Page 9

NINE

MADELINE

Me

Hello, hockey guy.

Hudson

If it isn’t knife girl. How was your first real weekend in DC?

Me

The weather was shitty. Don’t tell me it’s like this all the time.

Hudson

It’s not. You caught us on a bad day. The rest of the week looks nice, so that’s promising.

Me

I should’ve brought some of the Vegas heat with me. Are we still good to meet on Thursday? I figured I’d create a plan with you for the next week or so, then I’d head to the grocery store and stock up on ingredients I’m going to need.

Friday could be my first day, and then you won’t have to eat anything out of a can or box ever again.

Hudson

What about my ravioli?

Me

You’ll survive.

Hudson

Thursday sounds great.

How is Lucy adjusting with the move? Is she doing okay?

Me

She’s taken Liam’s cat hostage as her own, so I’d say it’s going well. I told her she’ll get to meet two dogs soon, and she was beside herself.

Hudson

Gus and Millie can’t wait either.

What are you doing today?

Me

Trudging through the city with Piper to find an apartment. It’s bleak, but I’m hopeful we’ll get there.

Hudson

Good luck!

“Well.” I look around the apartment from the small kitchen and put my hands on my hips, glad Lucy isn’t here to see this. “This sure is… something.”

“The mouse in the living room really makes it feel like a home.” Piper wrinkles her nose and steps away from the mold on the windowsill. “How is this place not condemned?”

“The better question is how are they asking for twenty-five hundred dollars a month for a place this shitty. That should be a crime.”

“You can’t live here. And you can’t live in the other six apartments we saw this morning. In fact, I don’t think you should live anywhere besides our place.”

“You don’t think having to get a tetanus shot before living here sounds fun?”

“Madeline. You cannot be serious.”

“Using humor is a coping mechanism for me, and these are dire times, Piper.” I sigh. “I’m going to have to find my own place eventually. I appreciate your offer to let us stay with you rent-free, but my moral compass won’t let me rely on other people long-term. I’ll figure something out.”

“I’m an optimist too, and even I can recognize how shitty this situation is.”

“From what the guy in the front office told me, all the decent apartments were snatched up by college kids and people who moved in this summer. The pickings are slim.” I stare at the stove that has a burner missing, and I can’t help but laugh. “And slim left a while ago. If he’s smart, he’ll never come back.”

That makes Piper giggle, and soon we’re cackling in the middle of the dilapidated hellhole that might be my future residence.

Me, Lucy, and the family of mice living in the walls.

“There were shit stains on the toilet.” She wheezes, and when she reaches out to hold the counter so she doesn’t fall over, I bat her hand away.

“You need an immunization before you touch anything in here. Did you see the shit stains on the walls? I have a lot of questions.” I groan and hug my purse to my chest. “What the hell am I going to do?”

“We’ll figure it out over lunch. I invited my friends to join. Between the four of us, I’m sure we can come up with a plan.” Her smile is sympathetic, and I’m grateful I don’t have to go through this ordeal alone. “Let’s grab a bite to eat so you can tackle this afternoon with a clear head.”

“And leave this place so soon? What a bummer.” I head for the door, eager to get out of here. “Where are we going?”

“There’s a sushi place close to the arena I’ve been wanting to try. I have to head to the office after to get some work done, so I can’t join you for the next part of your house hunt.”

“Lucky bitch,” I say, and we laugh all the way to Piper’s car.

The drive to the restaurant is short, and when we walk inside, the hostess leads us to a table occupied by two women.

One has long red hair and a splash of freckles on her cheeks. She looks vaguely familiar, someone I’ve definitely seen before, and her shirt shows off sculpted arms.

The other has her brown hair up in a messy ponytail. She’s talking animatedly and using her hands, and I can tell she’s someone with a big personality.

Nerves hit me like a ton of bricks.

I had a few girlfriends back in Vegas. A small group of moms I saw once a week, when we’d chat over charcuterie boards.

My coworker, Alice, who I grabbed dinner with every now and then when I had a rare night off.

It was all surface level stuff, though.

I’ve never really had a friend .

Someone I could spill my guts to and call crying in the middle of the night if I needed a minute to vent. I always felt like a bother, like I was interrupting something more important, so I kept to myself.

