Could that be true?
He had to know.
He heard footsteps coming through the parking lot. He walked from behind the cars and came face to face with Jason.
His old friend reared back in surprise and then grinned widely at him. “Hudson Delta! What’s going on brother?” He held out his hand to clasp.
Hudson could only stare at him. It was all he could do to stop himself from giving the man a dental bill he’d have to pay monthly payments and accumulating interest on for years.
Jason’s smile slipped and he lowered his hand. “Everything okay?”
“No,” Hudson burst out with. He turned and paced away from the man and then back. He made sure not to get too close so he didn’t tackle him and show him exactly how well-trained the Deltas were in hand-to-hand combat. Skills learned since he was a boy and Hudson had perfected throughout the past three months.
“Just tell me the truth,” he demanded, wishing he could grab the guy’s shirt to shake it out of him. “Are you the father of Kelsey’s baby?”
Jason’s smile blossomed on his face again and his blue eyes lit up. “Yeah, I am.”
Hudson stared at him. He took one slow breath in and one out. Another breath and on the exhale … he tackled the backstabbing jerk.
Jason cried out in surprise as they hit the asphalt. Hudson slammed his fists into his former friend’s face. Jason threw his hands up to protect himself. Hudson ripped the guy’s hands away but then it hit him … he was being as out of control as when he’d gone too far with Kelsey. All those beautiful memories were now tarnished. She was with Jason. Jason was the father. Not Hudson. Never Hudson. Every dream of him and Kelsey’s happily ever after was slammed into the asphalt that night.
Hudson said a prayer for some kind of strength then he grabbed Jason’s shirt, shook him hard enough his head bounced off the asphalt and leaned in close. He growled in the guy’s face, “You take care of her. You marry her, spoil her, and love her, and don’t you ever let me hear that she isn’t the happiest wife and mother on the planet, or I’ll come back and I’ll destroy you. I’ll take you apart piece by piece and I won’t even care how you beg for mercy. Do you understand me?”
Jason stared up at him. His mouth kept flopping open and closed, but he didn’t say anything. Hudson was shaking with rage and he was going to puke again. He’d just told another man to marry, spoil, and love the only woman Hudson had ever loved and the only woman he ever would love. But it was the right thing to do. Jason was the father of her baby and he was the one who would get to marry and take care of her and their child.
If he hadn’t of been so furious he would’ve been sobbing hysterically.
“Do you understand me?” Hudson asked louder.
“Yes.” Jason nodded.
Hudson leapt off of him, strode to his rental car, puked one more time, climbed into the car, rinsed with a water bottle and spit out the window, popped in some gum, and spun out of that parking lot. He didn’t let himself look back.
His life had shattered that night. He’d gone back to his world of stunts and extreme sports and reviewers and media started to claim Hudson Delta wasn’t just ultra-talented and strong, he had a “death wish”. Maybe he did. What was life without Kelsey? He never heard from her or Jason again. And thankfully every time his family tried to bring her up he changed the subject, and they let him.
Now she was right there. Right in front of him. Holding Jason’s baby. The little man was adorable. Where was his father? If Jason hadn’t taken care of her and their baby, Hudson would follow through with his threats. Gladly. He wouldn’t even worry about lacking self control because it would be completely pre-meditated assault. Was that the right legal term? He’d have to ask his older sister Esther.
Suddenly everybody was cheering and Thor and Shelly were kissing. Hudson whooped and clapped and acted as happy as everybody else. Kelsey had already taken so much from him. He couldn’t let her take this brief time with his family. Because as soon as they ate, danced, celebrated, threw the rice, and Thor and Shelly ran for Thor’s decorated truck, Hudson was out of here.
Chapter Three
Kelsey was congratulating herself. She had made it through the wedding and the delicious dinner. Well everybody else said it was delicious, all she could do was methodically chew and swallow a few bites. Nothing tasted right as her stomach was churning.
Most of the evening she’d been able to keep her focus on her son, her mom, and the very nice people they sat by at the dinner. Tom and Annalea … somebody. They had tragically lost their only daughter and given Shelly their daughter Alexa’s renowned barrel-racing horse. They’d had a part in Thor and Shelly’s happily ever after. It was a touching story and Kelsey thought she held up her end of the conversation, kept Mo eating and for the most part in his seat, and didn’t let her gaze stray to Hudson too often.
Until Annalea said in her sweet southern accent, “I think our little angel mama has a crush on one of those hot Delta men. Whoo-ee! If I was twenty years younger and not head over heels for this stud.” She patted her husband’s cheek who just smiled at her. “I’d be chasing a Delta boy myself.”
Kelsey’s cheeks and the back of her neck got hot. “I …”
“Mama, you look funny,” Mo said, giggling as he pointed at her.
“Your mama is a beauty, sweet boy,” Annalea said.
“I knows that,” Mo nodded. “But she’s all red!”
“Sorry, darlin’,” Tom said in a too-loud voice to Kelsey. “My girl calls it how it is.”
Kelsey tried to laugh but she was just feeling miserable. What did it matter if she did have a crush, or worse, was still in love with Hudson Delta? She’d never trust him with her heart again and she’d never let him break Mo’s heart as well. She could only imagine how Hudson and Mo would take to each other. She’d often wished she could see that, but it wasn’t worth Mo loving his father, and then being deserted by him.