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“Okay. See ya.”
Trying to rein in her irritation, Kayleigh slid the phone back into her pocket and picked up her fork.
“Everything okay?” Hudson asked. “You seem a little annoyed.”
“Everything is fine.” She hesitated before saying, “The downside to forging connections with the employees is that sometimes they’re like a sibling and are just downright annoying.”
“I don’t want to keep you from anything,” Hudson said. “You’ve been very gracious in showing me around.”
Gracious? She wasn’t aware that she’d had the option of refusing to interact with him. He was there in an official capacity from Remington, and as an employee of Remington, she answered to him.
“I do have to take care of a few things this afternoon,” Kayleigh said. “But my office door is always open if you need anything, and I’ll give you my phone number, so you have that if you have to get in contact with me.”
Their conversation veered back into the professional realm as they finished their meal. Hudson asked more questions about the staff, mainly the ones who part of her management team.
By the time they were finished, Kayleigh was ready to get back to her office. Together, they walked to the reception area of the hotel.
“If possible, I’d really appreciate it if you could keep me up to date on anything you might discover.”
Hudson regarded her for a moment before he nodded. “I do want to speak with the police. Would you be available to meet with me and them?”
“Sure. I can set up a meeting with the police chief. When would be convenient for you?”
“Tomorrow morning?”
“I’ll give him a call, then let you know if that will work.”
They exchanged numbers, then Kayleigh returned to her office. The first thing she did was to phone the police chief to set up the meeting. She’d been concerned that he’d get frustrated with her calling him twice in one day, but he agreed, without hesitation, to meet with them the next morning.
After she sent a quick text to Hudson confirming the time, Kayleigh took a moment to just breathe. Her worries hadn’t been allayed by the time she’d spent with Hudson, so she needed to spend a few minutes in prayer and reciting her worry-not verses.
She had plenty of work to do, since she hadn’t gotten anything done that morning, so she set about reviewing reports and answering emails. It was work that needed enough of her attention that she shouldn’t have been able to focus on anything else.
However, her thoughts kept going to Hudson, and she wondered what he was doing. What other things he might be discovering. And she wondered if Liz had tracked him down to flirt with him some more.
Maybe she should have stuck with him. Just so she’d know what he was doing. However, she still had a job to do that didn’t involve Hudson.
When five o’clock rolled around, Kayleigh gathered up her things to go home. She was determined to make dinner for herself that night. After the day she’d had, she definitely needed to focus on something besides work and Hudson.
It was tempting to check in with him before she left the resort. However, she resisted the urge. Instead, she put on her coat and boots, then grabbed her work bag and made her way to the parking garage.
She blasted her favorite playlist of worship music as she drove from the resort to her home on the outskirts of Serenity. Singing along, Kayleigh began her decompression routine.
When she got home, she quickly changed, removed her makeup, and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. After putting her workout clothes into the washer that was part of a stacked set in a hallway closet, she went to the kitchen and pulled out her recipe binder.
Considering what food she had on hand, she ended up choosing a recipe she’d made before. It felt like she needed something comforting, and one of her favorite comfort foods was French onion soup.
She found her yellow onions, then began to chop up a couple of them. It was a very therapeutic task, and thankfully, they didn’t make her cry too much. Once they were ready, she put some oil and butter into a heavy pot. She sauteed the onions, then put the lid on the pot and lowered the temperature.
While she was getting the rest of the ingredients ready, she glanced at the clock. It was almost six-thirty, so she knew it would be safe to call her mom. They usually ate at five-thirty, so by six-thirty, they’d be done.
“Hello, sweetheart,” her mom said when she answered Kayleigh’s call. “What are you making for dinner?”
Her mom knew about her tendency to make complicated meals for herself, meaning she didn’t eat until almost seven most days. “French onion soup.”
“I’ll be right over.”
Kayleigh laughed. “I’m only making enough for one. Sorry.”
