Page 26 of With This Ring
Hudson slipped his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans before exiting the bank’s walk-up ATM. The bright Saturday afternoon sun was high in the sky, and birds sang in the trees lining Main Street. The light breeze brought with it the scent of coffee. He stepped to the edge of the sidewalk, allowing a group of giggling teenage girls to pass before he came to Bloom’s Coffee.
His gaze flitted over to Fairytale Bridal, where he found that the Open sign had been switched to Closed. He shook his head, contemplating the generous gift card Dakota had left taped to the storm door of the colonial last night. The gesture had confused him. What was she up to?
Why would she give him a gift card if they weren’t even friends? She wasn’t anything to him anymore but an acquaintance, and even that would be a generous title. Her expression when she’d seen him yesterday made it clear he was more of an annoyance. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from offering to help her with the tire. After all, he hoped another man would do the same for his aunt or sister.
The appetizing smell of coffee reached him, and he considered using the gift card to grab a cup. Instead, his eyes moved to a lemon-yellow logo adorning the front window of Heather’s Books ’N’ Treats. He picked up his pace, recalling his aunt’s excited phone call the day the shop had opened. The residents of the little town were buzzing about finally having a bookstore, and since it was paired with a bakery, the prospect was even more thrilling.
Hudson moved his hand over the stubble on his neck and tried to remember the last time he’d read a book for pleasure. It had to have been at least six months, and that was too long. Since he was between jobs, he had no excuses now.
He recalled recently seeing an ad for a new book by one of his favorite suspense writers. Surely he could find the book in this store. Maybe a good book would help take his mind off his argument with his sister. She hadn’t called him since their tiff in his aunt’s driveway, and as much as he tried to put his irritation out of his mind, it still lingered there.
He yanked open the door, and a bell trilled as the delicious aromas of chocolate, cake, and icing wafted over him. Chipper conversations buzzed around the space. A young woman wearing glasses and a lemon-yellow t-shirt featuring the store’s logo stood by a cash register, beaming as she rang up a stack of books for an old man with a receding gray hairline.
Pop music filtered through the shop’s surround sound, and an autographed framed photo of the world-famous pop band Kirwan sat proudly on the bakery counter at the back of the store, serving as a reminder that Heather, the owner, had married the band’s lead singer. At least a dozen customers waited in line to purchaseone of the sweet treats from the glass case featuring cakes, scones, cupcakes, pies, muffins, and cream puffs.
“Excuse me,” Hudson muttered, weaving through the sea of patrons until he found the suspense section. Signs were strategically placed above the stacks, recommending books paired with the bakery’s bookish desserts—such as Plot Twist Cinnamon Rolls with Emil Zimmerman’sThe Man in the Windowand Elise Harvey’sWhere Did She Go?with Suspenseful Shortbread.
Hudson grinned.Brilliant marketing.
He folded his arms over his chest and scanned the shelves in search of his favorite author—Sebastian Harris.
The titles of three of his novels filled his vision, and he chose the two that didn’t sound familiar—HideandThe Obsession. He flipped one over and started reading the blurb.
“I know, I know,” a woman said nearby. “I promise I won’t be late. I’m aware it’s a big night. I’m just stopping in here, and then I’ll go home and change.”
The voice sounded familiar, but Hudson continued reading the blurb.
“Okay. I’m in the suspense section. What was the author’s name again? Sebastian Harris?” she continued. “You’ve mentioned his books at least a million times.” She chuckled. “Yes, I’ll add it to the list of things Ishoulddo. If I find the book, I’ll pick it up for you, and I’ll read it when I have time, which will be never.”
That sounds like... Oh no.
Hudson looked up just as Dakota moved in his direction. Her eyes were focused on the books in front of her as she held a cell phone to her ear. The muscles in his neck and shoulders tensed. She seemed so consumed with her book search and her phone call that she hadn’t even noticed him standing less than three feet from her.
In an effort to ignore his ex, he returned his attention to theblurb on the back of the book. His eyes read the same sentence over and over, but his brain refused to comprehend it.
“Sebastian Harris...,” Dakota murmured softly. “Here he is.” She tilted her head. “I see two books, and they’re both copies ofThe Dark House. I don’t seeThe Obsess—” She took two steps to the right, and her high heel smashed down on the toe of Hudson’s sneaker.
Pain radiated up to his ankle, and he bit the inside of his cheek to stop a yelp from escaping his lips.
Dakota spun and gasped. “I’m so sor—” She froze, and pink tinged her cheeks. Then she squared her shoulders, and her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me.”
“No, excuseme,” he quipped.
She stared at him at him while addressing the person on the other end of the line. “Give me one sec, Kay.” Then she turned to Hudson. “Guess I didn’t see you there.”
“Obviously.” He shot her a sardonic grin. “Unless, of course, you were aiming that stiletto for my toes.”
“No, I wasn’t, so that was pure luck.” She turned back to the shelf and her phone conversation. “I don’t seeThe Obsession.”
Hudson sighed, and before his brain engaged, he held the book out to her. “Dakota.”
She faced him again, her expression hesitant.
“Take mine.”
She peered down at the book and then back at him. “No, thanks.”
“Just take it.”