Georgia-Blue & Hudson (Stoney Creek #5)

Chapter 8

8

Hudson

I’m pretty certain I’ve got the whole Georgia-Blue kissing thing out of my system by the time I’ve fed Moses and I’m heading out. At least, that’s what I tell myself. I guess she had an excuse, too: slight intoxication. What was mine?

I fire up my truck and begin the journey over to Brook’s place. But as I drive, my mind starts wandering.

Last night was wrong. I mean, it felt right, but that’s just my point. It shouldn’t have been anything. We did something dumb and I can’t even blame Georgia. I know it’s something that we can’t repeat again. I crack my neck and grip the wheel. We got caught up in the moment, that’s all. We’re only human and I’m sure Georgia will have some snide comment about how much I suck as a kisser the next time I see her.

Granted, jerking myself off probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do while I pictured her, but it was really for my own sanity. Nothing more. I’m not sure what excuse I have for this morning’s episode in the shower, but I can’t be a fucking saint all the time.

No more thinking about it, asshole. It’s almost out of my head when I roll up to Brook and Eden’s, but then I see Georgia’s car parked out front.

I frown. Fucking great. This is all I need.

I’m here to help Brook with the new donkey.

Easton and a friend of his, Takoda, who’s visiting from Montana, collected her from the rescue just out of town and are on their way. I said I’d come over and help move some hay bales and get the stables ready for her. Any excuse to be around his horses. I think Bandit has taken a liking to me. If I’m lucky, I may get to ride him later.

I’ve always had a fascination with animals for as long as I can remember. My mom used to take me on nature walks when I was a kid, pointing out all the trees, flowers, birds and wildlife we’d come across. I don’t know how that turned into me being a cat guy, but it is what it is.

I straighten out my dark blue and black flannel shirt rolled up at the sleeves and reach for my cowboy hat on the seat.

This ought to be interesting.

I walk over to the side gate where I can already hear their little Maltese, Noodle, barking at my arrival. I stick my head over the top and announce that it’s me.

“Back here,” I hear Brooklyn call from the depths of the garden somewhere. He has this place running like a fully functioning self-sufficient mini-farm. Solar panels adorn the back part of his roof and shed, plus stables to the rear. There’s a huge orchard and vegetable patch at the other side of the house. He makes his own compost and they grow a lot of their own food.

I can hear the chickens clucking and the ducks quacking before I even see any of them. I slide the gate open, bending down to give Noodle a scruff. She’s a sweet little fluffy thing that’s all bark, no bite.

She leads me down to the back where Brook is fiddling around with some reticulation pipe.

“Hey, man.” I cast my eyes around the large back yard that’s fenced in for Noodle and the animals. It also has large fields surrounding it. There’s no sign of GB.

“Hey.” Brook smiles, looking up from the ground where he’s trying to install some reticulation to his snap peas.

“Hard at it?” I chuckle.

“Somethin’ like that.”

“How far away are the guys?”

“A half hour or so. I got everything ready for her, just gotta move some bails.”

“You know I’m here for the horses, I’ll get on it.”

“Be there in a second. Georgia and Eden are inside making lunch for when we’re done.”

Great, she’s here.

It’s probably best I don’t run into her right now. I don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to act after having my tongue in her mouth last night. I wasn’t expecting to see her here, or run into her so soon. I’m kinda out of practice when it comes to women, but I’ve got no practice in dealing with Georgia-Blue post kiss.

Noodle follows me out to the barn, toddling along in front of me. I start hauling the new hay over to the first stable where Brook has it stacked.

The horses are all out in the field with Sawyer, so I’ll go out there to see them when Lily arrives.

“How do you think she’s gonna fit in?” I ask Brook when he walks in a few moments later.

“She’s been doing well at the rescue, so I’m positive. Plus, she’s no troublemaker,” Brook says. “I think a friend for Sawyer will be good; she came to us in pretty bad shape when we first got her, but she’s come along in leaps and bounds.”

“Might just take some time if it’s a case of neglect.”

“I don’t know how people can be so fucking cruel,” he grits.

It’s a horrible thought and really boils my blood when it comes to animals. “Tell me about it.”

The truck pulls up out front right after we’ve just finished hauling bales and cleaning the space up. Brook practically jogs to the gate the same time his daughter comes running out of the house.

“Hey, Uncle Hudson,” she says when she sees me.

“Hey kiddo, are you excited about Lily?”

“So excited!”

“I think Noodle is, too,” I say behind the back of my hand as Noodle follows us out to the truck just as Easton and Takoda are climbing out. Blake giggles and scoops Noodle up so she’s not in the way.

