With a nod, Jed went straight for the fridge. Before long, the counter was littered with fixings for a Scooby Doo-worthy sandwich. Reese couldn’t imagine where he’d put all that food, despite how quickly he was gobbling it down.
“He doesn’t come cheap,” Hudson said with a laugh, pushing off the counter. He yawned again, drawing Reese’s gaze to his lips. It was far too dangerous to yearn for a kiss before her last night in town. Maybe not even then.
“Think we can move some of this furniture out of the way tonight?” Reese pointed her pen toward the living room. “Maybe talk color palette? And what’s behind that wood paneling? Will we have to hang drywall?”
Hudson placed two firm hands on her shoulders, stealing the breath from under her. “We can worry about all that in the morning.”
“I only have a week—”
“And if anyone can pull this off, it’s you.” She had the silly notion he was going to lean in and kiss her. Never mind that Jed was obliviously munching on his double-decker sandwich behind them. “We’re tired, Reese. Jed and I’ll be up before dawn to do chores. Enjoy the downtime while you have it. I know it’s a foreign concept, but try.”
With those words, he disappeared from the kitchen in three quick strides. A glimpse at the clock above the stove revealed just how much time she and Hudson had spent on the earlier house tour.
“Hungry?” Jed asked, mustard container in hand. “I can fix you a sandwich before I clean up.”
“No, thank you.” Reese gathered her tablet and purse. “Good night, Jed.”
Jed nodded. “Ma’am.”
“Please, call me Reese. I’m not old enough for ma’am yet.” She made it halfway to her room before her phone buzzed loudly in her purse, reminding her she could at least text Ronnie about the carpet tonight.
The buzzing wasn’t another client email, but an incoming call from her mom. Reese sent it to voicemail.
She loved both her parents very much, but she wasn’t ready to tell them about the promotion. Or that she and Peter had broken up. As much as Reese had been indifferent to him, her parents loved him. He was everything they envisioned in a future son-in-law. They’d be ecstatic about the promotion, but disappointed about the breakup.
Reese typed out a text to Ronnie, her head dipped toward the screen. It was why she didn’t see Hudson approaching.
“Go to bed, Reese.” He pried the phone from her fingers and held it high above his head. “This will all be here in the morning, I promise.”
“If I could get a head start—”
“Tell you what,” Hudson said. “Go to bed now and you can wake up at five with me and Jed. I’ll answer all your questions while we’re knocking out the chores. You can meet Ginny and Lucy too. That a good enough head start for you?”
“You had me at horses.”
Chapter 5
Hudson
Hudson scanned the itinerary with groggy eyes the next morning from the edge of his bed. He desperately needed a cup of coffee, but he wouldn’t risk Reese discovering the plan written out on paper by dragging it to the kitchen. Someday she might find it amusing that he wooed her over a schedule and instructions Ronnie created, but that would be years away.
Besides, he intended to do things his own way.
Ronnie’s plan was only a guideline, at best. One written in short novel form. He had a ranch to run, and very little time for reading his sister’s long-winded thoughts.
He skimmed the first day’s notes.It’s Sunday. No one’s working today. Let her take down the wood paneling or she’ll go crazy.Hudson smirked because Ronnie was likely right. Reese wasn’t one to sit still. Though a ranch could keep a man busy from sunup until sundown seven days a week, he wasn’t sure Reese would find that kind of work as fulfilling as tearing down paneling.
One more quick scan, and Hudson gave up. He folded the paper and shoved it under his pillow. He needed coffee, and the horses needed fed.
“You have a Keurig!” Reese greeted him with enough peppiness to bring a smile to his tired lips. He’d slept poorly, tossing and turning all night. Worried that no matter what he did, it wouldn’t be enough to keep her in Starlight forever. But one glimpse at Reese’s bright expression, and he didn’t feel so crappy.
“Ronnie gave it to me for Christmas,” he explained, heading for his old faithful coffee pot in the opposite corner. It was stained beyond help and looked worse for wear, but it made a decent cup of strong coffee. “Jed’s the only one who uses that thing. I couldn’t even tell you how to turn it on.”
“Oh, so these cups are his.” Her guilty expression made him chuckle. He scooped dark roast grounds into the coffee filter and closed the lid. “I’m the one who keeps him supplied. You’re welcome to whatever you like.”
“Okay, good. I already polished off one cup.”
“How long have you been awake?”
