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The furrowed brow disappeared, and Hudson ran a hand through his hair. A small strand fell in front of his eye, making him look more boyish for a fraction of a second. But Nora clocked it.
“Yes, yes, you're right,” he said, heading toward the door. “I'm sorry, my mind was elsewhere.”
Nora took a step away and let him pass, a waft of his cologne enchanting her nostrils. Her lips parted briefly, the pinewood scent digging into her pores like an ax against a tree trunk. It was slightly aggressive, but there was something she really enjoyed about it.
“It's a great opportunity for bonding as well,” Nora said as they moved down the hallway. “I’m going to get her some water. Can you take her into her bedroom for me?”
He nodded, his body transmuting from the gruff exterior into a sheepish uncle role. It was endearing in an odd way, but it also put him in his place when he was being unreasonable.
And Nora enjoyed doing that.
She retrieved water from the kitchen and returned to Hannah’s bedroom. Hudson had done what she had asked but was lingering over the wheelchair with poignant hesitance.
He looked like a dog that had destroyed the owner’s prized possession. Except he hadn’t, and the prized possession was Hannah.
They locked eyes, and Nora placed the cup next to the girl’s bed. She showed him how to lift Hannah onto the bed so she was lying on her stomach. When he did so, it was with the tenderness of a gardener tending to temperamental rose buds.
It made Nora’s heart swell.
“Are you comfortable, honey?” Nora asked Hannah.
Hannah nodded, laying her head on the pillow and closing her eyes. Nora stroked her hair, then pulled up the bottom of the girl’s shirt.
"Now, let us know if anything hurts too much, and we will stop. Okay, Hannah?"
“I will, thank you,” Hannah mumbled.
Nora moved over to her big satchel of oils and removed a warming mint and lavender-scented one that they generally used for children. Hudson stood there, staring at her awkwardly.
“Open your hands,” she said.
He did as she asked. After pouring some oil into his large palms, she did the same on her own. She then bent over the bed and began massaging Hannah, softly running her fingers down her spine and locating the area of the tension. When she found it, she began to knead it in small circles, like spreading dough out at a bakery.
She looked at Hudson, who still had his palms upturned toward the sky. She encouraged him to come closer, and he did, but with great trepidation.
“Feel here. You’ll notice a bump under the skin. What we want to do is spread it out. It’s going to help her relax.”
He nodded, then went in slowly. His large hands touched her like she was made of glass and as if any light change in pressure would shatter her. Nora watched, amazed, drawn to his willingness to do something so foreign to him. To try something new and risk looking foolish was admirable.
Hannah sighed as Hudson got into the rhythm of it. The tension was easing. After a few more minutes of the massage, they both realized Hannah had dozed off.
A look shared between them was akin to a strike of lightning. Nora had to force herself to look away, a blush rising with vigorous heat to her face.
“See, she loves it,” Nora whispered. “It's going to really help her calm down.”
Hudson nodded silently, then continued to knead lightly. He continued on long after Hannah was fast asleep. His devotion made Nora’s heart flutter, a joyful longing for a future capturing her thoughts long after.
It had been so long since she let herself hope for anything pleasant, but it seemed like it had found her anyway, in the form of a tall, handsome, black-haired, unlikely hero.
Now, the only question was whether she was brave enough to embrace it or if she was going to run away scared before it had a chance to come crashing down.
TEN
HUDSON
Hudson was shocked by his own ability to ease Hannah’s discomfort. It felt odd to do something to a child who was so precious and frail to him. He greatly feared only adding to her pain. But once she’d fallen asleep, he knew he had done something right.
And all with the encouragement of Nora by his side.
