“That’s because it was happening right in front of you. Too often when it’s you, you don’t see it happening until you’re already caught up in the mess.”
“Maybe,” he said. “I had one long relationship eons ago,” he said. “I’ve had multiple short ones since, but nothing like that one.”
“What happened?” Mason asked curiously.
“She died in a car accident. After prom,” he said quietly, staring at the long road of his past. “We were planning on going to college together,” he said with a lopsided smile. “We’d been sweethearts since forever, and, when she died, it felt like something inside me died too.”
“I’m sorry,” Mason said. “That’s a tough one.”
“It is, though it’s been long enough that I should have gotten over it by now. I just haven’t found anybody else.”
“Are you close to anybody in her family?”
“Her sister,” he said immediately. “But Delilah’s death keeps us together.”
“Are you sure about that?” Mason asked.
He looked at him in surprise. “Well, we have coffee every once in a while, but nothing more than that.”
“Is there nothing more to it than that because you don’t want there to be?”
He frowned. “I hadn’t actually thought anything was there to develop.”
“Well, maybe you should take another look,” he said. “Too often, in cases like that, people get together because of the person they lost. Sometimes it doesn’t work because they’re hoping the other person will be a clone of the person who is gone. The opposite is also true. They stay away from that person because they think that they’ll make them a substitute.”
“Well, she’s not a substitute for anybody,” he said. “She’s got a lot of piss and vinegar, where her sister was much more sugar and spice.”
“But that doesn’t mean she’s not interested.”
“I don’t even know what she’s doing these days. I haven’t talked to her in quite a while.”
“Maybe it’s time you should. Maybe it’ll help you put the past to bed.”
“Well, I wasn’t thinking along those lines. I was just hoping that, I don’t know,” he said, with a shake of his head. “She’s fun to be around, and I really like her, but I still see her sister’s face. So, I’m probably in the second category.”
“Are you still seeing her sister’s face, or is that a habit?” Mason asked quietly.
Stunned, he looked at Mason. “Very interesting,” he said. “I see the psychoanalyst coming out in you.”
“I’ve just seen a lot of guys on teams go through a lot of relationship strife and struggles,” he said. “There’s been more than a few who have lost their spouses too. Some before, some after marriage,” he said, “and some who have lost whole families.”
At that, Hudson winced because he knew a few himself. “That’s what I mean. It seemed like it happened a long time ago, and I just haven’t found anybody new.”
“Are you open to finding anybody new?”
“Maybe. I guess,” he said, with a shrug and open hands. “I don’t want to be alone for the rest of my life.”
“So, the next time you get back, or maybe when we’re back this time, give her a call. Go for coffee or whatever, and just take a look at it with a new perspective.”
“And what perspective should that be?”
“One that says that she’s your friend, that she’s somebody you know well and have enjoyed seeing seeing off and on. And just see if something’s there.”
He thought about it, smiled, and said, “Why not? Like I said, she’s a good friend.”
“The thing about good friends is,” Mason said, “often we friend-zone somebody, even though that’s not what they wanted.”
“I don’t think she’s interested in me,” he said.
“Why is that?”
He stopped, thought about it, and said, “I don’t know, but she’s pretty special.”
“Well, maybe you should check out just how special she is then.”
He laughed. “You’re just so set on being a matchmaker,” he said. “You can’t stand to see anybody not hooked up.”
“I have to admit that I’m pretty much liking the status myself,” he said, “so who knows? Let me know how it goes.”
“I can do that,” Hudson said with a smile. “But don’t count on it.”
“It’s not a case of counting on it. Just give it an honest try and see what comes up. You might be surprised.”
“I doubt it,” he said, “but, hey, just for you, I’ll give her a call.”
“No,” he said, “not for me, do it for you.”
At that, he smiled and said, “Good enough, but not until I get home.”
“Done.”
This concludes Book 26 of SEALs of Honor: Baylor.
Read about Hudson: SEALs of Honor, Book 27
SEALs of Honor: Hudson (Book #27)
Due a few days of R&R, Hudson heads to visit his best friend in Vail, Colorado. The first day, an explosion in his hotel sends the city into chaos. He’s doing what he can to keep Avery safe, as this was no accident. He’s not allowed to join the investigation, but being on the spot and having the training he has are huge benefits. No way will he sit by and do nothing. Especially if Avery is in trouble.
Avery has been looking forward to Hudson’s visit. They are best friends, and she’d love to spend more time with him. Hell, she’d loved him since forever but didn’t want to risk their special friendship by taking the relationship further. Now she regrets it, as the explosion in town is only the tip of the problem—for the terrorist realizes that Hudson caught a glimpse of him.
Now the game of cat and mouse is on, with Avery caught in the middle …
Find Book 27 here!
To find out more visit Dale Mayer’s website.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Baylor: SEALs of Honor, Book 26! If you enjoyed the book, please take a moment and leave a short review here.
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