“No, we don’t, sugar.” She glances into the hallway when she hears a door creak open. “Does Callie know what you’ve lost?”
I shake my head.
“Tell her, Cole.” She grasps my hand and squeezes it tight. “Let that angel cleanse you. Follow her out of the darkness and find peace.”
Callie’s heels clack against the wood floor, and my heart stalls out when she steps into the living room.
For the past week, I’ve been asking God for a sign. Something that would tell me what I should do—be with Callie or leave this town and never look back. And now, after all this talk of heaven and hell, angels and demons, Callie stands before me in a white strapless dress. Form-fitting with a slit that hits mid-thigh, the soft material hugs her curves and flows out at the bottom around her ankles. Her blond hair shimmers as it falls in loose waves around her shoulders. She radiates natural beauty and kindness.
She is the embodiment of an ethereal being. An angel. And she just might be the sign I’ve been looking for.
“Look at him,” Gertie says with a cackle. “You’ve stunned him into silence.”
Redness creeps into Callie’s cheeks. “I hope this is okay for where we’re going. You know, since you refuse to tell me.”
I lift the bouquet of blue irises from the floor and hand them to Callie, searching for the right words to say. “I asked the florist which flowers symbolize hope.”
Her lips part in surprise. “I love them. Thank you.”
“You two have fun,” Gertie says. “And I’m locking your ass out tonight, so don’t even try coming back here after.”
Callie’s eyes widen. “Gertie!”
She shrugs. “I’m living vicariously through you, sugar. So, go out and get me some.”
Callie’s hand clamps over her mouth, and I throw my head back and laugh. I shoot her a wink. “I got you, Gertie.”
“I cannot believe she said that,” Callie says as we make our way out the door.
Her feet freeze, and she points to the shiny silver Jeep parked out front. “Is that yours?”
“Did you think I was going to take you on a date in my landscaper truck?”
She laughs. “I honestly didn’t think about it. I was happy just to be going out to dinner with you.”
I spin her around and pull her against me. “You look beautiful, Callie. You stole the breath right from my chest when you walked into the room.”
“You look incredibly handsome.” Her gaze drops to my lips. “Please don’t make me wait until the end of the night to kiss you.”
“I was going to be a gentleman.”
She fists my collar and yanks me down toward her mouth. “Just be you, Cole.”
I capture her lips, and we both let out sighs of relief. Her pouty, glossed lips taste like vanilla, and they feel like silk. The woman is a decadent dessert that I want to devour before we’ve had the first course.
With the way she’s kissing me, we might not even make it to the damn restaurant.
I ease back and brush the pad of my thumb across her cheekbone. “What are the odds that Gertie’s watching us from the window?”
Callie cranes her neck to look over my shoulder. “Yup. Just saw the curtains move.”
I chuckle. “All right. Time to go.”
On the drive to the restaurant, Callie tells me stories about what her week was like staying with Gertie. We laugh, and I keep her hand in mine for the entire ride. The mood is light and relaxed, and lightyears away from any of the horrors we’ve been through.
This is exactly the kind of night I want to give Callie.
Even if it’s just for tonight.
Callie gasps when I pull into the parking lot. “I’ve always wanted to try this place! It’s so beautiful and serene on the water.”
“I figured you’d like it.”
Her head tilts. “How do you know me so well?”
I shrug. “I’m technically a genius. Just ask Josie.”
She swings her door open. “Oh, this story I’ve gotta hear.”
The hostess brings us to our reserved table outside under string lights, with the moonlight glistening off the lake as our backdrop. We order drinks and appetizers to start while we look over the menu.
“Okay, genius.” Callie slaps her menu closed. “Let’s hear it.”
“When Josie and I were in high school, our parents wanted to have a yard sale to get rid of some junk in the attic. While we were going through everything, we found this paperwork from a doctor that I’d seen when I was a kid. Apparently, I had a lot of energy, so Mom wanted to have me tested for ADD. In his report, the doctor mentioned how my IQ was above average and that I was a genius.”
I lean back and fold my arms over my chest. “It took us a few minutes to realize that the report was for a child named Alexander Spotswood.”
Callie’s mouth drops open. “Your parents had someone else’s report?”
I nod with a laugh. “Yup. All those years, they’d assumed I was exceptionally smart. They even bragged about it to a few of their friends. So, I always teased Josie, saying that I was the genius in the family.”
Callie hunches forward with laughter. “That’s hilarious. I wonder if Alexander Spotswood has your report.”
“He’s a genius, so he probably figured it out long before we did.”
“I love how close you were to your parents. I was like that with my mom.”
I take a swig of beer. “But not your father?”
She shakes her head. “He wasn’t the nicest dad. But he wasn’t the worst either, I suppose.”
I reach across the table for her hand. “You always see the good in everyone.”
“It’s a defect.”
“No, it’s not. It proves what a genuine soul you have.”
She smiles, hitting me with those spectacular emerald irises. “It’s what helped me see who you are, underneath your gruff exterior.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know why you spoke to me again after the way I exploded on you the first day we met.”
“I could tell that you were hurting. I saw it in your eyes. I wondered what could’ve happened to you that was so bad.”
My thumb sweeps over the top of her hand. “I’m glad you gave me a second chance.”
“And I’m glad you’re giving us a chance. Tonight.”
Us.
I thought I was destined to be alone for the rest of my life. Thought it was the consequence for what I did.
Now I’m part of an us.
“I still don’t know if I’m doing the right thing, Callie. I’m still not sure I can be what you need. But I’m willing to try. The alternative—staying away from you—just isn’t possible.”
A tear slips free, and she swipes it away. “That’s all I can ask of you, Cole. I don’t know what I’m doing, either. But we have each other, and that’s all we need.”
I hope she’s right.
After dinner, we take our leftovers back to the Jeep.
Before she gets in on the passenger side, I cup her face and tilt it up. “Am I taking you back to Gertie’s, or do you want to come back to the pool house with me? No pressure either way.”