by Nina Lindsey
Callie lifted her gaze. A suffusion of love, heartbreak, and tenderness filled her mother’s eyes.
“I loved your father with my whole heart,” Eleanor continued. “But there’s no limit to one’s heart. Love isn’t finite. Enjoying the company of another man doesn’t mean I love your father any less. It just means I’m open to possibilities again.”
“Do you love Henry?” Callie pushed the question past a lump in her throat.
“No.” Eleanor sat back, her forehead creased. “Not yet. I think I could love him one day, but I’m in no hurry. Neither is he. Right now, we’re just enjoying being together. It’s so nice not to be alone.”
Callie deflected a stab of hurt. She disliked thinking that she and her sisters weren’t enough to keep their mother from feeling “alone,” but she also understood on a deep level she didn’t even fully recognize.
Callie had had her family throughout her life, and yet only in the past three weeks with Jake had she experienced an intimacy she’d never known. It was a kind of harmony, as if the discordant notes in her life had started fitting together in the exact right way.
She let out her breath in a long exhale. She didn’t want her life to be ruled by how things used to be or how she wanted them to be. But it wasn’t easy to let go.
“I hope I can meet him one day,” she finally said.
“Of course. He wants to meet you too. I’ve told him all about you and your sisters.” Eleanor patted her daughter’s hand. “Now since I’ve told you about Henry, are you going to tell me about your friend?”
Callie’s heart skipped at the thought of Jake, but she kept her voice casual. “I’ve just been hanging out with an old classmate from high school. He’s back in town for a little while, and we reconnected. No big deal.”
She rose to her feet, ignoring her mother’s flash of disappointment. Of course Eleanor would be disappointed to think Callie hadn’t met a man she was serious about.
But there was no sense in telling Eleanor about all the “in love” emotions ricocheting around her heart. The butterflies and shivers and quickening pulse. The way everything inside her lit up when Jake smiled at her. The longing to be with him and no one else.
And especially how much she ached inside at the thought of him leaving.
“I should get going.” She set her mug in the sink, resisting the urge to wash it along with the coffeepot. She picked up her purse. “If you…well, if you want help with the living room, you know where to find me.”
“Of course. Thank you.”
“Bye, Mom.” Callie gave her mother a quick hug and started toward the front door.
“Callie.”
She turned, her heart clenching at the depth of love and concern in her mother’s expression.
“It’s been an incredibly difficult year and a half,” Eleanor said. “We’ve all had to deal with a lot of hard things. But we can’t get stuck in them. At some point, we have to keep moving forward.”
“I know.” Callie’s throat tightened. “But knowing and doing are two different things.”
“You’re so good at the knowing part.” Eleanor smiled sadly. “It’s the doing that sometimes trips you up.”
“I’m trying.”
“I love you.” Eleanor wrapped her arms around her daughter. “No matter what I paint or what furniture I give away or who I’m having dinner with, I love you with more than my heart, more than my soul, more than everything I am.”
Callie closed her eyes and tightened their embrace. There were still a lot of things she was struggling with—there always had been and always would be in life—but the certainty of her mother’s unconditional love wasn’t one of them.
Chapter 19
Southwest, SFO to LAX, 6:00am Sunday.
Jake closed the text from his assistant and tossed his phone on the kitchen counter.
He stared out the window of the cottage at a couple of guys walking across the dunes. Ever since Conrad Birch had confessed he’d been “following” him, Jake had been increasingly on edge. Over the years, he’d sharpened his instincts about nearby people who looked deceptively casual but could also be rabid paparazzi or potential stalkers. More often, they were legit fans, but he still had to be careful.
He’d let his guard down, though. Hadn’t noticed anyone lurking around, much less Conrad Birch.
That wasn’t good. Everything in him—thoughts, instincts, attention—had converged so unerringly on Callie that he’d forgotten he was still in a precarious position. One he’d have to contend with the second his flight touched down at LAX.
A call came through his phone. A combination of relief and unease filled him.
“Jake?”
“Hi, Mom.”
“Honey, are you okay? The Fatal Glory mess hasn’t died down at all. Are they still harrassing you nonstop?”
“Just through calls and texts. Susan and her team are working overtime to fix it. What about you and Pam? Everything’s all right?”
“Oh, they’re not bothering us, but I’m worried about you.”
“I’m coming back on Sunday. I’ll see you then.”
“I’m so proud of you, Jake.” Her voice softened.
For a second, he didn’t know how to respond. “For what?”
“For being an honorable, good man with principles. For taking risks. For caring so much about others. For your loyalty.”
An odd constriction tightened his throat. “Thanks, Mom.”
“I know most men aspire to be like their fathers. But you’re nothing like your father. You’re so much better.”
Not for the first time, Jake wondered what he’d have become if his father hadn’t left them. But did it matter? He was who he was. He still intended to shape his own life.
“I love you, Mom. I’ll send you my flight info.”
After ending the call, he picked up his camera from the kitchen table. He rewound the hours of video he’d taken and stopped on a clip of Callie. With the sound turned off, she was like a living painting—her hair a waterfall of brown silk, her smile like a sunrise. Just watching her lit a fire deep inside his heart. One he was beginning to think would never go out.
