Yep, inner self came hard with that little dose of reality. Besides, I was already outside, I was committed now! To turn back would be to admit defeat and the hell if I was going to swallow that little pill in front of Mr. Sex on a Stick!
Of course, I didn’t get more than four steps when I heard a loud roar from behind me. Turning to see what sick and most likely dying animal had made such a terrible sound, I found Matt standing inside the downstairs window, hands braced on the window frame above him with a scowl that chilled me to my toes. Well, that or this damn grass was starting to give me frostbite!
For a moment I was caught in his electric green eyes, his whole face was the picture of pissed and I suddenly felt an adrenaline rush that jolted my entire body. Self-preservation took over, I bolted for the driveway, and Matt bellowed.
Running faster than I could ever remember and silently thanking my hip for cooperating, I made it around the back of a silver truck just as Matt ran around the front.
“Have you lost your mind? You have strep throat, Alison, we almost took you to the emergency room twice!” he scolded.
I smirked because the idea that a guy who was two years younger than me was trying to scold me for getting out of bed sick was kind of funny. However, the death stare that Matt was giving me told me he didn’t see the humor at all.
I slapped my hands on the cool, metal body of a very sweet Tundra. “Well, thanks for taking care of me, but I’m feeling better now, so I am going home,” I told him hoping he’d just take my answer and go away.
Of course, I just wasn’t that lucky. Instead, I watched him slide his eyes to his left, and that’s when I noticed his sneaky brother, Dalton Hudson trying to make a wide path to get behind me. Damn, sneak Hudsons! Can’t a girl just make a dignified exit? I was secretly rooting for you to get back with Camille, too! Now, I hope she shoots you with a nail gun!
Matt slid his gaze back to mine and gave me a smug look. He began to move to his right, and I knew if he got around the truck I was screwed, I couldn’t bolt to my right because sneaky, Dalton would intercept me. Feeling, I could take my chances with Dalton since he looked like the smaller of the two giants circling me, I faked left, went right and realized my mistake. Dalton was fast, even faster than Matt but just as he was about to grab me, a blur of auburn hair and blue jeans rushed in front of me and tackled him to the ground. For a moment I just froze. Camille Hudson had just tackled sneaky Dalton to the ground in a move that would make the NFL proud!
“Cami, what the hell?” Dalton shouted in disbelief as Cami straddled his back and refused to be bucked off no matter how hard the man arched his hips.
“Sorry love, girl code and all that! Besides, I’ve bet Synclair and Sara fifty dollars that Alison would make it off Hudson property before one of you lads got her!” Cami threw me a huge smile, and I couldn’t help but grin back. Aww, they bet on me and not against me, go girl power!
I turned to look at Matt and realized he was running at me full force! Shit! I dodged his grab, and he lost his balance and tumbled to the wet grass letting out a string of curses as he hit the ground. Knowing I couldn’t outrun the man, I started pulling on door handles and almost cried with relief when the driver’s side door of the truck opened.
I crawled in, locked all the doors, and smirked triumphantly at Matt as he pulled himself off the ground and rubbed his ass.
When he growled and stomped back into the house, followed by a grumbling Dalton and a beaming Camille, I thought I had won. Now, I just needed to figure out how to get out of here. My truck wasn’t running, and I had no idea how far outside of town I was. I was so busy looking up cab services I missed the light knocking on the passenger window.
Looking up slowly from my phone I felt my heart leap into my throat when I saw a set of keys dangling from Matt’s index finger.
“Open the door, Alison!”
“No, I am not playing patient to your playing doctor!”
“We need to talk Ali, things are different now!” his expression turned sad and for a moment I wanted to throw my arms around him and comfort him. That was until I remembered how he had humiliated me back in Dublin.
“There is nothing to talk about, Matt.” I looked around and realized I still had an out. I hadn’t done it years and not with a vehicle this new, but my father had taught me a few things about cars and how not to get stranded. I just needed to stall, Matt, while I worked my magic.
