Coming Home (Whiskey Men), page 5
My voice trails off, and my mind can’t help but go back to my last years there.
Ellie’s voice is soft and compassionate. “You don’t have to talk about it. I just figured that your life here is completely different than the life you lived in the military.”
I nod and turn onto the road that leads to my house. “Yeah, it’s completely different, in fact. I slept on a two-inch pad for a long time. It’s taking some time getting used to this house. And it’s too quiet. I’ve decided that I need noise to sleep.”
I pull into the driveway. “This is it.”
After turning off the ignition, I jump out of the truck and circle around to her side, opening her door. She’s staring at the house in front of her. “Ellie. Ellie, honey, you okay?”
She shakes her head and looks down at me as she points at my house. “This is the house you want me to decorate? This house?”
I nod. “Yeah, this is it.”
I barely get it out and she’s shaking her head. I notice her knuckles are white as she clutches her purse. “No way. I can’t decorate that.”
I lean against the open door and peer up at her. “Why not?”
“That’s probably a million dollar house, Hudson! I’m not a trained professional. Heck, you don’t even know if I’m any good. There’s no way…”
At this point, I’ve had enough. I reach over and undo her seatbelt before planting my hands on each side of her hips. I pull her from the truck, and when her feet touch the ground, I release her hips only to grab on to her hand. After shutting the door, I pull her up the steps, punch in the code for the front door, and push it open.
“Are you mad at me?” she asks me as I slam the front door closed behind us.
“No, I’m not mad at you. Not really. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you—”
She cuts me off. “You don’t even know me.”
I shrug and point to the open room before us. It’s huge. The living room, dining room, and kitchen are all open into one another. The furniture is sparse. There’s a chair in front of a little television. And there are stools at the bar that divides the kitchen from the living area. Other than that, there’s not much to it. “For a week, I’ve come home to this. Look at it and tell me what you would do to it.”
She starts to shake her head. “I don’t know. Heck, Hudson I don’t know what color schemes you like, dark wood or light wood, nothing. I can’t just—”
I cut her off and put my hands on her shoulders. “Yes, you can. If this was your house and you didn’t have a budget, what would you do?”
I tug on a stray strand of hair and tuck it behind her ear. I’m so close to her, I want to stay right here. She blinks when she looks up at me. “Can I look around first?”
I nod with a big smile. “Absolutely.”
I point to the rooms around us. “The living room, kitchen, and dining room.” I walk across the living room and open a door before allowing her to go through it. “This will be my office, and there’s a bathroom through that door.”
I take her back across the living room and open another door. “This is the main bedroom with en suite bathroom.” I open the door to the closet. “And the closet.” She pushes the door and walks in with her mouth hanging open. “This closet is as big as the living room, bedroom, and kitchen at my apartment.”
I laugh and put my hand at her lower back. She walks back into the bedroom and looks at the bedroll. “Is this where you’ve been sleeping?”
I walk toward the door, ready to get her out of here. I’m not comfortable talking about it, but I’m not going to lie either. “Yeah, this is where I’ve been sleeping.”
“Where’s your bed?”
I cringe and point to the bedroll and rucksack that’s been stowed in the corner. “There.”
She walks toward it to get a closer look. “Hudson, you’ve been sleeping on an Army-issued pad?”
I shrug. “There’s a bed upstairs in one of the bedrooms, but I couldn’t sleep on it. This is what I’m used to.”
She opens her mouth and then closes it again. The way she looks at me with so much emotion shining on her face has me shrugging my shoulders. “It’s fine. I’m going to get a bed. I just need to work my way into it. It’s been a long time. I may have moved up in the ranks, but I still chose to serve missions. I stayed with my men, and if that meant sleeping outside in the elements… in a desert… wherever, that’s what I did, and most the time it was on one of those pads.”
After my little speech, I gesture to the door, and she takes the hint, leading me through the open doorway. I point across the kitchen. “Back there is a mudroom that leads to the garage. Up those steps are three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a bonus room.”
She nods and walks to the center of the room. I want to follow her. I’m not sure what this feeling I have for her is, but I want to keep her close. She turns in a circle, looking at everything. “Do you want to know what I think?”
Fuck, I’m happy just listening to her talk. “Yes, I’d love to know what you’re thinking.”
She nods. “Okay, I’ll tell you. But you have to promise me one thing.”
I nod. “I promise.”
She smiles and walks in a circle. “Okay, promise me that if I suggest something you don’t like, you tell me. This is your house, and you have to love it.”
I know whatever she does I’m going to be happy with, but this obviously means something to her. “I promise.”
She nods happily. “Okay. So I’m thinking a big television so you and your brothers can hang out and watch the game.”
I nod approvingly, and she keeps going. I follow her around the room as she describes the large walnut wood furniture, the lamps, and the beige color scheme to offset the dark furniture. She talks about how the kitchen should be bright and airy, and I’m just following along, lost in the sound of her voice. We make it to the office, and she points to the wall. “I’m picturing a bookcase that runs the full length of the room. Do you like to read, Hudson?”
