by Maggie Way
“Everything is so beautiful up here,” Tonya said.
“Not as beautiful as you.”
The little girl giggled, and Tonya couldn’t help but laugh with her.
“What did I say?” Hudson asked.
“Even little girls know how corny you sound,” Tonya said.
“How can the truth be corny?” he asked.
“Well, maybe it isn’t too bad.”
He leaned over and kissed her. Even though she heard the girl laughing again, she didn’t mind being the reason for her laughter then.
The ride was over before she knew it, and the air felt a little chilly after riding with the breeze around them.
“Step right up and try your luck,” a man from one of the ring toss stations said. “Three tosses for five dollars.”
Tonya didn’t pay him any attention until he started in on them.
“Hey!” The man said. “You there, with that little lady! Bet you want to win your girl one of these panda bears. Make her proud of your manliness.”
Hudson laughed. “I don’t need rings to do that.”
“What? Afraid you might lose in front of your woman?” the man taunted.
Hudson stopped and stared at him.
“Don’t listen to him,” Tonya said. “He’s just trying to make a sale.” She pulled his arm to get him away from the guy.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” the man said. “Some men have the balls to win for their lady and some don’t. Maybe you need to get yourself a real man”
Hudson’s body went tense under her grip.
“Fine,” Hudson said. “I’ll play.”
“That’s not necessary,” she said. “Winning me a bear doesn’t prove your anything.”
“No,” Hudson said, “but it will show this guy not to be so damn smug and talk to you that way.”
“I’m fine,” she said.
“One toss on the bottle for a bear, right?” Hudson asked.
The man smiled and showed the gold caps on his front teeth. “For you, I’ll give you a bear for each one you get to stay on.”
Hudson tossed down two fives. “Give me three and keep the change. You’ll probably need it to cover your merchandise.”
“Whatever, big spender,” the game man said.
“You’re really doing this, aren’t you?” Tonya asked. She couldn’t help but feel annoyed that Hudson had fallen for the taunting. Winning a bear didn’t matter to her, but now she wanted him to win so they could get back to their date. Part of her hated to admit that she also wanted him to win so the smug guy could stop smirking.
Hudson analyzed the bottles before taking his aim. Without stopping long between each toss, he threw all three rings over the bottle.
She knew her mouth was wide open, but she wasn’t expecting him to get all three.
Hudson didn’t smile once. Instead, he stared at the game guy with a straight face. “My girl will take her three pandas now.”
The guy snarled at Hudson and yanked three bears off the display. “Take them and choke on them.”
“That’s not hospitable for a man who deals in the business of people,” Hudson said. He took the three bears. “Maybe you should work on your presentation.”
Hudson handed Tonya her bears, wrapped his arm around her, and led them away from the ring toss. She could still feel the man’s eyes boring into them as they left.
“How did you do that?” she asked.
“I used to work bottle and basket toss games when I was a teenager,” he said. “My dad made me work for my first car, so I spent weekends and summers at a small amusement park in New York. All those things have tricks to them. The key is in knowing how to spot the trick.”
“How did you spot his trick?” she asked.
“I can’t share all my trade secrets with you. Some are worth waiting for.”
Tonya shook her head. At least she was grateful for the pandas being small. She was considering asking him to put them in the car when a soft voice stopped them.
“Hudson? Is that you?”
Tonya looked up at a woman with auburn hair that was pinned into a bun on top of her head. The dress she had on seemed too expensive to wear to a carnival, but she wore it well.
The woman’s eyes roamed over her. “Who are you?”
Her tone sounded haughty and hostile as if she had no right to be standing in her presence.
“I’m Tonya. Who are you?”
The woman seethed with an attitude that made Tonya’s skin crawl. Whoever she was, Tonya definitely didn’t like her, and it seemed like the feeling was mutual.
“Carly. Carly Wentmore. I’m Hudson’s ex-wife.”
Chapter Twelve
Hudson
Hudson stared back at the woman that he did his best to forget over the last few years. Carly Wentmore didn’t deserve anything else from him, so why was she standing in the last place he thought she would ever turn up?
“Your ex-wife?” Tonya stared at Carly then turned to Hudson. “You never told me you were married.”
“Because she was irrelevant,” Hudson said. “She was part of my past, and I wanted it to stay that way.”
“Don’t sound so bitter,” Carly said. “You act like it was a meaningless afterthought.”
“You don’t get to say anything to me about meaning,” Hudson said. “Not after all the shit you pulled. What are you even doing here?” He knew his voice came off cold and distant, but that was all she should expect from him.
“Arianna McKnight is getting married this weekend,” Carly said. “She invited me. I had no idea you were here.”
He doubted that. Carly didn’t do anything without planning what she could get back in return.
“Seems like you two need to catch up,” Tonya said.
“No, Tonya,” he said. “There’s nothing we need to catch up on.”
“It’s fine. Speaking of the McKnights, I need to make sure the statue is ready for the reveal this weekend.”
