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The nurse starts to go through the discharge information when the door opens again. Brett walks back into the room. “We decided I’d drive y’all home.” He nods at the nurse to proceed, and she looks at me for the okay. I nod, and she begins again.
I know there is no use in arguing. He means well, they all do, and I love them for it.
“Can I drive?” Brett asks the nurse.
“Sure.” She bats her eyelashes at him and moves so that he can take her place behind the wheelchair.
“You just didn’t want to carry the bags.” Raven laughs.
“Rave, I’ve ridden with you. I’m thinking about my nephew here.”
“He’s in a car seat,” she reminds him.
Brett nods. “Thankfully.” He winks at her, and we’re off.
Raven has our bags over her shoulder. Brett is pushing the wheelchair while I hold the car seat on my lap. The doors whoosh open, and the bright sunlight hits me in the face. That’s why I don’t see him until Raven calls out his name.
“Hudson!” she screams, drops our bags, and launches herself at him. “What are you doing here?”
His eyes are locked on mine. “M-My dad,” he tells her. “He’s here.”
“We know. We’ve all checked on him and your mom. He looks good,” she tells him.
He nods. “That’s what Mom said when I called from the airport, but I had to come,” he explains.
“How long are you here for?”
“For good. I was already working on coming home. Just happened a few days earlier than expected when I got the call.”
“How’s Clay?” Raven asks.
“Good.” Something in his voice has me lifting my head, and his eyes are still on me. “Riles,” he croaks.
Why does it sound like there is pain in his voice? “Hudson.” I manage to nod in his direction before averting my gaze to my son, to our son who is sleeping soundly with no clue his daddy is here.
The next thing I know, he’s kneeling before me. He places a hand on my thigh, and the touch burns my skin even through my leggings. “Who do we have here?” he asks softly.
I want to scream and yell at him. I want to tell him he knows damn well who it is, but then that would reveal my secret.
“This is Hayes. My son.” I look him in the eye, waiting to see the regret, or I really don’t know, something. All I see is Hudson. The man I fell in love with. His eyes are soft and kind.
He reaches over and offers Hayes his finger, and my little guy takes it. His tiny fist grips Hudson’s finger, and my heart feels like it’s in a vise. “Hey, buddy,” he says softly.
The tears are there, threatening to fall, but I can’t let them. Instead, I swallow past them and turn to look at Brett over my shoulder. “We should get him home.”
“Wait, they’re going home with you?” Hudson’s voice is accusing and, if I didn’t know better, angry.
“Nah, we’re all getting together at Riley’s to welcome him home,” Brett explains.
“You should come. After you check on your dad, of course,” Raven invites him.
I should be mad at her for it, but the truth is, this is nothing new for our group of friends. It’s not uncommon for one to call another and let them know what the plans are.
“Yeah,” Hudson says, not really committing. “I need to go see my parents.” His eyes find mine. “I’ll see you soon, Riles.”
There is something in his voice and in his eyes that I can’t explain. He gives my thigh a gentle squeeze and pulls his finger gently from Hayes’s grip and walks away.
No one says a word, which tells me that Raven and Brett noticed too. Instead, Brett wheels me to the car, and the nurse, who I forgot was with us, watches as Brett places the car seat in the base. She checks him before deeming my son safe and gives us a wave and a smile before taking the wheelchair back inside.
Raven and Brett chitchat all the way home while I stare at my son. I thought I had more time for all of this to blow up, but something about the look in Hudson’s eyes tells me that’s not the case.
CHAPTER 18
Hudson
I don’t know how I manage to walk away from her. My knees feel like wet noodles as I step into the hospital. I scan the lobby, and I make a beeline for a small sitting area. I need a fucking minute. I didn’t expect to see her here. Her and her son.
I might need to ask them to give me a bed beside my father because my heart feels as though it’s going to explode. He was my only thought. I had to get to him. I had to see for myself that he was okay. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would run into Riley after she’d just given birth to her son.
