29. Chapter 29
Chapter twenty-nine
Rowan
“Are you sure about this?” Poppy asked. Her short black hair stuck out in every direction. Usually, my sister slept through me getting ready in the mornings, but today, she’d popped off her pillow the second I started to change out of my pajamas.
“Yes. I’m going to call Gwen after PT and decline the offer. I want to give her time to get to her desk and get settled for the day.”
“Duh,” she said. “I meant PT with Cal.”
I shrugged. “I’m not getting him fired over two sessions. He’s a professional. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“For Cal,” Poppy said punching her pillow.
“Hey,” I said, taking a seat on her bed. “Are you doubting me?”
Poppy’s shoulders sagged. “You’re right. I’m worried you’ll see him and decide you can’t live in Peace Falls anymore, and I would have gotten my hopes up for nothing.”
“I’m not calling Gwen before I see Cal because she’s wrangling her kids to daycare right now. I owe her a real conversation. That’s all. I promise, Poppy, Red Blossoms Bakery is happening, and it will be amazing.”
She surprised me by leaning forward and pulling me into a tight hug. When she sat back, her eyes were wet. “Ok, get out of here,” she said, swatting my arm. “I need to sleep at least two more hours to be human.”
“Love you,” I said as she rolled onto her stomach.
“Same,” she said into her pillow.
After I finished getting ready, I headed downstairs where Mom and Chris were voguing in the kitchen.
“Don’t let me interrupt,” I said, grabbing the keys to the station wagon.
Chris tugged my arm and spun me around. “Come on, Ann. You know this is how Mom celebrates. If I have to do it, so do you. It’s your fault, anyway.”
“Don’t pretend like you’re not thrilled I’m staying,” I said and struck a ridiculous pose. Mom danced around the kitchen with a huge smile on her face. Chris performed a kneeling spin move that looked more breakdance than voguing. The song finished, and I hugged them both.
“Now that I’m warmed up, I better get going. I’m stopping at Karma on the way to PT to check how many scones I need to bake later.
Chris frowned. “I can take you and wait while you finish your session.”
Mom shook her head. “Nope, you’re helping me bring a load of Rowan’s boxes to the storage unit. I want my living room back, and your sister can handle herself just fine.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said, giving her hand a squeeze. “You too, Chris. I marked all the boxes that can go with an S.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie,” Mom said and restarted the song. Chris let out a sigh but struck a pose. I grabbed my purse and opened the front door but came to a stop when I found Cal and Skye on the porch.
All the air whooshed out of my lungs. He looked handsome as usual, despite the dark circles under his eyes. Part of me wanted to retreat inside, another wanted to run down the steps and wrap my arms around him. But all of me wanted to know why he’d come to see me outside his office.
“Um, hi,” I said, pulling the door closed behind me and muffling the ’80s music inside.
Cal swallowed hard. “I thought we could start today’s session with a walk,” he said. “Assuming that’s where you’re headed.”
At the word walk, Skye spun in a full circle.
“Ok,” I said.
He handed me Skye’s leash and then stepped close to take the bag from my shoulder. My body came alive when he neared, my heart racing, my breath shallow. Skye bumped into me, tail wagging. I knelt to pet her, relieved to put some distance between me and Cal.
Skye licked my face and I laughed. “I missed you too, girl.”
“We should get going,” Cal said, walking down the stairs with his shoulders bunched to his ears.
“Sure,” I said, standing.
Skye and I followed him to the street. He walked on the asphalt, giving us the full sidewalk. We walked past a few houses without talking, our pace painfully slow. I was beginning to think he planned to walk all the way to Main Street without speaking when he cleared his throat.
“Thank you,” he said softly. “For your review.”
“No problem. I saw Avery removed hers.”
He nodded. Well, if that was all the conversation he had, this was going to be a very uncomfortable walk.
“I’m happy for you, Cal,” I said. “I meant what I wrote. You really are great at your job.”
“You could have canceled your sessions,” he said, stopping and staring ahead toward Broad Street. “Once Adam sees the review sites, my job won’t be in danger.”
