Hudson waited for the catch, because surely there was one.
“Then you’re going to show Reese around town. A lot has changed and she’s never around long enough to see it all. She needs to realize there are tons of cute little shops to explore.”
“You want me to take her shopping.”
“Is that so bad?”
He didn’t answer; he knew better. Hudson yearned for a strong cup of coffee to settle his fraying nerves, but the last thing he wanted was a lecture about the neglected Keurig. Ronnie was unpredictable enough that she might target Old Faithful and drop it in the dumpster on her way out. He settled for a soda instead. “Is that all?”
“No.”
Of course not.
“Tomorrow you two are coming over for dinner. I promised Reese some Cami snuggles.” A twinkle of mischief danced in her eyes, but Hudson didn’t dare question it. He had a suspicion Ronnie was up to much more than she let on, and not even his itinerary would clue him in on all of it.
“Lunch is here— Whoa.” Reese stopped in the doorway, rocking on her heels. Her eyes doubled in size at the spread left on the counter. “Are you opening up a grocery store in your kitchen?”
“Didn’t want my bestie to starve.” Ronnie’s tone was much sweeter than it had been thirty seconds ago.
“If I knew you were stopping over, I would’ve picked up another sandwich.”
“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’ve already eaten. Twice. I brought these by because, well, I was worried my brother wouldn’t feed you properly,” Ronnie said, a sweet smile erasing all the scorn from moments ago. “He tends to get a little preoccupied with ranch chores.”
“Thank you for sending some help, by the way.” Reese set down a brown paper bag from The Starlight Sandwich Shoppe on the kitchen table. “They make ripping up old carpet look like a breeze.”
“They’re yours through Thursday morning. Anything you need.” Ronnie looked expectantly at Hudson. “I appreciate that you’re here to head this up, Reese, but don’t forget to enjoy yourself a little. I imagine relaxing will completely slip out of your vocabulary once you accept that promotion.”
Hudson caught a glimpse of a frown before Reese rearranged it into a smile. “I’m working on the relaxing bit. Promise.”
“Good. Hudson’ll tell me if you’re not.”
Reese’s phone buzzed loudly enough to draw all of their attention, but he could tell Reese was doing her best not to pull it out of her pocket. He suspected it was another work email. She’d been getting more of them today.
“Well, we better eat lunch before it gets cold,” Hudson said, taking a seat.
“I’ll let you put the rest of these away,” Ronnie said to Hudson. “I need to get over to the Townsends’ place. Don’t forget, dinner tomorrow night.”
“Code for Cami snuggles?” Reese asked, her eyes hopeful and bright. Hudson had always wondered if Reese wanted kids of her own. She kept so busy with her career endeavors that he worried they may not be on the same page about a family. Distance was a small thing to conquer compared to their priorities concerning a family if they weren’t the same.
The light in her eyes now gave him hope.
“She’s excited to see her aunt Reese.” Ronnie slung her purse over her shoulder, waving on her way out the door. “Remember,relax.”
“I don’t think she brought enough food,” Reese said, settling into her same chair as if the spot was designated as her own. Hudson liked how she looked there. “Jed’ll go through that in what, thirty-six hours?”
“If we’re lucky to have it last that long.”
Reese emptied the contents of the bag as Hudson put away the refrigerated groceries, the aroma of fresh deli sandwiches on toasted bread making his stomach rumble. “I hope this is all right,” she said. “I found a super cute deli as I drove through town. I can’t believe how much has changed. This little town is thriving and filled with charm.”
“Ronnie’s show,” Hudson said. “It’s breathed life back into this place.”
As they ate, he listened to Reese chatter excitedly about all her finds over her quick trip into town. He didn’t remind her to check her phone, either. Instead, he decided to nix that town tour. Ronnie might have his head tomorrow, but he had a better idea. One that didn’t involve shopping.
“I need a favor,” he said as they cleaned up the table.
“Anything.”
If only it were that simple to get her to stay.“Good.”
