Angela laughed. “That’s about it, yeah.”
Leah grinned. “Well then, someone tell my prince he’s overdue. I’ve kissed more than my fair share of toads.”
Callie laughed along with her friends, feeling a little lighter than she had when she’d first arrived.
Maybe Ellie was right. Maybe making mistakes was all part of the process. A glimmer of hope had her rushing through her meal, eager to get home to talk to Cole. She wasn’t quite sure what she was going to say, but she was through trying to avoid this conversation.
She didn’t want to avoid him.
Believe it or not, one afternoon apart and she…she missed him.
As soon as lunch was over, she sprang to her feet.
“I take it you’re eager to get home to a certain smokin’ hot hottie?” Leah teased as they got in her car.
Callie pressed her lips together and nodded, afraid of what she might say if she tried to speak.
Was she eager? Yes. But she was also terrified, and hopeful, and excited, and…basically, she was an emotional mess. But…not entirely in a bad way.
She bounded out of Leah’s car when it came to a stop in front of her house, turning back to shout her thanks and give her friend a wave.
“Good luck!” Leah called.
Luck. Ha! She definitely needed it. Leah might not have known the whole situation, but she hit the nail on the head. Callie raced up the front steps and flung open the door.
She stopped in her tracks at the sight of Cole and… “Brent?”
He spun around to face her, his brows drawn together in a frown she remembered well. She couldn’t quite bring herself to face Cole but she could feel the weight of his stare.
Luck?
Oh yeah.
She was definitely going to need it.
Chapter Fourteen
Time seemed to come to a stop as she took a step inside the house and shut the door behind her. The click as it closed was the only sound to be heard.
“Brent.” It came out as a breath more than a word. Shock had rendered her vocal cords frozen. Or maybe it was…horror.
Brent was here. In her house.
With Cole.
She blinked as Brent moved toward her and then took a quick step back when he reached out for her.
“Babe, I’m home,” he said quietly, earnestly. His serious face was set in a serious expression. This was all just so…so serious.
She clapped a hand over her mouth as a wave of inappropriate laughter rose up in her. It was the kind of nervous giggle that she let out when she was a kid in a haunted house or while watching a scary movie. That hysterical laugh that came from being so stricken that you’re amused by your own shock.
Both men were still staring at her, but she couldn’t drag her gaze away from oh-so-serious Brent. He gave her a tremulous smile. “Did you hear me? I’m back.” He took a small step closer. “I’m home.”
Home. Home? She dropped her hand, her mind feeling clearer than it had in months. “Home?” she echoed.
He nodded. She felt Cole shift beside them, as if he was preparing to come to her rescue. Maybe he was just waiting for a sign that he could throw Brent out.
Cole’s low voice broke into their weird, silent tableau. “I’ll give you two some time.”
Or…he was going to throw himself out?
“Yes, please do,” Brent said, his tone stiff as he kept eye contact with Callie.
Cole shifted to move past her toward the front door, and she finally broke out of her stunned state. “Wait, what? No, don’t go.”
For the first time since she arrived, she made eye contact with Cole. She didn’t know what she’d expected—hurt, maybe? Recriminations? If anything, those dark eyes were filled with sympathy and understanding. He leaned down slightly and lowered his voice. “You two should talk.”
“Yes, exactly,” Brent said from her other side. “I’m home now, Callie. We should talk.”
Anger shot through her. No, not just anger. Rage. All the hurt, frustration, and heartbreak of the past six weeks rose up in her with such force it left her breathless. “Home?” she said again, her voice rising dangerously. “You’re home?”
Cole stilled beside her and even Brent had the sense to stop moving toward her. His brows drawing down in concern. “Callie, there’s so much we need to talk about, but—” His eyes flickered toward Cole, and she caught the tinge of annoyance there. “Not in front of a stranger.”
“He’s not a stranger.” She found herself reaching for Cole, stopping his progress toward the door with a hand on his arm.
“Callie—” Brent started.
“No,” Callie interrupted, but she wasn’t looking at Brent. She was looking at Cole. In that moment it seemed so much more important that Cole not leave. It seemed far more crucial that he understand.
Understand what? She wasn’t quite sure, but she was figuring it out. Her eyes still on Cole, she spoke to Brent. “Cole isn’t a stranger, and this—” She dragged her gaze away from Cole to fix Brent with a level stare. “This is not your home.”
“But—”
“No buts,” she said, her voice firm and her mind clear for the first time in way too long. “You left, Brent. You left me, you left this house…you walked away from the commitment we’d made to one another.”
His eyes widened in surprise, no doubt at the steely hardness in her voice. “I just needed some time—”
“And that’s what you got,” she said. “You needed time to think, and you took it. And you know what?” She glanced over at Cole before looking back to Brent. “I’m glad you did. Because you gave me some time, too. You gave me the time and space I needed to realize that what we had wasn’t what I thought it was.”
“Baby, don’t—”
“Don’t call me baby,” she bit out. She took one step toward him and watched him flinch. “It’s bad enough that you left without the decency of an explanation.” She took another step and jabbed a finger in his chest. “You left me to deal with the repercussions, the explanations, the responsibilities…”
“I’m so sorry, Callie,” Brent said.
