Chapter Twenty
Callie didn't manage to get away from Becca and Jacob's place until five twenty.
She'd thought that Jacob would be glad for her to be on her way when he got home, but he was disappointed that she wasn't going to stay for dinner.
She felt bad about dipping out on them, and he made her promise to at least consider coming to Muse with everyone on Saturday night.
She really liked him. He might seem like a Napa big shot from the outside, but on the inside, he was a sweet guy, and there was no mistaking that he loved Becca to pieces.
It was just after five thirty by the time she pulled up outside Molly's restaurant. She spotted Ollie's SUV parked a little farther down the street and hurried inside.
Molly's was warm and golden inside, the hum of conversation and clinking glasses making it feel like a place where people belonged. She'd been here for Becca's bachelorette party, but tonight it felt quieter. More intimate.
"Hey, Callie. It's good to see you." Grady greeted her with a smile. "Ollie's over in the corner booth by the window. I'll be with you guys in a minute."
"Okay, thanks, Grady. It's good to see you."
He smiled and jerked his chin toward Ollie, who hadn't spotted her yet. He was talking to Molly.
"He's a good guy, you know."
She smiled. "Yeah, thanks. I know."
Grady chuckled. "Sorry, I probably shouldn't say it, but if things for you guys go the way they seem to for everyone else around here, then don't second-guess yourself."
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Yeah, I really shouldn't say it, but...
Don't let me put you off if I've got the wrong idea.
It's just that Becca and I talked a little when she and Jacob first got together.
She was worried about moving in with him so fast, and all I could tell her was that it was nowhere near as fast as I moved in with Hannah.
I stayed over at her place on our first date — that wasn't even really a date," he added with a smile, "and I'm still there to this day. "
Callie shot a sideways glance at Ollie, who had spotted her now and was grinning. "Yeah, thanks for the warning."
She liked Grady. And he was another one who came from a different background. He worked here for Molly in the restaurant, and yet he didn't seem to have had a problem fitting in with Hannah Jacobs. They lived together in her cottage on the Jacobs estate.
"Like I said, I'm not trying to overstep, but Ollie's a good guy. I'd like to see him happy."
She glanced over at him again. "You don't think he is?"
"Yeah, sure. I mean, he's happy, but out of all these guys..." Grady shrugged. "I really am running my mouth too much here, aren't I? It sounds like a weird thing to say, especially coming from me — but I've always felt a bit sorry for him."
"Why?"
"Because he has all that money, but no family."
They both laughed when Molly put her hands on her hips and called, "Are you going to let her come in and sit down, Grady?"
"She's on her way," Grady called back, and then winked at Callie. "I'll take my nose right back out of your business and let you go."
She smiled. He wasn't being nosy or interfering, she knew that. He was trying to help, and that counted for a lot.
She hurried over to the booth, and Molly stood aside to let her sit.
The leather of the booth was worn soft, and when she slid in across from him, it felt like settling into somewhere familiar — even though she'd never sat here with him before.
"I have to tell you, I'm happy to see you guys together."
"I am too," said Ollie with a smile.
When they both turned to her, Callie laughed. "Okay, I'll admit it. Me three."
"That's all I needed to know," said Molly. "I'm on my way home. Grady's in charge tonight, so I'll leave you in his capable hands. But I'll see you on Saturday night, right? Won't I?"
Callie met Ollie's gaze, and he laughed. "I don't know if you've heard about this."
She laughed with him. "Only from every single person I've spoken to since I arrived in town."
He raised his eyebrows. "What do you say, then? Are we going?"
A rush of warmth filled her chest at the way he called them a we. She'd expected him to ask if she wanted to, but that we thing... It really got to her. It surprised her how much it got to her.
She nodded slowly as she said, "I think we are."
Molly grinned. "Awesome. I'll see you both then. We don't always come out with everyone, but Marcos's folks are going back to Sicily next week, so this will be our last chance for a while."
"We'll see you Saturday then, Mol," said Ollie.
When she'd gone, he reached across the table and took hold of her hand.
"I missed you."
She raised an eyebrow. "Since yesterday?"
He nodded solemnly. "Yep. I've got it bad, Callie."
That made her smile. She only hesitated for a moment before admitting, "Since we're not keeping any secrets... I do too."
His grip tightened on her hand. "Yeah?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
"Then I have a question for you."
