Page 16 of The Wedding Cake Wish
We’re almost home when Hudson suggests grabbingsomething to eat. ‘I’ve got a ready meal in the fridge but I can’t face it.’
‘Same. Okay, where?’
‘We could get sandwiches from the deli in Sunnybrook and eatthem by the duck pond?’
I nod happily. ‘I just feel like a ham salad sarnie.’
‘You don’t look like one.’
We exchange a grimace at the corny joke, and we drive therest of the way to Sunnybrook in silence. It’s a comfortable silence, though,and I can’t help thinking that if Hudson and Iwereto embark onanything romantic, I’d hate it to ruin this friendship that’s sprung up betweenus.
But maybe I’m just using that as an excuse to steer clear ofrelationships, so that I don’t make another horrendous choice like I did thelast time. My ex, Jonathan, was a bully and an abuser, and although it’s allover now, thankfully, I think there’s still a tiny part of me that believes Ideserved to be treated badly because I’m not worthy of a relationship with adecent and loving man...
‘Penny for them?’
Hudson’s words startle me out of my reverie. ‘Oh, they’renot even worth that.’ I wave my hand dismissively. ‘I’m hungry, aren’t you?’
We go to the deli and choose our food then walk slowlyacross the village green to the bench by the duck pond. Hudson seemsdistracted, staring ahead with a slight frown, and I wonder if he’s thinkingabout Rory.
‘Are you okay?’ I ask at last as we sit down.
He turns and gives me a sheepish smile – the kind that makesmy stupid heart flip over. ‘I was just thinking how well we work together...asa team. But I’m looking forward to being with you at the awards night. We canjust relax and have a good time...rather than talking about“the case” all the time, which is what we usually do.’
I smile at him, my heart suddenly all aglow from the inside.‘I’m looking forward to it as well. I’ve even bought a dress specially.’
‘I’m honoured.’ He smiles and our eyes meet, and I feel myheart swoop like a bird in flight. His extraordinary eyes – one a beautifulaqua blue and the other like polished jade – are filled with an emotion I can’tquite identify. The breath catches in my throat and my heart starts skippingalong in my chest like a frisky pony.Could this be the moment whenfriendship deepens into something more?
‘Oh my God, Hudson? Is that you? It is! I can’t believe it.’
We both spin round to find a startlingly beautiful womanstanding by our bench. Tall and willowy, she has long, shiny caramel hair and,if I’m not mistaken, eyes the colour of violets. Her pink, bow-shaped mouth isparted in a delighted smile, revealing perfect pearly-white teeth.
Hudson’s eyes widen. ‘Sorry, who...?’ Hestands up, dropping the remainder of his snack on the grass, but seeminglyunaware of it.
‘Oh, of course!’ She beams. ‘We’ve never actually met. It’sjust he showed me photos of you, so I feel as if I know you.’
When Hudson still looks puzzled, she shrugs, her beautifulface suddenly sad. ‘I knew your brother. We...we were togetherfor just a few months before...’ She breaks off, closing hereyes briefly, looking choked.
‘Oh, my God. Really?’ Hudson looks astounded. ‘You wereseeing Myles?’
‘I was. The best time of my life. Myles truly was thesweetest man I ever knew. We met at a Christmas Eve party in Guildford.’ Sheswallows and her lower lip wobbles. ‘You...look exactly likehim.’ She gives her head a little shake and laughs. ‘Well, of course you do.You were identical twins.’
Hudson smiles. ‘Yes. We were.’
She rests her hand on his arm for a moment and stares sadlyup at him. ‘He talked about you all the time, Hudson, and I’ve thought aboutyou so much since it happened, just praying you were okay.’ She looks away andcloses her eyes for a moment. ‘I was in America when...ithappened...and I didn’t even know he’d died until two dayslater. I kept phoning and getting no reply, then a friend saw the story on thenews, of Myles’s terrible accident, so that’s how I found out.’
‘His phone was smashed in the accident,’ murmurs Hudson. Heshakes his head. ‘That must have been terrible for you.’
She swallows hard. ‘It was. I mean, we’d known each othersuch a short time, he hadn’t even introduced me to you or your parents. I mean,I knewofyou, obviously, because Myles never stopped talking about hisfamily.’
‘Family was really important to Myles.’
She nods. ‘He had so much love to give. Children. We’dalready talked about how many children we’d like.’
‘You had?’ Hudson looks at her in surprise. ‘Wow, that’samazing.’
‘Is it?’ She looks uncertain.
‘Yes. It really is. Myles used to joke that he was so weddedto his career, he’d never have time to start a family of his own, and I alwaysused to tell him that was just because he hadn’t met the right girl yet.’ Heshakes his head in wonder, sudden tears gleaming in his eyes. ‘How about that?Hehadmet the right girl. You.’
