Page 3 of Engaging with Her Enemy

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He'd missed his chance.When it came to Becky, Hudson Stokes's timing and judgment had always been shit. He took the last bite of his hamburger, chewing slowly and staring at the kitchen door. The burger tasted the same as it did the last time he'd eaten here, fourteen years ago, as a senior in high school.

Even with three different openings to introduce himself, or reintroduce himself, he found himself too damn close to speechless. God, she was beautiful.

Her ice-blue eyes hadn't changed. They could still slice a man in half with a glance. He'd once done everything he could to get her to look at him as something other than a friend. Too bad when he’d told her how he felt, he'd been on the end of one of her man-eating cut downs that had ended their friendship.

“Boss, you wanna eat with us?” John pointed at an empty chair at a table with six other men. His crew had practically invaded the Daylight Diner in Statem, Georgia. And it was only their first night in town.

“No. Thank you.” The guys were decent company, but his expectations of the evening had included finally getting Becky to talk to him again. That had fallen apart when she hadn't even recognized him. He scratched the short beard along his jaw. He’d debated shaving it before coming in, but with the winter and being out on job sites all day, he'd rather not.

Instead of Becky, Eliza Campbell pushed through the kitchen doors, carrying another tray. She was younger than him, three or four years, but he knew her. Her dark brown, almost black hair, and emerald green eyes were a striking combination. She scanned the dining room and paused when she spotted him.

He sipped the last of his sweet tea and set the glass down.

“Hudson?” Eliza smiled warmly as she pulled out a chair and sat. “Is that you?”

He leaned away from the table. “Yes.” How had Eliza recognized him so quickly, and Becky, the woman he'd tutored for years, hadn't looked twice? Well, he did catch her looking twice which boosted his ego a little. He wasn't the scrawny teenager any longer.

“I can't believe it! Oh my gosh, what are you doing back? I thought once your mama moved away when you graduated, we'd never see you again.” She held her hand up. “Sorry. Unless you have been back. I just moved back myself at Christmas.”

“No, this is the first time.” He shrugged. “I'm the lead engineer on the road widening project.” He crossed his arms and leaned on the table as he glanced around the diner. Most of the tables were finishing up their meal. “Did Becky leave?”

Eliza's eyes grew round. “Did y'all have it out? The floors aren’t stained with blood, so I assume it wasn't the main event.”

Hudson laughed at the comparison. Pretty accurate after that debacle at Prom. “No. Nothing like that.” He rubbed his chin again. “She actually didn't recognize me, I don't think.”

Her mouth dropped open. “That means she was nice to you?”

“Yes.” Funny how that statement would seem entirely out of place with anyone else. The minute Hudson had confessed that he was her secret admirer at Prom, she'd set him between her cross-hairs and locked down her target. It hadn't been a joke, although he'd played it off as one once he found out the entire school heard his confession to her over the PA system. His crush on Becky started in fifth grade. She, on the other hand, only had eyes for athletes. Not mathletes. Not the nerd who'd tutored her cute behind for three years.

“For everyone involved, I'm glad you escaped harm. I wish I didn't expect her to hold a grudge this long. What's it been? Fourteen years? That's a long time, but she's Becky. Never forgets a thing. Good or bad.” She stood from the table and grabbed his glass. “Did you have tea?”

“Yes.”

She smiled and headed to the counter for a refill. Thirty-two years old and Hudson still couldn't let go of the first girl he'd fallen in love with. He'd jumped at the opportunity to take the lead civil engineer's position on the project near Statem. There was no denying his one purpose for being down in the small, Georgia town. Becky.

Eliza returned with his drink in a to-go cup and his check. “Did you want anything else?”

“No, thank you.”

She set down a small wrapped slice of cake. Hudson stared at it a moment. It wasn't theexactreason he missed Becky, but her baking had left its own lasting impression.

“Is that a caramel cake?”

She nodded. “Yup.”

“Becky's?”

“Yup.” She nudged it in his direction. “On the house. It was good to see you, Hudson. I hope I'm around the next time you run into Becky.”

“If you would, don't tell her yet. I'd like to ease her into it.” He doubted there’d be much easing, but it was worth a shot. “And thanks for the cake.”

She shrugged. “I won't say anything, but I'd reintroduce yourself in public, if possible. She's learned a little restraint since high school, and it might help.”

That killed the rest of his optimism at the reunion. At one point, they were friends. Best friends, although in secret.

He set more than enough money on the table. With a contained grimace, he managed not to limp as he left the diner. His right thigh had set up in that short time after spending a sixteen-hour day on his feet. Although the doctors still encouraged physical therapy, Hudson knew this was probably the best it would get.

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