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“Oh, hey, Hudson. What are you up to today?”
Hudson’s eyes met Athena’s and his frown matched hers. “I guess you’ve met Henry’s new project.”
Inside, Athena seethed.
Brielle glanced toward Athena, then back to Hudson. “You know her?”
“We met. Briefly,” Hudson muttered. “She’s gonna stay in Mason’s old room.”
Once again, Brielle turned her attention to Athena. “So, she’s not working here?”
“I don’t know. You’re gonna have to ask Henry that. It wasn’t exactly clear how long she’s staying.” Hudson brushed past them and headed toward the tools that hung on a wall. “Have you seen the socket wrench? I’m trying to fix something, and I can’t quite get to it with what I have.”
Brielle laughed. “Do I look like the kind of person who would bother messing with your tools? I’m not gonna touch anything you guys use. I learned the hard way with my dad.” She turned to Athena, tilting her head thoughtfully. “So, tell me, Henry’s friend. Did he hire you?”
Athena lowered her gaze and then shook her head.
“Interesting. Based on the fact that you haven’t said a single word to me, am I correct in assuming that you’d rather not speak?”
The heat returned to Athena’s face. This woman probably thought she was being childish. Adults didn’t act this way. Perhaps if they were alone… she might have been persuaded to speak to her. But with Hudson here, she’d rather not say anything at all.
“It’s okay if you don’t. I’m not gonna judge you for it.”
That got Athena’s attention.
Brielle shrugged, her smile returning. “I guess there’s only one thing to say. I hope you like fried chicken. That’s what Charlie wanted to make today.”
“Fried chicken?” Hudson called out, making it clear he was eavesdropping and giving Athena more reason to keep her mouth shut.
“Yeah, and if you’re not there on time, you’re not getting a drumstick.” Brielle grinned at Athena. “See you at dinner.” With that, she hurried off.
Athena took one look at Hudson, then followed Brielle out. The last thing she wanted to do was be stuck in a room with Hudson again. The guy clearly didn’t like her.
At dinner, Athena picked at her plate, feeling the eyes of everyone who’d come to dinner glued to her. Henry had already told them her name was Sam. No one asked about her last name. No one asked where she’d come from or how long she’d be staying. The man seated beside Brielle had to be her husband, and he was the only one who seemed to be interested in her. At least a half a dozen times Athena had caught him studying her.
With his attention weighing her down, she wasn’t surprised that, for the first time in a long time, she’d lost her appetite.
“Is there something wrong with your food?” Henry leaned closer to her and whispered.
She shook her head.
“You’re not eating.”
Athena shot one final look at him and rose from her seat. Without uttering a word, she hurried from the room. It didn’t take much effort to find the front door. Once outside, she gulped in a few deep breaths as she clung to the porch column that framed the railing.
She didn’t belong here. It was time to leave and move on.
Unfortunately, something was holding her back. She couldn’t bring herself to take off like she’d planned. Athena had only been here for twenty-four hours and already she’d let herself get so comfortable that she was speaking to someone and staying in their house.
Turning around to face the offensive building, she scowled. This wasn’t like her. Never before had she felt a desire to stick around—not anywhere. What was it about this place that was so alluring?
The door opened and Henry emerged with two plates of food. He lifted both of them slightly. “Thought you might try eating out here—away from the whole crew.”
She didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Her stomach gurgled, drawing a smile to Henry’s lips. Athena rolled her eyes and snatched the outstretched plate. She moved to the edge of the porch and sat down on the top step.
Henry took a seat beside her. His shoulder bumped against hers and he flashed her a smile before picking up a piece of chicken. Her eyes delved into him, trying to dissect what it was about him that made it so easy to speak to him.
“Athena,” she murmured.