He pulled on a hoodie and baseball cap, slung the camera strap around his shoulder, and headed toward Mariposa Street. He’d never expected that registering Callie for painting classes would cause a rift between them, but the woman could be complicated. She hadn’t responded yet to two texts and a phone call, which meant that his next plan of attack was to show up at her house and redirect her anger by kissing her senseless.
In retrospect, he understood her reaction. He didn’t like it, but he should have anticipated it. Even though Callie had encouraged him to take a risk and try something new, she wouldn’t consider doing the same thing. Her life had been on a straight track for so long that deviating from it hadn’t ever occurred to her. Her father’s death had intensified her desire to stay firmly rooted instead of spreading her wings.
He glanced at his watch as he walked down Mariposa. She’d be on campus now, and he didn’t want to interrupt her work. Even with kissing.
“Morning, hon.”
Jake turned at the husky greeting and lifted a hand to Destiny. Resplendent in a glittering gold caftan with her black hair piled on top of her head, she stood in the doorway of Moonbeams with a mug in her hands.
“How’re you this morning, Destiny?”
“Perfect.” She lifted the mug toward him. “Fancy a cup of herbal tea?”
“No, thanks.”
Her gaze slipped past him to the opposite side of the street. Jake followed her line of sight to a gutted building that was being remodeled. A few workers were busy putting up drywall and electrical wiring. The tall guy from Metalworks Hardware hitched a ladder off his truck, shooting a glance in Destiny’s direction before carrying the ladder inside.
“Still a closed book, huh?” Jake asked.
“I might have gotten started on the first chapter.” Destiny winked at him. �
�He’s been picking me up a Sugar Joy croissant every now and then, though he tries to pretend like he didn’t buy it specifically for me.”
“Why don’t you ask him out?”
“I’m kind of enjoying the slow burn.” She fiddled with her multiple silver necklaces. “Heightens the anticipation, you know? However, I’ve also considered showing up on his doorstep and stripping naked.”
Jake laughed. “That’ll get his attention.”
“And that of the police chief.” She shot him a smile. “You off to see Callie?”
“Later today, yeah.”
“Nice to see her getting out and about.” She arched an eyebrow and turned to go inside. “She’s a good girl.”
Jake sensed a warning in that statement. If he wasn’t careful, he’d have to deal with a fallout in Bliss Cove as well as Hollywood.
All the more reason to secure his relationship with her. Maybe a movie star wasn’t good enough for a Classics professor, but somehow, they’d locked together like two pieces of a puzzle. It was more than just physical attraction, though they had that in abundance.
He was happy when he was with her. If he wasn’t with her, he was thinking about when they’d be together again. He found himself storing up little things to tell her—about a new Rick Riordan book he’d seen at the bookstore, a photo he’d taken of a bee buzzing around a flower, a Mexican restaurant where he wanted to take her.
Callie got him—his chaotic feelings about his career, his love of storytelling, even his vague dreams about making his own movies. She knew the popular, well-liked high school kid he’d been was part of his role, his need to please and take care of people. She even believed he was capable of writing his own screenplays.
And she knew he had to stop making choices based on what others wanted and start making them based on what he wanted.
Now it was time to do that with her. Because of all the things in the world—more than any contract or role Hollywood could offer—Jake wanted Callie.
Remembering Eleanor had told him she took Friday mornings off from Sugar Joy, he walked back toward Starfish Avenue. The Prescotts lived in one of the older neighborhoods in Bliss Cove, with Spanish-style houses and cottages close to downtown.
He turned into the cul-de-sac to Callie’s childhood house and rang the bell. His heartbeat increased in pace. He had no idea how Eleanor would react to his plea, but God knew he’d do everything to convince her to accept it.
She opened the door. Dressed in a paint-splattered smock and jeans, she lifted her eyebrows. “Jake. What on earth are you doing here?”
“Sorry for not calling first.” He pulled off his baseball cap and rubbed his hair. “But can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Of course. Come in.”
He followed her into the living room. The smell of paint hung heavy in the air. Drop cloths covered the floor, and paint cans and supplies sat open.
“Need any help?” he asked.
“Sure, if you’re up for it.” She indicated a bunch of clean brushes. “This is the second coat.”
Jake dipped a brush into a can of light blue paint and joined her at the south wall. They worked in silence for a few minutes before she spoke.
“I’ve been hearing all this buzz about you walking away from your Fatal Glory contract.”
“Yeah.” He squinted at the taped window trim and drew the brush close to the edge. “It was a great ride, but I’ve been ready for it to come to an end. They’ll obviously have no trouble finding another actor.”
“From what I hear, the Fatal Glory fan group is launching a letter-writing campaign claiming no one else should be allowed to play Blaze Ripley.”
Jake smiled, even as sorrow tugged at his chest. “I’m going to do an online talk with them and explain. I also have a fan convention coming up. I hope they’ll eventually understand.”
“So that must mean you’re leaving Bliss Cove soon.” Eleanor turned and dipped her brush into the paint.
