Page 227 of Lost Then Found
He shrugs, barely holding back a laugh of his own. “She’s already gonna say yes ‘cause she’s crazy about you. So I figured I better get something out of it too.”
I narrow my eyes at him, nodding like I’m weighing this. “A man who stands on business. I can respect that.”
Then I glance at him sideways, trying to keep my voice casual. “You really think she’ll say yes?”
Hudson doesn’t even hesitate. He rolls his eyes so hard it’s like I’ve asked him if the sky’s blue. “Duh.You guys kiss every five seconds and look at each other like you’re all smitten and stuff. It’s gross.”
I bark out a laugh, clutching my chest. “Smitten?”
He nods, entirely serious. “Yeah. You guys better not act like that when we all live here. It’s disgusting.”
I lean down a little, my voice low and dramatic. “Oh, I’m gonna kiss herall the time.”
Hudson groans and pretends to gag, stumbling back. “You’re sick.”
Before he can escape, I grab him into a loose headlock, both of us laughing as we wrestle in the middle of the unfinished room. He squirms, half-heartedly trying to wriggle free, but I let him go.
“One day,” I say, still catching my breath, “you’ll meet a girl and all you’ll want to do is kiss her—and you won’t think it’s so gross then.”
Hudson looks up at me, deadpan. “Doubt it.”
I chuckle, shaking my head as I brush some sawdust off Hudson’s hoodie. “We’ll see.”
Hudson crosses his arms, trying to look tough. “Nope. Never happening.”
“You say that now. Just wait. Some girl with big eyes and a killer fastball’s gonna walk into your life and you won’t know what hit you.”
He groans dramatically, trailing behind me. “You’re ruining my life already.”
I laugh as we step outside. “I’m just warming up, bud.”
The sun’s climbed higher by the time we step back outside, burning off the last of the morning chill, but the air still has that bite to it—just enough to keep you moving. Gravel crunches under our boots as we make our way across the drive, toward where Ridge, Witt, and Duke are already unloading supplies from the back of Witt’s truck. A few boards hit the ground with a dull thud, followed by the clatter of tools.
Ridge looks up first, nodding at us. “Look who finally made it back. Thought maybe you got lost in your own house.”
“Just giving the kid the tour,” I say, patting Hudson’s shoulder.
Witt tips his hat back, surveying Hudson like he’s appraising livestock. “You ready to earn your keep?”
Hudson straightens, trying to match their energy. “Yeah. What’re we doing?”
Duke leans against the truck bed, thermos in hand, grinning. “Today’s about buttoning things up. Trim work in the hallway, getting that last section of drywall hung in the upstairs bath, and the cabinet bases set in the kitchen. We’ve got hardware to install too, so no one’s standing around. That means you, Witt.”
Witt snorts. “God forbid I take a break and experience one fleeting moment of joy in this bitch.”
Ridge wipes his hands on his jeans, eyeing the stack of boxes. “Might get started on the backsplash if we’ve got time. Figured we could dry fit it, see if it needs trimming.”
“Sounds good. No paint yet,” I add, nodding toward the house. “Lark’s picking colors, so unless we need to hit a base coat in the closets, we’re holding off.”
Witt grunts, already hauling out a toolbox. “Good. Less mess for now.”
Ridge tosses a roll of contractor’s paper onto the ground with a thud, then jerks his chin toward Hudson, who’s hovering nearby, clearly itching to be assigned something real. “Think we’ve got a job with your name on it, big man.”
Hudson straightens, eyes sharp, ready. “Yeah? What is it?”
Duke finishes off whatever’s left in his thermos and caps it witha snap. “We need those boards over there sorted by length and stacked neat by the porch. Helps us work faster if we’re not tripping over a mess.”
Ridge nods, tossing him a pair of work gloves that are way too big. “Put those on so you don’t get splinters. Can’t have you crying to your mom that we broke you. She’d beat my ass.”
