“I know you're angry love.” UJ put his hand on my shoulder. “Just give yourself some time to see what your life might look like if you’re not running 100 mph all the time, what it might look like with people who care about you.” Damn it was hard to be angry with him. I knew he loved me and Reece had somehow convinced him this was best. I blew out a heavy breath.
“You all know about it?” I asked the room. Rachel nodded, Matt gave me a thumbs up and Lucas had the decency to look uncomfortable.
“You’re welcome to stay as long as you want Synclair.” Lucas offered.
“Forever if you want,” Rachel added. Lucas gave her a look and shook his head.
Hanging my head in defeat, I sighed. Thirty days, I could deal with anything for thirty days, even Reece fucking Hudson.
“Fine you win, but there are ground rules.”
I saw Reece’s face break into a relieved smile and UJ winked at him. Ugh.
“One, I need clothes if I am going to stay here. Your weather is nothing like Vegas. And you’re buying. Rachel can take me into town while you and Dalton fix my car, I also want my phone, purse and keys returned to me when I get back since I know you guys hid them again," I directed at Reece.
“Not a problem.” He whipped out his wallet and handed me a black American Express card. Shit, they really are loaded. “I’ll have you added to my accounts and have cards with your name expressed here,” He spoke quickly shoving the card into my palm.
“Whoa, I don’t need cards in my name Hudson, I’m talking about a few hundred bucks, that’s all. And one more thing.” I watched him wait expectantly, the look on his face told me he was so relieved he was getting his way, he’d agree to almost anything. Well, I was about to test that.
“Hands off me. Especially my butt! No kissing, touching, accidental groping, or anything else that violates my personal space bubble.” I looked at him smugly. Yep, good luck getting the girl when you can’t touch her, I thought. Score one for me!
I knew I had him, his adorable mouth opened and closed again like a fish gulping air. I was so busy giving myself a mental pat on the back, I missed his approach. Before I knew it, he had wrapped his arms around me, lifted me off the ground and held me so we were nose to nose.
“After this moment, I won’t invade your space again until you to tell me I can, and baby you will.” Before I could remind him not to call me baby, he smashed his mouth on my open one. This wasn’t a tender kiss, it was a possessive, tongue lashing, challenging kiss. Daring me to deny that my girly parts were embarrassingly wet and that my breasts felt heavy and wanted his attention.
Breaking that kiss, he placed me back on the ground and strode toward the door. Well, I thought, Oh. Fucking. My.
Reece’s exit was interrupted when Dalton flung open the front door and walked into the foyer dripping wet. His shaggy, chestnut colored hair was plastered to his head, along with his clothes. His yellow workman boots were covered in mud and he looked like a bull about to charge. His light green eyes radiated his anger and I could only stare at him.
Reece recovered first. “Um, Dalt…” But Dalton held up one dripping hand and silenced him.
Looking like he was starting to shiver Dalton turned to UJ, who was watching everything with amusement. “Mr. Patrick, your daughter is waiting in the rental car, ready to head to the airport when you are.”
In the short time, I had been here, I had never heard Dalton’s voice so controlled. He was usually the first one to smirk or grin.
“Is she all right?” Uncle Jack asked walking past a very wet and obviously cold Dalton.
“Unfortunately,” Dalton muttered as he stomped toward the back door to go to his garage apartment.
I had to laugh. Despite everything that had happened, the idea that the charming, Dalton Hudson had been bested by my cousin Cami, was priceless.
Following my uncle out to the waiting rental car, I laughed. Cami looked like the picture of innocence. Sitting in the driver’s seat of the rented sedan, not a hair was out of place and her face was a mask of no emotion. I would definitely have to find out what happened later. As UJ hugged me goodbye, I waved to my cousin with a newfound respect. I think I was beginning to like my cousin more and more.
I was still amused when Rachel came up and shook her keys at me.
“Come on house buddy, let’s go shopping.” Sighing, I let her pull me into the garage and as she waited for her brothers to move their imposing cars, I wondered what the hell I got myself into.
