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I turn and smile at him as he takes my fingers and kisses my palm. “I am. Just thinking about my dad. This is a lot for him, and I don’t want to tire him out.”
“I’m sure your mom has her eye on him, and if we see him getting tired, we can cut things short.”
“Thank you, Hudson, for everything.”
He looks so handsome in his charcoal grey suit and vest, his white shirt and green tie matching my dress. But it’s the way he looks at me that makes the butterflies in my belly scatter.
“It’s my absolute pleasure, Belle.”
Taking his arm, we head inside. My mother greets us both with a hug and tells me that my dad will be down shortly. Aunt Heather is beside her, as I know she will be when the time comes and my dad leaves us.
“Congratulations, you two. Audrey, you look stunning and, Hudson, I have no clue why Lincoln calls you the beast, but my boy must have salt in his eyes.”
I stiffen at my aunt’s words, but Hudson merely kisses her cheek and laughs.
“Don’t believe everything you hear about me, Mrs. Kennedy.”
“Oh, tosh, call me Heather. And I’m the mother of two boys, I haven’t listened to much he’s said since he hit puberty.”
“Mother, can you not join the dark side for once, please?”
We turn to see Lincoln and Lottie walking towards us as Aunt Heather laughs and walks away with my mom to look at something in the kitchen.
“Carmichael.” My cousin greets Hudson and holds out his hand. It’s a sign of peace, and I’m grateful for it.
Hudson takes it. “Coldwell.” He turns to Lottie with a warm smile as I greet Lincoln. “Lottie, you look well. How are you?”
“She’s perfectly fine, thank you, Carmichael, so save your concern.”
“Lincoln.” I admonish, but Hudson shakes his head and wraps an arm around me.
“It’s fine. I understand him wanting to protect the woman he loves.”
Lottie fans herself, her eyes widening, and I shake my head with a grin.
“Do you really?”
“Yes, I do. You’d crawl through broken glass to make them smile and die a thousand deaths to keep them safe.”
“Exactly.”
They stare off for a second that stretches before Lincoln laughs and punches Hudson on the shoulder in some weird male bonding routine. “You’re not the asshole I thought you were, Hudson.”
“So happy you think so, Lincoln. Your opinion means everything to me.”
Ryker comes up between them and grabs both men around the shoulders. “We bonding or what?”
Eden, who looks radiant in a red strapless satin dress and the most adorable baby bump, rolls her eyes. “Ignore him, he’s just happy because my father has agreed to build him a custom bike.”
As Beck, Xander, and Amelia arrive next, followed by Harrison and Norrie, the men seem to splinter off into a little huddle with Hudson at the center.
“Stop worrying.”
I turn away from Hudson, as he throws me a wink, to look at Amelia. “I just need them to remember he’s doing me a favor and not give him the third degree.”
Norrie hands me a glass of Champagne. “Relax, the boys are just looking out for you.”
“And Hudson can handle himself,” Lottie adds.
