“Ellie, you’re fine,” Hudson whispers.
For the next two hours, we go from store to store. My feet actually hurt from shopping. Hudson bought almost everything I touched in the first store. He kept telling me to remember the rules. In the second store, I didn’t touch anything. Hudson bought things for himself and his nephews. He told me that he sends ‘uncle’ packages to them as often as he can.
“Aren’t they babies?” I ask, as we head out of the mall.
“Well, they are three and one, so I guess we could call them that. But, that doesn’t mean they can’t have cool stuff from their uncle.”
“Excuse me.” A gorgeous blonde comes up to us as we are about to leave the store. “Are you Hudson King?”
I take a step back from him.
“Yes.”
“Oh, I’m your biggest fan,” she bounces on the balls of her feet. “Can I have your autograph?”
Hudson smiles and nods. She goes on and on about being his fan. I’m not sure what to do? The girl keeps looking at me, and I look away from her each time. Finally, Hudson is done, and we go to the next store.
“Sorry about that,” he says, and I shrug. If I’m going to be part of his life, then I need to deal with everything. The question is how do I do that?
“Hungry?” he asks, to bring me out of my worried thoughts. I nod. We head towards the center of the mall, where all the restaurants are.
“Oh Captain, My Captain,” someone sings out from across the hall. We both turn to the guy.
“What are you doing here?” Hudson sounds confused.
“Don’t sound so excited to see me, your Highness. Who is this lovely lady?” The man turns to me and perks an eyebrow.
“Ellie, this is Gerald, another player on the team. Gerald, this is my girlfriend, Ellie Sullivan.” My heart jumps a little when he calls me his girlfriend.
“I’m surprised by you, Hudson. This must be the source of your distraction.” He picks up my hand and kisses it. “It’s nice to meet the lovely queen.”
“Um, nice to meet you too.” The heat of my body rises to my face.
“Gerald, stop being a dork. My last name is King, I’m not a king.” He growls at him. “What are you doing here anyway? Are you buying some girl a ‘sorry I forgot your name’ present?” He smiles at him.
Gerald grins. “You know me well. I’m all out and plan to meet a girl tonight and I’ll leave it on her pillow in the morning. See? That’s the nice thing to do. Leave a little present.”
“Well, aren’t you so thoughtful? Ellie, not all hockey players are man-whores like him.” Hudson turns to me
“That’s a little harsh, especially considering I leave gifts. Ellie, wouldn’t you prefer it if your one night stands left a gift the next morning before they snuck out? Not saying you have one night stands all the time, but still a good question.”
My face flames red. I drop my head to the ground.
“Gerald, where the hell are your manners?” Hudson’s voice is stern.
“Sorry, your majesty. I was provoked. Would a present help make it up to you?” Gerald directs his comments to me.
“I appreciate the sentiment but I’m fine, thank you.” I raise my head and smile.
“It’s been fun. Enjoy your shopping, Gerald. The Queen and I have a lot more to do,” Hudson announces.
“The busy life of Royals. Nice to meet you, Ellie.”
We watch as Gerald heads in the opposite direction.
“Hey, Hudson, I’m starving.” I say quietly.
“Let’s go.” We go into the nearest place and sit in a booth. He piles the bags in first then slide in. I sit across from him and look at the menu. “What do you want to eat?” Hudson looks at his menu.
“At this point, one of everything,” I mutter. I hear him chuckle.
“Excuse me.” This time it was a dark hair female. She looks a model and with her is a tall man. “Are you Hudson King?”
Hudson looks at me before turning to her with a smile. “Yep, that’s me.”
“I’m your biggest fan.” She flirts as she sticks out her chest. “May I have a picture?”
Hudson hesitates for a moment before nodding. She sits down and gets very close to him. The man uses his camera phone and snaps the pic. Then the guy asks if he can have a pic and the same process happens. They thank him and leave us.
“Are they all your biggest fan?” I lean in and ask.
“Yep, every time.” He looks back at his menu.
“I see why we stayed at my house.”
