“Accommodating, isn’t she?” Lexi muttered.
Callum smiled again.
“Stop smiling at me.”
He pressed his lips together but couldn’t hide the smile. “Sorry, you’re funny.” He quickly filled out what he wanted on his breakfast menu and then nudged her paper toward her. “Order anything you want.” Then he pulled a laptop out of a bag he’d set on the floor and propped it open on the table in front of him.
“What are you doing?” Lexi asked. She didn’t think they needed to document the conversation; all they had to do was ask some questions about each other’s past and get to know each other.
“Work. I didn’t get near enough done yesterday even though I worked until after midnight. A beautiful blonde distracted me and made me take a longer lunch than normal.”
Lexi blinked at him. “You are such a workaholic.”
He lifted a shoulder, seeming unbothered by her comment.
“When are we going to get to know each other’s pasts?”
He met her gaze. “Mine’s pretty simple. Four brothers. You probably know all about them from social media.”
She nodded. It would be impossible to not know something about the famous Hawk brothers. Callum was the oldest and ran the companies. Emmett was the famous Texas Titan football player who was marrying an accomplished female Warrior Racer. Creed was the Navy SEAL who’d come back from the dead and was marrying Kiera Richins, the famous dancer, on Christmas Eve in Cancun. Bridger was the youngest and excelled at extreme sports and thrived on media exposure where the rest tolerated or avoided it.
“So my dad’s a workaholic like me. Last year I finally bought him out of the last of my companies, and he couldn’t retire, so he started some other businesses in real estate. My mom’s a sweetie who loves everybody; you’ll like her. Their names are Thomas and Caroline. I got my MBA from Cornell. I was on the rowing team in college. I don’t do anything besides work, and box on occasion. To really treat myself, I break out the oars and forget the world on the water for an hour.” He smiled at her. “Done. Tell me about you.”
It was an assignment, not a question. Lexi measured her answer. “First of all, really treating yourself should always involve chocolate, so you might want to remedy that one.”
He grinned. “Noted.”
She focused back on her assignment. “I went to Cornell also.”
“I’d heard that before. A master’s in marketing. Top of your class.” He smiled warmly. “Family?”
“My parents are Judd and Andrea Hall. I have one sister named Hannah.”
“Hannah Hall?”
“I know.” Lexi pulled a face. “She hates that. It’s actually worse, but don’t tell her I told you this: Hannah Haven Hall. It’s a family name.”
“Triple H. I bet she does hate that.”
The flight attendant returned, waiting patiently for their order. Callum handed his over. Lexi looked down at the paper and quickly filled in the fruit, eggs, and some hot chocolate. She handed over the paper. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure, ma’am.” The lady’s eyes swung to Callum as if hopeful he’d notice her.
“Thank you, Marci.” He stayed focused on Lexi, and Marci quickly strode off. “And your parents are farmers?” he asked.
“Yeah. Dairy farmers.” Callum was going to be exposed to a whole new world today. Luckily they’d only be there for the afternoon and evening. Her dad had more hired help now, and he wouldn’t be going out to the farm and dragging Callum along. At least, she hoped not. Her dad might do it just to give Callum a hard time. “My dad got his arm caught in a grain auger and he hasn’t been able to work for a while. My mom just had a kidney replaced. Well, you know that.” She took in a breath. “Thank you for changing my family’s life. I can’t even explain the relief.”
Callum nodded seriously. He didn’t bask her in praise, but he didn’t dismiss it either. “And your sister?”
“She has her RN, but she’s going to PA school in Nebraska. Thanks to you, she’ll finish her degree instead of going home to support my parents.”
He nodded again and waited, but she couldn’t think what else to say and the silence stretched too long. Callum opened his laptop and started tapping away.
Lexi stared at him until he glanced her way. “What?” he asked.
“That’s all we need to know about each other?”
He smiled, but she got the feeling she was testing his patience. “I’m sure I’ll get to know a lot more about you today, and there’s nothing else exciting about me. You’re welcome to watch a movie, or the attendant could get you a book or a magazine.” He went back to typing on his laptop, effectively dismissing her.
