Rachel rolled her eyes at his stare and turned back to grab their drinks. “Lucas, I worked in a bar, Synclair owned it remember? Just because I don’t drink every night doesn’t mean that I don’t know what to order.” He told him laughing.
Lucas laughed too, it felt good to let go of some tension that had him by the balls lately. “I just figured you’d want a froo-froo drink.” He told her, letting his eyes go wide in innocence when she glared at him.
“A froo-froo drink? Really Lucas? Like a Mai-tai or strawberry Mojito?” She asked. Lucas grinned and went to take a drink of his Whiskey. His little sister was so easy to tease.
“That’s not me big brother, I like a buttery nipple or sex on the beach.” She told him. They both jumped when a loud crashed came from behind the bar. Lucas watched Jake’s eyes lock with Rachel’s, for a moment he thought Jake would vault over the bar to get to the booth. Instead, he stomped off into the kitchen. Lucas turned back to Rachel, his question showing on his face.
He watched his kid sister blush and then look away, “Don’t ask Lucas.” She warned sipping her whiskey.
“You can talk to me about anything you know. We’re family, and I’m here for you if you let me be” He was trying to be supportive. However, the look on Rachel’s face told him she was not going for it.
“Like you, Lucas, like you rely on all of us?” She snarled.
Lucas wasn’t sure what went wrong in this conversation, it seemed like women said one thing but meant another, “Rachel, what the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you Lucas, you took over things when mom and dad died, you took on so much at such a young age, and you never complained, not once. Then the thing with Sara happened, and you never talk about it. It supposed to work both ways Lucas, you can lean on us too, we won’t break. We can all see how much you love her, I can even see how much she still loves you, but you don’t let anyone in.” She finished and then sipped her drink. Okay little sister, point taken.
Lucas sighed. He hadn’t meant to shut everyone one out, not his family and definitely not Sara. He had been so busy wanting to make sure that he could take care of everything that he never stopped to ask for help from the very people he was trying to provide and care for. He had been so arrogant, so proud that he was taking care of his whole family that he had missed things, important things. He had ignored Sara’s complaints that Travis made her uncomfortable, he took for granted the fact that Sara loved him, he had believed that no matter how much he pushed her away, she would always be there for him. He had made so many mistakes.
“When did you get to be so damn smart Rach?” Lucas smirked sadly.
“My big brother taught me to love hard, fight for what you believe in, don’t take shit from people, be nice when you can and a bitch when you have to and never forget your family will be there if you trip and fall.” She smiled at him, and Lucas saw the sweet girl he had played dress up with staring back at him.
“You gonna finish that?” He asked motioning to Rachel’s drink that sat, practically untouched.
Rachel shook her head and then chuckled. “I didn’t really want it; I was dying for a mojito.”
Lucas grabbed her hand and pulled her from the booth. “Let’s go, Sis, you’re driving.”
Rachel came to a complete stop. “Wait, I get to drive your truck?” She asked in disbelief. Lucas had never let her drive his baby.
Lucas had downed his whiskey in one gulp, so he didn’t want to risk getting behind the wheel, plus where he was going was only across one intersection from Jakes.
Lucas tossed her the keys and strode to the passenger’s side. “We’ll come back to the Diner for your car tomorrow.” It was then that he noticed that Rachel had a Star Wars backpack with her.
He looked from Rachel to the pack, waiting for her explanation. “Oh these?” she asked finally getting what he was looking at. “I stopped by Sara’s apartment; her dad packed this for Logan. Since Dalton offered to give him a bath, I offered to run into town and get his stuff.” She explained as they made the short drive across the street to the Community Center.
“What’s the plan?” She asked pulling in next to Reece’s truck that was already parked in the stall next to them.
“Just wait for me, I want you to drive Sara and I back to the house and call Dalton and let him know to set up Logan at my place and to stay with him until I get there.” Lucas was already out of the truck and walking away.
“Wait, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to start operation woo.” He shouted back.
