It was Hudson’s turn to blush.
Joanne walked around the counter and gave him a hug. “Now, you be sure to stop by and visit before you head on back to the Big Apple.”
“Yes, ma’am, I will.”
Hudson gave Brighton a quick nod and then turned to look at me. “I’m in the white Chevy Blazer; I’ll just follow you to the store.”
I nodded, quickly gave Joanne a hug, and waved goodbye to Brighton. As I headed out of the bed and breakfast, I glanced to my left and saw Hudson putting his bags into his rented SUV. A sudden pang of excitement hit me at the thought of going back to the cabin with him.
“Oh dear. Oh goodness,” I whispered to myself as I made my way to my 4Runner. Once I’d slipped inside, I let out a long breath. “Get a hold of yourself, Greer. He’s only here for a few weeks, and then he’s going back to New York.”
Candace’s words from a few weeks back ran back through my mind. “You should go to Boston for a week, meet a man, and have a hot affair.”
I let my gaze move back to Hudson. He looked at me, waved, and then slipped into the SUV.
Was Hudson the type of guy who would be interested in a no-strings-attached affair while he was here? Would he even be interested in me like that? Maybe he only saw me as a friend, someone helping him in his process to write a book. I mean, I knew I was decent looking, but Hudson could clearly have any woman he wanted. I let the thoughts linger a bit too long and a horn honked. I looked up to see Hudson laughing. He held up both hands as he shrugged.
I mouthed “Oh, sorry” at him and then quickly pulled out of the bed and breakfast’s driveway and headed toward the grocery store. We walked inside together, and Hudson handed me his phone when I asked what he needed.
I read the list out loud and then stared at him. “Coffee, almond milk, Cap’n Crunch, chocolate, pretzels, OREOs, eggs, and orange juice?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Hudson, where are the meals?”
He looked down at his list, and I couldn’t help but feel the warmth from his body as he moved closer to me to read it. He smelled so good. I had been trying to figure out exactly what he smelled like since he’d first walked into the bookstore yesterday. It was woodsy but with a slight sweetness to it.
“I’ve got meals on there.”
I let out a disbelieving laugh. “Where?”
“The cereal, the eggs.”
Looking up at him, I asked, “You’re going to live on cereal and eggs?”
He shrugged. “That’s pretty much what I eat at home, besides takeout. Though, I doubt I’ll be able to get Uber Eats to bring me a pizza out here.”
I rolled my eyes. “What types of food do you like?”
“Besides Cap’n Crunch?” he asked with a smirk.
I tried not to giggle and failed. “Yes, besides that.”
He looked up in thought. “Let’s see. I like Italian.”
“Okay, what else?”
“Um…ahh…pizza. Chinese. Thai.”
I rolled my eyes. “Good Lord. I would hate to see your bloodwork if you’re living off takeout like this.”
He winked. “I work out and drink lots of water.”
I did a quick once-over of his fit body. “Yes, that much is obvious.”
“Which one?” he asked in a teasing voice.
“That you drink lots of water; your skin is perfectly clear.”
He let out a rumbling laugh as I turned and headed toward the produce.
“You need fruit. What type of fruit do you like?”
“Bananas, apples. I like those oranges that are easy to peel.”
I looked back over my shoulder at him. “Clementines?”
He shrugged. “I think my mom calls them Cuties.”
“Yep, they’re the same thing. How about strawberries, blueberries?”
“No. I do like kiwi.”
I grabbed a bunch of bananas and a few kiwis.
“What about apples?” he asked as he picked one up and tossed it in the air before catching it.
“I’ll get you some from Willa. She owns an apple orchard. Do you like apple cider?”
Hudson gave me a wicked smile. “Only if it’s spiked with alcohol.”
Deciding to play along, I gave Hudson my sexiest smile and winked. “I think I can hook you up with something.”
I swore his eyes turned dark before he looked away and picked up a bag full of dehydrated fruit and tossed it into the cart. After one look at the bag, I grabbed it and hung it back up.
“Fresh or frozen fruit are the best. This is full of sugar.”
He saluted me. “Yes, ma’am.”
“How about veggies?” I asked, ignoring him.
“Not much of a veggie eater.”
It was my new mission to get this man to eat a healthier diet. I started to gather up ingredients to make him a vegetable tray. If anything, he could snack on it throughout the day.