Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
After we settled in at the Fox Creek Lodge, Calla ran off to surprise Alex, and Devyn locked herself in her cabin, citing a work-related emergency. Left to my own devices, I decided to take a look around the property to see what my money had helped develop.
I’d only seen a few pictures from before the renovations started, but it was easy to see how much blood, sweat, and tears Alex and Cole had poured into this place. Each of the twelve cabins were pristine, a well-blended mix of rustic and luxury. Holding up the key to cabin nine, I walked inside, immediately taken aback by the craftsmanship. The cabin itself was small, only made up of a cozy sitting area, a king-sized bed, and a bathroom to the side, but the elements instantly soothed me. The walls were made of natural wood plank, and all the linens were white and airy. The back wall had been blown out, covered in a large picture window that offered a view of the surrounding forest. Even with other cabins surrounding mine, it felt isolated, but in the best way.
I forced myself out of my cabin, resisting the urge to scour my inbox and check in on the office. While the rest of the guests settled in, I took a walk to the main lodge, stopping to admire the view of the lake from the bottom of the hill.
Staring out at the picturesque scene, I closed my eyes, inhaling the clean mountain air. I’d lived in cities all my life and preferred the hustle to the quiet, but I was starting to understand the appeal of places like this. As I turned to face the lodge, I found Calla coming out, a broad smile on her face. To my delight, it only got wider when she saw me staring at her.
“Running for the hills already?” Calla asked, bumping my hip as she walked to my side.
“Not yet,” I answered. “Give me a few more days, and that might be a different story. Did Alex like the surprise?”
“She was very excited.” Calla grinned up at me. “Although I think she’s starting to suspect something is going on. I had to bite my lip so hard to keep from telling her.” She pulled my arm out, checking the time on my watch. “I only have to keep the secret for…five more hours. How hard can that be?”
“For you? Excruciating,” I chuckled. “Let’s get out of here, keep you from blurting out Cole’s plans.”
“I don’t know…” Calla glanced between the lodge and the gravel driveway. It was as if she had to physically stop herself from heading into town.
I rolled my eyes, taking her hand without thinking. “C’mon, we’ll be back in plenty of time.”
“Are you sure?” She chewed on her lower lip.
“Dinner’s not for a couple more hours. Alex can manage without you for a little bit, and we both know I saw the notes you were taking on your phone about places I needed to visit.” I paused, pulling her to my side. Even though there were other people around, I couldn’t bring myself to care. She stared up at me in surprise, her honey-colored eyes searching all my features. Before I could think any better of it, I leaned down and kissed the shock from her lips.
“Theo…” she said, trying to sound serious but failing miserably.
“I know.” I wrapped my arm around her waist. “But I’ve missed you, Calla. Even with you right next to me most days, I’ve missed being able to kiss you when I want, to hold you like I’m always dying to.” I pulled back to look into her eyes. “So just indulge me for a few more seconds, okay?”
She nodded, finally relaxing into my embrace. As more people decided to venture out to check out the view, I reluctantly released her, taking her hand instead. Leading her to my SUV, I opened the door for her and helped her climb inside. The second she climbed into the passenger seat, Calla grabbed the aux cord without asking for permission. I didn’t mind, loving that she made herself comfortable in my space, in my world. I wanted more of it.
Driving around the minuscule town, she pointed out all the buildings and told stories of the various other residents. It was insane to me how much history she knew and how many of her former neighbors she could name on sight. Even after a decade in LA, I didn’t know any of the people who lived near me. Neighbors came and went, and my life remained the same. For a long time, that was the exact way I wanted to live my life.
But the idea of making connections and creating roots wasn’t as terrifying as it used to be. Even when I was married, I was so resistant to change. Natalie had moved into my home, learned my routines, followed my lead on most things, and all I gave her was my last name and heartache.
As we hit one of the main roads, Calla let out a little squeak. “Turn! Turn here.”
I followed her directions mindlessly, letting her lead me to a small restaurant at the edge of a strip mall. From the outside, it looked like nothing. All that I could see was the front door and a small window with etched with a logo.
“The Lost Tavern?” I read aloud, waiting to see if this was some elaborate prank.
