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)
Like Beck had once been.
Heavenly sent Hudson a soft stare. “Beck is right. I don’t think Seth has any idea you exist.”
“Whatever,” the boy drawled, but Beck caught the way his shoulders sagged slightly, as if some of the fight had left him.
The doorbell rang.
They settled around the kitchen table with their takeout containers. Beck watched Hudson try not to look impressed by the spread—orange chicken, lo mein, fried rice, and spring rolls.
“So,” Heavenly said, breaking the silence. “What kind of music are you into?”
Hudson shrugged, digging into his orange chicken. “Rap mostly. Travis Scott, Kendrick, some drill music.”
“Seth likes classic rock,” Beck offered. “But I’ve heard him listen to hip hop.”
“Hmm.” Hudson shrugged like he didn’t care, but Beck bet he was filing away the information.
“What about sports?” Heavenly asked. “Do you play anything?”
“Football and baseball. Made varsity teams in both as a sophomore.” There was a hint of pride in Hudson’s voice before he caught himself. “I’m a decent pitcher and an all-star receiver.”
“Do you have a favorite pro team?” Beck asked.
“The Yankees. Obviously.” Hudson shot him a look like he was an idiot. “Best team out there.”
“Seth is a Yankees fan too,” Heavenly said with a smile.
Hudson’s fork paused halfway to his mouth. “Yeah?”
“When he lived in New York, he went to games with his brothers. He moved to LA this past February. I’m sure he’s sad he missed this season.”
Beck watched something flicker across Hudson’s face—interest, maybe even longing—before he banked it.
“Cool,” Hudson mumbled. “I guess.”
“Got friends back home?” Beck asked.
“A few. Most of those kids are fucktards.”
Heavenly did her best to hide her grimace. “How about…a girlfriend?”
Hudson snorted. “Fuck no. The girls in Cromwell are either stupid, skanky, or boring as fuck. No thanks.”
So the kid felt like an outsider. Beck changed the subject again. “You have your license?”
“Yeah.” Hudson’s expression turned sullen. “Had to take the test twice though. Parallel parking’s a bitch.”
After that, quiet fell. They ate, the earlier tension starting to ease. Hudson even helped himself to seconds, though he tried to be casual about it.
“This is…actually pretty good,” he admitted grudgingly. “Almost as good as the Chinese place back home.”
“Seth agrees but swears New York pizza is way better,” Beck said. “He prefers West Coast Mexican food, though.”
Hudson’s smile was quick but genuine this time. “Yeah, our Mexican sucks. No spice.”
“You like spicy food?”
“Love it. Nothing like a super-hot Thai dish.”
“Seth and I both love that. Her?” He thumbed at Heavenly. “Not so much.”
She swatted his arm. “I’m from Wisconsin! I’ll take cheese curds any day over that.”
“What the hell is a cheese curd?” Hudson asked.
As she explained and finished eating, Beck studied the kid. Beneath the angry armor, Hudson was trying so hard to be tough, to not care. But Beck was beginning to see the cracks.
The question was: what would Seth see when he looked at Hudson tomorrow—a second chance at fatherhood? A gift he’d never expected? Or another son he could lose if he failed to protect him?
Seth had just committed to starting a family with them, but Hudson wasn’t some hypothetical future child. He was real, almost grown, and carrying sixteen years of baggage about the father who’d never been there for him.
“So,” Hudson interrupted Beck’s thoughts. “What time is Cooper supposed to be back tomorrow?”
“If his flight is on time, he should be here by two,” Heavenly supplied.
Hudson nodded as if he couldn’t wait for the confrontation.
“Listen,” Beck said carefully. “I need you to understand something. Seth’s been through a lot. Lost people he loved. Finding out about you is going to be a shock.”
“What are you saying?” Hudson’s voice was deliberately casual, but Beck heard the real question underneath: Will he want me?
Beck exchanged a glance with Heavenly. How the hell was he supposed to explain to the kid who’d come all this way to meet his father that the man might not be emotionally ready to be a dad?
“Just don’t judge him by his initial reaction,” Beck said finally. “You’ve known about him for…how long?”
“Most of my life.”
“Yeah, you’re going to blindside him. It’s not your fault. Just…give him a hot minute to catch up, okay?”
Hudson’s jaw tightened. “If he doesn’t want me around, I’ll just go home. No big deal.”
Wrong. It absolutely was a big deal, and they all knew it. The kid had waited years for this moment. If Seth rejected him tomorrow, it would destroy what was left of Hudson’s already fragile sense of belonging. And Beck didn’t know how to brace either of them.
All he could hope now was that Seth was strong enough to handle what fate had just dropped in his lap.
Once most of the Chinese food had been consumed and the conversation fell into a lull, Hudson pushed back from the table. “Dinner was decent. Thanks. I’m going to crash.”