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I stand up. “Let me go see what Pepper’s upset at. I’ll be right back.”
“The armadillo is back, Hudson. I keep blocking the holes it keeps digging, but the dang thing keeps digging more.” Mom says, exacerbated.
“I’ll take care of it. Be back soon.” I say more for Kate’s benefit than for Mom’s. Don’t want Kate to feel abandoned.
“No worries. Take your time. I’m going to ask your mom to tell me all the embarrassing stories about you she can remember.” Kate snarks at me.
“Oh. I’ve got pictures, too!” The women laugh as I decide that I’ll just go hang out with the armadillo and Pepper. It’s probably safer out there, anyway.
We made it out of my mom’s house relatively unscathed. At least, I think we did. Neither one of them would tell me what they talked about or what pictures they looked at while I was fighting a very determined armadillo and an adamant English Mastiff in the backyard. I’m hoping when we get back to my place that Kate doesn’t jump into her SUV and take off.
I pull into the driveway and Pepper barks to get out. Looking at the dashboard clock, I realize it’s past her dinner time. “I need to feed her.”
“Okay.” Kate climbs out of the truck, and I hold my breath to see which way she goes, to the door to my kitchen entry or to her SUV in the driveway.
The relief is immediate when she reaches for the doorknob. “I’ll go grab us something to drink.”
After feeding Pepper and letting her go potty outside, I find Kate curled up on my couch with her feet underneath her. She’s got her computer on her lap and she’s reading something.
“What’s that?” I ask as I sit down and grab a sip of the beer on the table that she had got for me when we got home. Home. I like the sound of that.
“Notes from people who have donated. These are some of the nicest things anyone has said about me. And now it’s up to almost twenty-five thousand dollars. Can you believe that?”
“Wow. That’s a lot of money. It’ll go to good use, though, once you start reconstruction.”
She just nods as she reads more notes from people.
I take the computer from her lap and close the lid. “Enough for one day. Okay?”
She nods and then takes my hand in both of her hands and places them on her lap. “Okay.”
“It’s been a long two days, hasn’t it?” I ask her and pull her hand to my mouth and kiss it. It’s dark out and it’s getting late.
She turns and faces me. “I want to talk to you.”
Shit. This can’t be good. “Okay, let’s talk, but remember. No secrets. No regrets.”
She smiles. “I’m not going to deny that I have feelings for you, Hudson. I can’t. But I don’t know if I’m ready to express them yet, either, because I need to understand them myself first.”
“Kate, I know that. I know it’s too fast for you…”
“Wait. Let me talk.” She interrupts me, and I nod for her to continue. “I do have very strong feelings for you. I do. But in the past, I’ve been really hurt. I mean, to where you’re the first person I’ve dated or been with in the last five years.”
My eyes almost pop out of my head. I can feel them trying to. Five years? I know she’s not a virgin; I mean, she’s almost thirty years old. But I wouldn’t have guessed she’s been alone for that long. How is that possible when she’s so beautiful inside and out? How has she not been snatched up already? And how in the hell did I get so damn lucky?
“I know it’s been a long time. Someone really hurt me and someday I’ll tell you about it, but not now. I don’t want his name to spoil our moment.” She cups my cheek and I lean into her. “The feelings are all mixed up with my feelings over what happened at my shop and with us sleeping together. I want to tell you how I feel when I can separate them out and give them the attention they deserve. Can you wait for me to do that?”
“Of course I can, Kate. Of course. We’re going to do this as slowly or as fast as you want. You dictate the pace. I’m not going anywhere. I’m in this for the long haul. And I know someone has hurt you. Grace threatened to shoot off my balls if I hurt you.”
Kate laughs and shakes her head. “She was an Olympic shooter. She means it.”
I nod, “I know. I took heed of her warning. But I get being hurt. We’ve all been hurt, but I will not hurt you, Kate. I promise you that. You and me… this feels different from any other time in my life. I don’t understand it, but I don’t want to change it. Got it?”
“Got it.”
I pull her into my lap, and she comes willingly. I lean in to kiss her, but she stops me. “Wait. One more thing.”
Quirking my eye, “Yes? Hurry up. I want to start making out with you.”