He chuckles. The waiter comes and takes our order.
“Hey, do you have a passport?” He asks out of the blue.
“No, why would I need one?”
“Well, I was hoping to take you to Canada during the off season. I figured I could show you off in my hometown.”
“Oh, I guess I could get one.”
Hudson gives me a smile. We make small talk until our food comes. Luckily, no one else bothers us through our dinner. When we are done, we gather up the stuff, and head back to Hudson’s baby. I’m a little sad when I get back to his apartment. I’m trying my best to not be sad. I know that I have to go home, and Hudson will be leaving for a game.
“I have to go,” I say. “I work in the morning.”
He pulls me in his arms. “I know. I have to leave in the morning.”
“You’re going to be careful?”
“I will if you promise to watch me.” He smiles.
“I promise, but I won’t know much of what’s going on.” I run my hands up his arms.
“Well, if you see me cheer, then you cheer.” He leans down and kisses me. “I’ll call you from the road, and I’ll make sure you have tickets for the games here, okay?”
I nod and kiss him again.
Chapter Twenty-One
Hudson
Making it to the Final has been tough whirlwind. We’re matched against the Indiana Mustangs, their red and white uniforms a contrast to our navy blue and gold. It’s come down to Game 7. Ellie’s starting to get the hang of the sport, but every now and then, we’ll say something like hat trick or sniper and she’s completely lost. She’s here tonight, so winning is even more important. I mean, I want to win for the team, the fans, my family, and myself, but for her too.
Once the season is over, I’ll be able to put her passport to good use. Yeah, I’m going to take her to Canada, but my main motive is something different. All I can hope for is that Ellie loves it while I secretly make plans. Right now, it’s game time.
Brody Ross, their captain, is across from me as we prepare for the faceoff. Everyone in this arena wants the Cup, but only one team will win. I’m about to ensure that it’s my team. Losing on home ice isn’t about to happen tonight. The puck drops and we’re off. Tensions are high, more intense than ever. If our fans are normally loud, they are deafening tonight.
First period ends with the Mustangs on a 1-0 lead.
Second period ends with us leading 2-1, with a complementary goal from yours truly.
Two minutes into the third and it’s tied. Brody Ross is determined, but so am I. I push the score to 3-2 midway through the period. Then with four seconds left, the Vikings light the lamp with another goal.
The buzzer sounds.
We’ve won!
We’ve won!
~
Craziness follows. That’s really the only way to explain it. From lifting the Cup, celebrating, a parade, and everything else that comes with being champions. It all happens so quickly, I can barely grasp what’s happening half the time. It’s still hard to believe sometimes, but it’s been amazing so far. This evening, we get to relax a little as Ellie and I are in Vancouver with my parents.
“Everyone is here except Ethan’s wife and kids. Ready?” I ask, standing outside the front door.
“I think so.”
We walk in, my mom the first to come over and hug us. “How is my Hudsy and Ellie?”
“We’re good, Mom.” W
e follow her into the living room. Dad stands to hug me first and then Ellie. “Ellie, this is my old man, Darryl. Dad, this is my girlfriend, Ellie.”
“It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from my wife and Hudson, of course. Ethan and I are the normal ones around here, so if they start giving you trouble, come find us.” He smiles and winks good naturedly at her.
“Good to meet you too. Thank you.” She smiles.
Ethan comes next, slaps me on the back with his hug, and then hugs Ellie with the same formalities. We take a seat in the loveseat once Whit says her hello as well. I smile slightly when I put my arm on the back of the seat and Ellie leans into me a little.
“Don’t get too comfortable, boys. You’re on dinner duty tonight. Should probably get started on that,” Mom suggests with a sly smile.
“All right, you heard your mother. Let’s go.”
Dad and Ethan start to get up, but I say, “You’re going to make me cook too?”
“Yes,” she tells me simply.
“Fine.” Turning to Ellie, I kiss her cheek and whisper, “Don’t forget to come find us if she gets crazy on ya.”
