No Refunds No Exchanges: A Hudson Family Series- Book 4- Matt and Ali

by Chontelle Brison

  I sniffed and tried to get my heart to see reason, pleaded with my emotions to not give in so easily but everything that Matt was saying was like a balm to my very soul. I wanted to believe him. Me! The realist wanted to believe we could make it beyond all obstacles.

  I desperately grabbed at logic.

  “You can’t love me,” I said bleakly.

  “I can, I do, I will. Forever Alison.”

  “I’m older than you,” I replied crossing my hands over my chest.

  His laughter shook his chest and in turn, me, “Only by a few years and I think if you throw my experience in the ring, I’m actually older than you sweetness.” His smug smile was really beginning to piss me off.

  “Ass,” I muttered trying to squirm off his lap. Was I the only one that was thinking this through?

  “It won’t work! We’re too different,” I blurted out. The more I squirmed, the more the bastard smiled.

  “We complement each other, you're the yin to my yang, baby,” he answered laughing again.

  I snorted at that and then squeaked when he stood up from the recliner with his hands wrapped around my naked body and held me so that we were nose to nose. My dark eyes widened and then narrowed when I saw the amusement flashing in those mesmerizing green orbs.

  “No, we would kill each other Matthew, and you know it. You’re a clean freak, and I’m…well, I’m…”

  “A slob,” he offered with a grin.

  “I was going to say unorganized. Besides, I have been taking care of Baloo, Nala and Lady and the other animals for a long time, and I’m not about to give them up. I can’t ask you to move away from your family to help me run the sanctuary, either,” I pointed out proud that despite the proximity of my naked breasts to his bare chest, I was making solid points.

  “Alison,” he groaned as if I was somehow making his head hurt. “Those are details, and I just happen to excel at details!” He informed me as he tossed me on the bed and went to the large dresser and pulled out a sweatshirt, of course, it matched his damn sweats.

  “Those aren’t just details Matt, they are fundamental differences that showcase the two very different directions that are lives are taking, mainly in opposite directions of one another,” I hissed barely able to contain my frustration. The man was being purposely obtuse, very un-Matt like considering he used the elements of logic and reason for his profession as an accountant.

  Ignoring his annoyingly sexy grin, I began slamming the dresser drawers, tearing out clothes that I had, unfortunately, shoved in there without thinking to fold and now they were terribly wrinkled.

  “You see? Case and point! All of your clothes are neatly folded and probably freaking color coded in your drawers, mine are wrinkled, and all I care about is that I managed to wash them before I packed them for this trip!” I shouted. To illustrate my point I yanked out my worn, sweatshirt that had Lion King written on it but was so terribly wrinkled that I looked like a bag lady.

  “You're dramatic!” he responded still looking amused.

  Giving him my best smirk, I got to his drawer and yanked it open, ignoring his protest and his attempt to shoot past me to try to wedge himself between me and the dresser. Sensing, what he had been about to do, I simply threw the small, wooden apple that was sitting as a decoration on the dresser and the split second it took him to dodge it gave me ample time to yank open the drawer and smile.

  “Just like I thought, freakishly neat, wrinkle free and…oh my God..d-do you iron your underwear?” I gasped in disbelief as I studied the pristine conditions of his boxers that appeared to have been so lovingly placed next to his socks and undershirts.

  “Oh come on, everybody does it!” he protested shrugging his shoulders.

  I laughed as I pulled on a pair of blue jeans and gave him a look that said- I’m not buying it buddy- and raised one brow for good measure.

  “Okay not everybody, but I didn’t arrange them according to color,” he pouted.

  I laughed then, the weirdness of the conversation hitting me full force.

  “I only do that at home,” he muttered, and I immediately sobered up and just stared at the man.

  “You see?” I asked. Surely, he had to see the impossible aspect of the situation.

  “Come on Alison, people make changes, or compromises when they love each other. Reece and Synclair have done it and so have Lucas and Sara.” He reasoned.

