Page 13 of Hudson
“Hey, Hud.” Celine smiled, eyes dancing.
“Hello, Hud.” Blair grinned.
“How are you, Blair?”
“Doing well.” She smiled up at him.
When he grinned back, white teeth against sun-kissed skin, she felt herself go weak in a way that was almost embarrassing.
“I’d better get back before Eli eats all the fries.” His gaze lingered on her a moment longer than necessary. “I’ll talk to you later.”
As he made his way back to the counter she couldn’t take her eyes off his Wranglers, which hugged every muscle and perfectly framed his backside.
“He can certainly fill out a pair of jeans. Back and front.” She fanned herself with her napkin.
Celine laughed, turning heads at nearby tables. “I feel the same way about Killian. Those strong armsand that dimple when he smiles. I love that man.”
“He loves you too. I see it every time he looks at you.”
“I know. That’s why I’m so happy.” Celine reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “I want that for you too, Blair.”
“It’ll happen.” Blair’s eyes drifted back to Hud at the counter, and she let herself imagine possibilities for just a moment before Celine’s hand appeared in front of her face.
“Earth to Blair.”
Blair turned back to her. “I was right. I do hate you sometimes.”
Celine laughed, bright and easy. “Like I haven’t felt the same about you. You know I love you.”
“Right back at you.”
Connie arrived with their lunches, steaming plates that filled the air with grilled meat and spices. They dug in, talking and laughing their way through everything, including family.
“How are Aunt Rosemary and Uncle Dale?” Blair asked, dipping a golden fry into ketchup.
“Wonderful. They’re planning to visit next spring. I can’t wait. I miss them so much,” Celine said, her eyes softening.
“I miss my parents too, but at least we can visit each other. Maybe they could all come together next spring.” Blair’s face lit up at the thought.
“They’d probably love that. They’re so close.”
“Being brothers, our fathers are so much alike. Stubborn as the day is long.” Blair rolled her eyes.
“Must be where you get it,” Celine said with a grin, picking up her burger.
Blair laughed. She caught Hud watching from the counter, his face breaking into a grin.
“Like you’re not stubborn,” Blair retorted, dabbing her mouth with her napkin. “Poor Killian. It’s probably like talking to a brick wall sometimes.”
Celine balled up her napkin and threw it, catching Blair squarely on the nose.
They were still laughing when Connie came to clear their plates.
“Hud already took care of the check. You girls have a nice day.” She stacked the empty plates with a practiced clatter and disappeared through the swinging kitchen door.
“He paid for us?” Celine’s eyes widened.
“He did.” Blair twisted her napkin between her fingers. Her ex would have scrutinized every bill, calculating the exact tip to the penny. Even after everything, his stinginess had always stung more than she’d admitted to herself. She should have seen the signs earlier. The heavy doors he’d let swing shut behind him; the times she’d stood waiting in the rain while he settled into his BMW without a second glance.
