Page 19 of Kayleigh

“Why would you do that?”

Over the next little while, she continued with the steps for making the soup as she talked to her mom, sharing what had been going on at the resort. There wasn’t much else going on in her life, unlike her siblings, who had children and significant others to talk about.

“We’ve certainly been praying about the situation. Perhaps this man will help you get to the bottom of it.”

Perhaps. Unfortunately, if Hudson was able to do what she hadn’t been able to, her job might be in jeopardy.

“Please keep us informed on what develops.”

“I will,” Kayleigh told her. “What’s new with the family?”

Kayleigh rarely had the time to call each of her siblings to find out what was going on with them, so she relied on her mom to gather all the news and pass it on. Maybe she’d try to make the effort to join some of her siblings at Charli and Janessa’s for pizza that Friday night.

She knew from messages in the family group chat that the basketball team Jay coached had a game on Saturday, which meant that he would most likely be available on Friday night. Unless he was doing something with Misha, his fiancée.

By the time their conversation drew to a close, Kayleigh’s soup was ready. She said goodbye to her mom, then carried her food to the table.

Preparing the food, along with chatting with her mom about the family, had helped her to put work out of her thoughts. Not wanting to lose that, Kayleigh chose to read on her phone so her mind didn’t start to worry once again about all the things she couldn’t control.

It would probably all come back as she got ready for bed, but for the moment, she’d embrace the break from it.

The next morning, when her alarm went off, Kayleigh lay in bed, trying to decide if she should go to the gym or not. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but now that she knew who she’d been working out alongside for the past couple of mornings, she didn’t know that she wanted to do it again.

Kayleigh was well aware that it was strictly her pride speaking. The reason she didn’t want to was because she always worked out with no makeup. And she definitely didn’t wear the latest in fashionable gym wear.

Her presence in the gym was strictly practical, and she didn’t go there to impress anyone. Working out was an essential part of taking care of her physical and mental well-being.

Knowing she’d answered her own debate about whether to work out or not, Kayleigh crawled out of bed with a sigh. She wasn’t there to impress Hudson St. James with her appearance. She wanted him to think she was competent in her job because of her efforts, not her appearance.

In the bathroom, she splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth. She put on a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt, since it was too cold to dress in just her workout clothes for the drive there.

In the kitchen, she put a container of yoghurt and a jar of some fresh berries into a small, insulated bag, then gathered up the rest of her stuff for the day and left the house. Because it wasn’t even five-thirty yet, the streets were empty. Most homes were still dark, their residents not up for the day yet.

The hotel was also quiet, which was why she came so early. As expected, the gym was empty. Hudson had shown up around six the previous days, so it was still possible she’d have his company, eventually.

Once in the changing room, she pulled on her workout clothes and runners. Leaving her bag in a locker, she went out to one of the treadmills to begin her run.

She’d chosen a podcast which had an hour-long episode in video form and loaded it up on her tablet. After inserting her ear buds, she began a slow walk to warm up.

Soon, she was up to her usual pace and fully engrossed in the podcast. It was a program by two Christian women. They were sisters-in-law, one married to the brother of the other, and the second one was single. Kayleigh appreciated their godly and Biblical approach to topics that faced women—both married and single—in the world’s current state.

Kayleigh was so caught up in the podcast that she didn’t realize the time until movement from the corner of her eye drew her attention. It was no surprise to see Hudson walk in. She gave him a nod and a smile before focusing back on her tablet.

As he had on previous mornings, Hudson went to the weights, apparently as focused on his own workout as Kayleigh was on hers.

When she reached the end of the podcast, she slowed the treadmill to a stop, then went to the changing room. She retrieved her bag, then went back out into the main area of the gym. Hunter was just getting up from the weight bench.

“Good morning,” he said.

Kayleigh returned the greeting, taking in Hudson’s casual appearance. He wore a pair of loose basketball shorts and a tank top. His slicked back hair from the day before now lay in loose curls on top of his head.

“Do you want to meet me at my office and take my car to the police station?” Kayleigh asked, even though she was eager to take her sweaty self off to the shower in her office.

“Sure. That would probably work best. What time should I be there?”

“Our appointment is at ten, so if we leave by nine-thirty, we’ll be there in time.”

“Okay. I’ll be ready.”

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