Page 87 of Best Kept Secret

Kelsey stood and walked her to the door. “I will be…eventually.”

“Maybe you should call him,” Jenna suggested again.

“I’ll think about it. Now, get out of here. You don’t want to be late for your date.”

“We’re just going to the fireworks.”

That’s where Hudson and I are supposed to be. “Have fun.”

“Talk to you soon,” Jenna said and gave Kelsey a brief hug.

Kelsey waited in the doorway until Jenna climbed into her car and drove away. Then she glanced up and down the street, wondering if Hudson might show up, but it was quiet except for the neighbor’s dog barking.

Sighing, she shut and locked the door, and silence descended upon her once again.

It was going to be a long, lonely night.

Twenty-Six

Hudson watched the fireworks from his living room window alone, wishing he were with Kelsey instead. The sky lit up with a profusion of colors, but inside, he felt dark, his outlook bleak. He stayed up until midnight, hoping that she’d call, text, or come over, but as the minutes ticked by, he gave up hope and went to bed.

He tossed and turned all night long, occasionally dozing off but then jerking awake and remembering why he was alone. She’d only stayed over one night, but he could still smell her scent on his pillow and sheets. Her overnight bag was still in his room, and she’d left her toiletries on the bathroom counter.

She’d been in such a hurry to get away from him that she’d left everything behind, including the patriotic treats, which sat untouched on the kitchen counter. She’d done everything possible to make this a wonderful weekend for them, and he’d ruined it. Now he feared there was no going back.

Earlier he’d experienced a glimmer of hope when she’d finally responded to his text message, but it had only been to tell him she was safe. Where was she, though? He’d driven by her apartment but hadn’t seen her car. He’d thought she might have gone to Stacy’s, but then he’d remembered that Nick and Stacy had gone to Florida. She could have gone to another friend’s house, but he wasn’t sure whose or where, so he’d given up the search.

The next morning, after drinking copious amounts of coffee and eating one of the donuts she’d left behind, he directed his attention toward a different search. He booted up his laptop and went onto a real estate site.

He’d already given this a lot of thought, so he quickly filled in the search fields. He wanted at least two bedrooms, preferably three, and two bathrooms. Growing up with a sister, he knew how much time girls spent in the bathroom, and he expected Annie would do the same someday. Right now, it was hard to imagine her as a teenager, but it would happen whether he wanted it to or not.

He also wanted a house with a basement, garage, and a decent-sized yard. He couldn’t believe how much stuff Annie needed as a baby, and he could only imagine it getting worse as she got older. For that reason, he wanted plenty of storage space. Plus, he might have more kids someday. More kids? Really? He realized, yes, he did want more kids when the time was right and with the right person. An image of Kelsey sprang to mind, and he sighed. That might never happen, but he wasn’t ready to give up just yet.

Next he filled in his price range, which he’d previously calculated based on his salary, investments, and savings. He’d screwed up some things in his life, but at least he’d made wise financial decisions. He’d saved enough money for a down payment on a modest home, and as long as the economy didn’t tank, he expected to keep earning more money. If he’d been fiscally responsible before, he was even more so now that he had Annie to think about.

Next he typed in the area for his search. He wanted to stay in or around Troy because that was where he worked and where his family lived. Not to mention Sonia and Kelsey.

Kelsey. He glanced at the kitchen clock and wondered what she was doing right now. Had she gone to the fireworks without him last night? Where had she stayed? Who was she with? She would have been with me if I hadn’t screwed up!

“Stop wallowing,” he said, willing his negative thoughts away.

He pressed “Search Now,” and a long list of properties came up. For the next hour or so, he reviewed them and saved the ones he was interested in. Since it was Sunday and a holiday weekend, he decided to wait until Monday to contact a real estate agent. In the meantime, he’d drive by some of the homes to narrow down the list.

He glanced at his phone for the umpteenth time, but it remained dark and silent, a scathing reminder of his mistakes. Still, when he went into the bathroom to take a shower, he brought the phone with him. If she decided to contact him, he didn’t want to miss her call. He even turned up the volume to the highest level for good measure.

When he stepped into the shower, he saw the travel-sized bottle of shampoo she’d left behind. He opened it and inhaled the coconut scent, recalling how he’d massaged it into her long, beautiful hair. She’d tipped her head back and sighed, expressing her pleasure at having her hair washed. Little had she known that it had given him pleasure too. He’d loved taking care of her and making her feel good, and he’d still be doing it if he hadn’t messed up.

He closed the cap and placed the bottle back on the shelf. He should probably remove her things from the bathroom before Jared returned, though he hated to. He liked seeing her things and knowing she’d been there. It reminded him of their time together, however fleeting.

He opened his own shampoo-body wash and lathered up, wishing she were washing him instead. He couldn’t believe it had only been one day since he’d held her in his arms. He tried to push the memories out of his mind, but it was virtually impossible.

He stepped out of the shower and dried off, glancing at the toiletries she’d lined up on the counter. Even her deodorant was coconut-scented!

His phone lay next to it, dark and silent, and he was filled with foreboding. What if she refused to talk to him? What if he never got a chance to tell her how he felt in person? Maybe it had been a mistake to tell her over the phone, but he’d wanted her to know what was in his heart.

She wasn’t just a fling to him, and he desperately wanted her to believe that. From the beginning, he’d known she was special, and his feelings had deepened with time. When they’d made love and he’d gazed into her eyes, he’d sworn she felt the same way, but now he wasn’t so sure. He’d give anything to know what she was thinking right now.

He combed his hair, swiped on deodorant, and brushed his teeth. Then he padded across the hall, naked. Glancing at his unmade bed, he envisioned her lying there. Then he let out a long, low growl and turned away. He hurriedly got dressed and left the room, needing to escape the reminders that were everywhere.