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“He’s good. His mom has finally agreed to do a little traveling, so they’re going to Scotland for a week in September.”
Kayleigh had met Caleb a couple of times when he’d come to Serenity to meet with Hudson, and she’d liked him.
Though she’d never told Hudson, Kayleigh was glad that Hudson’s assistant was a man, because unfortunately, she was pretty sure that jealousy would have been a thing if he’d had a beautiful assistant. Maybe that was because she couldn’t imagine any single woman not being interested in Hudson.
Not that he’d ever given her a reason to be jealous, for which she was very grateful.
“So, what’s been happening around here?”
As they ate, she caught him up on some family stuff she hadn’t shared during their video chats. Though they often talked about work, right then, she’d rather stick to family and personal stuff.
Kayleigh was so glad that Hudson had fit in with her family as well as he did. He even had relationships with some of them that existed beyond her.
They mainly hung out as couples a lot, but he also spent time with just Jay and Gareth. And when Wilder had been home for the winter months, he and Hudson had spent some time together on the slopes.
When they were done with their meal, Hudson said, “Would you mind going for a walk in the park in Serenity? I’m in dire need of some outdoor time.”
“As long as it’s a slow walk,” Kayleigh told him. “My boots aren’t really made for hiking.”
“But they are made for walking?”
Kayleigh chuckled. “As long as I can hold on to you.”
“You can do that whenever you need to.”
“It’s not always about need, you know,” she told him as they left the restaurant. “Sometimes I justwantto hold on to you.”
Hudson smiled at that, his eyes twinkling. “Whatever your motive, I’m here for it.”
Once at the park, he parked near where her family liked to play volleyball when they came to the park during the warm summer months. They hadn’t been there yet that year, but she imagined they would be as soon as they had a warm Sunday afternoon forecast.
Hudson took her hand as they fell into step on the walkway. “As the plane was coming in, I noticed that the landscape was looking nice and green.”
“We’re not quite to peak summer foliage yet, but we’re definitely getting there.”
“I’m still not sure which season is the most beautiful here,” Hudson said. “Fall is also amazing.”
“If you enjoy all the seasons, then you’ll probably be happy to stay.”
“I’m happy to stay, regardless,” Hudson said, giving her hand a squeeze. “It’s definitely not the snow or beautiful trees keeping me here.”
That made Kayleigh’s heart sing because she didn’t want him to ever get bored and regret making the move to Serenity. “I know you have to leave sometimes, but as long as you come back, I can endure those temporary separations.”
“I wish I didn’t have to travel.”
“I didn’t say that to make you feel bad,” she told him. “I knew that if we were going to have a relationship, these trips were going to be a part of our lives. Just always come back to me, and I’ll be here waiting for you.”
They headed down the walkaway that led to the garden where they’d first shared their love for each other. Whenever they came to the park, they inevitably took a walk and spent a little time in the garden.
The space showed plenty of new growth, but not everything was in full bloom yet.
They wandered around the different areas of the garden before ending up at their bench. Well, not technicallytheirbench. But if it was available, it was always where they stopped for a break during their walk.
Hudson put his arm along the back of the bench, and Kayleigh took that for the invitation she knew it was and cuddled up against his side.
The park wasn’t particularly busy in the late afternoon, but there were a few people who wandered by, most giving them a smile as they passed.
“I missed this,” Hudson said with a sigh. “The peacefulness here, with you close. It’s all I could ask for in my life. Almost.”