  “Yeah, but Synclair’s bar was already in ashes when she showed up on your doorstep, and Sara already lived in Carson City, neither one of them owned an animal sanctuary!” I argued.

  “Well, it looks like someone has been doing some research on the internet,” he spat, apparently pissed that I had been snooping. Why? I have no idea since everything I found was public knowledge.

  I lifted my chin defiantly as my answer and put my hands on my hips. “Yeah, so…you did blackmail me, I needed to know if the rest of your family was just as crazy as you are,” I told him. I walked over to the bathroom sink and took out the pills to control my leg spasms and one muscle relaxer, hoping I’d be lucky, and my leg would behave the rest of the day. I was kind of surprised I wasn’t more sore than I was, considering that last night I had been pretty active.

  “Oh yeah, you’re not the only one who can snoop, love. I know that there’s a committee of ranchers who are trying to get your exotic animals permit revoked,” he announced smugly.

  I almost choked on the water I had taken to down my pills, slammed down the glass and turned to glare at the cheeky bastard.

  “Well, aren’t you just a regular Sherlock Holmes? Well, Mr. Nosey, I have it all under control because their whole argument is based on the fear that one of my animals will maybe get loose someday! Since I should have all of my security measures in place by Christmas, they will have no basis for fear when the county hears their argument come the first week of January!”

  Matt blinked twice and the recovered quickly. I wasn’t sure why I was so irritated, but I felt raw and emotional, and Matt Hudson was getting on my last nerve with his uncharacteristic optimism.

  “I wasn’t trying to say you didn’t have a handle on it. I was going to point out that Carson City has a lot of open land that I’m sure we could purchase and use to build a state of the art animal habitat for all of your animals!” he argued taking a step closer.

  “Yeah, I appreciate it Matt, but I’m not losing my home, I don’t care how many times someone offers to buy it or how many threatening letters I get, I won’t be driven off my land or out of the home that my father put so much time into!” I shouted, not realizing what I had said until Matt’s hands dropped from his chest and he quickly closed the distance between us and grabbed my shoulders.

  “What? What letters Alison? Who’s been trying to buy your ranch?” his words came fast, and I could tell by his expression he was worried.

  I had no experience with this, I had taken care of things on my own for a long time and wasn’t sure how to proceed.

  “Ali talk to me.” He demanded giving my shoulders a gentle shake.

  Sighing because I knew this was going to turn into some huge, melodramatic thing, even though I wasn’t worried about some stupid person sending me letters or my ex-asshat wanting to buy my property.

  “Fine. I’ve been getting a letter every few weeks, telling me to leave, sell the ranch and get out of Mt. Charleston or I’d be sorry,” I shrugged out of his grasp and limped to the small chair by the fireplace. I flopped down, suddenly feeling the aches and pain from last night, despite my medication.

  “That’s not fine Alison, did you call the police?” he asked in a tone that told me that I wasn’t sidestepping his concern.

  “I’m not five years old Matt!” I pointed out, irritated that he was talking to me like I was an idiot. “Yes, I spoke to the police, but there was no tracing it because it was mailed in Las Vegas, passed through various post offices, no prints on the letters..blah, blah, blah. It’s just the ranch owners wanting me to leave so th
at they don’t have to live in their ignorant fear that my toothless bear will eat them,” I spat out bitterly.

  “Yeah? What if it’s not them Alison? You said you’ve been approached by people to buy your ranch? Who?” I swear the man should’ve been a lawyer with the way he was interrogating me.

  “Some developer out of New York over a year ago, a few other people that I don’t recall much about and a few locals talked about it, all willing to pay above market value,” I told him. I had to admit, it was odd that both Richard and the man who had sent his lawyers to speak to me from New York, were offering far more than my ranch was worth. I had just assumed the developers wanted to build mountain retreats, and as for Richard, I just assumed he got joy out of the idea of taking something of mine.

  “Is there anything special about the ranch or the land it’s on?” Matt asked in a logical tone that told me that the calm, cool, collected accountant version of Matt was suddenly present.

