Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Until the reminder popped up on his phone late the next morning, Callum had nearly forgotten that Parker had an appointment with Trinity that afternoon.
“Why are we here?” Parker had gotten out of the Jeep quickly enough but now planted his feet and refused to move.
He wore the Bucky Badger T-shirt that Callum had bought him and his new tennis shoes.
His red curls kept falling in his face, and Callum decided a trip to Marigold’s Golden Door Salon was needed. His aunt, a recognized genius with hair, would do right by his son.
“We talked about this, remember? You and I are here to speak with Dr. Goodhue. She has all sorts of fun toys and games.”
The suspicious look that filled Parker’s eyes had Callum swallowing a smile. The kid was nobody’s fool.
“How do you know she has lots of toys?”
“I saw them.” Callum was glad he’d noticed the toys when he’d been here to schedule an appointment.
Worry furrowed the boy’s brow. “Will she let me play with them? ”
“Why would she have them if she doesn’t want kids to play with them?” Callum resisted the urge to glance at his watch.
He’d been on the phone all morning, trying to resolve an issue related to an upcoming event, and had nearly lost track of time. Once he’d remembered the appointment, Parker had been building a Jenga tower and hadn’t wanted to stop.
Thankfully, the drive anywhere in Good Hope was short, and they arrived with time to spare.
However, Parker continued to drag his feet.
“Parker. We need to go inside.” Callum spoke in what he hoped was a no-nonsense dad voice. “C’mon, let’s go.”
He turned, hoping the boy would follow him, when a van pulled into the parking lot and came to a screeching halt. A man he recognized stepped out.
“The sheriff is going to give you a ticket if you keep driving like that,” Callum called out.
Parker shifted his gaze but appeared more interested in the girl near his own age who hopped out of the passenger side.
“Well, if it isn’t Callum Brody in the flesh.” The tall man’s blond hair of his youth was now a sandy brown, but he still had the same gap-toothed grin. “I heard you were back in town. Dana said I should track you down and take you out for a beer.”
Callum vaguely remembered Chris’s wife, Dana. She’d been a couple of years behind them in school. Chris had told him that once he’d seen Dana, he’d known she was the woman for him.
Apparently, he’d known what he was talking about since they’d married right after Chris got his associate degree in automotive technology from Northeast Wisconsin Technical in Sturgeon Bay. Since graduation, he’d worked for the Greasy Wrench Automotive Center in Good Hope.
“I don’t know you.” The towheaded girl beside her father stepped forward, eyeing Parker. “Do you live here?”
“I do right now,” Parker responded, surprising Callum with his boldness .
“My name is Mya. I’ll be in second grade.”
“I’m Parker. I’m going to kindergarten.”
“I know lots of kids who’ll be in kindergarten. Not just girls either. My brother Wade will be in your class.” Mya smiled. “We’re here to pick up my grandma. Why are you here?”
Chris smiled and placed a hand on Mya’s shoulder. “As you can probably tell, Mya has never met a stranger.”
“You’re picking up your mother?” Callum had always liked Jackie White. He admired how she’d persevered and not let her MS control her life.
“Mom is part of a grief group that has been meeting twice weekly.” Chris shoved his hands into his pockets.
Callum pulled his brows together. He hadn’t heard that anyone in Chris’s family had recently passed away. “Grief group?”
“Mya, why don’t you take Parker inside and show him the treasure chest?” Chris smiled encouragingly at his daughter. “We have about ten minutes until Grandma comes out.”
“Treasure chest?” Cautious interest sparked in Parker’s eyes as he glanced from Mya to Callum.
Callum shrugged. He couldn’t recall seeing anything that resembled a treasure chest, but if Mya said there was one…
“It’s filled with toys. You can’t take them when you leave, but we can play with them while we’re here.” Mya had already started toward the door. When she realized Parker wasn’t following her, Mya paused and looked over her shoulder. “Aren’t you coming?”
Parker hesitated, but when he got Callum’s nod, he took off running.
“Is there really a treasure chest?” Callum asked Chris.
Chris laughed. “A big box filled with toys, so yeah, I guess it qualifies.” Then he blew out a breath. “Mom has been attending the grief group for a while. Not all the people in the group have lost someone close to them. From what I understand, it’s more about loss.”
Callum nodded, waiting for Chris to go on .
After a few heartbeats, Chris continued, his expression serious. “My mom’s MS is getting worse. She had to give up her position at First Christian overseeing the Little Fishes program and her job at the General Store. Both were important to her, and having to leave behind two activities she loved hit her hard. Dad was really worried. She’s been better since she started attending the group.”
“I’m glad.”
“Yeah, well. What about you?” Chris studied him. “Finding out you had a kid had to be a shock.” Noting Callum’s confused expression, he laughed. “It’s still Good Hope, man. A few people see you in town with a six-year-old you’ve never mentioned and who looks exactly like you did at that age? That’s not going to stay secret for long.”
Callum smiled at his friend’s candor. “I don’t want Parker to be a secret. But yeah, he was definitely a surprise.”
“How are you adjusting?”
