“Oh, no, don’t worry. It’s not the same thing for graduate school.”
“How’s the job hunt, angel?” Her aunt looked concerned.
She’d mentioned the competitive job market when she’d come home over Christmas, but she’d failed to fill her family in when she’d settled on a plan, and that made her feel pretty lousy. “I’m starting with a fellowship, actually. In the art world, it’s the best way to get the job I’m looking for. Julian and I have both applied to the Museum of Contemporary Art.” With his parents on the board, the fellowship was a sure-thing. She gave Julian a conspiratorial look, but he kept his smile fixed on her relatives.
Whoa. She’d really hurt him.
“Did you apply to any fellowships out West?” her aunt asked.
Before she could answer her uncle jumped in. “Can’t remember a time our Callie didn’t talk about moving to New York City and being an artist.”
Her aunt let out a Ha! “I can’t remember a time she didn’t race in twenty minutes late, her jeans filthy, her hair wind-blown, and out of breath from whatever mischief she’d just gotten into.”
“Mischief, huh?” Resentment edged into Julian’s tone.
“Oh, this girl.” Her uncle smiled with pure delight. “She’s always been a handful.”
“She and those Bowies.” Laughing, Aunt Muriel shook her head. “My goodness, they were rabble-rousers. But look at her now. I hardly recognize her.” She smoothed a hand down Callie’s stick-straight hair. “You look gorgeous, honey.”
A tingle at the back of her neck had her glancing over to the head table. With his gaze on her, Fin lifted his champagne flute.
“We should take our seats.” Aunt Muriel gave her a big smile. “We’ll catch up later.”
Fin didn’t have to say a word for the guests to quiet down. All eyes on him, he pointed to a table on the far left. “Lloyd, I speak for the entire wedding party when I say thank you for grooming.”
Laughter rippled across the lawn, and a man shouted, “Naomi gave him a cut and a shave this morning. I sent a picture into the Calamity Falls Press.”
After the laughter died down, Fin’s finger shifted to somewhere in the middle of the lawn. “Miss Sandy, I owe you one. If you hadn’t sent me home from school that day in third grade, I might’ve wound up looking just like Lloyd. Or a Yeti. So, thank you.”
Callie found it hard to join the laughter at that one. Fin’s dad only had five rules for his boys, and the first was that they couldn’t leave anyone behind. But his older brothers didn’t want to be held back by their youngest sibling, so they’d sneak out in the morning or while he napped or did homework.
And it drove Fin wild. So, he’d set his alarm to wake up early and wait for the sound of their footsteps in the hallway. That meant most mornings in grade school he’d shown up in whatever filthy clothes he’d worn the day before. Until Miss Sandy had sent him home to get cleaned up, forcing their dad to do something about it.
“All right.” Fin’s tone quelled the chatter. “Let’s get these toasts done so we can dig into the wonderful meal provided by the Bell family.”
The guests clapped, and someone called, “Woo hoo.” Her brother had his arm stretched along the back of his bride’s chair. Everyone watched Fin, but when he didn’t immediately speak, a strange tension gripped the crowd. Either he hadn’t prepared anything, or he’d forgotten what he wanted to say because he looked down at his place setting and tugged on his scruff.
Until he looked abruptly at her, and awareness flashed across her skin.
Something in his expression told her he was about to blow her world wide open.
About the Author
Award-winning author Erika Kelly writes sexy and emotional small town romance. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she lives in the southwest, drinks a lot of tea, and is always waiting for her cats to get off her keyboard.
https://www.erikakellybooks.com/