  I shrugged dismissively and then blew out a loud breath when he glared at me, “fine…no. There is nothing special about that land or the house except my parents, and I have worked hard to build safe homes for the animals safe from the barbarism of humans!” I grumbled. Feeling exhausted, confused, emotionally drained and grumpy, I held up my hand when Matt’s mouth opened to ask another question I didn’t want to answer.

  “My whole point of this conversation was that it doesn’t matter how much I love you, Matthew Hudson, the gap between us is as wide as the Grand Canyon. Now I’m starving, and I’m going downstairs to eat before I pack for the flight home. Are you coming?” I asked tiredly. When he just stood there staring at me, I sighed and let myself out of the room feeling more uncertain than I had before we had started talking.

  Matt

  Two things hit me at once. The first made me want to do a very unmanly happy dance right here in my room, the other made me want to figure out a way to kick my own ass. First, Alison Collins had just admitted she was in love with me, but before I could even test the waters of all the emotions that swamped me the second those words spilled, unknowingly, from her lips; the next thought almost brought me to my knees. On the desk, next to the door that Alison had just slammed, was a string of small packets. Condoms. I had pulled them out last night and had not used any when I’d made love to her!

  This may not seem like a terrible thing since most women were on some kind of birth control, but ever since Amber Donaldson had tricked my brother Reece into having sex with her, condom free, so she could get pregnant and trap him into marriage, I have been the poster boy for protected sex. Even if a woman swears up and down she is on some kind of birth control, I always…always…wear a damn condom!

  Flopping down onto the stiff recliner, I decided to weigh my options. There was an excellent chance that Alison was on birth control and second, SHE FUCKING LOVES ME! Alright, I was probably putting way too much hope on the fact that her love would keep her from braining me if she ended up pregnant. The odd thing was, the fear I had of accidently getting some pregnant, wasn’t present at the moment. In fact, the idea of a little mini me or even a mini-Alison made me smile so big that my cheeks hurt.

  The only problem was that I wasn’t even sure Alison was aware of her declaration of love before she had stomped out. She was too busy trying to throw everything but the kitchen sink in the way of our being together. It was fear, I recognized it well because I had been afraid of loving someone my whole life. Jesus, I was still terrified of totally surrendering my heart to Alison and just to have her betray me like Amber had done to Reece. Still, if there was a baby involved, no matter what Alison tossed at me, we were going to be together, we were going to be a family, and she was just going to have to like it!

  Unfortunately, I wasn’t her favorite person at the moment, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. Quickly packing my suitcase for the flight later that day, I jumped when a loud musical rendition of the theme song from the Disney movie, “The Jungle Book,” echoed through the room. Following the annoying ringtone, until I found Alison’s phone tucked under a towel on the floor, I slid it open trying to make the phone shut up.

  “Hello? Alison, dearest I know you’re there…I can hear you breathing,” came a very husky and very male sounding voice.

  I checked the caller ID, and all it said was, Richard.

  “Sorry sweetheart, Alison is a little tied up right now, maybe you could back later when she has use of her hands,” I answered not able to resist.

  “Ah, this must be the illustrious Matt Hudson, son of Wyatt Hudson who owned Hudson International Ranching out of Carson City, before his untimely demise when you were just a college-bound boy.” The guy said, and I pulled the phone away from my ear and just stared at.

  Who the hell was this guy? And why did he know so much about me?

  “Gee, I guess we can skip the first date and go right for the main event of the night,” I replied in a tone that let the asshat know that I was not enjoying this conversation.

  “That we can. So, has my little chickadee gotten you to agree yet? I’m sure you’ll find that you won’t be wasting your money.” Asshat informed me in his smarmy voice.

  “Okay, who is this?” I demanded losing patience with this guy’s little game.

  “I’m Alison’s husband, Richard. I know it comes as a shock, she was probably worried that if she told you, she was married you’d be less interested in saving her sanctuary. But since you’re answering her cell phone, it sounds like an investment wouldn’t be a problem for you, Mr. Hudson.”