I’ve always wanted that strong friendship—a woman or two I could have in my corner when the going gets rough—and my heart races with anticipation as we join the pair at the table.

Maybe this can be a friend group. Maybe these women have space for me, and I’m more nervous than I was when I met Hudson at his apartment.

“Hi,” Piper says brightly. She reaches over to hug the redhead and sits next to her. I slide in next to the brunette and smile her way. “Sorry we’re a few minutes late. We were in the eighth layer of hell, also known as apartment hunting. This is Madeline. She’s Hudson’s new private chef.”

“Hi.” The woman beside me grins, and there’s a twinkle in her eye. “I’m Lexi Armstrong, the DC Stars’ head athletic trainer.”

“And I’m Emerson, but you can call me Emmy,” the redhead says, and now I recognize her.

“Oh my god . My daughter is such a fan of yours. She’s obsessed. I think we own about ten of your jerseys, which I’m now realizing is embarrassing as hell to admit when meeting you for the first time. I promise I’m not a crazed fan.”

“I’m flattered. Truly,” Emmy says. “What’s your daughter’s name? I’d love to write her a note.”

“That’s so kind of you,” I say. “Her name is Lucy. She’s six, and I’m going to be the coolest mom in the world when I pick her up from school and show her this.”

“We need more girls who are hockey fans.” She scribbles on a napkin with swoopy handwriting, adds a heart at the bottom, then hands it over to me with a smile. “Tell Lucy she’s welcome to a game anytime.”

“I’ve never seen you smile this much.” Lexi puts her elbow on the table and tips her head to the side. “You need to spend more time in Bali.”

Emmy flips her off. “Is that better?”

Lexi laughs. “Much. Thanks babe.”

“Thank you for letting me join you all,” I say. “Piper was helping me look for an apartment this morning, but we’re striking out left and right.”

“When I moved here, I stayed on the couch of a friend of a friend of a friend. Some guy named Craig. I woke up to him watching me sleep, and I bolted. I found an apartment that was out of my price range at the time, but at least it didn’t include any creepy dudes,” Lexi says. “I’ll see if my building has any openings. I’m only four blocks away from Hudson.”

“Where did you move here from?” Emmy asks. “How do you know Piper?”

“Las Vegas. We met at the Stars game last season. She gave me her card, and I reached out to her a few weeks ago about needing a job,” I say.

“Now she’s Hudson’s chef, and she’s probably going to set the record for being the longest tenured employee at the Hayes household.” Piper laughs. “Not that it would take much. Poor guy.”

“Hudson is great. He’s so kind and thoughtful.” Emmy smiles. “A ten out of ten.”

“I’m glad he finally found a chef. He’s been stressed about it all summer. When he was in the athletic trainers’ offices during the offseason, he’d always ask if we knew of anyone who would be willing to help him out. During—” Lexi’s phone rings on the table, and she laughs. “Speak of the devil.” She answers and hits speakerphone. “Hi, Huddy Boy. I’m talking about you.”

“Good things I hope,” he says. “What are you doing?”

“Getting lunch with Piper, Emmy, and Madeline. What are you doing?”

“About to hop in an ice bath. Are you free for a massage before team dinner? My hamstring is killing me.”

“I’ll be back in my office in an hour or so. Come by whenever, and I’ll take a look. New pain?” Lexi asks.

“Yeah,” Hudson answers. “It’s probably from getting back in the groove of things, but I want to tackle it early.”

“We’ll get you fixed up, Hayes.”

“Thanks, Lex. Appreciate you.”

“Hi, Hudson,” Piper says, and his laugh echoes around us.

“Hey, Little P. I figured I was on speakerphone.”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t say anything inappropriate.”

“Inappropriate?” Emmy snorts. “We all know Hudson is a please and thank you kind of man, even when he’s fu?—”

“Let’s save the talk about my personal life for later,” Hudson cuts in, and I bite back a laugh when he adds a reluctant, “please.”

“Told you,” Emmy whispers loud enough for him to hear.

“Madeline and I were out looking at apartments this morning. There’s nothing available in this city.” Piper sighs and puts her chin in her hand, defeated. “She should just live with you.”

