Chapter 28

Fisher

I droveup a winding road toward the mansions built into cliffs overlooking the lake a couple of days later. I didn't need the car much in town, but it came in handy for longer trips.

Like when I had to visit my college for a test.

Or drive out to the mansion that Skylar called home for a secret strategy meeting about the defunct resort.

"Wow, Skylar must be loaded." I peered through the windshield. "These houses are huge."

"Pretty swanky," Sawyer agreed from the backseat.

Hudson, in the passenger seat, looked at Cash, Sawyer, and Poppy, who had squeezed into the back. "His dad has deep pockets."

"Let's hope they're deep enough," I said grimly.

I couldn't wait to put this crap behind me. Dad's dismissal of my ideas seemed like small potatoes compared to setting up the town for a horrible mistake. I sure hoped Skylar had good news.

Hudson checked the GPS on his phone and pointed to the third house coming up on the left. "That's the one."

Cash whistled. "Damn. I should have gotten to Skylar before Brooks did."

I jerked my head toward the back, the car swerving as I turned onto the winding driveway. "What?"

Hudson put his left hand on the steering wheel, saving me from running through Skylar's immaculate lawn.

"Easy, there."

I returned my gaze to the driveway that curved up an incline. "Sorry. But what the hell does that mean, Cash? Brooks is straight."

"He's cozy with Skylar," Cash said with a shrug.

"Plus, I heard he had a showdown with Skylar's ex," Poppy added, which was news to me. I had been a little preoccupied with my personal drama.

I put the car in park and turned toward the backseat, but Hudson's phone ring brought me up short before I could grill my friends.

Hudson glanced at the caller ID and cringed.

"Who is it?"

He wordlessly showed me his phone screen display. Karen. "I'll just send it to voicemail."

"You can talk to your ex."

"Ooh, the ex? This sounds juicy." Cash leaned forward between our seats, and I put my hand over his face and shoved him back.

Sawyer and Poppy opened their doors to get out, and Sawyer grabbed the collar of Cash's shirt, tugging him. "Come on. Leave them be."

Hudson's phone stopped ringing, only to start again.

"Seriously, Hudson, it's fine."

"Last time I talked to her, it didn't go so well for us," he said hesitantly.

I smoothed my hand over my beard, affection flooding me. "You silly man. Everything is different now. Take the call and meet us inside. Just do me one favor?"

Ring ring.

Hudson twitched as if hisnerves twanged with each ring.

"Yeah?"

"Don't let her treat you like shit. You're a good man." I kissed him. "Best partner I could ever want."

Hudson smiled, his rigid posture relaxing a little at my words. "I love how you see me."

"Newsflash; it's how almost everyone sees you."

I slipped from the car, figuring he'd have an easier time talking to her without me hovering, even though I'd love to steal the phone and give her a piece of my mind.

I had to trust Hudson to stand his ground. Like I'd told him, everything was different now that we'd committed to a life together.

I joined my friends on the front porch, and Skylar answered the door. He wore sweats and a faded tee, looking weirdly casual for such a fancy house.

"Come on in," he said. "Thanks for coming all the way out here."

"It's a bit of a trek," Sawyer said. "But this place is nice."

"Let me know if you need any in-house employees," Cash joked.

"What, like a butler?" Poppy said with a giggle.

"He's already got a bodyguard," Sawyer said, nodding toward Brooks, who was emerging from the next room.

I raised my eyebrows at him. Brooks was as unreadable as ever, so I turned my gaze to Skylar. His cheeks were pink. Just what was going on with these two?

"Well, I can provide other services," Cash said with a wink.

"Are we talking business or what?" Brooks asked brusquely. "Skylar didn't invite you over to hit on him."

"He wasn't—" Skylar started.

"Oh, am I making someone jealous?" Cash asked, not knowing when to quit.

"No one's jealous," Skylar said. "No one's hitting on anyone, right?"

"Right," I said, taking pity on Skylar. "Thanks for letting us meet here. I'd rather not advertise to the whole town what we're planning to do. Not until I know it's going to work."

Skylar smiled. "No problem. This place might as well serve some purpose. I've got some snacks set out in the parlor."

