She couldn’t sleep. It was almost eleven, and she’d been trying for two hours. She finally threw the covers off and decided to walk the few blocks to the bar. Maybe a beer or two would help her to sleep.
When she walked in, Taylor was behind the bar, and she was talking to a customer. Taylor glanced over her shoulder and waved at her, causing Callie to smile. It seemed Taylor was always pleased to see her lately, which was a good dose of happiness for her, usually at the end of a long, boring day of desk duty. She walked over to sit by the man Taylor was talking to.
“Callie, this is Randy, the guy whose friend gave us the tickets to the game on Saturday,” Taylor told her as she filled a pint from the tap and set it in front of her.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Randy,” she said, shaking his outstretched hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I could say the same about you,” he answered. “We’re kindred spirits, in a way.”
“How so?”
“I’m a cop too,” he said. He puffed his chest out, then laughed. “Brockport’s finest.”
“Good to know,” she said with a nod, feeling infinitely better knowing he was one of the good guys, and not a friend of Sharon’s. He was a big guy, the kind you’d have to think twice about messing with. He was muscular, but not in a professional body builder sort of way.
“Want to play a game of pool?” he asked.
“Normally, I would, but I’m still recovering from a gunshot wound to the shoulder.” She probably could play, and her physical therapist would no doubt be happy if she did, but she really just wanted to sit there and watch Taylor.
“Yeah, I read about it in the paper. Tough break, but at least you guys caught the bastard,” he said. “Your first time taking a bullet?”
“First, and I hope the last time,” she said with a grin. “I don’t really recommend it to anyone.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He chuckled and finished what was left of his beer. He frowned as he looked past Callie, which caused her to follow his line of sight.
Sharon. Damn it.
“Is she in here a lot?” Randy asked.
“More than Taylor would like her to be,” Callie answered.
“Taylor told me you were pretending to be her girlfriend. I guess that isn’t working so well, huh?”
“I think this woman just won’t take no for an answer.”
“She’ll give up eventually,” Randy said as he stood. “They usually do. She’ll find someone else to fixate on, and then Taylor won’t have to worry about her anymore.”
“I hope you’re right,” Callie said, but she wasn’t so sure. The stab of jealousy she felt when Sharon was watching Taylor made absolutely no sense. Taylor wasn’t hers, but even if she was, she knew Taylor would never be interested in Sharon. Maybe what she was feeling was longing? Yeah, she’d go with that for now. Much easier to deal with than jealousy.
“I’m heading out. Taylor has my number if you need any help, okay?” Randy asked.
“Thanks, man,” Callie said, shaking his hand again. “It was good talking to you.”
He waved to Taylor as he left the bar, and Callie kept her eyes on Taylor, refusing to even acknowledge Sharon. She watched while Taylor got her a drink, and then while Sharon tried to chat her up. It was obvious to Callie that Taylor just wanted to get away from her, and when she finally did, she came right to Callie.
“My God, this woman is infuriating,” she said, taking Randy’s empty glass and setting it in the sink. “She refuses to leave me alone.”
“Is she still hitting on you?” Callie reached across the bar and took Taylor’s hand, knowing Sharon was watching. She rubbed her thumb along the back of her hand, and kept eye contact, smiling. “Maybe we should kiss. Maybe that would make her think twice about coming on so strong.”
“Are you hitting on me now too?” Taylor asked, but she smiled as well, no doubt for Sharon’s benefit.
“No, I’m flirting, and you’ve never indicated to me you don’t like it. On the other hand, you’ve told her more than once to leave you alone, and she won’t. There’s a big difference.”
“Is she watching us?”
“She’s always watching you,” Callie said. “She can’t seem to take her eyes off of you most of the time, which I can certainly understand. You’re beautiful, Taylor.”
Callie was surprised when Taylor leaned across the bar and grabbed the front of her shirt, pulling her forward and pressing their lips together. There was nothing noteworthy about it, in fact it was rather chaste, but it ignited something in Callie anyway. Of course, where Taylor was concerned, it didn’t take much to ignite her.
“I know you can kiss better than that,” Callie said when Taylor pulled back slightly.
“Stop flirting with me,” Taylor said, but Callie saw the smile that contradicted her words.
“But you like it.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe? I think the word you meant to say was yes.”
“Maybe.” Taylor released the grip on her shirt after another quick kiss and went to work washing the glasses in the sink.
“I can’t help it,” Callie said with a shrug. “Flirting comes naturally with you.”
“You’re persistent, I’ll give you that.” Taylor laughed.
Callie watched her as she walked away, hanging the clean glasses on the rack above the bar. When she disappeared to the back room where the kegs were stored, Callie risked a glance at Sharon and saw she was watching her intently, a scowl on her face. Callie concentrated on the beer in front of her, and saw out of the corner of her eye that Sharon was walking toward her.
“You’re cute together,” Sharon said, and she didn’t sound happy about it.
“Thanks,” Callie said with a smile.
“But you’re an idiot if you think I believe you’re a couple.”
“I’m sorry?” Callie turned in her seat to face her.
“Come on, if you two were really together, you’d be much more affectionate with each other,” Sharon said, leaning against the bar next to Callie.
