4. Shane
4
SHANE
C allie’s fingers worried the sleeve of her red jacket. Then the hem. They moved on to her jeans, tugging at the seam as she stared out the window into the early dawn. Reaching over, I covered her restless hand with mine, pulling it across to rest it on my thigh.
“Your clothing is suffering with your unnecessary worry.”
She met my sidelong glance with anxious eyes.
“This is crazy. You should pull over and I’ll walk home.”
I burst out laughing at her absurd remark. “We’re an hour away from the shop, Callie. I am not ‘pulling over’ and dropping you off. You’re coming with me and spending Christmas with my family. We’re going to get to know each other more.”
“And then?” she asked quietly.
“Then we’ll figure out the next step.” I lifted her hand and kissed the knuckles. “I have never felt this connection to another person before, Callie. Ever. I am not going to waste this chance to explore something I feel is going to be significant.”
“But—”
I shook my head. “No. Don’t overthink this. We both feel it. You told me so. Whatever this is, we’ll figure it out. I have no permanent ties in Calgary. You have no permanent ties here. If we have a future, we’ll figure out the wheres, whys, and whens later. But for today, we’re together, it’s Christmas, and I want you with me. Can that be enough? For now?”
She sighed. “Yes.”
“My family are awesome. Honestly. They’re going to love you.”
“They are going to wonder what kind of weird woman shows up with their relative on Christmas Day, having only met him the night before.”
“They’re going to wonder where you have been all my life.”
Her quick intake of breath made me smile.
“Relax, love. Enjoy the day. I promise it’ll be a good one.”
She regarded me with wide eyes. “ Love ?” she repeated.
I smiled. “Since you personify it, yeah. It just came out. You okay with that?”
She glanced out the window, remaining silent. Then she nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay with that.”
I picked up her hand and kissed it. “Good.”
I withheld the information that my phone had been blowing up in my pocket. It had started about ten minutes after my conversation with Elly. My family was equally as curious as they were shocked. My mother was demanding to know all about Callie, wanting as much information as I could give, while my father’s texts were slightly more cautious. Alan sent me a thumbs-up and some rather rude emojis, and Elly’s messages were constant. I ignored them all after sending one group text.
You’ll meet her soon. Be nice. She is going to be around the rest of my life.
That caused another frenzy of texts to which I didn’t respond. I was driving, and Callie was with me. They could sate their curiosity soon enough.
And they would love her—of that, I had no doubt. She was sweet, warm, and genuine. My mother would react to the quiet need in Callie’s eyes. My father would feel a protective instinct. Alan would tease her simply to see the rush of color on her cheeks. Elly was going to want to be her best friend. John would be John—sit back and observe, all the time forming his own opinion. Tracey would recognize how alone Callie was and respond positively. She was as tenderhearted as Callie. And my nieces and nephews were going to go mad at having another aunt to love.
And I was going to enjoy watching them all fall under Callie’s spell the same way I had.
We pulled into the driveway as the first of the heavy flakes began to fall. I eyed the sky with worry. “It is looking bad again. You might be stuck here with me for the entire week.” I had hoped she’d stay the whole time, but I was prepared to drive her home sooner if she insisted.
Callie blushed. “I asked Mrs. Cooper to post a sign on the shop door when she goes to check on Jake. So, I’m not seeing a problem with that unless you change your mind. Or your family dislikes me.”
“Neither is going to happen.” I glanced toward the porch with a grin. “In fact, I have a feeling I’m going to lose you as soon as we walk up those steps.” I indicated my sister and mother waiting by the door with a tilt of my head. I leaned across the console and captured Callie’s mouth with mine, kissing her fast and deep.
“What was that for?”
“It’s gonna be a while until I can do that again.” I kissed her again, this time my lips lingering on hers. “Stocking up.” I winked. “Get it? Stocking up ?”
She slid her hand around my neck and kissed me in return. Regretfully, I pulled back and groaned. “I should have thought about that a mile back. I could kiss you for hours.”
Her cheeks flooded with color. I found it sexy, especially knowing I had put that color there.
I chuckled. “Let’s go, love. We’ll meet them head on and endure it together.”
She peeked at the crowd gathering on the porch and sucked in a long breath. “Okay.”
