Page 27 of Hudson
“Meridith, I half expected you to have that baby this weekend.”
“I wish,” she muttered, making him laugh.
“Won’t be long now. You take it easy today. Blair and I have everything covered.”
“Thank you. It’s mostly just getting up and down from this chair that’s killing me.”
“I’m sure. Blair, let me know when the first patient arrives.” He disappeared into his office.
Blair smiled to herself. She liked working for Dr. Workman. He was fair, he cared about his patients and he treated everyone well. A moment later the phone rang.
“Here we go,” Meridith said, reaching for it.
****
Deke leaned against Hud’s desk, a steaming mug of coffee in hand. “Morning, Hud.”
Hud narrowed his bloodshot eyes against the fluorescent lights, his hangover throbbing behind his temples. He reached into his desk drawer, shook twoaspirin into his palm and washed them down with the last of the cold coffee sitting in his mug from Friday.
“What’s good about it?”
“Date sucked, huh?” Deke folded his arms, a knowing smirk at the corner of his mouth.
“It could have gone better.” Hud hauled his chair out and dropped into it, the springs creaking in protest.
“I’m sorry.”
Hud ran a hand through his hair. “What the hell is wrong with women?”
Deke straightened, his wedding ring catching the light. “That’s not a real question, is it? Because there’s no way I’m answering it.”
“You’re married.”
“Oh yeah, that makes it so much easier. Ava got pissed at me last night for something I still can’t identify. Spent an hour slamming every cabinet in the kitchen while I pretended to watch the game.”
Hud chuckled, the sound rough in his dry throat. “Most men know that feeling.”
“Hud!” Dave’s voice boomed from across the office.
“Better go.” He pushed up from the chair and crossed to Dave’s office, the smell of stale coffee growing stronger with each step.
Dave slid a slip of paper across the desk. “Two rooms for you and Creed in Whitefish. You’ll need to leave early tomorrow.”
Hud picked it up, the hotel logo crisp at the top. “We can head out straight from here in the morning.”
“Good. I hope she gives you something useful.”
“So do I.”
He walked back out and stopped at Creed’s desk, where his partner was hunched over a stack of manila folders.
“We head out tomorrow morning. Dave got us two rooms in Whitefish.”
“Alright.” Creed’s fingers drummed against the desktop. “I’ll let Abbie know when I get home.”
“You don’t look thrilled.” Hud grinned, leaning against the filing cabinet.
Creed shook his head, worry lines creasing his forehead. “It’s not that I mind going. It’s Abbie. She gets nervous when I travel for a case. I keep trying to tell her that staying in Clifton doesn’t make the job any safer, but it doesn’t seem to help. I just hate putting that look on her face.”