“Did you want me to cancel?” I asked.
He shook his head and took a deep breath. Skye whimpered and dragged me into the street to Cal.
“Hey,” I said, putting my hand on his arm. “Talk to me.”
He turned to face me, his eyes searching mine. “I’m not ready for this to be over.”
My heart pounded in my chest. “This” was everything to me, but I still didn’t know what it meant for Cal. “Me either,” I said, and all the tension seemed to leave his body at once.
“I know DC is a drive, but we could meet halfway some weekends,” he said. “Maybe take turns driving the whole trip.”
I shook my head. Our time apart had taught me I couldn’t do casual, at least not with Cal. Even if I was staying in Peace Falls, I couldn’t fall back in his bed unless he wanted more than my body.
“Ok,” he said, pacing back and forth. “I could join a practice in Northern Virginia. It might take a while, but I’m sure I could find one.”
“You’d move for me?” I asked, my chest filling with warmth.
He stopped and grabbed my hands. “If that’s the only way I could have you, yeah.”
“Sounds like a lot of effort for a casual hookup,” I said, taking a step back from him.
His face fell. “I’m messing this up. When I said I don’t want this to end, I meant I want more, not more of the same. You said you cared for me. I hope that’s still true because I’m in love with you.”
I was so startled I dropped Skye’s leash and fumbled to grab it. “I’m sorry,” I said, blowing out a breath. “It’s kind of hard for me to believe you. Words are just words.”
Cal nodded. “You’re right. Which is why I’m asking for the opportunity to prove to you they’re true.”
“By moving to Northern Virginia?”
“If that’s what it takes,” he said.
“You’d leave your job, your family, and your friends for someone you just started seeing?”
“Not someone,” he said, putting his hand on my face. “You. The most beautiful, kind, funny woman I’ve ever met. The person I want to hold every night, and the one I think about all day long. You’re it for me, Rowan. I feel it. I understand you may need more time, and that’s ok. That’s all I want. A chance to prove that what I’m feeling is real.”
“You’re Caleb Cardoso.”
“And you’re Rowan Stevens,” he said, raising an eyebrow at me. “Sorry, I refuse to call you by the asshole’s last name. I hope you plan to change it back.”
I nodded.
“So, Rowan Stevens,” he said, stepping close. “When do we leave?”
“Um, never,” I said.
He stepped back. “I’m sorry,” he said, his eyes sad. “I shouldn’t have put you in this position, especially when you were kind enough to keep seeing me professionally. Forget I said anything.”
“No, Cal,” I said, rising on my toes to wrap my arms around his neck. “I just meant I’m not moving to DC. I’m staying in Peace Falls. Poppy and I are going to open a bakery together.”
He rested his head on my shoulder and pulled me close. “Thank God. I hate NoVa. The traffic is a nightmare.”
I giggled. “Yeah, that alone makes me believe you a little.”
“Both of you have rooms nearby,” Principal Twillings shouted. “Stop canoodling in the street.”
“Lay off them, Twill,” Mrs. Adams yelled from her own porch. “Just because you’re a dried-up old fart doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t appreciate a good show.”
I glanced around. The neighbors had gathered to watch us, including my entire family, who were standing on the sidewalk in front of our house for a better view.
“Kiss her already,” Poppy shouted, wearing nothing but the oversized shirt she’d slept in. “I have shit to do.”
“Language, Ms. Stevens,” Principal Twillings shouted.
“Bite me, Twill. Come on, Cal.”
Cal smiled and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on my lips.
“Boo,” Mrs. Adams shouted. “You call that a kiss?”
I laughed and Cal used the opportunity to slide his tongue into my mouth, deepening the kiss until my knees threatened to give out. He pulled back but leaned his forehead on mine as the neighbors cheered. I laughed. Only in Peace Falls. Sure, a crowd might have clapped for us in DC, but here I knew each and every person was cheering because they wanted to see us together long after this moment. They didn’t think it was unbelievable that a man like Cal would want a woman like me, which meant the fear was mine alone. Skye ran circles around our feet, wrapping our legs in the leash like she was trying to keep us together. Cal placed a soft kiss on my forehead and bent to catch her.