She blinked at him, and just like that the rage that had filled her upon seeing her ex seemed to evaporate. Now she just felt…tired.
“You have to believe me,” he said, apparently taking her silence as a sign of encouragement. He reached for her but she pulled away. “I never meant to hurt you—”
“But you did.”
His mouth flapped open and closed. “I’m sorry. I’m…”
He seemed at a loss for words so she helped him out. “You’re sorry. I know. I get that.”
He arched his brows, a flicker of hope in his eyes. She waited to feel…something. Anger, hurt, maybe even happiness that he’d finally come to his senses.
She supposed all of those emotions were there, simmering beneath the surface. She’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that there was some sort of grim satisfaction in being right. He had come back. She’d known him well enough to know that he’d come running back to what felt safe.
And she was safe for him, just like he’d been a safe choice for her.
But did she really want to marry a man just because he made her feel secure? Because the future looked predictable with him in it?
That thought was just plain depressing.
Still, she was a little bit triumphant, and at some point in the near future she might even gloat a bit. Anger was still there as well, and her hurt pride stung that much more standing face to face with him. But above all those jumbled emotions was one overriding sensation—impatience. She couldn’t wait to be rid of him so she could talk to Cole.
Cole who was still there beside her—a rock. She could feel him standing there, and that alone was reassuring as she faced this man who looked so weak and pathetic in comparison. She didn’t hate Brent—she didn’t even really dislike him in this moment—but she saw him for what he was. Passive, easily swayed. She’d had a vision for
herself and him, and he’d gone along with it, not because it was what he wanted but because it was easier to follow her than to make his own decisions.
But she didn’t want a man who followed, she wanted someone who would stand at her side—someone who would challenge her, and surprise her, and be there for her.
Someone exactly like Cole.
Patient and understanding, loyally standing by her, even now after she’d pushed him away. He was safe, yes, but not because he and the life they could have together was so very predictable, but because she knew without a doubt that she could rely on him.
Always. Forever.
He was a good man. The best man. He was her man.
That certainty was so bone-deep, it felt like it was written on her soul. It was embedded in her heart. Ellie’s words from earlier came back to her. You just know.
She couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face as joy leapt up inside her.
Unfortunately Brent saw the smile and got the wrong impression. “Callie, let’s talk this out, let’s—”
“That won’t be necessary,” she said as kindly as she could manage. Taking a deep breath, she wrapped her arms around Brent’s neck. No matter what they’d been through recently, they’d had a relationship and she didn’t want to hurt him the way he’d hurt her. She had no desire to humiliate him the way he had her, either, so she kept her voice low, little more than a whisper. “I’m sorry, Brent. It’s over.”
He stiffened, but he buried his head in her neck and wrapped his arms around her tight. “I’m so sorry.”
She sniffed back tears as she nodded. She wasn’t crying over the loss of him, but at the memory of what they were, at the naïve hopes and dreams that were now a thing of the past.
What she and Cole were starting to become?
That was her future.
Chapter Fifteen
Cole’s heart dropped to the floor as he watched Callie embrace the man who’d broken her heart.
This couldn’t be happening.
Not again.
He couldn’t be watching the woman he’d fallen for turn her back on him. Pain ripped through him, making his muscles tense and his gut twist in agony. This was nothing like watching his ex pack her bags and leave. That had been a childish infatuation gone wrong, but this…
This was the real deal. He wasn’t a kid any longer—he knew the difference between lust and love, and what he felt for Callie…
He watched the other man’s arms tighten around her and clenched his jaw to keep from protesting…loudly and with fists.
What he felt for Callie was real. It was love. He loved the person she was—the trustworthy, honest, kind, genuine person she was.
Which meant that he needed to trust her. Right?
He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, forcing his muscles to relax as he watched her release Brent and take a step back. He couldn’t hear what she murmured to him now, but he could see the sad resignation on Brent’s face and he resisted the urge to do a fist pump in the air.
That would be inappropriate. Right? Yes. Totally inappropriate. But that didn’t stop his heart from swelling with joy as he watched Callie give Brent’s shoulder a motherly pat as she walked him to the front door and escorted him out.
After another soft, murmured conversation, she waved him off and shut the door on her ex.
After a moment of silence, she spun around to face him. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting—maybe some tears after what was surely a definitive goodbye, or maybe some wariness after the way they’d left things this morning.
He was not prepared for that smile.
She grinned at him, a wide, joyful smile that made her eyes sparkle with mischief and laughter. “So,” she said. “Where were we?”
“Uh—” That eloquent response was all he managed to get out before she crossed the few feet that separated them and threw herself into his arms. Her kiss was sweet perfection as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
He groaned with relief and happiness as he caught her to him and lifted her off her feet so he could give her a proper kiss—one filled with all the promises and vows they had yet to speak.
When she pulled back for air, he took the opportunity to finally say it. “I love you, Callie Wright.”
