Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
“Pizza or Chinese?” Beck asked. Hudson’s sudden appearance had given Heavenly enough to deal with. She didn’t need to cook, too.
The kid sneered. “Doesn’t matter. We do it better back east.”
Heavenly smiled. “Your dad says the same thing. And I’ll let you in on a secret. When he first moved out here, he was afraid of earthquakes.”
Hudson frowned. “Bullshit.”
“She’s serious.” Beck nodded. “He still is. We rib him all the time.”
That made the teenager smile, like he was happy to have some dirt on the dad he’d never met.
“I’m in the mood for Chinese, if that’s okay with you,” Heavenly said.
“Even if it will suck? Sure.”
She dropped a soft hand to his shoulder. “Why don’t you get settled? We’ll be upstairs in the kitchen. Just come find us when you’re ready.”
Heavenly shut the door behind them. Together, they ascended the stairs and made their way to the family room. Heavenly poured them each a glass of iced tea. While Beck lowered himself into the chair by the window and ordered Chinese from one of their favorite places, she eased onto the sofa. After he tucked his phone in his pocket, they looked at one another. For long moments, neither spoke, as if they had a ton to say, but didn’t know where to start.
Beck broke the ice. “Crazy shit, huh? Finding out Seth has a long-lost son wasn’t on my bingo card.”
“Mine, either.”
“He’s going to be so fucking shocked.”
She hesitated. “I’m terrified what this news will do to him.”
Beck understood her fear. Hell, he shared it. Seth had endured so much, and he’d just committed to starting a family with them. Finding out he already had a sixteen-year-old son was going to rock him to his core.
His expression softened, and he took her hand, folding it in his. “I know, little girl. But we’ll figure it out together. All of us.”
“I hope so.” She sighed. “I don’t think we should tell Hudson about our relationship.”
“We can’t. Seth will be home in less than twenty-four hours. Then he can decide. Hudson isn’t stupid; he already suspects. But until our other half weighs in, we just need to zip it.”
“I don’t like lying, but you’re right.”
“Which really sucks. I wanted to make you scream tonight.” He wagged his brows at her with a levity he didn’t feel, but he wanted to lighten her mood. “All night.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Behave. Hudson already thinks the worst of Seth.”
“Yeah, he’s got his work cut out for him if he’s going to have any kind of relationship with that kid.”
Heavenly opened her mouth to respond before loud footsteps stomped up the stairs. A moment later, Hudson appeared now dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and a tank top with big, bare feet. He was tall and lanky, lean with muscle. Just like his dad. Jesus, the resemblance was uncanny.
“Food will be here in thirty minutes,” Beck told the kid.
Plenty of time for the inquisition.
“Have you eaten today?” Heavenly offered, rising. “Do you need a snack to tide you over until dinner comes?”
“Do you wait hand and foot on dear old dad, too?” Hudson eyed her.
“She asked you a yes or no question,” Beck snapped.
“No. I had a sandwich a couple of hours before I found you.”
“Have a seat.” Beck head-bobbed to the chair across from him.
“I’ll stand.”
“It wasn’t a request.”
“Son of a bitch,” Hudson muttered. “You looking to bust my balls?”
“Only if you make me. I want information. We can do this easy or hard—up to you.”
The teen sighed as if the whole situation was one giant imposition and plopped into the chair. “What?”
“So you live in Connecticut?” Beck did his best to keep his tone conversational.
“Cromwell,” Hudson confirmed. “Shitty little town south of Hartford.”
“You’re a long way from home,” Heavenly clucked like a mother hen. “How did you get here?”
Beck suppressed a smile. His little girl was both feeling her maternal streak and playing peacekeeper, smoothing over what she probably saw as his too-direct approach. But someone needed to cut through Hudson’s shitty attitude.
“Well, I didn’t fucking walk,” Hudson drawled. “Of course I bought a plane ticket. Duh.”
It took all of Beck’s restraint not to grab the kid by the throat and squeeze. Instead, he got in Hudson’s face. “Don’t talk to her like she’s an idiot, or we’re going to have problems. Are we clear?”
“Yeah, yeah. Sorry.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “This is just awkward as fuck.”
“You’re not making things any better by mouthing off. How did you pay for your plane ticket?”
“I had a job over the summer. I saved some money,” Hudson said defensively.
“What kind of job?” In Beck’s experience teenagers with unexplained cash usually had sketchy side-hustles.
Hudson’s expression shuttered completely. “Student by day…gigolo by night.”
Beck raised a brow. “Sure you are, smart-ass. Try again.”
The kid’s mouth quirked slightly—surprise, maybe, that Beck was keeping up verbally. “I was a lifeguard at the local pool, okay? Geez…”