Page 41 of Summer Nights

"I'm surprised she let you do that."

"Duncan wanted my help. I don't think she can say no to him."

"You have a ways to go before this baby will be able to express his or her desire to see their dad."

"How do I navigate this?"

"You have to be patient and show up. Eventually she'll get that you're here to stay."

I wasn't so sure about that, but I didn't want to talk about it with Elena here even though she might have more insight into Ivy's psyche. I wouldn't betray Ivy's trust.

Elena walked out with a bowl of pasta salad.

"You need help?" I asked her.

"Yeah, if you could get the glasses and the lemonade pitcher from inside."

"On it," I said as I headed inside, grabbing the items she requested and setting them on the outdoor table. Elena had added lights that hung from the palm trees and lanterns on the patio surrounding the pool. They added a nice ambiance to the space.

Hudson set the cheeseburger patties on the table, and we helped ourselves to buns and condiments.

Elena passed the pasta dish to Hudson. "How are things going with you?" she asked me.

"Good."

"I thought you might have a problem you wanted to talk about?" Elena exchanged a glance with Hudson. "It seems like the Kingston brothers stop by for a little wisdom from time to time."

"This time, I needed Hudson's ear." There was a hint of apology in my voice.

Elena smiled. "That's understandable, but if you need a female's advice, I'm always here."

"Thanks, Elena. I appreciate it." Elena put her touches on the decor in Hudson's home and on our family.

"I actually have something I want to talk to you about," Elena said, her voice filled with excitement.

"What's that?" I asked before taking a large bite of the burger. Spending time with family was nice. But I still felt a little off-kilter.

Elena exchanged a look with Hudson, broadcasting that they'd already discussed the idea. "Home renovation shows are so popular right now."

I nodded. "There's a never-ending stream of them."

She took a large breath and then launched into her pitch. "What if we did it ourselves? We could post video of our work online. There're several platforms that would allow us to stream."

"You've been talking to Brady about this?" I asked, cognizant of the fact that he'd recently admitted to streaming a video game show online to kids.

She nodded. "He opened my mind to the possibility."

"We'd have to get releases from our clients," Hudson said.

Elena's gaze darted around nervously. "We were thinking it would be nice to start with Shepard's renovation of your grandmother's house. It's a beautiful home, a mansion by most people's standards. It's a sought-after destination spot, the house has history, and Shepard has charisma."

I chuckled. "You want to make Shep a TV star?"

Elena smiled. "Not exactly. I just thought it would be good to start with one of our own spaces. We wouldn't need to sign any releases or talk to our clients about it."

"The idea is that if it's successful, clients will come to us and ask if we'll include their project," Hudson said.

"You're seriously interested in doing this?" I asked them, a little surprised that Hudson was already on board with the idea. "Shep's making noise about wanting more responsibility at work, but I'm not sure this would count."

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