“Shh.” Hudson rubs my back in rhythmic circles. “I’m so sorry I was such an ass. Everything happening the last twenty-four hours threw me in a bout of self-doubt, and I was so scared of losing you that I just shut down. I shouldn’t have done that, I should’ve talked to you instead.”
His admission snaps me out of my moment, and after wiping my eyes—and my nose too, with a very unladylike swipe—I look up at him through wet eyelashes. “What are you talking about?” My voice sounds strange when I push the words out.
“You told Sebastian yesterday that you just wanted a normal life. I thought you might change your mind after all, that being with me is just too much for you to handle. The whole weekend was already a lot to take in, and then that crazy fan showed up on top of it. It couldn’t have been more opposite of a normal life. I’m so sorry I can’t offer you the life you want.”
Another single tear rolls down my cheek, but this one is for Hudson and his beautiful soul. “You are everything I want and need. You are my normal, and don’t think for even a minute that you can get rid of me that easily. Just like you told me a few weeks ago that I’m it for you, you are it for me too. There won’t ever be anyone I’ll love as much as I love you. No one will ever fill that spot in my heart and soul the way you do.”
His eyes are shiny under the studio lights as he crushes me to him. “I love you so damn much, and I’ll try my best to give you everything you need.”
“You already do.”
We hold each other for a long time, my heart so full I’m afraid it might burst at any moment.
Forty
Letting out a big huff, I plop down on one of the bakery stools and can’t help but laugh at myself. “I have to get used to working this much again. It’s barely past noon, and I’m exhausted.”
It’s only been a few days since we got back from Los Angeles, and everyone’s been working their butts off to get ready for the bakery opening tomorrow.
“You’re doing just fine.” Max—the only baker I’ve hired so far—is on the opposite side of the kitchen work table. He’s proven to be worth every single penny I pay him since he has yet to make something that doesn’t taste like pure magic. He’s, without a doubt, a genius in the kitchen, at least when it comes to baking, and I’m thrilled to have him on my team.
“I’m your boss, you have to say that,” I tease, and get a chuckle from him in return.
“Come on.” He adds another baking sheet to the already half-filled pan rack before looking at me. “If we hurry up, we can get things done early. We have to be here in the middle of the night again, after all.”
I push myself off the chair, raising my messy hands in the air. “I know, I know. Hopefully, I can hire someone else soon too, if the bakery does well. That way, we’d have one more person to share the early morning shift with.”
“That would be nice but no worries. I really don’t mind the mornings. I actually like to be out and about when everyone else is still sleeping. It’s quiet and rather peaceful.”
My mind mulls over that for a moment, and I have to agree with him. “That’s true. Alrighty, let’s finish this up.”
We bake in pleasant silence, both of us in our element, with the local radio station quietly playing in the background. We work great as a team without being in each other’s way, both of us knowing exactly what we’re doing.
“Look, birthday girl.” Hudson’s voice sounds behind me, and I turn around with a grin on my face. “There’s your beautiful mama.”
The sight in front of me does funny things to my stomach while my heart is trying to speed away. Hudson looks beyond sexy in his simple dark jeans and a light gray T-shirt, his dark hair hidden under a black hat. It’s a sight to behold, and I’ll never, ever tire of seeing it. But what makes him look the absolute best is my little cutie pie strapped to his chest in a baby carrier. Mira is all flailing arms and legs when I walk over to them for snuggles and kisses.
“Ma-ma, ma-ma.” Mira’s smile is so wide, there’s nothing left of her eyes but little slits.
Hearing her say those two little syllables still brings tears to my eyes. It’s a feeling I can’t fully describe. All I know is that it does something incredible to my heart, and that feeling will never get old, no matter how often she says it.
I take a deep breath, wiping my hands off on my apron. “What are you guys doing here?”
“We thought Grandma could use a break, so we went for a walk.” He looks around the kitchen and waves at Max. “We were also hoping we’d be lucky enough to steal you away, so we can take you home with us early before everyone gets there for Mira’s birthday party.”
We’ve organized a little birthday party for Mira, and I can’t wait to give her the little cake I made for her. Even though I did cut back on the sugar, making something healthier for her. The last thing this energetic girl needs is lots of extra sugar.
I start to shake my head, but Max speaks up before I can get a word out. “You should go, Charlie. I can easily finish by myself. We’re almost done anyway.”
I turn around to look at him. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely, boss.” He winks at me, and Hudson chuckles next to me.
“Looks like you’re outnumbered, sweetheart.”
“All right, all right.” I look around my workstation before I smile up at Hudson. “I only need to finish up what I started, get things cleaned up, and talk to Claire up front, to make sure she’s all set for tomorrow.”
“No problem.” He thinks for a moment. “How about Miss Mira and I go over to the new place that just opened to see what they have to offer?”
“The waffle place?”
Hudson nods eagerly, his eyes wide in excitement. “I’ve heard good things about them.”
“Sounds good to me. Go satisfy your sweet tooth.”
“You know it. We’ll be back soon.” He bends down for a quick kiss, and then they’re out the door again.