“We’re finding our way.” Callum glanced at the building, hoping that Parker was happily playing inside. “That’s why we’re here. Brynn suggested it might be good if Parker met with Dr. Goodhue.”
“Brynn, huh?” Chris grinned. “I heard the two of you were together.”
“While I’m here.” Callum smiled the way he always did lately when thinking of Brynn. “She’s been a good friend.”
“While you’re here? You just got here.” Chris frowned. “When are you leaving?”
“I don’t know yet.” When he’d decided to bring Parker to Good Hope, it had been to figure out the next steps. He still hadn’t come up with a plan. “Being able to finalize events while I’m here has bought me a little time. But I’ll soon need to return to Boston.”
“I don’t even know what you do.”
“I work for a company called Edge Endorsements. It’s a business dealing with extreme sports. I coordinate events for them all across the country and beyond.”
“You can do that from here?”
As Chris appeared to be genuinely interested rather than simply being polite, Callum explained, “I can do some, but not all. Traveling to the location where the events will take place is a huge part of the job. Right now, I can only coordinate things on sites that I already approved.”
Confusion filled Chris’s eyes, but he nodded as if it were crystal clear. “At least you can do that.”
“What about you? Aren’t you working today?” Callum asked, determined to shift the focus to Chris.
“My dad had a conflict and couldn’t pick up my mom. Owen is cool with me flexing my hours.” Chris smiled. “He’s a great boss.”
“That’s cool. So you’re happy you settled here?” Callum didn’t know why he asked. Even in high school, Chris’s goal had been to stay close to family.
“No better place to raise kids.” Chris’s tone turned serious. “If, for some reason, you decide to stay, you’ll find that out.”
“Yeah, well…” Callum was precluded from saying more when the door to the clinic opened, and Mya’s head popped out.
She motioned to her dad.
“It appears I’m needed inside.”
“Which means it’s likely time for Parker’s session.”
Callum walked to the clinic beside Chris, who paused just before they reached the door.
“Parenting isn’t easy.” The tips of Chris’s ears turned red, the way they’d always done when he was nervous or embarrassed. “I don’t presume to be an expert, but if there is any way I can help, just call. You have my number?”
Pulling out his phone, Callum searched his contacts. “Doesn’t look like it. Let’s exchange contact info.”
When Callum held the display of his iPhone a few centimeters from the top of Chris’s phone, NameDrop appeared on both screens.
“That is so cool. I can’t wait to show Dana.” Chris grinned, then sobered. “I’m serious about the offer. If you need me, I’m here for you.”
Callum offered a rueful smile. “I appreciate it. Fair warning: You may just get a text one of these days with an SOS.”
Brynn exhaled a weary breath when the last client left the building. She’d had back-to-back sessions all day long. She’d eaten lunch at her desk while reviewing patient notes and scoring neurological testing sent from other practices in the area.
Thankful that no destination in Good Hope was more than fifteen minutes away, Brynn pulled into her driveway minutes later.
Parker flung open the door as soon as she reached the porch. “You’re home.”
Brynn felt her spirits lift at his exuberant greeting and big smile. “Yes, I am finally home.”
Still smiling, Parker stepped aside and called out, “Daddy, Daddy, Brynn is here.”
Callum appeared in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, wearing jeans and a black T-shirt with lettering that proclaimed, No Fear No Limits No Excuses. He looked lethal and incredibly sexy.
Being reminded of all the, well, extreme things he’d done gave Brynn an uneasy feeling. He’d never been injured in a competition—not that she knew of, anyway—but wasn’t it just a matter of time?
She told herself not to think of that now. It had been a long day, it was starting to drizzle outside, and she was ready to relax.
Brynn sniffed the air. “Something smells good. ”
“Pizza sauce?” Callum asked.
“I was thinking more apples and cinnamon.” Brynn inhaled deeply. “Definitely apples. Are we having apple pie?”
“We are. Daisy stopped over. Blooms Bake Shop had a two-for-one special on their mini apple pies. She said she could eat one but didn’t dare keep two around.” Callum’s lips quirked upward. “She’s a hoot. We talked for a few minutes, and then she played with Parker in the backyard while I was on the phone.”
Brynn leaned back against the counter. “That was nice of her.”
He nodded. “It was helpful. When I said I missed working out, she brought up those day camps at the Y that you’d mentioned.”
“From what I’ve heard, children seem to love them.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with Parker. I do.” Callum’s tone turned defensive. “But I also think it would be good for him to be around kids his own age. And, okay, for me to have some time to myself, too. If that makes me a bad father, so be it.”
His chin jutted up. If there had been a block on his shoulder, she’d have thought he was daring her to knock it off.
“You’re not a bad father. Every parent needs time to themselves.”
“I don’t know what I’d have done without you, Brynn.”
For several delicious moments, they shared a smile. Then Callum held out his hand.
Brynn stared, nonplussed.
Callum gestured to the strap of her messenger bag slung over her shoulder. “Let me take that for you. Do you want it in your bedroom?”
It was a good guess, as she’d lost her office in the other bedroom when Parker moved into it.
“Yes, please.” Just handing it over had the tightness in Brynn’s shoulders easing.