He heard Rachel laugh, “Its 2016 Lucas, you don’t woo women anymore.”
“Watch and learn little sis, Sara’s gonna get wooed, Hudson style.”
Rachel groaned, “No, no watching! I’m already going to need therapy after tonight; any wooing you do is to be done in private, behind a heavily fortified, triple locked door, preferably in a soundproof room.” She yelled to his back. She didn’t need to see his face to know he was grinning from ear to ear.
**********
Exhausted, Sara dropped the bat to the gymnasium floor. Her chest was heaving and her arms burned from the exertion. It had felt good, damn good. She had obliterated the ruby-lipped Piñata, the evidence strewn on the surrounding floor. After getting her breathing under control, she looked around.
Everyone in the gym was watching her, she groaned inwardly when she discovered she had just gone medieval on a party favor in a room full of women. As she checked out the work the others had done, she realized that she was the only one that had battered her piñata to the ground and had proceeded to demolish it. She was about to make a hasty exit when she caught Synclair’s smirking face. She chuckled as Synclair gave her two thumbs up.
“Ladies that’s how it’s done. Sara took her would-be assailant and pummeled him to the ground and then bashed his face in.” Synclair shouted from the front of the room.
As the place broke out in applause, Sara did an exaggerated curtsey. Once the room hushed, the women started picking up the various trinkets that had dropped from the piñatas.
“Felt good right?”
She hadn’t even heard Synclair come up behind her, Damn but the woman was stealthy.
Sara grabbed the plastic bag Synclair was holding out to her and began shoving gift cards and candy into it. “It did, it undoubtedly did. This is a remarkable thing you're doing here Synclair, I feel so empowered like I can take care of myself.”
Synclair shrugged, “I’ve spoken to so many women, and time and time again they constantly talk about feeling powerless.” She glanced around the room at the women that were assembled there. “It won’t work in every case; sometimes no matter how ready you are bad stuff happens, Sara. But if I can give them a fighting chance or the confidence to fight back to end a relationship gone wrong, then I’m okay with that.”
Sara knew Synclair wasn’t exactly a hugger, but she drew her into one anyhow. For a minute, she thought Synclair would pull back but was happily surprised when the slightly shorter but more round woman returned her embrace.
“Being victimized doesn’t make you a victim, Sara and being forced to do something doesn’t make you weak, don’t let the bad stuff define you,” She murmured so only Sara could hear.
Sara drew back, tears in her eyes. No one had ever understood how defenseless and vulnerable she felt after Travis raped her. Everyone thought because she could not remember, that she wouldn’t have the same feelings any rape victim would have, so she had never shared her anxieties with anyone. Yet, Synclair seemed to get it. It was either Synclair’s own struggles in Las Vegas or her volunteer activity with victimized women, but something gave her insight that struck a deep cord with Sara.
“I assume the same point works with nicknames, right, Syn?” Sara was jeopardizing a lot bringing up the nickname that Synclair had grown up with. She had forbidden anyone from calling her by that name because she didn’t wish to be reminded of her turbulent child
hood. However, Sara saw that Syn was as much a part of Synclair as being abused was to Sara. As long as they didn’t let it define who they were and instead used it to grow from, they would be okay.
Synclair smirked, “We’ll work on it Sara, maybe Syn isn’t so awful, baby steps chick.” Her hip checked Sara’s as she strode past her.
“Ladies the bats and the gifts are all yours, thanks for coming, have a great night.” She announced to the room.
Sara saw Reece watching his bride with adoring eyes from across the gym. “She’s amazing Reece,” Sara told him as she leaned on the wall next to him.
“She’s unquestionably a handful.”
Sara jumped; she hadn’t even seen Lucas come into the gym. Now he was standing next to her, close, remarkably close.
Synclair finally noticed Reece, ran, and hopped into his arms. Sara jumped back which brought her flush against Lucas as Reece caught Synclair with his palms on her backside and her legs folded around his waistline.