Lexi wilted into her seat. He was impressive and intriguing, but it really annoyed her how intense of a worker bee he was. He didn’t seem overly enthralled with her. Good thing they were just fake engaged. If they were real engaged, she’d be cussing him out about now.
Callum wrapped up his correspondence on email and the phone and approved some proposals and plans on retail properties as the plane landed in Billings, Montana. Apparently there were no airports in Snow Valley. Lexi had quietly read a book on her phone throughout most of the five-hour flight, taking breaks to walk around or eat the breakfast, snacks, and lunch Marci brought them. He appreciated her letting him get his work done during the flight. Now he could focus on her and her family for the afternoon and evening, and tomorrow morning they’d fly to Cancun.
He felt good about his fake fiancée. He’d chosen well, and she would not only keep his sisters-in-law from setting him up; she’d be fun to have around the next couple of weeks. He’d actually wanted to keep talking to her earlier on the plane, but he knew if he logged some hours with work projects, he could give her family more undivided attention. He’d forced himself to work and not gawk at her or ask her more questions. Luckily, work was the life he knew and he quickly got caught up in it, only occasionally letting himself stare at her beautiful profile or get distracted by her coconut scent.
He glanced at her as they stepped off the plane and into the brisk Montana wind. Would he want to be done with Lexi after two weeks? No matter how intriguing and beautiful she was, a relationship beyond his family and work associates was foreign and unsettling to him. He’d take this one step at a time.
The rented Range Rover was waiting for them as they thanked Marci and the pilot, James, and descended the steps. Callum felt the wind bite at his neck. “It’s colder than New York.”
Lexi shrugged. “Different kind of cold. New York’s cold and humid, so that bites right through you.”
Callum opened the passenger door for her, shut it, and gave the man who’d brought the car a tip. “I’ll text you when we bring it back in the morning.”
“Thank you, sir.” The man nodded and scurried away to the warmth of the terminal.
Callum ducked into the car, grateful the man had left it running and it was warm inside. “This wind doesn’t bite right through you?”
“It’s easier to stay warm here. You just wear more clothes.”
Callum arched an eyebrow but didn’t comment. He pulled the vehicle into gear and asked, “Do you have an address I should put into the navigation, or would you rather just tell me where to go?”
Lexi chuckled. “I’d love to ‘tell you where to go.’”
Callum smiled. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I can give you instructions. Proceed to the route,” she chirped.
He laughed. “Got it.” He followed the signs out of the airport.
“Take the second right toward South I-90 in point two miles,” she said, all robotic and cute.
He smiled. “Would love to go south. I can’t wait to be in Cancun tomorrow night and finally thaw out.”
“Warmth does sound lovely.”
Soon he was on the highway, and he was surprised how little traffic there was in the middle of the afternoon. “Traffic always this light?”
“The
re’s some rush-hour traffic weekday mornings and after five, but yeah, nothing like Manhattan.”
“It’s nice.” Callum glanced over at her. She looked very relaxed and beautiful in a long white sweater over some olive-green fitted pants. She’d stowed her coat in the back. The car suddenly felt hot. “Would you mind helping me peel this thing off?” He gestured to his coat.
She nodded and tugged on his right sleeve as he shrugged out of the coat; then he pulled his left sleeve off and she pulled the coat from behind him. Her hand brushed his neck, and he shivered. He liked her touching him, probably too much. She’d been quick to remind him when he’d almost kissed her that this was a business arrangement. He’d better keep himself under control. He didn’t know her well enough to know if she’d go spill the whole thing to the media if he upset her.
“You left your beloved laptop on the plane?” she asked.
“Beloved laptop?” Callum laughed. “My brothers claim I should have my phone sewn to my ear and my laptop sewn to my fingertips.”
She nodded. “I’ve never seen someone so busy with work as you are.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
She shrugged. “I guess you can’t reach the level of success you’re at without being dedicated like that, but doesn’t it get old?”
