Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Callum listened as Brynn read the next paragraph of a book that they’d been reading to Parker for the past three nights. The story of Nate the Great, a young investigator, had captured Parker’s imagination and made bedtime less of a struggle.
He and Brynn took turns, each reading a paragraph at a time. Seeing Parker’s smile when the story turned funny brought a smile to Brynn’s lips, too.
Callum marveled at how at ease she was with Parker, then realized he shouldn’t be surprised. Like him, she’d grown up in a home with a caring mother and father who modeled good parenting. Not only that, her job was dealing with people.
When Parker’s eyes drooped, Callum lifted the book from his hands.
Parker murmured a sleepy protest but was asleep before they shut off the light and closed the door.
“He’s such a sweet boy,” Brynn told him on the short walk to the living room. “You’re lucky to have him.”
“I am,” Callum agreed. Then, because his earlier concerns had not entirely disappeared, he said, “I still worry that he deserves better. ”
“You’re a good dad.”
“I didn’t even know that Cocoa Puffs aren’t a good breakfast. Or that kids need a bedtime.” Callum raked a hand through his hair. “Today, he had to tell me he was hungry. I hadn’t even noticed it was lunchtime.”
“You’ve never had a child?—”
“Neither have you,” Callum shot back. “But you know. You have instincts. Good ones. I’m irresponsible. That’s nothing new.”
It was something he’d overheard his parents say when he’d struggled to find a job after graduating from college and then turned down the one he’d finally been offered. Yes, it had sort of been in his field, but after interviewing, he’d known he’d be bored to death in a month.
What his parents hadn’t seemed to appreciate was that he had saved money from his work in the summers and could afford—barely—to hold out for a job he wanted.
“Stop.” The word cut through the air like a knife. “You are not irresponsible. You’ve never been irresponsible. You?—”
When Callum opened his mouth to argue, Brynn held up a hand. “Let me finish, please.”
Callum lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “You have the floor.”
“You can learn that kids need a schedule. When you found out about Parker, your instinct was to go get him and protect him. That’s a dad. Everything else can be learned.”
After several seconds of silence, Callum’s lips twitched. “May I speak now?”
Brynn chuckled and waved a hand. “The floor is yours.”
“First, thanks for your faith in me. It means a lot.” Though he was nowhere near being in the same league as his father, by God, he was trying.
Callum gestured to the sofa. “Parker met both Trinity and Liam today. It sounds as if he’ll be seeing Liam going forward. I want to discuss that with you. If you have time, that is. ”
She hesitated for only a second. “Absolutely. Just let me change into something more comfortable first.”
“Promise you’ll come back?”
Leaning over, she gave him a swift kiss. “I’ll be back before you even notice that I left.”
Minutes later, she sat on the sofa, comfortably dressed in yoga pants and an oversized tee.
“I assume Liam and Parker connected?” Brynn’s casual tone told him that, while curious, she didn’t want to pry.
Callum thought back to the verbal report he’d received. “He said Parker was shy at first but warmed up as the session continued. Apparently, the goal today was to get to know each other and start building trust. Liam says they need that trust and rapport for Parker to feel comfortable expressing his emotions.”
“Liam is excellent with children.”
“Thank you for encouraging me to get Parker into therapy.” Callum’s voice faltered for a second before he steadied it. “It’s clear there are still unresolved issues over Rebekah’s abandonment and his grandmother getting sick and being unable to care for him.”
Brynn offered an encouraging smile as if sensing that was some, but not all, of what was on his mind.
“I feel bad about how critical I was in my own head those first few days when Parker was so shy and standoffish. I kept thinking, ‘Why isn’t he more fearless, like Connor and I were at his age?’ Why was he so scared and timid?” Callum made a sound of disgust deep in his throat. “I also have to admit I resented him for screwing up my perfect life. For messing with?—”
He stopped speaking when Brynn took his hand and linked her fingers with his.
When her gaze met his, her eyes were clear and very blue. “I read somewhere that the past should be our teacher, not our jailer. We can’t change what has happened to us. We can only learn from it.” Then she held up a hand, her cheeks turning a becoming shade of pink. “I’m stepping off my soapbox now.”
He lifted their joined hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Your soapbox speech is exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve got some big decisions to make in the next few weeks, and I need the perspective.”
“You’re talking about going back to Boston?”
“Among other things.” He expelled a breath. “I’m getting pressure. It’s not horrible, not yet, but I can see the writing on the wall. The time is coming when they’ll give me an ultimatum.”
She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it without saying a word.
Callum knew there was plenty she could say, but he appreciated her not pushing. There had been enough serious talk this evening. He wanted to savor these moments with her, knowing that, all too soon, they’d be just memories.
The next day at Brynn’s office, the Front Porch Jam was all the staff wanted to discuss. No surprise. This was the first year for the Wrigley Road event.
The Ding-A-Ling’s front porch was where the musicians would gather and play throughout the afternoon and evening.
Food and drink trucks would be out in force. Though most events in Good Hope were billed as family-friendly, this event was geared more toward adults. Not a single bounce house or climbing wall was in sight.
Brynn had been on the fence about attending when Zoe, who was working one of her father’s coffee carts for the event, texted her the location and urged her to stop by on her way home from work to say hello.
Callum had texted that afternoon that he and Parker wouldn’t be home for dinner, which had Brynn considering what she would do if she headed straight home—laundry. Ugh. Was there really a decision to make?
Since she arrived after the first band hit the stage—er, porch—the parking lots were filling up. Brynn was thankful that when the area was being developed, her father and his partners had seen the value in ensuring plenty of parking for attendees.