“I can take it there.” Stepping into the room, Parker held out his hands, eager to help .
Callum handed the boy the bag but added a warning. “Be very careful. Her laptop is in there.”
“I’ll be superduper careful,” Parker promised.
Brynn smiled at the child. “Thank you, sweet boy.”
Parker nodded and moved as slowly and carefully toward her bedroom as if he held a ticking bomb in his hands.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” Callum arched a questioning brow. “I picked up a bottle of Pinot Noir today.”
“You don’t like wine,” she reminded him. “You like beer.”
“You like wine.”
Touched, she laid a hand on his warm arm. “I’d love a glass.”
Now free of the messenger bag, Parker raced back into the room and stood beside Brynn. “I get grape juice that sparkles.”
“That’s cool.” She gave the boy a hug. “I’m happy to be home and so happy to see you.” She turned, and her gaze locked briefly with Callum’s. “Both of you.”
Several minutes later, sipping a very fine glass of Pinot, Brynn turned to Callum. “What can I do to help?”
He looked up from where he spooned warm pizza sauce over already grilled burgers, a stack of mozzarella slices on his right, along with pepperoni slices. “There’s a bag of lettuce in the refrigerator. If you want, you could put it in bowls.”
Parker wrinkled his nose. “I don’t like salad.”
At that moment, Parker sounded so much like her two younger brothers that she nearly laughed. Instead, she forced a lighthearted tone. “Oh, so I guess you won’t be playing the dipping game?”
Callum shifted his gaze briefly to her. Though his lips quirked upward, he remained silent.
Interest flashed in Parker’s blue eyes. “I don’t know what a dipping game is.”
“Why don’t you wash your hands and then set the table?” Brynn instructed. “Once we’re all seated, I’ll explain how the game works. ”
“How does the game work?” Callum asked in a low tone as soon as Parker rushed from the room to wash his hands.
“You’ll see.”
He surprised her by kissing her lightly on the lips. “Can I say how glad I am to see you?”
“You can say that as much as you like,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back.
Once the pizza burgers were ready and the three of them were seated around the table, Brynn pointed from salad bowls sporting larger-than-normal bites of lettuce to small plates containing a selection of ranch dressing, hummus and peanut butter.
“You dip a lettuce leaf separately in each of the three,” Brynn explained. “Once you’ve determined which you like best, you say, ‘I have a winner.’”
Parker stared down at the lettuce, then picked up a piece and dipped it in the ranch. Callum did the same.
To add variety to the game, Brynn went for the hummus first. “Often, you need to try more than one piece of lettuce in each topping to determine what you like best.”
After several minutes of taste testing, Callum and Parker announced simultaneously, “I have a winner.”
Brynn pointed her fork at Parker.
“The ranch,” the boy said, a note of triumph in his voice.
Her attention shifted to Callum. “The hummus is my favorite.”
“It’s good, too,” Parker agreed.
“What about you, Brynn?” Callum asked.
“Peanut butter.”
Her comment provoked a snort of disbelief from Callum and rolling laughter from Parker.
“What?” she said, smiling as she dipped a lettuce leaf into the peanut butter. “I happen to think it’s yummy.”
The comment had Parker trying the peanut butter one more time before moving back to the ranch to finish off the rest of the lettuce in his bowl.
By the time the meal concluded, with each helping to clear the table and load the dishwasher, Brynn realized that any tension from the day had disappeared.
She’d thought she’d gotten used to coming home and eating dinner alone. She’d convinced herself that she preferred the solitude after a busy day.
Now, Brynn realized that this was what she needed. Food, conversation and laughter with her two guys. Because it wasn’t just Callum she was falling for. Her gaze settled on the little boy who’d become so dear.
“Thank you again for making dinner.” Brynn pushed back her chair and stood. “Since everything is cleaned up, I think I’ll head to my room and see if I can get some work done.”
Though Brynn longed to simply relax and enjoy the evening, she had her client notes to review in preparation for tomorrow’s sessions.
“Don’t go to your room. Not yet.” A look of alarm crossed Parker’s face.
“I’m sorry, bud.” Reaching over, she ruffled his hair. “But I have work to do.”
“You can do it here.” Parker glanced at his dad, obviously hoping for support. “Daddy works here. I play, but I stay quiet when he’s on the phone. If you have to be on the phone, I’ll be quiet for you.”
“Then I put the work aside, and we play games.” Callum’s gaze turned soft when it settled on his son. “I pick it up later once Parker is busy playing with his farm animals or has gone to bed.”
The clarification was for her. Brynn could see it was important to him that she knew he wasn’t ignoring Parker during the day.
Even without the words, the increasing closeness she’d witnessed told her that father and son were spending quality time together. She thought of the notes she needed to review and decided that just this once, work could wait until Parker was in bed.
“Are we going to play a game tonight?” Brynn asked.
Callum’s smile reached in and wrapped around Brynn’s heart. “Sneaky Snacky Squirrel.”
Parker nodded. “It’s superduper fun.”
“Just so you know, he’s really good at it,” Callum warned.
Brynn grinned. “Challenge accepted.”