Chapter 18

Hudson

I whistled a silly,off-beat tune as I popped into Tastes Like Grandma to leave some Dock Hop flyers I'd gotten from the printers.

I'd only parted ways with Fisher an hour ago, and starting my morning with his naked, bed-warmed body in my arms was more addictive than any drug. I was already craving another hit.

Not that I could wake up with Fisher every morning. That wasn't realistic. But damn, wouldn't it be nice?

And a lot like a relationship.

I brushed away the thought. Fisher wouldn't be in my bed every morning, anyway.

The biggest reason for that was sitting with a group of old coots, hogging two of only three tables in the small cafe.

My whistling died a quick death as my lips pursed at the sight of Boone Riggins. He sat with Ansel and Chester, all three nursing coffees over mostly empty breakfast plates.

"…damn boat came cutting in so close, I thought they were gonna ram me."

"The partiers need to stick to Shallow Beach. Let them cause accidents over there."

I frowned. It would be better if they caused accidents nowhere.

I should carry on with my business, but as someone who ran regular boat tours, I had a vested interest in safety on water.

"I haven't heard anything from my guys out on the lake," I said. "But if that's true—"

"Of course it's true," Ansel exclaimed.

"Then you should contact the Coast Guard. Get them to increase their patrols over this way. They can't be everywhere at once, but they'll make a few extra sweeps if they know there's a problem."

He huffed. "I don't know about that."

Boone was watching, jaw working, as if he was chewing over something to say. I decided not to push my luck and started over toward Grandma Rosie.

"You ought to stay out of other folks' business," Boone said behind me.

I froze and half turned. "Safety is everyone's business, don't you think?"

"You know what I mean." He waved away my words. "I know what you're doing with my son."

My heart missed a beat. Shit, what could I say? Yes, I'm fucking your son, but he likes me a lot more than you do.

Before I could reply, he carried on. "You put all kinds of nonsense in his head with this event of yours. Suddenly, our store isn't good enough as it is."

Okay, so not about the fucking, then. That's a relief.

"Fisher's been a great help with organizing the event, but as far as any ideas he has…" I shook my head. "They're all his, Boone. Maybe you should listen."

His mouth worked like a fish out of water as his face reddened. "Don't tell me how to talk to my own goshdarned son. What the hell do you know about it anyway?"

"You're the one who brought it up. I'm just saying, Fisher is a smart guy. If he has ideas, maybe they're not all bad."

He pointed a trembling finger at me. "Just stay away from him. Find someone else to be your little assistant."

My jaw clenched. I was trying to be the voice of reason here, but Boone was really starting to piss me off. I knew he wasn't a bad guy at heart. He worked hard, he provided for his family. I was a sore spot for him, a bruised ego that remained tender after losing his dream.

But damn it, Fisher deserved better.

I stepped in close, using my height to loom over him. Yeah, it was a dick move. I was too mad to care. "That's your son you're talking about," I growled. "If you don't start respecting him, you're going to lose him to someone or something else. Is that what you want?"

The color drained from Boone's face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that Fisher wants more out of life than being treated like a little assistant."

Boone grew flustered. "I-I didn't mean— That's not what I…"

"Fish is going to take over your business one day, right? As the future owner, maybe he deserves more consideration than you've given him."

Boone seemed to regain his composure. He spoke calmly, but with a hint of steel. "Like I said, you ought to keep out of other folks' business. That's between me and my son."

I wanted to argue that Fisher was my business. I was the one Fisher had confided in when he was upset with his father. The one who'd consoled him when he'd been dismissed by this man.

But I was the last person Boone would ever listen to. I was likely to do more harm than good. Maybe I already had.

If I protested too much, I might even raise other questions. Like, why does Hudson care about Fisher's interests so dang much, anyway?

If Boone found out about our affair, sparks would fly, I had no doubt. Maybe more than sparks. But finding out like this, while I pissed him the hell off? Well, that would be like pouring gasoline on those embers of dislike and igniting an inferno.

So I kept my mouth shut and tipped my head in a respectful nod. "You have a good day, Boone. Enjoy your coffee before it gets too cold."

He grumbled, "A little too late for that now."

"I'll let Grandma know you're due for a warm-up then."

I turned and carried on to the counter, where Rosie was already fetching the coffee pot. She turned over a cup for me and poured it full of steaming hot goodness without asking.

I picked it up and carried it over to Boone's table, and with no small amount of pleasure, set it down before him. "Enjoy."

As I walked away, I heard Chester say, "Think he spit in it?"

Boone chuckled darkly. "Nah, he wouldn't dare."

Daring had nothing to do with it. I wouldn't spit in someone's drink because that was petty. If I really wanted to punish Boone, there would better ways to do it.

Like telling him the truth of Fisher and me.

