Page 23 of With This Ring

“Tense?” his business partner asked.

“Yeah. I’ve paid for my sister’s wedding dress, and today we booked the country club for the reception.”

“Sounds fancy.”

“It is, but I don’t see how she and her fiancé are going to make it in the real world.”

“Well, man, the best way to learn is to get out there. Have you been thinking about the offer in Bahrain?”

“Yes and no,” Hudson said, flipping on his blinker.

“Well, a couple more offers came in. Positions in Los Angelesandin Europe.” Darren continued to discuss the other opportunities while Hudson drove to Oak Street and parked in the rental house driveway. “We could always accept offers at the same place and keep working together since we make a great team. What do you think?”

“It’s been a long day, man. Can you send me the info?”

“Will do.”

“Thanks.” Hudson switched off the ignition.

Darren was silent for a moment. “For what it’s worth, just because they’re young doesn’t mean they won’t make it.”

Hudson rubbed the back of his head.If only life were that easy. “Yeah, I know. G’night, Darren.”

“Night.”

Hudson strode toward the front door, punched in the code, and headed into the warm house. Maybe if he spent the rest of the evening looking over the offers from Darren, his mind would get a break from his worries about his sister and her dubious future.

Chapter 6

Dakota rushed out her front door Friday morning, balancing her purse, tote bag, and lunch bag. Her heart hammered in her chest, and her black suede round-toe heels clicked along the stone path to her car. She was late, thanks to forgetting to set her alarm last night. She had only twenty minutes before her appointment would arrive, so she had to hightail it to the store. Impressing this bride-to-be was critical. Sheneededthis sale.

She glanced over at a fancy SUV parked in the driveway of the large colonial Airbnb next door, but she kept moving forward. She unlocked the back door of her car and shoved her bags in the back seat. She started to open the driver’s seat door and—

Oh no.

She halted at the sight of a flat tire.

This was the last thing she needed today. She was already running late, and now she had to change a tire in her best suit and heels.She looked up at the sky, stomped her foot, and kicked the flat tire in futility. As if that was going to help.

“Great,” she muttered, opening the front door and popping the trunk. She hurried to the back of the car and let out a groan. Her trunk was full of bags of clothes and odds and ends she had meant to drop off at the donation center last week.

She had no choice but to unload the trunk, bag by bag. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the garage door opening at the house next door. She tossed each bag down on the driveway, yanked up the trunk liner, and grabbed the tire iron and scissor jack.

As soon as she’d gotten her learner’s permit, her father had made sure she knew how to check her oil, measure her tire pressure, and change a tire. She could handle this, no problem—even in a nice pantsuit and heels.

“Do you need help?”

She froze, the muscles in her neck and back tensing. She recognized that voice. Dakota peeked around the trunk and, sure enough, found Hudson Garrity standing on the strip of grass separating her yard from the Airbnb.

Not again.

She straightened, maintaining a death grip on her tools. “What are you doing in my driveway?”

He scowled. “You live here?”

“Obviously.” She glanced around, and her stomach sank as she took in the open garage next door. “Don’t tell me—”

“We’re neighbors? Okay, I won’t, even though it appears to be true.”

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