I chuckle and peek over my shoulder. “I have absolutely no idea. Sometimes the noise actually seems to be soothing. Go figure. Seems like it’s just one of those things. Some babies sleep through everything while others wake up from the slightest noise.”
“Babies are such a mystery. Good thing they’re cute.” He’s looking at her with a smile on his face. From the looks of it, the whole Mitchell family is a little baby crazy, but I’ll keep that fact to myself.
The oven beeps, and I walk over to turn it off, taking the baking sheet full of apple cinnamon muffins out to slide it onto the counter. I point my oven mitt at Gabe. “They have to be cute, or we’d all be extinct, trust me. Remember those words for whenever it’s your turn.”
“Yeah, thanks.” He looks a little uncomfortable, and I have to chuckle. It’s actually pretty adorable.
I press my lips together to keep from laughing. “Gabe, are you still in the phase where you love babies as long as you can give them back after a while?”
His cheeks turn slightly red. “I guess so.”
I clearly embarrassed him and feel a little bad about it. “Nothing wrong with that. You’re only a year older than Hudson, right? You still have plenty of time.”
He nods. “Tell that to my mom. She loves to whine about wanting grandbabies. Thank goodness you guys are here now. Mira should quench her baby thirst, at least for a little while.”
That makes me snort. “Yeah, Hudson told me about that.”
Gabe looks taken aback when he studies me. “He did? Really?”
Taking the muffins out of the baking form, I put them on a cooling rack. “Yeah, a while ago. Is it bad that he mentioned it?”
“What? Oh no, I didn’t mean it that way. He just has this weird thing where he usually doesn’t like to talk about babies, so I guess I’m just surprised he talked about it with you.”
Something inside me snaps, and I get defensive. “Maybe he has a reason for his behavior, don’t you think?”
Gabe raises his eyebrows, picking up on my tone.
“You know what? You’re right, maybe he really does.” He studies me for another moment before shrugging his shoulders. “Speaking of Hudson, do you know where he is?”
I sigh and shake my head, feeling like a jerk for lashing out at him. “He said he was going to meet us here, so I’m guessing he got caught up somewhere.”
“Dang it, he didn’t answer his phone either. I’m worried he’s going to do something stupid.”
Hudson acted completely normal earlier, but I can’t help and feel a little nervous at Gabe’s remark. Maybe I didn’t imagine it then, or Gabe knows something I don’t. “Why? Did he say something to you?”
Shaking his head, Gabe looks everywhere but me.
I stare at him until he finally turns around to look at me. “You’re keeping something from me. What is it?”
He throws his hands up in defeat, letting out a big breath of air. Well, that didn’t take long. “You’re just as bad as Grandma. Can’t get anything past you guys.”
“Well, you obviously know something… I’m waiting.” I’m barely refraining from tapping my foot in annoyance.
“Something about wanting to make things right. I’m not sure what exactly he was referring to. The phone call lasted all but a minute. I’m guessing it has something to do with Addy, not that he’d tell me if it was, since he doesn’t talk about her.” He shakes his head. “We still don’t even know why they broke up.”
I stare at him as we study each other for a moment in silence, and I’m afraid I’m gaping a little too much. Then he points a finger at me. “I can’t believe it. He told you, didn’t he?”
The last thing I want to do is create problems in this family because of this whole situation. But I’m also not going to lie, so I nod.
Gabe’s voice is quiet when he speaks again. “Is it as bad as we think it is?”
What on earth is the right thing to say here? It is pretty bad, after all. “Maybe...probably.”
His face transforms in seconds, a light layer of red coloring his face. This time, it’s definitely out of anger, though. He looks like he’s ready to blow steam out of his ears.
“Man, I really can’t stand that woman. You should’ve seen Hudson when she was done with him. I’ve never seen him like that before. Ever. It was like his body was just this empty shell, and we were so worried he wasn’t ever going to go back to normal.” His eyes flicker to Mira on my back, and I wonder how much worse his outburst would be if it wasn’t for her.
Hearing about Hudson’s pain from Gabe feels like a little stab right into my heart again. “I can imagine how down he was. He told me it didn’t end well.”
Gabe’s looking at me with pleading eyes, making it rather easy to guess what he wants from me.
Pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and my index finger, I exhale loudly. “I can’t, I’m sorry. I totally understand why you want to know, and I really think you should—all of you, actually—but it’s not my place to tell.”
He rakes his hands roughly through his hair, and it’s hard seeing him like this. It’s clear how much his brother means to him and that they all have each other’s backs. Feeling helpless is probably one of the worst feelings out there, no matter what situation you’re in. “No, I completely understand. I should be the one apologizing, not you. I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that.”
“Hey, I’m sure it’ll be all right. If not right now, hopefully soon.” I squeeze his arm gently, hoping it’ll reassure him, at least a little bit.
He gives me a small nod. “You’re right. And I’m happy he’s got you now to confide in. That’s a million times better than not having anyone.”
If he keeps saying things like that, I’m going to cry.
Gabe reaches out to snatch one of the muffins. Sneaky little thing. “I’m just worried about him, that’s all. It’s so typical of him to just dive into situations headfirst without thinking things through. I’m sure that’s what got him into this mess in the first place.”
