Page 20 of Hudson
“Counting down already?” Meridith called from her desk, twirling a pen between her fingers.
“The clock started ticking the moment I walked in,” Blair replied, dropping her purse into her bottom drawer.
“Got anything going this weekend?”
“I have a date.” She couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face.
“Spill it. Fresh blood in the dating pool?”
“Brand new. Met him at Dewey’s last Saturday. He rescued me from a pack of rowdy cowboys and walked me to my car across a dark parking lot.”
“Rescued? That sounds dramatic.”
“Just some twenty-something types who wouldn’t take no for an answer. Hud slid onto the barstool next to me and made them disappear without raising his voice.”
“Wait. Hud Anderson?”
“You know him?”
“Remember my OB/GYN I mentioned? That’s his aunt. He brought her lunch one afternoon, walked in carrying a bag from the diner.” Meridith shook her head. “Every woman in that waiting room sat upstraighter.”
“He does have that effect,” Blair admitted, warmth creeping into her cheeks. “I just hope I know what I’m doing. It’s been so long since I’ve been on a real date I may have forgotten how they work.”
“Trust me, you’ll be fine. He struck me as genuine. The kind of man who holds doors without making a show of it.” Meridith laughed. “We all nearly fainted when he nodded goodbye and touched the brim of his hat. And that vest the way it hugged his chest?” She fanned herself dramatically.
“I totally get that. I saw him Monday at the diner wearing it, gun on one hip, badge on the other. It was just so sexy.”
“You’ve got it bad and you haven’t even been on a real date yet.” Meridith’s voice was warm with genuine affection. Sunlight slanted through the front window, casting golden patterns across the tile floor. “I really hope it works out. You deserve someone who treats you right.”
Blair smiled. “Thanks, Meridith. We’ll see. I’m meeting Celine after we close and heading over to Paige’s to find something to wear.”
Meridith sighed, folding her arms across her belly. “Paige’s is perfect for that. I just hope I can squeeze back in there once this baby arrives.”
Blair squeezed her hand. “You will. Those first weeks you’ll be so wrapped up in your little one that shopping can wait.”
Meridith’s eyes shone. “I can’t wait.”
“You’re going to be an incredible mother.”
“If I can be half as good as my own mom I’ll be over the moon.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” Blair said, and Meridith’s smile lit the room.
When the clock chimed one the blinds were drawn, the last patient long gone into the cool spring air. Blair locked up behind her and inhaled the brisk breeze carrying a hint of budding flowers. She glanced across at the courthouse and wondered briefly if Hud was inside somewhere, bent over case files.
She crossed the sidewalk and pushed through the door of The Everyday Grind. The rich aroma of freshly ground beans rolled over her like a warm greeting. A line of customers snaked past the glass display cases, the afternoon rush in full swing, nobody leaving without their coffee order in hand.
“Hey, Blair!” Ainsley called from behind the counter, her apron dusted with cinnamon. “Celine’s in her office. She said to head back.”
“Thanks, Ainsley.” Blair slipped past the line, the low murmur of conversation and the hiss of steaming milk following her down the narrow hallway.
She rapped gently on the closed door and pushed it open. The scent of vanilla candles drifted out, and Blair’s eyes widened. Celine and Killian stood in an embrace, lips meeting in a kiss that had no awareness of the rest of the world.
“I did knock,” Blair said from the doorway, amused.
Killian straightened and touched the brim of his hat with a wink. “Just stopping by for a minute.” He brushed a loose curl from Celine’s temple, pressed a kiss to her forehead and strolled past Blair, boots clicking down the hallway. “Have fun shopping.”
“Have a good day, Killian,” Blair called after him.