Some days, it felt as if she spent her whole day sitting. Today was one of those days. This was why, instead of trying to find a close space, Brynn deliberately chose a spot at the far end of the lot. The day was gorgeous, and she was young and healthy. There was absolutely no reason she needed to park close.
The sounds of music and laughter wrapped around her as she walked. She paused when a familiar voice called her name. Despite the sudden jump in her heart rate, when she turned, an easy smile was already on Brynn’s lips. “Callum.”
He smiled. “I thought that was you.”
Brynn glanced around. “Where’s Parker?”
“With Daisy.”
As if seeing her surprise, Callum continued. “Daisy is babysitting some kids tonight. One is a boy around Parker’s age. Daisy said it would help her out if Parker was there.” Callum lifted his hands. “Parker wanted to, so I said yes. Since I had the evening free, I decided it was time I got out among the civilized.”
At her arched brow, he grinned. “Present company excluded.”
Brynn rolled her eyes at his feeble attempt at humor, then smiled when he fell into step beside her.
“My parents used to do that a lot when I was young,” Brynn said.
Callum cast her a curious look.
“I was an only child for nearly twelve years. They’d often invite a friend over because it was more fun for me.” She shot a teasing glance at Callum. “You never had that problem.”
“You’re right. Connor and I always had each other.” The look that swept over Callum’s handsome face was one that Brynn couldn’t decipher. “When I went to school on the East Coast, and he went West, I missed him something fierce. I can’t tell you how often I was tempted to chuck it all and join him in Seattle.”
“You never did.” She knew their history, knew that they’d both continued their education at the colleges they’d chosen, even though that had put them two thousand miles apart.
“I didn’t.” Callum gave a little laugh. “I’ll let you in on another secret. I was envious at first that Ric decided to attend the same school. Connor had a friend there with him while I was on my own. Eventually, I realized that it was for the best. There comes a point in life when we need to stand on our own two feet and depend only on ourselves.”
Brynn understood the logic, and he was right to a point. She also believed people were stronger together and that having a village was important.
It was a favorite topic that she could argue about with great skill and passion, but she decided not to ruin a lovely evening with a heavy discussion. “Are you meeting family here?”
Surprise blanketed his face. He glanced around as if expecting his parents or sister to be standing nearby. “I don’t believe my parents are back in town yet. Unless you’ve seen them?”
Brynn shook her head. “I just wondered.”
“What about you?” He glanced down at her sleeveless summer dress in an eye-popping blue. “Are you meeting someone?”
“No, but I told Zoe I’d stop by the coffee cart and say hello.” She gestured vaguely with one hand. “If you’re headed that way, you could come with?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Sure.”
Even before they reached the main street of this area of town, music filled the air, along with sounds of laughter and conversation. If the organizers had been trying to create an atmosphere that was both fun and festive, they’d definitely succeeded.
The current band commanding the stage, comprised of five young men, rocked the porch. The current tune’s infectious beat had the crowd of mostly young adults dancing, their red Solo cups held high.
With this section of Wrigley Road closed off, there was room for everyone with any open space considered the dance floor.
Brynn couldn’t stop her hips from moving to the beat.
“Unless you’re in a hurry to see Zoe, how about a dance?”
Brynn felt the warmth in Callum’s blue eyes all the way to the tips of her toes. In response, she gave herself up to the beat. By the time the set ended, she couldn’t stop smiling.
“I can’t remember the last time I danced.”
“You’ve got some stellar moves, Ms. Chapin.”
“Why, thank you, Mr. Brody. You aren’t half bad yourself.”
Laughing, he locked his gaze with hers. There it was again, that invisible connection that apparently even time hadn’t erased. She recalled all those times in high school when Callum would glance across a classroom, their eyes would meet, and a spark would ignite. That spark had happened even when she and her friends had run into him while he’d been out on a date.
Sometimes the jolt lasted only a second. The connection didn’t seem to be something others noticed. She’d never been completely sure that Callum felt it with the same intensity that she did, or heck, that he felt it at all.
This time, she had no doubt. The darkening of his eyes and the slight hitch in his breath told her he felt it, too. A shiver of awareness traveled up her spine.
Reaching up, he gently cupped her cheek. “Brynn.”
Just that one word. Only her name, nothing more.
She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue.
He was going to kiss her.
And she was going to let him.
His head lowered. The world stood still.
Anticipation skittered up her spine. Brynn leaned closer, happy to meet him halfway. His mouth was so close that Brynn could practically taste the sweet kiss already .
A sudden push had her pitching forward. A second later, something wet and icy traveled down her back. Brynn gasped and whirled. The sudden movement had her stumbling. She might have fallen if not for Callum’s steadying hands.
Expelling a ragged breath, Brynn glanced around. The only sign that anything had happened was an empty Solo cup at her feet.
“Who did this?” she asked Callum.
“I didn’t get a good look at his face,” Callum admitted, his jaw set in a hard line. He turned her around and then back to face him. “He got you good. It’s beer, so?—”
“—it’ll wash out,” Brynn finished. “In the meantime, I walk around smelling like a brewery.”
Callum flashed a smile. “I don’t know about you, but I’m partial to how beer smells.”
Brynn laughed. “Are you saying you wouldn’t be embarrassed walking around with someone who has a huge wet spot on the back of her dress?”
Leaning over, he surprised her by brushing his lips against her cheek. “I’d never be embarrassed being with you.”
Her cheek tingled where his lips had been, and it took Brynn a moment to find her voice. “Are you hungry?”
His eyes widened momentarily. “Ah, yeah, I guess. What do you have in mind?”
Bringing a finger to her lips, Brynn offered him a sly smile. “Why, anything that goes well with beer, of course.”