It took me a moment for some of his words to sink in.
“Pardon?” I asked. “You and me… us… working closely together? I don’t understand. Devlin said I was to be the pub manager until things were running smoothly enough to replace me. What is your role in the project, exactly?”
I had a bad feeling about this.
Hudson fiddled with some leather straps hanging from a nearby hook, untangling them until they hung straight and tidy.
“You’ll be the pub manager, but I’m acting as the business manager,” he said. As if that made any fucking sense.
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll be responsible for setting up and running the pub like the original Fig and Bramble, including adding those touches that make it look and feel authentic, while I will be managing the budget, the contractor, and the accounting.”
“In other words, I play the part of the leprechaun while you hold the purse strings like Big Daddy,” I clarified. This was so not going to work.
Hudson swallowed and looked away. The blush I’d loved so much a few months ago crept up the sides of his neck. It was impossible to remain angry at him when he was that delectable.
“I don’t intend to be your Big Daddy,” Hudson said before realizing how that would sound.
He snapped his head around and locked eyes with me before I coughed out a laugh and his cheeks stained ten shades of pomegranate.
“Y-you know what I mean,” he stammered. “I’m not planning on riding you hard or anyth— Oh dear god, shut up, Hudson.”
By this point, I couldn’t hold back the laughter, and even Hudson’s lips were twitching. I dropped down onto the edge of a nearby bench and pointed at him before managing to speak through the tears.
“Yes, but might you make me beg for it? I do like to beg, Hudson.”
“Stop,” he said with a snort. “I can’t help it. My words don’t come out right when I’m around you.”
Our laughter died down as our eyes met again. He was so lovely then, face flushed and eyes sparkling, that I wanted to give him something.
“I know you’re just doing your job here. My anger isn’t personal against you. I’m pissed at my uncle, and I’m pissed at my dad. Not to mention Bruce Ames, the fucker. So… I just want you to know that. It’s not like any of this was your idea. I get that.”
Hudson seemed to startle a bit before nodding. “Thank you. For what it’s worth… I’m sorry about all of this.”
“Thank you. That means a lot. Now, about Mama,” I said, deciding to put the shitty work stuff away for the moment. “I hope it’s okay I brought her.”
Hudson’s face lit up. “Of course. But why is she out here in the barn?” he asked, reaching down to scratch her head. “I assumed you’d want her in the bunkhouse with you.”
“That’s the awkward bit,” I admitted. “She went into heat, so Sassy helped me put her in an empty stall in the barn to keep the mess down. I hope your grandfathers don’t mind. Sassy was going to tell them about it for me.”
“I’m sure it’s fine. Doc and Grandpa would want me to tell you to make yourself at home. They’re two of the most gracious hosts you’ll ever meet. Their motto is always the more the merrier, so I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to have you here.”
If his grandparents were anything like him, I knew they’d be genuine, polite, and sweet.
An awkward beat of silence passed. I could tell he was unsure of his continued welcome, and I was unsure of how to convince him to stay with me in the barn just a little longer.
“I thought you lived in Dallas?” I asked.
He looked down at his feet before clasping his hands together on his lap and releasing them again. After smoothing down his shirt front, he slid his hands under his thighs as if to keep them still.
“Yeah, I do. I mean, I did. Well, I do.” He chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Whenever I sound like a babbling idiot, just remember it’s your fault, okay?”
I smiled at him, wishing like hell he was actually flirting with me the way he had back home. I knew his discomfort this time was caused by his insecurity at my unexpected presence, but I still thanked god for that irresistible self-deprecating grin on his face.
“So… you do but you don’t,” I teased.
“No, I do. I had an apartment in Dallas, but I let it go when Bruce said he wanted me in Hobie full-time for this project. So I’m staying here. I’ll have to find a new apartment in the city when the project is complete. My brother Saint and I might move in together since he’s almost never home anyway.”
“You’re staying here? As in here on the ranch? Where? In the bunkhouse?” I asked in surprise and with a heavy dose of trepidation. How the hell would I keep my hands to myself if we were under the same roof?