“Maybe we save our affection for when we’re home,” Callie said. “I’ve never really been too fond of public displays.”
“But she would be,” Sharon smiled, “if she were with me.”
“She’s not with you though.” Callie smiled, even though what she really wanted was to punch her squarely in the nose. “Just in case you didn’t know.”
“When I see something I want, I get it.”
“You might want her, but I have her. I suggest you back off.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Not at all,” Callie said in a tone far calmer than what she was feeling. “But when I’m with someone I love, I can be very protective.”
“Then it should be a fun game.” Sharon grinned, but Callie could see no humor in it. It was clearly meant to intimidate. “And I never lose when I play. And I don’t take no for an answer.”
“I hate to break it to you, but you’ve already lost.”
“We’ll see. May the best woman win.”
Callie was seething by the time Sharon turned and walked back to her seat. Confidence in a woman was usually an attractive trait, but where Sharon was concerned, it was simply sinister. Callie felt as though she needed a shower after the exchange.
“What’s wrong?” Taylor asked when she was done with whatever she’d been doing in the back. Callie looked at her and then at Sharon. “Did she say something to you?”
“She thinks she can win you away from me,” Callie said. “There’s something seriously off about her, Taylor.”
“Yeah, I’ve sensed it too. I wish I could ban her from ever coming in here again.”
“You can refuse to serve her,” Callie said.
“I have a feeling that would make everything much worse.”
“You’re probably right.” Callie mentally shook herself. She was thinking way too much about Sharon, and she was tired of it. She smiled at Ta
ylor. “What time should I pick you up on Saturday?”
“I don’t know. Do you want to have dinner first?”
“I’d love to.”
“Well, the game starts at seven, so how about five?”
“Sounds good.” Callie watched her as she walked away to get someone a drink, and wondered if she should have asked her if this was a date. God, how she wanted it to be. But she had the feeling a date was the furthest thing from Taylor’s mind when it came to her.
Chapter Sixteen
“You sure aren’t acting like this isn’t a date,” Grace said while Callie was trying to find something to wear to the hockey game. Apparently, she and Quinn thought Callie needed help getting ready, so Grace had shown up at her apartment unexpectedly. “It’s a freaking game, Cal. Jeans and a sweatshirt would be perfectly acceptable.”
She knew that. She really did. But she wanted Taylor to notice her. She didn’t want to just fit in with the rest of the people who would be in attendance. She finally decided on jeans and a green sweater.
“Okay, wow,” Grace said when she walked out of the bathroom, fully dressed and ready to go. An entire hour before she was supposed to pick Taylor up. “That color looks fantastic on you.”
“Yeah?” Callie asked, wondering if it was just a compliment to placate her, or if Grace was being honest. “You really think so?”
“Come sit with me.” Grace patted the seat next to her on the edge of the bed.
She was living in the apartment above the bookstore Grace owned. Grace had lived there before moving in with Quinn when the two of them had finally admitted their feelings for each other. It had been the perfect solution for Callie, who had been staying in Quinn’s spare room after returning from Atlanta when she’d left Jan. The only drawback to the apartment was the fact it was all one room, except for the bathroom. As a result, the only furniture in the place was the bed. She could probably fit a couch in the space too, but what would be the point? It wasn’t like she did much entertaining.
Callie sat down and let out a breath, which caused Grace to chuckle. Callie looked at her and saw she had something she wanted to say. She waited patiently for Grace to say whatever was on her mind.
“You’re nervous,” she finally said.
“I am not,” Callie answered, her tone defensive. She shook her head and looked at her feet. She was incredibly nervous, if she was being honest, and she knew Grace could tell. Grace knew her and Quinn both better than they knew themselves, it seemed. She raised her hand, her thumb and forefinger less than an inch apart. “Okay, maybe a little.”
“You really want this to be a date, don’t you?”
“Would that be a bad thing?” Callie picked at a fuzz ball on her sweater and didn’t look up. “You know, if it was a date?”
“Oh, sweetie,” Grace said as she put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “I don’t think it would be a bad thing at all. In fact, despite what Quinn thinks, I believe it’s way past time for Taylor to start dating again.”
“She thinks I don’t want a relationship.”
“She told you that?”
“Yeah. And Quinn obviously thinks the same thing.” Callie pulled away to look at Grace, knowing she was about to defend Quinn. “You heard her last Sunday. She told me to be careful with her. She warned me Taylor wasn’t over Andrea yet. She thinks I’m going to break Taylor’s heart.”
“Are you?”
“What? No, I wouldn’t do that.” She stood and went to get a bottle of water, but mostly she just needed some space. She twisted the cap off and leaned against the fridge.
“But she has the power to break yours, doesn’t she?”
Callie snorted. “Wouldn’t that throw Quinn for a loop?” she said.
“Don’t worry about Quinn, okay? I’ll talk to her about this, and she’ll get over whatever reservations she has.” Grace watched her for a moment, and Callie looked everywhere but at her. “So, do you want a relationship?”