“Come here,” he said, grabbing Skye’s collar and unhooking it from the leash. He looked up at me and smiled. “We don’t want Rowan to fall, unless it’s for us.”
I wanted to tell him I already had. But part of me still didn’t trust his words. I knew, without a doubt, that if I gave my whole heart to Caleb, I’d never get it back.
He untangled the leash from around our feet before snapping it back to Skye’s collar and standing. “What do you think about skipping the walk and taking Twill’s advice?”
I looked at everyone watching us. “I think the entire street would tease me for months.”
He smiled and leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Not if we go to Maple and cut through my backyard.”
I nodded, and he gripped my hand. We set off toward Broad Street at a much faster pace. Someone booed behind us, and I stifled a laugh. By the time we circled around to Cal’s back yard, the only person to see us sneak inside was Principal Twillings. He had the decency not to shout anything, but he laughed behind the paper he pretended to read.
Skye huffed when she realized her walk had been cut short.
“Sorry, girl,” Cal said, unclipping Skye’s leash in the mud room and tossing treats on the floor as he pulled me toward the kitchen.
As soon as the mudroom door shut behind us, his mouth crashed to mine. Then he jumped back, his eyes dark, chest heaving. “Walk to the bedroom, Rowan,” he gritted out with his hands balled at his sides. “If I touch you again, I’m going to fuck you right here.”
“What’s wrong with that?” I kicked off my sneakers, ripped off my shirt, and shimmied out of my leggings.
Cal closed his eyes and banged his head against the wall. “I promise to take you against any surface you want later, but right now I’d like to make love to you.”
“Oh,” I said.
He opened his eyes, and I caught a glimpse of something fragile. I reached for him, and he took my hand, bringing it to his lips before he laced his fingers with mine and lead me to his bedroom. When we reached the edge of the bed, he started by trailing a line of kisses down my neck to my breasts.
“Caleb,” I breathed, while he unhooked my bra. “I’m practically naked and you’re fully dressed.”
He stepped back and pulled his scrub top off in one swift motion. I ran my hands across his broad shoulders and down the sculpted muscles of his chest before sliding his pants and boxers down his legs. I followed them to the floor.
His thick cock bobbed free, and I wet my lips.
“Don’t even think about it,” he said, tugging me to my feet past his impressive erection.
“You want me to file that for later with the kitchen sex,” I said, smirking.
That’s when he snapped. He gripped my face and kissed me so hard my knees gave out. He lifted me, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, desperate to feel every inch of his skin against mine. He tossed me on the bed and climbed up my body, sinking into me in one thrust. I closed my eyes and moaned, but he stilled.
“Look at me,” he softly.
I opened my eyes and found his warm brown ones staring down at me. He wove our fingers together, and with a small smile, pulled away before rocking into me slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. The way he looked at me with such intense sweetness made me tighten around him. I arched closer, my body begging for more friction. He groaned and began to piston his hips, the rhythm brutal as we raced toward release. My orgasm ripped through me, powerful and fast. I cried out, riding wave after wave of pleasure, as he shouted my name and came.
He kissed me gently on the forehead and groaned. “That wasn’t what I had in mind.”
“No,” I said, running my hands along his muscular arms. “It was better.”
He smiled. “I’ve never done that before.”
I laughed. “You and I both know that’s not true.”
He shook his head and ran his fingers down my face. “I’ve never had sex without a condom. And never with someone I loved.”
“Oh, I got tested while I was in the hospital, and I’m on the pill.”
His eyes bore into me.
“All that is probably in my medical charts, huh?”
He nodded.
He wanted me to tell him how I felt. My mouth went dry. Tears burned my eyes, and my stomach sank.
“Come here,” he said, pulling my head to his chest and running his fingers through my hair. “I’ll be here when you’re ready. Until then, I’m going to spend every day showing you how much I love you.”
I nodded, embarrassed that I’d ruined the moment with tears. His heart thudded fast against my ear.