Until You Loved Me (Silver Springs #3)(67)

*

Ellie fell asleep almost as soon as they took off. Hudson wished he could do the same, but flying made him anxious. He hated the fact that he had no control over the plane. Although he tried to distract himself by using his tablet to get on the internet, the flight attendant wouldn’t leave him alone long enough to sink into a movie. She kept coming back to ask if he’d like another drink, something to eat, Dramamine, a chance to join the Mile High Club. She didn’t specifically make that last offer, of course, but the opportunity was implied.

“I’m fine,” he told her for probably the tenth time. He was disappointed that having Ellie with him didn’t seem to make any difference to the flight attendant. He would’ve thought the presence of a possible girlfriend would stave off some of the behavior she was exhibiting. But he’d seen women come on to other players while they had their wives at the same party. So he figured he shouldn’t be too shocked. Fame seemed to interfere with some people’s ability to think clearly. He was just glad Ellie didn’t respond the way a lot of women did. His “celebrity,” as she put it, didn’t seem to affect her—except that she didn’t like the attention he attracted, and he couldn’t blame her. Most of the time, he didn’t like it himself.

He chuckled as he remembered how strongly she’d argued for a coach ticket. She’d been hoping to leave him in first class, where he’d have to deal with his own fame, and she could relax and do whatever she wanted. But he hadn’t let her off the hook, and not only because he was trying to be courteous. He enjoyed having her with him.

He glanced down to see her head sliding toward his shoulder. Generally she caught herself before settling against him. She’d wake up, realize she was too close and straighten—only to fall right back asleep, at which point her head would start to droop again.

He leaned closer, to offer her the support she needed before she could wake up in time to avoid contact. He managed to accomplish that, but it wasn’t fifteen minutes later that the damn flight attendant was back.

“Would you like some more cookies—or any other snacks?” she asked eagerly.

Clenching his jaw so that he wouldn’t snap at her, he responded with a polite and soft “No, thanks. I’m good.” He was hoping not to wake Ellie, but almost as soon as the flight attendant was gone, Ellie lifted her sleepy eyelids, noticed she was leaning on him and drew back as if she’d encountered a snake.

“Oops! Sorry about that,” she said. “I should’ve bought one of those neck pillows I saw in the terminal.”

He took off his hat and settled it back on his head. “It’s not like I mind. At least one of us is getting some sleep.”

“It’s that flight attendant,” she complained with a grumpy scowl. “She’s obsessed with you. Why don’t you go into the bathroom and do her already?”

Hudson couldn’t believe he’d heard her correctly. “What’d you say?”

She shook her head, looking flustered. “Nothing. I’m not quite awake.”

He started laughing.

“What?” she said.

“I thought we promised to leave other people alone until we ‘break up.’”

The way she stretched suggested she was extremely uncomfortable. “I’m willing to make an exception. Anything to get her to leave us alone.” Her gaze flicked to his iPad. “What’re you watching?”

“A documentary on India.”

“Really?”

“Why does that surprise you?”

“I thought it would be sports related, I guess.”

“I can think about other things—now and then—when I’m not out smashing female hearts, that is.”

“A hopeful sign.”

He shot her a dirty look but she merely smiled, as if she’d meant to give him a little grief.

“Is it good?” she asked and acted so interested that he ended up handing her one of his earbuds so they could watch it together.

*

“It was a long flight. Would you rather we stay at my home here in LA to rest up, or are you okay with heading out to Silver Springs right away?”

Hudson was driving the almost-new 4x4 truck that’d been waiting for them in long-term parking. Ellie was curious whether this was the type of vehicle he usually drove, but she didn’t ask. She didn’t want him to think she was too interested in his possessions—especially after insisting she wasn’t. She was wearing the necklace he’d given her, despite what she’d said about that. “I’m not fragile. I can go on.”

“Great. Since it’s the off-season, I have more responsibilities in Silver Springs.”

“No problem. It’s barely a two-hour drive.” Hard to believe she’d made that same drive just a week earlier, that she was now living across the country and had brought only two suitcases, both of which Hudson insisted she wasn’t to touch, even though they had wheels. While she was in the hospital, the doctor had suggested she not lift anything, and Hudson was taking that to heart. He barely let her carry her own purse, since it was the big hobo kind that contained everything she could ever need or want. She’d been tempted to pretend it was too heavy to see what he’d do, but she knew how badly he’d be teased in the locker room if someone happened to catch a picture of him with a purse dangling from his shoulder.