But that would only punish Fisher too, and hurting him was out of the question.

I returned to the counter. Rosie was already looking at the top flyer on the stack I'd left there.

"These for me?" she asked.

"I'm giving some to all the participating businesses," I said. "Figured you could all help promote the event."

"Isn't it to draw new people in?"

"Sure, it is, but anyone can win the prizes." I shrugged. "Doesn't hurt to show folks who are passing through now in case they want to return, right?"

"I s'pose not," she said.

I leaned in, dropping my voice. "Truth is, Grandma, I've never done this before. I'm throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks."

She chuckled. "Well, that is one way to do it."

"I appreciate you and every other business owner who agreed to participate."

It was her turn to lean in and murmur, "And how could we not when you unleashed that sweet boy on us, huh? Fisher could charm a fisherman out of his bait."

I grinned sheepishly. "Well, goodness knows, I can't charm y'all into anything. I'm still an outsider, even after all these years. I'm just glad you didn't let that stop you from taking a chance on this."

She patted my hand. "It takes a long while for Swallow Cove to warm up to new people."

"Unless you're my mother. She became a Weekend Hooker, and the rest was history."

Grandma Rosie laughed loudly enough to draw the interest of Boone's table. "Well, every now and then, we get a new resident who's just one of us from the start. Your mama has a Swallower soul."

I smiled. "I guess she does."

"It's harder for you. Your whole business is to work with tourists, not locals. Most of us don't feel like we know you." She tapped the flyer. "This event may bring in new business, but maybe it can do something more. Keep making an effort, Hudson. If you want to be a Swallower, really get to know the folks you're working with for this."

"I'll try, Grandma," I said. "I really will try."

"And maybe lay off the public arguments with folks like Boone," she added dryly. "Folks like him almost as well as Fisher."

I grimaced. "Good advice. I'll do my best."

"Good man." She winked. "Now, let me pour you some coffee. You gave the last cup away, and I'm sure you wouldn't stop in without having a bite of breakfast."

She raised a challenging brow, and I might not be wise to all the ways of being a Swallower, but I knew what my answer had to be. "No, ma'am. I'd love an order of the…hoecakes."

Some of the colorful words they used here took some getting used to. Where I grew up, hoecakes would simply be cornmeal flapjacks. But truthfully, where I grew up, they were just as likely to not be on the menu at all.

I had a real love of all things cornmeal though, and as odd as it felt to say hoecakes to a woman, it was normal here.

Grandma didn't bat an eye. Just nodded and said, "Coming right up. Have some coffee while you wait."

I stayed by the counter, watching her work the griddle, her face rosy from the heat, and idly thought about popping by Bait Swallow while Boone was otherwise occupied. Fisher would be manning the store alone, no doubt, and despite waking up with him, I was already missing that big smile of his.

But before I could make up my mind, Boone and his crowd headed out the door. Well, shoot.

I sent a text instead.

Why aren't we in my bed right now?

Good question. Join you there again tonight?

I should say no. The more sleepovers we had, the higher likelihood someone would notice. Also, the harder it would be to put off the conclusion of Fisher's sexual journey, the one sex act he'd been requesting from the start.

Once I gave him that, there'd really be no reason for us to keep sleeping together. Fisher would have all the experience he wanted, and I'd have nothing more to offer him.

Still, it wasn't within me to refuse. Not when I wanted it so damn much.

Looking forward to it.

Fisher

A cold front had moved into the Bait Swallow lake supply store.

Even as the sun blazed outside, the space between me and my dad remained chilly. He was pretending our argument never happened, and I wasn't ready to discuss it either, so we'd spent the day tiptoeing around each other.

The tension was killing me, and the minute the clock hit six p.m., I was out the door without a second glance.

I went straight to The Rusty Hook for a regular meetup with my friends. Seeing their faces made a little of the tension seep out of my shoulders, and I slumped onto a chair with a heartfelt sigh.

"What's wrong with you?" Sawyer asked.

"Uh-oh," Poppy said. "There's not trouble in paradise already, is there?"

"No." I grinned for the first time today, memories of my amazing night with Hudson boosting my mood. "Things are great, and when I say great, I mean, like…" I raised my hands to my head and pantomimed an explosion. "Mind-blowing."

"Yeah, I see a few signs of that." Cash leaned forward to brush a finger over the hickey marking my neck. "Tell me more. Got any other bruises?"

"Please don't." Brooks plonked down a plate of nachos in the center of the table, then pulled out a chair and sat. He often joined us when he had a few minutes free. "I'll be scarred for life if I have to picture little Fishie doing bad things."

I flipped off Brooks. "I'm not doing bad things. I'm doing very, very good things."

"Eh, I doubt Uncle Boone would see it that way."

The reminder of my father wiped my smirk away. "I'm not sure how much I care right now."

