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He stopped and looked at me before saying, “You’re cold. Go sit by the fire. I’ll turn the kerosene heater on.”
I felt like he might be getting the heater because of me. I didn’t want him to do more than he would have if I hadn’t been there. It made me feel guilty. “You don’t have to. The fire is plenty.”
The cabin was getting cold, though. Maybe he wanted to warm up himself. I ran to the fireplace and plopped on my ass as he disappeared again. I couldn’t stop shivering, but the heat was nice against my skin.
He must have started the kerosene heater outside, since it was already lit when he carried it in. “It won’t smell the best, but at least we’ll be warm. The cabin is ventilated enough so we won’t have to worry.”
I immediately thought of my childhood. A painful snag hit my chest. “Edwin and I lived with our gran growing up. When I was about ten, her heat pump tore up one year in her trailer. It was a long winter because she used a kerosene heater to keep us warm. She put us all in the living room every night to sleep. I was so embarrassed going to school knowing I smelled like kerosene.”
I cradled my knees to my chest as I reminisced. Those days, I would have given anything to have a hundred more nights near fumes that were bad for my health if it meant getting to speak with Gran again.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
I frowned. “Don’t be. I’d give anything to go back and sit in that room with her again.”
“No. I mean, I’m sorry for your loss.”
My eyes met his. Hudson’s expression gave nothing away. I never said she had passed, but he knew. Somehow, I’d given it away, but it was okay. It felt good to talk about her to someone other than my brother and Holly.
TWELVE
HUDSON
I was awake before my alarm went off. My recliner was fantastic to sit on, but not my favorite place to sleep. A few feet away, on the couch, Eugene lightly snored with her mouth wide open. One leg hung off the edge uncovered, and she had an arm thrown over her forehead.
Maybe not a siren.
I snorted and shook my head. The woman’s ability to adapt to a new environment honestly astounded me. I could have been a serial killer, for all she knew. Yet, there she was, sleeping better than I did in my own home.
I grinned, cracked my neck, and stood to stoke the flames. Max stretched and moved about as I did. Even with the curtains closed, the bright sun shone through the cabin windows.
I peeked over at Eugene again. She hadn’t moved. That crazy colored hair spilled out all over the couch pillow. A weird static seemed to take over my chest. I sucked in a breath and looked away. The organ was out of control in her presence.
Eugene, Genie—Red.She truly wasn’t my type. She was nothing I wanted or needed. Yet, my gaze snapped right back to her. Fuck. She looked… sweet sleeping there. It was pleasing to see something cute resting in my home. Did I really just think that? It was bad enough that I ogled her all the damn time, but she couldn’t get a reprieve from my stare while sleeping either. I flexed my hand as I recalled her tinier one in mine the night before. She felt good, soft, and warm. I wasn’t a lonely man. Being alone was a luxury, if you asked me. Eugene being in my home was confusing me. I should have been tired after the fitful sleep I had, but I wasn’t. There was a lot of energy bouncing around inside me.
Knowing I was being a total creep watching her sleep, I pulled out my phone to distract myself. There were a few texts from my employees already, letting me know they couldn’t make it or checking to see if we would be open. With the power out, I figured the latter should be obvious.
My phone rang as I responded to the messages. “You keeping warm, old woman?”
“Likely warmer than you,” Grandma Sue replied. “I’m guessing ya won’t be opening today.”
I rubbed the side of my forehead and sighed. “I hope the emergency generators kicked on at the restaurant. I’d hate to lose everything in the freezer.”
I’d give it a few hours before heading out to check on my place. One of the perks of being the owner.
“Those generators cost ya a pretty penny. I sure hope they worked.”
Yes, they did.
“I’ll go out and check the restaurant later.”
“I’ll—”
“No, you won’t do anything. We can’t open without power.”
Grandma Sue grumbled. “I’m too old to sit in the house all day.”
“You know,normally,everyone works their entire life to do nothing all day once they get to your age.”
