The Right Moment

by Heatherly Bell

  And maybe it was high time for them to witness that much better, far richer Joanne.

  * * *

  The plan had come to Hud while on a boring shift where the only calls that had come in were medical ones.

  Genius idea number one: he would take Hunter rock climbing at Wildfire Ridge Outdoor Adventures. There was no other sport that required more trust between two people than rock climbing. In some cases, the relationship with a partner could mean the difference between life or death. Hud would demonstrate once more that he trusted this rangy sixteen-year-old, who, let’s face it, was like a son to him.

  Like a son. If this worked out permanently with Jo, and each day and night brought him more hope that it would, he’d have a stepson. A ready-made family. While he’d always been a friend to Hunter, Jo had called the shots with her son. It was how she’d wanted it. She rarely wanted his advice, but he gave it to her anyway: Give him short bursts of freedom so he learns how to handle himself. Respect the fact that he might need some privacy. Yes, let him get his license when he’s sixteen. I actually agree with Matt. Understand that he’s no longer your little boy.

  She’d listened, because he’d pulled the best friend card. Hell, there was no one that understood teenage boys better than a former teenage boy. And Hud had been a hell of a teenage boy. He felt sorry for his parents now, who’d done the best they could with him. But he’d been born to parents who hadn’t given him enough freedom. By the time they did, he went crazy with it. When he’d discovered sex, it had been like being handed the keys to an ice-cream parlor with sixty-five different flavors. How was he supposed to pick just one? How did he even know what he liked? Shouldn’t he at least try them all out once?

  That kind of idiocy, the inability to appreciate what he had, was how he’d lost Jo.

  Determined that Hunter would not be a stupid kid too, he was ready to enlighten him. He was probably worried that Hud would also hurt his mother, and after the recent events, he couldn’t blame him.

  So, on Saturday after his shift rotation, he picked Hunter up at his father’s house.

  “Can I drive?” Hunter asked when he came up to the driver’s side window. “I need the practice and you’ve been driving like...forever, right?”

  Hud moved to the passenger seat. “Why not?”

  Hunter drove to the outskirts of Fortune and the hill leading to Wildfire Ridge. They’d been here together many times. Hunter liked coming along to occasionally bend Sam Hawker’s ear, Jill’s fiancé, and one of the many guides here. He’d been a former Marine and Hunter was still at the age where that highly impressed him. But he’d also been on several ride-alongs with Hud, and they’d talked Army and all things military. Growing up in a small town that had at some point become a haven for former military, it wasn’t surprising that Hunter wanted to serve.

  Hud just wanted to know it was for the right reasons, and he knew Matt and Sam agreed with him.

  Hud relaxed in the passenger seat, until Hunter nearly missed stopping at a red light in time. The tires screeched. Hud didn’t even blink.

  “You know about my accident?”

  Hunter snorted. “Only because my mom told me like a hundred zillion times. She said that’s when you decided to be a first responder.”

  “You never heard my side of the story.”

  “Was it something stupid? Like you ran a red light?” He cleared his throat. “I’m not used to the brakes on your truck.”

  “No, I lost control of my father’s sports car. Going way too fast.”

  “Your dad had a sports car? Kewl.”

  “Don’t get too excited. It was an old classic Mustang. But a very sweet ride.”

  “Was the accident your fault or someone else’s?”

  “I wrapped the car around a tree, so I guess you could say that’s my fault.”

  No one had ever shared the gory details with Hunter and Hud wasn’t about to do that now. Sometimes fears could be just as powerful as misguided courage. And just as harmful. Hunter didn’t say anything, apparently using all his attention to make a left turn against traffic.

  Impressed, Hud didn’t continue talking until he’d safely turned. “And it happened over a girl.”

  Concentration broken, Hunter glanced at him for a second, then back to the road. “Huh.”

  “She wasn’t just any girl to me. I loved her. I was angry because I’d done something stupid. So, she went out with another guy. I was jealous. Don’t drive when you’re jealous.”

  Hunter snorted. “Or mad.”

  “Just kidding. Sometimes you have to drive when you’re mad or jealous.”

  “Yeah. Or I might never drive.”

  “Exactly. Just make sure to separate your emotions when you get behind the wheel.”

  “I’ve already heard all this from my dad.”

  “That’s good advice in general. Try not to let emotions rule your decisions. Logic matters too. It’s a balance.”

  “You should take your own advice,” Hunter said, turning into the parking lot for customers. “You’re dating my mom because you like her, but maybe you should think it over. Don’t let those emotions make the decision.”

  One point for Hunter. He’d thrown it back in Hud’s face. No one had ever said the kid was slow on the uptake.

  “I have thought it over,” Hud said, catching the keys when Hunter tossed them to him. “The girl I just told you about? That was your mom.”

  One point for Hud and the save.

  Hunter stared at him blankly. “For real?”

  Okay, well, Hud hadn’t planned on it just coming out like that. He’d never had occasion to talk to Hunter about his history with Jo because why would he? It was all in the past, and while he would have loved it to stay where it belonged, they were still dealing with the repercussions. And it was time for Hunter to understand that this whole idea of being with Jo wasn’t something he’d thought up on the spot at the last minute.