My friends exchanged worried glances. Well, most of my friends did. Cash dug into the nachos as if he hadn't eaten in a week.

"Are you going to tell him then?" Brooks asked. "I want to be prepared for the fallout when it happens."

I shook my head. "Not much point. This thing with Hudson, it's not…" I fumbled for the words. "It's just some fun, you know? Not something you take to your parents."

"Bullshit," Brooks said. "You've been in love with the man for years."

"That's putting it a bit strongly. I had a crush. It was a fantasy. You all told me it was impossible and to move on, so I don't know why you're freaking out now."

"But we were obviously wrong," Poppy said, her voice concerned. "If this is all you want with him, that's one thing. But if you want more, and I think you do…"

I dragged my hands through my hair, exhausted. "I mean, would I be open to more? Yeah, of course. But I can't make him want that."

Sawyer frowned. "So this is all him."

I started to deny it, then shrugged. "Hud was honest from the start. I decided to go for it anyway. He's not misleading me."

"More like you're misleading yourself," Poppy said.

"Meaning?"

She gave me a look of pity that made my gut squirm uncomfortably. "C'mon, Fish, be honest. Can you really say you're okay with this? It's going to break your heart when it ends."

"Maybe." I licked my lips, wondering if I should tell my friends why I took this risk. I was a little afraid they'd tell me I was a na?ve idiot, but…hell, I never kept anything from them. "Or maybe he'll change his mind."

Brooks and Cash wore matching skeptical expressions. Poppy still looked sympathetic, which was a little embarrassing. Sawyer, though, seemed more thoughtful. Of all of my friends, he knew Hudson best.

"Have you told him how you feel?" Sawyer asked.

"No…"

"Maybe you should." He shrugged at the disbelieving looks our friends threw his way. "Hudson has seemed happier lately. I figured it was because of you."

"He's getting great sex. Of course he's happy," Cash said dismissively as he crammed another nacho into his mouth, then chased it with a gulp of beer.

"It's more than that," Sawyer said. "Hudson has no trouble finding hookups when he wants them."

"Ouch," I muttered.

"I'm saying, this is more." Sawyer bumped my shoulder. "And he's not picking up anyone else. Not since you two started."

"We agreed to be exclusive," I said.

"Huh." Cash looked surprised. "Maybe it is the real deal."

Brooks shifted in his seat, glancing over his shoulder, where Skylar was behind the bar pulling a beer. That was new.

"Did you hire Skylar to tend bar?"

He barked a laugh. "Uh, no. If anything, he'd be the one hiring me."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. He's just helping out so I could grab a few minutes with you all. I should get back over there."

"That's weird, right?" I asked as Brooks hustled across the pub.

Cash shrugged. "That Skylar dude is loaded, so not really. I wouldn't mind if he hired me for the night."

"You a gigolo now?" Sawyer asked.

Cash snorted. "I'd have more cash flow if I was."

Poppy rolled her eyes and turned to me. "Maybe you should talk to Hudson. Tell him how you feel."

"I don' t know," I hedged. "He was reluctant to go there with me because he doesn't do relationships. I told him I was fine with it. I really don't think I can change the rules now."

"There are no rules when it comes to your happiness," she insisted.

I sighed and crammed a loaded nacho into my mouth. Maybe she was right. Our last night together had been really good. Like, really good. Sometimes the way he looked at me, I could swear there was something more there. Some deep emotion he wasn't ready to share.

Lost in thought, I ate too many nachos. Suddenly thirsty, I leaned across the table to swipe Cash's beer and finish it off.

"Hey, man, get your own! I'm still thirsty."

Poppy pushed her half-full water to him with a meaningful look. "Wouldn't hurt you to drink something without alcohol for a change."

"I drink other stuff," he said, before giving in and chugging the water.

"Energy drinks aren't much better," she said.

Cash sat down the water glass with a clank. "Want to get another round? Fisher can buy since he stole my beer."

I checked the time on my phone. "Sorry, I can't. I've got an appointment."

Poppy wrinkled her nose. "Maybe you shouldn't call your hookups that."

"Yeah, we're going to think you're the gigolo," Sawyer joked.

I laughed. "Yeah, no, it's an actual appointment."

Leon and Scott had to leave town earlier than expected, but they'd invited me to chat with them on Zoom. I'd meet Hudson later on, after Mom and Dad crashed for the night and were less likely to notice me going.

"What kind of appointment?" Sawyer asked.

"I got a job lead."

"What? But the store—"

I pushed back from the table, standing up. "I think I can do both. I'm about to find out anyway."

If I couldn't, I'd have a decision to make. But Hudson had been right. If Dad was going to limit me, limit my future, then I had to consider what was best for me.

Considering the freeze at work, maybe it would be best for Dad too.