Back to You: A Hudson Family Series- Book 1- Synclair and Reece

by Chontelle Brison

  “Trying to blend in with the locals street rat?”

  Okay, it was starting off right. Name calling it was. “Aw Amber, bully by day and stripper by night, did we catch you on your way to work?” I asked laughing as she put a hand protectively over her cleavage.

  “I am not a stripper.” She all but shouted.

  “Ah come on, is Amber your stripper name or do they just call you easy?” I knew I was pissing her off. Her cheeks were red and her breathing was rapid. I can’t even tell you how happy it was making me to see her pissed. But it was the bruising around her eyes and nose that made me almost laugh. She had done a great job covering up the remnants of our fight with makeup but now that I saw it, it was clear as day.

  Amber looked from me to Sara and narrowed her eyes. “I want my burger remade, I want it free, or you’re gonna lose more than just my business, I will ruin you Sara.” She spit out almost happily.

  I looked at Amber in shock. Has she just threatened Sara’s business over a burger? I know Rachel had filled me in on the multiple husbands that Amber had gone through in this town and that she was the mayor’s sister, but seriously? Just how powerful did this little twit think she was? I couldn’t believe Reece had married her, had slept with her. EWWWW...I didn’t know what I wanted to do first, slap her or go find Reece and slap him.

  Putting a reassuring hand on Sara’s shoulder, I moved her back from the table. I could feel her trembling with anger and I looked back to see Rachel shaking her head and looking out the window repeatedly.

  Seeing the plate of food in front of Amber, inspiration struck. “Don’t worry Sara, Amber’s meds just haven’t kicked in, she can’t wait to eat this delicious burger you made.” With that I picked up the burger, threw off the bun and slapped it right on her heaving cleavage.

  Laughing, I jumped out of the way, as Amber shot out of the booth, her face a mix of shock and rage. I looked at Sara, who was trying to stifle her own giggle, as we watched Amber wipe meat, mustard, and pickles off her stripper top. When Amber’s angry face looked up, I knew I was probably going to jail…again.

  She got right in my face, the smell of the burger mixing with whatever, over the top, perfume she wore almost made me gag.

  “You think I’m afraid of you?”

  “I don’t think you’re smart enough to be afraid of me,” I answered.

  “Ahh... Gonna try to act tough? I saw you fake like you were swooning the other night, how bout we get Reece so you can have another break down?”

  “How bout we get Reece so he can watch me break down your nose! Swooning? Really? What are you Laura Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie, yeesh, who says swooning?” I mock shivered.

  “Sure resort to violence, well the other night you just caught me off guard, I didn’t expect a grown woman to act like a hillbilly.”

  “Anytime you want a rematch sweetheart just let me know, I gave you the first swing.”

  “You’re lucky I’m a lady, otherwise I’d drag you out to the lake out back and drown you like the street rat you are.”

  “Well, a water fight would be an unfair advantage, seeing as it would be impossible to drown you when you come with your own flotation devices.” I laughed motioning to her chest.

  “These are real dammit.”

  “Sure they are, just like your heart, I’m sure.”

  She was about to retort when the young kid at counter came sauntering up to her. Without a word he grabbed her head and put his ear to her ear. He couldn’t have been more than 18 years old, hell, he still had on his high school football jersey.

  Amber shoved him away, in disgust.

  “Oh my god she’s right” The kid yelled back triumphantly to his friend, who was waiting, expectantly at the counter. He looked like he had just won the lottery.

  “Who’s right?” Amber demanded, looking completely confused.

  “Me, I bet the kids at the counter fifty bucks that if they put their ear against yours they’d hear the air whooshing around in your empty head. They didn’t believe me.” I explained not even trying to stop the huge grin on my face from showing.

  “You calling me stupid?” She quipped.

  “If you seriously need to ask that,” I said laughing. “Then you’ve already answered your own question.”

  “You’re just a street whore, you’ve always been a street whore.”

  I walked until she and I stood mere inches apart. I saw her eyes widen in fear. I smiled sweetly.