I sipped a cup of coffee, watching with amusement and delight as my family fell under Callie’s spell as quickly as I had. She was shy and sweet. Caring and inquisitive. Gentle and kind. She listened as people spoke. She paid attention to my nieces and nephews, giving them her full concentration when they wanted to monopolize her time. She asked questions of my father, praised my sister’s home, pleaded with my mother to allow her to help cook the Christmas dinner, and blushed every time she met my eyes.
Which was often because I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her. Callie was artlessly beautiful, her mahogany hair tumbling over her shoulders and her beautiful eyes lit from within. She sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by my family, looking as if she was exactly where she belonged.
I had a sneaking suspicion it was.
Elly stood and clapped her hands. “Okay! We’ve been waiting for Uncle Shane, and now he’s here so you can open presents!”
For the next while, gifts were handed out, paper torn, and delighted shouts filled the air. How they did it, I had no idea, but my family had a few parcels for Callie waiting under the tree. Her shock and delight were evident and her thanks heartfelt and enthusiastic. The gifts I had bought from her store were met with great enthusiasm, and I was touched by the ones she had picked this morning. She had even taken the time to put each in a gift bag, adding candies and bows to make them look even prettier. She had done it in the car as we drove, staying busy the first while, her nervousness coming in handy as her fingers put together the packages.
We took a break—the adults needing more coffee, and the kids already knee-deep in gifts and wanting to explore what they had received. My mom stood.
“I need to get the turkey in.” She smiled at Callie. “We eat early, so we can snack later.”
“Please let me help.”
Mom held out her hand. “Of course, dear girl. I would love it.”
I smiled, watching them walk out of the room, Tracey and Elly trailing behind. Tracey handled dessert, and Elly always set the table. The men were in charge of the cleanup. It was tradition.
I had a feeling both Callie and I would be grilled while we were on our own.
Dad chuckled. “Relax, Shane. She’s perfectly safe with your mother.”
“I’m aware,” I muttered. “I just don’t want them badgering her.”
He laughed. “You bring home a woman—the first one ever, I might add—out of the blue, and you expect them to hold back?” He shook his head. “Especially given the fact that you met her last night. And the way you look at her.”
I had to admit he was right.
“You care deeply about her,” John stated.
I smiled as I nodded. John was always able to see things clearly. He had a gift for sensing people and their emotions. “I care a great deal. Far more than I realized until I tried to walk away from her this morning.” I sighed. “There’s something special about her. Something…”
“Warm,” he finished for me. “She’s filled with warmth and love.”
“She is,” I agreed. “And the thought of her being alone did something terrible to my chest. The pain was almost physical. I couldn’t leave her.” My gaze drifted down the hall, where I could hear the sounds of feminine laughter. I was surprised how easily I could pick out Callie’s sweet laugh.
“What is going to happen in a few days?” Alan asked with a frown. “You live and work hundreds of miles from here.”
His words were like a bucket of ice water running down my back.
“I know,” I murmured. “I haven’t figured out that part yet.”
My dad spoke up. “Don’t jump ahead. Live for today, Shane. Each day is a gift.”
We all nodded in silent agreement at his words. He had started pulling back when Mom became ill. My workaholic father began cutting hours at the hospital. Saying no to lectures and business dinners. Spending more time with my mother. Telling us all to live for today. Grab each minute and live it.
“ Don’t put off happiness,” he would say, shaking his head. “Stop waiting for it. Find it yourself.”
Even after Mom recovered, he hadn’t gone back to his old ways. They were closer than ever with a new zest for life and each other. I had a feeling it was one of the reasons they were so open to Callie being here.
“I think Callie might be the best gift ever, Dad,” I mused.
He winked. “I think you might be right.”
I wandered into the kitchen, inhaling the scent of the turkey roasting.
“God, it smells good in here.”
Callie looked up from the pot of potatoes she was mashing with a smile. “It does.”
I looked to the dining room, where Elly was busy setting the table, making sure everything was perfect. I held in my laughter. It was the same all the time. She spent hours making it look like a magazine spread, and five minutes after we sat down to eat, her perfection was destroyed. Still, she loved it, so I never bothered to ask her why.
Tracey glanced up from the pastry she was rolling. “The kids behaving?”
I chuckled as I went over to Callie and pressed a kiss to her head, quietly asking if she was okay.
She nodded and focused on her task at hand.
