“And what do you think about him now?”
“That I owe him a favor, considering he volunteered to make the drive tomorrow for me,” he said.
“So, you don’t have to?”
“Now that you’re awake, I’ll go,” he said.“I didn’t want to commit to anything while you were still out.If you’d slept much longer, I was going to call in a doctor.”
“I’m good,” she said quickly, tensing up.Why did the mention of a doctor cause her stress?
“I’m guessing the rule stands that I’m not allowed to ask you any questions.”It was worth a shot to check.
“That’s correct,” she said before making eye contact.“Believe me when I say that you don’t want to hear my sad story.”
He was building a narrative in his head that was probably worse.“You couldn’t be the product of a sad story.”He studied her, ignoring the way his heart pounded against the inside of his ribcage.“I’m guessing you were dealt a bad hand in life, possibly from the start.”
She nodded.“A victim of the foster care system.”
“Victim?”he asked.“You don’t strike me as someone cast in that role.”
“Bad word choice, I guess.I don’t see myself as a victim, but I did grow up in unfortunate circumstances.”
“Which you used to make yourself stronger.”
“Excuses don’t get you anywhere,” she said with a defiant spark in her eye.“When I turned eighteen and timed out of the system, I decided that the rest of how my life turned out was on me.I got to make the calls from then on.”
“And?”
“I made good choices and bad ones.”She issued a sharp sigh.“The bad ones haunt me.”
“Isn’t it strange how the brain likes to go over and over mistakes but glosses right over the things we get right?”
Her smile lit fires inside him.Was she a kindred spirit?
“That’s true, actually.”
“We would be a lot better off if the reverse were true.”His mistakes haunted him, too.The two of them weren’t so different.
Cassie sat back in her chair.Her shoulders relaxed for the first time since he’d met her.“I’ll stay tonight, and then if it’s not too much trouble, you can drop me close to my campsite tomorrow.Besides, I can’t leave without tasting your specialty.”She inhaled.“It smells amazing, by the way.”
He knew better than to push for more.A cracked door didn’t always open.The surest way to close it was to force a toe in.“Whatever you want to do is cool with me.”
“Okay.”She polished off her coffee and then held up the cup.“Any chance I can trouble you for another cup.I don’t think I’ve ever had coffee that tasted this good.”
“Sure.”He started to get up, but she stopped him by raising her hand.
“Don’t get up,” she said.“You’ve already done enough for me.Point me to the supplies, and I’ll figure it out on my own.Can’t have you waiting on me hand and foot.”
Hudson didn’t mind.It was the first time he’d felt useful to someone else in longer than he cared to remember.
Could it last?
5
Cassie excused herself to get dressed after making a second cup of coffee.When she returned, Hudson was back at the stove and heating up the stir-fry.
She reclaimed her seat at the table and took another sip of the blessed fresh brew.This state of bliss would be short-lived since she was leaving tomorrow morning, early.Ever since planning and pulling off her disappearance from Fort Worth, she’d been on the run.She’d barely had time to think because she’d had to pull the trigger on her plan earlier than she’d hoped after overhearing that the money being kept at her home would be taken away the next day.Her escape plan had hinged on having access to loads of untraceable cash.
Leaving Texas altogether would be so much easier if he didn’t still live here—he, being the son she’d given up for adoption at seventeen.It had taken months to track him down, and she’d used some of Jarek’s resources.So, yeah, for part of her plan to be successful meant Enzo remaining loyal to her and not Jarek.Enzo had seen the bruises her ex had given her.Enzo had taken her to the hospital when Jarek had broken her arm.And Enzo had been the one to suggest she leave before Jarek ended up killing her.She’d explained how Jarek watched her every move and gave her just enough money to buy basics.He watched her credit card charges like a hawk with daily check-ins.She couldn’t turn around without him counting how many times.