this. I didn’t think it was a big deal so I didn’t tell you about it,” Darla said as she grabbed Daisy’s hand.
“You told me you had a bad date. I should’ve followed up with you. I would’ve insisted on a restraining order and had the police call him and tell him to stop,” Daisy said.
“That’s why I didn’t tell you. I thought I could handle it. I’m lucky Hudson was here when he found us today. I’d feel horrible if he would’ve attacked you,” Darla said.
“I’d take a hit for you in a heartbeat,” Daisy said.
“I know that. As I would for you. But he’s on the ground, and I hear the sirens so hopefully he’s off to jail to cool down. Let’s move forward and thank Hudson for his help,” Darla said. Daisy gave her a weak smile then turned to Hudson.
“Thank you for the help. We truly were lucky to have you here,” she said. But of course she had to add more. “Though, we might not have been here if you hadn’t barged in. Just saying.”
Hudson couldn’t help it. He let go. His laughter rang out across the market. Daisy looked confused, and Darla chuckled. It took several seconds for his laughter to die down.
“You’re a true delight, Daisy, a true delight,” he said. “I’ll accept your gratitude and ignore the rest of your statement.”
“Yes, she is,” Darla said. “And I should’ve been more aware of the situation. However, I’m a social worker, so I tend to think everyone’s fixable,” she added.
“What a great career,” Hudson said, seeming interested. But before he could ask more, the cops showed.
It didn’t take long for them to get the entire story from them and the many witnesses. Jeff was hauled away, but not without a lot of ranting and raving and demands for Hudson’s head on a platter.
By the time it was over, Daisy and Darla had to be on their way.
It wasn’t the way Hudson would normally spend a Saturday afternoon, but he wasn’t complaining. He’d had a great conversation, taken down a bad guy, and was even more intrigued by Daisy than he’d been a few days before.
He couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
One thing he could say for sure was that from the moment he’d met this woman his head had been spinning and his hormones had been out of control. Whatever came next was sure to be good.
And whatever happened was going to upend his world. And the most shocking part of it all was that he was looking forward to just that. This woman had come out of nowhere — and he was damn glad she was in his life.
Chapter Fifteen
Daisy paced the land she’d grown up on, probably getting in ten miles since she’d been up at the crack of dawn. She tried talking herself out of being there, and then she’d come right back to the conclusion that she was right where she needed to be.
Hudson Anderson!
When she’d walked out of his hotel room the month before, she’d stood in front of the elevator wondering if she was doing the right thing. The night she’d shared with him had been the most spectacular of her life. People said that kind of statement all of the time, thinking no day could ever get better. But in her case, it was literally true. She hadn’t ever had a night like the one she’d had with him. It hadn’t been easy to walk away. He’d awoken things in her she hadn’t imagined possible. She’d hoped to have forgotten him by now.
She hadn’t.
Finding him on her family property had been a blow to her ego, to her faith in the world, to her hormones, and most certainly to her sanity. She’d been thinking of him way too often before he’d reemerged into her life, but now that he was back, the man was on her mind nonstop.
Hudson Anderson was a thief. That was all she needed to know about him. She couldn’t fall for his sympathetic act. She knew who he really was — an egotistical jerk who took what he wanted and didn’t look back.
But you’re the one who left.
She stopped that voice in her head. That might be, but he hadn’t attempted to find her. He’d had a great night and was most likely relieved she’d been gone when he woke. He was a man with endless connections. If he’d wanted to find her, he certainly could’ve accomplished it.
It didn’t matter anyway. What