  “Maybe you’re right, Barbie, I was a street whore, but you know what, I grew up and out of that but you… you are the same self-centered, narcissistic, bullying, manipulative, plastic cunt you were fifteen years ago and those kind of flaws just don’t change.”

  I grabbed Sara’s hand and pulled her along with me towards the door. I was glad she came along willingly, I didn’t want to leave her to the wrath of Amber. Once outside, I let go of Sara’s hand to reach inside my pocket for my keys, when I realized Rachel drove here. I looked past Sara to see Rachel laughing, running to catch up.

  I was going to see if I had some Kleenex to wipe up all the tears I had seen on Sara’s face before I left the diner, when her face stopped me. A smile as big as Texas spread across her pretty features and her brown eyes twinkled with humor as she broke out into the loudest and most body shaking laughing fit I had ever seen. Seriously, after a minute of watching her sob with laughter, I was getting ready to check her pockets for possible medication.

  Someone coughed behind me and I whirled around to see three Hudson men. Dalton was shaking his head, Reece and Lucas had identical frowns on their handsome faces. It was almost funny how they stood in the same irritated stance looking at Sara who was hunched over sobbing in laughter, Rachel was looking like she had just got caught sneaking out, and of course Amber, who had stumbled out of the diner swearing, covered in hamburger goo and then there was me, was grinning like a loon.

  “Hey, Guys we...” I was going to explain, really I was, but Reece cut me off with one raised hand.

  “I know Synclair, Rachel told us all about it, even sent us a video of the burger part.” I looked at Rachel and did what any respectable adult would, I stuck my tongue out at her.

  Reece’s large fingers grabbed my chin and forced my gaze back to him.

  “Dammit Synclair, I let you out of the house for one day and this is what you do.” He shouted motioning over to a very, pissed off Amber, who was yelling something about calling a sheriff.

  “Let me? You let me? Listen asshole you don’t control me, I don’t need you to take care of me or handle me- you got that Hudson?” I poked him in the chest for emphasis. I mean geez, not everything that happened was my fault.

  “Sara, this isn’t like you, you have a business here and a son.” Lucas scolded.

  I heard Sara gasp at his tone. I watched as all humor and laughter left her face replaced by white, hot anger. Shit, Sara had a temper and Lucas just stepped in really deep, cow doo doo. See I don’t curse all the time.

  “Yes, Lucas, I do have a business to run and trust me, nothing in my world would ever make me forget I have a son. Everything I do and don’t do is for him. He is just fine, he’s spending the week fishing with my father. So don’t you dare talk to me like you know me.” She shouted, feet apart her stance matching Lucas.

  “Um, hate to break up the love fest, but I’m pretty sure Amber called Sheriff James… sooo maybe we should get out of here.” Dalton suggested looking from Amber to his brothers.

  Yeah, I was pissed. “I don’t care, let her call the Sherriff, it’s not like it would be the first time and if I have to spend a month here I doubt it will be the last, I’m not leaving Sara to deal with this mess or your EX-WIFE.” I dragged out the last part just to make my point. I stepped back from Reece and crossed my arms over my chest and glared. “So deal with it, Hudson.”

  I watched Reece and Lucas have some unspoken conversation and I shared a smug shrug with Sara. She looked as angry as I was, I wasn�
��t going to leave her here, who knew what kind of story Amber would spin.

  I should have known Reece wouldn’t let me have the last word. As I watched a smile cross his face, I noticed a slight smirk light up Lucas’s, once scowling mug, at the same time. Sara must have seen it too because we both stepped back from the two men just as they advanced forward.

  Sara screamed when Lucas threw her over his shoulder and turned to Dalton. “Dalt, you and Rachel go clear everyone out, turn off the burners and lock up the diner, then meet us at home. She keeps the keys under the till in the register.” Lucas commanded.

  Dalton, the schmuck, saluted his older brother grabbed a shocked Rachel and raced toward the diner. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Amber was walking toward us, shaking her phone in the air.

  “What the hell Lucas? Put me down.” Sara shouted pounding on Lucas’s back in anger. I watched open mouthed as he strode over to the dual cab Silverado, opened the passenger door and all but threw Sara in the seat.

