Chapter 4
Chapter Four
ELENA
T here was something about a man with a tool belt strapped to his waist, who was covered in a layer of dust. Hudson had this raw masculinity, and it made me wonder how his calloused fingers would feel on my skin. The thought sent a tingle through my body, and an ache settled in my core.
I fanned myself. "Is it hot in here?"
Hudson moved to the window, lifting it. "This might help a bit."
I wiped the sweat from my brow, wishing I'd dressed in a tank top and shorts but knowing that wasn't safe at a construction site.
Hudson handed me another water. "Drink. You'll need it working up here."
It wasn't the temperature or the room; it was Hudson. It was very clear that my childhood-sized crush had morphed into an adult-sized one, complete with the new urge to see what he looked like under those clothes.
His muscles stretched the limits of the cotton fabric, giving me an idea of how impressive his body was underneath.
He handed me a granola bar. "You eat breakfast?"
"Yogurt and granola."
"That's something, but you'll want to bring some snacks with you. Physical labor will make you hungry."
I tore off the wrapper and took a bite, grateful for the sustenance. Maybe I was just lightheaded from hunger and the heat, and it had nothing to do with the man who stood in front of me now. "I'll be ready to go in a minute."
"I don't mind taking breaks. I'll check in with my crew." Then he was gone, and I took the time to look at my phone.
Kinsley: How's it going with the hottest Kingston brother?
I fumbled with my phone, finally getting control of it before it fell to the floor.
Elena: Hudson's the hottest?
Kinsley: You think so.
Elena: I'm only talking to him for work-related reasons.
Kinsley: Keep telling yourself that. Gotta go. Mr. Kingston needs a report.
I was supposed to be thinking about how Hudson was different from his brothers. Why was Hudson more reserved? Was it the responsibility of the family business, the weight of his father's expectations, or something else?
I allowed my curiosity to bubble to the surface. There was a story here, and I was going to get to the bottom of it. I wouldn't be distracted by large muscles or his tasty snacks. And I wouldn't be swayed by the interest he showed in my life.
I wouldn't let this man hijack my attention. This was purely business. Determined to focus on my job, I finished the granola bar and threw out the wrapper. Then drank water to ease my dry throat. The dust seemed to settle in every crevice. I would love to go for a swim.
Hudson returned. "Ready to get back to it?"
I stood. "Absolutely. Sorry to slow you down."
He shrugged. "I figured this might happen, and I adjusted the schedule accordingly."
I should have been insulted by that, but it jived with what I knew about Hudson. He was a type-A personality, driven and organized. Maybe he didn't have time for women because he put work and family first, an interesting combination. Is that what all the Kingston boys did?
He paused and looked at me. "You're quiet."
I frowned, tipping my head to the side. "I thought you preferred solitude."
He cleared his throat. "I'd gotten used to your questions."
Slightly insulted, I said, "I can be quiet. I'm processing what I learned so far."
"And what's that?" His voice was low.
I moved over to where he stood, holding the slab of drywall in place. "You're quieter and more reserved than your brothers. I'm just wondering why that is."
"I think you have to be when you're the oldest."
"I wouldn't know anything about that. I'm the youngest."
He nodded. "Ah. The baby of the family."
I waited while he drove the screws through the drywall. Then I asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"
He set the screwgun down. "Did you get whatever you wanted growing up?"
I frowned. "I wouldn't say that. I spent a lot of time with my grandmother though. My parents worked off the island, so we came home to an empty house. When we went to Grams, it was better. We had the run of the beach."
"Some would call your childhood idyllic as well."
"If you love the beach and the water." I let my mind wander as Hudson grabbed another board. "We'd ride our bikes on the paths. We could do the entire island in one run."
"Yeah, the island is small. Sometimes too small."
"That's why it was nice when we moved to school off-island. There were more kids to meet and interact with."
"Why don't I remember you when I first saw you standing in my father's office? I felt like I knew most of the island kids."
I shrugged. "I guess because we never had a reason to talk."
His scrutiny was unnerving.
What was I supposed to say? I was so out of his league it wasn't even funny? It didn't feel good admitting that out loud. "You hung around with a certain crowd I wasn't part of. I had a few good friends, and we stayed out of the drama."