When I pulled into a parking space, Calla hopped out of the car, barely waiting for me before barreling inside. After following her, I pushed the front door of the restaurant open, finding her in a tight embrace with an older blonde woman.
She pulled back, placing her hands on Calla’s face. “Gosh, look at you. I’d heard you weren’t coming, but I told Curt there was no way you’d miss this.”
“Of course I was coming,” Calla giggled, pulling the woman in for another hug. “Can you believe the surprise is happening?” She wiggled her eyebrows along with the word.
“About damn time,” her friend chuffed. “Told that boy months ago he needed to give her a ring.” Her eyes found me waiting behind Calla. “And who is this?”
“Oh!” Calla squawked, turning around to pull me forward. “This is Theo, my…” Her nose scrunched as she tried to find an appropriate label. “My friend. He’s friends with Cole, too.” Debatable. “He drove up with Devyn and me.”
“It’s lovely to meet you.” She reached out her hand. “ Marta Anders. I hope you’re taking care of our girl here. We’ve known Calla since she was in diapers.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Oh, hush, you.” Marta swatted her arm. “All these kids are like our family, so if you ever want to see some incriminating photos, I have the best ones.”
“Look at the time,” Calla joked, looking down at her empty wrist. “We really should get going.”
“Don’t even think about it.” Marta pushed us toward a bar-top table. “I promise, no more embarrassing tales. Let me feed you.” She passed me a menu, not bothering to hand one to Calla. Marta’s eyes dropped down for a moment. “Devyn came with you too?”
Calla’s lip tucked between her lips, but she reluctantly nodded. Marta exhaled slowly, and a sadness flitted over her features. There was a story here, one I was not privy to, but I could tell that Calla felt uncomfortable.
“What would you recommend?” I asked, needing to break up the tension.
“Everything,” Calla answered, smiling back at Marta. “You already know what I want.”
“Smothered burger, hold the mushrooms.” Marta chuckled. “What about you, handsome?”
There were too many options to choose from. I shook my head, holding it out to Marta. “I’ll take what Calla’s having, thank you.”
As Marta darted to the back to put in our order, I leaned in toward Calla. “Please tell me the food here is edible.”
“You bite your tongue,” Calla tsked. “This will be the best burger you’ve ever had, I promise.”
I almost snorted. “Calla, you do realize we live in New York, right? Walking distance to some of the best Michelin-starred restaurants? ”
“I said what I said.”
I smirked back at her. “Care to make things interesting?”
My stomach ached as we left the Lost Tavern and headed back into the heart of the town. Calla must have felt the same, because she let out a loud groan next to me. “How could you let me eat that much?”
“Let you?” I scoffed, hitting the blinker to turn back onto Main Street. “If I’ve learned one thing working with you, no one lets you do anything.”
“Truth.” She nuzzled her head on the passenger seat. “But you need to admit that I was right, that I won our bet.”
“And have you decided what you want from me yet?”
Calla pursed her lips, tapping them like she had to think hard about what prize to claim. With every touch, the need to claim her got stronger, wanting to fuck that pretty little pout the way I knew she liked.
“Not yet,” she answered. “But next time we come up, remind me to get the wings. They’re almost as good as the burgers.”
My hands tightened on the steering wheel as my thoughts fixated on one little word in her statement. We. When we’d be back here. It was ridiculous how much I liked the sound of it, imagining long weekends spent just like this with Calla on my arm. Maybe it was a pipe dream, imagining a life this simple. With the partners coming soon, if the visit went well, there was a strong chance I’d be promoted. And with that, there would be even more work to be done. As it was, my phone had almost broken with the amount of texts pouring in while we were eating. I wouldn’t know exactly how many, however, because about halfway through our meal, Calla snatched it away from me, putting it on silent and stuffing it in her purse.
“I’m holding this thing hostage.” She smirked. “You’ve survived one weekend without jumping every time it rang. You’ll survive this one, too. Besides, if any emergencies come up, Jack knows to call my cell now.”
I hated to admit it, but she was right. That weekend had been the first time I turned my cell off in a long time, and as surprising as it was, the world didn’t stop. When I got back to work on Monday, everything was still operating as it should, and any client concerns were handled that day.
