“I want to kiss you,” she confessed. “But I’ve never kissed anyone before. I don’t want to mess it up.”
“You couldn’t. Not even if you tried.”
“I could. I researched it.”
“You researched how to kiss? What did you find?”
“There’s a lot that can go wrong. It appears to be a logistical nightmare,” she said as the night around them faded away to nothing. He reached up and touched her hand.
“I could help.”
“I’d like that,” she whispered as his face moved closer to her. Soap and cinnamon caught in her nose, and her heart pounded as his lips brushed hers.
Oh, boy.
His mouth found hers again and the sky exploded. Part of her mind tried to tell her it wasn’t possible for the sky to explode, but she ignored it and kissed him back. When they pulled away, his gaze held hers.
“How was that?”
“Inconclusive,” she murmured as he pressed his nose to hers. As he kissed her again, his mouth was turned up into a smile. She had no idea what she’d been scared of.
8
“You’re looking pretty pleased with yourself,” Ruth said the following afternoon as Hudson stepped into the cabin. He held up his hands to show he’d walked without the crutches. Not that it was the real reason he was smiling.
Nope. It was because last night he’d kissed Via.
And she kissed me back.
He could still feel her skin pressed against his, the scent of coconut and apples in his nose. He’d been out with his aunt and uncle while they bought groceries, and he hadn’t spoken to her all day, but they’d arranged to meet up later, when everyone was taking part in a campsite match of hide-and-seek. He swallowed.
Probably best not to think too much about it. He limped over to the seat he’d been heading toward and sat down. His ankle was now just a dull ache.
“Yup, I’ve mastered walking three steps. Go me,” he said as Ruth sat down at the other side of the table. Her mouth was set in a serious line.
“I’ve been speaking to your dad. He’s been trying to call you for two days. Any chance you’re going to answer him?”
“Can I say no?” Hudson said, his good mood fading.
“Actually, you can.” She shrugged. “Hudson, I’m not the boss of you. But…I know he really wants to talk. It’s important.”
“Fine.” He toyed with his phone as Ruth stood up.
“I’ll give you some space.”
“Thanks.” He reluctantly swiped the screen and made the call. His dad answered on the third ring.
“Oh, hey, buddy,” he said in a breathy voice. Like he’d been running. “I was starting to get worried about you. How’s the ankle?”
“Fine,” Hudson said in a tight voice as he stretched out his legs. Outside he could hear Ruth chatting to the kids, probably trying to keep them out of the cabin. He forced himself to be polite. “How’s Seattle?”
“Good. Actually…that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” His dad sounded cautious. Almost nervous. “There’s no easy way to say this. Lexi’s been offered a great job up here. That’s why we were delayed coming back. We’ve been looking at houses, and yesterday our offer was accepted.”
Hudson’s stomach clenched, and the room began to spin.
His dad had bought a house? In Seattle. As a rule, people didn’t tend to do that unless…
“You’re moving there?” His voice sounded tight and angry, even to his own ears. Good. Because that summed up how he felt. His dad was literally moving, without even bothering to mention it until after it had been decided.
Like it didn’t even matter.
Like I don’t matter.
“I know it seems quick. Truth is, buddy, Cricket Bay was always your mom’s idea, not mine. And there’s more opportunity here for me and Lexi.”
And it was over a thousand miles away. His head pounded.
“When’s the big move?”
“A few weeks. And you can come here on your school breaks,” his dad said in a rush, like it was a rehearsed script. A problem that needed fixing. It was probably number four on the to-do list. Hudson shut his eyes and nodded.
“Yeah. Sure.”
“So, we’re good?”
“Great,” he agreed in a dull voice.
His dad stayed on the call for another ten minutes, talking about the house, about how great Seattle was. About all kinds of things Hudson didn’t bother to listen to. Once he’d ended the call he reached for his crutches and headed for the door. Ruth was waiting.
“Hey, you okay?”
“Fine,” he said in a cool voice. “It’s not a big deal. I just need some air.”
“Sure. Come and see me when you’re ready.”
He headed in the direction of the lake.
Why was he surprised? Even when his dad lived in Cricket Bay he was forever cancelling the nights Hudson was meant to stay. Between his job and his new wife, he was always busy. This was standard operating procedure.
His phone beeped with a text.
He dragged it from his pocket and stared at the screen.
It was his mom. Of course it was.
That man is unbelievable. This isn’t acceptable.
Here they went again. He turned his phone to “Do Not Disturb” and thrust it back into his pocket. Then he stabbed the crutches into the dirt, swinging himself forward. His mom was only pissed she now had a full-time son again. It might cramp her style. It was a familiar conversation.
Still. Nothing would really change. He’d just be getting in the way of one person now, not two. Anger caught in his throat. Today really sucked.
xxxx
An hour later his muscles stung with pain, but Hudson ignored it as he thrust the paddle into the water. His ankle meant he couldn’t walk or run or kick anything. But he could use his arms. So he’d dragged a canoe onto the lake and started rowing, three facts spinning around in his head competing for air time.
He’d kissed Via. She’d kissed him back.
And his dad was moving.
The