  “Stay.” I heard him growl as slammed the door and walked around to the driver’s side, flung open the door and shouted, “Reece you coming?”

  Reece made to walk away from me and I released the breath I had been holding. I figured I would wait with Rachel until the Sherriff showed up. Just when Reece got about two steps from me, he suddenly whirled around and smacked his own forehead. “Damn sorry, I forgot.” He apologized. I didn’t like the look on his face. He looked like he was about to do something I wouldn’t like.

  “Forgot what?” I asked ready to bolt for Rachel’s car and lock myself inside.

  Damn he was always faster, before I could blink I was thrown over his shoulder and he was stalking back to the truck. “You sweetheart.” He announced, smacking my behind with his large hand.

  A burning pain radiated from where his hand hit my ass. I punched his back, I dragged my nails under his shirt where I could reach skin, but nothing stopped him. In seconds, he threw open the rear door to the truck, chucked me inside on the bench seat, hopped in and slammed the door.

  “No you don’t hon.” He chuckled as I tried to scramble out the opposite door. I was about to grab the handle when Lucas floored the accelerator and tore out of the parking lot, causing me to bounce back against Reece. He laid on the bench seat, his legs stretched out and held me with his arms around my body and then trapped my legs with his. I struggled and cursed. I was almost as loud as Sara, who was shouting at Lucas while he drove like a madman back to the ranch.

  By the time we pulled up in front of the house, I was exhausted from fighting Reece’s hold. I was also pissed that my body liked being held so tightly to his.

  ******************************

  If I wasn’t so furious at the woman in my arms right now, I would drag her to my room and fuck her until she couldn’t walk. No one had ever pissed me off and turned me on at the same time like Synclair did. When Rachel texted me about what was going down at Sara’s diner, I bolted for my truck. I hadn’t expected Lucas to join me. We were halfway there when Rachel sent us the video of Synclair slamming a burger onto Amber’s chest. Okay, I thought it was funny and a part of me loved that she stood up for Sara.

  I loved Sara once I thought her and Lucas would get married. When Lucas messed up that relationship, I was the first one to tell him he was an idiot. But he had never talked about it and would shut down whenever I brought it up. So, imagine my surprise when he flipped the sassy woman over his shoulder and threw her into my truck. I guess Sara had the same effect on Lucas that Synclair had on me. Mainly making me batshit crazy! I was going to have to talk to Lucas later and find out what his plan was because clearly he was nowhere near finished with Sara Wilmington.

  Lucas careened my truck around a sharp corner, bringing me back to present. He drove like a man possessed, he didn’t even acknowledge the pissed off woman next to him that was hurling curses. Not that I noticed all that much since I was working to keep my hellcat from jumping out of a moving vehicle. If she whacked me one more time in the nose, I swear it would break. By the time we pulled up Sara was sitting in her seat quietly fuming and Synclair had relaxed against me, breathing hard she was apparently tired of struggling to break my ribs with her elbows.

  Lucas turned off the truck and walked around to Sara’s door and opened it. For a moment she just glared at him. Then she exhaled and slowly got out of the vehicle. I watched as Lucas threw me a smug expression as he took Sara’s elbow and escorted to the front door.

  Sure, I thought, make it look easy, your woman isn’t going to tie your nuts in a bow. Knowing there was not easy way to do it, I released my grip on Synclair and reached behind me and opened the door. I expected her to jump up and bolt, or turn around and clock me. She did neither, she spun around and her hazel eyes scowled at me as she followed me out of the vehicle. When I reached behind her to shut the truck door I glimpsed her face. What I saw almost made me grab her in my arms again. Her hair was wild and fell around her face, damp curls stuck to her forehead from when she was fighting me a like a banshee. But her eyes looked sad, for a moment she wasn’t the ball buster I had always seen her as. She was my Synclair. The Synclair who let me hold her, and kiss her, the Synclair who trusted me, before I blew it all away.

  “I said I would stay Reece. I’m here, I’m staying, you won remember?” She muttered pushing past me to follow Lucas into the house.

  Watching her square her shoulders and tip her head back like she was facing the electric chair, I shuddered. Had I really won? I didn’t feel like a winner, I felt like an overbearing caveman.

