Chapter Four #2
He parked and crossed the walk in three long strides, raised his fist and knocked firmly.
Minutes passed. The door opened. Blair stood in the soft foyer light, changed into lounge pants and a T-shirt, hair gathered loosely at her nape, arms folded.
Hud removed his hat and held the brim in both hands. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
Her shoulders softened slightly. “Apology accepted.”
“I’d like to see you again. But if you don’t want that—” He broke off. “I understand.”
She leaned against the doorframe. “I’ll give it some thought.”
He exhaled. “Come on. I’m not the only man who’s ever tried to turn dinner into something more. You can’t blame a guy for trying.”
“All you men do is think with your dicks,” she said flatly.
He took that without flinching. “That’s probably true.”
“There’s no probably about it. We just met, Hud. Do I look like that kind of woman? I like to know someone before taking that step. If I take it at all.”
“Fair enough. I didn’t mean to come across that way. I just—hell, I don’t know how to explain it.”
She gave him a long look. “Some men think they can talk a woman into anything. What about what the woman wants?”
“I get that. I do. But I’m attracted to you and I—”
“And I’m attracted to you,” she said, her voice dropping. “But I’m not ready for that. I can count on one hand how many men I’ve been with and still have fingers left over. Can you say the same?”
He dipped his head. “I’ve been with a few women.”
“A few.” She shook her head. “More like many. And you know your looks get you what you want most of the time.”
“You make me sound like a man whore,” he muttered.
“How many women have you been with, Hudson?”
He flinched at the full name. “I’ve never counted. Damn it, Blair. I’m damned either way with you.” He settled his hat back on his head, voice heavy. “You decide if you want to see me again. Until then I’ll leave you alone. Goodnight.”
He turned and walked back to his truck without another word.
“Damn,” he muttered as he pulled onto the moonlit street toward home. “women are a pain in the ass.”
****
Blair slammed the door so hard the brass knocker rattled against the oak. “Men. They simply do not have enough blood in their bodies to think with both heads.”
She glared at the door, then yanked it open and slammed it again. The bang echoed through the house. That felt better. She twisted the deadbolt, stormed across the living room and sank into the sofa cushions, snatching her phone from the coffee table. Nine-thirty. Early for a Saturday night.
She called Celine.
“Don’t tell me you’re home already,” Celine said, surprise threading her voice.
“Okay. I won’t tell you I’m home already.”
“Uh oh. What did he do?”
Blair took a slow breath and launched into the whole disaster. Celine’s laughter caught her off guard.
“What’s so funny?”
“You two. It sounds like it’s going to be a very hot relationship.”
“There is no relationship. He’s way too cocky.”
“Blair, he’s a man. Of course he was going to try. It’s what they do.” A pause, then softer, clearly to Killian nearby, “Sorry, baby.”
Blair’s lips curved despite herself. “I’m sure Killian pulled the same thing with you.” She sighed, the fight going out of her. “I get it. But he seemed like he just expected it. Like it was a given. And I’m sorry, not on a first date. Not with someone I barely know.”
“He did come back and apologize though. You accepted it, and then you turned around and asked him how many women he’s slept with.
Blair.” Celine’s tone was gentle but pointed.
“Give him another chance. If he acts like this again, drop him. But you’d be crazy to walk away before you find out what this could be. ”
Blair was quiet for a moment. “I’ll think about it.” She pushed herself up from the sofa. “I’m going to take a hot bath and go to bed and forget all about Hudson Anderson.”
Celine laughed. “Sure, you will. Night. Love you.”
“Love you too.” Blair ended the call and stared at the blank TV screen. “Damn man.” She got to her feet and headed upstairs.
Monday morning, she entered the office, hung up her sweater and logged in. It had been a nice weekend weatherwise, but this morning still carried a chill.
“Good morning.” Meridith waddled in, one hand pressed to the small of her back.
“Good morning. How was your weekend?”
“Great. What about yours? You had that date.”
“Not that great.”
“Oh no. I was hoping it would be.”
“You and me both.” Blair shook her head. “It’s a long story and right now I’d rather not think about it.”
“I’m sorry. You were so excited.”
“I’ll tell you later. Right now, I need to get the charts ready.”
“I’ll get things set up out here.”
Blair nodded and got to work. She’d spent most of Sunday sitting around the house turning it over in her mind.
Hud was a good man, she knew that. A lot of men would have tried the same thing.
But she had never been the kind of woman who fell into bed with someone just because he was handsome and the evening had gone well.
She needed to feel something real first.
“Good morning, ladies.” Dr. Workman came through the door, shrugging off his coat.
“Good morning,” Blair and Meridith said together.
“Meridith, I half expected you to have that baby this weekend.”
“I wish,” she muttered, making him laugh.
“Won’t be long now. You take it easy today. Blair and I have everything covered.”
“Thank you. It’s mostly just getting up and down from this chair that’s killing me.”
“I’m sure. Blair, let me know when the first patient arrives.” He disappeared into his office.
Blair smiled to herself. She liked working for Dr. Workman. He was fair, he cared about his patients and he treated everyone well. A moment later the phone rang.
“Here we go,” Meridith said, reaching for it.
****
Deke leaned against Hud’s desk, a steaming mug of coffee in hand. “Morning, Hud.”
Hud narrowed his bloodshot eyes against the fluorescent lights, his hangover throbbing behind his temples. He reached into his desk drawer, shook two aspirin into his palm and washed them down with the last of the cold coffee sitting in his mug from Friday.
“What’s good about it?”
“Date sucked, huh?” Deke folded his arms, a knowing smirk at the corner of his mouth.
