Mom reaches out and takes my hand. “We’ve seen how unhappy and overworked you’ve been this last year. And all we want is for you to be happy. Even if you keep going and become a vet, we hope that this will make you happy.”
“I—”
“Have you and Hudson set a date? I think this could be a really beautiful place for a wedding if you wanted to do it here.”
“Obviously we don’t know Hudson well and we want to spend some time with him,” my dad says. “But so far he’s struck me as responsible and kind. That’s something that I can live with.”
We’re walking back towards the main lodge, and Mom slings her arm over my shoulders. “When we get back, should we schedule appointments to look at dresses? That could be fun, right? Maybe we could go to a few places. And the minute that he gets you a ring, you have to show me.”
Dresses? Rings? Oh my God, my mother is more excited about this fake wedding than I am. But she doesn’t think that it’s fake. She thinks that it’s real. Oh fuck, what’s going to happen when Hudson and I ‘break up’? Is she going to be so devastated that she hates me? Hates Hudson?
My heart is pounding in my chest. This can’t actually be happening right now. I should tell them the truth, but I can’t seem to make my mouth open. If I tell them the truth, they’re going to be so disappointed and I’m already a disappointment to them because of my failure, no matter if they say so or not.
We break out of the trees and into the large grassy area surrounding the lodge. The rest of my parents’ friends break off toward their guest houses to change out of river gear, but my parents don’t leave. My mom is still chattering in my ear about plans for the wedding, and I think that my dad says something about paying for it and not to worry, everything will be taken care of.
I feel like I’m about to pass out.
On the porch of the lodge, Hudson is sitting in one of the chairs reading a book. He looks up when he hears my parents’ voices and smiles at me. And then he’s not smiling anymore. He can probably see my panic. I know that I’m only going to dig myself deeper into this hole if I ask him for help, but I’m about to lose it.
He’s down the stairs and crossing to me in seconds, pulling me away from my parents and spinning me so his back is to them. And then his mouth is on mine. Kissing me just like a fiancé would. Instantly my head feels clearer. His hands on my arms and the way that he has to lean down to read my lips. The fact that he’s touching me shouldn’t calm me down the way it does. His confidence and steadiness shouldn’t sink through me and ground me to the earth so that I feel like I can breathe again. But they do.
When he pulls back an inch from the kiss and looks at me, I can’t look away. He whispers the words low enough so I’m the only one that can hear them. “Do you need to get away?”
I’m embarrassed that my eyes flood with tears. But the relief is so sharp and so strong that I can’t hold them back. “Yes. Please.”
Hudson doesn’t need to be told twice.
“Sorry to steal her away like that,” he says, turning to my parents and tucking me underneath his arm. “I can’t seem to stay away from her.”
They’re looking at the two of us with full smiles on their faces. I can’t really fathom how quickly they’ve become okay with this.
“That’s okay,” my mom says.
“I actually planned a surprise camping trip for me and Erin tonight,” Hudson says, looking down at me with a question in his eyes. “But if we’re going to get to the place before dark, we have to leave right away. What do you say?”
“I’d love that,” I whisper.
Out of the corner of my eye I see my mom put one hand to her heart. She’s nearly swooning. Now that she’s on the marriage train, she’s really on the train.
“Where are you headed?” Dad asks.
“There’s a place on one of the river outlets a couple of hours out. It’s got a really good view of the stars, and it’s supposed to be clear tonight.”
I have no idea if he’s actually telling the truth, but I’m grateful to him. Taking his hand in mine, I weave our fingers together. It feels more natural than I ever could have hoped. And my parents notice that too. They notice everything.
“Why don’t you go grab some clothes and whatever else you need,” Hudson says, “and you can meet me at the archery range in fifteen minutes?”
He’s buying me time. “Sounds good.” I look at my parents. “You guys are okay?”
“We’re fine,” my dad says. “We’ve got more s’mores to make.”
I roll my eyes but laugh too. It’s their anniversary. They deserve to have fun. “I’ll see you tomorrow then!”
Hudson pulls me away before we can go our separate ways. “Thank you,” I say.
“Don’t mention it. But we are actually going camping now.”
I laugh. “I figured. But is it really two hours away?”
“That spot is real,” he shrugs. “But we don’t have to go to that one. There are spots that are just as beautiful that are a lot closer. But I wanted to make sure that we could leave.”
“Good thinking. Okay,” I say and straighten my spine. “I’ll grab my stuff and meet you.”
“Hey.” Hudson catches me around the waist and pulls me in. His arm is so far around me and he’s so strong that my feet nearly lift off the ground when he kisses me again. Soft. Teasing. A promise that there’s more to come, and a burst of confidence. “Fifteen minutes,” he says when he sets me down.
It’s not until I’m walking in the door to my guest house that I realize he kissed well out of view of my parents.
10
Hudson
Of course I didn’t have a surprise camping trip planned, but I do this so often it doesn’t take me long at all to pull everything that I need together. The look on Erin’s face…I knew that she needed to escape, and that she needed to do it right now. I know the feeling. Usually when I’m pulling together camping gear this quickly, it’s to get some space to myself or to get away from the over the top displays of affection from everyone else who lives at Blue Mountain.
But now? With Erin?
I’m excited about the prospect.
For sure it will give her the getaway she needs, but I’m also excited to just spend time with her. Breathe her in. Actually get to watch her while she hikes. And, if I’m lucky, get to put my hands on her again. Because I would be lying if I said that I didn’t think about this morning every five minutes and want more.
I’m glad that I have the practice for pulling all this together. It takes me ten minutes because I already have almost everything packed. Just a few minutes of adjustment because Erin is coming with me, and a stop by the kitchen before I head over to meet her.
She’s waiting at the archery range for me, teeth worrying her lower lip. All that panic that’s in her hasn’t gone away. That’s fine. We’ll get there. I have plans for her. “Ready?”
“Sure.”
Erin has changed out of the clothes that she wore rafting and is now in tight-fitting hiking clothes that show off her ass. It’s a pity that I have to lead us, because it’s tempting to watch her ass in those pants. And the thought has me adjusting mine. Damn it.