Clapping my hands together, I get back to work. “Okay, let’s get this show on the road.”
Before I know it, Hudson and Mira walk back in the door, just as I’m taking off my apron. Hudson has a huge grin on his face as he holds up a big paper bag.
“What did you get?” The delicious smell coming from the bag is enough to have me curious.
“Lots of good stuff. I really wanted to try their waffles and ice cream, but with this early summer heat, it probably wouldn’t have survived the journey. Instead, I got us waffles with whipped cream and berries.” He places the bag on the counter and sorts the items inside.
Mira is trying hard to grab the bag, but Hudson keeps it just out of her reach. She’s starting to get frustrated, which means we have to hurry up before she has a meltdown.
He’s pulling out all sorts of containers, and my stomach growls at that moment, as if it just realized I’ve barely eaten today. “Yum.”
Hudson’s waving at me. “Well, go get your stuff so we can go home quickly. I need to tell you how the conference call went.”
Of course. That right there is the problem with being hungry; everything else just slips my mind sometimes. I definitely want to know about the call he had with his bandmates and management team about the band’s future. We’ve been waiting for this for a long time.
I hold up my finger. “Give me two seconds.”
He chuckles as I rush around like a crazy person, grabbing my purse and cardigan from my office. In the meantime, he takes two little packages from the bag and brings them to Max and Claire.
How sweet.
Catching me staring at him, he smiles at me and holds out his hand. “Ready?”
“Yup.” I beam at him and run over to his side before turning around to wave goodbye to Max and Claire. “See you in the morning, guys. Thanks again for everything.”
Hudson dropped me off this morning, knowing I wanted to walk back home from the bakery. It’s too nice outside to sit in a hot car if I don’t have to.
The three of us walk down
the back alley, hand in hand.
“So?” I turn to Hudson, clearly impatient.
“Do you think you can make it until we’re home?”
“If I have to.” I can’t hold back a sigh and he chuckles.
Thankfully, it’s only a fifteen-minute walk.
After putting Mira down for a nap, I join Hudson in the kitchen. Playing with Hannah half of the day before taking that walk with Hudson clearly tired her out.
The thought of her strapped to Hudson’s chest makes me smile all over again. I’ll have to take a picture at some point. That cute sight is definitely something I never want to forget.
“Are you thinking about me?” Hudson pushes off the counter he was leaning on and walks over to me, his stride casual and relaxed.
“What?” I laugh in reply. “Why would you think that?”
He’s in front of me now and grabs me by the belt loops of my jeans to pull me closer. “Because you had this dreamy look in your eyes and a big smile on your face.”
Raising my eyebrows at him, I can’t hold back a smirk. “So, it has to be about you then?”
“I sure hope so.”
I chuckle at his smugness, secretly enjoying this little banter between us. Then I throw my hands up in the air. “Fine. It was about you. Happy now?” I stick my tongue out at him.
“Very.” He bends down to give me a long, thorough kiss, and I melt into him immediately.
I’m close to tugging off our clothes right here when thoughts of his phone call cross my mind again. “You. Phone call. Talk.” That’s all my brain can produce right now, still fuzzy from his kiss. I pull back and shake my head. “Never mind, I think it’s better to wait a minute, so I can clear my head first.”
He chuckles, looking as self-assured as always.
I slap his arm lightly. “Oh, stop it already. You’re driving me crazy.”
His warm breath tickles my ear when he comes closer. “Trust me, sweetheart, I’m planning on driving you completely crazy tonight, over and over again.” He nibbles gently on the shell of my ear, making his way down my throat until I gasp out loud. “But let’s talk first.”
Closing my eyes for a minute, I let all the sensations run through my body. Once I’m confident enough I’ve got it all under control—mostly, at least—I open them back up and stare at him. “You’re such a tease, you big meanie.”
I grab some cups from the cabinet and juice from the refrigerator, then walk toward the patio door, purposefully swinging my hips a little more than usual. “Are you coming?” I turn around and wink at him over my shoulder, almost unable to hold back my laughter.
“You little minx, you.” He runs after me, reaching me in no time.
I squeal when he picks me up and carries me outside while I snuggle as close to his chest as the cups and bottle allow. “Mmm. I could get used to this.”
“You better.” He puts me down in front of the outdoor couch and gives me another long and passionate kiss that leaves me longing for more.
When I sit down, I purposefully scoot to the other side of the couch, holding my hands up in front of me. “I’ll stay right here until we’re done talking.”
Hudson chuckles, his eyes bright, both of his dimples popping out. “I promise I’ll behave now.”
“I believe it when I see it.” Shaking my head at him, I grin. “Now spill the beans. We don’t have long before people start arriving.”
“You’re right, sorry.” Leaning forward with his elbows onto his knees, he focuses on me. “You remember I’m due for another album, right?”
I nod, remembering one of our conversations about his music. “Which is why you were so freaked out about not being able to write.”
He flinches at my words but nods. “Exactly. The good thing is, they loved the new music I wrote. More than loved it, actually. They said it was some of the best music I’ve ever written.” He stretches forward to tap my nose with his finger. “All thanks to you, of course.”
