One Tiny Lie – Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,7

never been great at chitchat.

“We’re getting everything ready for the harvest in a couple weeks.”

Interest percolated in Beverly’s eyes. “Oh? Todd has our harvest scheduled for next Tuesday. I’m surprised you’re waiting an extra week.”

“Our enologist, winemaking director, and lab manager have studied the data and have selected what they feel is the prime day.” He shrugged casually. “We pay them to be the experts, so we have to trust their judgment.” Luna could tell that he wasn’t trying to be a smart aleck, merely stating a fact

“Of course,” Beverly soothed. She laughed lightly. “If I thought Todd would listen, I would have you talk to him. We might be picking too early.”

Her words were light, but Luna caught the undertone of worry.

“I’m sure Todd knows what he’s doing,” Hudson said.

Beverly nodded. “Yes, I’m sure he does.” She glanced at Juliette, pasting a bright smile on her face. “What’s this I hear about you launching a new label?”

Hudson smiled. “It’ll go on the market the first of next year.”

“How wonderful,” Beverly said with an entire stadium’s worth of enthusiasm. She looked at Luna, as if to say You’ll soon be connected to Hudson and all of the genius of his family. Luna was fast learning that anything the Davenports touched turned to gold.

Luna bit back a smile. Beverly needed to work on her subtlety. Luna realized that Hudson was watching her and could tell that she was amused. Time seemed to slow as the two shared a look. What was happening here? If she didn’t know better, she’d think that Hudson might be changing his stance on the engagement. The spark of hope that surged inside her was so acute that it was concerning. She needed to keep her feelings in check or else she’d be headed for a huge heartbreak.

The server approached the table and took their drink and food orders. Luna was in the mood for a big, juicy cheeseburger and onion rings, but she figured that wouldn’t go over too well with Beverly and Juliette, so she ordered a southwest chicken salad instead.

A playful grin tilted a corner of Hudson’s lips as he turned to Luna. “What? No onion rings today?” Last week, the two of them had met at a fast-casual restaurant, mostly because they were both experiencing pressure from the Gileses and Davenports for them to see one another. Luna mentioned that she was a sucker for onion rings and vanilla milkshakes—the best comfort food on the planet as far as she was concerned.

“I can add an order of onion rings,” the server offered.

“That would be great,” Hudson said. “But only for me.” His eyes danced with mischief as he turned to Luna. “If you’re a good little girl, I might be persuaded to share one or two … maybe.”

A smile stole over Luna’s lips. “That’s mighty kind of you.” She enjoyed the sparks pinging between them.

“Since when do you like onion rings?” Beverly piped in, giving Luna a funny look.

Luna’s face flamed, making her feel like she was sitting too close to a roaring fire. “Yeah, I like them,” she said nonchalantly. Good grief. It seemed that everything Luna liked Ava had been averse to—blueberries, onion rings, Hudson. It was astounding how different the two sisters were.

Hudson chuckled. “Oh, she likes them, I can guarantee you that.” There was something intimate in his expression as he caught her eyes, warming her blood several degrees.

“Well, I guess Hudson knows you better than I do,” Beverly said, sounding a smidgen jealous.

As odd as it was, moments like this really endeared Luna to Beverly. Beverly truly wanted to have a good relationship with her daughter. Coming from a place where Luna had largely been on her own, that was very comforting.

The group chitchatted until the server returned with their drinks, a basket of steaming hot bread with olive oil and herb dipping sauce. As Luna went to unroll her silverware from her napkin, her arm grazed Hudson’s, sending tingles through her. She caught the blip of amusement in his eyes, as if he knew how much he was affecting her. She was so hyper aware of Hudson that he might’ve been the only other person in the room. Their eyes met for a brief second. Luna couldn’t be sure but thought she detected a question in his expression. Something was definitely different between them. And now, Luna was ready to act on her feelings. Ava had gone on to find her life. Luna needed to find hers.