Almost immediately, another text popped up.I said RUMOR, didn’t I?
Narrowing her eyes, she dropped her phone back into her bag and slid the rest of the way out of her car. That was something she’d unpack later when she wasn’t walking toward Hudson and Caleb, trying to come up with something quippy to say.
All that came out was, “I didn’t ask you to do that.”
Hud laughed and tossed down another handful of leaves. The last of it, she assumed, since he climbed down the ladder and joined her on solid ground. “Hello to you, too.”
Without hesitation, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Soft and sweet, but not casual. Not friendly. Heated and intense and…loving.
She didn’t even close her eyes, darting them to Caleb, who wasn’t paying them an ounce of mind. Why she worried about that, she had no idea. It wasn’t like half the town wasn’t already talking about her and Hudson beingback together. And wasn’t that just going to be a punch in the boob when he left?
“Hey,” she said on a sigh when he pulled away.
Without a word, he lifted her bag from her shoulder, just as an exuberant CB barreled toward her. The tiny dog jumped up when she got to Mac, bouncing on her hind legs until Mac squatted to be closer. CB took that as an invitation and leaped right into her lap, not stopping until her front paws were on Mac’s chest and the dog was doling out puppy kisses like candy at a parade.
“Oh my goodness, look at you!” Mac cooed, running her hands down the dog’s silky fur. “You smell so much better. Yes, you do.” She glanced up at Hudson, a smile still on her face. “You got her groomed?”
“Lilah and Caleb did. Much as he loved how she smelled, it was time.”
Caleb simply lifted his eyes to Hudson as he stuffed the last bit of leaves into a yard bag. Something must’ve passed in the silence between them because suddenly Hudson laughed as Caleb’s lips quirked up on the side.
“Well, whoever did it, thank you. My clothes even started to smell like her nastiness.” Mac stood, cradling the dog to her chest. “Did you make it out to the vet today?”
That’d been one of the texts he’d sent—that he’d intended to see if she was microchipped so they could find her owners.
“Yeah.” He propped his hands on his hips and sighed. “Nothing.”
She frowned down at CB, her stomach knotting at the thought of Hudson dropping her off at the shelter. She nuzzled the dog and asked into her fur, “What’re you gonna do?”
He was quiet for so long, she lifted her eyes from CB and met his gaze. Staring at her, he shook his head. “That’s the million-dollar question.”
“You need anything else before I head out, sir?” Caleb asked, brushing his hands together.
Hudson expelled a deep, exasperated breath and shot Caleb a look out of the corner of his eye. “What’d I tell you about that?”
Caleb shrugged. “That a no?”
“That’s a no.” Hudson clapped him on the back. “Thanks for your help today. And don’t worry about anything at the cabin. You’ve done enough work out there without me. Just relax tonight.”
An emotion passed over Caleb’s face that was there and gone before Mac could decipher it. “It’s not a problem. See you later, boss.”
“That’s not any better,” Hudson called after him.
With a barely there smile, Caleb said, “Bye, Mackenna.”
Mac jolted over the use of her full name, not used to hearing it when she wasn’t in trouble with her momma. But then it suddenly clicked. The poor guy probably had no idea what to call her since Hudson called her Kenna but everyone else called her Mac.
“Bye.” She waved to him as he got into Lilah’s car and drove off, before turning her attention to Hudson. “You could tell the poor guy to call me Mac.”
“Why would I do that when it’s so fun to watch him fumble?”
She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “What’s all this?”
“All what?” he asked as he held her side door open for her.
“All—” She cut herself off, her eyes narrowing as she stepped into her kitchen.
It smelled like peaches and fresh-baked deliciousness, and her mouth watered. On her counter sat nine pies. She spun around to face Hudson, cocking an eyebrow.
