Nadia had never shared much about herself. Nobody really sat down and did that, did they? Things came out along the way – a phone call from a spouse or a mother-in-law, a mention of a sibling’s birthday, talk of a bad relationship with an ex. But Nadia had never said much at all. She’d confirmed that she had once lived in Switzerland but even that was something he wasn’t sure she’d ever meant to let slip. It was like she’d kept her entire life pre-Whistlestop River quiet, like she’d cut her ties with it and started over. He put it down to her being good at her job, super professional. But now, he wasn’t so sure.
It had taken a lot for Hudson to admit his marriage breakdown to someone aside from his parents. He hadn’t intended to do it last night with Nadia, and definitely not at a party, but the way he’d felt when he’d seen her show up, the emotions zipping through him when he saw her in that dress, the way he’d felt every time they stood close to one another, he hadn’t wanted to wait another minute. It had felt as though if he didn’t tell her then, someone might possibly whisk her away out of his orbit.
Was that what this guy Archie was doing?
Asking himself the question had him realise how little he really knew of this woman he was getting closer to and had wanted to get to know more until last night. Now he wasn’t so sure what he wanted.
He definitely didn’t want complicated.
The washing machine churned its new load over and over. He waded through the clean, dry clothes on the benchtop in the utility room and separated them into piles ready to put away and then moved on to sorting out the dinner. He’d made the curry last week so it was easy enough and he juggled playing with Carys and getting it ready.
He settled Carys in her highchair as Beau appeared. ‘While I dish up, could you take your clothes upstairs?’
Beau looked up from beneath a thick fringe and groaned. ‘I’m so hungry.’ But he went to do what he’d been asked. He came back through with a pile of clothes in his arms. It was progress, a ceasefire of sorts when he didn’t refuse to do something he was asked.
Hudson dished up and had all three dinners at the table by the time Beau came back and ruffled his little sister’s hair, earning him an enormous grin. The little girl loved her older brother and vice versa. Hudson supposed by the time Carys got to the hard teenage years, Beau would be grown up and hopefully, he’d still look out for her.
When dinner was eventually over, it was onto the next thing: bathtime for Carys. Sometimes, he was tempted to skip it but given she’d smeared chicken curry in her hair, it was easier to put her in the tub and give her a hair wash than try to comb the mixture out somehow.
Once Carys was in bed after cuddles and a couple of stories, Hudson left her light down low. He’d switch it off properly later and swap it for the nightlight on the upstairs landing once the skies outside grew dark and no longer let a sliver of light slip through the door, which was left open a tiny crack.
He stopped outside Beau’s door and knocked, gently the first time, with a bit more of a thump the second before he got a ‘What?’ in response.
‘Come inwould be better thanwhat?’ He had to speak louder than usual given Beau had the headphones on. ‘I came in to see whether you had any cups or glasses up here.’ If they were short on crockery, Beau’s bedroom was the first place to look and sure enough, Beau plucked a mug from beside his bed, a bowl from the edge of his desk which had goodness knows what caked to it and a glass from his windowsill.
The doorbell sounded before Hudson even reached the top of the stairs and Carys appeared in her doorway.
He set down all the crockery, went over to his daughter and picked her up. ‘Bedtime now, darling.’
The doorbell went again.
Carys rubbed her eyes, clutched her toy bunny against her neck. She’d been in a bed for over a year and the novelty of being able to hop out when she felt like it still wasn’t lost on her. She needed a good thirty minutes of quiet to settle or any sound would grab her interest.
Like it had now.
The doorbell went a third time. And so he ignored the crockery on the windowsill near the top of the stairs and went down to find who was ruining his chance of a relaxing evening.
He found Lucinda letting herself in.
‘I did ring the bell,’ she said, looking up at him as he descended the stairs.
Carys let out an excited squeal and pushed against his chest as soon as they reached the hallway. He set her down and let her go.
Lucinda scooped up her daughter and hugged her tight. Looking at Hudson, she told him, ‘Before you start lecturing me, Beau called me. He wanted help with his maths homework; that’s why I’m here.’
‘Letting yourself in.’
‘Actually, I was trying not to disturb the bedtimeroutine.’ She emphasised the wordroutineas if it was in quote marks. She’d have made the gesture had Carys not been in her arms.
Lucinda had never understood his insistence at routine for the kids, although she’d welcomed the calm and the quiet when she was trying to work and Carys went down like clockwork. She’d welcomed it when Beau was that age too.
‘You couldn’t have done this in the last twenty-four hours?’ he asked. ‘He’s been with you in Cardiff.’
‘We were visiting my parents; homework didn’t come into it. Beau obviously got back into it today and realised he needs some help.’
‘I thought you had work to do; that’s why you couldn’t stay in Cardiff longer. But you’ve time to be here now.’
‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Hudson. I didn’t come here to fight.’ She pulled Carys’s fingers from her hair. ‘I could leave it for you if you want to help him.’