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Hudson’s expression slackened. He looked away and his skin paled somewhat.
“Just you wait. Carter is going to come back with his tail between his legs any day now. I’m telling you, it’s not easy trying to make it on your own out in the real world. We were all lucky that Wade and Annabel stepped up when they did, or we wouldn’t have survived. Do you know what happens to kids who don’t have parents?”
Hudson still didn’t meet his gaze.
“They get split up. We would have been shipped out all over the state. You realize that, don’t you? This family is all we have, and Carter is an idiot if he thinks he’s better off without us.” At some point Henry’s fists had curled up at his sides. He wasn’t even aware of it until he felt the dull pain sharpen in his palms. He stretched out his fingers and turned away from his brother. “Just… go. You don’t have to be here if you don’t want to. The rest is just a party anyway.”
Hudson didn’t hesitate a second before darting off toward the house. It was probably a good thing that he ran off and hid. He needed to think about what he was saying when he spoke about their family the way he had. One day, he and Carter would wake up. Henry didn’t doubt that for a second.
A strange kind of movement caught his attention, and he looked over toward the refreshment table. Eyes narrowing, he watched as a young woman picked up a plate and piled it high with food.
She wasn’t dressed for a wedding. Instead of something soft and pretty, she wore a pair of overalls over a tank top. Her hair was pulled back into a messy looking bun on top of her head. Even from this distance, he could tell she wasn’t wearing shoes suitable for any kind of party.
He straightened, observing her as she retreated to an area where there was less foot traffic. He’d never seen her before, but that wasn’t saying much. There were several people hanging around whom he hadn’t met before.
But all those people were dressed to the nines for the wedding.
The woman was a petite, scrawny-looking thing. Strands of wispy blond hair hung limply around her face, and her skin had been bronzed by the sun. Eyes darted this way and that while she jumped to steer clear of anyone who came close to her. She was as skittish as a stray cat, probably starved like one, too, based on the way she was shoving the food in her mouth.
He straightened further. From where he stood, it was clear she had gone without food for much of her life. Henry took a step in her direction but stopped himself. The second she noticed him, she might take off. Then he wouldn’t be able to help her.
Henry stepped back and leaned against the barn again, his eyes never leaving the woman’s face as she continued to stare at those closest to her. She hunched her shoulders and shrank back from the crowd for the most part, but every so often she’d return to the food table. Hudson could take a page out of her book on how to appear invisible. His little brother was good, but not as good as this woman.
As the evening wore on, Henry was surprised to find that the stranger stuck around. She didn’t leave like he’d thought she might. Instead, she inched closer and closer to where he stood. Whenever she glanced in his direction, he made sure to turn his attention to those on the dance floor.
When she finally got within five feet of him, Henry spoke.
“Nice party, huh?”
The woman jumped. Her eyes darted to meet his. She’d heard him, that much he knew. But she didn’t respond beyond that small reaction.
“Food’s good. Did you get some?”
Again, she jumped, but it wasn’t as noticeable. This time she smiled, but it was clearly forced. Her eyes met his for a moment before returning to the guests, who were completely oblivious of them.
It was getting too dark to be able to tell what color her eyes were, and deep down he knew if he stared at her, she’d probably claim he was being creepy and take off. Henry cleared his throat, causing her to look at him. “You thirsty? I could get us some drinks.”
The woman nodded. That was different. At least this time she didn’t jump like she’d done the first couple times he’d spoken to her. He might be getting somewhere.
Henry nodded. “I’ll be right back. You have a preference? Water? Lemonade? A soda?”
She shook her head.
“Not much of a talker, are you?”
This time she dropped her gaze and took one step away from him.
“It’s fine if you’re not. People say I talk too much. I suppose there are flaws in all of us.” He flashed her a smile, but it was one she didn’t see due to her staring at the boots on her feet. “I’ll get those drinks, then.” Henry pushed away from the barn and wandered through the crowd toward the drink table. He nodded to a few familiar faces, and when he reached the table, he grabbed two plastic cups and filled them to the brim. Funny how she hadn’t gone for the beverage table when she was done eating. She had to be thirsty.
Henry turned around to face the barn, but he couldn’t see her through the crowd. She was small and nowhere near an exit. He couldn’t imagine that she’d escaped that quickly. She’d probably just found a place to sit down.
He moved through the crowd again, lifting their drinks high overhead so no one bumped into them while dancing. But the second he emerged from the crowd, he froze. The beautiful stranger was gone.
Turning in a full circle, his eyes swept through the crowd in search of the overalls and the messy bun. Where had she gone? He would have noticed a person slipping out into the darkness. No cars had left the premises while he was filling up their cups. There wasn’t anywhere for her to hide.
Except one place.
Henry turned toward the barn once more. The interior was lit by only a few dim bulbs, so those who had to go inside this late at night could see enough not to fall all over themselves.
