I was positive my mouth was about to hit the ground. “Are you crazy, Hudson? You’ll what, just wipe your hands of a hundred-thousand dollars?”
His gaze softened. “You’re worth the investment, Greer.”
“But…why didn’t you ask me first?” My head was reeling. I was confused, but Hudson’s gesture also had my heart nearly pounding out of my chest as I thought about how kind it was. Why in the world had he done it?
He smiled. “Would you have said yes?”
“No, I mean, I don’t know. I guess I’m in shock. Hudson, why did you do this for me?”
He reached for my hand and gently squeezed it. “I saw you hurting and upset, and I had the means to help you, and I wanted to help you. Yes, it was impulsive of me to do it without even talking to you, but I’ve fallen in love with you, Greer. I want to see you happy, not sad. And if you need to be upset with me for a few days before understanding my reasons for doing this, then so be it. But I wouldn’t change my decision. I’d rather be penniless than see you unhappy.”
My heart melted into a puddle right there on the spot.
“What did you say?” I whispered.
He smiled. “I said I love you! I know it’s crazy and fast. And I just bought you a goddamn building. And you have every right to think I’ve lost my fucking mind! But seeing you like that last night…so defeated…I never want to see you that way again. And I don’t want to go back to New York. I don’t want to go back to the life I had before I met you. I want this.”
He motioned between us, and my jaw started to ache as I tried to keep from crying.
“I want to go hiking all over Boggy Creek Valley with you. I want to watch your family go nuts over pick-up sticks and lose money over a freaking Go Fish game. I want to pick out our first Christmas tree together at Bishop’s Christmas tree farm. I want to watch you make your dreams come true, and if you’ll let me be a part of that, then this is where I want to be. I want to wake up each morning with you in my arms and go to sleep every night with you beside me. I love you, Greer. I love you!”
Hudson clearly wasn’t expecting me to launch myself into his arms, because he stumbled back before wrapping me up tightly against him.
I lost the battle and started to cry. “Hudson, I love you too. I think I fell in love with you the first moment you walked into Turning Pages and smiled at me! I’m sorry I acted all weird just now. I was just in shock. I’m still in shock!” I chuckled through my tears.
He set me back down and cupped my face in his hands. “I swear to you, I won’t ever do something like that without asking you again.”
With a half-sob, half-laugh, I stretched up and kissed him. “I don’t think you’ll be making a habit out of buying buildings.”
He smiled, and my heart felt like it tripped over itself. “You never know—it is a pretty good investment.”
I shook my head and laughed.
“You’re not upset with me, then?”
“No, no, my goodness, no,” I said. “But we do need to come up with a plan for me to buy it back from you.”
A slow smile spread across his handsome face. “I’m going to need you to put it all in writing this time.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. “The last twenty-four hours have been an emotional rollercoaster. I’m exhausted…but I also need to get back to the bookstore.”
“And I need to get back and finish this book. But if you don’t mind, I think I’ll pack a bag and come stay with you tonight.”
A pull of desire hit me hard in my lower stomach. Waking up with Hudson in my bed was one of my new favorite things. “I have a better idea. Why don’t you pack enough clothes to come and stay a few days. Or better yet, you can stay at my place permanently instead of the cabin.”
One of his brows rose.
I looked down. “I mean, if you want. If you’re more comfortable at the cabin, then—”
“Are you kidding me? Being able to make love to you anytime I want? I think I’m going with that option.”
My cheeks began to ache from how hard I was smiling.
“We’ll talk later?” Hudson asked as he pulled out his phone and glanced at it.
Nodding, I replied, “We’ll talk later.”
Hudson placed a hand on the side of my face before leaning down and brushing his lips over mine in the most tender kiss I’d ever received. “I love you, Greer.”