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Kate,
Thank you for sharing this part of you with me. I’m honored.
You fell asleep, so I put you to bed. I hope you have nothing but sweet dreams.
I’ll call you tomorrow, but if you want to call me, here’s my number.
I’m home all day tomorrow. Maybe we can catch a bite for lunch? Let me know.
H.
Now I really feel like a bitch. He was great yesterday, and I just blew him off today. What’s my problem?
Apparently, a lot.
CHAPTER 16
HUDSON
I’ve spent the day fixing a drainage pipe on my property. Five acres doesn’t seem like a lot of land until you need to dig a trench that spans all five acres. The Florida summer heat and humidity didn’t help any, either.
I checked my phone about a million times today waiting for Kate to call me. The note on the bathroom mirror may not have been the best idea, but I didn’t want to stay over another night uninvited. The first time was for her safety after drinking so much. Last night would just have been creepy. I’m not going for creepy.
There’s something about Kate that seems to speak to me. I don’t know what it is, and I’ve never felt like this before, but I want to explore it. See what it is. Then again, it could just be one-sided. She may be completely on another page than me.
That electricity I feel every time I touch her can’t be one-sided, can it?
My phone rings and I drop the shovel and go to answer it hoping it’s Kate, but the display shows it’s Jax.
“Hey man.”
“Hudson, hey. Are you coming in to work at the bar tonight? Thought we could have an owner’s meeting since we’ll all be there.”
“That was my plan.” I look at my watch, “I should be there in about two hours. I’m almost done digging the drainpipe then I’ll grab a quick shower and head on over.”
“Great. See ya then.”
“Yep.”
We hang up and I check my messaging app to see if I missed a text, but there’s nothing from Kate.
Maybe it is one-sided and all my imagination.
I grab the shovel and dig the remaining hundred feet into the canal that runs along the back part of my property. Recently, I had a chain-link fence put in to keep Pepper safe from any alligators that may swim by. Like the one right now swinging his huge tail back and forth, propelling him down the canal. He’s got his eyes on me as I have on him.
It’s the only thing I hate about Florida. Alligators are in every body of water. At least you’re taught to expect them to be in all bodies of water. You need to respect their power and give them space.
I still don’t like them.
As I walk into Hooplas, I see her, and my blood runs cold. She’s the last person I want to see.
“There you are. I was wonder if you were coming in today.” Renee says with her flirty tone as she runs a long, red fingernail across my chest. I don’t know how she works as a Paramedic Firefighter with those talons, but her hair, nails, and makeup are always perfect. It’s all just a façade, though.
“Renee.” I move behind the bar to put some distance between us. Ever since I caught her doing things with her partner in the rescue truck at the station three years into our relationship and a week before I was going to propose to her, the feel of her touch on me makes my skin crawl. She’s been trying to get back together with me ever since that day over a year ago.
“How are you, Hudy?” I have always hated that nickname she calls me.
“I’m fine. How have you been?” Politeness is how my mother taught me to be. Taking the high road, mainly to keep the peace at work because we’re still coworkers, when we broke up, I never spoke badly about her or to her. I only told her we were done because I couldn’t trust her.
