And I know I haven't said it yet, but thank you for raising such an amazing girl.” He took a step forward and ran his hands down the sides of Siena's arms.
Siena glanced down, and she ran her tongue across her lips. “Our little girl is a perfect angel. And I don't want to be angry with you for what you did. Kaiden is an incredible kid, and I understand why you wanted to come here to take care of him. But you walked away without a word, Hudson. It’s going to take time for me to trust you again.”
“I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for what I did.” Hudson pressed a finger to her lips. “I know it will be hard for you to ever trust me again. But I'm going to try, not only for you but for Mia too.”
When he took another step forward, she didn’t move. He pulled her into a hug, and she didn’t try to push him away. All he wanted to do was lean in and kiss her. But he didn't because he knew it wasn't the right time.
Her eyes dimmed as if she was expecting that kiss. “Hudson, I trust you to be with our daughter. But I don't trust you with my heart.”
His chest tightened. There was nothing he could say that would change her mind. There were only actions.
His phone started ringing. Siena used that moment to walk out of the room and down the hall toward their daughter. Xavier’s name flashed across the screen. It was time for him to leave.
9
Siena
Siena wasn’t ashamed to admit she’d turned and ran. When Hudson pressed his hand across her cheek, she almost went up on her tiptoes and kissed his lips. God, what is wrong with me? After one day with him, she was forgetting all the reasons she should hate him.
But hate was such a strong word. Siena’s mom had raised her to not hate. It took more energy to hold a grudge than to forgive someone. That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to make Hudson work for her approval and forgiveness. But, deep down, she already forgave him. Hudson had left to take care of Kaiden. She couldn’t blame him for the decision. It still hurt that he’d done it without talking to her.
She didn’t know if her heart could handle his rejection again. Siena shook her head and walked into the master bedroom. Mia sat on the floor, putting on her pink Nikes.
“Is Dad still here?” Mia asked.
“Yes. Once you’re done getting ready, you can go say goodbye. Then I need to take you to the neighbors so I can get to work. Are you sure you’re okay going to your dad’s friend's house? I’m sure we could work something else out.”
Sidney seemed nice, and Hudson trusted her, but it wasn’t very often that Siena left her daughter with someone she didn’t know. At that moment, she wondered if going to work was the best idea. Money was never the reason she worked anymore. But she enjoyed helping kids more than anything. And her staying home would let Kyle win.
“I’m done getting ready, Mommy.” Mia pouted. “Is it okay if I go see Daddy?”
Siena nodded, and Mia bolted out of the room like she’d been offered another plate of chocolate. Siena’s impulse was to chase after her, but instead, she sat down on the large bed and rested her head between her hands. She knew it would be good for her daughter to spend a few minutes alone with Hudson before he left. She’d hated this when they dated—him going somewhere without being able to give her updates. Siena never believed he would cheat on her while he was gone—she just worried that a mission would go wrong, and he would get shot or worse.
It was hard not to let her mind travel down the path of what ifs. She watched the news enough to know about all the bad things going on in the world. And those were just the things the government let people see, not the hundreds of missions run without the knowledge of anyone but the military, the ones where the heroes never got the recognition for what they did or the people they saved.
The door opened again, and Hudson walked in holding Mia. She had her little arms around her dad. If anything, the sight of Mia in Hudson’s arms was worth Siena having to see her ex. The strong Navy