Callum didn’t know any life but working nonstop. It was what his father had trained him to do, and he’d taken the businesses his father had started to levels beyond anyone’s hopes and dreams. One day, his father would tell him he was proud of him.
“Why do you do it?” she asked.
“Why?” No one had ever asked him why he worked. Such a weird question.
“Yeah. Why do you work your life away?”
“It’s just what I do. Why do you go for a run in the morning?” He threw back at her.
“Habit, and I like it.”
“Exactly why I work.”
“But I don’t run for sixteen hours a day. Don’t you ever get tired of working?”
Callum shook his head. He loved what he did.
“You have more money than the president. Why not stop and enjoy life?”
Callum blinked at her and then focused back on the road. Enjoy life? Acquiring new companies and properties was enjoyable. Giving generously to causes that called to him was enjoyable. He tried to deflect. “I’m going to be enjoying life the next two weeks with you.”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “We’ll see how much you enjoy it.”
He smiled at her feisty response. Cambree and Kiera were going to like her. That gave him a warm feeling deep inside. He loved his brothers and was proud of each of them. He’d never been envious of any of their successes or accomplishments. The thought of having a beautiful fiancée who would be friends with his brothers’ fiancées brought a happy zing.
His phone rang, and he was grateful for the distraction. His thoughts were getting much too sappy. The call was his building coordinator, who was currently based in Grand Cayman, building a massive resort on Seven-Mile Beach. The conversation took much longer than he wanted it to, especially as Lexi seemed to grow more stiff and uncomfortable by the minute. Lexi gave him quiet instructions to turn on certain roads as he talked.
When he finally hung up, he muttered, “Sorry. That guy needs a little hand-holding.”
Lexi focused out the window. “It’s your life.”
Why did her disappointment make him feel as bad as his dad never telling him he was proud?
Chapter Nine
As Callum pulled into the farmyard, Lexi studiously avoided looking at his face. He was a boring workaholic. Why did she care what he thought of her family home? Why did she wish he was holding her hand instead of figuratively holding the hand of the man he’d talked to the entire drive from Billings?
He jumped out of the vehicle and rushed around to get her door. She had to admit she liked that and knew her dad would as well. She had stewed on the plane about how her dad would react to Callum, and she couldn’t think of a scenario where he was friendly, no matter what Callum had done for their family.
Slipping out of the Range Rover, Lexi hugged herself as the wind bit right through her. Callum stood tall and wrapped an arm around her, sheltering her from the wind. “Let’s get you inside; then I’ll come get our luggage.”
“Thanks,” she murmured. He was thoughtful, when he wasn’t distracted by all his work demands.
They hurried through the wind and up the front porch steps. The wind was buffered by the house. Lexi glanced around the wide front porch with new eyes. The paint was peeling and the roof sagged a little bit. The farmyard was covered in a foot of snow, so at least Callum wouldn’t notice the weeds or the unkempt appearance. Two years ago, everything would’ve been pristine, but her dad’s injury, mom’s sickness, and both her and her sister in different states had made upkeep hard.
A hundred yards away from the house stood the dairy barn, a sad-looking cinder block building that also needed a fresh coat of paint. The larger barn that sheltered the cows was attached to the dairy barn. Lexi was going to hire someone in the spring to fix everything up. Callum’s money had given her that gift. If only he wasn’t seeing how low they’d gotten.
Callum went to reach for the door handle, then hesitated. He smiled at her. “I want to get your door, but I don’t want to just make myself that much at home.”
“You’re my fiancé. You’d better get comfy.” She winked at him.
“Sounds good to me.” Callum’s dark eyes roved over her with a possessiveness that made her stomach heat up.
The door swung open from the inside, revealing her dad standing there. Tears sprang to Lexi’s eyes and she launched herself at him. Her dad cradled her close and then muttered gruffly, “Get in here, you two,” and gestured Callum in.
