Chapter 5

HUDSON

Iwas not expecting anyone to stop for me. It wasn't normal. Unless they were planning to rob me.

"Do you need a ride?"

At least that was what I thought I heard. The rain was pouring, hitting the roof of the car and making it hard to hear anything. My parents had drilled in the rule of no rides from strangers, but I was wet, cold, and in no mood to walk the rest of the way to my hotel.

I slid into the passenger seat of the sedan. It felt good to get out of the cold. My jeans were clinging to my legs and I was certain I probably looked like a wet dog. "Thanks, man," I muttered, pulling off my hood and turning to face the driver, expecting to see a man. Women didn't usually pick up hitchhikers, or so I thought.

To my surprise, a beautiful young woman greeted me with a smile. "You're welcome."

I blinked, taking in the sight sitting behind the wheel of the car. A mass of curly brown hair, big brown eyes, and the face of an angel. A freckled angel with full, pink lips.

I felt a jolt of surprise at the unexpected warmth in her eyes. She seemed unfazed by the storm raging outside, her focus solely on me. I was a total stranger. Part of me felt like I should scold her for acting so carelessly. Young women should not pick up hitchhikers.

"Do you typically pick up strange men?" I asked, surprised by the sound of irritation in my voice considering I was the one benefiting from her generosity.

"You're not from around here." She laughed softly.

For a moment, I struggled to find my voice, my brain still reeling from the unexpected encounter. She was stunning, the epitome of natural beauty. It didn't appear she was wearing a lot of makeup. It was like something out of a dream or a sappy music video. Worse, it was something out of a romance movie, the things I loathed. Give me an action-packed zombie movie any day of the week, but the sappy, kissy romance thing was not my jam.

"I'm from Manhattan," I finally managed to reply, my voice sounding awkward even to my own ears. "Just passing through Cold Springs."

She nodded. "What brings you out here?" she asked, her tone casual yet curious.

I hesitated, not quite ready to divulge the true reason for my journey. "Just exploring," I replied vaguely, hoping to steer the conversation away from any prying questions about my personal life.

"And what about you?" I countered, my curiosity getting the better of me. "What's a pretty girl like you doing picking up strange men on the side of the road at night?"

She laughed, a melodic sound that echoed through the car and sent a shiver down my spine. "I'm the Cold Springs Killer," she joked, her tone laced with dark humor. "Maybe you've heard of me? I abduct newcomers and they're never seen again. I'm especially partial to strapping men with a hint of mystery."

I chuckled nervously, the idea of meeting my demise at the hands of someone who looked like her oddly appealing. I was intrigued by her sense of humor, even if it was a bit morbid. There was something captivating about her, something that drew me in despite the warning bells going off in my head.

"Well, in that case, I guess I should count myself lucky," I replied with a smirk, trying to play along with her game. "If you're the one that takes me out, your face will be the last one I see and I can't be mad about that."

She let out a loud, boisterous laugh. "That's a lot of pressure. A girl needs some time to get ready for that kind of thing."

"You're perfect as is," I replied.

She grinned back at me. "So, where are you headed?"

I sighed, feeling frustration at my current predicament. "I was trying to find the Roadside Hotel when my car broke down," I admitted, shaking my head at my own misfortune. "What kind of rental Lexus breaks down?"

She nodded sympathetically, her expression filled with understanding. "It happens," she reassured me. "Especially around these parts."

"I tried calling roadside assistance, but apparently I fell into a third-world country and there is no cell service."

She smiled. "Cell service can be pretty patchy out here. That's part of the charm. People come here to unplug. Sometimes, it needs to be forced."

"Well, I've definitely been forcibly unplugged," I said with a chuckle, grateful for her light-hearted attitude in the midst of my frustration.

"It's not so bad."

"I appreciate the lift," I said sincerely, offering her a small smile. "I guess I'll just have to figure out the rental car situation tomorrow."

"Do you want me to take you back to your car to get your luggage?"

I patted the backpack. "I've got what I need."

"Okay." She smiled. "I'll make sure you get to your hotel safely. And who knows? Maybe someone will even offer to drive you out to your car tomorrow. That's what people do around here. We're all very helpful."

"You picked up a stranger. I think you might be just a little too trusting."

She laughed again. "You assume I can't defend myself."

As she pulled back onto the road, I felt grateful for the unexpected kindness of a stranger on a rainy night in Cold Springs.

"I'm Diana, by the way," she said.