I nod. “Yes. I actually read quite a bit.”
She smiles approvingly. “Good. So a bookcase with a big desk. I’m thinking this wall would work great for your medals.”
My forehead creases. “My medals?”
She nods and moves closer to me. “Yes, your medals, and don’t lie and say you don’t have any. I may have only worked at Blaze a short time, but I’ve heard all about you. I know you received the Medal of Honor, the Bronze Star, and the Silver Star. You should be very proud, Hudson.”
I nod, but I can’t force myself to smile. I walk to the door, and her shoulders drop as she leads me across the living room, stopping at the bedroom door. “For your bedroom, I’m thinking a big bed. You’re a big man, and you need a big bed. I like a lot of pillows. Do you?”
I shrug because the truth is I’ve mostly used my pack as a pillow for the longest time. But her talking about bed and pillow preferences has my thoughts going south. “Sure, whatever you think.”
She tilts her head to the side and walks to the center of the living room. “I’ll start with the bedroom, and if you want to let me go afterward, there won’t be any hard feelings.”
“I won’t be letting you go, Ellie.”
She stumbles but catches herself on the back of the chair. She’s obviously unsettled by my claim. Maybe she knows I’m not just talking about her designing my house. The truth is, we may have just met, but already I know I’m not going to let her go. She’s going to be mine.
Chapter 10
Elle
“What color scheme do you want for your bedroom?”
He seems to think about it and then shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know. What do you think?”
I tilt my head and search his face. “You really don’t care, do you?”
He’s sitting on the stool with his hands on his knees. He insisted I take the lone chair in the living room. “No, I really don’t. I’m sure I’ll like whatever you do to it.”
I nod. “Okay, I have some ideas. Do you have a laptop?”
He jumps off the stool and goes into the bedroom. He’s only gone a second, and when he comes back, he’s holding it out to me. “Password is Blaze1234.”
I hold my phone up. “Okay. If it’s okay with you, I’m going to take some pictures of the bedroom.”
He nods. “Sure. While you’re doing this, I’m going to order us some food. What are you in the mood for?”
“Oh, I’m not picky. Whatever you order, just get two.”
He nods approvingly. “Sounds good.”
I disappear into the bedroom and take pictures from different angles. When I’m happy with what I have, I go back into the living room and take a seat, opening the laptop. I type in Hudson’s password and open the Internet browser. I search for a well-known decorating app and download it.
While I work, I’m not sure how much time goes by. Hudson is in and out of the room, but I’m so engrossed with what I’m doing, I don’t look up. In my mind, I know what I think would look great in his bedroom, and thanks to technology, I can show him before I order everything.
I’m moving the bed and dresser around in the room on the app when Hudson clears his throat. “I know you’re hard at it, but the food’s going to get cold.”
I lift my head and am surprised to see that Hudson has set out food on the island in the kitchen. “Okay, I’m coming.”
I quickly make the changes in the app and then carry the laptop with me to the table.
Hudson has set up everything, and even though I’m excited to show him what I’ve done, I know I should let him eat first.
“What is all this?” I ask him, pointing at the feast in front of us.
He gestures to the plate in front of me. “Steak and chicken, baked potato, green beans, and for dessert…” He reaches across the island and unwraps a large Styrofoam container. “Blaze apple cinnamon cake.”
“You got delivery from Red’s Diner?”
He shrugs as if it’s not a big deal. “Yeah.”
I pick up my fork. “They don’t deliver.”
He smiles and places one of the pieces of cake closer to me. “They did tonight.”
I point at the food in front of me. “I should have probably asked you what you were getting. Or at least assumed you would probably eat twice as much as me. You’re a big man.”
He doesn’t take offense. If anything, his chest puffs out a little more. “Eat what you want. I wasn’t sure if you like chicken or steak, so I got you both.”
I pick up my knife. “I love them both, but it’s been a while since I’ve had steak, so I’m going to really enjoy it.”
We both eat our food, and a comfortable silence settles over us. “So how’s it going with everything? I was in and out, and you seemed into it. You were smiling at the computer while you were working.”
The way he teases me has me reaching over to slap his arm. “Don’t make fun of me. I probably was smiling. I told you I enjoy this kind of thing.”
He nods, takes another bite, and when he swallows it, he points at the computer. “I can’t wait to see what you’re working on.”
I drop the fork and clap my hands together excitedly. This is the opening I’ve been waiting for. I grab the laptop and open it before setting it between Hudson and me on the island. “Okay, this is the bedroom.”
He points at it, looks toward his bedroom, and then back at the computer. “This is my bedroom?”
I laugh. “I know. This app lets me place everything in it. So tell me if there’s anything you don’t like. We can change anything, but this is a good way to see what the rooms are going to look like before we order anything.”
He’s still stunned. “I mean, I’ve seen blueprints and apps similar to this in the military, but I didn’t realize they had things like this for just anyone.”
I lean against the island. “I know. It’s amazing the way technology has advanced everything. This is actually the first time I’ve used the app, but it was pretty easy….”