“She’s more than a handful,” Reece told Lucas, Sara laughed as Reece squeezed Synclair’s butt cheeks.
Synclair’s eyes tightened, and she lowered her forehead until it touched his. “Hands off my ass Hudson.” She mocked. She jumped down out of Reece’s arms and then threw back over her shoulder, “at least until we get home, then I need those hands everywhere.”
Reece looked like he was set to burst with unleashed desire right there in the gym.
“Um, I’m going to help clean up.” Sara excused herself and left Lucas to deal with a grinning but determined looking Reece.
*********
So far operation woo was more like operation –not happening-, it was driving him crazy. He had tried to give Sara a ride back to the ranch, but she insisted on driving her own car. Then he had offered to go with her and let Rachel drive his truck home but again Sara rebuffed him. The only thing he had going for him was that he knew Logan was watching Disney films in his cottage residence, in his bedroom, presumably ready to doze off. That would leave him and Sara together, alone, all night. The thought of getting her to himself with nowhere for her to run off to made his cock twitch. If this continued up, he was going to have to purchase bigger jeans.
As quickly as Rachel pull into the drive, or rather screeched into the driveway like a bat out of hell, Lucas crawled out of the truck and kissed the ground, silently praising the powers that be, that he had made it home alive.
“Ugh, over actor.” Rachel teased throwing him his keys.
“Speed demon.” He teased back while climbing to his feet.
“So we beat Sara here, what now?” His baby sister didn’t miss a beat, he cherished the fact that she on board with –operation woo-.
“I’ve gotta check a few things on the ranch when Sara gets here have her go to my place, and Dalton can point out to her how comfy Logan is there, that way she realizes that she and Logan will be sleeping there tonight.”
“Jesus Lucas, using Logan as a way in with Sara, that’s low even for you,” Rachel told him, hands on her slim hips.
“What? No, I just…” He paused when Rachel began giggling like a mad woman.
“Ah Lucas, I’m just fucking with ya, I’ll let everyone know so they are all onboard with –operation woo.” She shouted back as she ran up the porch steps.
An hour later, Lucas opened the door to the cottage and beamed when he saw Sara’s handbag on the counter. He knew she was presumably with Logan in the master bedroom, so he tiptoed past his own door to the guest room. He was relieved when he saw no one was there. He didn’t want to let Sara know he was home just yet. He snatched a towel from the rack and started the shower; he didn’t want to make moves on Sara smelling like a ranch hand.
Sara gazed down at her slumbering boy. He was the picture of innocence. His blonde hair, still wet from his bath was plastered against his smooth head, and his long eyelashes rested on his face. She knew she would do everything in her power to keep him protected. She glanced around the room. She had been here many times; she had spent many nights in this bed curled up with him, making love with him.
Not much had changed in the room since she had been there. He had a much larger television hanging on the wall, above the large oak dresser. His large, king sized, four poster bed still took up a good chunk of the area; she wondered how many women had been in that bed since her. Had he played the same games they had when they were together? Were there still silk bindings underneath the mattress? A part of Sara wanted to run her arm under the thick, bed and check. However, she didn’t want to wake Logan, who was fast asleep in his Sponge Bob pajamas.
When she had shown up at the house, she was shocked to discover that Lucas wasn’t there. Dalton had ushered her back to the cottage residence in the back and explained to her that Logan had fallen asleep in Lucas’s bed watching cartoons. She could see that Dalton was full of crap.
Logan wasn’t in Lucas’s cottage or his bed by circumstance, but when she pushed Dalton on the issue, he bolted like a tramp in church.
Sara wasn’t angry; she had always adored the little cottage that sat about a hundred feet behind the main residence. She and Lucas had spent nights in front of the fireplace in the living room, had cooked meals together while they laughed about their days, and had made love in every room.
There had been so much happiness and affection that it was hard to imagine where they were today. There were moments when she wondered if she had imagined it all, maybe it was more one-sided, and Lucas was just tolerating her so that he would have help with his siblings. The speculation twisted her stomach and made her clench her fists in resentment.