******************************
Shopping sucks. Yeah, I know; turn in my chick card. But it does, and it’s exhausting. I felt like I had been standing in this damn mall for years. Rachel, however, was in her element. We had started off with bras and underwear, for the obvious reason that I had none on. I would normally gravitate toward a nice matching lacy set, but since I was going to be around Reece, I felt I needed something more protective. So as fast as I filled my hand basket with granny panties and full coverage bras that would make a grandma proud, Rachel would replace them with sexy bras and thongs. All the while assuring me that everything would fit since she had stolen my clothes, she knew all my sizes.
I won’t even go into the fact that all these stores carried were jeans, sweaters, cowboy boots and tons of ugly plaid long sleeve shirts, some with fringe. Shudder. It’s not that I had anything against western wear, but I was from Vegas and I ran a bar, need I say more? Also, every time I grabbed a pair of loose jeans and a baggy sweater, Rachel would switch them out to a smaller size. She was really pretty efficient at being sneaky since I didn’t really notice until I decided to change out of the clothes I had borrowed from Reece into some of the ones he had just brought me.
“Okay, seriously I am over shopping. I just wanted a few sweaters and jeans and underwear. Not to mention I am starving.” I know I had used Reece’s card, but I had only planned to spend a few hundred. From the looks of the bags piling up, I was close to a few thousand. “Wait, where did the cowboy boots, leather jacket, and all these other bags come from?” I stared at Rachel suspiciously.
“Well, Reece was afraid you wouldn’t get what you needed, so he gave me another card, so I picked out tons of cute stuff. It gets cold up here and you need variety.” She explained like I was a child.
Knowing this was a battle I wasn’t going to win, I grabbed all the bags and turned toward the exit. I was starving, and I had done enough shopping to last me a lifetime. Once inside the warmth of Rachel’s car I caught her staring at me.
“Um, Rachel? You okay?” Honestly, the girl looked like she was going to cry. Her green eyes filled with tears. Nice going Synclair, the girl just wanted to help you and you made her cry.
Rachel sniffed and suddenly beamed. “Yeah, this was fun. I love my brothers but it’s cool to have like a sister, ya know?” Shit, what was the appropriate response here? I had zero experience with the female bonding thing. Thankfully, before I could reply she turned the key and backed out of the lot.
Yeah, I did know. I had tried not to enjoy myself, I certainly didn’t have girlfriends that I hung out with. Damn, three hours in and these Hudsons were already breaking me down.
“Okay Rachel, you’ve shopped till I almost dropped, now show me the food.” She giggled and turned the car toward town.
******************************
“I can’t believe you pulled that off,” Lucas told me shaking his head. Handing me a beer, we both took opposite seats at the large oak table in the kitchen.
“There were a few moments there when I didn’t think I would. I was really trying to figure out how to hook up a set of cuffs to my four poster bed.” I responded honestly.
The girls had been gone a little over three hours and although she had given me her word, I was still worried she’d somehow skip out on me. Rachel had promised she would call if anything happened, of course, that was after I handed her a credit card and told her to make sure Synclair got a whole wardrobe. I knew Synclair would
stick to the essentials, but I wanted clothes that would last well beyond thirty days.
“So what is precisely your plan?” Dalton asked, strolling into the kitchen. He seemed better now that he was dry, I had asked him what happened with Synclair’s cousin Cami, but he just sighed and shook his head. Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he flipped a chair around and straddled it.
“Did you fix her car?” I inquired. Part of me wanted to make sure it was still immobilized, but I had given my word. Dalton grinned, I knew that shit eating grin.
“What?” I asked. I couldn’t help smiling, my kid brother was the brat of the family, the constant jokester and constantly mischievous.
Dalton widened his eyes in feigned shock, he let a “who me?” look flash across his face before he reached into his pocket and slammed Synclair’s keys on the table. “I put her car back to rights, as requested, but I did put a GPS tracker on it, ya know- just in case my future sister-in-law tries to jump ship and all that,” He told me chuckling. I liked that, my brother was already thinking of her like family; that meant he considered Synclair, my future wife.
