13. Callum
CHAPTER 13
CALLUM
It’s been two days since I messed things up with Maisie, and it’s killing me.
I’ve seen her in passing at the stables. We’ve even shared space and exchanged a few words. I’ve apologized one hundred times for my brash comments, and she seems to accept it, but something is off.
I feel it in the way she won’t quite meet my eyes. In the way her voice sharpens when she talks to me. It’s clipped and professional, like we’re just coworkers again and nothing more. I don’t know what to make of it, but I fucking hate it.
Her sister is gone, and maybe that’s part of it. I know they’re close. Maybe she’s worried about Rosalie, or the shift in their routine could’ve thrown her off. But this feels like more than that. Like whatever changed is personal.
Every time I reach out, she keeps it short and all business. She’s still herself, but there’s no warmth. No spark. Worst of all, there's been no alone time. Maisie is always busy and always somewhere else before I can get a real read on her. She’s avoiding me while being right next to me, and I’m going to put a stop to it today.
By the time I bring my group back from the trail ride, the thought’s been gnawing at me all morning. I don’t even bother heading back to the lodge. Instead, I tie the horses, make sure the guests are taken care of, and then lean against the fence outside the stables and wait. This is where I was the first time I laid eyes on her. Now it’s where I stand to lose her. The irony makes my chest tighten.
I know her schedule by heart. She’ll be finishing her training session any minute now. And I’m not leaving until we get to the bottom of this, for better or for worse. I’ve fallen for a few who didn’t fall back over the years. I’ve misread the signs. I hoped for things that weren’t mine to have. But this thing with Maisie doesn’t feel like any of those situations.
Maisie is different from anyone I’ve ever known. She’s the first woman I’ve ever looked at and seen not just a future but my home. I don’t know what’s pulling her away from me, but I’m not letting it happen without a fight.
I’m not going to lose her before we even get a chance to start.
Finally, the family filters out of the stables, making their way toward the front of the ranch. I spot Maisie in the mix, walking a few steps behind them, murmuring something to the staff as they peel off one by one.
I bide my time. When she turns back toward the stables, we lock eyes, and there isn’t any avoiding it now. I move toward her before I can second-guess it and reach for her hand.
“Hey,” I say gently. “I’ve been missing you. Is everything okay?”
She blinks, surprised. “Oh. Hey. Yeah, I’ve, uh…”
Her voice trails off as her eyes start to shimmer. They’re glassy and uncertain. The sight makes my heart stutter in my chest.
“Come here.” My voice lowers. “What’s wrong? I said that I was sorry, and I meant it. I was out of line with my comments. I should’ve put that information in the steel trap.”
Every muscle in my body tenses at the sight of the pinched lines around her mouth. The way she’s holding herself—tight, closed off. Like if she lets go, she’ll fall apart.
“I know, Callum, it isn’t about the comments.” She draws in a shaky breath. “It’s just that I need some space. This isn’t working for me,” she says quietly. “I don’t ever want you to feel like you’re stuck with me out of any sort of obligation. And there are a lot of moving parts in my life right now. I’ve got to figure a few things out, and I think it’s better if we take some space for a while.”
My heart fractures clean down the middle as the bottom drops out. Not this again. How could I have been so damn wrong about something that felt so right?
I search her eyes for more truth. Her words are careful and measured, but her body betrays her. Her arms are crossed like a shield. Her jaw clenches like she’s holding back everything she’s not saying.
“I don’t think you're telling me the truth. If you are, fine. I’ll walk away. But this is bullshit and I think we both know it. Don’t you think I deserve an honest answer? Everything is fine, we have one off night, and now this. That isn’t you.”
I hit a nerve because the floodgates burst clean open. Though she doesn’t lose her posture, she can’t stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. “I’m pregnant, Callum.” Her voice wobbles. And then she meets my eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to force you into anything. But this isn’t what I had planned. And it’s obviously… hard. And life-changing. I need time to make a plan. Figure things out for myself.”
My jaw drops open and I can hardly breathe. I step closer, my instinct kicking in, and reach toward her stomach. I already ache to protect something I barely understand. She pulls back before my hand can settle.
“No,” I say, firm and sure. “You’re wrong. You don’t need to force me into anything. This is a shock. But it’s also… It’s amazing. I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around it, but sweetheart, I love you. I want to do this with you. We can get married right away, and I swear, Maisie, I’ll take care of you. Of both of you?—”
I stop when her eyes go wide, like I’ve just suggested chaining her to a burning house.
“What?” She breathes and shakes her head through her tears. “Callum, don’t be crazy. We’re not doing some kind of shotgun wedding just because I got pregnant. I’m not giving up this freedom I’ve only just found.”
I shake my head, frustrated and desperate to make her understand. “I don’t want you to give up anything. But I’m not the kind of man who’s going to let you go through this alone. Sorry, but I’m here. For good.”
Her expression hardens. “You can’t use this baby to control me.”
“Control?” The word snaps out of me before I can stop it. “I’m not your family, Maisie. I don’t want to control you. Give me some goddamn credit.”
She flinches. Her arms cross tighter. Her whole body folds in on itself like a door slamming shut. “This is too much right now, and I’m telling you I need time. And space. Please respect that and don’t make it harder than it already is.” Her voice is clipped.
There’s a finality to it that shatters something in me. For a second, everything tilts. My feet feel unsteady. The stable, the light, even the cat beside me… it all swims in a haze of disbelief.
In my life, I’ve loved too hard and too fast. Usually, I’ve loved people who didn’t stay. Starting with my own mother. It’s a pattern I swore I’d outgrow. And yet here I am again with my heart wide open for someone who doesn’t want to hold it.
But even through the sting, I can see it—this isn’t rejection. Not really. Maisie doesn’t look cold. She looks scared to death. She’s not overwhelmed by me. She’s overwhelmed by everything. I take a long, slow breath, forcing the burn in my chest to settle.
I nod, even though it guts me. “Okay,” I say. “I get it. We’re gonna need to talk this through, but… I can give you some space.”
Her mouth tightens. Her shoulders drop just a fraction. “Thank you.”
Just two clipped and distant words are all it takes to break my heart.