“Yes, there is baby,” I heard him groan and even with the dark tinted windows, I could see the haunted look in his eyes. “I was wrong, Alison! I shouldn’t have said those things to you, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.” There was a remorseful tone in his voice that was slowly chipping away at the walls I had just started to rebuild.
Refusing to let go of my anger, I pulled the wires below the dashboard out to where I could look for the two wires that I needed. Looking around I saw a small pocketknife in the side pocket of the door and smiled. Of course, a rancher always had knives in easy reach!
“It doesn’t matter anymore Matt, my life is a disaster area, and we just don’t fit,” I choked out trying not cry. Why was I so warm when it was not even fifty degrees outside?
Despite my best efforts, I felt wetness streak down my cheeks as I cut the two wires that I needed.
“We do fit Alison, I love you, and I know you love me, you said so in Dublin, and I’m not letting you go. You are not running away again! You are going to stay and work this out with me because we are going to give this relationship a shot! Now you can do this the easy way or the hard way, but the results will still be the same!” his voice was ragged, and I forced myself to concentrate on my task.
Matt pushed a button on the keyset in his hand, and the doors chirped as they unlocked. I hesitated when he grabbed the handle, and the door flew open. God, I wanted this man, I wanted him more than anything, but he was right!
“Oh Matt, you know I am going to do this hard way!” I told him letting my face show the pain I felt in my heart.
“Baby, it doesn’t have to be this way. Come back inside and let’s talk.” He pleaded holding his hand out towards me.
I gripped the wires tightly in my fists and looked from Matt’s outstretched hand to his hopeful face. My stomach lurched and my throat began to ache as I shook my head.
“I can’t do it, Matt, I can’t let myself have you, only for you to decide a few years later that I’m not enough, I just can’t,” I practically whispered.
His expression went from hopeful to determined, and I knew he was going to make a grab for me. Just as he began to reach inside the car, I slammed the two wires together, and the truck sprang to life. Taking advantage of his shock, I put the truck in reverse and hit the accelerator, throwing the car backward and wrenching the door from Matt’s stunned hands. It wasn’t until I looked in the rear view mirror that I watched Matt Hudson fade into the distance for the second time.
Matt
For the second time in the space of a week, Alison Collins had left me in the dust. This time, she had stolen my brother’s truck!
“What the hell just happened?” Dalton shouted coming up behind me with Cami not far behind.
I turned and almost couldn’t believe the words that were about to come out of my mouth, “She hot-wired your truck!”
Dalton reared back in shock, his head cocked to the side as he tried to make sense of the words I had spoken. I sighed and held up his key ring showing him the truck keys that were still present. I watched Dalton’s face change from shock to grudging admiration.
“Damn, I don’t know if I’m shocked or just downright impressed,” he replied shaking his head. I watched as Camille walked up, put her arms around his waist, and gave me a huge grin.
“Not sure what you’re so happy about, she stole your truck! Which never would have happened if you hadn’t tackled Dalt just when he was about to grab her.” I pointed out as I continued to watch the fading taillights of the Tundra.
Camill
e laughed and threw my car keys at me. I caught them before they hit the ground and stared at her with a dumb look on my face.
Rolling her lovely blue eyes, she put her free hand on her hip, and I knew I was in for a lecture.
“Matthew Hudson, all of us women try to escape you cavemen, in the beginning, your testosterone sucks the air out of any room and can be very stifling,” she explained while Dalton tried to smother a grin. Asshole.
“Okaaay,” I replied not sure what I was supposed to take from all of this.
“Geez man, you love the girl, she loves you, she’s scared that you’ll trade her in for a younger, prettier, possibly surer-footed model if you get my drift! You got to convince her she’s the one, the one you’re willing to make the significant compromises for and the harder she pushes you away, the more she actually loves you!” Camille stopped and gave Dalton a loud kiss on the lips and then smacked the grinning bastard in the back of the head.
“Okay, then what am I supposed to do with my wayward car thief who happens to still be running a fever?” I asked my voice dripping with sarcasm. I loved Camille, I did, but something was definitely getting lost in translation.
