. “My marriage was a disaster. Pretty much from the beginning. But I wouldn’t trade any of the bad, because at least I have Liam.”
There were so many questions Hudson wanted to ask Rebecca. So many damn things he needed to know. Things he needed to say. But it wasn’t the right time. Not here in his dad’s kitchen. They needed to be alone. Needed to be in a place where there were no distractions. This thing between them was no longer simple, and he needed some clarity.
I want her back.
The words whispered through his mind. They hit him like a punch to the gut. He took a step toward her.
I want her back.
She looked up, a bit startled by his close proximity.
“Come away with me next weekend.”
The look on her face was priceless. “Are you high?”
“No.”
“Well, you sound crazy. Why would I go away with you for the weekend?”
“Because you know there’re things we need to figure out.”
“I…” She shook her head. “We…” And then slowly stopped. She stood there looking up at him, her face a myriad of emotion, and it took everything in him not to put his hands on her and stake his claim. When she spoke, her voice was low, with that throaty rasp that told him she was ruffled. “It’s probably not a good idea.”