“I don’t know, Gabe. Maybe it was a part of the issue, but from what I know, Addy was sneaky and untruthful about everything. I feel incredibly sad for Hudson. He didn’t deserve any of it.”
Gabe looks down at me, and I realize what I just babbled about.
My hand darts up to cover my mouth. “Shoot, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Relax. You didn’t say anything we didn’t already know. Believe me, we sat down as a group several times, trying to put the puzzle pieces together. We were so desperate to help him.”
They did? Wow.
I can’t deny that it feels weird to know something so personal about Hudson when his own family doesn’t. “You guys truly are the best family I’ve ever met. I really hope Hudson will tell you everything that happened one day. It sounds like it would be good for all of you to get some closure on this.”
“Charlie, you are absolutely right, as usual.” The sound of another voice in the room makes me widen my eyes, and Gabe and I both turn to look at Hudson.
“Is this a regular occurrence now, to eavesdrop on us?” Gabe walks over to Hudson, studying his younger brother. “Dude, you look like crap.”
“Thanks, I appreciate your honesty. Speaking of, I know I should’ve told you guys what happened last year.” He peeks around Gabe to look at me. “For some reason, it took this lovely lady over there to make me realize that.”
Automatically, I hold up my hands. “I didn’t do anything.”
Hudson gives me a small smile, and our gazes lock for a long moment. “You’ve done so much more than you’ll ever realize. Trust me.”
Gabe clears his voice. “So, did you take care of things, like you said on the phone earlier?”
Hudson lets out a big breath, shoving his hands through his hair, so similar to what his brother just did a few minutes earlier. “Yes and no. I did take care of things, but it was too late to stop the avalanche that Addy had already
set in motion. I should’ve gotten on her case right away last week.”
“Why? What happened?” The bad feeling that’s been following us all week hits my stomach with a heavy thud—especially after getting the confirmation he was indeed dealing with Addy when he wanted to come help me. I need to sit down.
I pull out one of the stools from under the table, but right before I lower myself, I feel Mirabelle stir on my back. A few seconds later, she starts babbling sleepily.
Hudson walks over to us. “Did I wake her up? I’m so sorry, she usually sleeps through all the chaos.”
Nothing about this moment is special or significant, but it hits me like a brick wall just how well he knows Mirabelle and her habits. They’ve gotten so close, and for some reason, that scares me a little. I guess the only good thing is that she’s still so young and wouldn’t remember if Hudson suddenly wasn’t in her life anymore. We’ve done it before and we can do it again—if we have to.
What am I saying? Would I really want that?
Taking a deep breath, I try to forget the negative thoughts that momentarily took over my mind. “She probably heard your voice and woke up. It was time though, anyway. You know how she is. If she naps too late, she’s ready to party at bedtime.”
He chuckles quietly. “She is quite the party animal, especially at night.” We look at each other for a silent moment. “Want me to take her out?”
I nod. “Sure.”
Hudson unbuckles the carrier in the back, and I take off the straps in the front before he carefully takes her out of the carrier.
Mirabelle immediately snuggles into his chest, and they both sigh. I brush her hair out of her face, smirking at the sleeping lines on her pink cheek.
Hudson gives her a small kiss on the head. “Ah, much better.”
The sight of the two of them warms my heart and inexplicably also makes me want to cry like a baby.
How ironic.
In an effort to distract myself, I say the first thing that comes to mind. “So, tell us what happened.”
Gabe has silently moved next to me, leaning against one of the big work tables behind us. He’s watching the exchange between his brother and Mira, and I’m pretty sure he’s just as curious as I am.
Hudson clears his throat. “Well, there’s good news and bad news.”
Gabe and I shift around nervously before looking at each other. Then, like the dorks we are, we mutter the same words. “Good news first.”
Hudson doesn’t seem surprised by our little twin magic. “All right then. I called Addy and confronted her about everything. She had a huge meltdown, and we ended up talking for a while. And let me tell you one thing, that woman is screwed up. Like, a lot worse than I actually thought.”
Absolute silence.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Gabe looking at me, probably just as confused as I am right now.
I cross my arms over my chest. “And how exactly is that good news?”
Hudson grimaces. “Sorry. I guess I kind of forgot about that part. So, like I said, we talked for a while and at some point, she finally understood that she needs help, like, professional help. I used some of my connections and got her checked into some rehab center, so hopefully, she can get better. And she said she’d leave me alone now.”
I never asked him, and he never mentioned anything, but I’m pretty sure Addy was the one who blew up his phone all week long with messages and calls.
“If that’s the good news, I’m not sure I want to hear the bad.” Gabe shakes his head, and I don’t blame him one bit.
Well, the self-torture part of my brain is having one hell of an active day today. “I already know I’m going to regret this, but what’s the bad news?”
Hudson shifts Mirabelle around so he can hold her with one arm while grabbing something out of the back pocket of his pants.
A magazine.
“The bad news is that it was too late to prevent this from being printed.”
He throws the familiar gossip magazine down on the table in front of us, the cover staring straight at us.
