Her Last First Kiss: Christian Cowboy Romance (Last Chance Ranch Romance Book 1)

by Liz Isaacson

  “Brent.” Hudson left the peanut butter sandwich on the counter and took a few steps over to his brother. “Hey.” He hugged his brother and slapped him on the back. “How was the drive?” They stepped back from one another, and Hudson returned to his sandwich.

  “Good enough,” Brent said. “You can’t avoid the traffic.”

  “Nope.” Hudson put the two slices of bread together and took a bite. “You want a sandwich?”

  “I thought we were eating dinner with Mom and Dad.”

  “And Jude,” Hudson said. “I don’t need any comments about how much I eat, and how much Mom’s started spending on lunch since I got back.”

  Brent smiled and shook his head. “I wish I could argue with you, but.” He shrugged and stepped over to the counter. “Why are you back? I distinctly remember you saying you’d never come back here.”

  “I was just going to stay for a couple of days.” Hudson took another big bite.

  “You met someone.” Brent dipped the knife into the peanut butter. “Is that why you’ve been avoiding my calls?”

  Hudson only shrugged, his mouth still full of bread and peanut butter. But yes, he hadn’t wanted to talk about the ranch he’d left, and he didn’t want to lie either. So, yes, he hadn’t answered his brother’s Sabbath Day calls.

  Hudson had left the boarding stables on Sundays, long before his parents were up so when his mother invited him to church, he could claim he was gone already. Which he was—just not to church.

  “What’s her name?”

  “Who?” Hudson asked, not really willing to have this conversation, even with Brent.

  “Come on,” Brent said, lifting his sandwich to his mouth.

  “Scarlett,” Hudson said. “But I don’t want to make a big deal about it.”

  “You don’t want to make a big deal about it?” Brent let his sandwich drift to the countertop. “She drove you back home. Home, Hudson, where you’ve hated since you were fifteen years old.”

  “I just….” Hopelessness filled him, and he shoved the rest of this sandwich in his mouth.

  “How long are you planning to stay?”

  “Until I can figure out how to face her again.”

  “Oh, I’ve got to hear more about this woman,” Brent said, taking a bite of his sandwich.

  “Later,” Hudson said. “We have to be down to the house in ten minutes. Better cram that in your mouth.” He reached for his jacket, not because it was cold, but because he could fiddle with the rock he’d taken from the ranch. He’d stopped beside Prime, the robot he’d fixed for Scarlett, and taken a single rock. He wasn’t even sure why he’d done it.

  But now, as his fingers touched the rock, a sense of peace came over him. A flash of thought came to him that he should text Scarlett. Just something simple. Maybe a hello.

  He pulled out his phone and stared at the screen, his heart thumping in his chest in an irregular way. With Brent only a few feet away, Hudson didn’t feel like he had the privacy he needed.

  It’s Hudson. Just thinking about you. Hope things are well at Last Chance Ranch.

  Was it revealing too much to say he was thinking about her? Was it too pushy? Did she even care?

  He thought about the last kiss they’d shared on the beach, and he had to believe she liked him, missed him, and thought about him too.

  “Ready?” Brent asked, half his sandwich still in his hand as he opened the front door of the cabin.

  Hudson hit send on the text and said, “Yeah, let’s go.”

  Brent drove down to the house, and though they walked in five minutes before they’d been instructed to show up, they were the last ones there. He heard his mom say, “They’re here. Are you ready, Thomas?”

  His dad said something, but his voice was too low for Hudson to make sense of the word. His mother appeared around the corner that led into the kitchen, a bright smile on her face. “Brent, you made it.” She hugged him first, then Hudson though he’d seen her a few hours ago. “Come in, come in. The food is hot.”

  “I thought you were bringing the food,” Hudson said, looking at Brent.

  “I did. I stopped here first.” He grinned at Hudson, though he too wore a bit of his nerves in his eyes.

  Hudson wasn’t quite sure what to expect in the kitchen, but he stepped into the dining room to find the Thanksgiving china on the table. The silverware had been polished and everything. Jude looked up from where he was putting cloth napkins at each seat, and the malice in his eyes was a touch softer than usual.

