Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SADIE
“Is this what you do every day?” I ask as we sit in Hudson’s living room.
He’s reading more of his thriller book, and I’m bored out of my mind. Now, I know I said I wanted him to help me remember, but I’m pretty sure staying inside won’t help. It’s a beautiful day outside. We should be doing something.
“Let’s go,” I say and stand, rounding the back of the couch to put on some shorts. “Give me five minutes.”
“Where are we going?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“Sounds fun.”
“Gosh,” I say, leaving his bedroom door cracked so he can hear me. “You really are a grump.”
“I’m not a grump,” he defends himself. “I just like what I like. There’s a difference.”
I slip my shorts on. They are spandex underneath but loose and flowy on the outside. I change into a crop top and grab a jacket.
“Okay, I’m ready. ”
Hudson stands, his lips parting as if he’s going to say something, but he stops. His hands rest on his hips, and he scowls at me.
“What kind of outfit is that?”
“This?” I look down. “A comfy one?”
He looks down at his jeans and shirt. As far as I can remember, I’ve never seen him wear anything else.
“Should I change?”
“No. Let’s just stroll through town. You can tell me what I missed.”
He studies me for a moment and then nods.
We lock up, cross through the bar, and step out onto Main Street.
“Which way should we go?” I ask.
“Left,” he says and starts walking.
The door to the space between his bar and my bakery opens, and Mrs. Whittaker steps out.
“Oh, damn. I don’t have time for you two right now.”
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Whittaker. How are you?” I ask, and she freezes.
Her gaze snaps to Hudson.
He shrugs.
Her focus returns to me with a sigh. “I heard about what happened. How are you?”
“I’m fine. Thank you. It’s been a crazy few days, but Hudson is helping me, so all is well.”
“Hudson is what?” she asks. She even takes a step forward and turns her head to the side as if she needs to hear me better.
“He’s helping me.”
Her bottom lip drops as she looks at us as if she just saw a ghost.
“Well, we are on a stroll, so we can chat later,” Hudson chimes in. He leads me around her .
I peek over my shoulder; she hasn’t moved.
“Do you think she’s okay?”
“She’s fine, but I have a feeling we’re going to see a lot of that while we’re out and about.”
And he’s not wrong.
We pause in front of a dance studio, which, last I remember, was a pottery store. Hudson tells me about the woman who opened it and how it’s been a hit with the guests of Lovers Lodge. Then we stop in front of Mrs. Simmer’s coffee hut. It turns out that, last year, Mr. Simmer gave coffee away free for a whole day, and she locked him out of their house for two nights.
We stop in front of a few more places, but nothing else changed overall. That’s what I love about small towns. The only difference today is the look of shock as people spot us.
We reach the mechanic shop, and Miles steps out, wiping his hands on a rag.
“Hey,” he says. “Fancy seeing you two just taking a walk together.”
“We’re trying to see if I remember anything by walking around town and looking at familiar things.”
“Is it helping?”
I shake my head. “The only thing I wish I could remember right now was that Paige King stayed at the lodge and ran out on her own wedding. Oh, I bet the town loved that. The gossip must have been unhinged.”
Miles chuckles, and so does Hudson.
I glance over at my new roommate.
I like it when he laughs.
I like how deep it is and how, when I hear it, it creates a flutter in my stomach. I want to make him laugh more.
Which is absolutely insane.
How hard did I hit my head ?
“Well, did Huddy tell you that her new fiancé’s best friend is Mrs. Bank's grandson?”
“Seriously?”
Miles nods.
“They did a signing here last summer at the lodge, and she came with him.”
“And I missed it. Dang it!”
The brothers share a look, and then Hudson clears his throat.
“If I remember right, Linc took your picture with her. She came to the bakery every morning they were here.”
“Oh.”
“Well, we better get going,” Hudson says quickly. His hand bumps my lower back as he nudges me along. We make it about ten steps when I notice he’s limping.
“Are you okay? Did you step off the sidewalk weird or something?” I ask, pointing to his leg.
“No, I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“I’m fine.”
“Hudson, don’t do that with me.”
“Do what, Sadie? Argue? That’s what we do.”
I take a deep breath, turn to face him, and stop him in his tracks.
“No. I refuse to let you start a fight. I know it’s weird that we suddenly get along, but that’s who we are now. Now, you either tell me why you’re limping, or I can look it up online. Your choice.”
He sighs.
“It’s just a flare-up. It happens when I’m more active than normal.”
“Oh, well, let's go sit down then. That wasn't that hard.”
“Right, because every woman wants to hear that the man she’s with needs to sit down because his leg hurts when they're in their thirties.”
I laugh lightly, taking a seat on the bench right across the street from his bar.
He sits, too, and I can hear his breath letting go the moment the pressure is off his leg.
“Good for you that I’m only— noooooo .”
I suck in a breath and cover my mouth with my hands.
Without moving them, I say, “I turn thirty in a few weeks.”
Hudson starts to chuckle and then cuts himself off with a closed fist to his lips.
“Yes, you do.”
“Oh my god. Oh. My. God.”
Tears start to sting my eyes.
When they fall, there is no controlling them. I expect Hudson to comment that crying still bothers him, but instead, he wraps a hand around my shoulders and pulls me close. This time, he doesn’t tell me to stop.
“I was beginning to think you were too calm over all this,” he says softly.
“Denial is real.” I inhale. “Everything seems the same, but it’s not. It all looks the same, but on the inside, it’s not. How am I supposed to deal with this?”
“One day at a time,” he answers quickly. “Just one day at a time.”
I’m unsure how long we sit together, but we stay here until my stomach growls. Then we go back to his apartment to make grilled chicken and sweet potatoes. After, we watch a movie and fall asleep on the couch.
I might not have remembered anything new today, but I will remember today.
And I owe it all to Hudson.