Page 13 of With This Ring
He shook his head. “I’m making a list of what needs to be done around here. I noticed the house could use a fresh coat of paint. If you know of a local company who can take care of it in the spring, I’ll pay for it.” He picked up his mug of coffee and grinned at his aunt. “Unless, of course, you’ll let me buy you a nice condo, which would mean no maintenance.” He was determined to spoil his aunt, even though she repeatedly turned down his offers.
Aunt Trudy remained silent and sipped her coffee.
“We could find you one where all of the upkeep is included, so you won’t need to worry about finding someone to mow the yard. The really nice ones have fitness centers and a lot of social activities too,” he added.
She swallowed a bite of cake and shook her head. “I don’t need a fancy condo. This is where I raised you two, and it’s enough for me.”
“We’ll talk about it later then.” Maybe he’d just buy her a condo and then insist she move in. That might work. “What about a new car?” he asked. “Your Honda is starting to show its age.”
She pressed her lips together. “There’s nothing wrong with my car, and I happen to like it.”
Layla turned to her brother. “How long are you staying?” she asked.
“At least until the wedding.”
“Oh. That’s good.” She folded her hands. “I found a wedding dress today.” Her face seemed to glow as she explained how she wanted a dress that looked like their mother’s, but instead had found a similar one to have altered.
“How much money do you need for it?”
Layla shared a look with their aunt and then told him the price.
He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and opened it. “Use my card to pay for it.”
“I’d like to pay for part of it.”
“Don’t be silly.” He held his black credit card out to Layla. “Take it.”
“No, you always pay for every—”
“Layla, Mom and Dad would want me to take care of you. I’ll pay for the dress.”
His sister’s brow wrinkled. “I can’t get to the store until later this week.”
“No problem.” He pushed the card back into his wallet and shoved it into his pocket. “I need to run some errands tomorrow anyway. Tell me where the shop is, and I’ll take care of the dress.”
Layla turned to their aunt, and Aunt Trudy gave Layla a quick nod. Then Layla turned back to Hudson with a sly smile. “That’s a wonderful idea, Hud.”
Had his sister’s attitude just done a one-eighty? He cocked an eyebrow as suspicion filled him. “Am I missing something?”
“No, no.” Layla’s smile was bright. “I found the gown at Fairytale Bridal. It’s on Main Street between Miller’s Dry Cleaners and Swanson’s Hardware, near Treasure Hunting Antique Mall.” Herexpression warmed. “Thank you for offering to pay. It means a lot to me.”
“Of course.” He cut himself another piece of cake. “How’s work?”
“Great,” she said. “We’ve been getting a lot of new patients, which doesn’t surprise me since Dr. Warner is an excellent dentist.”
Hudson took another crumbly bite and studied his sister. “Have you ever thought about going to dental school?”
“No.” Layla laughed, then sobered as if surprised he wasn’t laughing too. “Why?”
“So you can stay in a field you enjoy but make more money. If you want to go to dental school, I can—”
“I don’t want to be a dentist. I love my job as a hygienist. I enjoy helping the patients and working with Dr. Warner. And even if I did want to go to dental school, I’d figure out a way to afford it myself,” she said, her tone growing terse.
He set his fork down. “Layla, you have so much potential. You could become a dentist and then own your own practice. I could help you set it up.”
“Hud,” she began, leaning forward on the table, “believe it or not, not everyone wants to be the boss. And besides that, I don’t need you to take care of me for the rest of my life. I can take care of myself.”
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