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“You have your truck here, Hud?” Katherine asks. “Or did you ride in with someone else?”
“I have my truck, Miss Katherine,” Hudson tells her gently, casting Rose a covert glance. “I’m happy to stick around and enjoy the fair… assuming that the princess wants to stay.”
Rose’s eyes enlarge. “The princess?” she repeats, offended by the nickname.
Katherine hoots, not noticing her granddaughter’s annoyance. “Well… I don’t want to be a party pooper, and if Rosie wants to stay, and one of you boys is staying with her…”
All eyes are on Rose now as she rakes over Hudson, trying to figure out his angle.
“I wouldn’t mind sticking around for a little bit,” she admits. “Maybe catching a bit more of the competition. It’s kind of thrilling to watch them stay on like that.”
She looks at Hudson when she says this, and I swallow a smile.
If anyone can get Hud to lower his guard, it’s Rosie.
“Then it’s settled,” Katherine announces. “Shall we, boys?”
She looks at me and Eli meaningfully, but I find myself eying Hudson.
What is he up to? He better not scare her off.Do I have time to pull him aside and give him a stern talking to?
“Are you coming, driver?” Eli calls from a few feet away. I look up and realize that Katherine and he are already heading toward the parking lot, the stegosaurus in Eli’s arms.
“Take care of her,” I growl at Hudson. “She’s the brains of the operation.”
He gives me a fuzzy smile but doesn’t respond but to turn away in the opposite direction as Rose beams at me. “We’ll be fine,” she reassures me. “I think he wants to talk more about getting a lawyer, anyway.”
I nod, slightly wary about leaving them alone, but I have little choice in the matter.
“Connor!” Eli barks. “Are you coming or leaving me with the keys?”
“Coming!” I sigh, spinning to join the others.
Rose can take care of herself. She has more brains than all of us put together. But Hudson’s darkness might set her back if there isn’t someone to neutralize him.
But if anyone can even Hudson out, it’s Rose Winterbourne. I have the utmost faith in her.
CHAPTER16
Rose
After everyone leaves, Hudson declares that he’s hungry.
“How would you feel about a pulled pork sandwich?” he proposes.
I can’t stop staring at him, imagining him on top of that horse, his muscles moving in perfect tandem to the equine’s movements. It makes me hot from head to toe.
“Rose?”
I blink, realizing that he’s waiting for an answer. “Uh… sure.” I swallow my embarrassment. “That sounds good.”
He guides me toward a row of food trucks, situated near rows of picnic tables, and instructs me to sit and wait for him.
“I’ll be right back. Do you trust me to order for you?”
Again, I blink, surprised by the question. “Of course, Hudson. Why wouldn’t I?”
His stare lingers a moment longer than necessary, but he doesn’t respond before he turns away, leaving me to sit and take in the sights around me.
