A burst of relief flooded Tucker. “I’m glad at least one of her parents doesn’t like him.”
“Do yourself a favor. If Edmund tells you anything, make sure you double-check him. He tends to…inflate his success.”
“Good to know.”
“Time’s up!” Callie’s mom called out. “Your two hours are up, and judging will begin. Everyone stand next to their sculpture, and Grandma and I will be around to check them.”
As she finished her announcement, an elderly woman came strolling on the beach, heading straight to Tucker. She stopped when they got to him, and the woman pinched his cheek.
“I was right! He is better-looking in person.” She smiled as Clementine walked up.
“Momma!” Clementine chastised the woman as her cheeks reddened.
“What? He is, and he has a cute butt too,” the woman said.
Clementine rolled her eyes. “Momma, stop that.”
“What? You telling me you don’t think he’s good-looking? You’re not blind, either. Sure is better than that Edmund fella you’ve been pushing on Callie since boys no longer had cooties.”
Inwardly, Tucker was dying with laughter. Outwardly, he just smiled as the elderly woman sparred with Clementine.
Callie’s dad interrupted them. “This is my mother-in-law, Loretta Thames. She’s known for speaking her mind.”
He could have sworn Clementine said, “What she has left of it,” but it was so quiet he couldn’t be sure.
Tucker grinned. “Hi, Mrs. Thames, it’s nice to meet you.” He liked this spry woman.
“You call me Loretta, okay?”
“Okay, Loretta,” he said, letting his voice dip low.
Loretta squealed. “You big flirt.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Honey, you flirt all you want. I got no problem with it.”
“Okay.” Tucker laughed, instantly adoring her for her feisty personality.
“Momma, we need to start the judging. Let’s start at the other end and come back. Okay?”
The lines around Loretta’s mouth deepened as her lips turned down. “Fine, fine. We’ll come back.” She patted his cheek and walked away with Callie’s mom.
It had been a long time since he experienced a sense of home. When was the last time he’d been home? Now that he was thinking about it, it had been more than a year. Guilt coursed through his veins. What had kept him away? Maybe he’d have an answer by the time he went home. If not, maybe he’d stay long enough to figure it out.
Chapter 15
Winning the sandcastle contest had come as a shock to Callie, especially since she’d never won anything…ever. She was sure her grandma would pick Tucker’s team because her grandma had an even bigger crush on him than she did, but when her mom announced the winner and her name was called, it floored her. Although, her grandma had given her mom a hard look. Callie wasn’t sure what that meant, but she still wasn’t inclined to fight her mom, so she kept her mouth shut.
“So, that was fun, huh?” asked Edmund. “Finally winning must feel good.”
Once the winners had been announced, everyone had decided to hang out on the beach, including Edmund, and he’d waited until Tucker and the rest of the guys went out on the jet skis to approach her as she sat in the shade of her umbrella.
“Yeah, I guess,” Callie said.
“You sound disappointed.”
She shrugged. “I’m not.” Yeah, she was. She was pretty sure her mom had announced her and Edmund as the winners so he’d stick to her, even after coming to an agreement that her mom would give Tucker a chance.
“Have you told your face that? ’Cause it looks like you’ve eaten dirt.”
“I thought it would feel different. I thought…I don’t know what I thought.” Callie shook her head.
Edmund bumped her shoulder with his. “Talk to me, Cal. We used to be good friends.”
“And whose fault was it that we stopped being friends?”
“I know. I shouldn’t have spread that rumor, but Hugh Brouden was talking about you, and I wanted him to shut up.”
“Hugh?”
He nodded. “Yeah, that jerk was telling the guys on the soccer team that you and he were…”
Callie’s eyes widened. “He was not!”
“He was, and I wanted to shut him up. He said you’d gone on a date with him, and I knew you hadn’t. I knew you were studying for that math test on the night he was talking about. I thought if I told him we were dating―and I knew for a fact you weren’t with him―then he’d shut up.”
Had she pegged Edmund wrong this whole time? “Why didn’t you tell me that when I confronted you?”
“I tried, but you wouldn’t even let me talk. You were so mad that I couldn’t get a word in to explain myself.”
She thought back to that day. Oh, she’d been furious after finding out that Edmund was running around telling everyone that they were dating. She’d confronted him blast-style, her mouth working so fast it was a wonder she talked straight. “But after, when I’d calmed down, you could have said something. Why wait until now?”
“I don’t know. I figured, what was the point? You made it clear you had no feelings for me whatsoever. But seeing you with someone else…I never thought I’d actually lose you. We were so close. I shared everything with you.”
Callie softened. That was true. They had spent hours talking, and before he started thinking they could be more than friends, they’d actually been pretty close.
“Why couldn’t we just stay friends, then? Why did you have to try to make us into something we weren’t?”
“Because I fell in love with you. I love your eyes and how they sparkle when you’re excited about something. I love your smile, your hair, your wit and intelligence. I’ve tried dating other women, Cal, but none of them hold a candle to you.”