  His father stood at the island where Hudson usually ate lunch with his mother, and he held a pair of tongs as he coated the ribs in barbeque sauce. He looked up as Hudson and Brent walked in, and everything stilled.

  “Hey, Dad,” Hudson finally forced out of his throat, the same words he’d said to him weeks ago when he’d arrived.

  “Hudson.” That was an improvement, and Hudson would take it for now. “Brent. This food looks great.”

  “It should be,” Brent said. “Rosco’s is the best barbeque in five counties.” He moved past Hudson as if his feelings had never been hurt before. Hudson wished he could forgive as easily as Brent, but some of his feelings remained hard.

  Watching him interact with their mom and dad so effortlessly brought emotion to the back of Hudson’s throat. He glanced at Jude, who was also watching the scene in the kitchen. Hudson didn’t want to hover in the dining room so he took a couple of steps toward the food and his family.

  Jude stepped in front of him before Hudson had crossed fully into the kitchen. “Look, Hudson, I just want to say that I’m really sorry.”

  “For what?” Hudson asked before he could censor himself. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to do that tonight or not.

  “For treating you badly for so long.”

  Hudson simply looked into his brother’s eyes, trying to erase the years of ridicule Jude had given him for being a mechanic instead of wanting to take over the boarding stable.

  “Really,” Jude said. “But now that you’re back, I could really use your help with things.”

  “I’m not back for good,” he said at the same time Brent said, “He’s not staying forever.”

  “You’re not?” Jude glanced to Brent and back. “But you sold your shop in Santa Monica.”

  “I have a job at a ranch up the road a bit,” Hudson said. “I need to get back to it…eventually.” He wasn’t sure when, so his dad’s question was especially hard to answer.

  “When?”

  “I don’t know,” Hudson said. “Probably after my birthday.”

  “Thomas,” his mother said. “Don’t you have something you want to say before we eat?”

  His dad looked like he’d been hit with a baseball bat, and he blinked a couple of times. “Yes, yes, I have something to say.” He held a plate in his hand, gripping it tightly with all his fingers.

  He swallowed, and Hudson’s mother put her hand on her husband’s arm. “Go on, Thomas.” Her voice held more authority than usual, and she looked at him and then nodded toward Hudson in a not-so-subtle manner.

  “It’s fine, Mom,” Hudson said. “Let’s just eat.”

  “No,” she said. “This has gone on long enough, and I’m tired of it. Now, Thomas, talk to your son.”

  Hudson looked at his dad again, awkwardness filling the kitchen and dining room.

  “I’m sorry, son,” his dad said. “I’ve treated you badly for a number of years, and I…apologize. I hope you can find a way to forgive me.”

  Hudson had been expecting an apology, but now that he’d heard it, he didn’t know what to say. He had been treated badly for a number of years. His hard feelings softened, melting inside him though they’d taken years to solidify.

  “It’s okay, Dad.”

  “No, it’s not okay,” his dad said. “Don’t say it’s okay. I know you won’t be able to forgive me right away, but maybe one day.” He looked at his wife. “Maybe you won’t stay away from the stables for decades
now. Your mother would love to have you here more often, and…I wouldn’t mind either.”

  Hudson breathed in and out, and then went around the counter and drew his dad into a hug. “Thanks, Dad.” They embraced for a moment, and all of Hudson’s feelings felt like mush by the time his dad pulled away.

  “Let’s pray so we can eat,” his mother said. “Brent, will you?”

  Brent folded his arms, waited a moment for everyone else to do the same, and he said a blessing on the food.

  “All right,” his dad said, clearing his throat. “Let’s eat.” He’d put a few ribs on his plate and moved down to the potatoes so Hudson could load up his plate with his all-time favorite food. He had ribs, potatoes, and salad and had stepped into the dining room when the doorbell rang.

  “Was Whip coming?” Jude asked.

  “No,” his mother said, frowning at the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room and the front door. “I’ll get it.” She set her partially full plate on the counter and maneuvered between all the men until she ducked out of the dining room.

