One Tiny Lie – Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,13

end, he’d come up with a “reason” for going through with the engagement—something that Ava would understand. He would tell her that his dad agreed to promote him to vice president of the vineyard and winery if he agreed to marry Ava. His dad was planning on promoting him to this position anyway, but that was beside the point. Taking this stance would allow Hudson to explore a relationship with Ava while holding his cards close to the vest. The greatest test to see if Ava had really changed was to simply spend time with her. Then, Hudson would know the truth.

After parking his Mercedes along the driveway, he got out, placing his sunglasses on his head. He still couldn’t believe that Ava was going sailing with him. It was a big sacrifice for her considering how seasick she got on boats. Hopefully, she could take something to help temper the nausea. Hudson didn’t want her to be sick the entire time, for both their sakes. He found himself whistling softly as he strode to the front door and pressed the doorbell.

A couple minutes later, Rosalyn the Giles’s housekeeper answered the door. Her face lit with recognition when she saw him. “Hudson,” she said warmly as the two embraced in a hug. He caught the scent of bacon mixed with baby powder. Having spent much time in the Giles household as a kid, Hudson was fond of Rosalyn, thinking of her as an aunt.

“Ava will be down in a minute,” Rosalyn said. “Would you like some breakfast while you wait?”

Before Hudson could answer, he heard movement and looked up the staircase to where Ava was trotting down, her purse slung over her shoulder. His breath caught in his throat. Ava was a vision, her red hair bouncing on her shoulders with her nimble steps, her lively eyes radiating sunshine as she graced him with a large smile that deepened her dimples. “Good morning,” she sang as she stepped up to him.

“Hey,” he said as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. His gaze flickered appreciatively over her white shorts, blue and white striped blouse, and sandals.

Indecision touched Ava’s features. “Is this okay?”

Hudson grinned. “You look great. Perfect.”

“Thanks,” she murmured, color kissing her cheeks with a rosy pink. She looked down, her long lashes brushing against her cheekbones. Hudson felt it again—the strong current of connection running between them.

Rosalyn turned to the nearby bench. “I packed you some sunscreen, a hat, towel, and some medicine for your seasickness.” She handed Ava a large beach bag.

Ava blinked in surprise. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Rosalyn responded heartily. Hudson could tell that she was genuinely touched by Ava’s gratitude. He wondered if Rosalyn had also noticed the stark change in Ava.

“You kids have fun,” Rosalyn said as she waved at them from the door.

Hudson jogged around and opened Ava’s door for her.

“Thank you,” she said. Again, her response was so appreciative, so genuine.

“You bet,” he teased. “Just don’t tell anyone. Otherwise, I might have to keep up the charade of being a gentleman all the time.”

She laughed in surprise. “That would be tragic.”

When he got into the car, she pointed to the ceiling. “You should put the top down.”

“It’ll beat your hair to death when we’re on the highway.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “So?”

“That drives you crazy.”

She shrugged. “I figured we’re going sailing. My hair will get beat to heck anyway. What does it matter if it happens now or later?”

“Good point.” He pressed the button to let down the top. A sense of adventure overtook him as he pulled out of the driveway. “Bodega Bay, here we come,” he said exuberantly.

When they got out onto the open road, Hudson rolled up the windows so that it wouldn’t be so loud. He glanced at Ava whose hair was flapping wildly, but she didn’t seem to mind. “Thanks for going sailing with me.”

She angled to face him. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“You are?”

“Yep.” She threw him a large smile.

He frowned. “What about your seasickness?”

“I’ll just be sure and take the medicine that Rosalyn put in the bag. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” Ava was like a completely different person. He wasn’t sure how to reconcile the new her with the old her.

“That was an incredible gift that your parents gave you—the sailboat.”

“Yes, it was.” He grinned. “You know how much my dad loves that boat. That shows you how ecstatic they are about our engagement.” He thought he’d throw that out there in a casual way to open up