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“That’s a very hard thing for me to accept,” Kayleigh murmured.
“Sometimes, our greatest revelations come in moments of great weakness.”
“Did that happen to you?”
“Yes, it did. Alexander told me he came to see you and shared what was going on with me. I certainly didn’t handle what happened between us very well, but I don’t regret the journey I ended up on. The time I spent with Gail helped me deal with my grief, which I’d never really done. Plus, being with her also helped me to reconnect with my faith.”
Kayleigh stared at him. Was this a dream? She’d never allowed herself to hope that Hudson might choose to embrace Christianity, even after Alexander had revealed his past experience with the church.
“So you’re…” Kayleigh wasn’t sure what to say because she didn’t want to misunderstand what he was telling her.
“When I met you, I saw what I’d lost in walking away from God. The way you connected with people, offering them grace and love, even when I wasn’t sure they deserved it. My mom was like that, and she tried to teach me to be that way too. But I was a teen when she died, and my anger and grief overrode everything.”
Though Kayleigh was glad what his change of heart might mean for them, she was even more glad for what it meant for him.
“I’m back because even though it’s been months since I left, I haven’t been able to get over my feelings for you. And I needed to know if you felt the same.”
Those words were a balm to her aching heart, and she hoped that she wasn’t getting her hopes up for nothing.
“But you don’t live here.”
“That’s going to change,” Hudson said. “If you are willing to give me a chance to prove myself, I plan to move to Serenity. I’ll still have to travel, but it won’t be as much.”
“You’d really uproot your whole life?” Kayleigh wanted that more than anything.
She didn’t doubt that if Hudson was sincere in his pursuit of God, they’d be able to make things work. If, after they’d had to walk away from each other, they still wanted to be together several months later, she was sure they could make it.
“I absolutely would. Most of all, I want to be close to you, but I also feel like this is a place that will help me grow as a Christian. I’ll have support here that I wouldn’t have in New York.”
Kayleigh smiled at his words, happiness flooding her heart. She’d never allowed herself to hope that Hudson would have a change of heart.
And yet here he was, sharing that yes, he’d had a change of heart, but it was one that brought their hearts into alignment, and gave her the first glimmer of hope that things could work out for them.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Hudson leaned back on his hands, closing his eyes as he tipped his face to the sky. The summer breeze that drifted over him helped to keep the hot day from being too uncomfortable. The sound of the leaves rustling was soothing in a way that he’d never experienced before. Prior to returning to Serenity, he hadn’t sought to experience the beauty of nature.
Contentment filled him now, leaving him in awe of how his life had changed over the past several months. To go from indifference to love, then from heartbreak, grief, and anger to peace had been a challenging journey at times, but he felt like he’d learned and grown so much.
The past three weeks since he’d returned to Serenity to see if Kayleigh would give them just one more chance had been better than he could have imagined. The support he had for the changes he wanted to make in his life went far beyond Kayleigh.
Her family had immediately stepped in to help him find an apartment, and Kayleigh’s brothers had made themselves available to him for any help he’d needed, be it physical, spiritual, or emotional. He’d never had friendships like the ones he was building now. He’d never allowed himself to get that close to anyone.
But most surprising had been how supportive Alexander had become. When Hudson had told him what he wanted to do, he’d set up a meeting with Hudson and then with Hudson and Caleb to hash out how to make it all work. Instead of throwing up roadblocks, Alexander had done what he could to pave the way for Hudson to move forward with his plan.
Since Kayleigh could handle the Serenity resort just fine on her own, he didn’t involve himself in her business, but he did have an office in the building. It had been Alexander’s idea, and Kayleigh had been on board. Hudson hadn’t objected either, since it meant he could see her more.
Movement at his side had him lifting his head and opening his eyes. Kayleigh smiled at him as she settled cross-legged beside him on the large blanket. He sat up and slipped an arm around her waist as she leaned into his side.
They had joined her siblings for an afternoon at the park following church. They’d had a large lunch that hadn’t been any less expansive for having been eaten at the park instead of the dining room table. He’d never eaten as well as he had since becoming a part of Kayleigh’s life. It was a good thing he and Kayleigh still worked out every morning.
“Are you going to play volleyball?” Kayleigh asked as they watched Peyton and Layla gently toss a ball to Ciara.
“Probably,” he said. “Though it’s been years since I last played.”
“Maybe it will be like riding a bike,” she suggested. “And it will all come back to you.”
Hudson chuckled. “Are you going to play?”
