Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CALLIE
“You’re telling me Gavin is a children’s book illustrator?
” I repeat, staring at the man across the house like he sprouted antennas and announced he’s going to perform the Macarena.
That large, six foot two man with broad shoulders and a farm, who can cook and takes care of his elderly neighbors and treats women with so much respect he won’t randomly make out with me, also draws pictures for children for a living?
Does this mean he’s not a handyman? He’s just a good neighbor?
I can’t handle this information. Next they’re going to reveal that he also started an orphanage and helps refugees and donates to children’s literacy programs. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a Bat Cave underneath his house.
“He writes the stories, too,” Nat says around a bite of sausage, flicking her short blonde hair out of her eyes. She’s somewhere in her thirties and petite, with graceful features. If she wanted a job as Tinker Bell, Disney would hire her on the spot.
“You’ve probably heard of them. The series is rather famous.
It kind of…blew up.” Katie mimics a bomb exploding before leaning in and lowering her voice.
“He wrote the books first and they did really well, so the BBC created a television show, and the next thing we knew we were seeing children at the primary with school bags and T-shirts and he was getting all sorts of merch deals.”
“That’s incredible. And now his horses’ names make a lot more sense. What are the books called?”
“Leo and Johnnie.”
“The ones about the dog and the squirrel?” I ask, choking on my water. “I bought those for my nephew.”
More than that, I spoke to Gavin about that series, and he said nothing. I would be annoyed, but I’m pretty sure it’s a sign of his humility. I see him across the room chatting with his doctor bestie. They’re two attractive Scottish men leaning against the wall, sipping at glasses.
“Gav’s not much for talking about himself.” Katie tucks curly dark hair behind her ear, then it bounces free again. She reaches across the counter and picks up a sausage from Nat’s plate. “But he’s quite successful. We’re awfully proud of him.”
“Aye, some more than others.” Nat nods toward the Christmas tree, her eyebrows lifting.
I follow the line of her attention toward a woman in a tight green dress speaking with Gavin’s grandmother. She’s older than me, her red hair gleaming in the twinkle lights and a perfect cat eye making her look chic.
“Blair,” Katie whispers like a curse. “When did she show up? I didn’t invite her.”
“She probably came with her mum.”
Katie shifts so her back is to the living room. “Whatever. I’m not going to make a scene. Distract me with something, Callie. Tell me about yourself.”
That question is universally difficult to answer. It’s way too broad, for starters. Besides, I’m dying to know why Blair is so proud of Gavin and why they don’t seem to want her here.
But Katie’s frowning deeply. She looks genuinely upset, so I try to distract her. “I’m in grad school in LA. My goal is to be a psychologist, but right now I’m focusing on surviving the next five years.”
“That’s brilliant,” Nat says.
“Have you met Rhona? She does the same thing.”
“No, not yet. But I’ve heard about her. Gavin checks on her every morning.”
“The man’s a right saint,” Katie says.
There’s something satisfying in hearing this from a person who knows him so well, like my internal barometer that gauges people isn’t entirely off.
The song changes on the speakers, and the first few notes of Wham!’s “Last Christmas” fill the cottage.
My head turns toward Gavin on impulse, finding his head just above the small crowd that’s formed in the living room easily because he’s already looking right at me. A smile stretches over his face, then a chuckle rocks his chest softly.
He’s right. This is a banger.
Rory says something to him, nodding toward the tree, and the smile drops from his face immediately. He looks at Nessa speaking to the redhead, Blair. Is his skin turning chalky or is that just the lighting?
“Do you want to be a counselor for children or adults?” Nat asks, forcing my attention back to them.
“Anyone, really. I’ve enjoyed working with a few different age groups already. But youth are my favorite. Middle school and high school age kids in particular.”
“Maybe you can talk to my son,” Katie grumbles, picking up her drink. “Ever since he turned thirteen it’s like he flipped a switch from my sweet little lad into this angry person who thinks everything I say is embarrassing and only wants to dress like the Addams family.”
“He sounds like a teenager,” I say carefully.
“It’s his dad,” Nat says with authority. “Jack finds one picture of his dad in a band while he was at university and boom.” She snaps. “It becomes his entire personality.”
“He does idolize the eejit,” Katie says thoughtfully. Then she looks at me. “My ex lives in Glasgow. Jack sees him occasionally, but they aren’t close.”
