Eloise #3
I sighed, just so he knew how annoyed I was, as I picked up what looked like a raisin roll. I took a bite, and my anger instantly wavered. The taste of cinnamon mixed with the sweet flavor of the dough hit my tongue, and the stress in my shoulders lessened.
I didn’t make any effort to eat gracefully. The roll was consumed in five bites. The cinnamon roll was next. And I finished with the lemon bar with a shortbread crust that had haunted me since the moment I got to Harmony. I took in a deep breath and arched my back, stretching out my full stomach.
Hudson was resting his elbow on the counter, his body turned so he could watch me. I’d been so engrossed in eating that I’d completely forgotten I had a spectator.
“Feel better?” he asked.
My strength was back, and I could finally focus again.
His eyebrows were raised as he studied me, waiting for me to answer his question. I fought the snarky comments that came so naturally during our conversations.
He’d made a mistake, feeding me. I was rejuvenated. I had energy. Before, I was dragging, my ability to think on my feet had been weakened. Now, I was back to peak performance. If he thought I was going to lay down my weapons of war because he’d been a good Samaritan, he had another thing coming.
“Mildly,” I replied. The last thing I wanted was to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d actually helped me. I still had my pride and dignity to contend with.
He snorted. “Mildly,” he repeated. His gaze was trained on the counter in front of him.
After a few seconds, he reached out and began pushing some crumbs from my feast around with his fingertips.
“Why can’t you just admit that I know you?
” he finally asked, his gaze forward before he slowly brought it over to study me.
I frowned. “Because you don’t.” That wasn’t true, but I couldn’t just agree with him.
He quirked an eyebrow. “I don’t?”
I nodded. “You know nothing about me.”
He snorted again. “Lou—”
“Don’t call me that.” Lou was a term of endearment that very few people had the right to use.
Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, and Gaines. Those were the only people allowed to call me by that nickname.
Hudson lost that privilege a long time ago.
And Dad? Well, he needed to actually be around enough to know I had a nickname.
He studied me. “Sorry,” he murmured as he turned his attention back to the counter.
“Eloise”—he made a point to enunciate my name— “I know you a whole hell of a lot more than you’re willing to admit.
I know that your favorite breakfast food is Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
I know that you have to wear the logo of your socks on the outside and you can’t stand it if one points inward.
I know that your favorite movie to cry at is A Walk to Remember—which is a tragedy, I don’t care what you say.
And I’d wager that you still keep Snoodles in your nightstand.
” He folded his arms across his chest as he leaned back like he’d just dropped the mic.
I stared at him, unable to process everything he’d just rattled off. I wasn’t sure if I was shocked that he remembered all of those things, or that he’d recited them at me with such precision. He hadn’t missed a beat as he spoke.
“So…?” was my only retort. How was I going to argue with what he said? Tell him none of it was true? That would be a lie. But I wasn’t going to admit that he was right—he did know past me. But there was so much in my present that he had no clue about.
“So…” he repeated. He studied me before he sighed. “We were friends once, Eloise.”
Again, I couldn’t deny that statement. We had been friends. But things change. People change. Hudson had changed.
He gave me a weak smile. “I think if you give me a second chance, I could convince you to like me again.” He must have read my expression because he hurried to add, “As a friend.”
I studied him. My mind was going a mile a minute. I had so many things I wanted to say. So many different ways of telling him to jump in a lake. But, annoyingly, Gaines kept entering my mind. And Hannah. And Benjamin.
Telling Hudson off did nothing to change their situations. Gaines was still getting married at the end of the week, and it was up to me and Hudson to make sure it went off without a hitch.
And Hannah and Benjamin? Hudson was never going to change on his own. He seemed content to live his own life while his baby momma and son struggled. If I was going to help her at all, I needed to go undercover. I needed to earn Hudson’s trust so I could persuade him to do better.
Grandma always said you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Even though my default mode was vinegar, I could put that aside for the greater good. I could be honey if it meant a better life for Hannah and Benjamin.
So despite my mind yelling at me to reject his offer, I pushed those feelings aside and took in a deep breath. “What did you have in mind?”
He looked genuinely startled. Then, slowly, his lips tipped up into a smile as he said, “Come over tomorrow morning, and I’ll show you.”