Until You Loved Me (Silver Springs #3)(68)

“You hungry?” he asked. “Should we stop and eat before we set out?”

“That’d be nice,” she replied. “Do you know a good place?”

“Babe, I live here.”

She grinned at his response. “Does that mean you know all the great restaurants?”

“It means I know a lot of them.”

The place he took her for lunch was an upscale, locally owned bistro with a private room, where the owner and chef greeted him personally. She accepted Hudson’s recommendation on the hand-cut rosemary pappardelle, which was delicious, but insisted on choosing her own dessert. When she ordered two, because she couldn’t decide between the bananas Foster and the carrot cake, he raised his eyebrows in surprise—then ended up eating most of both.

“You said you didn’t want dessert,” she complained as they left.

“Those were huge portions! You were way out of your league,” he said, completely unrepentant. “Don’t tell me you’re going to order like that whenever we go out.”

“Absolutely! Why not? I’m eating for two, after all.” She was testing him to see what his response would be—if her physical appearance would embarrass him—but he never missed a beat.

“Finally a girl who’ll be able to do justice to the food I provide.”

“Whoa! You won’t be providing my food. Take it out of my paycheck. Except for those desserts, of course. Those are on you, since I just got a few bites.”

“You ate as much as I did!”

“Not even close.”

He rolled his eyes. “Fine, if you want to quibble. Anyway, we’ve already made the financial arrangements. Don’t try to change things now.”

She whirled on him. “Since when did we agree that you’d pay for my food? We’ll split groceries, as well as all the other household expenses. That’s what roommates do—they buy their own stuff and share the cost of utilities.”

“Really?” he said. “Because you don’t make enough to pay 50 percent—and I should know, since I’m your new boss.”

“You’re not my boss. I have all kinds of skills. I could get a job anytime.”

She had an education, but her skill set wouldn’t fit in just anywhere. Fortunately, he didn’t call her on that. “Manner of speaking,” he said, and his laugh let her know he enjoyed getting a reaction out of her.

“Not the best manner of speaking. Anyway, this is your vacation house, right?”

“It’s still big. Has to be in order to protect my privacy.”

She slowed her step. “How big is big enough to protect your privacy?”

“The utilities are very likely more than your rent.”

He lived a lifestyle she couldn’t even imagine. “I see. Okay. Well, you’re the one who bought such a monstrosity. I guess that’s your problem, then. Free room and board and five thousand a month. I’ll consider it a raise.”

“I can tell you how to get another one...”

His devilish expression revealed exactly what he’d suggest, so she steered clear of that comment. “I’m satisfied.”

“Hopefully you won’t remain that way.”

She ignored that statement, too. “But since I always try to be fair—” she cringed “—I’ll let you attend the birth. If everything goes well from now on, that is.”

“Why is that so distasteful to you?” The question was serious, even though he followed it up with a more playful “After all, I’m such a nice guy.”

“Have you ever seen a birth video on YouTube or watched a farm animal have offspring or...anything?” Her new ob-gyn would, no doubt, suggest they attend birthing classes. So he’d learn what to expect soon enough. But those wouldn’t start until she was much closer to the end of her pregnancy.

“No. They had farm animals at my high school, but I didn’t pay much attention to them.”

“There you go. I know what I’m in for—and I don’t want an audience,” she said as she climbed into his truck. She didn’t add “Especially you,” but that was what she meant.





18

Hudson’s house wasn’t the rambling Mediterranean Ellie had expected after seeing that so often in the wealthy neighborhoods of Miami. Although his home was spacious and new, it was built like a nineteenth-century farmhouse with white-beamed ceilings, hardwood floors, heavy-paned windows and tons of built-in cabinetry. The light fixtures, some of the best she’d ever seen, were as rustic as the expensive rugs. A theater room and an equally impressive gym took up most of the basement. She figured, worst-case scenario, she could spend her pregnancy down there, watching movies.

She could feel Hudson’s eyes on her as they passed through the game room, complete with neon beer signs hanging from the walls, an antique jukebox in one corner and a bar, reaching an elaborate barbecue area, deck and swimming pool. “Not bad,” she said as she ambled over to the edge of the property—the only place where the ten-foot perimeter fence was made of wrought iron so as not to obstruct the view—and gazed at the mountains beyond.

“You like it?”

She felt a bit intimidated, but she managed a careless shrug. “I’m sure I can put up with it for a few months.” She pointed to the far corner of the yard. “What’s that little house over there?”