She laughs softly, nodding. “I’ll be fine, I think.”
I follow the guys into the kitchen. Once we get started preparing the food, I ask Ethan, “How are the wife and kids?”
“Good. Thanks for the boys’ packages, by the way. Looks like things are going well with you and Ellie?”
“She seems like a sweet girl,” Dad adds.
“She is. Things are going really well.” Laughter from the living room makes me glance over my shoulder, although I can’t see them. “Sounds like they’re having fun, eh? Better to hear laughter than silence, right?”
“When it comes to those two girls, you bet,” Dad answers. After a moment, he says with a chuckle, “You know, she’s probably in there talking about a wedding and grandkids. I think your mother misses having you kids around, especially after Whit left. It doesn’t help that you’re all scattered across the States.”
Ethan clears his throat. “That’s one reason I decided to come up for a few days. We’re thinking about moving back, but I haven’t mentioned it to Mom yet.”
It would be cool to have Ethan closer to the rest of us. Mom’s going to be thrilled to hear this. Maybe then she’ll slow down on the baby kick. Just then, Ellie pops into the kitchen, her cheeks slightly flushed, but she’s smiling as she comes next to where I’m chopping some veggies.
“Hey,” I kiss her cheek, “have they reached crazy already?”
“No,” she laughs. “I was thirsty and your mom told me to get you to make me something. Said that just because you were a Stanley Cup Champion and all doesn’t mean you can’t cook dinner and fix your girlfriend a drink.”
I set the knife down, chuckling. “What would you like?”
“Water.”
While I’m fixing her a glass of iced water, Ellie asks Ethan about his little boys, even remembering how old they are. Then she says, “You’re actually an architect, right?” It’s a little funny, and I can’t help but laugh as they talk about that for a bit. I hand her the glass and she gingerly takes a sip, watching me.
“Thank you, Hudson.”
“It was my pleasure.” Before I can ask her if she’s having fun, my mother calls for her and Ellie smiles before disappearing again. “When do you plan on telling Mom?” I ask Ethan, referring to his moving back home.
“Whenever I find a place. I want it to be a sure thing before I tell her.”
We make small talk while we cook, sometimes staying silent for minutes at a time. But finally it’s time to eat and I’m happy to see Ellie still has a smile on her face. Dinner is pleasant as well. Mom is surprisingly behaving, as is Whitney. The girls offer to clean up since we cooked and once they finish, I drag Ellie away for a few minutes alone. Mom has a porch swing out front, so we go sit out there. She’s curled into my arms.
“Have you had fun?”
“Yes. I love your family, Hudson. Thanks for bringing me, so I could meet everyone.”
“Of course. You’re part of our family now.”
She looks at me, smiling. Ellie places a hand on the back of my neck and pulls me in for a sweet kiss. “Thank you,” she whispers. “We should probably get back inside.”
I shake my head. “They’ll be fine for now. I’m keeping you to myself for a little while longer.” After a moment, I say, “Do you have about a week’s worth of vacation time still?”
Ellie leans away from me, turning in the seat to look at me better with suspicion in her eyes. “Yeah…why?”
“Every summer, I go on vacation and I want you to come with me. We need to expand the list of places you’ve been.”
She started shaking her head before I even finished what I had to say. Apologetically, she says, “Hudson, I can’t. You’ve already brought me to Canada and I can’t keep taking off. I need to work.”
“Oh, c’mon, Ellie.” I reach for her hand, kissing the inside of her wrist. “Are you going to make me go alone?” When I fake a frown, she laughs.
“Where are you going anyway?”
I shrug. “Still thinking about it. Will you go with me?”
“You’re a hard person to say no to, you know.” She pauses and tries not to laugh as she adds, “But I’m good at saying no.”
That wasn’t what I was expecting her to say, and I can’t help my laughing. I could try to seduce her, but I don’t want to do that. Instead, I ask, “Well how can I change your mind?”
Ellie tilts her head, thinks about it, and says, “Get creative.”
“So you do want to go?”
