Silver Linings (25 page)

Rover stood inside the front door when I let myself into the inn. I knelt down on the hardwood floor and hugged his neck. I felt incredibly emotional.

My first attempt to get on with my life had failed miserably. Even if I hadn't had the other shoe drop with Mark leaving right before this date, I wasn't sure I was ready. I'd barely recovered from losing my husband, and now had been left reeling with Mark's determination to get himself killed.

I'd give just about anything to talk to Mark. I knew exactly what I'd say, too, exactly what I'd tell him. I'd tell him almost the same thing I had said to Paul just before he shipped out when we learned he'd been stationed in Afghanistan.

Live. Do whatever possible to stay alive. I'll be waiting. Praying, faithful. Just live.

My words, my prayers, hadn't made a difference when it came to Paul. I could only hope they would with Mark.

Coco had waited all day for this night, eager to connect with Hudson again. Actually, she'd waited ten years for this night, plotting and planning her revenge against Ryan, only to have things turn around in a matter of minutes. In forgiving him it was like a huge retaining wall had been breached. In the matter of a single day she saw the world in a different light.

In the past twenty-four hours she'd done a lot of thinking about Ryan—and surprisingly, Hudson, too. For years she'd kept all her relationships with men at arm's distance, never dating one for long, never quite trusting men, fearful of giving her heart away. A sense of adventure now filled her, a desire to break out of this protective cocoon, spread her wings, and soar.

The first person she thought to test this new sense of self with was Hudson, who at one time had so obviously adored her. The truth was she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him and now she understood why. Every time he came to mind, a happy feeling stole over her. He was quiet, sincere, intelligent, and unlike any man she'd dated. Instinctively, she recognized this was a man she could trust, a man who, given the chance, would treasure her. And for the first time in her adult life she wasn't afraid to let down her guard and open her heart.

Hudson showed up at the dinner about thirty minutes after Coco, and she noticed that once again he attended solo. After greeting several others he walked around the perimeter of the room and took a seat in the back. Coco made her way to him, weaving around the obstacle course of tables and chairs. Although intent on reaching Hudson, she was stopped a number of times by classmates she hadn't chatted with earlier. It seemed to take forever to make her way to where she'd last seen Hudson, only to find that he was no longer at the table.

Anxiously, she searched the room. It didn't take her long to locate him. Hudson stood with a group of three guys who'd once been members of the science club. Coco remembered that this club was often referred to as the Geek Squad.

The two other men with Hudson formed a tight circle. He'd been the president of the group—that fact had slipped her mind completely. She hadn't known Hudson was even part of the club until she checked her yearbook last night. Actually, she learned a good deal about him from those pages.

Coco ordered a drink and then joined the group of three men. “Hi,” she said, inserting herself into the circle. She looked at Hudson and sent him a warm smile. Right away the conversation among the men came to a screeching halt, as if she'd interrupted a confidential meeting.

“I'm Coco Crenshaw, remember?” she said in the uncomfortable silence that followed.

“I think we all remember who you are,” Hudson said, when no one responded.

“Especially Hudson,” one of the others commented.

They all looked at her rather coldly.

“You weren't a member of the science club, were you?” the guy with the badge that identified him as Willard asked.

Coco had no memory of him. “Not me,” she said, making light of the question. “Did I interrupt something?” That would help explain the frosty reception she'd received.

“Yes, I'm afraid you did,” Hudson said.

“Oh, okay, but when you can I'd like to talk to you, Hudson.” She purposely said his name so he'd realize she did remember him. “Privately,” she added. She wanted to make it clear that it would be between just the two of them.

The others stared at her blankly. She backed away and practiced a few of her power-schmoozing techniques while she made her way to the table where she'd first seen Hudson. Although she chatted with Katie and a few of the others, she kept an eye on Hudson. When he'd finished talking with his science club friends, he drifted away.

Coco followed. “Hey, Hudson?” she said, softly laying her hand on his arm.

He looked down at her fingers, which had curved around his forearm. When he glanced up his eyes were wary. “Is this a joke, Coco?”

“A joke?” she repeated, and then slowly shook her head and smiled. “No. I really want to talk to you. It won't take long, I promise.”

“Why?” The question was filled with hesitation. Coco didn't blame him. She was afraid that he might feel the same way about her that she'd once felt about Ryan.

“It took a bit of work to find out who you are,” she said, starting out. “I wish you'd told me your name on Friday.”

He held her gaze. “The truth is I didn't really expect you to remember me. No reason you should.”

“We were in two classes together and you asked me to Homecoming.”

“I wish you'd forgotten that,” he muttered and frowned.

“I turned you down,” she said regretfully, “and I wasn't very gracious about it. I'm sorry for that, Hudson, and want you to know I wish I had gone to the dance with you.”

“Considering what happened that night—”

“This has nothing to do with Ryan. This is about you and me. I was rude, and I want you to know how sorry I am.”

Surprise flickered in his eyes. “Don't worry about it,” he said, brushing off her apology. “It was a long time ago. I got over it.” He turned to leave, but she stopped him.

“Hudson,” she implored, “I really am sorry.”

He grinned as if to thank her. “We're both ten years older and hopefully wiser.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He nodded and started to leave again.

“There's a dance later this evening…following the dinner,” she blurted out, detaining him again.

His frowning gaze held hers, but he said nothing, as though unsure what she meant.

