Page 28 of Baking With A Rockstar

“Thanks, Rose. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem at all. It’s the least I can do, he’smyidiot brother, after all.” We both snicker at that comment.

She starts walking, but I look around for Mira first.

“Go ahead, Charlie. I’ve got her.” Hannah must have joined our little impromptu party without me noticing, but I’m beyond grateful she did. “She’s chewing on her hand. Is it time for her to eat?”

I pull the towel closer around me, trying to shield myself as much as possible from the wind. “She wasn’t very hungry when we left, so probably. Would you mind feeding her? The diaper bag is in the kitchen.”

Hannah nods and waves me off. “Of course, don’t worry. You take care of yourself, the munchkin and I are gonna have a great time, as always.” She takes Mirabelle from Dahlia, snuggling her tightly.

Somehow, I have a feeling she’s going to be the most spoiled baby—at least when it comes to the Mitchell family.

“Thank you.” I share a look with her and smile.

“Don’t even mention it. Now go before you turn blue.” She shoos me away, making me laugh. I do as she asks because I really do want to get out of these clothes as soon as possible.

Hudson is still behind me, but he’s been uncharacteristically quiet during this whole exchange. Maybe it’s better this way. With every interaction we have, my resistance crumbles away some more, and I still can’t decide what to make of it. I haven’t come across a guy that’s intrigued me in the slightest since Sebastian ended things last year.

This whole time, I thought the reason was because I’m better off without a guy, that it’s not worth risking my heart as well as Mira’s. But ever since Hudson walked into our lives—his half-naked state not helping in the least—my resolve has been tested to the extreme. Even though his looks definitely don’t hurt, there is so much about him that draws me in.

We make it back to the house, where Rose swiftly guides me through the kitchen and up the grand staircase. The long hallway stretches ahead of us, and she opens the first door on the left. The bedroom she reveals is decorated in a nautical theme, white and navy blue everywhere.

“Wow, it’s beautiful.” I walk in and look around. Big ocean canvases line the wall above the dark wood bed that is almost overflowing with white and blue striped pillows. There are small decorations scattered around the room, some made out of rope, and even a stunning shadow box filled with sand and seashells. “I love this.”

“Isn’t it awesome? It’s my favorite bedroom here. Mom loves to decorate, and Dahlia and I help her sometimes. We had the best time with this house when Hudson bought it for our parents.”

My mouth drops open, apparently ready to catch some flies. “He bought this house for them?” It’s not that the thought of Hudson buying his parents a house seems farfetched, more so the opposite. From everything I’ve learned about him so far, this seems exactly like the thing he’d do.

So sweet.

“Yup. First thing he bought after he got his initial record deal. He wanted to make sure everyone else was taken care of before he bought stuff for himself.” She gives me a proud smile.

It’s the first time I realize she doesn’t have the same smile as Hudson and their mother, making me wonder if the twins look more like their dad, since I still haven’t met him.

I’m staring at her, still a bit shell-shocked after the news that Hudson bought this house.

“Well.” Rose rubs her hands together. “Let’s get you taken care of. I’ll be back in just a minute with some clothes. The bathroom is right over there through that door. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind a hot shower. I’ll just leave the clothes on the bed for you. Pick whatever you want.” She gives me another smile before she heads toward the door.

“Thanks so much, Rose.”

“Anytime.” She looks back at me, studying me for a moment. “I like you, Charlie, I really do. Somehow, you’re...different.”

With that, she walks out the door, leaving me to wonder what the heck she meant by that.

* * *

After a quick shower, I’m relieved to see Rose left me a few clothes on the bed, just like she said. I pick a beautiful blue flower dress that thankfully fits—well, mostly. It’s a little snug around my torso, but it’ll work for the next few hours.

When I open the door, Hudson is waiting for me, casually leaning against the opposite wall.

“Hi.” I take him in, all freshly showered. His hair is still damp and pushed back unruly, like he just raked his hands through it a few times—his signature look. It looks good on him—very good—and maybe it’s made me wonder a time or two if this is how he looks in the morning when he wakes up.

“Hi yourself.” He looks me up and down before his gaze lands back on mine. “Man, blue suits you so well. You look absolutely stunning. Remind me to thank my sister for finding this dress. It looks like it was made for you.”

This time it’s not just my cheeks that are hot, it’s my whole body. I feel like someone just dumped me in front of a heater. “Thank you.”

“Charlie?” His voice is as smooth as honey as he pushes himself off the wall, stalking toward me. The hallway is bright enough for me to see the determination in his eyes.

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