“You’re the one making that chocolate surprise she has planned?” Carly asked. “Now I can’t wait to see it.”
Carly was distracting him by being there. He wanted to scream at her that she had no right, but he needed to focus on Tonya.
Tonya pushed the bears he won for her into his arms.
“I don’t think I need these anymore,” she said. Her eyes screamed how hurt she was with Carly there, but she turned from him before he could explain.
“Don’t leave, Tonya. It’s not what you think. Tonya!” He had to go after her. Carly’s arm was on him, holding him back. Her touch felt like fire searing his skin, and he stared at her until she released him.
“Tell me you haven’t downgraded, Hudson,” Carly said. “You’re too good for a woman like her.”
“No,” he said. “You’ve got it wrong. She’s too good for me.”
This woman from his old life wasn’t about to ruin his new one. The one he wanted to spend with Tonya.
“Excuse me. I need to find the woman I’m in love with,” he said.
Carly quieted at that, and he was able to leave her standing there stunned. Good. It was no less than she deserved. He needed to find Tonya, but the crowd had grown bigger since they arrived. He pushed his way through people, but he couldn’t find her.
Where was she, and how was he going to explain his bad history with Carly? He had to worry about that later. He had to find her first. The rest could come after that.
He gave up on hunting for her through the crowd. She said she needed to check on the chocolate. He had to start there.
As soon as he pulled up to the Gold & Smith building, he knew she wasn’t inside. The lights were out and the doors were still locked.
He rang her phone number, but she wouldn’t pick up.
Dezrah’s place was next. He knew Dezrah had decided to keep her shop open for the festival.
He ran through the doorway, nearly bumping into a customer.
“Watch where you’re going,” the man sai
d.
“I’m sorry,” Hudson said.
“You should be.”
He didn’t care about the upset customer. He made his way straight to Dezrah, who was manning the counter.
“Hudson?” Dezrah asked. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for Tonya,” he said. “Have you seen her?”
“No. I thought she was with you.”
“She was. I just need to find her.”
“Well, she’s not here. Tell me you didn’t do something stupid.”
“I really need to talk to her, so let me know if she shows up.”
“Fine,” Dezrah said, “but only if she wants to talk to you.”
“I’ll take that,” he said.
He went to Tonya’s apartment, but her lights were out. Knocking on her door was useless since there was no answer. It didn’t matter. He had to try.
He ran his fingers through his disheveled hair. Why had he been so stupid? He finally felt like he’d gotten Tonya to trust him and open up, and now she was running from him. Not that he could blame her, but he wanted to explain everything to her.
He went back to the loft to change and shower. Then he could try looking again. He hated the idea of her being out there, aimlessly wandering around at night. She was out there alone because of him. He was a fucking idiot, and he wouldn’t forgive himself if something happened.
He heard his elevator door swing open, and he prayed that Tonya had found him.
Hudson froze when he saw Carly step off it.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered under his breath. “How the hell did you find out where I live?”
Carly used that deceiving smile again. He knew it well. “You forget this is a small town. It was easy to find you in a swanky place like this.”
He rushed over and guided her back towards the elevator. “I’m not in the mood, Carly. I wasn’t then, and I’m certainly not now. You can’t pop back into someone’s life whenever you feel like it, and don’t think I’m buying you’re here only for some boring wedding. I’m not going to believe you. Not again.”
“Who said I’m here to ruin your life?” she said. “We had some good times, didn’t we?”
Hudson wasn’t playing her little trip-down-memory-lane game. He closed the elevator door and pressed the ground floor. He was going to see her out himself.
“I came over to apologize in person,” she said.
He acknowledged her then. “You’re apologizing? What part of hell froze over for you to do that?”
“I’m serious,” Carly said. “I was stupid and naïve back then. You could have sent someone after me, but you didn’t.”
There was no need to look at her, because he could feel her using that pout she used to get what she wanted. It was her go-to look when things weren’t going her way. He slid the elevator door up and got off, hoping she’d get the hint. “Look, I meant what I said earlier,” Hudson said. “That’s all in the past. I just want to move on.”
She threw her arms around his neck. “I’m so glad to hear that. I know you could have had me arrested, but you didn’t. That just showed how nice you are.”
More like a pushover, he thought. Not this time, though. He learned from her taking advantage of him.
He had to pry her arms off. As soon as she was back far enough, she tried to kiss him. He was expecting something from her, so he kept her right out of reach.
“Are you for real?”
Tonya’s voice grabbed his immediate attention, and he turned around to face her, letting Carly go. He’d never been so relieved about anything in his life.
“You’re okay,” Hudson said.
Tonya stormed over to them. “I’m far from okay, but if this nut job puts her hands on you one more time, someone’s going to have to call the sheriff to pull me off her.”
“Isn’t she cute?” Carly asked.
“The only thing that’s going to be cute in a minute is your black eye,” Tonya said.
“Seems like you found a violent one this time, Hudson.”
“That’s it!” Hudson yelled. “Carly, it’s time for you to leave.”