Her eyes widened with amazement and he rushed to speak. “You don’t have to say it back,” he said. “I know I’m moving quickly, and I know you’re probably not there yet. But I’ve spent too many years hiding from love, and now that it’s here, in my arms—” He squeezed her waist making her laugh. “I’m not running from it ever again.”
Her smile grew so wide it made his heart ache with its beauty. He would never tire of seeing this woman smile, of that he was certain.
“I love you too,” she said, her voice breathless and filled with awe. “I mean, you’re right—it’s all happening so fast, but that doesn’t make it any less real, right?”
“Right.” He closed his eyes as she dropped her forehead to his. He let himself revel in the absolute wonder that was this moment.
After a little while, she wriggled against him and he set her on her feet. “There’s so much we need to talk about,” she said.
He nodded. “I know. And I don’t want to rush you. I mean…” He gave her an apologetic grimace as he scratched the back of his neck. “Any more than I already have.”
She laughed. “You’re not rushing me, it’s just…I feel like we’re going in the wrong order. Moving in, faking an engagement, then actually falling in love? That’s not exactly the way it’s supposed to go.”
He nodded, fighting the urge to laugh. “No, it’s not exactly typical, is it?”
She bit her lip, seemingly stifling a laugh as well. But then she grew serious as she took his hands in hers. “You know, you were right last night.”
He arched a brow. “Which part?”
She tilted her head to the side. “It wasn’t easy to lose my fiancé, but you were right that I was more afraid of admitting that I’d been wrong.”
He kept silent because he could see that she was still trying to work through it.
“I was so into the idea of things happening for a reason. I’ve always believed in fate and destiny, and there being some bigger plan…” She trailed off and looked up at him from beneath her lashes. “Does that sound silly?”
“Not at all,” he said. “I’d never believed in a bigger plan…until I met you.”
She arched her brows in question, happiness making her eyes twinkle. “Oh yeah?”
He nodded. “I’d always thought that it was bad luck that I got injured, and sheer dumb luck when I got cast on One Step at a Time…”
“But now?” she prompted, stepping closer so they were once more in their warm cocoon of an embrace.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her even closer. “Now I’m starting to realize that while life hasn’t always gone according to my plan, it was always leading me here. To you.”
She beamed up at him. “Exactly! That’s what I was thinking too. I mean, in a way I’m grateful to Brent. His leaving kept me from making a giant mistake.”
He laughed as he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “In that case, I’m grateful to Brent too. If he hadn’t left, I wouldn’t have had to pretend to be your fiancé.”
“And what a shame that would have been,” she said with a sigh.
He leaned down farther, unable to stay away. “My thoughts exactly,” he said as she tilted her head back so he could capture her lips in another breathtaking kiss.
Epilogue
Two weeks later
Cole had his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the front door and watched Callie debating with Tyler. “I know, but I just don’t get why I have to act so surprised,” she said.
He fought a smile as he watched his girlfriend.
Girlfriend. The smile he’d been fighting spread, a now-familiar happiness impossible to hide. Callie was fidgeting in the high heels, wh
ich she hadn’t worn since their dinner out together, her nose wrinkled in confusion. “I mean, we’ve been working on the house together for weeks.”
“Mmhmm,” Tyler said, clearly only half paying attention as he checked his text messages on his phone.
“We’ve been living here,” she reminded him.
“Uh huh.”
His adorable girlfriend tilted her head to the side to try and make eye contact with Tyler. “So why would we be so surprised to see the renovations?”
Tyler’s head snapped up and Cole was pretty sure he was only now noticing that Callie was in his face.
Callie’s sigh was filled with exasperation. Tyler had been coming by for dinner more and more often lately—Cole had a sneaking suspicion the jaded producer might have been a little lonely, not that he’d ever admit it. He and Callie had become friends, which meant that Callie knew him better than most. “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?”
Tyler’s grin was sheepish. “Is it that obvious?”
Callie planted her hands on her hips. “Tyler Arnold, don’t make me take your phone away from you again.”
Tyler held his hands up in defense. “Okay, okay.” He gave Cole an arch look over her shoulder. “Your girlfriend is kind of scary when she goes into teacher mode.”
Cole shifted away from the door as he moved to wrap an arm around her shoulders. “I’ve learned it’s best not to get on her bad side.”
Callie gave a little snort of amusement as she nudged his stomach with her elbow. “You’re never on my bad side.”
He kissed the top of her head, savoring the pure joy of being able to hold her like this, and even more—knowing that he could hold her like this later today after the camera crew packed up and left once and for all.
Hopefully he’d be holding her like this until he was old and gray, but she had to say yes first…
He cleared his throat and turned his attention to Tyler, who was grinning at them like a proud parent. Like their happy relationship was somehow his doing.
Which, Cole supposed, it sort of was. But neither he nor Callie would ever tell Tyler that. As Callie put it, ‘there was no need to reward bad behavior,’ and even though this fake relationship ended up being the best thing that ever happened to either of them…they refused to give Tyler or the other producers credit.
The (Not So) Perfect Fiancé Page 14