He frowned thoughtfully. "I didn't like drama either."
I snorted. "That's funny, because the group you sat with at lunch loved drama. They talked about everyone."
He turned his head slightly. "What did they say?"
I rolled my eyes. "As if you don't know. I suppose what every popular crowd talks about. How another person's hair isn't nice, or her clothes aren't stylish or the right brand. They don't come from the right family or have the right car."
"I never got involved in that bullshit."
"Yeah, maybe. But my point is that your crowd looked down on everyone who wasn't lucky enough to be included in yours." I shrugged like it was no big deal. "It was the typical high-school social experience."
"I didn't pay attention to that kind of stuff. If you had struck up a conversation, I would have talked to you."
I looked at him as he screwed in the next board. Standing this close to him was intoxicating. He smelled like sawdust and sweat.
He screwed the last one and then lowered his arms before meeting my gaze. "I never thought about whether I was popular or ran in a certain crowd. I kept my head down, studied, and played sports. I wanted to go to school close to home and return as soon as possible so I could help my family. My dad counted on me, especially when Marshall made other plans."
"That's a lot of pressure to put on yourself at eighteen."
"I never thought about that either. I just did what needed to be done. I promise you; I never took part in conversations putting down other kids."
That was probably true. Even in the cafeteria, he had a book open in front of him. He wasn't picked on for being a nerd because he was so good-looking, even in the awkward middle school years. But he was completely oblivious to the attention. "You're an interesting combination."
"I know you're trying to get to know me, and you think there's some mystery underneath, but there isn't. I'm a simple guy."
I snorted. "Now that's definitely not true. Every person has layers. I love peeling them all back and getting to know them."
He shook his head. "I guess that's the writer in you, looking for something that isn't there. I'm as boring as this drywall we're putting up."
I disagreed but didn't bother arguing with him.
We refocused on work and finished the room in no time. For lunch, we ate with the crew in the kitchen where there were boxes we could use for seats, and there were fans running. Then we moved onto the second bedroom in the afternoon.
The entire crew worked well together, as if they'd been doing this a long time. At the end of the workday, the crew cleaned up, said their goodbyes, and left. It was clear that they respected Hudson as the boss.
"You never get anyone complaining about you being in charge just because you're the son?" I asked him as he was doing a final walk-through of the house. It was one last safety check.
He paused and looked at me. "Never."
That was interesting. There was no jealousy, even though all the project managers had to be a Kingston.
"It's a family-run business, but we all deserve our positions. Dad wouldn't give it to us if we didn't. My youngest brothers aren't project managers yet. They work in the crew until they've earned the promotion. The twins work together. Dad doesn't trust them on their own yet."
"You never promote from the rest of the crew?"
"Dad has in the past. But now, the most experienced men are Kingstons. We've been working since we were five."
"That makes sense."
"I think that when you own the business, you have an extra sense of responsibility to ensure everything is run efficiently and smoothly. You don't cut corners."
"That's a good point." Hudson had obviously given this some thought. It made me respect him even more.
I waited for him to lock up and take the rest of his tools to his truck. "Sometimes we can have theft issues at various work sites, so we always take expensive equipment and tools with us each night. It's a pain, but it would be a huge set back to lose them. Plus, no one wants to file multiple insurance claims. It's not good business." He threw the tools into the back of the truck. "Will you come back tomorrow?"
"That's the plan," I said lightly, prepared for him to say that one day should be enough. "What are you doing tonight?"
He cocked his head. "Are you asking me out?"
I laughed and looked away from him. "I was asking because it's my job to shadow you, whether you hang out with your brothers or your parents."
"What if I had plans with a woman tonight?"
I flushed hot at that idea. I didn't want to see him with another woman, even if this was purely professional. "I don't need to be along on your date. But if you're seeing someone, it would be good to meet her."
Hudson sighed. "I'm not seeing anyone."
Relief flooded my body.
"But I'm also not going anywhere tonight. I'll shower, find something to eat, and either read or watch some TV."
"You enjoy reading?" That would be a nice tidbit for the article. A brawny man who worked with his hands by day and read books by night. I imagined he preferred paperbacks to a digital reader.
