Page 88 of Pictures in Blue
I roll my eyes and look down at the patient animals that are giving me the mostdesperatepuppy dog eyes. I dig out ten treats from the box and happily feed them two each. Hudson can get over it, plus, how will he know?
After the dogs are busy munching on their treats, I make my way to the coffeemaker to find it’s already full to the brim with yet another note stuck to the counter in front of it.
Coffee is fresh. I made it stronger than usual for you. Mugs are in the cabinet to your left.
-H
I open the cabinet he indicated and grab a mug from the front. It is wrapped with colorful birds on the side, one orange and white, another with multicolored plumage, a black and white one, and one with a slight orange coloring. The wordsShow me your titsare written in orange letters across the top and I can’t help but laugh and consider stealing it to add to Charlotte’s mug collection. She would appreciate it. I make a mental note to ask him where he got it, so I can get one for Charlotte. Her birthday is coming up anyway, so another mug would be perfect.
My phone buzzes as I pour my coffee. My chest squeezes with anxiety before I see Sky’s name come across the screen. I let out a shaky breath, thankful it’s not Sharon. I don’t think I can handle her before a full cup of coffee.
“Hello?” I answer, taking a sip of coffee, careful not to burn my mouth, something I do at least once a day because I am way too eager to get caffeine in me.
“Avery, what are you doing today?”
I glance around at the empty cabin, and find the dogs settled in the living room, Judy and Bernard playing tug-of-war with one of their ropes. “I thought of walking into town, maybe to take some more pictures. Why?”
Her tone perks up. “Oh good. Do that and then stop by the inn. I know we talked about it a bit at brunch about taking pictures, but I planned to help Cordie repaint the outside of the inn to spruce it up. Maybe you can do some before pictures and then stick around to take pictures when I’m done.” I let out a chuckle without meaning to. “What?” She asks.
“You mean, you want me to take pictures beforehand,help you paint,and then take after pictures?”
“See, this is why I like you, Ave. You read between the lines.”
“I’ll be there in 30,” I say.
“Bring coffee.” She hangs up and I take another sip of coffee before heading back upstairs to change. I smile at the thought of spending the day with Sky. It’ll be nice to have a day with a friend. Even if that friend is Hudson’s sister.
And I find myself thinking about the childhood stories she could tell me about him.
I am completely lost for you, Avery Reid. And I don’t plan on finding my way back.
His words scare me. But they also excite me? And even though I haven’t been away from him for too long, I am ready to be back in his arms again.
I grab a pair of leggings, my running shoes, and a gray tank top. Without overthinking, I snag one of Hudson’s flannels from his closet and put it on, wrapping myself in his scent.
The town will notice. Sky will notice. She’ll ask why. They’ll ask if there’s more to us. What if they ask if we are sleeping together?There it is. Overthinking.
The thought of the town wondering if Hudson and I are together, doesn’t bother me as much as I expected it would. I hug the flannel tighter around me and am comforted by his familiar scent. Let them assume.
I grab my camera before heading out the front door, stopping on the front porch to stretch. The urge to run after a few days of rest is creeping up more and more, but after my short run with Ethan Sunday, my ankle is back to being sore, plus running with my camera doesn’t feel like the smartest idea. Walking it is. I roll out my muscles and stretch against the railing until I feel ready to go.
Something about walking down the gravel path away from the cabin feels…homey. Like the feeling you get when you’re asleep in the car after a long drive and start to wake up the closer you get to home. The twists and turns feel familiar, the sound of the road something you’ve heard a million times before and you know you’re almost home.
I remember feeling that way once. Sharon and I were in our small apartment, but this one had two bedrooms, so I was able to have a space of my own that felt safe. We drove for hours to pick up her boyfriend at the time, Phil, because his car had broken down and he couldn’t get a tow. I didn’t mind though. A long drive meant I got to see what was outside of our small neighborhood. I could see different streets and different roads.
Phil was her longest relationship in a while and I had actually liked him. They had been dating for a few years and he basically lived with us when he was in town, but he traveled a lot for work and could be gone for a few weeks at a time.
He always brought me back a present of some sort. Usually a snowglobe from whatever city he visited: Jacksonville, New York City, St. Louis, Nashville, Phoenix. They were my own little piece of the world I had yet to see and I kept them in my room along the top of my small bookshelf I had next to my bed.
I’m not sure what makes me think of them, but Sharon being so close to them feels wrong. Somehow they are on top of my larger bookshelf at home now and the thought of her stealing them or trashing them fills my thoughts. My only hope is she doesn’t remember where I got them from. She never paid much attention anyway and always got offended if Phil paid more attention to me than her. She never did tell me what happened between them, why they broke up.
I don’t even know where he is now. I wish I did. In some ways, he was like a step-father to me and I would have liked to stay in touch with him. Maybe when I get back, I can figure out where he lives. It would be nice to see him again. Talk to him.
I turn back to the cabin and realize Judy has been following me down the drive. I pat the top of her head and stop to memorize the details of the home in front of me. In just a week of being here, this cabin has felt more like home than any place I have lived before. The large windows on the second floor give a glimpse into the life I have lived since I have been here.
Grabbing my camera hanging from my neck, I adjust the shutter speed and the exposure. The sun is high in the sky, which is a striking blue, the mountains a dusty gray behind the cabin. All I need is a dusting of snow on the ground for it to be Christmas card material. Really, they could use Hudson’s cabin for some source of advertising for Blue Grove. I take a few pictures before turning back to walk to town, Judy keeping me company the whole way.
We walk side by side all the way to Fran’s, occasionally stopping to take photos of people outside their shops or of the shops themselves. They either stare at me as I walk or wait until I pass them to stare at the oversized flannel. Thankfully (and surprisingly) none of them ask any questions, but I can hear the occasional whisper behind me as I keep walking.