“When I left Jan, I thought the last thing I needed was another girlfriend. Someone who would make demands on my time, and expect me to do whatever they wanted to do, whenever they wanted to do it.” Callie began picking absently at the label on her bottle before setting it down on the counter. “I figured every relationship was like the one I had with Jan. But I’ve watched you and Quinn together, and I see it can be a wonderful thing to have someone to come home to every night. To love you. To be on your side no matter what.”
She met Grace’s eyes, and damned if she didn’t feel like she was going to cry. Crying was definitely not something she planned on doing tonight. She looked at the ceiling so she wouldn’t have to see the love and understanding in Grace’s eyes.
“God damn it, Grace, I want that,” she said around the lump in her throat. “And I want it to be with Taylor.”
“Whoa there, you’re moving a little fast, don’t you think?” Grace’s skepticism was obvious, and Callie met her gaze as she shook her head.
“No, it isn’t. Not really.” Callie made her way back to the bed and sat down next to her again. “I mean, if you think about it, I’ve known Taylor since Quinn started working for her, and that was over fifteen years ago. I actually knew her before Andrea did. Granted, for the vast majority of the time we were nothing more than acquaintances.”
“But you hardly know her.”
“I know this is going to sound crazy,” Callie said before she took a deep breath and went on because she knew if she didn’t just say it now, she never would. “When she and Andrea started seeing each other, I was jealous.”
“Because you loved Andrea?”
“God, no, she and I were too much alike,” Callie said with a laugh. “That would have never worked out, and we never even attempted it. We were better as friends. I was jealous because I’d always had a crush on Taylor. I hated how they were so perfect together. Andrea told me so much about Taylor, I felt like I knew her. I made the mistake of telling her she was lucky she’d married Taylor because otherwise I’d steal her away. I never spent much time with the two of them when they were dating because I didn’t want to see them so in love. Then, after that, Andrea told me Taylor didn’t like me because I was so reckless and she thought for sure I’d end up making Andrea take risks she shouldn’t. I believed what she said because I had no reason to think she would lie to me. But Taylor said she never told Andrea anything of the sort. I think Andrea just wanted me to stay away from Taylor because I was attracted to her.”
“Has discovering this made you think less of Andrea?” Grace was holding her hand, and Callie was a bit mortified to realize she was indeed crying.
“No, it hasn’t,” Callie answered, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “Maybe it should, I don’t know. But she was my best friend. I would have done anything for her. If I could have run into that building to save her, I wouldn’t have hesitated. I think at some point I realized Andrea had very little self-confidence, even though she managed to hide it very well. I can’t think less of her because she worried she wouldn’t be enough to keep Taylor happy.”
“So, Taylor does like you?” Grace asked, sounding a little tentative.
“Yes. I mean, I think so. We kissed,” Callie said, and then wished she could turn back time and stop herself from saying it out loud. “If you tell Quinn, you know I might have to kill you, right? I’m a cop. I could cover it up if I needed to.”
“I won’t tell Quinn,” Grace assured her with a slight chuckle. “Does Taylor have any idea how you feel about her?”
“Are you crazy? She knows I wouldn’t mind if we kissed again, but it probably isn’t going to happen.”
“Why not?”
“She told me…” Callie let her voice trail off, silently thanking whoever might have been responsible for her stopping what she was about to say. It was not her place to say Taylor hadn’t been with anyone since Andrea died. She shook her head.
“What did she tell you?”
“Nothing,” Callie
said. “It doesn’t matter. Just suffice it to say this is not a date, and I’m just hoping Taylor and I can at least be friends.”
“You’ll tell me some day,” Grace said with a finger to her ribs. “You know damn well you will, right?”
“I have no doubt.” Callie smiled and grabbed a tissue to dry her eyes. “I’m smart enough to realize when Grace wants to know something, she ends up knowing it, no matter what.”
“Just as long as you understand that, everything will be fine.” Grace winked at her before glancing at the clock on the bedside table. “You’d better get going if you want to be on time.”
“Oh, shit, I didn’t realize we’d been talking so long.”
“You know you can come to me anytime, right? If you need to talk?”
“I do.” Callie stood and held a hand out to Grace to pull her to her feet, then Grace wrapped her arms around Callie’s neck and held her close.
“And if Taylor can’t see what an awesome person you are, then it’s her loss,” she said into Callie’s ear before squeezing her briefly, planting a kiss on her cheek, and finally releasing her.
Callie stood there for a couple of minutes after Grace walked out the door, wondering if there might ever be a time when Taylor would see what an awesome person she was. Not if you’re late picking her up, she won’t. She grabbed her wallet and her phone and rushed out the door. If she was lucky, she’d get there right on time.
Exactly fifteen minutes later, Callie was standing on Taylor’s front porch, wiping her sweaty palms on the legs of her jeans and wondering what the hell was wrong with her. She felt like she was fifteen years old and about to meet her date’s parents. Not a date, not a date, not a date.
She kept repeating it over and over in her mind as she rang the bell and waited nervously for the door to open. When it did, all she could do was stare. Taylor was dressed similar to her, with jeans and a sweater. The only difference was where Callie’s sweater was a bit baggy, Taylor’s hugged her in all the right places.
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