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“What was I supposed to say?”
I shake my head. “You’re coming to Northern Lights with me tomorrow. I’m going to call my mom to babysit.” I grab my phone out of my purse and pull up my mom’s name.
“Ask her if she can keep her for the night.”
“Why? Bedtime at Northern Lights is probably early.”
He laughs again. “The Northern Lights residents are unlike other people their age, you know that.”
I shrug and nod. He’s got a point. They’re not your typical elderly people in a care facility. The stories my aunts and uncles have told us all about when Great-Grandma Dori lived there are unbelievable.
Hudson and I drop off Adley at my parents’ house and drive across town to Northern Lights Retirement Center.
“You know they’re going to make this uncomfortable for me,” I tell him on the way in.
“It’s the only reason I agreed to come.” He grins.
I stare blankly, and he laughs, putting his arm around my shoulders and kissing my temple. When I circle out of his hold, he grunts.
“This is the hub of the gossip circle,” I remind him.
Over the past month, our relationship has only grown stronger, sweeter. Adley seems happier, which makes me wonder if something did shift when Theresa came into our lives, and it happened so slowly I just didn’t notice. The time we spent as a family diminished. Now we spend every night together as long as Hudson doesn’t have night lessons.
Eventually, Hudson won’t be cool with the way things are, and he’s going to want to tell Adley. And I can’t blame him. I always tend to lie on the side of caution, whereas he’s more a “trust his gut and go” type of person.
We walk into Northern Lights, and Leeann, the person who works behind the desk, smiles and waves. “They’re all ready for you in the meeting room.”
“Should I be worried?” I ask.
She hems and haws. “With that crew? Always. But honestly, not to scare you, they were talking about the sex scenes, so that might be a topic they want to explore.”
“Good times,” I say.
She laughs. “At least you have your bodyguard with you.” She eyes Hudson. “Then again, he might cause more commotion. Everyone is still gossiping about your night alone at Glacier Point.” She arches an eyebrow at him.
“Well, people need to learn my business isn’t theirs.” There’s a bite to his tone, but he plays it off with his panty-melting smile that works on Leeann. Even if she’s twice his age.
“Have fun.” She sits down and continues whatever she was doing before we walked in.
Most of the people in the meeting room are in chairs or have been wheeled in in their wheelchairs, and they all look at us with anticipation when we walk in. Alice beelines across the room to greet me.
“Palmer! Oh.” She stops when she notices Hudson. “You brought your muse too?”
I look at Hudson, and he chuckles. “He’s not my muse,” I say.
Some kind of small noise comes from Hudson. What is that about?
Alice winks dramatically. “Okkaayy.”
“No, really.” This is not starting off on the best foot.
“Come. Come.” She saunters over to the front of the room where one lonely chair sits. “Gilbert, grab that other chair. She brought Hudson, her muse.”
I inwardly groan. This is going to be as traumatic as I thought.
“Would it be that bad if I was your muse?” Hudson whispers.
“No, I’m just…I don’t want to do this,” I whine like a child—like Adley, in fact.