“Alan and John are taking them out sledding.”
“Good plan.” She smirked. “Wear them out. Once they eat, they’ll fall asleep for a while.” She lifted her pies from the counter and slid them into the second oven. “You must be tired, Shane. All the travel, the worry, and the driving?” she asked.
I nodded. “I am a bit.”
My mom clucked her tongue and took the masher from Callie’s hand. “Of course you are. You both must be. I can finish these. Take Callie and go have a nap. Dinner is in about three hours. It’ll do you a world of good.”
“I’m fine,” Callie protested, even as a yawn escaped her lips.
Laughing, I pulled her toward me. “Come on, Callie. We’ll have a little rest so we can visit with everyone tonight.”
“But…”
“No arguing,” Mom insisted. “We’re way ahead, thanks to all your help. Go.” She shooed us out of the kitchen, and I climbed the stairs, Callie following me, her hand still cradled within mine.
I opened the door to the room I always used, not surprised to see my cases and Callie’s bag sitting at the foot of the bed. I sat down and pulled Callie between my legs. “My family didn’t ask, but if you want your own room…” I let the words trail off, my grin wide as Callie shook her head.
“No. I want to be here with you.”
I slipped my hand up her neck, pulling her down to my mouth and kissing her. She tasted sweet, her breath warm in my mouth, and I groaned as she kissed me back. Together, we fell back on the mattress. In seconds, she was under me, our kisses morphing into more. Deeper. Harder. Lips pressing, tongues stroking, hands sliding under clothes, seeking the warmth of bare skin. She made the most erotic noises low in her throat. She drove me crazy with desire, all else fading from my mind. I was no longer tired, no longer worried about tomorrow or next week. All that mattered was getting as close to her right now as I possibly could.
“I hope you brought more of those condoms with you,” I moaned against her neck.
“All of them. Including the glow-in-the-dark ones.”
“Excellent.”
I planned on using every single one of them.
Callie curled up against me, her head on my shoulder. We could hear the kids outside, their laughter echoing. I stroked my fingers up and down Callie’s arm in gentle passes, enjoying her closeness.
“Maybe we can go out with them tomorrow,” she murmured.
“They’d like that.”
“It’s been a wonderful day, Shane.”
I pressed my lips to her forehead, lingering against the soft skin. “Yeah, it has.”
“Oh.” She sat up, her long hair tumbling over her shoulders as she clutched the blanket against her chest. Her cheeks were flushed, her skin still damp from our lovemaking. Her hair was a mess from my hands, and she had a small bite mark over her left breast.
My mark.
She was so beautiful, my chest ached just looking at her.
“What is it?”
“I didn’t give you your gift.” She scrambled from the bed, bending over and digging in her case. The view of her ass was spectacular, and I needed her back in my bed right away so I could show her just how spectacular it—and she—was.
She placed a small box on the bed beside me and sat down, her hands twisting with nerves.
“Callie, I didn’t expect you to give me something. Having you here with me is all I wanted.”
“I wanted you to have this.” She pushed the box toward me, and I sat up, accepting the gift. I opened the box and took out what looked like a small alarm clock. I glanced at her, my brow furrowed in confusion.
“It emits a soft blue light and various sounds—like waves on the ocean or the wind in the trees,” she explained. “You told me you had trouble sleeping at times—that you couldn’t turn your mind off after a long shift. This will help you to relax.”
I was touched by her thoughtful gift, and I wrapped my hand around her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. “Thank you, love. It’s perfect.”
“You can use it and think of me at times,” she whispered.
I wasn’t sure how to tell her I would think of her more than only the times I couldn’t sleep. I had a feeling she would be on my mind a lot. Rather than make both of us sad, I kissed her again.
“Your turn.”
She frowned as I slipped a familiar box into her hands. Before she could protest, I opened the lid and took out the bracelet I had bought from her shop.
“You said it was your favorite piece,” I said as I clasped it around her wrist. “I want you to wear it and think of me.”
“But your mom…”
I shook my head. “It was never for my mom. I only bought it because you looked sad when you said it was your favorite, and I just didn’t want someone buying it and taking it away.” I kissed her wrist. “It was meant for you.”
We locked eyes, and the words were out before I could stop them.
“Just like I was meant for you, Callie.”
And my mouth was on hers again, not letting her speak.
