Chapter 15
“Layla’s friends want to have her bridal shower at my house,” Aunt Trudy said. “They’re going to decorate and make all of
the food. I tried to convince them to have it catered, but they insist it will be fun to get together and cook.”
Hudson was driving her home from the grocery store the following Tuesday evening, and he nodded as he drove down Glenn Avenue.
“The shower is going to be so much fun,” his aunt continued. “You’ll have to stop by.”
Hudson gave her a side glance. “Aren’t bridal showers for the women?”
“No one said men can’t participate.”
He’d be sure to miss that.
“I’ve never seen Layla this happy. I think this marriage is going to be great for her. She’ll finally be out on her own, living
her life.”
He shook his head. “After all the trouble she gave us when she was younger, you’re convinced she can handle this?”
“We won’t know until we let her try.”
Hudson parked his SUV in the driveway behind Shane’s old pickup. He hadn’t spoken to Shane since their conversation at his
worksite, but Hudson wasn’t concerned. He’d shared his thoughts, and that was that.
“You go on inside, and I’ll carry the groceries,” Hudson told his aunt as he opened the liftgate.
She smiled. “Thank you. I’ll take one of the light ones.”
“Hud!” Layla raced down the front steps dressed in light-blue scrubs decorated with Disney characters. “I was hoping to see
you.”
Shane sauntered down the steps behind her with a sour expression—one his aunt would’ve described as “looking like he’d been
sucking on lemons.”
Aunt Trudy picked up a grocery bag and started toward the house.
Shane intercepted her and reached for the bag. “Let me carry that for you.”
“You’re such a sweet young man.” She handed off the sack and continued toward the house.
Shane shot Hudson a sneer before following Aunt Trudy inside the house. “Let me get the door for you too.”
Hudson shook his head. If Shane wanted to hold a grudge against him, that was his choice.
Layla chose a few bags from the truck. “Thank you again for bringing those cufflinks to me. I’m going to surprise Shane with
them at the rehearsal dinner.”
“No problem.”
Layla grinned and then scooted toward the house with an armload of grocery bags.
Hudson sighed as he stared after her. She seemed to live in an alternate universe—one incompatible with reality. According to her, everything was going to be easy, including her marriage to Shane. With such a rosy, unrealistic outlook on the future, how would Layla ever figure out she was about to make a huge mistake?
***
Skye stood in the doorway to the workroom at the back of the store Friday night. “Auntie, it’s time to close up.”
Dakota looked up from the table where she sat trying to fix the beading on Layla’s gown. She’d been working on it every night
this week, and it still didn’t look right to her. Something was off.
“Would you please lock up for me?” she asked her niece, then turned her attention back to the gown.
When she didn’t hear the sound of Skye leaving, she looked back over her shoulder and found her niece watching her. “What’s
up?”
“You’ve worked late every night this week.”
“I know, I know.”
Skye sat down beside her at the sewing table. “And you’re staying late tonight too?”
“Probably.” Dakota sighed.
“Don’t you have to teach at the rink?”
“I need to get this gown done before Layla’s next fitting, and I’m running out of time. I texted Kayleigh earlier, and Brice
is going to handle my class.” But the gown wasn’t her only problem. She’d been turned down for the refinancing of her mortgage,
and she needed to figure out another way to save her house and her store. After she worked on the gown for a while, she was
going to hit her books.
“Auntie, I’m worried about you.”
The waver in Skye’s voice took Dakota by surprise and tugged at her heartstrings. She touched her niece’s arm. “Sweetie, I’m
fine. I’m just having a fit with this gown, and I don’t normally struggle this much.”
“Mr. Bryant said he hasn’t seen you in two weeks, and he’s worried about you too.”
Guilt pricked her. She’d been blowing off Parker’s messages about setting up another date, using every excuse she could think
of. She’d been leading him on, which wasn’t fair. It was beyond time to have an honest conversation with him.
But she didn’t have the bandwidth for that right now. She hadn’t seen her family in weeks either.
“He really likes you,” Skye added.
Dakota gave her a solemn nod. “I know. He’s a nice man.”
“Then—”
She held her hand up. “And that is a conversation I need to have with him. You don’t need to share that with him or get involved,
okay?” When her niece agreed, Dakota narrowed her eyes. “Promise me, my little cupid.”
“I promise.” Skye crossed her heart and then stood. “Anyway, I need to go. Gunner is taking me to the rink tonight. I was
looking forward to introducing him to you since you haven’t come to Nana’s in a while.”
“I’m sorry, honey. I promise I’ll meet him soon.”
Her niece crossed to the doorway. “Promise me you won’t work too late.”
“Okay. Thanks for locking up.”
Skye tapped the doorframe. “Good night, Auntie.”
Her niece left, and Dakota turned her focus back to the dress. As she fiddled with the pesky beading, she racked her brain
for any solution that would save her house and her store.
***
Hudson nosed his SUV into the driveway of the colonial later that evening and peered over at Dakota’s house. Lights glowed from the inside, and Trouble, the precocious cat, lounged in the front window as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
He killed the engine but remained in the vehicle. Hudson had enjoyed his Friday night at the rink. He skated with Anissa until
his legs were sore, and he spent time talking with Gavin and Brice. He even ran into some old friends from school and had
a blast reconnecting with them.
Yet as much as he enjoyed the evening, he’d noticed as soon as he arrived at the rink that Dakota was missing. He had expected
to see her skating with friends, but she was nowhere in sight. He considered asking Brice where she was, but he didn’t want
to give the impression that he was interested in knowing. Instead he managed to eavesdrop on Kayleigh telling someone that
Dakota was working late, trying to finish a gown she was altering.
Hudson climbed from his car and started toward the front door, jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans. For some reason,
he couldn’t get Dakota out of his head. He’d mulled over their conversation since last Thursday when he’d offered her a personal
loan, and he wondered if she still needed assistance with her finances.
But her money problems weren’t his concern. She’d made it clear she didn’t want him in her business or her life.
Yet if that were true, why had she wrapped her arms around him and allowed him to hold her close the night she’d thought she’d
lost her cat?
He yearned to knock on her front door and ask her if she still needed help.
Hudson growled out a frustrated noise and stalked toward his front door. He had to stop thinking about Dakota and her life.
It was best for him not to be tied to her in any way. They weren’t meant to be together, and they never would be.