Stephanie Fowers’s Reviews > Hudson's Heart > Status Update

Hudson gave up his coat. In vain, Mimi had tried to hide her violent shivers, but he always noticed. He draped the leather around her shoulders and she felt the warmth that he’d left behind heat her skin. Always the gentleman.
She’d think she imagined everything between them if it weren’t for his kisses—oh, those kisses! They’d set her on fire. The man hid more passion behind his troubled brow than anyone she knew.

The twins had straightened when they saw Liv approach with the basket of goodies. They pointed to where they’d last seen Hudson out by the barn. Their satisfied snickers finally made sense when she spied him hauling hay—shirtless and in worn out jeans. Dang! He was built. And those arms had been around her last night.
He glanced over at her and his eyes widened. “Mimi?” He grappled for his shirt.

“Thanks for being here with me. I didn’t want to be alone.”
He didn’t want her to be alone either.
She threw a blanket at him. “Let’s watch a movie until Emily gets here.”
Completely understandable, and yet a new danger tightened his stomach. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep himself from kissing her. He groaned. “Mimi, you keep to your side of the couch.”
She smiled. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?”

This reminded him of the first time that he’d danced with her. She’d been just as lithe and graceful. How had he ever seen her as only his best friend’s little sister? He’d been close to kissing her that disastrous night, too… until she argued with him and left him in the middle of the dance floor. And he’d stood there, helpless with how smitten he was as he watched her walk away.

“You’re not alone," Hudson said. “I want to help.”
Mimi's hand dropped from his shoulder, for the moment forgetting that they were standing in the middle of the dance floor and she was no longer dancing. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”
“Wait. You blame me?”
Did she? Hudson had left them just as much as West did, but it hurt too much to say aloud. He wasn’t the superman she thought he was.

“Sure. I want to see your rescue animals while I’m at it.” Nothing warmed her heart more than thinking of Hudson working with such poor helpless animals. He was always so protective of her, so she had no trouble imagining it. “Why haven’t you ever talked about them?”
He turned silent, and she could tell that he was embarrassed, but he had no idea how cute this was to her.

“No! You are part of this?” Hudson acted shocked. “Are you a monster too?”
The small boy was silent for a minute, before his eyes gleamed in sudden mischief. “Yeah!”
“I knew it!” Hudson said. After all, the kid helped Nash and Porter set him up with Mimi tonight. “Just don’t eat me, monster. You won’t like how I taste anyway.” He glanced over at Mimi’s stiff profile. “Go for Mimi, she smells better than me.”

"Gary rolls now!” Charlie said. “He’s got wheels for legs!”
Oh man! That sounded sinister. “It’s just so he can get around,” Hudson explained. “I made a wheelchair for the goat. I rescued him from Farmer Funches’s ranch. It’s not like I’m performing experiments on animals like a mad scientist or anything. He just needs a second chance…” he stuttered to a stop.
Mimi stared at him, but the open hostility was gone.

That laughter died when Hudson’s arm went around her to protect her. Her eyes met his smoldering ones seconds before the boys dragged them back into the waterfall. “You!” she sputtered.
The twins had done it now. Hudson was carrying her in his arms like a cowboy cradling a hurt calf.

His hand had found hers now and she shivered. She’d give him another earful, but she was too lost in what she saw in his expression. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was about to kiss her again. Fool man! But she was the bigger fool because she was about to let him do it.