“Can’t keep up, old man?” I holler over my shoulder to Hudson as we walk up the path in the woods behind Hudson’s house.
He quickly runs to catch up and grabs me by the waist, pulling me against his body causing me to squeal. “Watch it there or I may need to teach you a lesson.” Playfully, he swats my ass.
It’s Sunday which means he kind of has a day off. Or at least the morning off; Hudson and his coaching staff are meeting later at Catch 22 to discuss the team. We decided to do an early-morning walk to get some fresh air.
I look up to meet his lips for a kiss.
“I was admiring the view, you should too.”
“I guess I get into my power-walking a little too much.”
He pulls back and laughs. “I know. It’s like take off the heels and throw on some sneakers and you’re a bionic bunny.”
I stretch my arms into the air. “It’s a beautiful day, fresh air, and I’m wide awake.”
“You’re obviously not sore enough from last night, I’m not doing my job right.” He says that without breaking, but I can only grin.
We begin to walk again, hand in hand. “You also seem very happy.” His voice turns sincere.
“I think you know why,” I remind him and give him a sly look.
He brings his arm around my shoulders. “Oh, I do. I think we went over it several times last night in bed.”
We approach a lookout point at the edge of the tree line that overlooks Lake Spark just as a man in his fifties walks away, with his golden retriever on a leash, and we greet them in passing.
This is such a great view. It’s different to Hudson’s backyard because we’re higher up and looking down. I can see the town square on one side, someone fishing in the middle of the lake, and I spot someone swimming.
“Pete’s at it again. No rest for the wicked and old,” Hudson comments.
“He has to burn off all those jellybeans.”
“He’s a good guy. We have a team fundraiser for this children’s charity, and he donated like half his candy store. Speaking of which, want to come to practice this week? I mean, I am assuming you can just stay here for a while since you seem to work from my house.”
“True. I can work from anywhere, although my grandmother does like to see me in physical form to make sure I’m still alive. But I haven’t really thought about the next week, I only packed for a few days.”
He chortles a sinister laugh and releases his arm to lean against the railing of the lookout and face me. “Not a factor. You already left a few things last time you were here, you know where the laundry room is, my shirts look good on you, and my favorite solution is how you can just walk around my house naked.”
I loll my head to the side slightly with a closed smile. “Valid points, Coach Arrows.”
“You’re stalling again.” Lines form between his brows. “Speak to me.”
I roll my lips into my mouth. This man can see through me. “It’s…”
He steps into me and is quick to bring his hand to my cheek affectionately. “Go on.”
“I’m mentally preparing for people’s opinions of me personally.” That was a lot easier to admit than I thought.
Hudson nods once, with his eyes filled with understanding before placing a gentle kiss against my temple. “I kind of assumed it had something to do with that.”
I rub my cheek into his hand. “It’s silly. I’m an adult woman, and I’m not ashamed of anything. I just stay away from public stuff; it’s why I never model my lingerie and have someone else handle the marketing stuff. Piper Ginger isn’t really me, you know? But Piper Dapper? Well, she didn’t enjoy the last round of people’s opinions or critique. They made me feel like I was a horrible person.”
“Baby, you are not. Anything but. You put others before yourself, and so what, you put yourself first this time. You’re allowed to and thank goodness you did.”
I shrug. “I keep telling myself that. And I know you do your best to keep a low profile, and I said I didn’t care who you are, but I know that you are, well… popular. It will be hard to keep a low profile. Besides, geez, have you seen Smith’s wife? If that’s the standard I need to follow, then I’m not sure my photos of avocado toast and coffee will suffice.” There is a little humor in my tone because I don’t want to drag this morning down.
He rolls his eyes. “First off, you don’t need to be her. Instead, you are a beautiful woman who has a successful business and knows the meaning of making people happy. All I can say is that I will promise to do my best to protect you.”
“I believe you.”
“One step, okay? Just come to a practice.”
I swallow because a sexy smile wants to form on my mouth. “I may be intrigued to see you in action.”
“I bet you are. Now, want to power-walk it back to the house, hop in the car, and grab some brunch in town?”
My head perks up. “You mean coffee and cinnamon rolls? I could never say no. I heard a rumor the other day at the general store that they changed the recipe for the cinnamon filling and the knitting club decided to write a letter demanding the old recipe comes back.”
“Eavesdropping next to the butcher’s counter again?” He flashes me a humorous look.
I scoff a sound. “You know it.”
We begin to walk back, but I’m quick to grab his wrist. “Hey… I love you.”
His suave grin appears. “Love you too. Now let’s go get caffeinated.”
I yank his arm again. “Maybe we can take a photo of our coffees next to one another to make it official and send it to your publicist for kicks. You’re right, I’m ready to go all in.”
An almost vulnerable look appears in his eyes as the corner of his mouth curves up. “I don’t know what I love more. The fact that you love me or the fact that you make every conversation enjoyable.”
“You get both, Coach Arrows.”