“Och, you silly man!” she started waving her hands as she spoke and even Dalton took a step away to avoid being smacked..again.
Camille walked up to me, grabbed my ear and forced me to either lose it or follow the hand that was gripping it until we were nose to nose.
“Did nothing I say permeate into that thick, gorgeous head of yours?” she gave my ear a tug, and I growled as I tried to remind myself how much I liked this woman. “She is scared. You need to show her that you’ll not leave her, that she’s not broken. You have to show her that you two can make room in your lives for each other. Can’t you see the woman is afraid you won’t take her for who she is or that loving you will mean she has to give up something else she loves?” Camille let go of my ear, and I took a moment to think about what she’d said.
I didn’t want Alison to choose between me and her animals. One of the things I loved most about her was how she passionately defended anything too weak to defend itself. Maybe that’s how she felt when she had lost her parents and had lain in a hospital bed for months, scared she’d never walk again. Fuck! I had gone about this all wrong! I had just assumed that me telling her we would work out our difference would be enough, not even considering the fact that I wasn’t giving her solutions, just words.
Camille was right, I needed to show Ali that I was in this for the long haul and if that meant moving to her Sanctuary ranch on Mt. Charleston then so be it. I loved my family, and I would miss living so close to them, but I could visit often, and I needed to make sure Alison knew how important she was to me.
“Camille, you are amazing!” I said brightly and rushed over to give her a loud smack on the cheek, enjoying the extra bonus of watching Dalton’s grin slide off his face.
“Yes, yes, I know,” she replied blushing three shades of red. Dalton growled and pulled his wife into his arms and glared at me.
“So what are you going to do now, genius? My truck is probably across the county line by now.”
I thought for a moment and then smiled. “No, it’s not, there’s one place Alison has to go first and if I know our new sister, Alison’s not going to be able to slip away from Synclair’s grasp as easily as she did ours.”
I gave a two-finger salute to the happy couple and ran for my car. Throwing it in gear, I picked up my phone and fired off a text to the one Hudson I knew could outsmart my little car thief. As soon as I got a reply, I smiled and took off.
Ali
If the constant ringing of my cell phone was any indication, I might have taken things a little too far by stealing one of the Hudson’s trucks. However, in my defense, Matt really hadn’t left me any other choice. Had I hesitated even a moment longer the man would have had me in his arms and back in his bed before I could blink. Yeah, what a travesty that would have been!
No! I pushed my slutty, weak thoughts down where they couldn’t interfere with my common sense. Thoughts like that are what got me involved with Matt Hudson in the first place.
I figured I only had a limited amount of time before one or all of the Hudson came tearing up behind me, so I focused on finding my way back into town. It didn’t take long, and luckily I passed a huge sign with a picture of Synclair and Sara holding up a cinnamon roll. I smiled, it was a small victory, but at least now I could grab Pepper and get the hell out of town. I only hoped that Matt didn’t report the truck stolen. I intended to return it to him, I’d even pay a service to drive it back here to Carson City after I had the dash wires fixed, of course. Still, I wouldn’t put it past Matt to call in the Sherriff, which was why I had to grab my niece and get out of town before that happened.
As soon as Synclair and Sara’s restaurant came into view, I whipped a left turn and screeched into the packed parking lot. Crap! Of course, it had to be busy! I rolled down the window and cringed when I slammed the door shut to the truck, leaving it running because I was afraid if I unwrapped the wires I would not get it started again.
I took a moment to appreciate the inviting curb appeal of Good Eats, a cute name that I was sure Synclair had come up with. It had a western look with wood steps leading up to a large oak door and huge windows that allowed customers to get plenty of natural lighting. It was the perfect blend of country and modern, but my favorite touch was the door handle made out of a baseball bat.
A woman pushed past me as she and her family rushed through the door. When the door swung open, I saw Pepper taking an order from a family sitting in a booth. Seeing my opportunity and knowing I looked like some mismatched, walk of shame hooker, I followed a plump looking woman inside, attempting to hide behind her long skirt and teased hair.