He’d never said anything like that to her before. “You know, if you’d come to me like this when we were in high school, things might have been different.”
“I know. I was a stupid kid, and I should have backed off the moment you said you weren’t interested, but I loved—love you so much. It breaks my heart to see you with him.”
“Edmund, let me go. I want you to find someone to love and who loves you with the same passion you give. You’re a good guy when you want to be. Be the man I know you can be, and find someone to be happy with.”
He nodded, and when he spoke, his voice was soft. “Do you know him well enough to know with absolute certainty that he’s the one for you?”
When did Edmund ask such heavy questions? “Yeah, I do.”
“Okay, if you’re happy, I’m happy for you,” he said and smiled. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted. For you to be happy.”
“I want you to be happy too.”
“I told you before that I was made partner.”
Callie nodded. “Yeah, I’m so happy for you. I know that’s what you’ve wanted for a long time.”
“It is, and I moved out of divorce proceedings and into contract law. It’s so much better without all the fighting and bickering and negotiating. Although, with contract law, there’s negotiating, there’s just no ‘who gets the dog’ negotiating.”
“That sounds interesting.”
“It is, it is,” he said and held her gaze until it was awkward. “Anyway, I need to go. I’ve got a few things to wrap up before tonight’s bonfire.” He stood as Tucker approached. “See you guys later.”
Tucker tipped his chin. “Later.” He took a seat next to Callie and waited until Edmund was out of earshot. “What did he want?”
“Just to clear the air, I think.”
Tucker draped his arms over his bent knees. “Is that all?”
Did she mention the weird feeling? Nah, what was the point? Weird feeling about what? There was no explanation, so she decided to keep it to herself. “Yep, that’s all.”
His phone started ringing, and he answered, motioning for her to
be quiet as he put it on speaker. “Hey, Stace, what’s up?”
“Oh, just the largest American tour you’ve ever done.”
“Really?” His eyes twinkled as he locked gazes with Callie.
“Yep,” Stacey said. “All the details are worked out. The tour starts a month after you get back. You’ll be back Sunday, right?”
“No, I have to stop at my parent’s place. They want to meet Callie.”
Stacey groaned. “You don’t have time for that.”
“I’ll make time.”
She sighed. “Fine, but you’ve only got Sunday. Once you get back, I’ve got a press junket set up. You’ll be hitting all the morning and evening shows to talk about the tour and your new marriage. The press is dying to know more.”
Callie’s eyes widened. A press tour? Would she be with him? She didn’t want to be in front of all those cameras. Another part of his life that she hadn’t considered before jumping in and signing that contract. Gil had assured her that Derek had buried her ties to the paper, but what if someone found out? What if they confronted her on live television in front Tucker?
Her heart beat wildly, and she whispered, “I don’t want to be on TV.”
Tucker nodded to show he’d heard her. “Will Callie have to go on the shows with me?”
“Well, if she wants to, I’m sure they wouldn’t care. But, no, they aren’t expecting her,” Stacey said.
Relief flooded Callie, and she patted the spot over her heart. Whew. Bullet dodged.
“Anything else, Stace?”
“No, just continue your sober streak, and we’ll be right as rain.”
Callie could see how the statement hit him. The sparkle in his eyes dimmed a little. “I’ll keep it up.”
“Good. Anyway, gotta go. There are a few more details I need to take care of.”
Tucker and Stacey said goodbye, and Tucker ended the call.
“Largest American tour!” Callie bounced in the sand. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “I mean, I’m totally stoked about it, but at the same time, I miss home. Tours are hard. The last tour I was on, I was a mess.”
“But you won’t be this time.”
“No, not this time.”
Callie chewed her lip, debating whether to ask him what happened with Petra. No, it was too soon, and she didn’t want to be the one who instigated it. When he told her, she wanted him to want to tell her because he trusted her.
Trust. That five letter word was feeling more like a four letter word lately. She was lying to him, and Gil would be expecting an article about him soon, full of details about Tucker and his life. She might have to write an article, but that didn’t mean she had to divulge everything.
“Hey!” Will called with his hands cupped around his mouth. “We’re getting some ice cream. Wanna come?”
“Talk about magic words,” Callie said.
Tucker nodded. “It sounds pretty good to me too.” He threw Will a thumbs up, and Will ran toward the house, leaving them alone on the beach.
Callie went to stand, and Tucker stopped her. “Hold on just a second.” He cupped her cheek and held her gaze.
Without another word, he bent down and brushed his lips across hers. What was he doing? The beach was empty. “Why are you kissing me? No one’s watching.”
“No one was watching this morning either. Are you saying you don’t want to kiss me?”
That wasn’t what she was saying at all. “No,” she said softly.
“Are you going to tell me not to kiss you?”
Her vocabulary had taken a flying leap, so she shook her head.
He pressed his lips to hers again and nipped her bottom lip. “I won’t kiss you if you tell me to stop.”