He growls and tugs me along. “Fuck me, when you say my name like that I’m a goner.”
* * *
It’s a thirty-minute walk back, and as we emerge from the tree line, we stop still at the end of the driveway.
My heart nearly skips a beat because April is leaning against her car with her arms crossed.
“Fucking knew it,” she grits out, and she doesn’t seem impressed.
I glance to my side at Hudson who has an awkward wry smile on.
“April,” I say. I had planned on telling her when I was back in the city, but I guess she beat me to it.
“Morning, April, how did you get in?” Hudson asks completely in a normal tone and scratches the back of his neck.
“Your asshole neighbor, the baseball player, sped out of the gate nearly running into me, not even caring, so I drove right in while the gate was open,” she explains, with her eyes never leaving me as she has an intense stare.
“Right.” Hudson accentuates the T.
There is silence for a beat until April begins to shake her head.
“Funny thing. My mom was showing me a photo of a shelf that Drew made for my uncle, then I noticed the unique statue on it. A lobster. I thought, ‘wow, that seems oddly like the one I gave Piper.’ Then I remembered that Piper is seeing an older guy.” April holds a finger up into the air. “Lucky guess.”
I step forward. “I tried telling you last time, but it didn’t seem like the right moment.”
“It’s no big deal,” Hudson says. “Now you know, and we can all go for brunch.” Hudson is still far too relaxed. “Great.” He claps his hands together.
April looks at him like he’s crazy. “Fuck that. I need to erase a hell of a lot of information that Piper shared with me about you that is just plain… traumatizing.”
My face squinches together. “I swear, I had no idea who he was the night I met him.”
“But you both figured it out the night of my enga— that stupid party.” I can tell her engagement is understandably a sensitive matter.
Hudson and I glance at one another, then back to April.
I breathe out because I want to be honest. “Yes.”
April throws her hands up in the air. “So you have just been coming here to be with my uncle and play housewife? Unbelievable.”
I rub the back of my neck. “We had to figure out what we were doing.”
“And did you?” She gives me a pointed look.
“I think so.”
Hudson pipes up. “You know, I think you two need a moment. I’ll be inside. April, don’t be mad. Even if you are, unlucky for you, I’m your uncle, so I’m sticking around. As for Piper, she’s part of my life now.”
“Touching.” April isn’t amused.
Hudson just shakes his head and walks away, grazing my arm in reassurance as he passes.
I step closer in April’s direction. “I promise, I was going to tell you next time I saw you.”
“Don’t blame this on the current state of my mess of a life. You are my friend, we are supposed to say anything.”
“Without judgment?” I wonder and fold my arms over my chest.
She scoffs a laugh. “That’s not fair. You’re sleeping with my uncle who is old enough to be your father. The rules get a little blurred.”
I stand tall. “I know. I’ve been trying to figure them out.”
“Oh my God, Piper. Like, despite my relation to him, how do you live in a city so focused on sports and not know the guy you bang is like sports royalty?”
My hands land on my hips. “I don’t follow sports,” I justify, and my voice squeaks.
“So, what now? You two are like really together together? This isn’t some weird passionate tryst?”
“No, it’s not. It’s the real thing,” I confirm.
April pauses in thought for a second, her thoughts clearly in turmoil. She says nothing but returns to the driver’s-side door.
“Where are you going?”
She opens the door and looks at me with a sharp stare. “I came to solve the mystery, and I did.”
“Okay. Then stay and let’s have brunch together. Can’t you be happy for us?”
April laughs bitterly. “The thing is, when I think about it, the problem isn’t you and my Uncle Bay. I want him happy, and I want you happy. Maybe I even can see you two together. But what is the problem is that you both lied to me, for months. It also seems like everyone knew but me. That feels like a betrayal. And right now, when life kind of sucks, it’s like a knife. So, congratulations, it’s your ability to keep a secret and lie to me that has me questioning our friendship, and until I figure that out, I don’t want to speak to you.”
“April…” My heart hurts, and I want to stop her, but she is quick to get into her car and turn the engine on.
I throw my arms up in the air because there is nothing I can do now. With remorse, I head back into the house to the living room where I find Hudson pulling on a fresh t-shirt. He must pick up on my look because his neutral expression turns to a frown.
“Where’s April?”
“She left. She’s angry that I never told her.”
Hudson walks to me and rubs my arm for comfort. “April will settle down, you’ll see.”
“It isn’t great. I feel really bad now.”
He points a finger at me. “Don’t.” He’s firm. “Give it time. Least she knows now, the hard part is over. We can go public without having to worry if she’s aware or not.”
“Maybe we should wait on that.”
An aggravated breath escapes his mouth. “I’m not going to go in a circle. Piper, I’m losing a little patience. I love that you care about my niece, but I’m in the picture now and need the same thought.”
It hits me in that moment. I watched my friend leave, and now I’m staring at the man who I think I’ve been waiting my whole life for. I may be losing a friend, but I’ve gained a man who loves me, and I don’t want to lose him too.