"Hudson," I replied.

"Have you ever been here before?" she asked. "Are you named after the Hudson River?"

I laughed and shook my head. "No to both. The name is just a coincidence."

"How did you hear about our little neck of the woods?"

"My brother," I replied. "He thought it might be something I liked."

"Oh, are you considering moving here?" she asked.

I laughed. "No. Just checking it out. How long have you lived here?"

"My whole life," she said with a smile.

"Wow, that's a long time."

"Were you born and raised in Manhattan?"

"No. Vancouver. Canada."

"Wow, you're a long way from home," she said.

I found myself mostly asking about her, wanting to keep the attention off myself. There was no way I was going to spill my guts to a stranger about being Hudson Bancroft, the party addict trying to get clean in the most random town I could find on a map. I wasn't sure if the Bancroft name had made it up to Cold Springs, but I didn't want to risk her knowing the name and the reputation my cousins had flooded New York with.

"Several of my brothers have recently moved to New York," I told her. "What about you? What do you do in this place?"

"I'm a teacher at the elementary school," she said. "And when I have the time, I volunteer as an event coordinator for the city."

"Event coordinator?" I asked, finding it just a little hard to believe there would be much to coordinate.

She laughed. "You find that difficult to believe?"

"This is a very small town," I said.

"It may be small, but we have a tight-knit community that loves to come together for various events," she explained, her eyes sparkling with pride. "We may not have the hustle and bustle of a big city, but there is a charm to the simplicity of life here in Cold Springs. We get a lot of visitors who are drawn to our many events."

I nodded. "I understand."

It was clear she had a passion for helping others. I admired that about her. She picked up a random stranger, which said a lot. She wasn't afraid to take risks to help someone.

"We live in such a beautiful place, we like to celebrate it whenever we can," she said, her voice filled with warmth and sincerity.

"Is your family here?" I asked.

"Yep." She nodded. "Older brother, younger sister, and my parents. I didn't leave the nest. None of us did."

"Did you want to?"

"Not really." She shrugged.

"I can understand that," I replied, thinking about my own fractured relationship with my family.

The car suddenly hit a bump in the road, jolting us both slightly in our seats. She swiftly regained control of the vehicle and laughed. "Sorry. Potholes are part of life around here. Usually I dodge them, but it's hard to see them in the rain."

"It's fine," I said. "What do you guys do here for fun? I'm guessing there aren't any clubs or concerts."

She chuckled at my question, shaking her head slightly. "No clubs or concerts, that's for sure. But we have our own ways of having fun around here. There's the annual apple-picking festival in the fall, the winter carnival with ice-sculpting contests, and of course, the summer bonfires down by the lake where everyone gathers to share stories and roast marshmallows. The farmer's market is a huge hit. Have you ever been to one?"

"I think I've heard of them, but I don't think I've ever been to one," I answered honestly. "Maybe I'll have to check it out while I'm here."

The truth was, I had never experienced the simple joys she described. My life had been a whirlwind of parties and numbing out to try to escape the shadow of my family's reputation. Maybe Cold Springs could offer me a chance to start fresh, away from the chaos of the city.

"You'll love it. Do you know how long you'll be in town?"

I shook my head. "I haven't really thought about it."

When we pulled up to the hotel, I groaned at the sight of it. It looked a heck of a lot less impressive than it did on the website. I couldn't shake the sinking feeling that I might have made a mistake in choosing this place to stay. Not that there were a lot of options.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" I asked, praying she was going to tell me there was another hotel of the same name in a better part of town.

Diana must have noticed my disappointment because she chuckled softly. "This place has the best vending machine soda," she said with a grin. "And it's clean. And quiet."

I arched an eyebrow at her incredulously. "Soda?" I repeated, unable to hide my skepticism.

She giggled again. "Hey, it's about the only thing they can't screw up here," she replied playfully. "Good luck. It's really not so bad. It isn't Manhattan but I think you'll find it is very comfortable."

I stared up at the place and nodded. "Thanks for the ride."

"Absolutely." She smiled.

"Maybe I'll see you around?" I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

"I'm sure you will," she replied with a smile. "It's hard not to run into the same people."

I opened the door and hopped out, almost immediately soaked again. I hunched my shoulders against the onslaught of rain and rushed into the office to check in and get my key.

Maybe, just maybe, this little town would be what I needed to get my shit together. It was certainly far enough from civilization.

I had wanted a change of pace and I was about to get it.