Ethan barks a laugh. "I mean, she's not wrong." I lean back in my chair.
"Kindred’s antics have a reason behind them. Her intentions are always pure. Why would she do this? What would be the motivation?" I don't want to play into this, but I do want to shut it down.
"See, right there. You don't see that maybe you're biased."
"Don't really care if I am."
Beckett throws her hands up. “Men.” She rolls her eyes. “She’s playing the damsel in distress so you’ll run to her rescue. Everything she does is about getting your attention.”
“That’s the stupidest fucking thing that I have ever heard,” I tell her.
“I mean, he’s not wrong either.” Ethan always has to add his two cents. More so now that he’s not under me in rank. “Kindred breathes, and it’s got Hudson’s attention.” Isn’t that the truth?
“Kindred would never want to be seen as the damsel in distress. That’s not who she is, and as I said, you’re new here, so you don’t know the residents of New Hope the way I do. It’s not her.”
"Well, if you know everyone here, then you know who it is?"
I don't know who it is. There was a beat when I thought it could be a resident of New Hope, but I squashed that. My thought was the town was playing a game of their own and pushing Kindred and me together, but the word "whore" put that thought dead in its tracks.
"I never said it was anyone from here." Beckett's brows rise like she hadn't thought of that.
"Then who could it be?" Ethan asks. "Kindred's whole life is here. Don't see how she'd make enemies outside of this town, let alone in it."
He's not wrong.
The same can't be said about me. How do you get to me? That's an easy, simple question to answer. Kindred.
Chapter Twenty-Two
KINDRED
Candy is watching me. Why, I’m not sure. “What’s up?” I ask, going over the seating chart. I don’t know why I’m doing one at all. People in this town tend to do what they want.
“You’re glowing.”
“I’m what?” I drop my glitter pen and grab my clip off my desk to pull my hair up. I have been going nonstop. The heels I’m wearing, for once, are starting to hurt my feet. I have five million things happening at one time.
"It's called shimmer. I'll put some on your cheeks tomorrow."
"That's not what I meant." She laughs. "All of you is glowing."
"That might be sweat." I try to play it off. I know exactly what she’s talking about.
"Oh my God! It's not, and something is different." I know what’s different, but now is not the time to get into Cash and me. This is about her wedding and love story, not mine. Though I might not have control over it. Cash had kissed me outside, so anyone could have seen. It was early, though.
“I’m not pregnant. That’s you. Pregnant people glow,” I point out. Candy's expression turns skeptical. I change the subject."Let's go over the final list to make sure we have covered everything."
I have made a very detailed list of how tomorrow needs to unfold with times of when certain things should be delivered and set up. I'm handing the list over to Tinsley. I can't stay on top of all of this when I need to be catering to Candy, and I know Betty who owns the inn can handle it, and Tinsley will be the fire if it needs to be lit under anyone's asses.
Plus, there is always Hollis's mother. That woman will be on top of everything. Right now, she’s in Candy and Hollis’s backyard issuing orders.
There will be an outside section for the wedding. We had a million and one heaters brought in, and they’ve been covered to blend in with the white tenting. It really is going to be a winter wonderland.
"I'm not worried about the wedding. I want to know about you and Hudson. He was making eyes at you yesterday when he showed up here."
"What can I say? The man is obsessed with me." I shrug. "Everyone needs a hobby."
"Who needs a hobby?" The way my heart does a silly flutter in my chest at the sound of Cash's voice is everything a girl could hope for.