"What's that?"
"Do you want to stick around? Not go home?" Her heart leaped into her mouth, and she glanced over at Grady before turning back to Ollie as he continued. "At least not until Sunday. Come hang out with me and the dogs. We'll go out with everyone on Saturday night and..."
He looked a little worried. "Or am I asking for too much too soon? I know you want to take your time. But..."
She worried at her bottom lip. And then Grady appeared to ask what they wanted to drink. She hadn't even thought about looking at the menu yet.
When he'd gone, Ollie looked worried, and she reached for his hand.
"I can't believe I'm going to say this."
His eyes grew wider. And when she didn't continue, he let out a short laugh. "Don't dump me because I asked for too much."
She laughed with him. "I wasn't about to. What I can't believe is that I'm going to say yes." She met his gaze and held it. "But only because you have a lot of spare rooms."
He grinned. "I do. You can take your pick. So, you'll stay?"
She nodded. Even as she did, she wondered if it was the right move. But they'd gotten off to such a shaky start, and she was hopeful now. The only way to know if it was going to pan out would be to jump in with both feet and see.
"Awesome. Peanut and Butter are going to be so happy."
She frowned. "Actually, do you know what? I should have thought this through better. I can't stay."
"Why not?"
"I didn't bring anything with me. I don't have a change of clothes. No toothbrush. No—"
He frowned. "All the guest bathrooms are well stocked. You don't need to worry about a toothbrush."
She held her breath. If he offered to buy her clothes, she'd be out of here and on her way home straight after dinner. That just felt too weird.
Fortunately, he seemed to understand that. "I know I'm a lot taller than you, but I have sweats and hoodies and T-shirts you could wear." He winked. "It'd be sexy as hell to see you in my clothes."
She smiled through pursed lips. "It could work, but I don't think it'd go down too well at Muse on Saturday night, do you?"
He chuckled. "Ah, no. You have a point."
"I could go shopping with Becca on Saturday," she ventured.
He watched her face and waited. And because he didn't offer any further input, she eventually nodded and said, "Yeah, okay. I'll stay."
~ ~ ~
Dinner was great. It felt easy being with her. The conversation and the laughter came naturally, and Ollie enjoyed every minute of it.
But there was a small nagging doubt in the back of his mind. Should he have offered to go back to Fort Bragg with her instead of asking her to stay here? She'd said yes, and he was thrilled. He just hoped that it wouldn't backfire on him.
When Grady came with the check, he reached for it automatically, but then hesitated and raised his eyebrows at Callie. "Is it okay if I get this?"
He relaxed when she smiled. "Yes, thanks. I'll get it next time."
He nodded. At least this was familiar territory.
Maybe not with women — they usually expected him to foot the bill for everything — but this was how it worked with Reaves.
He liked to pay his own way too, even though he lived on his pilot's salary.
Ollie respected it when it came to his best friend.
He smiled at Callie as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He respected it when it came to her, too. He knew how fortunate he was, even if he wasn't exactly grateful to his dad most of the time.
"How do you want to work this, then?" Callie asked.
"Work what?"
"Should I follow you home?"
"Oh, yeah." He hadn't thought about that. She was in her truck. It wasn't ideal.
She gave him a puzzled look. "Or have you changed your mind already? I can head home."
"No," he said quickly. "It's just..." He blew out a sigh. "No secrets, right?"
"Right," she agreed, looking a little concerned.
"Don't worry. It's just that I want to be honest with you. How would you feel about leaving your truck here until morning?"
"Why?"
"Because I want to be with you when you arrive at my place for the first time."
She frowned, and he chuckled. "I can just imagine you muttering away to yourself about spoiled little rich boys once you pull through the gates."
She made a face. "I've seen the gates already, remember? And I've seen the house and the grounds. It's not as though it's going to come as a complete shock, is it?"
"No, true. I guess I'm just worried."
He relaxed a little when she reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Well, don't be. Neither of us handled this very well in the beginning. Yeah, you should have been more honest. But at the same time, I should have been more open."
He didn't like to agree, but she kind of had a point.
She squeezed his hand. "So I'll follow you, rather than leave my truck here on the street overnight." She let out a short laugh. "Not that I think anyone around here would steal it."
"We can go in your truck and leave mine here, if you prefer," he suggested.