“You can’t be serious,” Carly said. “You’re choosing her over me?”
“I’ll always choose Tonya over you. Now, don’t you have a wedding to prepare for?”
She used the sad eyes again to try and make him feel bad, but those days were gone. “But Hudson—”
“Leave,” he said, staring her down.
“Fine,” Carly said. “It’s your loss.”
“That’s doubtful,” Tonya said.
Carly’s heels clicked on the floor until she walked out of the building.
It was just him and Tonya. Exactly how he wanted it.
“I was worried about you,” he said.
“Yeah,” she said. “Looks like you were really worried.”
Her sarcasm hurt, but he could take it. He’d take anything as long as she didn’t run from him again. “I’m serious, Tonya. Nobody knew where you were. I looked everywhere for you.”
“Well, here I am.”
He waited for her to say something more, but she didn’t, so he broke the silence. “We need to talk about this.”
“That’s why I’m here.” She wrapped her arms around her body. “Why didn’t you tell me about her?”
It hurt him seeing her so vulnerable, like she had to protect herself from him, but he kept on talking. “I was going to. So many times. It wasn’t like I was trying to hide her from you. It’s just that I was embarrassed to tell you.”
“What do you have to be embarrassed about?”
He rested his hands in his pant pockets, although he wanted to hug her and hold her in his arms. She was there, and he didn’t want to push her away.
“Carly was my high school girlfriend. I loved her, or at least I thought it was love. Turns out, she didn’t feel the same way about me. In fact, she only used me as a mark.”
“I don’t understand.”
“She did her research on me and found a way to get close to me. She made me think she loved me, so I did the most logical thing. I asked her to marry me. In the end, she only wanted my money and my family’s reputation.”
“What did she mean when she said you could’ve had her arrested?”
“You heard that, huh?”
“I heard most of it, Hudson. Now, I think it’s time you explained everything.”
“When she got sick of me, she stole most of the money out of our joint accounts and left town. I could have tried to go after her, but it was technically our money since both our names were on the account. She’s exaggerating about the arresting part, like most things.”
“Why didn’t you go after her?”
“I was heartbroken, but I just wanted to forget it even happened. I felt so stupid that she played me like a fool. Then Austin and I had this idea to go into business together, and I knew it was the chance I needed to start over.”
She was so quiet that he couldn’t read her reaction.
“Say something,” he said. “Anything. Please.”
“It’s not that you didn’t tell me about her that hurts. It’s that you couldn’t share something like this with me. I know we haven’t been together long, but...”
“But what?”
“It seemed like we were at a new place that made time irrelevant.”
“We were. We are.”
“It’s not just you who’s been hurt in the past. My ex-boyfriend cheated on me and got the girl pregnant to top it off.”
“Baby, I’m so sorry.” He moved to hold her, but she took a step back.
“I’m not telling you so you’ll feel sorry for me,” she said. “I’m saying we all have demons that haunt our pasts. Maybe we just didn’t share them because we’re not meant to.”
“Don’t, Tonya. Can you think about this first?”
She looked so defeated that I ached to comfort her, but I stood where I was.
“I have,” she s
aid.
“No, I don’t accept that. Look, give it a day or two. Think about this some more before you say what you’re going to say. If after then, you still feel this way, I’ll let you say it, but not one second before.”
“I’ll think about it, but I’m not making any promises.”
“No promises.” I agreed. “Not yet.”
She left then, but he wasn’t giving up hope. He wasn’t giving her up, either.
Chapter Thirteen
Tonya
“I’m an idiot,” Tonya said. “A complete idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot,” Dezrah said, hugging Tonya tight. “It sounds complicated.”
“Everything with that man is complicated.”
“At least he told you.”
“What if she hadn’t shown up, Dez? Would he still have told me?”
“That’s something you should be asking him. Not me.”
“I don’t want to talk to him. I don’t even want to look at him.”
Dezrah gave her a pointed look, one she was used to seeing from most of the women in their family. “It’s like Grandma Hattie used to say, ‘Love hurts sometimes, but it’s what you do with that pain that matters.’”
Tonya put her hands on her hips and stared back at her cousin, open-mouthed. “You did not just grandma-talk me.”
Dezrah wore a proud grin. “Yes, I did, and I’ll do it again, too. Whatever it takes to convince you that you’re in love with Hudson.”
“Don’t you dare start.”
“At least admit it. You’re so strong sometimes that it’s hard to see when things really bother you, and I know this is hurting you. You’re acting all angry because it’s better than being sad about it.”
Sometimes Tonya hated when Dezrah went all perceptive on her. She felt like she was being psychoanalyzed on everything, but that was her cousin’s way of helping out. As annoying as it could be, she found comfort in the familiarity.
“Fine. I love him. Happy now, Dr. Freud?”
“It’s a start. Now you have to pull on your big-girl panties and tell him.”
“I don’t think he feels that way. If he did, he wouldn’t have kept it from me.”
“You both kept your guard up.”