"Parlor," Sawyer said under his breath.

I elbowed him. "That sounds great."

Hudson rejoined us before we'd gotten through the cheese and crackers Skylar had set out. We'd mostly just rehashed the situation, so everyone was on the same page.

Hudson took the seat next to me and leaned in. "Karen is in town, and she wants me to meet up to sign some papers. It's what she's been after all summer, so I can't really refuse."

"Okay. Can it wait until we're done here? I'd feel better if I went with you."

He looked surprised. "Are you sure you want to subject yourself to my ex?"

"No, but I want to subject her to me." I grinned at his baffled expression. "Let her see you're not alone anymore, Hud. You've got a partner now who has your back."

His entire face softened. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Yeah, but you can keep telling me anyway."

He chuckled. "I was dreading that meeting with every cell in my being, and with just a few words, you made it better."

I leaned in to kiss him, but a cracker bopped me on the nose. I turned to see my friends all trying to look far too innocent. But I knew them too well.

Cash might be the kind of guy to throw crackers, but displays of affection didn't bother him. I tossed it back at Sawyer's head.

"How did you know?"

"It was a toss-up between you and Brooks, but Brooks is busy gorging himself on cheese and you don't want to see your friend and your boss make out."

He pulled a face. "Guilty."

"But you're going to have to get used to it," I said. "Hudson and I are forever."

Brooks put down the cheese long enough to mime gagging. I threw the next cracker at him.

"Can we get back to the point of this meeting? Hudson and I have somewhere to be when we're done."

Hudson reached for my hand under the table, and I entwined our fingers and squeezed.

"Yeah, so as I was saying, I made a few calls," Skylar said. "I think I can get an ethical investor on board, but I've got a few key changes from what you were thinking…"

I settled in to listen to Skylar's plan, all of us asking questions, chiming in with ideas, and refining it as we went along.

It wasn't the same idea we'd originally discussed, but it was even better. I smiled, the lead weight in my chest finally lifting.

"I think this is actually going to work," I said. "Thank you, Skylar."

Skylar ducked his head to hide a smile. "I just hope it all works out for the best. For you and Swallow Cove."

"It will," Brooks said. "Thanks to you."

Skylar blushed, and yep, I definitely needed to get my cousin alone and find out what the hell he was doing. If his sexuality was flexible, then great. But Skylar better not be some kind of experiment. He was far too sweet and fragile for games.

When we left a few minutes later, Brooks stayed behind.

"Something is going on with them," I told Hudson as we headed down the porch steps.

"Seems likely," he agreed. "Maybe let them figure it out before you harass them about it though."

"You think?"

He shrugged. "Look at how long it took me to get my head out of my ass."

"True, you're a very stubborn man," I teased.

"And you're a very persistent man."

"Match made in hell," Sawyer said as he passed us on the way to the car.

I paused to kiss Hudson and flipped Sawyer the bird at the same time, because I could multitask like a boss.

"Fine, I'll leave Brooks alone for now," I said when we'd resumed our trek to the car. "But I reserve the right to call a friendervention on his ass if he takes too long."

"Hell yeah," Cash said as we piled into the car. "Frienderventions are the best!"

"You're next if you don't stop sleeping with anything that moves," Poppy said.

Cash pushed out his lip in a pout. "Ouch, way to ruin the fun."

"Hudson and I have to run an errand before we go home. Can you all be good boys and girls and wait in the car while we do?"

"But, Dad, how long till we get there?" Cash joked.

"Someone save me," Sawyer said dryly.

"Ouch! He pinched me!" Poppy cried.

"Nuh-uh, she pinched me!"

I exchanged a look with Hudson. "Hope you were ready to have kids."

He chuckled. "Only way it'll happen, I guess." He turned a glare on the backseat. "Now shut up, or we'll toss your asses on the side of the road."

My friends all snapped their mouths shut, eyes wide, and it was so funny I laughed all the way to Karen's cabin.

Hudson

"This is it." I pointed to the dirt road turnoff that led up to Karen's rental, set among the trees. It had the look of a rustic log cabin on the outside, but I could tell from the size that it was a luxury home within.

