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“I can’t move in with you. Not yet anyway. I’m not ready for that. This is all too new.”
“I know that, Kate. It’s okay; I completely understand. As long as you understand that when you’re ready, so am I. Deal?”
“Deal” She smiles and leans down to kiss me. “Now, take me to bed, Loverboy.”
Oh, my god. My mother told her the nickname I gave myself when I was a teenager, thinking that my shit didn’t stick.
Spoiler alert.
My shit did, in fact, stink.
I’m going to get my mother for this.
But as any good boyfriend that loves his girlfriend would do, I pick Kate up and carry her to bed with me.
CHAPTER 27
KATE
It’s been a long but productive week of meeting with contractors and subcontractors, getting quotes, and talking to my insurance company and orchestrating everything that needs to get done. I decided not to move my shop to another location. I was here first, and my customers know where to find me. Right here. I’m not going anywhere, and Jose and his cronies can suck it.
Kickball practice has gone on every night this week, and it has been a welcome distraction from what’s going on with my shop. We have a game this morning before the fundraising picnic that Grace has put together. We’re playing the Vero Beach Vikings and I hear they are just as bad as we are, so we have a fighting chance of at least getting on the scoreboard. During Thursday night’s practice, we all decided that was our only goal today; to get on the scoreboard. We can work our way up from there.
The online crowdfunding has grown exponentially to over a hundred thousand dollars. It’s enough for me to pay all three of my employees their salaries while the shop is closed, my rent for the shop, because I was reminded by my landlord that I still have to pay it even though I have no business right now, and my personal bills. I have responded to every one of the posts that were posted online, thanking them for their help and ensuring that the funds will go to my staff or to my vendors. My vendors have been affected by this as well.
Someone even tried to donate a food truck for me to sell coffee and bagels out of while parked in the parking lot until the shop was back up and running, but my landlord wouldn’t let me do it citing that it would interrupt Pizza Pizzaz’s business. I pointed out that he has almost no business, but the landlord still denied the food truck.
Another distraction from all that has been going on is Hudson. Things with Hudson have been heating up quickly. We’ve been together every night this week, either at my place or at his place. I have to admit, being at his place is easier than staying at mine. My tiny house if perfect for just me and Wilbur but add in a giant of a man and his giant dog and the place can get a bit crowded. Hudson hasn’t complained, but I feel it. The invitation to move in with him gets better and better the more I think about it, but now still isn’t the time. But maybe someday.
I can’t believe I’m even thinking about it.
My feelings for Hudson have grown deeper and deeper, too. I told him about Adam and me and what happened. The entire time, Hudson’s hands were in a tight fist. He told me he wanted to ‘exact force’, his words not mine, on Adam, but then thank him for letting me go so that he could have me. Made me fall for him even more.
Hudson told me about his ex-girlfriend, Renee. She sounds like a winner. He mentioned he was going to propose, but she cheated on him, and he caught her. Good for him. Why on earth would anyone want to cheat on him? He’s amazing, caring, sweet, strong, determined, loyal, and handsome. I’ll do everything I can to keep him in my life.
I guess I understand how Hudson feels about Adam. I want to punch Renee and then thank her for fucking up so I could have him.
Lori Taylor, Hudson’s mom, has called or texted me every single day without fail, asking me how I’m doing, if I need anything, or if she can help. She’s been amazing. Hudson’s lucky to have a mom like that and I’ve told him as much. It makes me miss my mom even more sometimes.
Hudson had to work on Monday and Thursday and both days. He made me take Pepper, saying I needed protection when he wasn’t around. I’ve got to admit, it’s nice being taken care of. Pepper and I have become fast friends. She sleeps in my bed when he’s not with me and Wilbur seems to really like her, too. They sleep together sometimes in the evenings. It’s cute and I’ve been posting pictures on social media of the two of them like crazy.
“You almost ready to go? Time to kick some kickball ass!” Hudson says as he enters his living room in a pink shirt that says, ‘Bad News Babe Boyfriend’.
“That’s fantastic! Where did you find a pink shirt your size?” I ask as I finish tying my shoelaces.
“Online, of course.” He says, as if I should know that already. Actually, I think he may have a bit of an online shopping addiction. There are way too many empty boxes in his garage with a smile on the side of them.
“Of course. What was I thinking?” I smile and kiss him. “Thank you. Our team appreciates your support. Although we suck, we might not suck as much as the other team this week.”
“Well, let’s go and find out.” He waves his arm to the garage door. “Be good Pepper. Grandma will be by later to pick you up.” He calls out to the dog, but she doesn’t even lift her head.
“Where is your mom today?”
“She stayed at Max’s house and that’s all I want to talk about my mother’s love life.”
I laugh. This has been a bit of a sticking point with Hudson. He met his mother’s boyfriend, Max, Tuesday night at dinner while I was at kickball practice and they got a long great, he said. But the overnight stays give Hudson the heebie jeebies. I get it since it’s the first time since his father died his mom has dated. But it’s pretty funny when he talks about it.
We pull up to Hibiscus Harbor Park and find a parking spot. “Okay. Let’s go get ‘em!”