It shows a picture of Hudson and Addy from their dinner last week. I’m sure no one cares about the picture though, once they’ve read the headline.
Dream couple Addy Parker and Hudson Mitchell secretly reunited for months, now expecting their first child together.
Seventeen
“What the f—”
I slap my hand over Gabe’s mouth in speed record. “There’s a baby in the room. I don’t need that word to be one of her first.”
He looks at me with big eyes. “Sorry. I wasn’t thinking about that.” He turns back to his brother. “What the freaking heck, dude? You’re having a baby with that evil...witch?”
Despite the topic at hand, I have to smirk. Gabe is obviously having a hard time keeping the language baby-friendly, making this whole situation a little comedic. Not that I blame him. I’m sure all three of us want to use all the swear words right now.
Hudson rolls his eyes in response. “Really?”
Gabe throws his hands up, clearly frustrated. “I’m sorry, I know better. I’m obviously having a hard time dealing with this crap right now, okay?” He takes a deep breath, putting a lot of effort into calming down. My guess is he would’ve exploded if it wasn’t for Mirabelle and me being here.
“Is she really pregnant?” It almost pains me to force the words through my clenched teeth.
Hudson nods, and I feel like I might be sick. His face has turned an ashy gray, and I can’t imagine what he must be going through right now. This situation has to hit home worse for him than anything else.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Gabe’s voice echoes through the room, making Mirabelle snuggle deeper into Hudson’s chest.
“Could you please get a grip on it, Gabe? You’re starting to scare Mira.” Hudson’s voice is quiet but laced with a warning undertone. He turns to me. “Do you think she’ll be okay to play in her playpen for a bit?”
“I think so. As long as she can see us and has her toys, she should be good for a little bit.”
“Good, let’s try it. I don’t want her in the middle of this right now.”
I blink. There he goes again, being all considerate, hammering away at the walls I’ve built up around my resistance and determination. “Sounds good.”
After getting the playpen out of my office, I push it to the side of the room and put a few toys and her sippy cup in it. Hopefully, that will buy us at least ten minutes to talk.
Hudson’s next to me, humming so quietly I can barely make out the melody. For some reason, he still seems completely collected—his behavior, at least—which baffles me more than just a little bit. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s still holding Mirabelle, or if this whole situation just doesn’t faze him as much as it does me. I mean, who’s okay with having something like that on the front page? Especially after the past they share.
Hudson sets Mirabelle into the playpen, gently brushing her hair out of her face. “There you go, baby girl. Here’s some water for you and your favorite toys. We’re right over there.” He points toward Gabe, like Mira understands exactly what he’s talking about. “Have fun.”
“Such a good girl.” I bend down and give her a kiss before walking back over to the two brothers.
Gabe looks like he’s ready to pounce on Hudson. “Now, tell us exactly what happened, please, before I explode.”
I’ve never seen him looking this grim and on edge before, and I’m glad I’m not on the receiving end of it.
Hudson lifts his hands up in surrender, chuckling a little. “All right, I will. Now calm down.”
Calm.
He really is completely calm, and it makes me want to shake him. Is he in some sort of shock or what’s going on? I’d expect him to be furious and going out of his mind over this. Having this on the cover of one of the biggest gossip magazines out there seems huge to me. I know, if the roles were reversed, I’d want to hide under a rock for a
very long time, preferably with a big stash of desserts and some Nutella.
Hudson mimics Gabe’s stance and crosses his arms over his chest. “I already told you I talked to Addy. At first, we mainly just fought over the whole media circus she’s created, and that she has to stop harassing me constantly. Then, out of the blue, she suddenly broke down and started sobbing. I didn’t think she’d ever stop. When she finally did, she started telling me all sorts of crazy stories about her childhood. It seems like her extended family took her in after her parents died, amongst lots of other things. Anyway, I don’t really want to go into it, but it was pretty messed up. I’m guessing the issues from that time play a major part in everything that’s been happening.”
“Always a screwed-up childhood to blame.” Gabe’s comment is quiet when he mutters it, but loud enough for me to hear, making me freeze next to him.
Unwanted thoughts of my own childhood flood my mind. Growing up without a dad and being left with a mom who couldn’t care less about her children definitely wasn’t fun. As much as I hate to admit it, I guess Gabe is right. Most adult problems can be traced back to something that happened in childhood.
Hudson shoots Gabe a disapproving look before continuing. “She went on to tell me about the pregnancy.” His composed face slips for a moment, but he tries hard to push through it. “Apparently, she got involved with someone on the set of her last movie. She wouldn’t tell me who it was, so I’m not sure what exactly happened. She wouldn’t tell me his name either. But in the end, it doesn’t matter.”
Gabe lets out a big puff of air, and I hope it helps to calm him down some. “Well if that’s what happened, why the heck do we have such a crappy media headline about the two of you?”
Hudson sighs loudly. “She panicked about being pregnant and thought I’d happily take her back since she can now offer me everything I wanted. She thought it was all going to work out. When I turned her down in L.A., she was furious. Add a gossip reporter on speed dial, and you’ve got yourself a cover story like this faster than you can say Hollywood.”
The Mitchell Brothers Collection: A Feel-Good Romance Box Set Page 14