Playing with Words (Boggy Creek Valley 2)

A silence fell between us, and I glanced over at Hudson. He was staring at me again. Almost as if he was trying to see inside of me. I both loved and hated it. I loved it because of the warmth that spread through my body and hated it because I longed for more of that feeling. I was beginning to wonder if a fling with this man would ever truly be enough.

“I never looked at things that way, but you’re right,” he said. “I think in order to have someone in your life, they need to want to be part of your whole life. My mother loves traveling with my father. She doesn’t always go with him, but she always asks about his work. And he does the same with her paintings.”

“She paints?”

He nodded. “Yes, she’s incredibly talented. My father brags about her constantly. She used to work for an art museum when they first met. My father said he would go and sit and stare at the same artwork every day, only because her desk was to the right of it and he could look at her without being creepy.”

“That’s so sweet!” I gushed.

Hudson’s gaze met mine again.

I chewed nervously on my lip before I said in a voice so soft it was barely above a whisper, “I guess that’s what I’m waiting for.”

He cleared his throat. “Me too.”

Hudson

“There’s no way I’m going to be able to eat all this food, Greer.”

The door to the refrigerator stood open as I stared at everything she was putting in there. A giant bowl of chicken salad. Another smaller bowl of browned hamburger meat Greer said I could use to make tacos for lunch tomorrow.

“Instead of taco Tuesday, it can be taco Thursday!” she’d said with a wide grin, putting the cut-up tomatoes and shredded lettuce next to the taco meat.

The lasagna was now stored in the freezer in individual containers she had bought. A large dish of washed and cut-up vegetables sat in the middle of everything, surrounded by fruit.

She pulled her sweatshirt on. “You’ll be able to eat it. Trust me.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay driving home in the dark?” I asked, glancing at the time. “It’s late.”

She brought her arm up and checked her Apple watch. “I can’t remember the last time I stayed out this late!” Then she frowned and looked at me, her lower lip jutting out in the cutest pout I had ever seen. “My gosh, that’s sad. I live a sad, boring life if being out at ten at night is late.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Thank you, Greer. For everything.”

“For what? All I did was make some food.”

Holding out my hands, I turned in a circle. “For all of this. This cabin, the food, the company tonight. I really did enjoy myself. I can’t even tell you the last time I felt this relaxed.”

She pressed her lips together and glanced down at the floor before meeting my gaze again. “I had fun too. It was nice to cook for someone else.”

“Um, maybe we can do it again. Next time I’ll get wine.”

Her eyes lit up, and I suddenly feel like if I stared into them long enough, I’d get lost in there.

“You could come to my house,” she said, “and I’ll cook dinner and provide the wine.”

I tried to ignore the way that made my chest tighten. Greer walked backward until she bumped against the door, and I came to a stop only a few inches away from her. I leaned down and placed my mouth next to her ear, much like I had in the bookstore yesterday. Her body trembled once again as I asked, “Will there be some form of chocolate there?”

With a sharp intake of air, she exhaled and whispered, “Maybe.”

“Then tomorrow night it is.”

I took a step back, noticing how her breathing had picked up ever so slightly. It was nice to see that she was as affected by me as I was by her.

With a wobbly shake of her head, she grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. As she stepped out, she looked back over her shoulder at me. “Seven?”

“I’ll be there.”

She flashed me an adorable smile and headed down the steps to her 4Runner. She gave me a quick wave as she got in and then started down the drive. I had no idea what invisible force caused me to stand there as I watched her until the red lights were no longer visible.

“What in the hell are you doing, Hudson?” I asked, rubbing the back of my neck to ease the sudden ache there. I stepped back inside and shut the door, taking a quick glance around the cabin. My eyes landed on the half-eaten pizza we had shared earlier.

I tried not to laugh as I headed into the kitchen area and grabbed another slice. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had so much fun with another person or been so at ease. Greer was so real—she didn’t try to be something she wasn’t simply to impress me. It was so damn easy to talk to her. Not many women were like that. At least not the ones I had been around lately.