My voice trails off when I notice that Hudson is staring at the image on the computer. “Is that it? Did you do the bathroom and the closet?”
My stomach drops. Does this mean he likes it or he hates it? “Yeah, yeah, I did them both. The bathroom was pretty simple.” I bring it up in a separate window and then open the closet. “Now, this will have to be built, since it comes in pieces, but I can do it.”
He rears back in surprise. “You can build that?”
I nod and tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. “Yeah, I can.”
He waves his hand across the laptop. “It’s perfect. Order it all. I don’t want you to change a thing.”
My mouth drops open. “Hudson! You don’t even know what it costs.”
“I want it exactly how you designed it.”
Stunned, all I can do is stare at him. “Are you serious right now?”
He nods. “Do you like it? Is there anything you would change?”
I look at the screen and the three minimized windows that show the bedroom, bathroom, and closet. “No, but….”
He leans up, takes his wallet out of his back pocket, and pulls out a credit card. “Hold on to that and order everything you need.”
He’s holding the black credit card out to me, but I don’t reach for it. “I’m not taking your credit card.”
“Yeah you are. This is the best way to do this. If I’m not available or something, you can just go ahead and order whatever you need.”
When I still hold back, he leans forward, grabs my hand, puts the card in my palm, and closes my fingers around it. “Please do this for me, Ellie. I’m excited to see what you do with the house.”
He’s sincere. It’s obvious he likes what I’ve done. I can go ahead and order everything and wait until it’s all set up before I order anything else in case he changes his mind. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
He nods and reaches for the cake. “Great. Let’s eat.”
“You go ahead. I’m going to get this order in. I mean, unless you want to think about it some more.”
He takes a bite of the cake and swallows it with a moan. “Fuck, that’s as good as I remember. No, go ahead and do it.”
I click the button to add the pieces to the cart. The total sends a little shock through me, and I point at it before I click the submit button. He looks at the number on the screen and doesn’t flinch at all. “Do it, honey. Then you can enjoy this cake with me.”
I hit submit and wait for it to say the order is complete before closing the laptop. I don’t even have to ask and Hudson is putting the piece of cake in front of me. “I shouldn’t be eating this, but I can’t resist this cake.”
He leans toward me. “You do know it has our Cinnamon Blaze Whiskey in it, right?”
I slam my hand on the countertop. “It does not.”
He laughs and nods his head. “It absolutely does. The alcohol is cooked, so it’s not going to affect you or anything, but yeah, it’s in there.”
I take another bite, and the cinnamon taste that I’ve come to love hits my tongue. I chew it and swallow it with a moan. “How did I not know that?”
He doesn’t answer me. He’s watching me closely, staring at my mouth. I lick my lips, and he groans.
I wipe at my lips. “What? Do I have something on me?”
He shakes his head. “No, you’re perfect.”
I roll my eyes and point at my cake. “I’m going to eat this whole thing, then we should probably go.”
He nods. “You’re right. We should probably go. I’m sure Tate’s done with your car by now. Finish your cake. I’m going to pack up your food so you can take it with you.”
I start to get up. “I’ll help clean up and wash the dishes.”
“Please sit. Enjoy the cake. I got this.”
I sit back down and look at the man that is working around the kitchen. It seems since the first minute I’ve met him, he keeps surprising me. I’ve never known a man to treat a woman like he does, and I’m not sure what to make of it.
He looks up and catches me staring at him. His eyes darken, and the easy smile on his face tightens. I can’t be the only one that feels the chemistry between us, and I wonder if he’ll do anything about it. He points to my cake. “Eat up and we’ll go.”
I look down at the plate in front of me and finish the cake with a smile on my face. I know I can’t let anything happen between us, but it feels good when he looks at me the way he does.
Chapter 11
Hudson
I pull into the parking lot of Jennings Automotive, and as soon as I throw it into park, I am taking off my seatbelt. “Stay put, and I’ll get your keys.”
I might as well be talking to myself, because she’s out of the truck before I even get the door open. I know she’s not going to be happy with me, and I probably should have given her a heads-up.
She’s almost to the open garage doors when I finally catch up with her. “Hey, Ellie.”
She stops and tilts her head back to look up at me. “Yeah?”
She looks inside the garage and back to me. She seems anxious, and I hate that I’m going to be adding to it. “There’s something I need to tell you, but you can’t be mad.”
She puts her hands on her hips. “What did you do, Hudson?”
“Huddy,” I correct her.
She crosses her arms over her chest. “Fine. Huddy, what did you do?”
I put my hand to my chest. “I told Tate to fix everything on your car that needed to be fixed. I’ve already paid for it. We just need to grab the keys.”
She shakes her head like she didn’t hear me right. “You did what?”
I reach for her because I’m over having her this close and not being able to touch her. I put my hand on her shoulder. “Please don’t be mad.”
She’s shaking her head. “Huddy, I can’t let you do this. I can’t… I don’t...”
I interrupt her, already knowing what she’s going to say. “I know you’re not happy about this, but look at it from my position. I want to make sure you’re able to make it out to my house daily, and I need you safe.”
