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That wasn’t true at all, but Hudson appreciated the guy trying to make him feel good. “Well, let’s see if we can win this game.”
Okay, so maybe he did want to win a game.
“Goooo, Hudson!” Kayleigh yelled from the blanket. “Get that ball over the net.”
And with that, the next game got underway. It ended up being a bit more competitive than the first one. The smack talk also increased, particularly between Jay and Jackson.
Hudson’s team lost the second game, but it was a closer score than the first one. When he dropped back onto the blanket after the game ended, Kayleigh handed him a bottle of water.
“Did you have fun?” she asked as he cracked the lid on the bottle.
“Definitely more entertaining than when I played in high school.” He drained half the bottle in a couple of gulps, grateful for the cool liquid. “You really never play with your siblings?”
“Never. Well, not any sport that requires height to play well. I don’t mind bowling with them.”
Hudson chuckled. “It’s probably been as many years since I’ve bowled as since I’ve played volleyball.”
“You didn’t play like it had been that long.”
That brought a smile to his face. “Well, at least I stayed on my feet.”
“That you did, which is more than Jackson managed to accomplish.”
Hudson briefly wondered if Kayleigh had ever had anything more than just a friendship with either Wade or Jackson. They seemed to treat all the girls like they would a sister, but that wasn’t surprising since they’d known each other a long time.
Not that it mattered. She was with him now, and she seemed as committed to their relationship as he was.
The only thing he was still waiting for was to tell herexactlyhow he felt. He wasn’t sure why he was dancing around the subject, but he had no practice revealing how he felt. And he didn’t really have anyone to ask for advice.
He might have been forging a personal relationship with Alexander, but he still wasn’t confident that the man knew what he was doing in relationships. Gail seemed to feel that Candace was the main reason their marriage was a success.
More than anything, he wanted just one long-lasting relationship, not a string of shorter ones. And he wanted that with Kayleigh.
Though he had no doubts about how he felt, Hudson had no idea if it was too soon to tell her he loved her. She hadn’t said the words either.
But what if she was waiting for him to say them first?
He watched as she interacted with her niece and nephew. She might not be outgoing like Janessa or Charli, but she still had a warmth that drew people to her.
Kayleigh had certainly drawn him in, and he couldn’t be happier.
She looked at him when Layla and Peyton ran off to try hitting the volleyball over the net. Her smile softened, and she shifted over to sit closer to him.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” she asked. “There are some nice paths in the park.”
“Sure. That sounds good.”
He jumped to his feet, then held out his hand to help Kayleigh up. Her hand was small, but her grip was strong as she grabbed hold of his.
“We’re going to walk,” Kayleigh announced once she was on her feet. “If you’re not here when we get back, we’ll see you around.”
“Have fun,” Janessa called out.
As they walked away, Kayleigh gave his hand a squeeze. Hudson glanced down at her as he returned the squeeze.
“It’s been ages since I’ve been here,” she said as they followed a wide path through a wooded section of the park.
“It’s a beautiful place,” he replied. “I’m glad that I got to see Serenity in the summer.”
