26. Callie
Chapter 26
Callie
For a moment, I kind of blacked out the idea of what flying to Aster Creek would be like. A roughly three-hour flight really isn’t that long in the grand scheme of things, especially when your brother pays for your first-class ticket. It really should feel like a luxury.
However, being on a flight with your brother on one side and your secret boyfriend who you spent the night before naked with on the other…well, let’s just say it complicates the luxury of first class. Hopefully, it’s just me who felt weird.
As we wait at baggage claim, I feel pretty proud of myself that I didn’t let any of my overthinking come out during the flight. Maybe it’s because I got little to no sleep last night, so I’m too tired to ramble.
I try to stifle what has to be my fifth yawn since we started standing around baggage claim when my phone vibrates in my pocket.
Will
Quit yawning. It keeps reminding me that I’m the reason you’re tired and then I get this mental picture of you naked in my bed.
Oh, you poor man. What a horrible picture to have. Maybe I should just always keep my mouth closed, would hate for you to picture me on my knees with my mouth wrapped around your dick.
Will
What a fucking picture that is. Can I frame it?
Sorry, dream frames only.
Will
I want a whole fucking gallery then.
A light chuckle escapes me.
“What are you laughing at?” Adam asks with simple curiosity.
“Oh, it was nothing. Just some silly picture,” I reply, locking my phone and shoving it in my pocket. I don’t exactly pick up the same vibe that Adam suspects anything between Will and me. I mean, he would be pissed, right? Isn’t it like some unspoken rule that your sibling’s friends are off-limits?
Damn, am I in a forbidden relationship right now?
“Oh, and you didn’t think that I would want to laugh at the picture?”
Rolling my eyes away from him, I wave him off. “Believe me, you wouldn’t have thought it was funny.”
“Yeah, what about me?” Will asks with a smirk. “I like pictures.”
This mother— “It’s too bad, you’ll never get to see.” I shrug. “Probably won’t ever come across it again.”
The smirk on Will’s face doesn’t falter, he actually laughs a little. When the conveyor belt kicks on, Adam steps up closer to watch for our bags, but Will takes a small step closer to me.
“We’ll see about that,” he mumbles.
A small blush creeps to my cheeks, and I hum a “Mm-hmm.”
After picking up our bags, we make our way out to the front of the airport. Jett texted Adam that he would be waiting out front for us. I had hoped Wyla would come with him, but she said Stevie was grumpy. I still have days to enjoy girl talk.
But the moment I walk out the sliding door I hear my name squealed from around the corner. “Auntie Cals!”
“Ah! My Stevie Bug!” I shout and race to her and Wyla. “You guys tricked me.”
Stevie launches toward me with open arms. “It was my idea! Did we surprise you?”
“You did! Best surprise ever.”
Wyla comes up to me next, wrapping her arm around my shoulder for a small hug because Stevie’s gone full spider monkey and clings to me tight. “She forced me into this scheme. There was no way I wasn’t coming.”
Jett comes up next, greeting the guys before prying his daughter off me. “Let her breathe, Stevie.”
Adam makes his way around to Stevie next and sets down his bag to flip her upside down and she giggles. “Stevie, I missed you. I need a hug.”
“Ah-Dum… Put. Me. Down.” With her giggling uncontrollably, she barely gets the words out.
Adam flips her all the way around and as soon as her little feet hit the ground and he lets her go, she takes two quick steps to me, wrapping her arms tightly around my waist again.
Adam pretends to put his hand over his heart. “You wound me, Stevie. Why does everyone like my sister more than me?”
“Probably because she’s smarter than you,” Jett jokes.
“And prettier,” Wyla adds.
“Cause she’s nicer than you!” Stevie yells the final blow.
Will doesn’t pile on and while I know that’s for the best, it just reminds me how much this whole sneaking around is going to suck.
Making it back to their house, we start to unload. Before Adam can even offer to stay at a hotel, Jett insists we stay with them. Based on the nonstop word-faucet that their four-year-old is, I’m guessing our stay is more for them than anything.
The moment my feet hit the cement Stevie is pulling me to the door to meet her dog, Poppy, and then dragging me upstairs to her room to see her canopy bed. Not that I mind too much. I love the sassy britches, but I feel bad leaving everyone to carry in my stuff.
She launches off her bed and bounces back to me. “Come on, now let’s go look at my swing set.”
She yanks my hand trying to breeze past me, but I tug her gently back and kneel next to her. “Stevie Bug, I promise I want to see all of the things, but let me go get my stuff out of the car, okay?”
Her lip hangs so low it hurts my heart. “Okay,” she mumbles.
“Hey, we’re going to have so much fun over these next few days. I promise.”
I squeeze her hand and give her a big smile. I feel a little better when her lip goes back in and she nods eagerly.
