Page 25 of Summer Escape
There was a large deck on the back of the building that was lined with rocking chairs.
"Are we helping them?" I asked cautiously.
Saylor stopped walking. "If you want."
I looked at Hudson, Shepard, and Brady who were carrying boards from their trucks and dropping them in the grass. "Okay."
"Yeah?" A smile spread over her face.
"I might as well. Hayden's busy in her meeting."
"I thought it would be nice for us to pitch in. I'm going to help Elena and Hazel carry the plants over. You probably know what you're doing with those boards."
I ran a hand over my neck, then let go. It was time to bridge the gap with my brothers. "Yeah, okay."
Saylor resumed walking toward the pile of boards. "I brought someone to help." When an awkward silence ensued, Saylor slowly backed away. "It looks like the girls could use some help."
When she left, Hudson threw his load on the pile. "Didn't think we'd see you here."
I threw a thumb over my shoulder. "Hayden's in a meeting about volunteering around the center."
"Is she doing that?" Brady asked. His expression was more open than Hudson's. I felt tension coming off him.
I shrugged. "She wanted to check out the meeting, and I'm hoping she'll meet some friends in the process."
"It's a great organization to volunteer for. They're appreciative of everything we do." Brady glanced at Hudson who held himself stiff. "We could sure use the help. The girls want to start planting today, so we're on a tight timeline."
"I'm fine with that," Shep added.
"I can help if you need it." If Hudson wanted me here.
"Good." Brady walked with Shep toward the trucks, leaving me alone with Hudson.
"I haven't been by to talk to you or the family yet," I said when he didn't fill the silence.
"That's obvious."
Hudson wasn't going to make this easy on me. "I know I upset everyone when I left."
Hudson grunted.
"I don't know how to make up for how I left or the fact that I did at all—" I wasn't even sure what to say to my brothers. I wanted to pick up where I left before, but that wasn't fair to anyone. "I'm trying to get to know my daughter, which has been tough. She's a teenager and wants nothing to do with me. It's nothing I don't deserve, but I was hoping that a few months in a beach house would break her down."
"Yet you're living there with Saylor." Hudson inclined his head toward the girls who were carrying boxes of plants.
"It was a mix-up, and there was nowhere else to go."
He tipped his head to the side, considering me. "There's nothing going on there?"
"With Saylor?" I asked him, and at his nod, I said, "Not at all. She's been helping Hayden, showing her some graphic design program. She's able to connect with Hayden in a way I can't."
"Probably because she's a woman," Hudson said.
"That might be it. I don't know if it's that I've been gone so long, or she'd be like this at her age anyway. I'm just hoping to make a connection with her somehow."
"I'm sure you will," Hudson said dismissively.
"And I'm not quite sure how to fix things with you and Dad. I know I hurt you when I left."
