off and go back to normal.” Although, in the back of my mind, I knew we’d never be normal again.
“Just take it day by day, Lex. That’s all you can do.”
I huffed. “Easy for you to say. You didn’t just spend the night with a caveman who packs women around on their shoulders.”
“Oh, shit. Maybe we should meet up for lunch next week. I love Shane more than anything in this world, but I’m always down for some big, tough-guy stories. Anyway, I have to go. Call or email if you need us, and we’ll check in again tomorrow. Maybe you’ll have a juicy update for me.”
“Ha! I doubt it, unless you want to hear Beep and Boop’s review of their new kitty food I’m trying them on later. I’m expecting a nice, calm night.”
Famous last words.
No sooner did I get home, out of my work clothes, the ladies fed, and onto my couch to queue up an old episode of 90 Day Fiancé than I spied two blonds walking up to my front porch with their hands full. I glanced down at my tank top and my jersey shorts and then basically said to hell with it.
I unlocked the sliding chain lock I’d installed the day before and stood in the doorway as they strolled up.
“What are you two knuckleheads doing here?”
Jack ran ahead, leaping up the pair of steps. “We brought your favorites. Pizza and milkshakes, Lex.”
I stood my ground against the boy with my hands on my hips. “Did you bring anything else?”
His face lit up. “Yeah, I got your twenty bucks too. When I told Grampa Simon how I lost the bet to you, he gave it to me. He said”—Jack cleared his throat and gave his famous impression of Lauren’s nasally dad—“‘It’ll be a cold day in Hell when Hudson Bradley gets married. Now you know better, son.’”
I laughed.
Jack laughed.
Hudson did not. In fact, his blue eyes wouldn’t even meet mine as he scanned the porch’s wooden decking at his feet.
“Are we going to stand out here and let the pizza get cold while the shakes melt, or are we gonna go in and eat?”
“Eat!” Jack shouted and ran past me with the shake carrier.
I tilted my head as Hudson neared. “Can’t stay away?”
The twinkle in his eyes came back as he explained, “I was going to let you rest tonight. This was all Jack’s idea. He asked what I did all weekend, and I told him I spent it with you. He got mad and told me I wasn’t allowed to have fun with you without him.”
My Grinch-like heart stretched to new sizes on my threshold that humid evening. It was innocent and sweet to hear how Jack liked hanging out with me. So I squashed all the smartass replies I had and just beamed back at him.
He stared at my lips with an expression I was becoming quite familiar with. Horny Hudson. I wasn’t falling for it though; there would be none of that while Jack was around.
“Cool it, big guy, and eighty-six those fuck-me eyes. Time. Out.” I made the T in front of my chest.
He didn’t abide by the time-out guidelines, because as we ate at the coffee table, after he’d changed the channel on my TV to the ball game, and as if it were no big deal at all, he put his hand on my leg. Right in front of Jack, who was half facing us, stuffing food down his throat, and half watching the game.
I silently mouthed, “Don’t.” Then pushed his wandering paw away. “Not now.”
“Yes, now,” he quietly argued.
I swatted again at his approaching limb. “I said no,” I told him through my clenched teeth with a smile.
Jack returned his attention to us as the game went to a commercial, and he tore off another piece of pizza. “Where are Beep and Boop?”
“They ate a little while ago, so my guess is either on my bed or sunning in the boring, no-fun guest room.” Seeing his disappointment, I took the last loud, slurping suck from the straw in my chocolate milkshake and added, “You watch the game, and I’ll go find them.” Popping up, happy for the excuse to naturally put space between me and Hudson when I returned, I went on a hunt for my furballs.
I should have known the second I hit my bedroom, Hudson would be right behind me.
“Get out of here,” I shouted under my breath and pointed to the door.
“No,” he said,