She circled her arms around his neck in response, and that was all he needed to deepen the kiss. This morning could have been a fluke, a crazy weird haven’t-been-really-kissed-lately thing, but now he was kissing her for the second time, and her heart and head were buzzing like she was high on a bucket of energy-drink-laced coffee.
When a call came from the house, they broke apart, leaving Callie dizzy.
“I guess that means they’re waiting on us,” Callie said, trying to catch her breath.
Tucker nodded. “I guess so.” He stood and helped her up.
As she started to walk to the house, he tangled his fingers in hers, and she could have floated on air.
It made things so confusing. He’d been clear that he didn’t want a relationship, so why was he kissing her like that? And why was she letting him? What was wrong with her? She was lying to him. Their time together had an expiration date, and if she wasn’t careful, not only would their relationship be over, but she’d have a broken heart too.
She needed to be stronger. The next time he tried to kiss her, she’d stop him. This was a business deal. The hospital needed money, and he needed his image fixed. Nothing more, nothing less. Their careers were the only thing that mattered, and if she was the one that needed to remind them of that, then that’s what she’d do.
Chapter 16
Another night, and another outpouring of lyrics. The ocean breeze floated through the open window as Tucker sat on the floor with his back against the wall, using the moonlight to write. Two nights in a row now, he’d felt like an overflowing cup.
And just like the night before, he’d held Callie after she’d fallen asleep. Her body fit, and he loved the warmth she gave him, the way her hair would tickle his arm, and the peaceful look on her face when she’d finally roll over and stretch her arm across his chest.
Everything about it was intimate and sweet and all the things he knew were missing but didn’t know how to find. And after talking with her dad and admitting out loud that they’d dated, it had been freeing. He’d planned on telling her, but seeing Edmund talking to her had painted his vision green.
Then Stacey called. After that, it was ice cream, bragging rights and teasing about the sandcastles, and then the bonfire, which was just as fun as Callie had made it sound. They’d cooked hot dogs and had s’mores. It was lively and fun. He hadn’t laughed so much and so hard in forever. It felt like he was slowly coming alive.
“Hey,” Callie said as she leaned up on her elbow. “Is everything okay?” She rubbed her eyes and yawned.
“Yeah, everything’s fine. Go back to sleep.”
She pushed out of bed, her feet dragging on the floor as she walked, and sat beside him. “Are you writing?”
He nodded.
“I’m so proud of you.”
“I haven’t done anything.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “You’re trying. That’s something.”
He chuckled.
Lifting her head, she caught his gaze and held it. “I’m proud of you because you’re Tucker. Not Tucker Hawk or the famous singer or any of that. I’m proud of you for the man you are. You have a good heart, Tucker.”
“I don’t feel like I have a good heart.”
“Then I’ll keep saying it until you do.” She smiled as she looked down, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Back before you were famous, you’d tell little kids that they could do it too. That there was a big enough pool of people you didn’t need to compete with them. You’d help them with their finger positions on the guitar. You’d stay late and work with them on their songs.” When she looked back up, a sheen of water covered her eyes. “You are so much more than some singer.”
Tucker fought back his own tears. No one had ever said anything like that to him. Sure, his mom and dad, maybe…not in an eloquent way, but it had been years since someone saw him as something more than just a voice. “You really believe that, don’t you?”
“With all my heart.” She cupped his cheek. “One of these days, when your heart’s had time enough to mend, I think we’ll be really good friends.”
“Just friends?” he said, his voice thick and low.
She nodded. “I think we should stick with that for a w
hile. At least until this contract isn’t looming over us. Maybe after that, we can see where things go.” She laid her head back on his shoulder.
But he didn’t want to be just friends. What? As soon as the words floated to mind, he nearly choked. When did that happen? He didn’t have an answer, and he wasn’t sure he cared. Over the course of the last few days, things had changed. He was falling for her.
“I remember us dating. I remember that you liked Reece’s in your popcorn. I didn’t remember the movies and television, but I remember you being beautiful and sweet and feeling like a million bucks every time one of our dates ended. I should have told you, but I was scared.”
A soft snore answered him, and he sighed. Of course he was telling her he knew and she’d fallen asleep. But he’d told her. It was a first step in opening up when he thought he’d never open up again. This was good. If he could take a small step, maybe he could take bigger steps. Steps like telling her about Petra, about how she’d used him, and about how he thought Derek was behind it.
Tucker set his pencil and paper down and picked up Callie. He carried her to the bed and tucked her back under the covers, kissing her forehead before going back to his place on the floor. He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten so lucky to reconnect with her, but whoever was looking out for him deserved a big thank you.
Chapter 17
Friday was spent preparing for the talent contest. With all the work that went into it, Callie would have thought they were preparing for America’s Got Talent or something similar. Her family was normally serious about it, but because Tucker Hawk was participating, they took it to a new level of competitiveness that she’d never seen before.
Callie picked up another strand of tea lights and began stringing them around the back deck. Half of it had been sectioned off as the stage. It was a good thing her parents had the forethought to make it extra big.
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