24. Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Evan
T oday Calista is taking Skye to school and I’ve been deemed capable of staying on my own for no more than an hour at a time. I’m rolling my eyes at the thought. It was a talk with not just me and Calista but Skye, Cody, and his parents.
Even though I feel ready, I am slightly nervous being on my own this morning. After I get dressed, I go downstairs, hoping Skye comes home with another sleepover invitation. Or maybe I can find a way to convince Cody’s parents to take her for a night without raising any questions. What I really want is another night of Calista in my bed, but she won’t stay there when Skye is in the house.
As soon as Calista walks through the door, I pull her into me and kiss her.
“I really hate waking up without you in my bed,” I tell her.
“You can’t be used to it. After all, it only happened once,” she says, smiling big.
“Yet I’m already addicted.” I take advantage of the moment and kiss her neck, while pulling her all the way into the house.
“We need to talk,” she says, taking my hand and leading me to the couch.
My body gets cold. In my experience, when a woman says we need to talk, it’s normally not a good thing, and I’m not going to like the outcome. Sitting, I pull her near me. I already know I’m going to fight for us, and having her close will help.
Once we’re settled, she pauses. Then she’s biting her lips and looking anxious, so I take her hand in mine and rub my thumb over her knuckles.
“You can talk to me about anything,” I say gently.
“The night of the BBQ Festival, do you remember what you asked me that night?”
All I want to do is grab her and then kiss her in sheer relief. Instead, I keep a straight face to see if she is going where I hope she is.
“I asked you to move in with me,” I tell her confidently.
There is a sharp intake of air from her, but she doesn’t say anything.
“You thought I had too much to drink, but I meant every word.”
“Evan…” She starts.
“Listen. I have thought this out. I really like having you here, but our time here is limited. If you stay here, I know it means talking to your brother. But I want you to be mine, and I want everyone to know.” I lay my cards on the table and watch her reaction.
Her eyes go wide, and I swear I see something like fear on her face. Fuck, maybe she isn’t ready for such a big commitment, and there is a good chance I’ve scared her off.
“We can move at whatever pace you want. We don’t have to tell Cody right now. But, baby, but I’m not going anywhere.” I squeeze her hand.
My words seem to be enough to calm her for right now. Though I hate the idea of continuing to hide our relationship from my best friend. But if that is what she needs, I will give it to her. At some point, we are going to have to talk about it. There’s a reason she is holding off letting her brother and family know about us.
“I don’t want Cody to know about us yet,” she whispers while looking down at our joined hands on her lap.
“If that is what you want, then so be it. But can I ask why?”
She looks up at me, and I can see the hesitation on her expressive face. Right now, she isn’t ready to talk about it. But I’m stubborn and I want to know, so I wait it out. She’s going to have to give me something, anything.
“Because he will ruin it,” she says, tears welling up in her eyes.
Deciding not to push it, I pull her into my lap, wrapping my arm around her.
“I can’t be the reason you lose your whole support system. Cody, my parents, and my brothers are all Skye knows. I don’t have a great track record with relationships, and there is more to think about than just me with this one,” she says.
I know she means Skye.
“I’d never do anything to hurt my daughter, but Skye loves you. Even if things didn’t work out with us, I know you would still be in her life,” I say.
“I’m only here for another week or two. Until then, I think we need to get this out of our system. When I go home, this has to end,” she says, tears welling up in her eyes.
The emotion in her voice tells me that it isn’t exactly what she wants.
My heart breaks. The last thing I want to do is give her up and end this. But my heart is convinced we can make this work. When she’s ready to leave, I’m sure that I can persuade her to stay and make a life with me and Skye.
“If that’s what you want, then we will keep sneaking around,” I say.
She looks sad, and the thought of her being anything but happy kills me. But right now, she doesn’t know she’s mine, and this isn’t ending in a week or two. But if that is what she has to tell herself, then so be it.
I pull her in for a kiss.
She thinks she is walking away in two weeks. But I plan to make that impossible for her to do so.
Then, putting all that aside, I kiss her until she melts into me. My dick is hard and I all I want to do is strip her of her clothes, feel her luscious body against me and make love right here on the couch.
At least, that is the plan until someone knocks on the door.
“You expecting anyone?” She tries to pull away from me.
“No. Are you?” I ask, already knowing she isn’t.
“No.”
I bought this cabin in the mountains because there are no neighbors, and it isn’t the kind of place someone will just swing by.
“Stay here,” I tell her. Getting up, I grab the gun I keep locked up on the top shelf of the coat closet.
“Evan!” she hisses.
Ignoring her, I open the door, holding the gun in plain sight.
“Mind not pointing that at my wife?” Cash growls.
When I realize Cash and his wife, Hope are standing there with a casserole dish in her hands, I drop the gun.
“We wanted to swing by and check in on you, and bring some food to give Calista a break on cooking one night,” Hope says.
I let them in and Calista gives me a look.
“I can’t believe you opened the door with a gun,” Calista huffs, giving Hope a hug.
“Oh, it’s normal with the men out here,” Hope says. “They move to the mountains because they don’t want unexpected guests. Bennett has greeted me with a shotgun in my face. Every time I visit Jana, Cole opens the door with a gun, even when he knows I’m coming,” Hope says like it’s nothing. They both head to the kitchen to put the casserole away.
“I’ve talked to Cole many times about that one,” Cash grumbles.
“I don’t think you will ever get him to break that habit. Not when the whole reason he met his wife is because someone kidnapped her,” I say.
Cash sighs, but there is a hint of a grin there.
Both Hope and Jana were kidnapped by Hope’s mother. Cole was one of the men who raided the cabin before I could get the other cops there. I didn’t approve of how he handled it. Now, I know if it had been Calista in there, I wouldn’t have followed protocol either. Also, I know without a shred of doubt that Cash and the other guys would have been right on my side.
When Cole walked in and saw Jana there, that was it. He’s been obsessed ever since. Wouldn’t leave her side, and the two of them are happily in love.
“You up for some company? Hope has been talking my ear off about spending more time with Calista since the girls met up at the bakery,” Cash says.
It appears that the girls have settled in the kitchen talking and Calista already has a large smile on her face. Right now, she looks at home and I want her to know there is more to a life with me then just sex. She can have a life here.
“Yeah, some company would be great,” I say, as we sit on the couch.
When I bought it, I wanted to fill this house with family and friends. Suddenly it hits me it might not have been the conventional way of doing things, but that is exactly what’s happening. And I’m than happy with it.