Fisher parked the car and turned to his friends piled in the back. "Wait here. This won't take long." He flicked me a glance. "Will it?"

"I sure hope not."

"If it does, we'll steal your car and you can walk home," Cash joked.

"Or we could come knock on the door and rescue you?" Poppy suggested.

Fisher pulled the keys from the ignition. "Yeah, just call me and we'll fake an emergency."

I loved the way Fisher's friends had his back. They teased and trash talked, but they were supportive when it counted.

"Good luck, Hudson," Sawyer said. "We'll help you make a fast getaway if needed."

Apparently, they had my back now too. I took a deep breath. "Thank you. Let's just get in there and get it done."

Fisher and I got out of the car, and Karen opened the front door before we knocked, clearly waiting for our arrival. She was still a beautiful woman, with dark hair, a heart-shaped face, and big brown eyes. She looked incredibly sweet on the surface, but she'd always had a core of steel.

When we'd met, I'd admired that strength and determination. But when I'd become more enemy than partner, I'd nearly bled out under her sharp tongue.

"Good, you're here. Come on in."

"Hello to you too."

She rolled her eyes. "Forgive me if I'm rushing you, but Joel and I just flew across the country to get a signature from you."

I stepped inside and Fisher followed.

"Who's Joel?"

"Oh, don't be jealous." She sounded delighted at the idea I would be, which wasn't even remotely true. "He's the CFO of the company. He has to witness the signing, which is why we couldn't do it remotely."

Karen had yet to even acknowledge Fisher, her gaze skirting right past him as if he weren't there.

"I should make introductions," I said. "This is Fisher, my partner. Fisher, this is my ex-wife, Karen."

"Partner?" She sent me a puzzled look. "This has nothing to do with your business, Hudson."

"No." I wrapped an arm around Fisher's shoulders. "Partner as in boyfriend."

Her forehead creased. "What? I don't…"

"You always knew I was bi."

Her gaze ping-ponged between me and Fisher. I braced for some terrible remark about boy toys or cheap flings. She looked too shocked to formulate a cutting remark though.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you," Fisher said, voice warm and friendly when I knew he really didn't like Karen based on the previous phone call he'd overheard.

His kindness was one of the things I loved most about him.

"A boyfriend…" Karen seemed at a loss for what to say. "Well, hello. I'll, uh, show you to the living room. Joel is waiting with the paperwork."

She strode away, back straight, shoulders rigid. I almost felt bad for bringing Fisher along. My intent hadn't been to shove my love life under her nose.

Fisher had been with me when she called, and the idea of a little extra support had sounded nice.

Fisher seemed aware of the tension too. "I could go wait in the car," he whispered.

"Nah. Damage is already done. We've both got to move on."

The words resonated more deeply than ever before. Karen and I had been divorced for five years. I'd moved to Swallow Cove to start over. I changed my career and found peace on the water, but I'd never let go of the guilt and remorse over our failed marriage.

Until now. Fisher at my side, a steady strength, helped me close the chapter on my past. I hadn't really been living, not fully, until he came into my life.

"Good evening." A man with dark hair silvering at the temples stood from a large overstuffed sofa and extended a hand to shake. "I'm Joel Westerby, CFO for Turner Manufacturing. You must be Hudson Nash?"

I grasped his hand. "Yes, sorry for the inconvenience. Travel just wasn't possible for me during our tourism season."

Joel smiled easily. "I completely understand."

"This is my partner, Fisher Riggins."

Joel shook his hand. If he assumed Fisher was a business partner instead of romantic, he didn't show it. "Nice to meet you as well, Fisher. You've got a beautiful lake town here."

"We like it."

Joel sat down before an array of paperwork spread over the coffee table. "Wish we could stay longer. I'd like to try my hand at some fly fishing sometime."

"Hudson's father was quite the fisherman," Karen chimed in.

"He preferred to fish by boat," I said. "Now my mother has taken it up while I spend my days out on the lake. I guess his love of being out on the water runs in the family."