Getting angry wasn’t going to solve her issues with Lucas. She was confident he thought he wanted to give their relationship another try, but they were different people now. Besides, what kind of idiot would she be if she let him back into her heart only to be pushed out again; she wasn’t positive she would survive it.
Grabbing the clothes and toiletries that Rachel had given her for the night, she wandered into the master bathroom and changed; when she was finished, she opened the new toothbrush and decided to force thoughts of Lucas out of her head while she got ready for bed. She hadn’t realized how tired she was until she walked out of the bathroom and saw Lucas’s large inviting bed. Maybe a decent night sleep would help. After all, there was a couch in the living room and a guest room down the hall. It wasn’t her fault that Logan had fallen asleep in this massive, comfortable bed. Lucas was a big boy and could surely find another place to sleep for the night.
Besides, Sara just needed sleep she was too raw with emotion for much else. She had no idea what to do about Travis or Lucas. Of course, you do Travis you want to maim or kill and Lucas you want to treat as your own personal jungle gym.
Sighing, she was about to slide into bed when she thought she heard running water. Looking back at the bathroom, she knew it wasn’t coming from in there. Opening the door, she poked her head out of the doorway and glanced down the hallway toward the second bedroom. The door to the room was open, and she could clearly hear the shower now. Her feet seemed to have a mind of their own as they carried her down the hall. She knew who was in that shower, knew he would be naked with warm water cascading down that strong back and tight ass. Sara tried to reason with her traitorous body, but it was evidently not taking notice.
She arrived at the doorway to the guest room and tiptoed inside. She walked across the room to the closed bathroom door and placed her hand on the doorknob. This is ridiculous, the only thing harder to resist then Lucas is naked Lucas!
She took a step back from the door; she had to get a hold of herself. Yes, this is a bad idea, a wrong, awful idea. Now in command of her feet she rushed back to the door.
“Sara?” Came a familiar voice.
Crap. Sara didn’t dare turn around, she was too afraid of what she would see. “Sorry, I’m leaving.” She quickly pulled the door open, but a large arm shot past her and pushed it shut before she could make her esca
pe.
She laid her head against the door, knowing she would lose a battle of strength with him.
“I-I-have to go.” She sputtered. She tensed when she felt powerful hands gently grasp her shoulders and turn her around.
It was her worst freaking nightmare. Seriously, the man made Thor look like a homeless person. There standing in nothing but a short towel precariously knotted on one masculine hip was Lucas. His hair still dripping from the shower causing currents of water to stream down his naked chest. Sara had to fight the impulse to lick them. She was attracted to the path the cascades of water made down his body to the happy trail that started just below his flat, chiseled belly and disappeared below the towel.
She knew he was waiting for her to look at him. After a few moments, she understood he was evidently prepared to wait all night. Taking a heavy breath, she struggled for a bored expression and forced her gaze up to his.
“I didn’t know it was you.” She said dumbly. Of course, it’s him, Sara, he owns the place.
By the smug smirk on Lucas’s face, she could tell he didn’t buy it either. Well, dammit, she’d had a rough day. Who was he to go traipsing around in a tiny towel, knowing she would be there? She wasn't rational, but her defenses were down, and Sara needed to steel herself against the scent of a man she wanted so deeply she was pressing her legs together to help ease the ache.
Lucas put his other palm on the side of her head, effectively caging her in. He leaned in enjoying the hitch in her breath as his lips softly brushed hers. All she had to do was lean in just a bit, and their lips would touch. Come on baby, trust me, and let me in a just a little. He pleaded silently.
Sara was losing the battle with herself. He smelled so wonderful, his lips were so soft, and he was practically naked. All she would have to do is remove the small towel away from his body and press into him.
She shook her head and stared up at his tortured gaze. “I can’t Lucas; my son is in the next room.” She put her hands on his chest and pushed him backward from her.
Baby Mine: A Hudson Family Series- Book Two- Lucas and Sara Page 7
