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She laughed it off, escaping from my arms and running back up to the porch.

“Don’t worry,” I yelled, smiling at the neighbor across the street, who was definitely watching. “I’ve got more where that came from.”

She waved. “Didn’t know you were so cocky, Hudson.”

“You do now.”

To the town, we probably looked like two flirty idiots playing a summer game.

But to me?

That kiss wasn’t a performance.

And I had no intention of pretending.

10

GLIMPSES AND GLANCES

LACEY

Hudson hada few days off and dedicated them to helping me fix up Mom’s porch—thank God. The old Victorian had a nearly wraparound one that ran all the way across the front and half way up both sides of the house. The job would have taken me much longer without him.

Day one was sanding day, which meant little time for talking thanks to the constant, ear-buzzing hum of the sander. But that didn’t stop us from sharing our favorite music shared in our earbuds.

We both seemed to have a penchant for country from oldies and greatest hits to songs of today. I sang my heart out to The Judds. He countered with Tim McGraw. By mid-afternoon, when we finally unplugged the sanders and a Shania Twain track came on, he took me by the hand and spun me into the yard.

I never knew he had moves like that—twirling me in and out, two-stepping like he was born to dance. I laughed like I hadn’t in ages. He may even have cracked new laugh lines he didn’t know he had.

Mrs. Blevenda Jones, the retired high school biology teacher next door, gawked through her kitchen window, andHudson, cool as ever, tipped her a salute with his old Poppy Valley High School baseball cap. Then he turned it backwards, leaned in, and kissed my cheek... and didn’t stop there with the surprisingly sexy moves.

His lips found the shell of my ear, then trailed to my neck—sweet, slow-burn, panty-melting kisses that were supposed to be for show but left a lingering heat long after they ended.

Dang he was good at putting on this act in front of others.

And how long had it been since I’d had any man showering me with affection like this? Even if only pretend, the butterflies awakened within me, fluttering at his every touch and every glance the longer we spent time together.

“Good show,” I sighed, as I parted from the dance and giggled, forcing myself to remember why we were doing this in the first place.

Day two,the painting began. To start the morning, he'd brought me iced caramel coffee and pastries from Java Co.

“Our plan is working. Intel says the town has officially shifted their gossip,” he boasted, handing me the cup when I greeted him on the sanded porch.

“So soon?” I opened my coffee lid and took a sniff of the caramel goodness.

“We’re the hot topic of the moment. Mary Temple from the Poppy Daily stopped me outside of Java and asked point blank if we were secretly married.”

“Seriously? What did you say?” Part amused, I choked on a sip of coffee, although I was ultimately relieved. This planwasworking.

“No comment.” He shrugged.

Then I asked, "Was Carson there? What did he say?"

He took a long sip, watching me carefully. “Nope. But I know he and Emme have been arguing since you came back.”

I chewed my cheek. “Sorry to hear that. I’m not even sure we need to talk at this point. Besides, what would we say? It’s been forever since we last spoke.”

Hudson gave a slow nod. “Maybe that’s for the best.”