“Hey,” Gavin’s deep voice says directly behind me. I don’t know if he’s talking to me or the other women, and I can’t turn because he’s so close, there’s no room. “Some people find it impolite to hide from all of your guests during your own party.”
Katie rolls her eyes and takes Nat’s last sausage. “None of those people live in Glenbruar though, do they?”
“A few might,” Nat mumbles. She rakes her long fingers through her short blond hair, pushing it out of her face. “Is that bloke coming from the petrol station?”
“To my house?” Katie pops a hand on her hip. “I might flirt with the man, but I’m not inviting him back to where my son lives.”
Nat shrugs. “It’s the safest time to do it.”
“What bloke?” Gavin asks, the barest hint of an edge to his voice. He can’t be jealous, can he?
I step aside so I can see his face, but he kind of leans with me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d assume he was staking territory the way a guy does when he wants everyone at the party to know this is his date. But I’m not his date. I’m not even his friend, really.
I’m just the American his cousin fobbed off on him for a few days. It must be that Viking blood surging back to life, inspiring him to see me as one of his clan. Something deep in his DNA screaming protect this defenseless woman! He probably doesn’t realize he’s doing it.
Which is why I’ll pretend I’m not loving it.
“Just a man I met last week,” Katie says. “It won’t go anywhere.”
Nat scoffs. “He seemed really nice to me. Like, a good man.”
“You never know though, do you? We could plan to meet for dinner and the next morning he’s chopping my head off and dumping it in the river.”
“Morbid,” Nat says. She tilts her head back and forth, considering. “But fair.”
Gavin frowns. “I’ll go with you if you meet him somewhere, Katie. He doesn’t even need to know I’m there.”
“That’s a good idea.” I point my thumb back at him, tapping his shoulder. “My friend and I do something similar.”
Katie looks interested. “Yeah?”
“We work at the same restaurant, so when we’re meeting a new guy, we always eat there and sit in each others’ zone. It’s a way to keep tabs, but the date doesn’t know you’re keeping tabs. You have to be careful these days.”
“So careful!” Katie says.
Nat leans in and whispers loudly. “Speaking of being careful, we have an intruder.”
“How are you holding up?” Katie asks Gavin, reaching for his wrist.
He shrugs. “It’s nothing.”
“Oh, we lie to each other now? When did that start?”
Gavin cracks a smile. The tension eases from his shoulders a fraction.
I’m dying to know the history here. It’s clear they’re talking about Blair.
Each of them has surreptitiously glanced her way during this conversation, and the way Gavin froze when he initially noticed the woman was too dramatic to be anything but authentic.
There’s clear history here, some sort of traumatic breakup or something, most likely.
Wait. I know the name from somewhere. Hadn’t Nessa talked about Blair when she came to Gavin’s for dinner? Was this the one he gave flowers to as a little girl, or the one he boldly asked to the dance in front of the entire school?
I hope it’s the flowers.
“It started when you told me you were going to introduce Callie to everyone and then hid her in the kitchen, maybe?” Gavin teases.
Katie laughs, throwing her head back.
“I’m honored you think I’m everyone.” Nat grins, sipping her drink.
“I’ll fix it.” Katie takes my hand, pulling me forward until we’re standing in the open space between the kitchen and living room, just about three steps away from where we were previously.
She hits a button on her phone that pauses the music, and the room becomes suddenly, eerily quiet, everyone looking around in confusion.
Nessa and Hamish are still near the Christmas tree, and they smile at me, but each of the other faces land on mine with a measure of interest.
Except Blair. She seems bored.
“Thank you for coming tonight! Jack and I are so glad to have all our friends here in one place. After the last few days especially, because we’re tired of our own company.” There’s polite laughter.
“I thought you prayed in the storm for the days off,” a man calls from the back wall.
“No, Marcus. We all know that was you,” she counters, to the sound of real laughter.
“Primary school teacher,” she explains, probably for my benefit.
“So, Gavin’s brought a friend, and I thought it would be easier to introduce you all at once.
This is Callie from California. Should be easy to remember, eh?
Be nice to her, because her entire family got stuck on the other side of that storm. ”
Well, half of my family is still in the States, but I won’t correct her. Katie doesn’t waste any time. She hits play on the music immediately and the din of conversation rises louder than it was before the break.
“Should we dance?” Nat asks when “All I Want for Christmas Is You” comes on.
Katie looks around. “Where?”