“Would you consider dancing with me?”

He hesitated.

“Just one dance?” In her mind it would confirm that he had indeed forgiven her.

His eyes rounded. “The thing is, Coco, you did me a huge favor by turning me down. I was a terrible dancer then and I'm probably even worse now. I appreciate you asking, but it isn't a good idea.”

“I don't care how coordinated you are on the dance floor, I'd still like to dance with you.”

He blinked as though shocked she'd persisted. “I'd embarrass us both.”

Mentally she thumped her fingers, looking for a way to reach him. “Your refusal tells me that you aren't willing to forget the past.”

“It's nothing like that. I'm saving us both from humiliation.”

“Au contraire.”

His smile was genuine. “I'm glad to see you haven't forgotten what we learned in first-year French class.”

We?
“You weren't in French class with me, were you?” How could she have been so oblivious to him? She had absolutely no memory of Hudson from before their senior year.

The smile disappeared. “I was so hung up on you—you were the only reason I signed up for French.”

She felt foolish. “You did? Oh Hudson, how could I have been so oblivious?”

“Like I said, it was a long time ago.”

She wanted to talk with him more, but he excused himself and left. Coco remained, standing alone for several moments in an effort to absorb what had just happened. Hudson had accepted her apology and while he insisted he had no lingering resentment toward her, she suspected otherwise. His reaction said as much.

Coco had never been one to give up easily. Wondering how best to reach Hudson, she sought out his friend Willard. She caught sight of the other man in the buffet line.

Willard stood in the line that snaked across the polished gymnasium floor, chatting with those around him. By the time she joined him, he was close to collecting his plate and silverware.

“Hey, Willard—”

He bristled. “I go by Will now. I asked Angela to change my name tag, but she said they were already printed.”

“Okay, Will,” she said pointedly, beaming a bright smile at him. “You're one of Hudson's good friends, right?”

His eyes narrowed. “Yeah?”

“From what I understand, he had a crush on me in high school.”

Will snickered a laugh. “He was crazy about you. It was nuts the way he felt about you.”

“Really?” She couldn't hide the smile that came over her. “I didn't know—”

“You were into Ryan Temple and couldn't be bothered with Hudd.” He frowned as he spoke. “It took him a solid week to get up the courage to ask you to Homecoming. He had it all memorized. Afterward he wouldn't talk about it, and heaven help anyone who had the guts to ask. And then after the dance when the rumors started about you and Ryan, Hudd was livid.”

Coco felt her face heat up with shame and swallowed hard. “Yes, there was that.”

“Hudd wanted to fight Ryan for you. He was that crazy about you, but Gilbert Reynolds and I told him fighting Ryan was like a death wish. Ryan had muscle, you know, and friends with even bigger biceps. It would have been no contest. Ryan would have taken Hudd down in seconds.”

Will was close to the food now and far more interested in dishing up his plate than continuing this conversation with her. “You blew it,” Will said, planting a large scoop of coleslaw onto his plate. “Hudd would have done anything for you.” He hesitated for just a second and then added, “And I do mean anything, if you catch my drift.”

Huh?
The way Will said it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up. She had to wonder what he meant by that slow, deliberate way in which he spoke.

Then it hit her.

It must have been Hudson who'd slashed Ryan's tires. That had been his method of defending her. Ryan had assumed Coco had been the guilty party.

Shocked, she whirled around and searched the room until she saw Hudson. He was standing next to a table, chatting with one of their older teachers—Mr. Bellerman, the chemistry teacher, who'd retired the year they'd graduated, if Coco remembered correctly. Without giving thought to what she intended to say, Coco hurried to the other side of the room.

When he saw her advancing toward him, Hudson stopped talking, his face full of curiosity. The determined way in which she moved in his direction caused him to square his shoulders as if bracing himself for an assault.

“Hello, Mr. Bellerman,” Coco said, nodding toward the older man. “I hope you'll excuse Hudson and me for a few minutes.”

“Of course, of course. You two young people need to get in line for dinner.”

It was a good thing they were close to an exit out of the gymnasium, because it was clear Hudson didn't appreciate the way she'd interrupted his conversation.

“Now what?” he asked, leading her into the hallway outside the gymnasium.

For the longest moment all Coco seemed capable of doing was staring at him as tears filled her eyes.

“Coco?” he asked, frowning.

She covered her mouth, embarrassed that an incident from all those years ago had the power to reduce her to tears now. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Thank you? For what?”

“That's all I have to say.” She would have returned to the party, but she'd be mortified if anyone saw the tears that swam in her eyes, ready to roll down her cheeks.

The cafeteria was across the hall and she walked over to one of the tables and sank down into one of the molded plastic chairs. Her party purse was in her lap and she frantically dug through it, searching for a tissue.

Hudson walked over and stood behind her.

She could feel his presence, his warmth so close, the almost imperceptible sound of his breathing.

After a long moment he asked, “You didn't answer my question. What's wrong? Why are you thanking me?”

Despite the emotion that clouded her head and her heart, Coco smiled. “You know why, Hudson. We both know why. It was you, wasn't it? You slashed Ryan's tires.”

He didn't acknowledge her words either way, not that she expected he would. He placed his hand on her shoulder, his touch so light that for a moment she thought she might have imagined it.

“After you left the social on Friday, I offered to make it right with Ryan. I told him I'd reimburse him for what I did back then.”