"Every night to help me go to sleep."
A smile spread over my face. "That's sweet."
He winced. "Please don't call me that."
The thought of him reading in bed was attractive though. "What do you like to read?"
"Some nonfiction, thrillers, whatever I have time to grab from the library."
"I heard the Kingston boys are regulars at the bars around here these days."
He opened the driver's side door. "Not this Kingston. Now if that's all you needed, I'll see you bright and early tomorrow."
I'd gotten a lot done today. I'd gotten to know Hudson on a deeper level, but there was still so much he was hiding. "See you tomorrow."
He waited while I got in my car and backed out. With a wave, I drove away. I was looking forward to my nightly walk with Grams.
At the cottage, I placed my things on the entry table and searched for her. She was outside on the patio.
"Grams, it's not safe out here. Remember?" My heart rate spiked whenever I saw her lounging out here.
"I used to spend all my time in this chair."
"It's on the top of my priority list to get this redone for you. But until we get it done, you can't sit out here." I didn't trust the boards not to collapse or the roof not to cave in.
"Oh, all right." She got up slowly.
"Have you eaten?" I asked her as I assisted her into the house.
"Not yet."
I waited until she was settled in her chair. "Let me get you something to eat, and then we can go on our walk."
I whipped up some pasta and sauce, knowing she wouldn't eat much. When we sat down at the small two-person table in the kitchen, Grams asked, "How was your day?"
I wrinkled my nose. "It was hot and sweaty. I need to jump in the shower again."
"What did you do?"
"I helped put up drywall." I kept my tone neutral.
"He's letting you actually work alongside of him?" Grams said excitedly.
I shrugged. "It's the best way to get to know him."
Grams leaned in close. "What did he tell you? Is he single?"
"He said he was."
"I heard those Kingston boys have quite a social life. I would think you'd be shadowing him all hours of the day and night."
"He said he doesn't enjoy going out much. He either spends time at home or with his family."
"Hmm."
"You think he's lying?" I asked her, twirling the pasta on my fork.
"I think I remember something about him being different. More settled than the others. He would be a good catch for you."
I rolled my eyes. "You know I'm not looking for love."
"But you had a crush on him when you were kids."
I pointed my fork at her. "You know that doesn't mean anything. No one gets the guy they crushed on in high school."
"It's a good indication of where your heart was and might still be."
I wouldn't admit that I was still attracted to Hudson. I didn't need her thinking something would happen that wouldn't.
"Now, tell me; did he work without a shirt? If so, I'd like to come along one of these days." Grams cackled. "Wait till my friends here about this."
"That's not happening. It's not safe for you." There were so many things for her to trip on, and it was too hot.
Grams sobered. "Then we'll have to invite him here. He can do my porch."
My eyes widened. "What? No. He's busy with other projects."
"I want him to work on my porch."
"Grams, you can't just order him to do your porch."
Grams face was pinched. "I bet if I talked to him, he'd want to."
"I'll ask him for you, okay?" I didn't want her talking to him. God knows what would come out of her mouth. She'd probably tell him I had some school-girl crush on him, and I'd never be able to face him again.
"You see that you do. I want to sit on my porch again before I die."
"Grams, don't talk about dying. That's not happening anytime soon." Not on my watch. I didn't come home only to lose her.
"If you don't get this porch done?—"
"Okay. Okay. I'll ask him tomorrow."
"See that you do, and, Elena, give him a chance. I bet he's a nice boy."
"Is that the criteria these days? I just need a nice boy?" I asked, amusement tingeing my voice.
"That's always been the criteria. You young people muddle everything up with your questions and doubts. Some things you just know. You can feel it."
Grams was a wealth of information at times. I wanted to believe that life could be as simple as following a feeling, but in this case, I was sure my body was wrong. There was no way I could pursue anything with Hudson.
I was clearly not memorable enough for him. And nothing had changed. I was just an island girl taking care of her grandmother. Nothing to see here.
My job wasn't fancy. I didn't have any admirable purpose, like saving the family business. Hudson was destined for bigger and better things than me. If he noticed me at all.