Until You Loved Me (Silver Springs #3)(75)

“Thanks. I’ll try to make it up to you.”

“You don’t owe me anything.” She rolled away from him, dragging the sheet with her as she got out of bed.

“Where’re you going?” he asked when she headed for the hallway instead of the bathroom.

“I need a shower after last night.”

“Last night was good—before I blew it.”

“It was all good.”

“You liked what we did in the game room.”

“Yes,” she admitted.

“Does that mean you’ll be back for more?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“You’re not committing?” he called out, since she was now out of the room.

“No, and I’m sure you aren’t, either.”

“I can’t, Ellie. I’m not cut out for that.”

No answer.

“Ellie?”

“I’m going to make omelets for breakfast, if you want one,” she called back.

“Definitely, I’ll take one.” He started to look for his phone. He hadn’t bothered to plug it in last night, so it had to be in his pocket. When he found it, he’d just begun to text the PI, to tell him he’d made a decision, when the doorbell rang.

For a second, Hudson wondered who could’ve gotten through the security gate. Then he realized it was almost noon—plenty of time for Bruiser to have driven over from LA. The gardeners or Maggie must’ve let him in, because Hudson hadn’t heard the intercom.

Before going downstairs, he took a second to finish his text. Don’t continue to pursue the lead we talked about. If that’s the truth, I don’t want to know it. As a matter of fact, he wished he could unknow what he’d already been told. It was too late for that, but maybe he could stop what he’d started before it got any worse.

*

Ellie could feel Bruiser sizing her up the whole time she cooked breakfast. She’d worn the only shirt she had with a high collar—she hadn’t packed a turtleneck, hadn’t expected she’d need to cover her neck—but she was afraid he could still see the red mark Hudson had left, and it made her self-conscious. She didn’t want to come off like the average groupie; for one thing, she wasn’t, and for another, she knew that wouldn’t impress anyone. Bruiser was trying to figure out who she really was and whether her presence in his friend’s life would be positive.

“Those were delicious,” he said when she’d finally managed—after ten eggs and quite a bit of ham, cheese, spinach and onions—to fill him up. She’d never seen a more massive man. Not in real life, anyway.

She smiled as she started to clean the kitchen. “Thanks.”

“Do you think you’re going to like it out here?”

“In California? Don’t know, to be honest,” she said. “I haven’t seen much of Silver Springs. But I’m trying to keep an open mind.”

Hudson made no comment as he gathered up the dirty plates and brought them over to the sink. He’d mentioned that Maggie, the housekeeper, would be stocking the pantry and the fridge today, but he’d also admitted that he preferred cleaning up after himself—at least dishes and that sort of thing.

“It isn’t as humid in California, so you’ll be pleasantly surprised come summer,” Bruiser said.

Ellie took the knives and forks Hudson had gone back to retrieve and rinsed them off before loading them in the dishwasher. “That’s what I hear.”

Bruiser finished his milk. “Bugs in California are a lot smaller, too.”

“Another plus,” she said.

He let Hudson take his empty glass. “So you’ll be having the baby in June?”

Ellie glanced over at Hudson. He hadn’t mentioned that Bruiser was one of the two people who knew about the baby, hadn’t even told her this person was coming over. She’d gotten out of the shower to learn they had company. “I’m due on the tenth.”

He looked her up and down. “You’re a tiny thing.”

Ellie didn’t know how to react to that comment. Almost anyone would be tiny next to him. “Considering I’m five months into the pregnancy, I won’t stay this way for long.”

“There’s nothing like having a baby.”

“Bruiser and his wife have a little girl named Brianne,” Hudson cut in. “Cutest kid ever. They’re head over heels—” he grinned as he jerked his head toward Bruiser “—as you can see by that dreamy expression.”

They talked about Brianne for a few minutes and what it was like to be a father. Bruiser said Ellie had to meet his wife, Jacqueline. Then Hudson brought up the team. Apparently there were some changes taking place in management and rumors swirling about player trades. The two men were so engrossed in who might go where next season that Ellie finished loading the dishes without contributing to that part of the conversation. She figured they’d probably like some time alone—if only to be able to talk freely about her—so she started to excuse herself.

Just then, Hudson received a phone call.

“It’s Aaron. I’m going to take it. Give me a few minutes,” he said and stepped out of the kitchen.

Ellie could hear the drone of Hudson’s voice as he walked away and wondered if everything was okay. He’d told her about Aaron and what the boy had so recently dealt with; she knew he was worried the chemo wouldn’t be successful. Undoubtedly that had contributed, to some degree, to what had occurred last night. But there was something else going on, something Hudson wouldn’t talk about.