“I offered,” he says, then he pauses. “Can you let me talk to Madeline, please? And take me off speakerphone.”

“Hello?” I say when Lexi hands over the phone.

“Hey,” he answers. “The search is that bad?”

“It’s not great, but it’s fine. I have faith there will be a breakthrough this afternoon.”

“I’m serious about that offer, Madeline. You can stay at my place if you want.”

“I have Lucy, remember?”

“I didn’t forget about your daughter. I have four bedrooms, and there is plenty of space.”

“Wouldn’t that be a massive invasion of your privacy?”

“Not unless you’re going to record me in the shower.”

My cheeks heat at the thought of him under hot water. What he might look like without a shirt on and if his muscles are as big as I think they are.

“I would never do that,” I blurt.

“I know you wouldn’t. I’m just giving you a hard time. Think about it: you’ll be around almost every day. Sometimes late at night. Might be easier for you if you walked down the hall after dinner instead of trying to get across town. And I don’t like the idea of you alone on the streets when it’s nearing midnight. Especially with Lucy.”

I didn’t consider the transportation aspect of my job. I don’t have a car in DC. Taking the Metro to and from his place multiple times a day—sometimes with my daughter and bags of food in tow—sounds like a logistical nightmare.

“We don’t know each other,” I say.

“What do you want to know?”

“You could have a foot fetish.”

“I don’t have a foot fetish.”

“You could be a murderer.”

“I don’t have enough free time to be a murderer, and I saw how good you are with knives. I wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”

That makes me laugh, and I bite my bottom lip. “Why would you offer your house to someone you don’t know?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” Hudson says, voice calm. “You work hard. You want the best for your daughter and you’re a good mom. I have space—tons of it. And it should go to good use.”

I’ve always had a good intuition, and it’s only gotten better since becoming a parent. I know with every fiber of my being Hudson is a decent guy. Someone who would never, ever hurt me or Lucy. Someone I can trust, someone who would help, and in a city where I don’t have any resources on hand, where I’m essentially alone, I need all the support I can get.

“Okay,” I whisper, and I swear I can hear his smile through the phone. “That… that sounds good to me.”

“Great. I head out of town tomorrow for an away game, but I’ll be back late Wednesday night. What do you think about meeting somewhere neutral on Thursday, and then y’all can move in on Friday? I know a great frozen yogurt shop near a park. Might be less overwhelming.”

“She loves frozen yogurt. We could do after school on Thursday, as long as you’re okay with pushing back our menu planning another day or two.”

“The menus aren’t going anywhere, and I have the Thai restaurant around the corner on speed dial. You’re in charge here, Madeline. Tell me how you want me to introduce myself to her, and I’ll go off your directions,” Hudson says. “And if it doesn’t work out, I’ll help you find a place where you and Lucy can be comfortable.”

“I really like the frozen yogurt idea. Let’s do that.”

“I’ll text you when I get back from our away game. If you need me before then, you know where I am.”

“I do. Have a good day, Hudson.”

“Later, knife girl,” he says, and I hand the phone back to Lexi.

They finish their conversation, and when Lexi hangs up, all three women look at me.

“What?” I ask, put on the spot by their attention.

“I can understand why you’re hesitant. Bringing your daughter around a man she hasn’t met is a big deal. I’m not a mom, so I’m not going to pretend to tell you what to do, but Hudson is the best guy,” Piper says.

“We can vouch for him,” Lexi chimes in.

“I don’t feel safe around many men, but I feel safe with him.” Emmy twists her hair around her finger, and I can tell there’s a secret there. Something deep and meaningful buried behind her reassurance, and it makes me want to hug her tight. “You’ll be in good hands.”

“Yeah,” I say, giving into their praise. It’s impossible not to. “I got that impression from the moment I met him.”

Lexi lifts her water glass, and we all mimic her. “A toast,” she says.

“What are we toasting?” Piper asks.

“To new beginnings and new friends.”

I blush and dip my chin. A smile pulls at my mouth, and I let it burst into a grin. “To new beginnings and new friends,” I repeat, glad for the twist of fate that brought me here with these three.