A wave of guilt consumed me for a moment, thinking of how many times I refused to put my phone away before. Dinner with Natalie, marriage counseling sessions. For fuck’s sake, I was texting about a contract at my mother’s funeral. Work-life balance was never my strong suit, but for Calla, I was willing to try.
I needed to try.
She motioned up ahead to an empty spot along the street. “Stop here, and we can walk around for a bit. Help my stomach from exploding.”
I swiftly pulled the SUV to the parking space, shuffling to the other side to hold the door open for Calla. She took my extended hand, smiling brightly up at me. “Look at you, Sunshine. Who knew you were such a gentleman.”
“You bring it out in me, beautiful.”
She tucked her chin, trying to hide the flush on her cheeks. I wanted to run my thumb along it to trace its shape, to see how far the blush ran, explore the expanse of her bare skin with either my fingers or tongue. At this point, I didn’t care which one. If we didn’t get some time alone soon, I wouldn’t be responsible for my actions .
Calla pulled me down Main Street, leading me into different shops and greeting almost everyone we met by their full name. She knew all their stories and which questions to ask. She was the most genuine person I’d ever met, and it was clear that this town loved her. It almost made me jealous, made me long for a place that never existed.
However, everything came to a screeching halt when we reached the florist shop. As soon as the door flung open, Calla’s face paled, and she took a step closer to me. Instinctively, I reached out my hand, capturing hers, not caring who saw us. But the whole time, Calla stared at the woman leaving the shop carrying a bright bouquet. Her voice wobbled a little when she called out, “Mom?”
The woman froze, staring at Calla like she was a ghost. Upon further inspection, it was no shock that these two women were related. It was like looking at Calla in thirty years. The same red hair that haunted my dreams was streaked with shades of gray. The same whiskey-colored eyes were lined with creases.
“Calla.” Her mother opened her mouth like she wanted to say more before dropping her gaze down to our joined hands. I started to distangle our hands, but Calla held firm. Her mother let out a disappointed sigh. “What are you doing here?”
“Does it matter?” Calla said, trying to appear strong, but I could hear the hitch in it, feel the way her hand trembled in mine. “It’s not like you have any interest in seeing me.”
“I told Devyn that I expected you–”
“At your dinner party. Right,” Calla scoffed. “Because now you want to be a family? What is it? David needs to impress some clients, some deal he needs help securing?”
Her mother arched a brow. “Don’t make a scene. If you had something to say to me, you could have called. ”
“So could you.”
Sensing the tension echoing off each of them, I held out my hand. “Theo Ayad, Mrs. Winters. I believe we met last year when I was staying at the Isadora.”
“Yes, you were with Mr. Rice’s party.” Her eyes narrowed at me. “How do you know my daughter?”
“We work together,” I answered. “I suppose I should thank you for that.”
“Excuse me?”
I smiled, but it held no warmth. After bearing witness to the damage this woman had done to her daughters, I had zero desire to play nice, not when it was her voice in the back of Calla’s mind, telling her that she wasn’t enough. “Your daughter is one of the smartest, hardest-working people I’ve ever met, and you were too stubborn to notice. So, yes, thank you for refusing to see her worth.” I held Calla’s hand a little tighter. “Because now I have the chance to make sure she never forgets it.”
With that, I spun Calla around, leading her back to the car. She met me step for step, not saying a single word. A single tear ran down her cheek, and it hit me—I fucked up. Shit. The words poured out of me, and not once did I think that it would affect Calla. After a few more steps, I could apologize in private. I’d do whatever it took to erase that look from her face.
As soon as we were in the car, I turned, an apology already waiting on the tip of my tongue.
But Calla had other plans.
I could barely comprehend it when she launched herself from her seat, sealing her lips over mine. After a moment, she pulled back, resting her forehead against mine. “I’ve never had someone stand up for me like that. Thank you, Theo. ”
The relief crashed through me, hating that Calla had felt so alone before now. I took her hand, bringing her knuckles to my lips. “You never have to thank me for that. If I have my way, you’ll never have to deal with anything alone again.”