Page 96 of Must Have Been Love

A minute later she’s kneeling on a chair at the table next to ours, Barney guarding her, as she chooses between a dark red and a bright pink crayon to color in the first dress.

I sit down and swallow my last mouthful of coffee. In the distance I can see the ferry. Both day visitors and those staying longer are getting more common now that the warmer weather is finally here. I’ve had to add on extra shifts for our staff to keep up with demand.

Last week, thanks to a bout of flu that seems to be going around the island and made most of my staff ill, I had to cancel my date night with Hudson. Grumpy didn’t even cover his response. I was still smirking about it later that night when I was pouring a gin and tonic, only to find him behind the bar next to me, helping me serve customers.

“What are you doing here?” I whispered. “I thought we weren’t telling people yet.” He’d only just met with Dr. Methi, who’d suggested that I have a session with him before he helped Hudson work out a plan to get Ayda used to having me around. I’m happy with that, I’m in no rush.

Hudson, though, is in a constant rush. “I’m spending time with you,” he’d huffed, completely annihilating a pint of lager as he tried to pour it from the tap.

“Go sit down. I’ll be over when I take my break.” I gave him the glass that was more foam than beer. “And drink this, nobody else will.”

I pull my mind away from that memory and try to concentrate on Autumn, who’s looking at me like she’s trying to work something out.

Before she can say anything she sneezes, only just getting a tissue out in time. “Oh God, I’m sorry.” She shakes her head. “I swear I thought I was over this thing.”

“You had the flu too?”

“Hasn’t everybody?”

She’s not far off. Most people have. Mylene had to close the coffee shop for a few days last week, and Eileen battled through because she had guests. Jesse says he had it but not badly, and I’ve seemed to have somehow escaped it altogether. I credit my off-island genes for keeping me safe.

“So anyway,” Autumn continues. “I would have come over last week but I didn’t want to spread anything.” She reaches out to trace a bead of morning dew on the tabletop. “So how was your trip to the mainland the other week?”

I lift a brow. “Good.”

“You manage to get that contract with Jesse sorted?”

“Uhuh.” I nod, my eyes narrowing. She never makes small talk. “We both signed it this week.” I also had to ask Hudson to sign the disclaimer my now-lawyer sent over. I gave him a blow job to soothe the pain of it, though.

“That’s good. I was going to ask your opinion. Something really weird happened when you were away.” She gets her phone out, and I’m actually intrigued. Her eyelashes bat as she looks up at me. “Did you know Hudson was over in the mainland too. The same day you were?”

“No,” I say too quickly.

She gives me a smile. “Of course you wouldn’t have. He was in New York and you were in…”

She waits for me to fill in her sentence but I don’t. Because I know where this is going and it’s nowhere good.

“So what was weird?” I ask, unable to keep my curiosity from escaping.

“When we were on Facetime I saw a pair of women’s shoes on the floor in his hotel living room.” She clears her throat. “Really pretty shoes, too. Do you think he’s seeing somebody?”

I let out a breath. “How would I know?”

“I think youknowhow you’d know,” Autumn says.

“Maybe you were mistaken. Could they have been an ornament? Or left by a previous guest?” I suggest, trying not to smile at the way she’s glaring at me. God, she looks like her brother sometimes.

“I took a screenshot,” she says triumphantly, holding her phone up. She zooms in on my shoes – because there’s no doubt that’s what they are. “They look kind of seventies, don’t they?”

“Hmm.” I pull my eyes away.

She puts her phone back down. “So, how long have you been sleeping with my brother?” she whispers.

I look over at Ayda, alarmed, but she’s way too busy coloring to listen.

I point at her anyway. I’m not a bad person, but I’ll use her to try to get out of this conversation.

But then Autumn grabs my hand and drags me up. “Come over here,” she mutters, practically yanking me across the deck to the railing that separates the bar from the little strip of land that leads down to the beach. I don’t fight her too hard. This is Hudson’s fault. He should have hidden my damn shoes.

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