Quietly I murmured, “Hudson, that tiger won’t fit on the plane.”
He ignored both of us and put his money on the table. “One more throw.”
The barker sighed and reset the target. The leaf was starting to look more battered than when we’d first walked up, and I got the feeling Hudson could make these perfect throws all night long. The man could have been a pitcher for the Yankees.
Hudson grinned at me and said, “This one’s for you, hon.”
Then he wound up his award-winning arm, threw the ball and slammed the target back.
The barker growled, “No more after this,” and started to get another jumbo tiger down.
But Hudson shook his head. “No. I want the one in the back. The little gray house cat.”
The barker snatched the small stuffed animal down and handed it to Hudson, who in turn handed it straight to me.
It had a cute little bow around its neck, and yellow eyes, just like Leona. It was only missing the tabby stripes.
He gave me a tiny smile tinged with melancholy. “This one will fit in your suitcase, Elizabeth. I don’t imagine you’re really taking the kitten with you all the way to New York. But this will give you something to remember her by.”
That ran through me like a stake to my heart. It was the sweetest thing he’d done, but it just reminded me that all of this was temporary. Come Monday morning, I’d be back in the middle of it, a coil of stress in my stomach as I tried to catch up on all the work I’d missed over the past few days.
Tonight was just a pipe dream. A temporary break from reality.
I clutched the small stuffed animal and tipped up onto the tops of my toes. Then, planted a tiny kiss on Hudson’s lips. “Thank you. I love it.”
Chapter 14
Hudson
The most beautiful woman in the world was in bed waiting for me.
Along with one kitten and two dogs.
We’d spent hours roaming the Autumn Harvest Festival, seeing every sight, talking to the other wedding guests, and bidding Thatcher and Shelby goodbye.
Shelby had insisted that we ride the Ferris wheel, saying something about it being a good luck charm. So we’d done that next.
We’d even shared the perfect kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel when it stopped for a moment, giving us an exquisite view of the night sky as fall winds blew around us.
After that, we’d talked about what came next… at least for the night.
Together, we’d decided to stay at Thatcher and Shelby’s house in the guest bedroom they’d set up for Elizabeth.
I’d wanted to take her home to my place, but Red Oak Mountain was a further drive into the Ozarks, and she was worried about catching her plane tomorrow.
After washing up, I wandered into the bedroom to find her under the covers. Leona was lying in her arms, purring, while two dog lumps filled out the rest of the bed.
“All right, guys. Make room for me,” I rumbled as I stripped off my jeans.
Elizabeth’s eyes were riveted on me, and it looked like she was enjoying the view.
I headed to the bed with my naked cock hard and swinging. I might have just fallen in love with the woman, and I was losing her already. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t make love to her one more time.
Gingerly, I picked Leona up and put her down in a basket of blankets, then told the two dogs to hop down. Then I crawled under the covers and turned off the light.
Lizzie found her way to the crook of my arm, where she nestled in and rested her head on my shoulder.
Now that we were both under the covers, I was delighted to realize she was naked, too.