  He met his gaze and didn’t break eye contact. “For real.”

  Hud rolled back the shell of his truck cab and pulled out his equipment. The camp offered everything one would need to climb for rent, but years ago Hud had bought all his own stuff. He shoved a bag filled with harnesses into Hunter’s arms.

  He was still staring. “You and my mom.”

  “It was years ago. And we were both too young.”

  “But I thought you guys were just good friends. My friends said you had the hots for my mom, and I said no way, he’s like my uncle.” He scoffed. “You made me look stupid.”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “I hate complicated.”

  Join the club, kid. Join the club. Come to the meetings. Pay your dues.

  “Now I know why you don’t like my dad.”

  The words hit Hud square in the solar plexus and he hadn’t expected that. “Matt’s a good man.”

  “But he took your girl.”

  “No, it’s not like that. She’s not property so she can’t be taken. And she had every right to go out with your dad. We weren’t together at the time.”

  “But you wanted to be.”

  Hud grunted. “Yeah.”

  They hiked up to the entrance and checked in with Julian, one of the guides. With both an annual membership and employee discount, Hud could bring along a friend anytime, free of charge. Farther in, and at the craggy rock that sat at the base of Wildfire Ridge and faced away from the lake, Hud pulled out harnesses, helmets and ropes. He handed Hunter an extra pair of footwear because he was prepared.

  Hud set them up, attaching the carabiner clip to the harness Hunter would use.

  Hunter had been rock climbing here before, at least once on Friends and Family Day with Matt and his friends. So Hud knew he wasn’t dealing with a complete beginner, but this would be the first time with him. And contrary to Matt, Hud ha
d participated in extreme sports. He’d climbed El Capitan in Yosemite and other challenging boulders. But this wasn’t a contest, Hud reminded himself, even if Hunter had called it.

  He’d always been a little sensitive about Matt.

  For the next hour, he and Hunter were locked in the symbiotic relationship between climber and belayer. Fearless, Hunter climbed, taking direction from Hud, always letting his feet lead him. Too many beginners used their hands to pull themselves up and wound up getting tired easily. Hunter was a quick study and when he was ready to switch places and be the belayer, Hud did his thing. The quiet between them wasn’t awkward, but a comfortable silence.

  The sun was beginning to set when Hud drove them back to Matt’s house.

  “I guess we won’t be doing stuff like this anymore,” Hunter said.

  “Why not?”

  “Think about it. You took me fishing and camping whenever Mom was off seeing one of Chuck’s away baseball games. Before that, it was always whenever she went away for a trade show. But now, you’re going to be the guy.”

  Holy crap. Hud had not seen that one coming. His chest constricted with the love he had for this kid. There was just no other word for it.

  “I’m always going to have time for you, buddy.”

  Hunter snorted. “Grown-ups always say that. But...you still love my mom? For real?”

  Hud didn’t hesitate. “Yeah. I do. I never stopped.”

  “Wow, that’s hella corny.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You should be sure, because you shouldn’t fool around with a single mom.”

  “Preaching to the choir.”

  “Huh. Well, it’s okay for you to date my mom, I guess. She should be happy. You better not be a jerk-off like Chuck or I’ll have to kill you.”

  “Give me some credit.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “I am, too.”

  Hud parked on the sidewalk in front of Matt and Sarah’s home. The light was on inside and he got to witness another domestic scene. Matt and Sarah in the window, as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in. There were an awful lot of new couples in Hunter’s life. It had to be tough.

  “They’re so embarrassing to be around. Geesh.” He climbed out of the car. “Whatever you do, don’t get cutesy. If you call my mom honeybuns or sweetie pie, I swear I’ll throw up all over you.”

  Hud smirked. “You got it.”

  They fist-bumped, and as Hud drove home, he thought this was about as good as life could ever get.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Joanne paced the living room, waiting for Hud. She’d never paced in her life, but that afternoon Hud had taken her son rock climbing on Wildfire Ridge. Hunter went up there a lot, whether with Matt or tagging along with Hud here and there, but this was the first time they’d been together since... Well, since Joanne and Hud became involved.

  Considering Hunter wasn’t thrilled with the idea of the two of them, Joanne had cause to be worried. Okay, so she had to stop freaking out. And when she heard Hud’s truck pull up outside, she finally did. She ran to her window to see that at least from the outside, he was intact, no worse for the wear of hanging out with a sometimes-pissy teenager.

  “You made it!” She threw open the door.

  “What? You had doubts?” He rushed her at the door, picking her up and carrying her inside. “I’ve been through fires and pulled people out of wrecks. I think I can handle a teenager.”

  “And don’t forget crawled under Mrs. Diaz’s house for Pooky.”

  “What can I say? You fell in love with a real-life hero.” He smirked as he put her down. “Who just got the green light.”

  “Oh my gosh, so he’s okay with us dating?” She covered her mouth.

  “Yep. But I did have to promise him a sports car on his seventeenth birthday.”

  Joanne gasped. “You didn’t!”

