Charlotte
I flash my ID at the woman working the front desk of Sunshine Hills—not the one who has a crush on Callan, thank God. “I’m here to see…” Fuck. How do I not know Nan’s first name?
The lady at the front desk narrows her eyes.
“Nan. Devine.”
“Does she know you’re coming?” This woman is definitely suspicious.
As she should be. This place is prime for elder abuse, with the money it takes to live here.
You know at least one of the residents has attempted to wire funds to their “grandson,” who’s stuck in some foreign country with no way to get home.
“She does,” I lie. “I’m supposed to meet her and her friends in the dining hall for a card game.
” It’s a little bit earlier than when Callan would normally come, but I have to say something to convince this woman that I’ve been here before.
“She mentioned she might be at Rose’s. You could try calling there if you need to check in with one of them. ”
At this point, I’m just throwing out words that might make it seem like I know these people. If called, Nan will definitely say I’m not invited. Rose at least didn’t hate me when I came. And, from everything Callan’s told me about, she’s down for a good scheme. And I’m certainly in scheme mode.
“Fine.” The woman waves me on. “They’re in the dining room.”
I make my way up the grand staircase, grateful it’s a direct shot to find them. The last thing I need is to be wandering the halls of an assisted living facility. When I walk through the doorway into the dining area, I easily spot Nan and her gang at the only occupied table in the room.
I twist my earring, forcing myself to take a deep breath.
Here goes nothing.
Well, not nothing. My entire plan rides on convincing Nan that she doesn’t hate me… So, here goes everything?
I stride into the room, my black heels clicking with every step I take.
The red suit I wore to display dominance in the meeting with Hugo is potentially not the look this meeting calls for, but, oh well.
I tried being nice last time, and these sharks ate me alive.
Maybe a good ol’-fashioned dominance is exactly what these octogenarians need.
As I stop next to their table, three pairs of eyes are glued to me, though Nan’s remain fastidiously locked on her cards.
“Hello, Charlotte, dear.” Rose raises a bejeweled hand in greeting. She was right last time: she is fashionable in a sleek pair of black slacks and a double-breasted khaki coat that I might have the overcoat version of.
“Rose. Great to see you again.” I give her my warmest smile. “I love your jacket.”
Nan places a ten of hearts on the pile in the center of the table before finally turning her attention to me. “Is Callan parking the car? Couldn’t handle the cold for long enough to walk in with him?”
I clench my jaw, forcing myself not to react to her statement, especially since I know she taught Callan to do chivalrous things like that.
“Good man, that Callan,” Billy comments, playing a seven of hearts. “Men these days don’t know how to treat a woman right.”
“That’s because women these days don’t have to wait around for men to help them with things. They can open their own doors,” Rose claps back.
Not sure I want to be involved in wherever this conversation is headed, I cut in, “Callan isn’t here.”
I now have the attention of the four of them, their surprised expressions leaning more toward curious than shocked.
“Oh?” Nan’s voice is cold. “Passing by and thought you’d come in for a quick game of hearts, then?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m not much of a card player, but I was hoping to have a minute or two of your time. I need a favor.”
The huff that comes from Nan is hard to miss, not that I think she’s doing anything to try to hide it.
“Oh, honey, I don’t think you’re reading the room,” Jacob comments, sending a warning glance my way.
I cross my arms. “I’m very aware Nan doesn’t like me. I went to a private high school. Trust me when I say, I picked up on her pretend politeness about two seconds into it. Unfortunately for her, I don’t give up that easily. And I need her recipe for Callan’s favorite chocolate chip cookies.”
Nan gives me an appraising look. “Have you ever baked cookies before?”
“Not much of a chef, I’m afraid,” I admit. “But…” I look around the table. It seems highly unlikely Nan is going to give me a minute in private to explain everything. And even if I did, I’m not sure she’d help. Maybe if I can convince the whole table, though…
“But I made a mistake. Or, that’s not really right.
One of my decisions hurt Callan, and I want to make it up to him.
And, from everything he’s told me, your cookies are the only thing that make him happy when he’s down.
So, I was hoping you’d be generous enough to let me have a copy of the recipe so I can make them for him. ”
Rose leans closer to Billy and whispers, “Back in my day, I’d show up naked in his bed anytime His Royal Highness got his unders in a twist. Worked like a charm every time.”
Billy lets out a harrumph, his gaze fixed on the cards in his hand.
“We’ll call that plan B,” I suggest to Rose.
Nan taps her cards against her lip as if in deep contemplation. “No. And I think it’d be best if you left us to our game now.”
I let out a long exhale. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. “Please, Nan?” I beg. “I know you don’t like me. I know you think I’m using your grandson and am going to walk away and leave his heart broken, like his parents did.”
With that, I have her attention, almost as if she’s surprised Callan told me about his parents.
“And you’re right,” I confess. “I was using him. I asked him to pretend to be in a serious relationship with me, and being the kind, goodhearted person that he is, he readily agreed. Without asking for anything from me.”
Nan snorts. “That boy and his desire to make everyone happy. I’ve always warned him it was going to get him in trouble.”