I couldn’t bear it if she said no.
The days passed too quickly. For the first time in years, I wasn’t ready to leave. Somehow, with Callie there, everything had more meaning. Laughing and playing with the kids. Late-night conversations with my father. Spending time with my mom in the kitchen. The silly card and board games we all played once the kids went to bed. Making love to Callie every chance I got. Food tasted better. Wine sweeter. Laughter came easier.
And hours flew by.
My time was over, and I had to return to Calgary. Luckily, the weather cooperated so I could fly back from Toronto where I should have landed originally.
My family hugged us both, Elly promising to stay in touch with Callie.
“We’re only a few hours away,” she insisted, her eyes bright with tears. “I can come visit, and you’re welcome here anytime!”
Callie smiled and nodded. Her eyes welled up as my mom hugged her, adding to Elly’s statement. “We’ll see you soon, dear. I promise.”
We were quiet on the drive back to Callie’s. There was so much to be said, yet I couldn’t find the words. I held her hand, running my thumb in restless circles over the skin. When we pulled up to her shop, I put the SUV in park and shut off the engine. Callie smiled at me as she unclipped her seat belt and opened the door. I grabbed her bags from the back and followed her up the steps, waiting as she unlocked the door and disarmed the security system. Silently, I carried her bags to her apartment, watching her pat Jake’s head as he looked up with a yawn, another one of his horrific farts, and then curled back up to sleep.
“Hard life,” I said with a smile.
She shook her head. “He was my dad’s cat. He’s old and grumpy, but still a little company at times.” She chucked him under the chin. “I hope you didn’t give Mrs. Cooper a hard time.”
I laughed dryly. “Other than farting on her and sleeping, I doubt it.”
We both chuckled, then silence descended.
“Callie,” I began.
She held up her hand. “I know, Shane. It’s been wonderful. The whole week. Meeting you and your family. Spending the holidays with them. With you. I loved every moment of it. But it’s time to head back to reality. I understand.”
I gaped at her. Her voice was quiet but certain. She was putting up a brave front, but I had gotten to know Callie well the past week. I knew her tells. The slight twitch to her eye. The tremor in her shoulders. The way her hands clenched in tight fists. How she blinked rapidly to hold back the tears. She was trying to let me go—thinking that what we had was a pleasant interlude and nothing more. That I would return to my life in Calgary and recall our time together as a nice memory. She felt that was all she was worth—the sum total of her value.
She was so wrong.
“You understand nothing, then, Callie.”
“I’m sorry?”
I stepped forward, wrapping my hands around her biceps, feeling the tremble of her body under my touch. “You should be. Don’t ever discount yourself like that again. This past week is the beginning. Today is not the end. Not by a long shot.”
She shook her head. “How? How do you think this is going to work? You live hundreds of miles away.”
I pulled her close, wrapping her in my embrace. “I have no idea, but the thought of walking away from you is killing me. Simply the idea of never seeing you again is tormenting me. We can figure this out, Callie. I can come visit. You can come to Calgary. We’ll work at it—together. But don’t put an end to something so special.”
She leaned back, meeting my eyes. “The chances of this working are slim. The obstacles?—”
I cut her off. “We’ll take it a step at a time. Tell me you don’t want that. That you don’t want me, and I’ll walk away.”
“I can’t do that,” she confessed, a tear trickling down her cheek.
“Then try with me. I’ll check my schedule when I get back and fly you out. I’ll come back too. We can meet partway. Plus, we can call, text, FaceTime… please , love. Don’t send me away without knowing you want to try.” I took in a long breath. “I’m falling in love with you, Callie. I know it’s fast and I know it sounds crazy, and who knows, maybe it was a Christmas miracle”—I smiled—“but it’s the truth.”
“Me too,” she whispered.
Hope soared. “Then you’ll try? With me?”
“Yes.”
I pulled her to my mouth, kissing her deeply. “My plane isn’t until tonight,” I mumbled against her lips. “Late tonight.”
“I thought it was dinnertime. That’s what you told your family.”
“I changed it. I wanted some time alone with you.”
Her eyes lit up. “I think you need a nap, then.”
I grinned down at her. We’d had an afternoon “nap” every day during the holidays. Not much sleep had happened.
I scooped her up in my arms, carrying her to her room.
Not much sleep was going to happen this time either.