Page 94 of Summer Love

"That's wonderful." He hugged me, but I sensed a hint of sadness. "That means you don't have to work with me anymore."

I pulled back slightly. "The article's done, but I didn't want to let you down. Besides, we still have Grams's porch to finish."

"I'm planning on working on it every day until it's done."

"Grams will be excited."

"Let's get to work. You never know when you're going to need to know how to tile a bathroom."

I couldn't help but think that I might have Hudson at my side whenever the need to tile a bathroom arose.

We worked for a few hours and then grabbed tacos at the food truck we visited on my first week, taking them to the beach.

We sat on the blanket, the day reminiscent of the first time we'd done this, and I couldn't help but think about the last few weeks. I could be proud of the article I'd written and the relationship I'd built with Hudson and his family.

I was reconnecting with old friends and building a life here.

"You think you'll stay on at the magazine?" Hudson asked, stirring my biggest fear.

"I'm not sure. She's happy with the work I did, so I would think so. But does she need a permanent writer on staff? That's always the issue with print publications. I know Valerie wants to move into online spaces. If so, then there's more of a chance she'll have room for me."

We ate for a few more seconds in silence, and then I said, "I almost forgot to tell you that Valerie is hosting a party to celebrate the magazine article being published. She'll probably do a big reveal. I haven't seen the final product. She wanted me to invite you and your family."

"Text me the details, and I'll make sure everyone is there."

"Thanks for cooperating with the article. I know it wasn't something you were comfortable with initially. Especially the photo shoot."

He bumped my shoulder with his. "I still don't understand why anyone would want to know about our family, but it was fun, and I got to spend a lot of time getting to know you."

"Itwasfun, and I learned a lot."

Hudson leaned over and kissed me softly, and when I sighed at the spontaneity, he deepened the kiss.

I was practically whimpering when he finally pulled back with a wink. "As much as I want you, it's daytime and a workday."

"We should finish eating and head back." We ate the rest of the tacos, shook the sand out of the blanket, and headed back to work.

It was a bittersweet day because it would be my last one working alongside Hudson on this house or any other.

When we locked up for the night, he said, "We still need to finish Grams's porch."

"Now that the article is done, we'll have more time."

"The guys are coming this weekend, and we'll do a big push to knock it out."

"Grams will be happy."

"Will that be because of the progress on her porch, or the number of young virile men outside of her window?"

I laughed. "Both probably."

Hudson grinned at me, and I couldn't remember a time when I'd been happier or more content. I wouldn't worry about the future. Living in the present was good enough.

* * *

On the weekend, we worked hard on the porch from early in the morning until late at night. Now that most of our distractions were gone, we could focus on building her dream porch. I was excited for her to enjoy the space again.

With all his brothers and even his dad helping, we had everything finished on Sunday night. It still needed to be inspected, but we had time to place Grams's rocking chairs on the porch. I'd even bought a few potted plants to cheer up the space.

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