Eloise #2
I could feel my resolve to keep him at a distance start to fade with each second I spent with him. Why did he have to be so charming? Why did his presence affect me in this way? Why couldn’t I hate him when we were in close proximity like I could when I was far away from him?
I was already failing at so many other things in my life, I wanted hating him to continue to be something I was good at.
I took a step away from him, putting distance between us. I walked over to the other side of the island so that it didn’t look like I just couldn’t stand being next to him.
“Cool, what do you need from me?”
Hudson had me gather all the ingredients for the cake we were making. Flour, butter, sugar, salt. Soon, everything was laid out in front of us. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and went off to wash my hands. When I returned to the island, he held out an apron for me to take.
With the apron tied around my waist, I clapped my hands before rubbing them together. “Where do I start?”
I whisked the butter and sugar together while he started measuring out the dry ingredients. Once the sugar mixture looked incorporated and fluffy, I shut off the mixer and turned to face him.
“Done,” I said just as he finished leveling off another scoop of flour.
His eyes narrowed as he ran a thin metal spatula over the top of the measuring cup.
I took a moment to study him. He definitely looked out of place with his blonde curly hair, tanned skin, and tattoos up his arms. He looked like he belonged on the ocean, riding the waves, not in a kitchen whipping up delicate morsels.
I’d always thought he was going to go pro with lacrosse or land a job as a high-profile lawyer after he got his undergraduate degree in political science.
But none of that happened after he returned to Harmony to run the bakery that his grandfather had started. Now, he looked stuck in a life that he didn’t fit into.
He must have sensed me watching him because his gaze suddenly locked with mine.
He held it and, for some asinine reason, I didn’t break the connection between us.
I wanted to ask him what had happened over the last few years for him to end up running a bakery while ignoring his child, but I couldn’t seem to form the words.
Maybe I didn’t want to hear the answer. Maybe I was scared that he had never been as good as I’d made him up to be in my mind.
I’d already lost so much, I didn’t want to lose my positive memories of Hudson as well.
It was one thing to think that he’d changed in college to the kind of man who ran away from his responsibilities.
It was a whole other thing to realize he’d been that type of man from the get-go.
That my entire relationship with him had been a lie.
Before I could think, a dusting of flour came flying my way.
Out of instinct, I closed my eyes and ducked.
But I wasn’t fast enough to get out of the way, and the flour landed squarely on my nose.
When my brain finally processed what had just happened, my mouth dropped into an “o” as I opened my eyes and stared at Hudson.
“You didn’t…” I narrowed my eyes before I started looking around for my own ammunition.
But I was too late. Hudson threw another pinch of flour in my direction.
This time, it hit directly above my left eyebrow.
I blinked in an effort to keep it from falling into my eye.
Desperate for something to throw back, I reached up and grabbed the little bit of flour that was still stuck to my skin and threw it in his direction, the small dusting dissipating in the air before it even made it halfway across the island.
He smirked. “That’s all you got?”
I frowned. “You have the flour. All I have…” I glanced to my side to see the bag of sugar next to me. All rational thought left my mind as I reached into the bag and pulled out a handful. Grains of sugar slid from the cracks between my fingers as I lifted my fist up.
Before Hudson could react, I chucked it in his direction. I had worse aim than he did, but with the sheer amount I threw, the sugar still landed in his hair as it dispersed everywhere.
Hudson lifted his hands in a pitiful attempt to save himself. His jaw dropped open as if he just realized what I had done. He glanced over at me, and I watched as if in slow motion as his surprised expression faded and he set his jaw.
“Oh, it’s on.”
His hand was in the bag of flour and a fistful was sent my way before I could react. I squealed and tried to run, but he was faster. A flour puff exploded around me as it hit my left shoulder. I reloaded with sugar and, instead of running away, I started to move toward him.
He grabbed an egg and retreated, his hand raised as he stared at me. “Do it and you’re getting an egg.”
My fisted hand was raised, and I was ready to fire. “You won’t dare.” I narrowed my eyes.
“Try me.”
I was internally weighing my confidence that if I threw the sugar, he wouldn’t throw the egg. Though, if he did throw the egg, I could easily dodge it. So I got ready to dodge as I pulled back my fist.
