Dangerous Rescue - Linzi Baxter Page 0,55
my daughter. I didn’t need their money. Even if Kaiden wants to go to Harvard, I’m not sure I would want him to be coached by you. College kids learn from their coaches and grow from what they teach. You seem to be stuck in the eighteen hundreds. Now, if he wants to contact you, he will. But I advise you to go sit back down there with the other coaches and tell them not to bother coming up. We will be in contact with the schools Kaiden chooses.”
“Damn, girl, you told him. And thanks for sticking up for us too-dumb-for-school kids,” Casanova said.
Siena rolled her eyes. “You’re not too dumb for school. You chose to serve your country and protect us. That’s a lot better than that guy is going to ever do.”
“Thanks for giving me more credit than I deserve. The chief of police sat me down and said ‘Do you want to end up permanently behind those bars?’ When I said no, he drove me to the recruiting office the next day.” Casanova shook his head. “Maybe it’s time I take a trip home and thank him, because I would be in jail if it wasn’t for him.”
“I always wanted to serve my country like my dad did,” Angel announced. “And I would still be serving in some form if it wasn’t for my ex.”
Hudson turned his head to the side. “I know you thought that mission would settle your vengeance. But at least you have some intel.”
She shrugged, and they all went back to watching the game. Kaiden’s team won forty-five to fourteen. He would be going out with them after the game to celebrate. Siena, Mia, and Hudson said goodbye to their friends and headed to the parking lot. When they hit the edge, she reached down to grab her phone, and it wasn’t there.
“Hudson, I have to run back to the stadium. I forgot my phone.”
“We’ll come with you.”
The stadium lights were on, and people were still in the stands. “Get Mia in the car, and I’ll run.”
Hudson looked like he wanted to argue, but he gave her a tight nod and swung Mia up into his arms.
Siena jogged back to the bleachers and found her phone under the seat. On her way back out of the stadium, Mr. Warner stepped in front of her.
“You benched my son so Kaiden would have all the scouts look at him.” Cigarette and whiskey filled the air with each word out of his mouth.
“Your son is failing three classes, and you failed to return any of my calls.”
“I think this school is out to get him because I have money,” he growled. “What is it going to cost to get my son back on the field? I already paid the other two teachers. What is it going to cost you to change the grade?”
“I won’t do it.”
Mr. Warner took a step forward and blocked her in. She was about to raise her leg and kick him when he went flying back.
“I think the lady told you no. Are we going to have any more problems?” Hudson said.
Mr. Warner shook his head and left.
“Thank you,” Siena said.
Hudson pulled her to his side. “I’ll always be here for you. I love you, Siena.”
Her heart stopped. It was the first time he’d said the words. Her throat closed up, and she didn’t say them back, only nodded.
17
Hudson
Hudson tried to ignore the fact that Siena hadn’t said more than two words since he told her he loved her. Yes, blurting it out at the stadium after pulling that guy out of the way wasn’t romantic, but he couldn’t hold his feelings in any longer.
Mia filled the car with a conversation on the ride back to the house. Siena didn’t even look his way. For the past month, he’d read her wrong. They slept in the same bed every night. She stuck up for Kaiden like he was part of her family. But the second he said I love you she shut down.
Hudson planned to ask her to marry him. He still had the ring in his sock drawer. He wasn’t doing it because they had a daughter together but because Siena made everything in a dark world look a little brighter. Before he’d found her again, he couldn’t wait for the next mission so he would have something to do. Now he couldn’t wait to go home and spend time with Siena.
The guys joked at PE each morning that he was