Love, Tussles, and Takedowns (Cactus Creek #3)(19)

Something more.

It was an unsettling feeling. He’d never wanted for anything in his life before now. Not really. And he was entirely ill-equipped to process the feeling fully.

And to think he’d only gone to the gun show on a lark.

As a believable excuse to get away from his friends who’ve been ‘killing him with kindness’ from the moment his latest film consulting contract relocated him back to Arizona temporarily.

By the end, however, he’d found himself glad to be in attendance. It was all a very different take on weaponry. Almost artistic.

Almost enough to make him forget that these very weapons were the ones responsible for the career-ending injuries he’d sustained to his hands.

He had not been expecting this when he woke up today.

Life lately had been…routine.

Not that he wasn’t grateful for having landed a job that his unique skillsets qualified him to be an “expert” in outside of the military. Thanks to the company run by a buddy he knew back when he’d been a Ranger, Hudson had been able to start fresh in California, consulting on fight scenes and weapons for the movie industry. And as luck would have it, his newest project involved him working alongside his favorite little starlet, Fiona—his only friend from high school who’d clung like a barnacle to their friendship no matter how much Hollywood tried to change her, and how far the Army took him.

Talk about a departure from his past life.

But it was good in a way for him to be around Fiona and her crowd. It took his mind off things he’d just as well never remember again.

Lately, however, even Fiona had been proving herself to be less the non-hovering free spirit friend he’d come to appreciate in his life and more like everyone else who couldn’t help but give him ‘that look’ whenever meeting his eyes. Sure, he’d taken this latest contract in Arizona knowing full well that she’d be one of the main actresses on set, but he didn’t honestly think they’d be seeing each other too much since she wasn’t playing a role that had any weapon or combat scenes. He’d thought he could just take the few months to collect himself. Re-charge. Heal.

Or at least forget.

He quickly discovered that this was the exact opposite of Fiona’s plans for him. From chick-prowling bro-dates with a few of the guys on the crew to the not-so-subtle suggestions for him to show the visiting actresses his home state’s finest sights, his friend clearly had very different ideas of how he should be getting over his demons.

Finishing off the rest of his beer with one final glance at the setting sun, he headed back in to see if Fiona had managed to overload his answering machine like she had the last time they had a few days off from the set.

The flashing red numbers weren’t as bad as he expected.

Seventeen. An all-time low. Maybe Fiona had gotten lucky this weekend. He’d purposely left his cell phone off the entire time he’d been in Cactus Creek.

This wasn’t going to be pretty.

Beep

Where the heck did you disappear to on Friday? I tried to find you after we finished filming for the day. Dude, I had at least five extras from the restaurant scene—four of whom were marginally interesting, and two were classically slutty. I told them about you and they’re all dying to ‘handle’ your weapons. If you know what I mean.

Ah, his friend the pimp.

Beep

Look, if it’s your hands you’re worried about, hell, you have a working mouth and an impressive main attraction down south from what I hear. Call me!

That’s right folks, his friend the sensitive pimp.

Beep

Okay, so it turns out that all five of the girls were grossly uninteresting. But that’s okay. There’s a VIP party tonight with enough good alcohol that most of the girls should seem downright fascinating. Have you lost my number?

Shaking his head, he finally let out a chuckle. A delicate debutante she was not. But, she was his oldest friend who would gladly give away all the designer clothes off her back to help someone in need. And where he was concerned, she’d always had his best interest at heart.

The rest of her messages detailed a typical whirlwind weekend for Fiona. The last few, however were more subdued, navigated by that deeper part of her that she hardly ever let anyone see.

Beep

Alright, if you’re going to insist on the silent treatment, it’s time for me to bust out the big guns. I’m worried about you. I miss seeing you happy. I know you say you’re not punishing yourself but you are, hon. It’s like you made it back here in one piece, but lost a chunk of your soul somewhere in the process. Just let yourself be happy. If only to get me off your back.

Maybe she had a point.

He stared at his hands, gritting his teeth when even making a fist with his left one hurt like hell today. It was because of the three-hour drive back. And this was just from driving his jeep. Going for a ride on his bike, one of his absolute favorite things to do, was now out of the question thanks to the little piece of shrapnel that had slashed its way into his vertebrae along his C7 and T1. Activities like the ones Fiona seemed to be fixated on, however, were still within his abilities; and yet he’d been acting like his injuries were from the waist down as well.

He kind of hated when Fiona was right.

After another minute of questioning his sanity, he picked up the phone and dialed.

“Hello?”