by Melody Anne
Hudson laughed hard as he rubbed his belly, pushing it out a little. “I might feel slightly pregnant at the moment,” he admitted. “I couldn’t let you eat more than me, and yeah, the food is great. It’s why I’m careful about how often I come here.”
Without thinking twice, she reached over and slapped his stomach, which was so muscled and flat it hurt her fingers. He groaned before grabbing her hand and lifting it, kissing her palm, sending tingles all the way down her spine.
“Woman, don’t make me retaliate,” he said as they continued moving down the path, both of them going very, very slow. It didn’t take long to get back to the community area. It was close to noon and more people were out. They passed through the more populated area and into the park.
Daisy spotted an older woman with worn clothes sitting on a bench with a small dog, feeding him little bits of ham. The woman looked up and gave a sweet smile to Daisy.
Her heart full at the sight, Daisy walked toward the woman. “How old is your dog?”
“Sugar’s eight years old,” the woman replied. “She’s been my best friend for a very long time.”
“She’s beautiful,” Daisy said as she reached out a hand and let the little terrier sniff her. After a second the dog seemed to approve and licked Daisy’s fingers before rushing back to her mom’s lap and snuggling in, keeping her eye on the stranger. “Do you two come here often?”
“Yes, every day it doesn’t rain me out,” the woman said. She seemed to have a story in her eyes that Daisy wanted to hear about. Daisy knew she’d definitely have to come back to this park again. She loved to hear people’s stories.
“It’s my first time, but I think I’ll come back again. I love it here already,” Daisy told her.
“Yes, and the people are great,” the woman said. “They’ve never made me feel unwelcome like some of the nicer areas I’ve been to before. I like to be outside as my place isn’t roomy.” She paused. “But some of the parks in my neighborhood can be a little scary so I take a bus and come where I know I can keep Sugar safe.” The woman’s words broke Daisy’s heart.
“I’m really glad to hear that,” Daisy told her. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. “Here’s for Sugar to get a treat,” she said, handing it over.
The woman teared up. “You don’t need to do that, darling,” the woman said.
“It’s my pleasure. I hope to talk to you again soon.”
“Me too,” the woman said, before looking down at her dog. “I think Sugar will get a cheeseburger for lunch. And maybe I’ll get a coffee.”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Daisy told her. The woman stood, thanked Daisy again, and then walked away, Sugar leashed happily at her side.
Daisy was at Hudson’s side feeling a bit sad, but also thinking a whole lot. This morning hadn’t been what she’d expected, not at all.
“She looked as if she could use a little help, but sometimes I’m afraid I might offend someone for offering,” Daisy said when they were out of earshot.
“Kindness should never offend anyone,” Hudson told her.
“It’s not always kind to offer help, though. Sometimes it steps on a person’s pride.”
“When we love someone as much as that woman obviously loves her dog, we let go of our pride,” he assured her.
“That’s very true,” Daisy said.
“Sometimes no matter how hard we try, we get kicked down again. I believe in working hard, but I also believe that we don’t need someone to come in and kick us when we’re already down.”
“You really aren’t who I thought you were,” Daisy said as they rounded their last corner, coming close to the truck.
“Is that a good or bad thing?” Hudson asked as they walked up to the truck and he stopped, not unlocking the door just yet.
“I don’t know,” she said. “You’re certainly not what I was expecting.”
“Am I winning then?” he asked with a wink.
She laughed, truly laughed, harder than she had in a very long time. When she was finished she found him grinning with her.
“Nope, but good try. I’ll give you major points for effort.”
He finally opened the truck door, but before he let her inside, he pulled her close and kissed her. When he let her go, she was slightly wobbly on her feet and accepted his help inside the cab. Her cheeks were flushed, and her body was tingly. When he climbed up beside her, he sent her a wink.
“I have a few more tricks up my sleeve. Just wait for act two,” he said. Then he turned the truck on, turned the radio up, and sang along as they started driving.
Daisy was afraid of act two. She might actually cave into this man if he put too much more effort into this. That wouldn’t do — that wouldn’t do at all. She wasn’t sure what was coming next, but she was certain it would be an adventure.
And the one thing she was very sure of was that they’d both be changed after their adventure together — she hoped it was for the better for both of them.
Chapter Eighteen
Daisy did a lot of research into job pay scales, her old school, and her entire community. It inspired her for the rest of her week. She got some writing ideas, worked from sunup to sundown — and couldn’t type as fast as the ideas came to her. Part of her was disappointed she didn’t get to see what Hudson had planned for her next, and part of her was grateful.
Their last day together had messed with her mind and her body.
After Hudson had spent the day with her and took her home, kissing her again to within an inch of her life, she’d sought out her grandfather. His comments about what a great man Hudson was were beginning to get to her. She tried telling ger gramps she didn’t need him trying to fix her up; she was perfectly capable of being on her own. But he’d given her that indulgent smile that made her grind her teeth together.
She absolutely loved her gramps, but that didn’t keep her from getting incredibly frustrated with him. She’d sent Hudson a quick text message on Monday asking him if the next Saturday would work for their next meeting rather than Tuesday like they’d originally planned.
