Page 13 of Summer Nights (The Kingston Brothers #3)

His brow furrowed. "How did you leave it?"

"I asked if I could attend the first doctor's appointment."

Hudson nodded. "Did she agree to that?"

"Yes. Or at least I think she did. But I haven't heard anything from her."

"Have you reached out to her?" He placed the cheese on the patties.

"I was trying to give her space."

"I'd text her, and if you don't hear anything, then show up at her place. I have a feeling Ivy's not going to make this easy for you."

"It's like she expects me to let her down."

Hudson whistled. "I don't remember her father ever being around."

"Me either."

"I don't think she talks about her family either." He transferred the patties to a large serving platter.

"I saw her with her siblings at the park recently. I started helping her brother, Duncan with basketball."

"I'm surprised she let you do that."

"Duncan wanted my help. I don't think she can say no to him."

"You have a ways to go before this baby will be able to express his or her desire to see their dad."

"How do I navigate this?"

"You have to be patient and show up. Eventually she'll get that you're here to stay."

I wasn't so sure about that, but I didn't want to talk about it with Elena here even though she might have more insight into Ivy's psyche. I wouldn't betray Ivy's trust.

Elena walked out with a bowl of pasta salad.

"You need help?" I asked her.

"Yeah, if you could get the glasses and the lemonade pitcher from inside."

"On it," I said as I headed inside, grabbing the items she requested and setting them on the outdoor table. Elena had added lights that hung from the palm trees and lanterns on the patio surrounding the pool. They added a nice ambiance to the space.

Hudson set the cheeseburger patties on the table, and we helped ourselves to buns and condiments.

Elena passed the pasta dish to Hudson. "How are things going with you?" she asked me.

"Good."

"I thought you might have a problem you wanted to talk about?" Elena exchanged a glance with Hudson. "It seems like the Kingston brothers stop by for a little wisdom from time to time."

"This time, I needed Hudson's ear." There was a hint of apology in my voice.

Elena smiled. "That's understandable, but if you need a female's advice, I'm always here."

"Thanks, Elena. I appreciate it." Elena put her touches on the decor in Hudson's home and on our family.

"I actually have something I want to talk to you about," Elena said, her voice filled with excitement.

"What's that?" I asked before taking a large bite of the burger. Spending time with family was nice. But I still felt a little off-kilter.

Elena exchanged a look with Hudson, broadcasting that they'd already discussed the idea. "Home renovation shows are so popular right now."

I nodded. "There's a never-ending stream of them."

She took a large breath and then launched into her pitch. "What if we did it ourselves? We could post video of our work online. There're several platforms that would allow us to stream."

"You've been talking to Brady about this?" I asked, cognizant of the fact that he'd recently admitted to streaming a video game show online to kids.

She nodded. "He opened my mind to the possibility."

"We'd have to get releases from our clients," Hudson said.

Elena's gaze darted around nervously. "We were thinking it would be nice to start with Shepard's renovation of your grandmother's house. It's a beautiful home, a mansion by most people's standards. It's a sought-after destination spot, the house has history, and Shepard has charisma."

I chuckled. "You want to make Shep a TV star?"

Elena smiled. "Not exactly. I just thought it would be good to start with one of our own spaces. We wouldn't need to sign any releases or talk to our clients about it."

"The idea is that if it's successful, clients will come to us and ask if we'll include their project," Hudson said.

"You're seriously interested in doing this?" I asked them, a little surprised that Hudson was already on board with the idea. "Shep's making noise about wanting more responsibility at work, but I'm not sure this would count."

Hudson's forehead wrinkled. "Mom said something to me about that."

I raised a brow. "She did?"

Hudson nodded. "She wants us to put in a good word for him with Dad."

"You know how he is. I should be managing my own projects. Instead, I'm always with Shep in order to keep an eye on him."

"Mom's always had a soft spot for Shep," Hudson said matter-of-factly.

I wouldn't share my thoughts about Shep with Elena and Hudson. I felt like the lesser twin. Not as charming. I was diminished in his shadow. "Shep said he's going to prove us wrong about him."

Hudson shrugged. "We'll see if he makes any changes at work."

"We're thinking that this could be ideal for Shepard. He could play to the camera and bring positive publicity to the business."

"When we participated with the magazine article, it had some negative blowback," I pointed out. It was Elena's job with the island magazine that led to her shadowing my brother and them developing a personal relationship. But it wasn't without some issues when the article went viral.

"Then there was some noise when Brady donated money to Hazel's library's after school program," Hudson added.

Elena frowned. "You're not wrong. But I'd say overall the publicity has been good for you."

I leaned back in my chair. "Dad won't see it that way."

"I think it's something we should consider," Hudson said carefully.

I sighed, knowing what he was getting at. "You want me to talk to Shepard about this?"

"You're closest to him," Elena said hopefully.

"He's just started to do some demo on the house and mentioned something about Kinsley helping with the design."

Hudson frowned. "Why not get Luna to help?"

"She's in Colorado, working on a project there," I said.

"That's perfect then. You can ask what he thinks about filming it. We don't have to make long videos. We could start with short ones for our social media pages and see what the response is."

"I'll talk to him." I had a feeling Shepard would love to do it, and like most things he did, he'd probably excel in front of a camera. Even if he wandered off task, the video could be edited.

Hudson was quiet for a few seconds, and then he added, "And maybe you should stop covering for Shep. Let him pull his own weight."

I played with the edge of my napkin. "I've worked hard my whole life to keep him on task."

"It won't be easy, but it would be healthier for both of you."

It would be a necessity if I was going to have a baby soon. I'd need to be more present with the baby, and early morning start times might be difficult. I wouldn't have time to look out for Shepard too. "I think you're right."

Hudson grinned. "I usually am."

I was grateful for my family. They'd support me. I wasn't so sure about Ivy. Would she continue to push me away, or could I convince her I was here to stay?