Fisher rubbed my back, as if sensing my melancholy. My father had been gone for years now, and mostly, I was at peace with it. He'd had a great life before his heart failed him. But now and then, the loss hit me as if it were fresh, and my heart ached for all the things we'd miss out on.

Like introducing him to Fisher. Showing him the lake. He would have loved it out here, would have loved fishing with Mom.

"So are we ready to get to business?" Joel asked, clearly done with the small talk. He picked up a pen and wrote a small x next to three signature lines on two pages. "Here's where you sign. Right next to Karen's name."

I rounded the coffee table to sit next to him and take the pen from his hand. I skimmed the text, but honestly, I wasn't too concerned about the specifics. The stocks were part of another life, one I'd left behind when I moved here. I didn't want any ties to the Turner company.

It was time for a clean break once and for all.

I signed at each indicated spot, then handed the pen back to Joel. "Need anything else?"

"That should do it," he said.

"Shame we couldn't have done it by e-signature," I said.

Joel nodded. "Bureaucracy is a pain sometimes."

We stood and shook hands, and just like that, it was done.

"I guess we'll be on our way."

"Nice to meet you, Hudson. Enjoy that lake of yours."

"Oh, I will. Every day."

Karen walked us to the front door, then hesitated. "Can I talk to you for a minute? Alone."

I shook my head. "You can say anything you want in front of Fisher," I said. "We don't have secrets."

She hesitated. "Fine. Are you sure this is a good idea?" She waved her hand between me and Fisher. "I thought you'd decided you weren't cut out for relationships."

"I changed my mind, partly thanks to him." I reached for Fisher's hand. "He knows about our history, but he helped me see I deserve to be happy."

Her mouth twisted at that. "I'm sure he knows your side of the story." Her gaze shifted to him. "Be prepared for a lot of late nights alone."

I drew a sharp breath. Fisher answered before I could.

"This guy? We're in bed by ten most nights."

Karen's face tightened, and I knew she'd compare her experience to Fisher's.

"Life here is different," I said as gently as I could. "I'm not under pressure to impress my boss—"

"Here we go with blaming my father. You were a grown man. Take some accountability for your choices."

"Don't talk to him that way," Fisher said hotly. "I've overheard you on the phone, and all you do is guilt him."

She looked taken aback to be called out. "I don't do that," she said, but the denial sounded weak.

I squeezed Fisher's hand. His support meant everything to me, but I had to stand up for myself.

"For what it's worth, Karen, I've spent years reflecting on what happened. I regret the mistakes I made, but I can't keep living in the past. I'm moving forward. You should too."

"Yes, well." She sighed. "I guess I made mistakes too. I never realized pushing you to work for my father would backfire so much."

"It's time we forgive ourselves and each other, don't you think?"

She smiled tightly, her gaze landing once more on Fisher. "Seems you've made a good start on that."

"I've been trying."

"I'm sure it'll be easier now that I don't need to call," she said. "These stocks were the last tie we had, so this is goodbye for good."

I hesitantly drew her in for a hug. "Be good to yourself, Kare. Find some happiness and don't let our bullshit get in the way."

She sniffed. "I'll do my best."

"Nothing good comes of holding on to old pain." I backed up and reached for my boyfriend. "Fisher taught me that."

"Sounds like you're lucky to have him." Her smile was wistful. "Goodnight. Drive safe."

"You too. Have a safe trip back to Washington."

We stepped outside, and she closed the door behind us.

"That was sadder than I expected," Fisher said. "I was prepared to hate her."

I nodded. "Her pain often comes out as anger, and it can be quite harsh, but that doesn't mean she's not hurting."

"Doesn't mean she should hurt you either," Fisher said.

"I've started to see that, thanks to you."

"I still wish it was a happier ending. For you both."

Fisher's generous heart never ceased to amaze me.

"Karen is a chapter of my life that has ended. Endings are always a little sad. But you know what's really happy?"

"What?"

"New beginnings." I brushed a kiss across his forehead before starting down the steps. "You're a pretty great beginning."

"I like our beginning, too. I can't wait to see the middle, though. As long as there's no ending for a good long time."

I squeezed him against me. "I intend to make this story last."

"Me too."