Easton helps run the family business, Horse Shoe Ranch, not far from here where they rehabilitate horses and run weekly horse riding lessons and hiking trails. His brother, Gaitley, lives and breathes the place, and barely ever leaves.

I’m not surprised he’s not here. However, I am surprised to see Trudy, Callan’s younger sister, who works as a stable hand for the brothers. She must have been wedged between the two guys in the truck, poor girl.

“We brought Trudy along since Lily seems to favor women,” Easton says, giving me a chin lift as Takoda and Brook pound-hug. I step in to give him a bro handshake.

Takoda’s one serious dude when it comes to rescuing horses. He’s spent his life on the family ranch, much like we all have, back home in Montana. He’s known as the horse whisperer in those parts, and for good reason. We’ve lost count of the amount of horses he’s taken in and rehabilitated after cases of neglect or injury. He also breaks in wild horses and cares for ex-racing horses no longer needed after their winning streaks are over.

“Sounds good.” Brook gives Trudy a high-five.

“Hey, Huds.” Trudy smiles as the guys make their way to the back to open up the float and let the new arrival out.

“Hey, Trudes.”

“Looks like everyone is here.” A voice sounds behind us, I turn and look the same way Trudy does.

It’s then I see Georgia and Eden making their way over. Oh, boy.

“Looks like it,” I mutter.

Trudy walks over to greet them quickly before going to the back of the horse float so she can be there to help Lily into her new home.

“Well, look what we have here,” Georgia singsongs.

I open my mouth to speak as she comes up behind me, but I quickly close it again when she pokes Easton in the ribs and asks him who his friend is. She gives me a curt hello, her eyes don’t linger long and I see a slight flush to her cheeks.

“Meet Takoda, the horse whisperer from Montana,” Easton announces, slapping his very tall, well-built Native American friend on the back.

Takoda, a man of few words, gives her a nod and offers his hand.

Fucking Georgia. I see she’s well and truly over the whole escapade in my truck last night, something I should be happier about. She shakes his hand and I watch as she and Eden stick their heads around to look inside the float.

“Can you two get out of the way?” Brook hollers as Eden comes to stand by me with Blake and Noodle at my other side. Georgia still won’t meet my eyes, and it grates on my nerves just a little.

“Are you okay?” Eden asks me.

“Fine, E. How about you?”

“Never better.”

“Hey, don’t you have some famous chant when you have a new arrival at the ranch?” I hear Georgia asking Takoda. I don’t know how the fuck she knows that, or how ‘famous’ the guy actually is. I just know he’s good at what he does.

“Yes, but it’s not always needed,” he says. “Lily has been at the rescue for a few months now. They’ve done an excellent job getting her weight up and taking the steps to her being able to trust humans again.”

I step forward then to assist Brooklyn as he and Trudy help the beautiful gray speckled donkey back out of the horse float. It’s a slow, careful operation.

Trudy talks in a soothing voice and gently strokes her back as she moves.

Takoda and Easton watch on with Georgia between them. She glances over at me and when I give her a chin lift, she returns a tight smile. Well, that’s something, I suppose. Though, she’s acting a little pissy. I know I kinda dismissed her last night, but her parents were headed up the driveway.

When Lily is safely on the ground, Trudy takes her reins and they lead her slowly down the gravel path toward the gate. It opens up on both sides so a truck could back in through the side if they wanted to. They won’t have any problem with Lily coming through.

“This is so exciting!” Blake gushes. “Sawyer is going to love her new friend!”

“Just hold onto Noodle until we get Lily settled,” Eden tells her.

“Sure, Mom.”

We stop by the gate as Takoda and Easton go back to the horse float to close it back up. Lily comes to a halt by the gate as I open up both sides to give them enough room.

It’s then that Lily won’t budge, she seems a little spooked and I’m not sure if it’s because of me.

“Hey, baby girl. It’s going to be alright,” I tell her softly. I hold my fist out slowly to her gorgeous, long main. Donkey’s really do have the cutest faces. She sniffs my fist and gives it a nudge with her nose, causing Trudy to laugh.

“I think she likes you, Hudson.”

“That’s a good sign,” Brook says. “She wasn’t great with guys at first at the rescue, so they told me.”

“No one is going to hurt you here,” I murmur, looking into her big brown eyes.

I can see why Brook loves donkeys so much now. And he has the room to keep them happy and comfortable.

She takes a step and walks through the gates, slowly heading to the back stables which leads out to the field where Sawyer is waiting.

“I have some lunch for everyone when she’s settled,” I hear Eden behind me. “We made vegetable pies.”

