Chapter Seventeen
Hudson
Afew days later, after giving Cosy her morning bottle and changing her diaper, Hudson took her into his lap to cuddle before she got her second bottle and Halliday arrived to do their haircuts. Hudson usually read her a story or had little chats with her depending on how she seemed to be doing, but today he had a question for her.
“How would you feel about having visitors soon?”
“Visitors? Who would visit me? I don’t know anyone.”
His stomach twisted as it always did when he was reminded of exactly how isolated and alone his sweet little Cosy had been for so many years. That fuckmuppet masquerading as a master had been her entire world for eight goddamn years. What a piece of shit.
“Ian and I thought you might like to meet some more people, make some friends. Not too many because you’re still recuperating, but what do you think about meeting another little girl and her daddy? We babysit for Sable a lot and her daddy Jethro is a very nice man.”
Cosy’s pert little mouth twisted to the side.
“What’s troubling you, little girl?”
She looked down at her hands in her lap. “I’m ugly.”
“Hey, how dare you say that about my little teapot?”
Cosy didn’t laugh, didn’t manage a hint of a smile, or even look at him. Hudson nudged her chin up with a knuckle so she had to look at him.
“You are not ugly. You are a beautiful little girl and Halliday is coming soon to give us all snazzy haircuts. If you have some bruises, it’s not your fault. I know you trusted him, Cosy, but he wasn’t a good man. He was cruel to you in a hundred ways I know about and I’m betting in a million more I don’t. I would never bring people into this house who I thought would be mean to you. Hell, I would never want to be friends with someone who would be rude about someone’s appearance and Sable and Jethro are some of our best friends. I understand if you’re not up to it yet and I’m not going to force you to see anyone if you really don’t want to, but those are the only reasons I’ll accept. It sounds more like you want to but you’re worried.”
She nodded.
“What else are you nervous about?”
“Are they going to think it’s weird that I’m in a diaper?”
It seemed as though Cosy had gotten used to having a padded bottom and using her diaper after doing it for a few days. He thought it still embarrassed her when she thought about it too much but she often forgot. When she seemed self-conscious about it, he reminded her that changing her was another way he liked to care for her. Ian, too.
“No. Sable will probably be wearing one too.”
Cosy’s eyes and mouth rounded into little Os with a soft exclamation of “Oh!”
“Mm-hmm. She’s a little girl just like you. Next?”
“Do they think it’s weird that I live with you right now?”
Hudson wanted to chop the “right now” off that question. Cosy lived with them, period. As far as he was concerned, she was here to stay. Now he just had to convince Ian and Ryker. Ian was nearly there, he could feel it. Convincing Ryker would take a little more doing but there was no doubt in his mind that it could be done.
Also, he wanted to laugh at Cosy’s question and he couldn’t contain a snort.
“They’re in no position to throw shade about people shacking up too soon. Those two moved in together basically at the same time they started dating, got engaged a week later, and were married a month after that. So no, they’re not going to think it’s weird.”
Another little “Oh” escaped her mouth. She was too precious.
“Right? Anything else?”
“What if they don’t like me?”
“Why would anyone not like you? I like you, Ian likes you. Ryker doesn’t like anyone so don’t pay attention to him,” he said, thinking that Ryker would fucking love her if he would just get out of his own way. “Nora likes you, Doctor Eric likes you. That’s a 100 percent people-liking-you success rate.”
“That’s four people,” she pointed out, looking skeptical as fuck. His little teapot was funny.
“Okay, so, let’s say you and Sable aren’t auto-besties. Are you going to yell at her?”