Page 49 of With This Ring

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted movement at the house next door. He killed the engine just as Dakota traipsed toward her front door, balancing a cell phone on her shoulder along with her purse, a tote bag, and several sacks of groceries. He’d seen her in passing a few times during the past week, and they’d shared nods here and there but hadn’t spoken.

He shook his head. Dakota Jamison was the most impatient and stubborn woman he’d ever known, and it was just like her to try to carry everything into her house in one trip. He drummed the steering wheel, fighting the urge to help her as she struggled up the steps.

How she chose to carry her groceries wasn’t his business. At the same time...

Hudson let out a frustrated growl, grabbed the grocery bag with the bread, and strode across the small strip of grass toward her house. He reached the steps just as Dakota started to teeter. Without thinking, he grabbed an armload of her bags before they slipped out of her hands.

Dakota gasped, her dark eyes widening. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you.” He arranged the bags in his empty hand and then reached for the others.

She shifted away from him. “I got it.”

“Dakota?” the voice on the other end of her call asked. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“Everything’s okay,” she told the caller. “See you in a little bit. Bye.” She disconnected the call and studied him. “I didn’t ask for your help, Hud.”

“It’s okay to let people help you.” He distributed the weight ofthe bags evenly in his two hands, then pulled open the storm door. “Lead the way.”

She pursed her lips at first, but then her expression softened. “Fine.” After unlocking the door, she stepped inside, where her orange cat sat blinking and meowing at her.

“Hi there, Trouble,” Hudson greeted the cat. Then he glanced around, taking in the small foyer, den, and dining room. A counter divided the dining room and kitchen.

“Just a minute, Trubs.” Dakota pointed toward the kitchen. “You can put the groceries there.”

“No problem.” He set the bags on the counter while Dakota slipped past him and deposited her purse, keys, and phone in another spot.

Faded orange wallpaper that looked as if it had been hung in the 1970s decorated the kitchen, along with cabinets covered in chipped yellow paint. A few of the cabinet doors hung at odd angles, while one cabinet door sat on the kitchen table.

The cat moved in circles under her feet, rubbing her shins and meowing.

“Give me a minute, please,” she muttered to the cat. She spooned a large glob of fishy-smelling wet food into his food bowl, and after she set it down, the cat began to inhale it. She rinsed off the spoon and peeked over her shoulder at Hudson. “Thank you.”

That was his cue to leave, but for some stupid reason, he wasn’t ready just yet. He pointed to the cabinets. “Want me to fix those?”

Her nose scrunched adorably. “What do you mean?”

“Those cabinet doors look like they’re planning to fall off and hit you on the head. I see that one already has.”

“Oh.” She shrugged. “I’ll get to that eventually. I keep meaning to ask my brother to come by, but then I get so busy at the store...”

“There’s a screwdriver in the garage next door. I’ll go get it.”

She waved the idea off. “Don’t worry about it. It’s okay.”

He peered out to her den, taking in her gray sofa, cherry end tables and coffee table, and flat-screen television. The roller-skating trophy from their race sat perched on one of the end tables, and a collection of family photographs hung on the faded off-white walls. He recognized her brother, Nick, and his wife, Eileen, but their three children had grown quite a bit since the last time Hudson had seen them. Both Skye and Aubrey were lovely young women, and Kevin was now a young man.

Debbie and Mitch, her parents, smiled from a portrait nearby, and Hudson recalled conversations he’d had with her father over the years. Soon after he and Dakota started dating, Mitch had become like a surrogate father to him. He’d go to her parents’ house for supper every Sunday, and he and Mitch would talk at length about Hudson’s plans for the future. In fact, Mitch was the one who’d encouraged Hudson to follow his dream of owning his own software company.

Hudson turned back to Dakota. “This is a nice place.”

“I’m sure your place in Manhattan ismuchmore impressive.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her. Surely her comment was meant as a barb, but she wasn’t getting rid of him that easily.

She peeked into his grocery bag and actually smiled. “Banana bread. Did your aunt make this for you?”

“Sure did. I was on my way home when she called and said she had a treat for me.”