“Sunday morning.” His shoulder muscles knotted. “But I’ll be back.”
She glanced at him, her eyes wary. “Why?”
“For Callie.”
Eleanor’s mouth compressed. “Be careful, Jake. I wanted you to take her out, not make her fall in love with you.”
“I’m the one who fell in love with her.” Saying the words aloud was a sudden relief, as if a band around his heart had clicked open.
Her eyes widened. “You fell in love?”
“Hard.” He let out a laugh and shook his head. “I know it’s only been a few weeks. I know it’s crazy. I know you think I’m not good enough for her and that we’d be a terrible match. But it’s the truth. I love your daughter. She’s so smart and kind, and yeah, she has that control thing going on, but only because she cares so much about her family, her students, her work…she makes me want to be better in every way possible.”
Pursing her lips, Eleanor set her brush on the edge of a paint can and stepped toward him. “Let me get one thing straight, Jake. I never thought you were not good enough for my daughter. The fact that you were in town temporarily was the only thing preventing me from really trying to set you up.”
“But you also wanted me to keep her busy so there’d be less chance she’d find out you’re seeing Henry.”
“Yes.” She had the grace to look ashamed. “I know I’ve relied on her far too much, and I haven’t known how to be more independent without hurting her. But I both needed and wanted some time alone to process what I have with Henry. I’m sorry I didn’t—”
“Don’t apologize.” Jake held up his hand. “Asking me to go out with your daughter was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. She is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Eleanor stared at him for a moment before a spark of happiness rose to her eyes. “And how does she feel about you?”
“I…” He paused and cleared his throat, his face heating. “Well, she likes me a lot. We haven’t…uh, discussed, like, our true feelings or anything yet, but—”
“Never mind.” She laughed suddenly and squeezed his free hand. “None of my business. I will say that Callie seems happier than I’ve seen her in a long time, and the fact that she forgot to remind me to take my car in for service is evidence enough that she’s been preoccupied with you.”
“I want it to work.” He tightened his fingers around hers, more certain of this than he’d ever been about anything. “I want to be with her.”
“Life is short, but filled with opportunities, Jake.” Eleanor smiled. “Go and get what you want.”
“Did you know I was able to send my mother a transmission via a digital communications network using encoded data?” Jordan set Callie’s slide carousels on the lecture hall table and began wrapping up the remote control cord. “She received it within seconds.”
Callie tapped her pen on her lecture notes and frowned. “Are you talking about email?”
“That might be what they call it today.” He nodded, his brow creasing as he knelt by the podium to untangle the cord. “Isn’t modern technology amazing?”
She narrowed her gaze. “What are you doing this weekend, Jordan?”
“Studying Greco-Roman history, of course.”
“If you have time…” Clearing her throat, Callie lifted her chin. “I could use your help transferring all my lectures and slides on to my laptop and creating digital presentations.”
Jordan straightened so fast he banged his head against the edge of the podium. “Ow. Are you serious?”
“Are you okay? Yes, I’m serious.”
“Wow. Yeah.” He rubbed his head, a wide smile stretching across his face. “That is fantastic. I would love to help you join the twenty-first cent…er, transfer your lectures and slides on to a computer.”
“I’ll send you an encoded data transmission via a digital network so we can set up a time to meet.” Callie closed her satchel and gave him a short nod. “Thank you, Jordan.”
“My pleasure, Dr. Presc
ott.”
Feeling somehow lighter, Callie returned to her office. She sat at her desk and did a final read-through of her book proposal for Cambridge Press. She composed an email, attached the file, and clicked the Send button.
The tension eased from her shoulders, and she let her breath out in a long rush. Yes, there was still a chance that the Fire Imprint editor wouldn’t like this new version of her proposal, but Callie had written enough papers and articles to know when her work was good.
The proposal was good. Interesting. Innovative. Unique. She would write the book even if a publisher didn’t accept it first.
Instead of containing her research to history books and essays, she wanted to get out into the world and talk to the people who’d been inspired by Greek mythology—filmmakers, novelists, music video directors, artists.
She wanted to know why and how they’d found inspiration in the tales of the gods and goddesses who had populated her life for as long as she could remember. The myths themselves brimmed over with immense creativity and passion—and now, for the first time, she wanted to live that way too.
She picked up her phone and called Jake.
“Callie?” Slightly breathless, his deep voice flowed into her like a soothing balm.
“I’m sorry I haven’t gotten back to you. I was finishing up my proposal and just sent it to the editor few minutes ago. Before my deadline, I might add.”
“Hey, congratulations.” She pictured his gorgeous smile and twinkling blue eyes. “When will you hear back?”
“Hopefully within a week or so. Where are you?”
“Jogging to the bookstore.”
Callie couldn’t help laughing. “You haven’t quit yet?”
“Can’t leave Grumpy in the lurch.”
“Why are you jogging?”
“I’m late.”
“Okay, I’ll let you go.” Her heart constricted the second the words were out of her mouth. Of all the things in the world she didn’t want to let go of, he was at the top of the list. “I’ll see you tonight?”
“Can’t wait.”