With his arm still around her, Lexi’s dad directed her through the small entry. There were stairs leading up to the second story on the right, and her mom’s formal room lay to the left. He said nothing to Callum. Lexi thought maybe she should introduce them or something, but they all made it into the home’s living area without talking. The kitchen was on the right, dining area straight in front, and to the left was the living area, where a hospital bed was set up and her sweet mom was inclined in the bed, sitting up and beaming at them.
“My girl,” her mom said.
Lexi broke from her dad’s arms and ran to her mom. She bent down close, and her mom hugged her. It wasn’t a strong hug, but that was okay. Her mom was alive and recovering from a kidney transplant.
Tears ran down Lexi’s face, and she just relished having her mom close. She didn’t smell like her usual cinnamon-and-sugar combo. She smelled like medicine and sickness. Lexi should’ve gotten used to that over the past year, but she didn’t know that she ever could.
Her mom’s arms relaxed and she leaned back against the inclined bed, smiling up at Lexi. “Oh, my beautiful girl. Look at you.”
Lexi blinked to see through her tears. “Oh, Mama. I’ve been praying and worrying, and you look so good.”
“Thanks, love. It’s been a tough recovery, but I just feel so blessed to have the kidney and now to have you here.” She looked past Lexi and zeroed in on Callum. He stood next to her dad, looking confident and perfect as always. “And who is this handsome man?”
Lexi brushed at her wet face. “This is Callum Hawk, my fiancé.”
“Your what?” her mom yelled—well, as well as someone recovering from a kidney transplant could yell. “When did you get engaged? You didn’t even tell us you were dating someone. Are you trying to give me heart failure, young lady?”
“Calm down, Mama.” Lexi patted her mom’s arm and looked at her dad. “Didn’t you tell her?”
He shook his head brusquely, finally turning to Callum. Lexi had been pretty focused on her mom, but she didn’t think her dad had said one word to Callum yet. “We’re beholden to you.” He smacked Callum’s shoulder with his good hand, and Lexi was pretty sure most othe
r men would’ve been knocked over.
Callum simply stood his ground and nodded, seeming to understand her dad’s tattered pride and how hard this was. Maybe Lexi shouldn’t have brought him here. Her request could’ve been for him to fly her here commercially; then they could’ve met up before going to Cancun. Why hadn’t she thought about how her dad would feel, how awkward this would be?
“I’m going out to do chores,” her dad muttered.
“I thought you hired someone,” Lexi said, getting a little irritated. Yes, this was hard, but it wasn’t asking too much for her dad to be cute with her for ten minutes and be more grateful to Callum than a quick “beholden” comment and a smack on the shoulder.
“One of the boys got sick. My hired man is milking, so it’s just doing the feeding. I can do that much.” His eyes softened as they landed on her mom. “You’ll be okay with Lexi and … her man, right?”
Her mom shook her head at him. “I need an explanation, Judd.”
He blew out a breath. “Mr. Hawk was able to … give us some money for your medical stuff and the farm. Lexi is going to Cancun with him.”
“What?” her mom squeaked out. Her face paled.
“There now, sweetheart. This is why I didn’t tell you.” He shoved a hand through his thinning hair. “Lexi, can you stay with her? Calm her down and stuff.”
“I’ll calm you down, Judd Hall,” her mom threatened.
Lexi laughed. Now this felt more like home. Her mom might be sick, but she wasn’t beaten down, and she wouldn’t put up with her dad being a jerk.
Her dad bowed his head. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I shoulda told you, but I didn’t want to go upsetting you right now.” He splayed his hands. “Everything’s good. Lexi and her man are here now, and Hannah will be here for Christmas.”
“You aren’t going to be here for Christmas?” Her mom’s face paled again.
“I’m sorry, Mama. Callum’s brother is getting married in Cancun the morning of Christmas Eve.”
“We need to attend the family dinner on Christmas Day,” Callum said. “But then we could fly back here. We could be here late Christmas night.”
Hawk Brothers Romance Collection Page 32