“Takoda is a vegan, Mom,” I hear Blake say.

It’s sounding more and more like this Takoda is a fucking saint after all.

“It’s okay, I didn’t use any eggs or dairy, so he can eat with us too, sweetie.”

Blake seems satisfied with that and I can’t help but chuckle.

“You know, I’m fascinated with veganism,” I hear Georgia behind me. She’s walking with Takoda who’s just caught up to us. She’s so fucking unbelievable.

That’s the first I’ve ever heard of her being interested in a plant-based diet, and complete bullshit.

“Since when?” I chime in, because I can’t help myself.

“Since now.” She folds her arms across her chest defiantly. She tilts her head to the side but can’t look at me for long. I keep my gaze on her as I walk backward, keeping a reassuring hand on Lily as Trudy and Brook reach the barn.

“I’m gonna stay a while with her,” Brook says. “It’s probably best that we don’t all crowd her. Why don’t you guys have lunch and we’ll swap over.”

“Can we take ours to go?” Easton chimes in. “Koda and I have to head off and get the horse float back.”

“Of course you can,” Eden says as she walks over to give Lily a gentle little pat on her back and her husband a quick kiss. “Follow me, I’ll wrap it up for you.”

Brook looks as happy as one of his pet pigs who loves rolling around in shit.

They all walk off to the house except for me, Trudy, Blake and Brook.

I look behind me and sure enough, GB is chattering away like she’s never seen a dude before. Is she flirting with him just to annoy me? I didn’t think this was how she was going to play it; totally ignoring me and flirting with Takoda from fucking Montana, just to get under my skin.

If she is trying to get a rise out of me, she’s succeeding. I try not to focus on that and just enjoy the morning sun beaming down on us.

About twenty minutes later, I hear a familiar, soft voice behind me. Just after Easton and Takoda have left. “I brought you some pie,” Georgia says.

I’m sitting on one of the hay bales just outside the horse pen. Lily is settling in with Sawyer in the field, and Brook and Trudy keep watch close by.

“Thanks,” I mutter, taking the plate from her hands as she leans over the rail, watching the two donkeys meet.

“How cute is this.”

I eye her.

Finally, she looks over at me as I pick up the vegetable pie, peel back the tin foil casing around it and take a bite. I quickly realize the pie that I thought would be fucking vegan crap is actually delicious.

Her hands move to her hips.“What?”

“I know what you’re doing,” I grunt.

“What is it I’m doing?” She tilts her head and purses that pretty mouth.

“You were half sitting on me in the truck last night with your hands all over me, not to mention your lips, Precious Princess . Now I don’t even get a decent hello?”

A sigh escapes her mouth as I take another bite. “You did get a hello, and that’s not exactly how I remember it.”

I chuckle darkly. “Really?”

“And before you say anything, I wasn’t drunk. I woke up without even the teeniest hangover. In fact, I went to yoga this morning with Autumn.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You know, you don’t have to be drunk to kiss me, but if you’re going to, flirting with some other guy the very next day isn’t cool.”

“Why, are you jealous?”

Fine. She wants to play this game? I’ll play.

“No, but it shouldn’t have happened.”

I can practically feel the steam coming out of her ears.

She huffs again, placing both hands on her hips. “You kissed me back,” she whispers haughtily.

“You said you wanted to know what it was like.” Fuck. That’s no excuse, but it’s the best I can come up with.

Silence hangs between us. She ain’t so quick to jump in now because that’s exactly what she said last night.

“And no amount of flirting with the ‘ horse whisperer ’ is going to tell me any different,” I add.

She glares at me. “I wasn’t flirting!”

I eye her now and take in her yoga leggings, tank and high-swinging ponytail. She looks cute.

“If you say so.”

“So you are jealous,” she fires back.

“I had no idea how fascinated you were with plant-based food until now.” I shove the rest of the pie in my mouth, wondering if there’s any seconds.

“You’re an ass.” She pokes me in the chest with a hard jab.

“Ow!” I garble as I shake off the crumbs. “I don’t see how I’m being an ass. You’re the one actin’ all snooty when all I was tryin’ to do was apologize.”

“Apologize?” She seems mad about that.

It seems I keep putting my foot in it, no matter what I do.

Yes, I’m goading her just a little. But that shouldn’t be anything new to her; we’ve been doing it for years and I’m not about to stop now. No matter what she says or who she flirts with, she knows as well as I do that kiss was hot. Even if it shouldn’t have happened.

Here I thought I’d gotten it out of my system once and for all, but looking at her little pout now, her sexy little body and those intense blue eyes, I realize I’m fucking doomed.