“I’ll download the app and put the code on your phone later, since we know wherever she goes, her Mustang will go with her, you’ll never lose her.” Stopping at a deadpan Dalton looked at me. “That is the plan, right? Not to lose her?”
Grinning at the brilliance of my younger brother I nodded my head. “Yep, the plan is to show that woman that she wants me as much as I want her, to prove to her that she’s already a part of the Hudson family, she just doesn’t know it.”
“I like her I’m in,” Lucas replied raising his beer toward the center of the table.
“Me too, I’m game, I’ll just keep a safe distance between her and that bat,” Dalton announced clinking his beer with Lucas.
“Hey count me in, anybody that can get Lucas to like them, get Reece to chase ‘em and Dalton knocked on his ass, is good in my book,” Matt said grinning. Walking from the doorway of the kitchen he strode over to the table and clinked his water bottle with both Lucas and Dalton’s beers.
“Gentleman let the games begin,” I replied laughing as I joined my beer bottle with them in a mock toast.
“Still, I wonder, how long they’re going to be gone?” I wondered aloud. I didn’t know why but I felt apprehensive.
Matt clapped me on the shoulder, “Come on Reece, its Carson City, with a population of 70,000 and I think that includes a few cows. Man, what could happen?”
For some reason, Matt’s confidence didn’t make me feel better.
******************************
I stared at Rachel. “This is the best diner food in Carson City?” I asked as we pulled up to an old gray diner. The location was perfect, right off the interstate but it reminded of something out of the 1950s. However, the parking lot was pretty crowded, so I had to trust the locals knew where the great food was.
Following Rachel inside, a pretty woman with long brown hair pulled back into a tight ponytail greeted us.
“Hey Rachel, how are you? Who’s your friend?” The woman was probably a few years older than me, she had warm chocolate brown eyes and pretty features. She wore old jeans with a red t-shirt with the name, ‘The Grub Stop’, written across it and worn cowboy boots.
Rachel obviously knew the woman and pulled her into a brief hug. “Hey Sara, I’m good, this is Reece’s long lost love, Synclair.” I almost died of embarrassment when Rachel turned and gestured toward me.
“Actually, it’s just Synclair.” I corrected reaching past a scowling Rachel to shake Sara’s outstretched hand. I had already given up trying to get any of these people to call me Syn, and for some reason, I liked it too.
“Sara Wilmington, welcome to The Grub Stop.” She waved her hands. “The burgers are greasy but good and the steak is awesome. Go have a seat in the booth over there and I’ll make some chocolate shakes.” She directed happily.
“Thanks, I’m always down for chocolate and I am starving,” I told her as we followed her to a vacant, red vinyl booth. Sliding into the booth, I saw a sad look move across Sara’s face.
“Sara, ya know you can come by the house, the guys miss you. I know Lucas misses you.” I observed as whatever Sara was feeling progressed from sad to fury. She struggled to disguise it with a tight smile to Rachel. But I had seen it, yep, pissed off female right there. You weren’t a bar owner as long as I was without picking up on how to read people. My guess, her salty look was because of Lucas, since it was his name that caused her pretty brown eyes narrow. I was going to have to get Rachel to tell me the story.
“I miss them too, but I see them a lot in the diner,” Sara spoke fast. “I mean not Lucas though; I wouldn’t wish to see him ever.” She finished.
Rachel looked like she was about to say something but Sara shook her head, “the past is the past Rachel, I have a son and no time to give to Lucas Hudson. I’ll get your shakes and those burgers going.” With that, she stomped off.
Rachel groaned and slumped down in the hard, vinyl booth. She must have seen my face of confusion because she launched into a mile a minute pace story. “Lucas loved her, really, really loved her, they were so good together, Sara was funny and loved being on the ranch, but Lucas’s best friend Travis said Sara slept with him, said he had proof.” I waited for her to take a breath.
“I never saw the proof and Sara told Lucas that it wasn’t consensual, that Travis must have drugged her. But Lucas was stubborn and hurt and his usual stoic self, and shut down. He totally shut Sara out, no matter what we said, he just worked harder on the ranch and ignored everyone. When Travis got arrested for drugging some girl four months later, Lucas raced to go talk to Sara. But she wasn’t having it. Then she found out she was carrying Travis’s kid.”