“Pepper,” I whispered as loud as my throat would allow. Damn but it was starting to ache again, maybe those meds that Matt had been pushing on me were wearing off. If that was the case, I needed to get moving.
Pepper’s eyes turned to me and went from shock to outright panic. Smiling at the people in the booth, she turned and quickly walked toward me. I had to admit that my niece looked happy. She was wearing a black polo shirt with the name ‘Good Eats’ embroidered in green and with her black jeans and cute apron she looked very grown up.
“Aunt Ali? What are you doing out of bed and what the hell are you wearing?” she whispered as I pulled her outside the door before anyone else noticed me.
Not appreciating her tone, I threw my hands on my hips and tried to forget that I was wearing sweats that had to be rolled over at the waist just to keep them up. “Doesn’t matter, we are leaving for home, right now!” I told her as I grabbed her arm and began pulling her toward the waiting truck.
Feeling like I was pulling dead weight, a glance back at Pepper was met with a pissed off glare. “You can’t just leave Aunt Ali, you’re sick!” she protested. Then she glanced at my feet, and her loud gasp caught the attention of several people entering the busy eatery. “Where the hell are your shoes?”
I looked down, suddenly remembering I was barefoot and in a stolen vehicle, I waved my hands to shush my loud and suddenly overbearing niece. “Shhh, do you want us to get caught? We have to get home Pepper, I’m not going to stay here another minute.” I hissed feeling a sweat break out on my forehead. Stupid fever, I could almost feel it creeping back up my flushed neck.
Pepper’s eyes filled with tears and it suddenly dawned on me that Pepper had already gotten attached to the Hudsons! Great, now you’re the asshole that’s going to tear her away from people she cares about, nice one Ali!
No! I shouted in my own head. Pepper would understand, she would come to realize that this was best. We didn’t belong in Carson City, and we weren’t part of the Hudson clan, no matter how much they tried to make us honorary members.
“Please Aunt Ali, please let’s stay here. Trevor can handle the animals. They’re n-nice..they g-gave me a job and Synclair told me wh
at a good job I was doing,” she cried as she broke out into a wailing sob. “I’ve never done a good job at anything before! I like it here. I like them, and my dad is here!” she finished by stomping her feet and sobbing so loudly that when I looked up, I saw that people were staring at us through the windows.
I tried a softer approach since it was evident the Hudson’s had given Pepper something my sister couldn’t seem to, mainly a sense of self-worth. “Sweetie, you know I can’t leave the Sanctuary for too long, Baloo and the others won’t understand. I know you like it here, and I promise I will talk to Jake about his being your father, but we still have to sort out the camp situation. We can’t let you get thrown in Juvenile Hall, Pepper,” I gently reminded her.
“She doesn’t have to worry about the camp,” a familiar male voice suddenly announced. Jake.
I saw Pepper’s blue eyes widened as she looked over my shoulder and I didn’t need to turn around to figure out how much of that conversation he’d heard.
Jake rounded on me and pushed a large hand through his dirty blonde hair, his blue eyes that were so much like Pepper’s seemed full of regret, fear, anger, and remorse all at the same time.
“How long have you known?” I asked since it was obvious the cat was out of the bag.
“Since before the cookout at the Hudson’s ranch, things started clicking when I was talking to Matt about you, then when I saw Pepper that day it was like staring at a younger, female version of myself,” he smiled sheepishly. I reached behind me and grabbed Pepper’s hand and squeezed, I could feel her trembling as Jake looked over my shoulder and smiled at his daughter.
“I-I didn’t know Jake, I thought you left and didn’t miss me like I missed you, I assumed you rejected me,” I murmured.
His big hands on my shoulders drew my eyes up to his. “I didn’t reject you Ali, Shit! I didn’t want to leave but your dad found Lela and me after we’d been together and he called my dad and all hell broke loose. I didn’t think I had been the kind of person you needed for a brother.” He replied never letting his gaze leave mine.
No Refunds No Exchanges: A Hudson Family Series- Book 4- Matt and Ali Page 26