Hudson couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken a day off.
Sure, owning Grenville Sanctuary meant he could stagger his starts and work flexible hours, but weekends were rarely his own because Saturday and Sunday were the busiest days in the real estate business. He delegated but he never forgot how he started in the biz and that meant he liked to keep a finger on the pulse rather than step back completely.
So spending a day playing hooky with Karly was uncharacteristic yet completely welcome. They’d spent a relaxed morning driving along the coast, chatting about nothing and everything, but he sensed something was bothering her. Or maybe he was seeking problems that weren’t there, increasingly out of his depth with how much he liked her. That’s the thing about not knowing someone that well—he couldn’t ask, so he kept casting surreptitious side glances at her in the hope he’d miraculously figure out what was wrong.
It couldn’t be the phenomenal night they’d spent together, because she wouldn’t have agreed to spend the day with him otherwise. But something was bugging her and maybe she’d open up about it over lunch.
‘Have you been here before?’ He gestured at the modern, airy boutique pub where they had the best table in the house, smack bang in the front window, offering stunning ocean views.
‘No, but I’ve heard rave reviews about the food so I’ve been meaning to.’ She picked up the menu and scanned it, a tiny frown denting her brow. ‘Though I prefer a wider choice.’
‘As long as there’s a good steak on offer it’s a no brainer for me,’ he said, topping up her glass from the bottle of chardonnay he’d ordered. ‘Fish and chips is always a safe bet too.’
Her nose crinkled in distaste. ‘I’m a fish and chips connoisseur and Gullie makes the best on the planet so I never order it elsewhere.’
‘I haven’t tried the local fish and chip shop. Sounds like I’m missing out.’
‘Maybe if you were sticking around a tad longer you’d get the chance?’
‘Why would I do that?’
The words were out of his mouth before he could rein them in and, predictably, she reared back as if he’d poked her in the eye.
‘Sorry, that came out harsher than intended, but you know what I mean.’
Her eyes narrowed slightly, studying him with an intensity that made him uncomfortable. ‘You mean you just want to yank the agency out from under us then be on your merry way?’
‘It’s not like that and you know it.’
‘That’s exactly what it’s like,’ she snapped, before waving her hand in front of her face as if to erase the last thirty seconds. ‘Sorry. I get ornery when I’m hungry.’
‘Ornery? That’s a fancy word for hangry, right?’
She smiled as he intended and he liked that they’d reached a stage in their brief friendship where they could get past minor hiccups. It didn’t go unnoticed that he’d labelled what they shared a friendship in his head. He couldn’t contemplate the R word because a relationship entailed so much more than he was willing to give.
‘Speaking of the agency, I wanted to ask you something.’
His hackles rose. He didn’t want to talk business with her today, not when they had an entire leisurely afternoon to look forward to. But he nodded. ‘Shoot.’
‘Would you consider giving us an extension? I know you wanted a final answer by tomorrow but would Monday be okay?’
‘Why?’
‘Because it would mean a lot to me.’
Hudson wanted to point out the futility in delaying the inevitable. He wanted to say this was a done deal and nothing could derail his plans. But as he looked into her hope-filled eyes, he wondered if this is what had been bugging her all morning.
She wanted him to stay around longer and didn’t know how to ask so she was couching it in business terms?
He should say no. Building Grenville Sanctuary agencies had meant he’d had to make ruthless decisions over the years. But a small part of him was so relieved he hadn’t stuffed up by doing or saying the wrong thing last night that he found himself wanting to agree.
In the grand scheme of things, what was another two days? So Jeremiah signed on the dotted line on Monday rather than tomorrow? Would it change much?
Sure, he wanted to secure the funding for the youth housing project ASAP but many of the investors wouldn’t work on weekends anyway. He’d planned on ambushing a few of them at their favourite golf course. Instead, he’d front up to their offices on Monday rather than teeing off on Saturday or Sunday. No biggie.
But it was. Him considering staying aroundwasa big deal. He could dress it up any way he liked but he knew why he wanted to agree to her proposal for an extension.
He simply craved more time with her.