  Hudson put his plate on the table and turned back to get a glass of orange punch. Ready to eat, and finally feeling better than he had in weeks, he paused, his fingers gripping the glass tight, tight, tighter at the sight of the two women standing in the doorway.

  “Scarlett?” He didn’t remember releasing his cup, but the splash of punch on the floor and the shattering of glass testified that he had.

  “Hey, Hudson,” she said, lifting her hand and waggling her fingers.

  Chapter 23

  Scarlett swallowed, trying to get her nerves out of her throat so she could speak. Hudson’s family was clearly gathered for dinner, and she wished she’d called him before just showing up.

  But it had taken so long for her to remember what the name of his family’s boarding stable was called, and this was the fourth place she’d visited this week. She hadn’t even known it would be the right place. She just knew his stables had the word Oaks in it.

  “I guess I found the right boarding stable,” she said. “Thousand Oaks. Did you know there’s a lot of boarding stables with Oaks in the name? Three Oaks. Forever Oaks. Johnson Oaks.” She ticked them off on her fingers, her nerves firing like they were putting out a twenty-one gun salute.

  She swallowed and looked around at the other people in the room. Two of his brothers, obviously. His father. No one moved to clean up the spilled punch or broken glass, and Scarlett said, “I can help.”

  She grabbed the roll of paper towels off the dining room table, wondering if Hudson would ever say anything to her. She crouched down and had touched the paper towel to the floor before Hudson said, “Scarlett,” this time without the question mark at the end. “Stop. You don’t need to clean this up.” He stepped back and came down to the floor next to her, lightly touching her hand with his fingers.

  “Someone does.” She looked up, into his brilliant eyes, and time froze. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “Please come back to the ranch. I’m dying without you.” She couldn’t believe she’d said that, but it was true.

  “And you should see Trixie. She’s moping around no matter what Sawyer does for her. And Billy and Bob keep asking about Hound, and.” She drew in a shaky breath. “And I miss you. I miss you so much, and—”

  She cut off as Hudson pressed his lips to hers. Scarlett thought she’d missed him before, but now that he was kissing her again, she realized she hadn’t explored the depth of how much she needed him in her life.

  “I’m sorry,” she said again, pulling back for a moment. “I love you, and I need you back at the ranch.”

  “I’ll come back,” he said, his voice low and full of emotion. Their eyes met again, and this time he wore a smile in his. “Maybe you’d like to meet my family and stay for dinner first?”

  Horror struck Scarlett’s chest like lightning, and she glanced up at his mom, who stood there with one hand pressed to her heart and the other covering her mouth as she wept.

  “No wonder you haven’t come to visit until now,” she said.

  Hudson straightened first, taking Scarlett’s hand and helping her to her feet too. “Mom, this is my girlfriend, Scarlett. I think I mentioned her to you.”

  “Once,” she said, looking at Scarlett and now her son. “You should’ve seen him. He’s been nothing but miserable since he showed up here.” She drew Scarlett into a hug, and for the first time in a while, Scarlett didn’t feel self-conscious that someone was holding her—all of her—tight.

  His mother stepped back and said, “This is my husband, Thomas. Hudson’s father.” The man had stood from his plate at the table and shook her hand.

  “Nice to meet you, Scarlett.”

  “My brothers,” Hudson said, putting gentle pressure on her lower back as he turned her toward one of the other men. “Brent.” He nodded to the man on his other side. “Jude.”

  Brent was the brother Hudson stayed in contact with, and Scarlett grinned at him. “I’ve heard a lot about both of you.” She shook their hands, feeling only a sense of family in the house. She’d been expecting awkwardness and discontent, but none of that existed here.

  She went right back to Hudson’s side, almost wanting to leave so they could talk though the food smelled great.

  “Stay and eat with us,” his mother said, and Scarlett saved the things she wanted to say to Hudson.

  She nodded and Brent took her by the arm and drew her away from Hudson with, “I’ve heard so much about you too. Tell me, how is that new pig Hudson said he named after me?”