  Okay, one…I didn’t like this guy and two, was Alison really married to this man? If she was, then why was she spending time with me? Was she really shy about those scars or was this a game to get money? It didn’t add up, I knew that Alison’s passion and fears last night were real, you can’t fake that…can you?

  As much as I tried to fight it, little devils of doubt started to swirl around in my gut. It wouldn’t be the first time a woman had tried to use a Hudson to get something. But Alison? I had chased her this whole time, hadn’t I. Or was she so desperate to save her sanctuary that she only let me think she wasn’t interested this whole time?

  “You're lying,” I hissed into the phone refusing to believe that Alison would betray me. “Ali isn’t married, and she told me all about the court date in January. She’ll have the enclosures all up to the new safety standards before then, so whatever game you’re playing stops now!” I demanded gripping her phone so tight I was shocked it didn’t snap into pieces.

  I heard chuckling on the other end and then Alison’s phone dinged with a text message. I looked down at the notification and saw it was from Richard. Feeling my stomach drop into my feet, I opened the image that showed a picture taken of a glossy wedding picture, another picture showed him kissing Alison at a rooftop party with a banner in the background that said- Happy New Year 2016. The last image was a letter that was addressed to the court that held her Exotic Animals permit and was signed by her. Basically, she told the court that because of a sizeable donation by the Hudson family, she’d be able to have state of the art safety measures implemented by the end of the year.

  Fuck! This couldn’t be happening. Alison was not only married, but she had already told the court that my family had given her a donation of money to modernize the enclosures for her animals. I wasn’t sure if I was hurt because she had duped me or impressed at how good of an actress she had been. She didn’t love me, not really, I was the means to an end to save her precious animals. Boy, she and this asshole must be sitting back laughing at me, I was so easy.

  “What kind of man pimps out his wife for money?” I demanded to know. How much could this guy love Alison if he was willing to let her have sex with me for money?

  Another chuckle came across the line, and I wanted to reach through and grab the man’s throat and squeeze.

  “I figured a man in your profession would understand the art of becoming what a person desires in exchange for payment. And in
all fairness, I thought Alison had already told you and gotten you to write her a check for the improvements,” his tone sounded falsely sympathetic. This guy didn’t feel sorry for me, he was a sadistic bastard who loved the idea of ripping the rug from under me.

  “Yeah, well you’re a tad early on the reveal Richard, Alison hadn’t gotten to the part where she asked me for a dime,” I seethed, then smiled into the phone, “she was too exhausted this morning from me fucking her and making her scream my name all night…and Richard..it was my name she was screaming, and she wasn’t faking when her dripping wet pussy clenched my cock over and over again.” I told him smiling.

  I heard him gasp, curse and then he ended the call. I threw her phone on the bed and collapsed to the floor. Maybe it was Karma? I had gone from avoiding love, to chasing it, getting it and now the joke was on me.

  Laying back on the floor, I wiped my eyes and winced when I realized tears were flooding down my cheeks. This! This is what I had fought so hard to avoid, so hard to make sure that this wouldn’t happen. Apparently, falling in love was easy…now if I could just find a way to fall out of it.

  Why? Why hadn’t she just been straight with me? I would have given her the money since I knew there was no way she was faking how much she loved those animals of hers.

  “Dammit Ali, you were supposed to be mine.” I wailed in sadness.

  Ali

  Matt was mad, no that wasn’t right, Matt was livid. Like sweet man turns into huge green monster kind of pissed. I know it was my fault. Once I had gotten downstairs and to the small café, I realized I was very, very wet. I rushed to the bathroom and realized my thighs were sticky, and it wasn’t from the orgasm on the floor! We hadn’t used protection last night, and I hadn’t even thought about it.

  I had cleaned myself up, hurried through a bowl of soup and had planned to come upstairs and apologize to Matt for picking a fight, let him know that it was the wrong time of the month for me to ovulate. I hoped that I could put his mind at ease, and then I was going to pull up my big girl panties and tell him that I wanted to give us a chance. Maybe we could work out weekend visits, talk on the phone, Skype, whatever it took to see if we could make this work.