  ******************************

  Reece was a freaking, overbearing caveman!

  I felt sick to my stomach. I followed Lucas and Sara in the house and leaned on the counter as he pulled out a chair for her at the table. I began to feel the beginnings of a dull ache in my temple and for a moment I felt like I couldn’t catch my breath. I was so tired. I missed my life, my bar, my town. I didn’t know what to do with all these feelings. Part of me wanted to crawl in Reece’s lap and the other wanted slam my fist into his nose. Only a day and I was already beginning to wonder if my dream was worth any of this heartache.

  These Hudsons were everywhere, funny, charming and irritating. They could be mischievous one minute and then total alpha, cavemen the next. I did notice how they stuck together. Wherever one was, the others were sure to follow. It was exactly what I had dreamed of in a family. Pull it together, this month is a means to an end. You’re getting sucked into this bunch.

  “We never did eat,” I said to no one in particular. In all the mess, I had never gotten to eat.

  “I got you covered sis,” Matt announced looking right at me. I slowly turned my head and looked over my right shoulder and then my left. Nope, I didn’t see Rachel anywhere. I turned back to him, my expression filled with confusion.

  “Yeah, I mean you.” Matt pointed at me. “I mean, you will be once Reece marries you.” He tossed out as he began placing things on the table.

  Once Reece- what? Whoa? Don’t panic, don’t panic. I took deep breaths. My distress must have shown on my face because Reece came up and grabbed my hand.

  “Geez, Matt give the woman some time to get used to us first, there’s no rush planning the wedding,” Reece said matter of factly. He squeezed my hand and gave me a reassuring smile.

  I needed to distract myself. I could feel the panic building again and I refused to pass out in front of these guys again. Looking around, I saw something on the table that filled me with such horror I almost screamed. “What is that?” I asked Matt, a horrified expression on my face.

  “Dinner.” He said, pride filling his features. I watched as Matt placed a Hungry Man, microwave dinner in front of each person seated, now including Dalton and Rachel who had just arrived. He placed a napkin and fork for each person and sat back and marveled at his own self.

  “This is what you eat?” I asked in disbelief. Hey, I like the occasional pizza pocket as much as t
he next midnight muncher. But microwave meals for dinner? Ugh.

  Matt smiled again, with his soft cotton shirt, sweats and flip flops he looked so unlike the uptight man in the suit I had met in the bar in Vegas. “Sometimes it’s spaghetti, or it’s whatever we happen to throw together, that’s if we all happen to be here at the same time. Why? Think you can do better?” He challenged. I searched his smiling face, he didn’t seem upset. Nope, he thought because I ran a bar I couldn’t cook. Well, I was about to school Mr. Matt Hudson.

  “Okay, put the offending plastic plate down, quietly step away from the table and no one gets hurt.” I instructed. If I was going to live here for a month then I was not eating that crap. How these men stayed in such top shape and still ate that crap, I had no idea.

  “Okay, everyone out except Matt, I need 25 minutes and dinner will be ready.” I told the shocked faces around the room.

  “I’ll stay Synclair.” Reece offered. I shook my head, I needed to calm down. He was talking marriage, that meant staying here, that meant opening my heart to him, I couldn’t think about that right now. I needed to stop the pounding of my heart in my chest, cooking was the only thing other than sex or kicking someone’s ass that could calm me down, and right now those two things were not on the menu.

  I watched Reece reluctantly follow the others. I did notice when Lucas tried to reach for Sara’s hand and she pulled back. Yep, Sara was probably about to have her own panic attack, judging from the look on her face. I would have liked to help her, but I was too busy trying to stop myself from throwing up.

  “How can I help boss?” Matt asked smirking.

  I pushed past him and opened the fridge, there was mostly crap, lots of sandwich meat, pickles, leftover pizza and takeout. I searched until I found unopened smoked sausage, bell peppers, onions, which still seemed fresh and cooked cubed chicken that was still in an unopened package. After pulling together, a pint of half n half cream, salt, pepper and some uncooked linguine noodles I went to work.