“I’m gonna go find Mommy, and then you can meet us at the swing set.”
“Sounds great,” I say and she bolts down the stairs. “Slow down, Bug.”
I chuckle as I watch her stop then reach for the handrail before going the rest of the way down. Shaking my head, I go to follow her down but then someone grabs my hand.
Jumping, I almost yelp but swallow it down when I realize Will’s pulling me into a small bedroom.
“Calm down, woman, it’s just me.”
“Oh, because I’m supposed to know that?”
Will pulls me flush to him the moment I move to hit his shoulder with my free hand, not letting the hit land like I wanted. I try to push away but then he’s kissing me and suddenly I don’t even remember why I was irritated at him to begin with.
A small hum of approval comes out of me when his tongue glides in my mouth. When he pulls back I want to protest, but he sighs. “As much as I’d like to keep you up here, I know they’ll start looking for us.”
I nod, stepping back. “I need to go get my stuff anyway.”
“I got ‘em.” Hooking his thumb over his shoulder, Will points to all of my bags on the bed. “Think I’m going to let my girl carry her own bags?”
“Don’t make this harder than it already is, Will. I already want to add another mental picture to your gallery.”
“Can I make a pose request?”
I chuckle. “We’ll see.”
“Come on, let’s head back down,” Will says with light taps to my ass.
“You go ahead. I’ll give it a minute then follow.”
He shakes his head but smiles before kissing my forehead. I wholeheartedly check him out as he walks out the door. In order to maintain my positivity about this secret relationship I keep focusing on the moments that I get with Will. This past weekend it was easy to do that. Other than the interruption from Adam and practice, we practically spent every second wrapped around each other.
Those moments were fun and easy, but we’re officially starting the season and with the schedule we have we’ll basically be just coexisting around each other for most of the day. I’m not exactly sure how I’ll handle that. I have big emotions and I like to feel them. I’m all for cleat chasers shooting their shots with the single players, but Will’s mine…even though I’m not allowed to show it.
Ugh, calling us quits should be the decision. It’s the smart one, but it’s also the one that makes me feel like I’m going to throw up and have heart palpitations.
Taking a deep breath, I try to keep the thoughts in my brain under control. One day at a time. One hour at a time honestly feels more manageable to me at this second and when I can’t do that anymore then I’ll walk away.
Finally making my way downstairs, I can hear the negotiations happening from the living room.
“But, Mommy, why can’t we go outside?”
“Because, Stevie, it’s barely forty degrees. I’m not making Callie stand outside and you just got over a cold. Why don’t we play inside?” Wyla’s using her soft mom voice and despite truly being a great kid, Stevie’s still only four.
When I make it into the living room the tears are flowing and big pleas are being made.
“Please, Mommy. I’ll wear a coat, I promise!” Stevie pulls at Wyla’s arm and before she can even respond to her daughter, Stevie continues. “Daddy says it’s springtime, why is it still cold? I want to go swing!” Stomping her foot for good measure, I can see the tantrum coming.
Scooping Stevie up I plop her down in my lap. “Okay, Bug, let’s talk about it for a second.”
Her little head turns her teary eyes to me. “Please, can we go outside?”
Ah, hell, how do Jett and Wyla ever say no to this face? I don’t want to backtrack on Wyla’s reasoning. Wyla’s the best mom; I could never undermine her. “Stev?—”
“Daddy!” Stevie interrupts as the guys make their way back in. “What season is it?”
Jett takes the seat next to Wyla. “Spring, Little Bee,” he says, and I already know what argument has started.
“It is not, it’s February. It’s winter.” Wyla tries to keep that soft mom voice but I can hear the edge starting.
“Nah, it’s spring,” Adam piles on.
“See, Mommy! It’s spring, why can’t we go play outside?”
Wyla sighs. “She’s going to start pre-k in the fall, you guys have got to tell her the truth.”
Jett just laughs and pulls Wyla to him. I’ve been around them enough to know that he just loves to get a rise out of her. “Sorry, Wy. Spring Training starts next week, so it’s spring to me.”
“Me too,” Adam adds.
“I’m not getting involved,” Will says. I try to hide my smile by planting a small kiss on Stevie's head, but I can’t help but give him a small wink when he looks my way.
“I give up,” Wyla exasperates.
“So, does that mean I can go outside?”
I squeeze Stevie and try to stifle my laugh. Wyla looks like her head might explode, so I bump Stevie on my lap, having her look back at me. “Ya know, I think I noticed a Barbie Dreamhouse in your bedroom. I would really love to play Barbies with you.”
“Okay,” she grumbles, but her little body bolts off my lap and up the stairs.
“Don’t worry, Wyla. I’ll explain the whole seasons thing to her through the people she’ll actually listen to.”
“And who’s that?”
“Ken and Barbie, duh.”