“Of course, I would love to go. I just think I should work like a normal person.”
“Normal people take vacations,” I tell her.
“Two in one year? Because I’m counting this as one.”
Pulling her to me, I hold her close and make her look at me. One way to change her mind is to get Lacey to pack her bags and trick Ellie into riding with me to the airport. That might be too much though. Before I think of more ideas on getting her to say yes, I kiss her softly. “Please?” I mumble against her lips.
“Since you said please, yes, I’ll go.”
My victory is stolen as my mother peeks outside, Ellie immediately leaning away from me. “It would be nice to visit with you, Hudsy. It’s not like we live in the same country.” Mom laughs at herself. “C’mon. It’s time for dessert.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ellie
“Okay, I know that we are in New York, but where are we going?” I ask as I sit down in the terminal.
“Can I please have this secret?” Hudson fake whines. “Besides, the moment they announce the flight, you’ll know where we are going.” He sits the bags in front of us.
“Oh, okay.” I feel kind of bad, because I know that he has tried to keep this secret from me. I had to convince Jeffrey that I really needed this week. Let’s just say that he wasn’t happy, but he did give me the time off.
I can’t believe what has happened the last six months. Hudson has treated me like a princess, and I love him more every day. Spending the time in Canada was the icing on the cake. Being with his family was the greatest time I’ve had in forever. His mother treated me like one of the kids, and I haven’t had a mother figure in my life for a while.
“Flight 1875 to Paris is now boarding first class,” the announcer said.
“Okay, that’s us.” Hudson stood up. “Ellie?”
I can’t move. My mouth is hanging open, and I’m staring at him. He’s taking me to Paris. Hudson, my boyfriend, is taking me to the one place that I’ve always wanted to go to.
“Ellie, baby, what’s wrong?” Hudson kneels down and cups my face. Tears build behind my eyes as I look at him.
“Hudson,” I choke out. “You’re taking me to Paris?”
“Well, it’s the ‘City of Love’. Where else would I take the love of my life?” He kisses my li
ps. “However, we have to get on the plane to go there.” He winks. I giggle at him and nod.
~
“I thought I was in shape,” Hudson says as he collapses on the bed. We have been in Paris for two days, and I’ve dragged him to every place I can think of. Of course, we had to go the Eiffel Tower first. I couldn’t help but stare at the details of the iron and steel. There were a lot of people, but Hudson made me feel l was the only person there.
Today, we got up early and headed to the Louvre. There are no words to describe it. I think I took a thousand pictures of every angle of it. Hudson just followed along. I asked him several times if he was bored, and he said that he wasn’t at all.
Then we headed for a tour at Notre Dame Cathedral. It’s hard to imagine how old it is, and that it’s still standing in beautiful condition. Again, I took a bunch more pictures of everything, and Hudson just smiled at me.
“I’m sorry, Hudson. Tomorrow, we can do whatever you want.” I lay next to him on the bed.
“Nah, I’m just happy that you’re happy.” He leans over and kisses me. “I’m going to go take a shower.” He gets up and heads to the bathroom.
I quickly jump up and grab my phone to call Lacey.
“Do you realize what time it is?” She grumbles at me.
“I’ve been trying to call you all day since yesterday. Where were you?”
“I was in a guy’s pants.”
My face flamed red. “Lacey,” I hiss.
“Hey, you asked.” She laughs. “How is Paris and Mr. Perfect?”
I clear my throat and whisper. “I think I’m going to have sex.”
“What?” Lacey exclaims.
“Long time ago, when we first started see each other, I made the joke of losing my virginity in Paris. Well, I’m in Paris, so I guess he wants sex?” I almost start biting my nails in nervousness. I start to pace the room. Hudson hasn’t said anything, but I know that he has got to remember me saying that.
“Look, I’m surprised you two have lasted this long. I mean, Hudson’s right hand has got to be killing him by now, but if he isn’t pushing you into it, then what’s the problem? Do you want to have sex?”
Looking for You (Oh Captain, My Captain #1) Page 14