“I know. And I took advantage of it. Though, to be fair, I thought he was a conceited ass at the time. But then we started living together, and I realized he’s kind.
And he’s caring, and he’s smart. And funny.
And he’s the only man in this world who makes me feel like I’m worth something for being me—not my father’s daughter, not an heiress—me.
It was real, even if we didn’t call it that.
But then the GM of the team started talking about trading him.
And I said no, but I didn’t have the power to make him stop—not at the time, at least.” I look at the ceiling, scrunching my nose to keep the tears from my eyes.
“And Callan found out. And the way he looked at me—I hurt him in a way I didn’t know how to forgive myself for, especially not when he asked me to leave.
So I did. Because even if I couldn’t let him out of our fake relationship, I could stop being one of the people in his life who take, take, take until he has nothing left. ”
I wipe angrily at the side of my nose. “But here’s the thing, maybe I am selfish.
Because I can’t walk away. I have to win him back.
And the only way I can do that is to bring him your cookies.
Not because they’re likely to be any good, but because it means you gave me the recipe.
That you don’t hate me anymore. And maybe, just maybe, if the one person in this entire world who he knows loves him unconditionally forgives me, then maybe he will, too. ”
Rose pulls a tissue out of her cleavage and hands it to Jacob.
“Allergies,” he mumbles around a sniffle.
“Kids these days,” Nan mumbles, standing from her seat. “Can’t have a simple conversation with each other. Have to make everything so complicated.”
I stare at the people still at the table as Nan walks from the room, her steps slow but certain.
“Well?” She stops right outside the door. “Are you coming to bake these cookies, or do I have to do it myself?”
I chase after Nan, remembering halfway to the door to throw a quick wave to Rose, Jacob, and Billy. It’s quiet as we ride the elevator to her apartment and while she pulls out all the baking ingredients. But I stay quiet, terrified of saying something that might make her change her mind.
“There’s one thing you need to understand about Callan,” Nan says as she pours the flour mixture into the bowl with the eggs, sugar, and butter.
“He would give you his throwing arm if he thought it would make you like him. And not only you, anyone. I love my son very much, but he was—is—a terrible father. He and Cindy spent Callan’s childhood blaming every minor inconvenience in their life on their son, so Callan learned how to be as convenient as possible.
But here’s the truth about love: and I mean both familial love and romantic love. ”
She turns on the old, white KitchenAid stand mixer, and I consider whether I should open my phone to take notes or not.
“Loving someone is inherently inconvenient. To love is one of the least selfish things you can do, and, in doing so, you inconvenience yourself. Callan’s parents never understood that.
Were far too self-centered to love Callan the way he deserved. ”
“And you think I’m the same?” I’m terrified of her answer, but I can’t stop myself from asking.
She keeps her hand on the top of the mixer as she turns to look at me.
“Well, you’re currently baking cookies with a ninety-year-old woman, wearing an apron with chickens all over it, just to make my grandson happy.
Which is something his mother never chose to do.
And, you could’ve simply bought him cookies at the store and told him they were my recipe, so there’s that, too. ”
I snort. “Yeah, right. I think he could pick your cookies out in a blind taste test. Plus, you know the first thing he’s going to do is call you and find out whether you really have decided not to hate me.”
Nan stops the mixer, dropping the bowl to scrape the sides. “The boy won’t protect himself. And you’re the first woman he’s ever brought to meet me. I needed to make sure you were in it for real. Even when things got hard.”
I think about the man I’m falling for and the way he’s always so willing to help out others. The strength in him that comes from caring.
I grab one of the two cookie scoops and, following Nan’s lead, drop cookies onto the metal sheet.
“He’s stronger than you give him credit for. Sure, he loves to help other people, but he doesn’t let them walk all over him. He’s intelligent and funny and… potentially addicted to Nerds Clusters.”
I glance around the kitchen, my gaze landing on the metal rooster on the wall. Tracing the rainbow colors in the feathers of his tail, I add softly, “I never meant to hurt him. And I can’t promise I won’t ever hurt him again, but I can promise that I will cherish him for as long as he’ll let me.”
“I know.” Nan wipes her hands on her apron and puts the cookies in the oven before releasing a deep sigh.
“I suppose I should acknowledge that I may have been acting on more than an unselfish need to protect him. Callan is my only real family. My son hasn’t visited in over a decade.
” She starts washing dishes, waving me off when I offer to help.
“I’m afraid of losing him. Have been since he was eight. Every time his parents would come back, I’d think, this is it. This is the time they decide to take him with them, and they’re gone—he’s gone—for good.”
She turns to face me, her shoulders back, but the fear visible in her eyes.
“Yes, I wanted to protect him, but I could also tell you were special to him. If him bringing you to meet me wasn’t enough, the way he looked at you told me everything I needed to know: you had the power to pull him away from me and my life.
And the only thing worse than getting old is getting old without the ones you love around to keep you company. I… I couldn’t do it. And I’m sorry.”
I take a step forward, wrapping my arms around her. She stiffens in my hold, but I don’t let go. Finally, she relaxes enough to pat me on the back.
“You’ll never lose him, Nan. That man adores you. And, if it’s all right with you, I’d love to be someone who gets to spend time with you.”