I shake my head at him, knowing full well I didn’t actually do anything. “I’m so glad they liked it. Why do I hear a but coming, though?”
Hudson lets out a big breath. “Because they wouldn’t let me out of touring for that next album.”
I swallow loudly, knowing what that means—a lot of time away from Hudson, for at least the next year. “But we were able to meet somewhere in the middle. I’ll only tour in a few major cities and won’t be away for long at a time. And maybe you could even come with me for a few gigs, if you want to.”
“Wow. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t sound too bad either.” My heart feels like it weighs ten pounds less. “I’m so happy.”
He gives me a big smile. “Me too, believe me. They were actually a lot more lenient and welcoming to my ideas than I thought they would be. I made it clear this would be the last tour I’d be doing for them, but that I’d still love to record for them in the future if they were interested, and they agreed.”
“For real?” is the only thing that comes out of my mouth.
“Yup.”
There’s a lot of stuff I still have no clue about in the music world—especially the business side of things—but I know we were really lucky with this outcome.
He pours us both some juice and takes a sip. “I told them I’ll be busy with my new project, and they know how excited and passionate I am about it. Surprisingly, they were very accepting of that too. I think they were afraid to lose all the money versus just some of it. But in the end, it works for me. So, I’m all for it.”
Now it’s me closing the distance between us, putting my arms around his neck to give him a big hug. “That all sounds great. I’m thrilled for you, for me, for all of us.”
“Thank you, sweetheart, me too.”
I pull back, studying his face. “But wait, what new project were you talking about? Have you been keeping secrets from me?”
“Maybe a little, sorry.” He beams at me, a slight blush on his cheeks, but it’s obvious he’s very excited about whatever it is. “I’ve actually been thinking about it for a while, but I wanted to be sure first that I could work things out with my management team. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, in case they made things hard for me.”
“Well. What is it?” My thoughts are so all over the place I’m drawing a blank.
“I want to work with Dahlia at the Arts Center. Remember when she was talking about wanting to expand and integrate some other areas too?” He pauses to point a finger at himself. “Well, I’d love to handle the music part. I think it would be so awesome to work with the kids and to help out wherever I can.”
My heart squeezes, and I lean in again to kiss him. “That sounds wonderful, and you’ll do so great. And the kids! They are going to be over the moon to learn from you.”
He shrugs. “I hope so. Dahlia doesn’t know yet, so I hope she’ll be happy too.”
I stare at him in bewilderment. “Are you kidding me? She’ll be out of her mind happy. Not just to have you working at the academy, but also because you’ll be around so much more. Your whole family is going to be ecstatic.”
“Are you okay if I tell everyone tonight when they’re here anyway? I don’t want to take away from Mira’s birthday.”
Always so thoughtful. “Of course, silly. That sounds perfect.”
“And I was hoping that we can tell them about us too?” He leans back, pulling a little box out of his pants.
His hands shake a little as he gives me the box.
“Hudson?” My hands tremble too, and I think I’m starting to sweat.
Putting his hand on the box, he keeps me from opening it. “It’s not what you might think it is. Not because I don’t want to, but because I don’t want to overwhelm you and go too fast. Regardless though, don’t doubt for even a second that you’ll get that box too, at some point. But this”—he taps on the box in my hand—“is my way of telling you that I want you. Just in case there was any doubt left in your mind.”
I slowly open the
lid, not wanting to wait for another moment. I stare at the silver key that’s nestled in the middle of the box.
“I know you already have one, but I wanted you to have your very own, not just a spare. Because without you guys, this place is just a house. It’s you two that make it a home, my favorite place I can’t wait to get back to whenever I’m out. I want you with me, day and night, for good. Both of you. Always.”
“You want us to stay with you? For real?” My brain is fuzzy again. Conversations with Hannah float around my mind, and her telling me she’s moving back into her place soon. Now that I think about it, she’d never mentioned us.
“Heck yes. I couldn’t think of anyone better to share this place with than you two. Just imagining the house all empty and quiet without you is more than depressing and just impossible to accept. We can get Mira’s room all made up just for her, and you can get whatever you need for the kitchen. Anything. It’s yours.”
Taking the key out of the box, I hold it up, noticing several key tags on the key ring. My eyes become teary as I inspect them closer, and the laughter bubbles out of me when I read I love Hudson and Hudson and Charlie forever. But my favorite might be Hudson, Charlie, and Mira with a big heart around it.
My head is moving up and down—I think. Everything is a bit fuzzy and surreal right now.
Cupping both of my cheeks with his hands, he holds my head steady. “Is that a yes, sweetheart?”
I laugh and nod as much as I can. “Absolutely. Yes, yes, yes. I feel the same way about you and our life. I tried not to think about moving out because every time I did, I just wanted to cry. I can’t imagine living without you anymore either, and I know Mira feels the same. She adores you so much.”
“Good, because I feel the same about her.” Our gazes lock, and I can see my future play out in Hudson’s eyes—offering me everything I could ever ask for and then some. “I love you, sweetheart.”
The Mitchell Brothers Collection: A Feel-Good Romance Box Set Page 30