you.”
Hudson walked over to his truck and trailer, checked on his horses and then went to Alan’s tour bus. He rapped on the door.
“Come in.”
He stepped inside to find Emma sitting at the table with a notepad in front of her and Alan sitting in a big armchair with his guitar.
“You wanted to see me?” Hudson said.
“I was just going to send you out after Emma,” Alan said. “But she made her way back. Did you eat?”
“Yeah, I’m good. I’ll see you both in the morning.”
“Wait up, son. I told Jason to have the crew take care of your truck. You should be riding in here with us.”
“I don’t mind driving,” Hudson said. And he especially didn’t mind being away from Emma until he could sort a few more things out.
“Too danged bad. I can’t have you perform and then drive,” Alan said. “You’re riding with us.”
Arguing with Alan got him nowhere so twenty minutes later he found himself wedged on the padded bench next to Emma playing Trivial Pursuit against her and Alan. This summer trip was getting more and more complicated by the day.
Emma was distracted and he didn’t really feel like playing a game so he faked that he was tired and left them sitting at the table. He climbed onto his bunk, which was a twin-sized bed barely long enough for his frame unless he curled to his side.
He drew the drape between them closed and pretended that he wasn’t listening to her voice. Listening to the way she teased her grandfather and wishing that he had more time to kiss her tonight. Really kiss her and make her feel like she was his.
Alan started playing his guitar and Emma sang along with him and without meaning to, Hudson closed his eyes. He drifted off to sleep with the image of the two of them alone in the field behind the ranch house he’d grown up in Marietta. The sun was shining and his horse was nearby and he and Emma were tangled together on a blanket.
She wore that flirty little sundress she’d had on the first day they met and he pulled her onto his lap and she rocked against him. He rolled over and tucked her underneath and woke up as he almost fell out of his bunk.
Dammit. This wasn’t working. He couldn’t sleep in here with Emma. She was tormenting him without even trying.
He put his feet on the floor and got out of the bunk. Time had passed. He glanced at his battered old watch and saw it was almost dawn. He’d had enough of trying to sleep. Hopefully they’d be making a stop soon and he could get back in his truck.
Back to his reality where he was following Emma not sleeping near her. It was foolish to think he could hear her breathing or sense her presence, but a part of him was sure that he could.
He shook his head and went to the bathroom to splash water on his face. Then he went to the kitchen/living area surprised to see Alan sitting in a chair with his eyes closed, glasses on and an open book on his chest. He woke him and sent him to bed and then sat there alone searching for answers to questions he wasn’t sure he wanted answered.
*
Emma woke up early after a restless night where she kept hearing snippets of old songs in her head and then the words for new ones dancing around with them. She had a very strange dream where she’d ridden on stage on Hudson’s horse and sang lead on a song that had been her dad’s.
She got dressed and went out to the kitchen/living area and found that it was empty. She made some coffee, the one cup she allowed herself every day. She was careful to manage anything that was addictive. She knew from the way she tended to obsess over things that she definitely had her daddy’s addictive streak.
So she had one cup. Sometimes, and she hated herself for this, but sometimes she felt a little superior that she was able to manage it. She shook her head, stuck her tongue out at herself in the reflection of the microwave and went to talk to the driver. She offered him coffee but he said he was okay, that Hudson had made him a cup a few
Hudson walked over to his truck and trailer, checked on his horses and then went to Alan’s tour bus. He rapped on the door.
“Come in.”
He stepped inside to find Emma sitting at the table with a notepad in front of her and Alan sitting in a big armchair with his guitar.
“You wanted to see me?” Hudson said.
“I was just going to send you out after Emma,” Alan said. “But she made her way back. Did you eat?”
“Yeah, I’m good. I’ll see you both in the morning.”
“Wait up, son. I told Jason to have the crew take care of your truck. You should be riding in here with us.”
“I don’t mind driving,” Hudson said. And he especially didn’t mind being away from Emma until he could sort a few more things out.
“Too danged bad. I can’t have you perform and then drive,” Alan said. “You’re riding with us.”
Arguing with Alan got him nowhere so twenty minutes later he found himself wedged on the padded bench next to Emma playing Trivial Pursuit against her and Alan. This summer trip was getting more and more complicated by the day.
Emma was distracted and he didn’t really feel like playing a game so he faked that he was tired and left them sitting at the table. He climbed onto his bunk, which was a twin-sized bed barely long enough for his frame unless he curled to his side.
He drew the drape between them closed and pretended that he wasn’t listening to her voice. Listening to the way she teased her grandfather and wishing that he had more time to kiss her tonight. Really kiss her and make her feel like she was his.
Alan started playing his guitar and Emma sang along with him and without meaning to, Hudson closed his eyes. He drifted off to sleep with the image of the two of them alone in the field behind the ranch house he’d grown up in Marietta. The sun was shining and his horse was nearby and he and Emma were tangled together on a blanket.
She wore that flirty little sundress she’d had on the first day they met and he pulled her onto his lap and she rocked against him. He rolled over and tucked her underneath and woke up as he almost fell out of his bunk.
Dammit. This wasn’t working. He couldn’t sleep in here with Emma. She was tormenting him without even trying.
He put his feet on the floor and got out of the bunk. Time had passed. He glanced at his battered old watch and saw it was almost dawn. He’d had enough of trying to sleep. Hopefully they’d be making a stop soon and he could get back in his truck.
Back to his reality where he was following Emma not sleeping near her. It was foolish to think he could hear her breathing or sense her presence, but a part of him was sure that he could.
He shook his head and went to the bathroom to splash water on his face. Then he went to the kitchen/living area surprised to see Alan sitting in a chair with his eyes closed, glasses on and an open book on his chest. He woke him and sent him to bed and then sat there alone searching for answers to questions he wasn’t sure he wanted answered.
*
Emma woke up early after a restless night where she kept hearing snippets of old songs in her head and then the words for new ones dancing around with them. She had a very strange dream where she’d ridden on stage on Hudson’s horse and sang lead on a song that had been her dad’s.
She got dressed and went out to the kitchen/living area and found that it was empty. She made some coffee, the one cup she allowed herself every day. She was careful to manage anything that was addictive. She knew from the way she tended to obsess over things that she definitely had her daddy’s addictive streak.
So she had one cup. Sometimes, and she hated herself for this, but sometimes she felt a little superior that she was able to manage it. She shook her head, stuck her tongue out at herself in the reflection of the microwave and went to talk to the driver. She offered him coffee but he said he was okay, that Hudson had made him a cup a few
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