“It could have gone better.” Hud hauled his chair out and dropped into it, the springs creaking in protest.
“I’m sorry.”
Hud ran a hand through his hair. “What the hell is wrong with women?”
Deke straightened, his wedding ring catching the light. “That’s not a real question, is it? Because there’s no way I’m answering it.”
“You’re married.”
“Oh yeah, that makes it so much easier. Ava got pissed at me last night for something I still can’t identify. Spent an hour slamming every cabinet in the kitchen while I pretended to watch the game.”
Hud chuckled, the sound rough in his dry throat. “Most men know that feeling.”
“Hud!” Dave’s voice boomed from across the office.
“Better go.” He pushed up from the chair and crossed to Dave’s office, the smell of stale coffee growing stronger with each step.
Dave slid a slip of paper across the desk. “Two rooms for you and Creed in Whitefish. You’ll need to leave early tomorrow.”
Hud picked it up, the hotel logo crisp at the top. “We can head out straight from here in the morning.”
“Good. I hope she gives you something useful.”
“So do I.”
He walked back out and stopped at Creed’s desk, where his partner was hunched over a stack of manila folders.
“We head out tomorrow morning. Dave got us two rooms in Whitefish.”
“Alright.” Creed’s fingers drummed against the desktop. “I’ll let Abbie know when I get home.”
“You don’t look thrilled.” Hud grinned, leaning against the filing cabinet.
Creed shook his head, worry lines creasing his forehead. “It’s not that I mind going. It’s Abbie. She gets nervous when I travel for a case. I keep trying to tell her that staying in Clifton doesn’t make the job any safer, but it doesn’t seem to help. I just hate putting that look on her face.”
“You’ve got a good woman there, Creed.”
“I know it.” His expression softened for a moment before he turned back to his screen. “I’ll get as much background on White’s ex as I can before we sit down with her.”
“Good. I’m going to dig into the other men.
Roby said White’s brother, two cousins and Fitch the insurance adjuster were all involved but claimed he didn’t know any names.
Rawley had already connected Fitch independently.
” Hud’s jaw tightened. “I trust Roby about as far as I can throw him, but it’s a thread worth pulling. ”
“Same. I’ve been lied to by enough of them to know the tells.” Creed raked a hand through his hair.
“If you find anything, even a hint, let me know.”
“Will do.”
Creed turned back to his screen. Hud watched him for a moment. There was something heavier than the case sitting on Creed’s shoulders, but he wouldn’t push. Creed would tell him when he was ready.
Hud turned back to his own screen and let the rest of Monday grind itself out.
The following morning Hud came in to find Creed already in Dave’s office.
He settled at his desk, hung his hat and waited, drumming his fingers on the worn surface. A few minutes later Creed came out and crossed the room toward him.
“Ready when you are.”
“Let’s go. We should make it by ten, ten-thirty if the road’s clear.”
“If we don’t hit snow or traffic,” Creed said, glancing toward the window where gray clouds threatened on the horizon. “Looks like Mother Nature wants to remind us it’s still May.”
“Agreed. You have your bag?”
“In my truck. I’ll grab it on the way out.”
Hud sighed. “Let’s go before it gets worse.”
They waved at Dave, who acknowledged them with a curt nod, and walked out to the elevator.
The doors opened and they rode down in silence.
Through the lobby and out the heavy glass doors, they crossed the wind-swept parking lot to their trucks.
Creed pulled a worn canvas duffle from the back seat of his, locked up and tossed the bag into Hud’s truck.
They climbed in, leather seats creaking. Hud started the engine and pulled out of the lot, heading toward Whitefish, the mountains looming like shadows against the threatening sky.
They rode quietly for a while, the hum of tires on asphalt filling the cab. Then Creed exhaled a long, heavy sigh that seemed to deflate his whole frame.
“What’s going on?” Hud asked, noting the tight lines around Creed’s mouth.
“Abbie’s pregnant.”
“That’s great.” Hud glanced over. The muscle in Creed’s jaw was working. “Isn’t it?”
“Yes.” A pause. “But I’m terrified. After Wren...” His voice cracked on her name.
“I can imagine that’s sitting heavy on you.”
“Abbie’s so happy about it and I’m trying to be, Hud, I really am. But I’m scared to death of losing her.”
“The odds of that happening again are low, Creed.”
“But not zero.” He shook his head.
“Does she know how you feel?”
“She does. Said that’s why she was afraid to tell me in the first place. I don’t want my wife afraid to tell me anything.” He stared out at the road. “But she knows what losing Wren did to me.”
“We all do,” Hud said quietly, remembering the hollow man Creed had been in the weeks after the funeral.
“I lost them both and I barely kept it together. Then not long after, I nearly got beaten to death and ended up in a coma.” His voice was flat, like he was recounting someone else’s life.
“You had more than a tough time, Creed. I can’t imagine what you went through.”
“I pray you never have to.” He glanced at Hud, his eyes dark with memory, then back to the road stretching ahead. “I am happy about it. I just can’t shake the fear.”
“That makes sense.”
“It’s part of why I wanted in on this case. Keeps my mind from running in circles.” He exhaled. “I’ll get through it.”
“You will. And Abbie’s a nurse. She knows how to take care of herself and that baby.”
“Yeah.” The word came out soft. “She will.”
Creed turned to look out the passenger window at the rolling landscape, golden under the late morning light.
A shadow swept across his face as they passed under an overpass and they rode the rest of the way in silence, nothing between them but the steady pulse of the engine and the miles falling away beneath the wheels.