  “Your family is so great,” Scarlett said as they walked down the back steps. “So great. I mean, my mom would never break out her stupid human tricks at dinner. She’d be mortified.” She added a laugh to the sentence, her anxiety returning now that dinner was over and she’d have to really talk to Hudson.

  “Yeah,” Hudson said. “They’re all right.”

  “I thought you said you didn’t get along with them.”

  “My dad hasn’t spoken to me in the three weeks I’ve been here,” he said, taking her hand in his. The warmth spreading through her was exactly like the first time she’d held his hand. The first time he’d kissed her. Everything with him felt like her first time, and she hoped it would be the last first time she’d hold hands with a new man. Her last first kiss with a man.

  “But tonight, my mom said he wanted to talk to me, and he and Jude both apologized to me.”

  “And you’ve been working and living here.” She didn’t want to pretend like that hurt, because it did. “Why didn’t you just come back to the ranch?”

  “Because.” He blew out his breath. “I told you, I can’t be casual with you. I didn’t think I could stand to see you on the ranch and not be able to kiss you, or hold your hand, or anything. What was I supposed to do? Walk by as if I wasn’t in love with you?”

  Scarlett focused on the ground so she wouldn’t fall and so he wouldn’t see her emotions. Then she decided she didn’t care if he saw. She wanted him to see.

  She took a couple of extra steps and moved in front of him. “You’re going to come back, right? You didn’t just say that, did you?”

  “What did you say?” he asked, that playful twinkle in his dark eyes. “You’re dying without me?”

  Scarlett lifted her chin and pressed against his chest so he’d stop walking. After all, she didn’t want to trip and fall backward. “Yes,” she said, looking him right in the eyes. “That’s what I said. And it’s true. Everything I said in there is true.”

  “Everything?” He closed his eyes and leaned down, his forehead coming to rest against hers. He groaned and traced the tip of his nose down her cheek. “All of it? The part where you said you loved me?”

  “Yes,” she said, her heart whirring in her chest like a blender. “All of it, including that.” She breathed with him. “And in case you’re wondering, you still haven’t said that to me.”

  “I haven’t?” He caught the corner
of her mouth with his lips but didn’t kiss her. “You sure?”

  “I think I would remember,” she said, though she wasn’t exactly sure of anything at the moment. “You said you more than liked me, but that’s not the same thing.”

  “No, it’s not.” He pressed his lips to her throat, and joy exploded through her whole body. He kissed his way to her mouth, where he kissed her the same way he had on the beach all those weeks ago.

  “I love you, Scarlett,” he murmured, claiming her lips again. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

  Scarlett woke in a strange place, her memory slow as she tried to remember where she was. The roof of the camper shell was only a few feet above her face, and she took a moment to draw in a deep breath of the blankets that smelled like Hudson.

  Or maybe that was her hair, her clothes, as she’d laid in his arms until well past dark, talking and kissing until she finally remembered she might be in love but she wasn’t married to him.

  Instead of making the drive back to Last Chance Ranch, she’d taken his offer of sleeping in the camper shell so they could have breakfast together. Scarlett wanted to do everything together with him, and she swung her legs over the side of the bed and let them dangle before dropping down to the step and then to the floor to get dressed.

  A knock sounded on the door before she could open her suitcase, and Hudson called, “Can I come in?”

  “It’s not locked,” she said, facing the door as he opened it and climbed up the couple of steps to join her in the tiny space. “I’m not dressed though. I just woke up.”

  “Mm.” He scanned her from her bedhead hair to her bare feet, his eyes glowing with desire when he looked at her again. “I asked for the day off. Thought maybe you’d like to see the place, maybe go for a horseback ride.”

  Instant fear gripped her heart. She was much too big to get on a horse. But she just smiled up at him, and said, “If you’ll help me get on the horse, I’m game for anything.”

  “All right, I think I can do that.” He grinned down and her, kissed her quickly on the mouth, and said, “So get dressed, and I’ve got coffee on in the cabin. Or hot water for tea, though I can’t promise I have the flavor you want. And I’ll show you around.” He took a step back, a grin on his face. Scarlett felt flames all the way down in her toes, and she gave him a goofy grin back.