13. Cal #2
“Exactly my point. I want to date a regular guy without the spotlight. So no, I’m not in any danger of falling in love with you.” She wrinkled her nose apologetically. “And you’re practically family—so, ew.”
“But you still said yes to tonight, knowing that?”
The soft glow from the parking lights reflected in her eyes. “Sometimes it helps getting back in the saddle when you have a familiar face across the table from you. Then if you fall face-first in a cow pie, at least the embarrassment levels are kept to a minimum.”
“Were you expecting me to fail?” I quipped. Because I sure was.
“Nah, you’re suave. But going back to Noelle. Have you seen her? Is she every bit as gorgeous as your dreams?” She batted her eyelashes dramatically.
I shoved my hands in my pockets. “It was a long time ago. Time to move on.”
Who was I trying to convince? Her or me? Because . . . I didn’t want to move on.
Hailey hummed in thought, tilting her head back against the car to look up at the sky. No stars were visible this deep in the city, which was something I missed from back home. We had the best skies for stargazing. And the vast expanse had a way of making your problems smaller in comparison.
“Permission to speak freely?” she asked.
I motioned with my hand. “Permission granted.”
“From someone who was recently publicly dumped and would have given anything for a second chance, if you’re still thinking about her all these years later, do something about it. Sometimes it’s a matter of the right person and wrong timing.”
“Do you miss him? Cam?”
Sadness cloaked her smile. “Cam may have dumped me, but he isn’t my second chance. We weren’t a good fit.”
Someone else besides Camden Holt? I mentally sorted through Hailey’s past boyfriends. As a public figure, her love life wasn’t exactly a secret, but no one stood out. Maybe Stephanie would know. Then I could beat the guy up.
“Chill out, Rambo.” Hailey patted my shoulder, accurately reading my intent. “I guess I miss the idea of us. The white picket fence, the dog, the four kids.” Her face fell. “But he didn’t want that. At least, not with me.”
“You are incredibly wise for one so young.”
“I’m twenty-four, not eighteen. And I grew up with Charmain Russo Addams.” She shot me a smirk. “Are you seriously surprised?”
I laughed. Her maternal grandmother was a force of nature. “Guess not.”
Hailey yawned. “This was nice, Cal, thank you.” She smiled up at me. “You’re a great guy, and I’m rooting hard for you both. But only if she’s top-notch amazing because you deserve that. And us?” She motioned between us. “We’re good as friends.”
“We are. Thanks for making getting back in the saddle relatively painless.”
“I aim to please.” Hailey hugged me, and I didn’t feel any sparks. Not like with Noelle when I’d had my arms around her taking pictures in the meadow. Hugging Hailey was like hugging Juliet or Paisley. Sisterly, and I knew they were in my corner. Nothing more.
“Hey, whoever he was, he’s an idiot for letting you go.”
She smiled, but it lacked her usual sparkle. Like for all her sunshine, the storm clouds were still looming behind the horizon. Threatening to tear her apart.
I knew the feeling.
“For the record,” she added, rallying her sunshine as she dropped down from her tiptoes, “I’m a sucker for second-chance romance, so please invite me to the wedding. I’ll even sing for my dinner.” With a wink, she disappeared into the car and honked as she drove away.
The second my hotel-room door clicked shut behind me, my phone chimed with a text.
Juliet. What timing. And from the looks of it, she’d added Greyson, Myles, and Paisley to this side group chat. How many chats did this family need? I think we were at six already.
JULIET:
How’d it go?
ME:
have you bugged my room
grey can i borrow one of your bug sweepers
GREYSON:
Don’t have one.
MYLES:
Plausible deniability.
ME:
show off
JULIET:
Cal. How was it?
ME:
fine
GREYSON:
Reticence is my trademark.
PAISLEY:
I love when you use big words.
JULIET:
Guys, focus here.
MYLES:
Told you Jules picked the perfect person.
ME:
i was shocked you tried to set me up with one of your friends. the last time i asked you if i could date your friend you threatened to go all dixie chicks on me
JULIET:
That was Liz. We were in college. And you were in your playboy-extraordinaire phase chasing anything in a skirt. Of course I wasn’t letting you near her.
PAISLEY:
I forgot about that. Liz would have eaten you alive, Cal.
ME:
thanks for the vote of confidence sis
but youre right i was a jerk back then
JULIET:
Back to Hailey. Did you break her heart?
ME:
no im not her type and we had the “we make great friends” speech. first date is in the bag although it was weirdly like being on a date with my sister
not that ive actually done that unless you count our secret ice cream runs
MYLES:
You made ice cream runs without me?
JULIET:
Not anymore, babe. Cal was bribing me in middle school.
GREYSON:
You were blackmailing him, you mean.
MYLES:
That’s my girl.
PAISLEY:
Sometimes the first step’s the hardest. But you did it! And Hails really was the perfect person. Did she tell you about her man ban?
GREYSON:
Man what?
PAISLEY:
I’ll explain later.
ME:
she did and it wasnt a painful experience and i got wings out of it
JULIET:
I’ll consider that a thank you.
ME:
yeah yeah cream puff you did good
JULIET:
Cream puff? Let it die, Cal.
GREYSON:
You never learn do you, man?
MYLES:
Guess the real question is, are you ready to date for real?
Excellent question.
One I had no idea how to answer.
My fingers hovered over the keys. It would be a calculated risk spilling my guts to them.
Confessing that the only person I wanted to date was Noelle.
With the exception of Paisley, the others had been a part of the Cal-and-Noelle chapters.
And no doubt they’d have a boatload of opinions I didn’t want to hear about taking a second chance.
The thing was, I’d tried to forget Noelle.
Tried to not love her. I’d thrown every distraction and vice at the hole she’d left in my heart—parties, alcohol, women.
Even once God got a hold of me and turned my life back to the straight and narrow, that longing for her hadn’t gone away.
I’d begged, pleaded, and bargained to forget the woman who’d stolen my heart.
Finally, I settled on praying that if He didn’t take the love for her away, I’d get a second chance with her. Or at least closure.
Turning my phone off, I sagged against the pillows. If Myles wanted to pester the answer out of me, he’d have to come find me. Which he wouldn’t, because he’d be wrapped up with Juliet in their room.
My conversation with Khia replayed in my mind. Sometimes God says wait. What had Hailey said? Right person, wrong timing. Maybe that’s what this was. Not a do-over to forget the past, but a second chance for both of us—a chance for grace.