Page 108 of Sterling Touch
“Am I in trouble?” His eyes never leave my face after he takes a seat, and I lower to one knee in front of him.
“No, Hudson. You aren’t in trouble.” I chuckle lightly, glancing over my shoulder to where Vale has stepped outside as well. Stone stands behind her.
With my arm perched on my thigh, I turn back to Hudson. “I’m here to see your mom, but I have something to ask youfirst. Hudson . . . ” I swallow thickly and lick my lips. “I’d like permission to date your mom.”
“What the—” Stone mutters somewhere behind me.
Vale giggles.
“Your mom and I are old friends, and we’ve become friends again. More than friends. And I’d like to take her on a proper date. Dinner. A movie maybe. Or dancing.” I glance over my shoulder at Vale and wink.
Looking back at Hudson, I add, “But I want your blessing first.”
Hudson peers over my shoulder at his mom. “This is going to be weird, isn’t it?”
“It doesn’t have to be,” I state, drawing his attention back to me. “We don’t need to be telling our truths to the whole town.” Like I told him about the situation with Atticus. “But I don’t want to be sneaking around behind your back. I like your mom, a lot.” I love her, as Vale and I have admitted to one another, but baby steps are needed with Hudson.
Vale steps closer to us, setting her hand on my shoulder, while I continue kneeling.
“Are you gonna marry her?” Hudson asks, looking from his mother to me again.
I glance up at Vale. “I don’t think we’re there . . . yet.” I wink again, expressing my hope with a flutter of my eyelid.
Behind me, the screen door opens and closes with a slap against the door jamb. I ignore the sound as the hammering in my heart supersedes everything else.
“So, what do you say, bud? Can I take your mom out? Maybe the three of us can even do something together sometime.”
“Like what?” he instantly asks with the typical attention span of a kid.
I chuckle and glance back at Vale before pressing up from the wooden porch floor, using the swing to lift myself.
“I don’t know. Maybe a Terrors game? Or bowling?” I remember all the things I did with Josh at this age. I should have done more. Should have paid better attention to the details because the time went too fast.
But I’m focused now.
On my girl. On her son. On our future.
“Sounds good,” Hudson says before looking at his mom. “Can I go text Amelia now?”
“You got it.” She holds out her arms and Hudson stands, stepping in for a quick hug from her. “Thank you, Hudson.” She presses a kiss to the top of his head.
I hold out my fist and he bumps his knuckles against mine before crossing the porch for the screen door.
Vale and I both watch him enter the house.
“Well, that went better than I expected,” she says, reaching for my hand and taking a seat on the swing. I follow her down to the cushioned seat and rest my arm along the back of it.
The swing is a replica of the one that once hung here and eventually fell from the ceiling. With a press of my heel on the floor, I rock us gently back and forth.
Can’t say I ever imagined myself sitting here again. Never imagined it like this with Vale at my side. But I also can’t say I’ve ever been happier.
“I love you, sweetness,” I turn my head to find Vale watching me.
“Damn right you do,” she teases before leaning toward me for a quick kiss.
Too quick. But as much as I feel like celebrating, and tackling Vale back on this swing, getting her naked out here, it probably isn’t in our best interest with her son and her brother inside the house.
“I love you, too,” Vale says back, smiling at me like it’s her favorite thing to say.
