“I hope so.”I shrugged.“She and my cousin have been more of a family to me than my own parents.I want to help.”
“You already are,” he assured me.“Now, what do you think we do with this thing?”Amused, he held up a cracked mirror that looked like it belonged in a Sleeping Beauty horror remake.
“Dump, definitely.”I made a face.
By the time Goodie returned, carrying a platter of sandwiches and two beers, we had three large piles ready for her to look through.She waved us off, stating she needed to think in peace.
I shot Hudson a knowing look, betting a good number of items would disappear from the junk pile by the time we returned.He merely shrugged with a smile and took the platter, gesturing for me to lead the way.
I’d always loved my aunt and uncle’s large property.With the open pasture and apple orchards, there’d been so much space to explore as a kid.But the creek had always been my favorite, which was where I led us now.
We found a grassy patch of ground beside the water and sat side by side.I immediately dug into my sandwich, starving from my early morning run followed by the morning’s manual labor.
Hudson shot me an amused glance, and I immediately put my sandwich down, blushing.Josh had regularly criticized my appetite.Despite always being fit, he’d claimed I needed to lose weight and carry myself more like a lady—whatever the hell that meant.
“What’s wrong?”he asked immediately.“Darlin’, I was admiring your appetite.You do everything so honestly.It’s just refreshing is all,” he explained, flooring me with how attuned he seemed to be to me.
He watched me wordlessly as I picked up my sandwich and continued eating.
Appeased, he nodded and turned his attention to the creek.“This’ll be roaring in the spring,” he commented.“You can tell fall is in the air.The air’s got that slight bite to it.”
I handed him the beer I’d opened.“I’m excited to be here for all of it.I only ever visited in the summer.But fall has always been my favorite season.”I sighed, looking up into the aspen trees above.
“I love it too.Thanksgiving’s always been my favorite holiday.My mom’s always treated it like the most important day of the year.I guess it rubbed off on me.”
“She hosts then?”I asked.
He chuckled.“Are you kidding?I can’t imagine if she wasn’t able to.The fit she’d throw would go down in the history books.But honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.It’s total chaos with all of us under one roof.Something almost always gets spilled or dropped.Someone drinks too much.Ialwayseat too much.It’s a good time.”He grinned over at me.
“That sounds awesome,” I murmured sincerely, thinking what a far cry his holidays had been from mine.
As though sensing the direction of my thoughts, he changed the subject.“How much you wanna bet there’s barely a pile left for a dump run by the time we get back?”He quirked a brow.
“My left arm,” I deadpanned.
He chuckled.“At least we tried.”
“We did,” I agreed.“Thank you for your help.”
“Anytime.”He looked at me with an expression I could only classify as a longing that mirrored my own.
He settled something in me even as he riled everything up.
One thing was for sure—I wanted the man more than I’d ever wanted anyone before.
If only my past couldn’t taint the future—one I was finally free to define and eager to embrace with both arms.
My mother’s ringtone woke me out of a dead sleep the next morning.After Hudson and I had finished lunch, he’d loaded up his truck with the items Goodie had managed to part with.He’d left with a promise to be in touch, as though instinctively knowing he’d pushed me enough for one day.
How the man clearly had my number so readily was beyond me.
Groaning, I reached for the phone and, before I could think better of it, answered her call.
“Lucy?I’ve been calling you for days!Why haven’t you answered?”she demanded by way of greeting.
I blamed being half asleep for my stupidity, though I knew I couldn’t keep putting off what was bound to be a difficult conversation.I sat up and rubbed a hand over my bed head as I locked eyes with the mallard painting on the far wall, hoping somehow he’d give me a bit of fortitude.
I may have truly lost my mind.
