car.
Priscilla wrapped her arms around her daughter’s shoulders. “Are you okay, baby? I’m so sorry you had to endure that. Thank God this nice young man was here. Right, Hud?”
“Oh, yeah…um, thank you…” Hudson mumbled. His embarrassment over not being able to recognize the commie that had infiltrated his camp was evident all over his face, but Kerrigan wouldn’t make a big deal about it or make him feel even worse. His self-torment would be torturous enough without her adding to it. “I’m sorry, what’s your name again?”
“It’s Dominic, sir. And, it was no problem. Like I said, I made a promise to Availia, one I fully intend to keep. God knows I owe her more than that.”
“How exactly did you know my mother?”
“Let’s just say we were really good friends. She let me stay here when there was nowhere else I could go.” Dominic almost looked embarrassed by that fact. “The woman was a saint.”
“Hud,” Priscilla interrupted. “Why don’t you go start unloading Kerrigan and Gabe’s things so they can get settled in?”
“Okay, Prissy,” he answered, using the pet name he gave her.
Gabe followed him out the door. “Um, how many times do I have to tell you? I’m the prissy one in this family,” he said, the sound of his voice fading as they disappeared from sight.
Hudson had been really tolerant of Gabe’s behavior since he and his daughter had become such good friends. He knew he didn’t mean any harm, and most importantly, Gabe had always been there for Kerrigan through thick and thin. Hudson probably would’ve thought of him as a son if Gabe had ever acted the part, but as it were, Gabe would be more like a daughter than anything else.
“I’m just going to go get fresh linens for your bed.” Priscilla looked from Kerrigan to Dominic before she turned to leave them alone.
“Are you okay?” Dominic asked.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” She turned and walked back to the kitchen, her traitorous hands shaking as she opened the refrigerator to look for something to drink.
She was tired of everyone treating her like a child. Her father had done it her entire life, and she was finally going to be able to have some independence. There was no way she was going to let this guy, a complete stranger, start hovering over her as well. Regardless of the promise he had made to her grandmother.
“I didn’t need you to do that, you know. I can take care of myself.”
She reached inside and grabbed a bottle of beer. They must have been Dominic’s because she couldn’t recall Grammy ever drinking alcohol. Not that Kerrigan cared who they belonged to. They were in her house after all. She closed the door back and twisted the top off before tilting it to her lips and taking a long swig.
“Yeah, it sure looked like it. You may have thought you were being intimidating, but it was more like watching a gatita stare down a mountain lion,” Dominic chuckled.
“Gatita?”
“It’s Spanish for kitten.” His eyes lingered on her lips as she licked the beer from them. “I hope my beer tastes good because you sure as hell look good tasting my beer.”
Kerrigan’s head snapped up to glare at him. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she debated whether or not she was going to slap him. “You don’t know me well enough to be making comments like that, Mr. Grayson. You’d do well to remember that before you wake up to find yourself disfigured,” she warned with a nod toward his midsection.
“Ouch.” Dominic winced and covered himself with his hands. “I may have you pegged wrong after all.”
“A little help here!” Gabe shouted through the screen door.
Dominic and Kerrigan left the kitchen and went to the front of the house where Gabe was struggling to hold one small box in both of his hands. Hudson, however, was so loaded down with things they could barely see the top of his balding head. Kerrigan rolled her eyes because Gabe obviously could have opened the door on his
Priscilla wrapped her arms around her daughter’s shoulders. “Are you okay, baby? I’m so sorry you had to endure that. Thank God this nice young man was here. Right, Hud?”
“Oh, yeah…um, thank you…” Hudson mumbled. His embarrassment over not being able to recognize the commie that had infiltrated his camp was evident all over his face, but Kerrigan wouldn’t make a big deal about it or make him feel even worse. His self-torment would be torturous enough without her adding to it. “I’m sorry, what’s your name again?”
“It’s Dominic, sir. And, it was no problem. Like I said, I made a promise to Availia, one I fully intend to keep. God knows I owe her more than that.”
“How exactly did you know my mother?”
“Let’s just say we were really good friends. She let me stay here when there was nowhere else I could go.” Dominic almost looked embarrassed by that fact. “The woman was a saint.”
“Hud,” Priscilla interrupted. “Why don’t you go start unloading Kerrigan and Gabe’s things so they can get settled in?”
“Okay, Prissy,” he answered, using the pet name he gave her.
Gabe followed him out the door. “Um, how many times do I have to tell you? I’m the prissy one in this family,” he said, the sound of his voice fading as they disappeared from sight.
Hudson had been really tolerant of Gabe’s behavior since he and his daughter had become such good friends. He knew he didn’t mean any harm, and most importantly, Gabe had always been there for Kerrigan through thick and thin. Hudson probably would’ve thought of him as a son if Gabe had ever acted the part, but as it were, Gabe would be more like a daughter than anything else.
“I’m just going to go get fresh linens for your bed.” Priscilla looked from Kerrigan to Dominic before she turned to leave them alone.
“Are you okay?” Dominic asked.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” She turned and walked back to the kitchen, her traitorous hands shaking as she opened the refrigerator to look for something to drink.
She was tired of everyone treating her like a child. Her father had done it her entire life, and she was finally going to be able to have some independence. There was no way she was going to let this guy, a complete stranger, start hovering over her as well. Regardless of the promise he had made to her grandmother.
“I didn’t need you to do that, you know. I can take care of myself.”
She reached inside and grabbed a bottle of beer. They must have been Dominic’s because she couldn’t recall Grammy ever drinking alcohol. Not that Kerrigan cared who they belonged to. They were in her house after all. She closed the door back and twisted the top off before tilting it to her lips and taking a long swig.
“Yeah, it sure looked like it. You may have thought you were being intimidating, but it was more like watching a gatita stare down a mountain lion,” Dominic chuckled.
“Gatita?”
“It’s Spanish for kitten.” His eyes lingered on her lips as she licked the beer from them. “I hope my beer tastes good because you sure as hell look good tasting my beer.”
Kerrigan’s head snapped up to glare at him. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she debated whether or not she was going to slap him. “You don’t know me well enough to be making comments like that, Mr. Grayson. You’d do well to remember that before you wake up to find yourself disfigured,” she warned with a nod toward his midsection.
“Ouch.” Dominic winced and covered himself with his hands. “I may have you pegged wrong after all.”
“A little help here!” Gabe shouted through the screen door.
Dominic and Kerrigan left the kitchen and went to the front of the house where Gabe was struggling to hold one small box in both of his hands. Hudson, however, was so loaded down with things they could barely see the top of his balding head. Kerrigan rolled her eyes because Gabe obviously could have opened the door on his
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