Wow, this sounded like a good soap opera. I couldn’t imagine what poor Sara had gone through, I even felt a little sorry for Lucas. Damn, I had thought he was the smart, noble brother, I guess all Hudson men were douchebags.
“So, I’m taking it Sara kept the baby and rejected Lucas when he tried to get her back?” I figured it went down something like that. Seeing Rachel’s eyes fill with tears I knew I missed something.
She shook her head sadly. “She asked him point-blank if he could ever look at her and not see Travis, if he could look at her son and not resent him.” Grabbing my hand Rachel looked around almost like she was afraid someone would hear.
“He couldn’t do it, he didn’t say anything, just stared at her. So she walked away and now she avoids him like he’s got a disease.” She let go of the death grip on my hand.
“So douchebaggery does run in your family.” I laughed bitterly.
Rachel’s eyes narrowed at me while she played with the paper place mat. “My brothers are wonderful, they make mistakes. I know Reece messed up, but he’s going to fix it and I know Lucas loves her, he just needs time to sort it out.” She sat back, arms folded across her pink sweater and glared at me.
“Okay bleeding heart, but don’t do something stupid like matchmaking for Lucas and Sara, people need to sort things out themselves.” I grumbled.
Rachel mumbled something about how stubborn people need a kick in the ass, but my attention was on the scene unfolding over Rachel’s shoulder.
I saw Sara, obviously flustered. Her cheeks were red, and she was breathing hard. She was obviously being hassled by someone in the booth in the back.
It’s not your business you don’t even know the woman. You do not get involved Synclair. My inner voice was back and for once was being logical. This wasn’t my business, she wasn’t my friend, but dammit she looked like she was about to cry. Laughter from the booth in the back just confirmed what I already suspected. A group of assholes were hassling Sara. I gave Rachel a smirk and by the horrified look on her face, she knew I was about to get involved.
“Let’s just go Synclair, we’ll eat at home.” Rachel told me, she seemed nervous.
A shrill, familiar voice reached my ears f
rom the back booth that was giving Sara grief. Amber, a.k.a. Malibu Barbie. I smiled now, it wasn’t a sweet smile. I heard Rachel pick up her phone and mumble something as I rose from the booth and walked towards Sara.
“You have sent this burger back four times Amber, first it’s not done enough, then too done, then you want it mid-rare, make up your damn mind woman, I have a business to run.” Sara told Amber, she sounded exasperated.
My ears didn’t miss the part when she had mentioned she had a business to run. So she owned this place? It was a shame, it had a lot of potential if it was fixed up and maybe had a lighter fare menu. Mentally face palming myself I shoved those thoughts out of my head. What the hell was wrong with me lately? It was like I didn’t even know myself. I was a bar owner, and when this hellish thirty days was over I would go back to Vegas and rebuild. Sure I liked cooking, loved it even. It calmed me in a way I couldn’t explain but I was not looking for backups.
Sara watched me approach, I hadn’t seen Amber’s face yet, she was in the booth with her back to me but her shrill voice carried. I stopped by the counter where two young guys were watching the scene with interest. I whispered in the ear of the one closest to me and continued walking.
Hands on her hips in frustration Sara stepped back as soon as I reached the booth. I smiled, she had instinctively given me the lead. Either that or I had on a “don’t fuck with me face”, or she just welcomed the help.
I rounded the booth and looked down at Amber. Her eyes widened when she realized who was towering over her. Of course she was dressed in a low-cut halter top, her fake boobs spilling out of the deep v, with a tight black skirt. Normally I would feel pretty good here. Normally in my own clothes, I would feel confident. However, dressed in the black jeans, ankle boots and green sweater that hugged my curves a little too closely, I felt like I escaped from freaking Macy’s. I was beginning to think I shouldn’t have changed into my new clothes before leaving the mall.
Shaking off my moment of insecurity, I gave Amber my most lethal, ‘sweetie your about to get your ass whooped’, smile.
Back to You: A Hudson Family Series- Book 1- Synclair and Reece Page 13