“Still there for now.”
Reese navigated to her inbox. Vanessa from the Crazy Cookie Company—her most important client to date, and her neediest—had reviewed Reese’s latest marketing proposal. Her response included a list of changes a mile long. Because she could feel Hudson’s curious gaze burning into her, she turned off the screen. She could work through that list this evening.
“I know I’m on vaca—” A whisk of movement behind Hudson captured Reese’s attention. “Is that a turkey?”
“Oh, Melvin.”
“Melvin?”
“He’s a wild turkey. Kind of a loner of the bunch. There’s a whole flock that hangs out by the wheat fields.” Hudson ran his hand down his beard and over his neck. She’d never before seen him with a beard this long. She wondered how much it might tickle to nuzzle his neck. “Hunting’s never been allowed on this property, so they feel safe here.”
“Melvin looks right at home,” Reese agreed, looking away. She popped her trunk, determined not to make a fool out of herself in front of Hudson when it came this darn suitcase—if she didn’t make a fool of herself in other ways first. “Do you have other animals? I don’t see any cattle.”
Hudson beat her to the trunk and hefted her suitcase out with ease. He moved so quickly, so effortlessly, that Reese didn’t have the time or good sense to look away from those muscles in action. How they strained against the weight of her bag, reminding her of his strength. The men she dated in Chicago didn’t have muscles like that. Ones that had been built over time working hard days on a ranch.
“Two horses.” Hudson set her suitcase on the ground and closed the trunk. “Everything else was sold trying to save the place. Including the herd.”
“Horses?”
“Ginny and Lucy. I’ll introduce you in the morning.” The last hints of daylight were fading as Hudson carried her suitcase in and held the front door open. Soon, the sky would be covered in stars. She loved that most about Wyoming.
Nothing could have prepared Reese for the initial shock when Hudson flipped on the light and her eyes first took in the living room. She gasped so hard she nearly screamed, her body rocking backward into Hudson’s chest of steel.
“It’s a bit outdated,” he said, his large warm hand resting on her forearm to steady her. “But nothing a little paint and new flooring can’t fix, right?”
It took several moments for Reese to regain her composure. She wanted to blame the shocking interior of Hudson’s home—one Ronnie hadnotprepared her for in any way. But truthfully, Hudson’s touch lingered on her arm long after he let go. A hotel room in town was definitely safer for her heart, but it was too late now.
She focused on the house. Olive-green shag carpet, dark wood-paneled walls, the rock fireplace, and brass light fixtures. “I feel like I’m trapped in a seventies movie,” she said with a light laugh. “Please tell me it gets better.”
Hudson’s apologetic look said everything she needed to know. He dropped her suitcase and led her on a full tour. The house offered a lot of space, good bones, and room to grow, but Reese was hard-pressed to find a single thing that didn’t need updating. The wood paneling nightmare reappeared in nearly every room.
She forced herself to find the humor in her predicament as they moved from room to room. By the time they made it to the kitchen, she lost it completely. Hysterical laughter erupted, shaking her tiny frame with force. Her abs ached and tears formed. It was too much. The bright orange countertops, the yellow metal cabinets, the gaudy chandelier hanging from brass lamp chain.
When her laughter finally slowed, she fell into a chair at the cramped kitchen table. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” She swiped at the tears with the back of her hands. “I feel like I’ve taken a time machine back a few decades.”
Hudson slid a glass of iced tea to her. “Don’t apologize. It’s terrible, I know.”
“Ronnie said it needed a quick facelift.” Reese took a long sip, impressed at Hudson’s tea-making skills. For a man who never touched the stuff, he sure knew his way around making a good brew. “This— Hudson, there’s no way we can do this whole house in a week.”
“I know.”
He leaned back against the counter, crossing his feet at the ankles, looking much too appealing in those Wranglers and cowboy boots. It was hard to imagine that he was once a part of the same corporate world. This cowboy look suited him so much better.
Pulling her tablet from her purse, she asked, “What do you want to get done while I’m here? I’d say the kitchen, but that project might be too much to tackle in a week. It needs a complete gutting.” She swiped across a couple of screens, tempted to check her email inbox again but leaving that for later, and stopped when she located her favorite notetaking app.
“The living room seems like a fair place to start. I don’t entertain much company, but I do enjoy kicking off my boots after a long day and watching mindless TV. While we’re at it, I want a recliner I can fall asleep in and not wake regretting it.”
Reese scribbled notes with her special pen, making a list of everything that came to mind. She needed to text Ronnie to see how quickly her help could rip out the carpet. Search the local furniture store to determine if a trip to Gillette was necessary. “How’s Ernie doing these days?” she asked in regard to the local hardware store.
“He has more than you’d expect since Ronnie is his main customer. You’ll be impressed.” Hudson let out a yawn as an awful screech echoed. She added a new screen door to the list. “That’ll be Jed. He lives here, too. He’s a good tenant. Eats his weight in food every day, but he’s quiet and hardworking.”
Reese hadn’t seen much of Colten’s cousin Jed since her very first visit to Starlight. Though he was still scrawny, he was a good six inches taller. Freckles more prominently dotted his nose and cheeks.
“Jed, you remember Reese Calloway. Ronnie’s friend.”
“Ma’am.” Jed held out his hand. “I’ll be around to help as much as I can. Outside my chores, of course.”
“Good to know,” Reese said. “I remember you were a good worker.”