Hudson must have anticipated that I would use all the weapons at my disposal, and the egg was released before the sugar hit him. I felt the impact and heard the crack before I realized what was happening. Suddenly, a slimy, gooey mess was sliding from my hair and down my face.
My eyes widened as I stared at him. His expression had turned sheepish, and I could see his apology forming in his gaze.
“I can’t believe…” I didn’t finish my sentence as I lunged for the carton of eggs that sat on the counter. As soon as I could grab one in each hand, they were sailing through the air in his direction.
I wasn’t sure if he felt bad for actually hitting me with the egg, or if my aim had suddenly improved, but more eggs hit him than not.
I managed to land one on his chest, one on his head, and the third he managed to dodge, letting it splatter against the wall behind him.
He watched the last egg sail past him before he turned to face me with his hands raised.
“Truce?” he asked.
I had grabbed another egg and tossed it into the air a few times. “Because you’re losing?”
He pursed his lips as a fire ignited in his gaze. He didn’t like my question, and I could tell he was debating whether or not he was going to let it stand.
“Not that at all, I just have a cake to make, and cleaning up the whole kitchen seems counterproductive.”
I rolled the egg around in my hand as reality came crashing down on me. I’d been goofing off with Hudson like we were teenagers without a care in the world.
I wasn’t here to be his friend. I wasn’t here to play around and—dare I think—flirt. I had a job to do, and I was allowing Hudson to throw me off my game plan. Gaines and Josalyn’s wedding and helping Hannah find some stability were the only things that mattered.
I set the egg back in the carton. “Yeah,” I said as I flipped the lid closed. “You’re right.” I reached up and wiped away some of the egg goop that was currently dripping down my temple. With it scooped into my hand, I glanced around.
“Sink’s over there.” Hudson was waving toward a stainless-steel sink to his left. He started walking in its direction, and I did the same. He’d turned on the faucet and had his fingers dangling in the stream of water like he was waiting for it to warm up when I stepped up to join him.
“It’s ready,” he said as he stepped to the side.
My first instinct was to fight him. I could go second—there was no need for any chivalry here, and I didn’t want to owe him anything.
I’d already let my guard down once today, and I was determined not to let that happen again.
But the egg goop was threatening to slip from my fingers so I stifled my initial reaction and gave him a grateful smile.
“Thanks,” I said as I turned to face the faucet and began rinsing off my hands.
Without a mirror, I did what I could to remove the flour and egg from my face.
I’d done my makeup this morning, and I was certain it was basically gone by now.
The egg in my hairline was a little more tricky, but I hadn’t bothered to straighten my hair, so getting it wet to rinse the goop out would be fine. My curls would bounce back.
Once I was as clean as I could be, I stepped to the right and grabbed some paper towels from the dispenser. I patted my skin dry while Hudson cleaned up. I tossed my used towels into the garbage just as Hudson turned off the faucet and proceeded to dry himself.
I wasn’t sure where I was supposed to stand, or what I was supposed to do, so I just stayed awkwardly by the garbage can, hoping that Hudson would give me direction. Should we talk? If so, what were we supposed to talk about? Should I say something? Was he going to start the conversation?
My mind swirled with questions, and I seemed incapable of answering any of them. They were all dependent on Hudson, and he was impossible to read. Everything I thought I knew about him had been proven wrong by his actions toward Hannah.
It was like this man was two different people, and it was frustrating me that I felt so confused.
“You okay?” Hudson tossed his paper towels into the garbage. His eyebrows were knit together as he studied me.
There was no way I was going to tell him what was on my mind.
There was no way I was going to be that vulnerable with the man, so I just nodded.
“Yep, great,” I said as I clapped my hands together before I looked around.
“Should we finish?” The cake still needed to be made even though the kitchen looked like a flour-and-egg bomb had gone off inside of it.
Hudson looked around as well before we glanced at each other. He nodded. “Yeah, we should probably do that.”
I forced a smile to put the kibosh on anymore “Are you okay?” questions so we could focus on the task at hand. “Great. Let’s get going.”