He’d quickly responded, telling her to meet him at the construction trailer at eight on Saturday morning. That was better for her. She didn’t like him showing up at her door. It seemed too intimate, too much like a date.
When Saturday finally arrived, she’d decided she wasn’t arriving early. She didn’t want him to think she was eager to see him, even if spending a week apart had been more difficult than she’d thought it would be. She hadn’t once gone near his construction trailer, too afraid he’d be there and she’d find a reason to talk to him.
Now as she made her way toward his trailer, her stomach fluttered in anticipation of seeing him, and she knew her mission of pushing him from her mind had failed.
She wanted to be with him, wanted to talk and laugh, flirt and touch. She was falling for him, and it was driving her crazy. She could try to deny it all day long, but she wanted his arms wrapped around her, and his lips on hers. If she were being truly honest, she’d admit she wanted more than that. But if she didn’t confess that to herself, she could pretend it wasn’t the case.
When Daisy broke away from the private oasis that surrounded her home, she stopped in her tracks. All of her warm and fuzzy feelings instantly disappeared as she looked out across the land. Her mouth dropped open, and fury replaced desire.
Hudson Anderson was a lying bastard!
She picked up her pace as she made her way to his trailer. His truck was sitting next to it, and the door was open. She was sure he was inside making his coffee in the hopes of distracting her, but it wasn’t going to work — not this time — not even if he gave her his most charming smile. He was a liar and she was going to make sure he knew what she thought of him.
She flew up the steps and marched inside, finding him sitting behind his desk. His head lifted as she halted in front of him, her hands slamming down on his desk as she leaned down, her e
yes on fire, her body practically shaking from anger.
“Well, good morning,” he said, his lips wobbling as if trying to hide a smile. That took her anger to a whole other level. She had to clench her fists to keep from reaching out and slapping him, but the urge to punch him remained.
“Don’t you dare good morning me. Not after what you’ve done!”
His expression didn’t change as he looked over to a cup sitting on the edge of the desk. “I made you a coffee. Why don’t you have a seat and tell me what I’ve done.”
“I don’t want your coffee,” she snapped, even as she grabbed the cup. She was so angry she didn’t realize she was doing it. She took a sip and paced in front of him. “And you know exactly what you’ve done.”
She didn’t sit, but stood with her back ramrod straight, clutching the cup as she continued glaring.
“I honestly have no clue,” he said. He drank from his own cup and waited.
She let out a long, exaggerated huff and rolled her eyes. “We had a deal, Hudson. You were going to give me time before doing anything to this land. If this is nothing but a waste of my time, be a man and admit that.”
“I’m keeping our deal,” he told her. “And I don’t go back on my word.”
His words were spoken so calmly and honestly she was confused. He was throwing her off. She shook her head and forced her voice to calm. She tried to put herself back into her investigative box and use the voice that had intimidated more than one person who was trying to get her to compromise her values over the years.
“How do you explain all of the downed trees?” she asked, throwing her arm out and pointing, though they obviously couldn’t look through the wall of the trailer to see her evidence.
“You’re upset over the downed trees?”
“Of course I am. We had a deal,” she said, her voice rising again. She sucked in a breath and forced herself to calm down. She knew better than to yell, knew better than to let her anger get the best of her. That’s how an airtight argument got destroyed. Once you started shouting, people stopped listening.
“Daisy, the trees have to go no matter what we do with this land,” Hudson said. “And I’m not a man who can sit around playing a game or watching movies all day. I have to move, have to be doing something. So I’ve been working on clearing the trees this week to keep myself busy and to keep moving forward, no matter which direction we decide to go.”
He went quiet as his words sank into her frazzled brain. She processed them and felt like a fool. That’s why anger was stupid. That’s why it was never a wise decision to overreact or fly off the handle before an explanation could be given.
Her shoulders slumped as she took a step back and sank into the only other chair in the office. She didn’t like to apologize. She’d only had to do it a few times her entire life. She rarely said something she needed to take back. But right then she felt pretty foolish.
“I’m waiting,” he said. She looked up, and found him fully relaxed, leaning back in his chair, sipping on his coffee and smiling. She felt that urge to slap him again, and she had to push it back down.
“You’re pretty smug,” she mumbled.
“It’s easy to be smug when you’re right,” he said. He was going to make her apologize even if he wasn’t offended. He just wanted to see her crawl. She could hate him for that, but if she were being honest she’d expect the same if he’d approached her the way she’d approached him.
“Fine,” she said with a long sigh and a crooked smile. “I’m sorry. I should’ve asked instead of making assumptions. I know better than that.” Before he could say anything, she couldn’t help but add a bit more. “Of course, all of this could’ve been prevented had you informed me of what you were doing, so maybe you should take some accountability too.”
He smiled even bigger. “You want me to accept responsibility for you flying off the handle?” he asked, a chuckle coming out at the end.
