Until You Loved Me (Silver Springs #3)(70)

He leaned against the door frame. “Give it a couple of weeks. If you don’t like it, you can always leave.”

She took a deep breath. He had a point. What was the rush? She could simply pretend she was on a fancy vacation. “Okay.”

*

“Are you back?”

Lowering his voice, Hudson closed his bedroom door so there’d be no risk of Ellie overhearing his telephone conversation with Bruiser. “Yeah. Just got in.”

“Did you bring Dr. Ellie Fisher with you?”

“I did.”

“And? How do you feel?”

Hopeful, Hudson realized. He was looking forward to having Ellie around, which was unexpected. Thanks to his profession and the money he’d earned, he’d had to fend off so many women over the years, and yet she was the one who was always talking about putting more space between him. That made him feel safe. “Sort of...excited.”

“Did you say excited?”

“Something wrong with that?”

“No, it’s just...you were pretty upset when you called me from Miami. She’s still pregnant, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, she’s still pregnant. I was drunk when I called you.”

“Exactly my point. You were so upset you were drinking yourself into oblivion.”

“Everything was new. I was working through the shock. But I’m feeling better.”

“You must like her.”

Hudson could hear the conjecture in his friend’s voice. “I do. She’s surprisingly easy to be around.” He enjoyed giving her a hard time, enjoyed how she laughed at his jokes or came back swinging when he riled her.

There was a long pause.

“Bruiser?”

“I’m still here.”

“What’re you thinking?”

“To be honest? I’m concerned.”

“Isn’t that my job?”

“It is, but now that you’re lowering your guard, I might have to step in. Are you sure she’s not setting you up?”

“For...”

“Marriage? If she can convince you she’s harmless, get you to trust her enough to marry her—to give the baby your name or whatever—she could get a lot more in the end.”

He thought of how often he’d had to talk her out of renting her own place. “I don’t think she’s trying to set me up. She seems satisfied with what we’ve arranged.”

“And what have you arranged?”

Hudson explained how they’d decided the rest of the pregnancy and the first six months of the baby’s life should go. He also told Bruiser what they were planning to say about their relationship and asked him to go along with it.

“I won’t give anything away. You want to say you’ve been dating for months? I’ll stand behind that. But she seems almost too good to be true. Are you positive she’s not trying to reel you in?”

“I’ve seen nothing to indicate that she’s any less than she appears to be.”

“Does she have any idea how much you’re worth?”

“Doesn’t seem to care. She’ll hardly let me buy her lunch.”

“Could that be an act? Hell, I try to get you to buy every meal.”

Hudson chuckled. It wasn’t true. Bruiser didn’t lean on anyone. “If it’s an act, it’s a damn good one.”

“That’s it,” Bruiser said. “I’m coming out there.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow morning. Better if I get out in front of this thing, just in case.”

“What about Jacqueline and Brianne? Are you bringing them?”

“No, Brianne will hate the long ride in her car seat, and Jacqueline’s got a fund-raiser for the local hospital.”

“She won’t mind if you leave?”

“Not for one day. She’ll understand that I need to meet Ellie, get a feel for her.”

Maybe Bruiser would see something Hudson had missed. “If that’s what you want to do, we’ll be here.”

“I’ll leave first thing,” he said, but as soon as Hudson hung up, another call came through—from the private detective he’d hired to find out who’d abandoned him the day he was born. Usually the guy sent an email update. A call was unusual, especially after business hours.

Hudson checked his watch. It was nine, so not terribly late considering the guy lived in LA—meaning they were in the same time zone. Still, nine was late enough. Seeing that name come up on caller ID sent chills down Hudson’s spine. Something had changed; he could feel it.

His heart began to pound even before he could answer.

Once the PI ascertained that he had the right person, he said, “I’ve found a lead that might give us the answers you’re looking for.”

Would he learn who’d abandoned him at last? “How?”

“Digging. Doing my job.”

“And this is hopeful?”

“It’s not 100 percent, but it seems legit. Only problem is...”

The reservation in his voice made it difficult for Hudson to breathe. “Go on...”

“You need to ask yourself if you really want to pursue this.”

Hudson’s trepidation grew worse. “Why wouldn’t I?”