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)
Fuck. He was asking a lot of the people he loved. His guilt for this subterfuge wouldn’t let up, and the ways this trip could go sideways felt endless.
Unfortunately, the situation he’d wedged Beck and Heavenly into wasn’t the only thing Seth felt bad about. Hudson’s reckless threesome with Casen and Brielle ten days ago was proof that his influence on the kid wasn’t all positive.
He glanced at Hudson again. Since that night, he’d been trying to connect with his son beyond laying down rules and delivering consequences. Hudson needed to know he mattered. Belonged. That he was family—and always would be.
Beck seemed to understand, bless him… The morning after Hudson’s impulsive ménage, the surgeon had joined Seth’s usual morning workout with Hudson. At first, the mood in the gym had been tense. Talk had been stilted. Gradually, begrudging monosyllables had become conversation. Then banter, followed more recently by jokes and laughter. What had started as father-son bonding time had evolved into something richer—two father figures working with their son, forging something stronger.
That developing connection had been evident last weekend when Hudson had played in his very first football game for his new high school. Hudson had scored the game-winning touchdown, and his eyes had lit up when he’d noticed Seth, Beck, and Heavenly in the stands cheering wildly. At the kid’s answering grin, Seth’s heart had melted.
After the game, Hudson wheedled and groused that he needed to celebrate the win with his teammates. Seth reminded him that he was grounded, but rather than taking him home, they had stopped at a burger joint so the four of them could enjoy a victory dinner together.
“Congrats!” Seth toasted his son with a milkshake. “When you scored, I wanted to run out onto the field and high-five you.”
Hudson clinked with his fizzy soda. “Yeah?”
Beck nodded, swallowing a bite of his burger. “Same. You’re damn good.”
“He’s right. I enjoyed watching you play.” Heavenly smiled, dipping a fry in ketchup.
“So…you’re proud of me?”
Hudson’s question felt like a kick in the gut. If his son wasn’t sure how he felt, he needed to make it clear. “Damn right I am.”
Hudson’s answering grin had felt like progress.
What hadn’t? Taking the teenage boy shopping the next day for a suit to wear to Mom’s wedding.
“Shopping?” Hudson reared back. “I’d rather shave an angry lion’s ass with a rusty razor.”
Seth had tried not to laugh as he’d shoved his son into a dressing room. Despite the kid’s sighing and grumbling, they’d outfitted him for the wedding and the cooler weather ahead.
Getting Hudson a haircut hadn’t been much easier. He’d labeled the salon where Seth had his hair cut “bougie.” But…by the time the stylist had finished, Hudson was checking himself out in every passing mirror, all grins.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Seth had asked on their way home.
“Getting out of the house for a while didn’t suck.”
Not exactly a five-star review, but they’d checked everything off their to-do list.
As the memories melted away, Seth glanced between the airplane seats at Beck and Heavenly behind him. The surgeon’s hand covered hers on the armrest, their heads bent close in quiet conversation. She smiled softly at something Beck said.
Watching them, Seth’s heart swelled.
Some part of him wanted to fuck this whole charade. He wasn’t a little boy, and he’d chosen the people he intended to spend his life with. His family needed to accept that.
But he couldn’t rob his mom of her well-deserved wedded bliss.
But after the wedding… Seth wasn’t sure exactly when or how, but he wasn’t going home without telling her the truth.
Behind him, Beck laughed. Seth glanced back at them again, his gaze lingering on the tender intimacy.
He’d never had any doubts that Heavenly would be an amazing mom. But in the past ten days, Beck had proven he’d be a firm yet fair father. That should have allayed some of his fears of fatherhood. But whenever he pictured the three of them with an infant? He couldn’t fucking breathe.
How could he be afraid of getting Heavenly pregnant when the idea turned him on so much?
Seth didn’t have an answer. Even more baffling, despite being conflicted, he’d enthusiastically joined Beck in taking Heavenly unprotected every night since her period had ended. And he loved every minute of it.
Would he regret that if she missed her next period?
Suddenly, the speakers in the cabin crackled. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re beginning our descent into LaGuardia Airport. Please return your seats to their upright position and…”
Beside Seth, Hudson stirred, blinking groggily as he straightened in his seat. “We there yet?”
“In about fifteen minutes. Good nap?”
“Yeah. I was fucking tired.”
Seth felt that down to his bones, but they still had an eventful evening ahead of them. Hell, an eventful weekend.
Besides showing off Heavenly to his family and announcing their engagement while also introducing Hudson and Beck to everyone, he’d be meeting Laura and her new husband to finalize Hudson’s custody arrangement.