“One little text isn’t too much to ask,” she mumbled. She couldn’t give in all of the way. That might give him far too much of the upper hand. But she could admit when she was being foolish — and she’d been an idiot that morning. This man caused her to lose all semblance of sanity when she was in his presence.
“I’ll make sure and ask your permission the next time I work,” he told her. She had a feeling she was going to regret making that comment. She could see him being quite annoying with every little thing he did.
“No need to do that. The situation is over and done with,” she said, giving him an assessing look.
“I wouldn’t want there to be any further misunderstandings,” he said. She looked away from him and felt her phone vibrate. She picked it up and rolled her eyes as she fought back laughter when she looked back up at him. He was holding his phone and grinning.
I’m going to clean up some trees. Want to help?
“I’m right here. I think you can talk to me instead of texting,” she pointed out.
“I want to make sure I’m doing the right thing,” he said. He began texting again and the look she shot him should’ve killed him on the spot. He tossed down his phone and laughed hard.
“Okay, okay, I’ll leave the phone alone for now. Do you want to run a tractor?”
“Run a tractor?” she asked, intrigued enough to lose the last remaining irritation at walking up to the property thinking he’d double crossed her.
“Yep, I have huge dump trailers to load the trees into. Those will be picked up and the wood taken to a location where a Key Club group is waiting to chop it up. They’re using some for a fundraiser, but giving most of it to those who need it.”
“You’re donating the wood?” she asked, now utterly intrigued. He was doing something she would’ve gladly done if she was the one working on the land.
“Yep, I’m learning from the best,” he said. “I did a search online and found this local high school Key Club that does community service. They have a program to stock low-income homes with firewood to help them save energy costs in the winter. There’s so much wood, though, that they’ll sell the rest to raise more funds for the various projects they do during the year.”
“I haven’t heard of them. Did you make sure it’s a legit club?”
“I’ve already checked. They’re part of the Kiwanis program, which has been around for many years, and they’re definitely all about service. We can go see them after we get all of the wood loaded. They do a lot of food projects as well. Most of the kids in these clubs volunteer hundreds of hours a year.”
“I’d love to help,” she said. Then she frowned. “I don’t know how to drive a tractor, though. But there’s nothing I can’t learn if I want to.”
“You’ll love driving a tractor,” he told her as he stood.
“Then let’s do this,” she said, eager to get started.
They approached a huge machine with a cabin and a scoop on the front of it. When she saw all of the levers she wasn’t sure she’d be able to do it.
“Are you sure you want me running this thing?” she asked him, making him laugh.
“I have insurance,” he assured her. The grin she shot him probably didn’t fill him with a lot of confidence but he gave her the lesson anyway, pointing out which levers to pull, where the stop and go were, and what all of the other buttons did.
Each thing he showed her caused his hands to brush against her arms, legs, and stomach. By the end of the lesson she was as wound up as she’d been when she’d arrived at the trailer, but this time the tension in her body had nothing to do with anger, and everything to do with pure unadulterated lust. Was she going to do something about that? She wasn’t sure.
Before she could decide what she was going to do, he hopped down from the tractor, then grinned up at her. “Try not to run over my guys. They like having functioning arms and legs,” he told her.
“I’ll do my best,” she assured him with a wave before she put the tractor in gear.
Then she was moving across the land s
he’d grown up on, scooping up trees and dumping them in huge containers. She had a few mishaps, but she got the hang of it much faster than she would’ve thought possible. As soon as one dump truck was filled, another was put in its place.
They took a quick half hour lunch break, then got back to work. Even with six tractors running, it took eight hours to get all of the trees loaded into about ten containers. There’d been far more wood than she’d imagined possible. And there were still a ton of trees on the property. It was bittersweet to see the land that had been a haven to hide in, much more open now.
It had to happen no matter what they did with the land, but it was more difficult than she realized to see so much change happening in her life. She wondered how people could handle change on a regular basis.
At the end of their day, they approached the trailer and Daisy’s stomach growled at the smell of food cooking and smoke coming from two big barbecues. A few tables were set out with all sorts of dishes on them, and the rest of the men who’d been working all day together were gathered around, chatting while they filled their plates.
“This is great, boss. Thanks for the grub,” Jason, Hudson’s foreman said.
“Yeah, thanks, boss,” a few others piped in.
“You kicked some serious ass today, Daisy,” the young kid, Jimmy, said right before biting into a messy rib, barbeque sauce dripping down his chin.
“Yeah, you did. If you want a job, I’ll hire you in a minute,” Jason said.
“Your boss here might not like that,” Daisy said as she pointed at Hudson.
“I don’t mind that one little bit. Then you’d have zero choice but to listen to me,” Hudson told her with a wink.
“On that note, that’s a hard no,” Daisy said as she filled her plate. The men laughed.
She continued joking with the men while they had a few drinks and surprisingly cleared away the majority of the food. She felt like a part of the team as the men joked with her, telling her she could come back and drive their tractors anytime she liked. She promised to take them up on it as long as it was freelance, and Hudson wasn’t ever, ever her boss. That made them laugh even more.