  “No, it’s good. I’ll take out a loan.” He plopped down on the couch and stretched his arms to the side. “Don’t worry, I should be done paying it off by the time I retire.”

  Poor Hud! She should have warned him, prepared him better. He had so much to learn about kids. They shouldn’t be bribed, no matter how much you wanted to. The temptations came early. You couldn’t do it, no matter how much you wanted to promise a gallon of ice cream, or a million dollars even, if they would just sleep through the night or let you go to the bathroom alone for once.

  Then she caught the mischievous gleam in Hud’s gaze. “You brat!”

  He pulled her down on his lap, laughing. “Baby, if I’m going to mortgage our future over a sports car, it will be mine. Took you long enough.”

  Our future. She swallowed, her heart full. “You had me going.”

  His low throaty laugh was terribly sexy when it sounded like it came from a place of such deep contentment. She’d never imagined he would be this happy, dropped into her dull life. She had a mortgage payment and a 529 Education Fund for Hunter. She lived with a teenager and owned a plain Jane sedan good on gas mileage.

  “I think now that we’re officially together, you can stop all of the teasing.” Her fingers grazed over his chin and the light bristle there.

  “Hell, no. I was going to ramp it up.” His arms came around her waist, and he slid her a slow smile.

  That smile promised her a future and she would grab on and hold tight. This was everything she’d ever wanted. She framed his face. “Are you happy, Hud?”

  “Why? If I say I’m not, are you going to do something to get me happy?”

  He was incorrigible. Still, she giggled. “I might.”

  “Happier than I’ve ever been.”

  She waited, expecting him to tack on a teasing comment, like he’d be even happier if she brought him a cold beer. But he didn’t make a joke. Hud knew when to be serious and that truth slid into her heart, warm and sweet. She tugged him up from the couch and he came willingly, smiling when he saw her turn toward the bedroom. They each took off their clothes and fell into bed, where he made love to her, slow and delicious.

  Afterward, he crushed her against his chest. “I love you. I always have. And don’t you ever forget it.”

  She kissed him and fell asleep with those words on her mind.

  * * *

  It took two more days and late-night talks with Hud, but Joanne made the decision about her new design.

  “Where are you off to today?” Hud asked in the morning.

  “The fabric store, lunch with my mother and Iris—” She bustled about the kitchen, pouring them each cups of coffee.

  “Uh-oh. Does your mother know?”

  “About us? Yes, she knows. And she’s fine with it.”

  He held up his coffee mug in a mock salute. “I will accept that lie.”

  “Hud, you know she adores you,” she chided, hugging his neck. “Stop.”

  “It’s okay, baby. She adores me as your best friend, but I broke your heart once and I get that’s hard to get past with your only daughter. I’m going to earn her respect back.” He bent to kiss her on the lips.

  “And what are you doing today?”

  “Brought my toolbox and I’m going to fix your leaky sink. This is real hero stuff.”

  “That’s why I love you.” She finished her coffee, kissed him again and headed for the door. “I’ll be back late because I have after-hours appointments with two different brides.”

  She’d gone ahead and scheduled an appointment with Brenda Taylor, with the explanation that she understood someone else would make the dress, but she wanted to talk about the designs she’d already bought. She left out talk of the new design, because in the end it might not be something Brenda would want anyway. Still, the meeting itself would go a long way toward clarifying that Joanne was no longer the jilted bride of the bad luck boutique. Someone was bound to see her comi
ng inside the boutique. And as the influential Taylors of Fortune, their opinion would go a long way to getting the word out.

  Joanne wore her yellow dress again. The bags were gone from under her eyes because these days she might be losing sleep here and there, but it was for all the right reasons. She was actually well rested, her skin clear and her cheeks rosy pink. And for the first time in a long while, she was happy in that over-the-top way that she figured was reserved for people younger than her.

  Brenda showed up at the boutique a few minutes late. “Sorry, there was bad traffic. I had a deposition in Oakland today.”

  “We could have rescheduled.” Joanne led her to the couch where her new design sat in the sketch pad, still not transferred to a graphic design program.

  “Absolutely not. I’m really sorry with the way everything happened.”

  “You’re not the first superstitious bride I’ve met, so don’t be too hard on yourself.”

  “I’m not the superstitious one,” Brenda said, settling back into the sofa. “It’s my mother. Um, do you have some of that champagne around?”

  “Of course.” In the minifridge, Joanne found the uncorked bottle they hadn’t finished when Jill had come in. Noting it still had fizz, she poured some into a flute and handed it to Brenda.

  “Thanks. You’re a class act. My mom expected you to get really mad and tell everyone in Fortune that we were taking our business elsewhere. And I wouldn’t blame you if you did. My mother can be a real hypocrite.”

  “I’m okay with all that. That’s not why I called you.”

  “Right. You said it was about the designs?”

  “I didn’t give you my best work. I like to hear the love story between a couple first. Whether they’ve always been secretly in love, or just discovered each other. Whether it’s been on and off for years, or whether suddenly something just clicked. I didn’t dig deep enough with you and I’m sorry.”