“It sounds like you are,” Hudson chuckled.
“It’s more about the fact mom and dad’s food palette isn’t Archie’s and your usual choices.”
“Whatever we can’t make, we’ll order out. We just want to make sure to take some of the burden off you and your mom.”
Tears pricked my eyes. “You’re a keeper, Huddy.”
“I know.”
With a laugh, I swiped my eyes. “You’re also incredibly humble,” I teased.
“Don’t I know it?” he chuckled.
“As Archie would say, you’re being insufferable.”
He snorted. “Archie, she’s using Britishisms again.”
I didn’t quite make out Archie’s response. “Listen, we’re on our way home from the hunt, so for tonight, we’ll pick up pizza from that place your dad used to take us to. You guys got wine, or should I bring some?”
Fuck. me. Hudson and Archie were planning on arriving at my parents' and finding me playing at being Florence Nightingale. Instead, I was holed up in a mansion where I’d just eaten dinner off fine china. How was I possibly going to explain this without saying too much?
“Um, well, I’m actually not at Mom and Dad’s right now.”
“Okay, that’s fine. I’ll just call you when I head over, and you can meet us.”
“Actually, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Um, well…”
While Maksim had allowed me to have my phone, he hadn’t exactly set any parameters about what I could say. Surely he knew I’d have to tell some people I was doing a work project out of town.
At my hesitation, Hudson blared, “Sarah Grace Whitfield, what are you hiding?”
A laugh burst from my lips at the absurdity of the moment. “Oh no, you’re using my full name. I guess I’ll have to do the same, Hudson Elliot Billings.”
“Quit stalling and start talking.”
“I’m not hiding anything. In fact, I’d planned on telling you guys about it on the way home today.”
“Mm, hmm.”
“I promise, I was. I mean, it’s not that exciting.”
“So what is it?”
Pinching my eyes shut, I searched for the right way to spin this. “You know my dad’s care is going to continue to be expensive, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, a really wealthy man reached out to me to treat him. Even though I said no because I treat children, he offered me too much money to say no.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“No. I’m not.”
“While that’s amazing, what does it have to do with you not being at your parents’ house?”
