Chapter Twelve
C allie woke to the soft thump of Sammy jumping off the bed.
Her room was quiet except for the hum of the ceiling fan and the distant rustle of trees outside her open window.
Pale morning light filtered through the curtains, casting everything in a soft, gauzy glow.
For a few seconds she lay still, letting the weight of sleep fade and the memory of last night settle in its place.
Rain on the roof.
Matthew’s mouth on her skin.
The feel of his body against hers, around hers, solid, warm, worshiping in a way that had undone her completely.
Callie blinked up at the ceiling, the echoes of last night wrapped around her in a blanket of warmth. Her heart beat a little faster at the memory of how he’d touched her, not only with his hands, with his gaze, too, his voice, even the silence between words, as if she were something rare.
Something his.
She exhaled slowly, her palm sliding across the sheets beside her, fingers brushing the place where his body hadn’t been.
The cotton was cool, but her thoughts were heated.
Memories of the lean-to, skin against skin, the hush of his breath at her ear, the weight of his presence anchoring her in a way nothing else ever had.
He hadn’t stayed.
There wasn’t a second round.
He’d walked her home, kissed her with strong gentleness, and let her go.
Normally, Callie would’ve been fine with that.
Would’ve appreciated the space. The respect.
She would’ve insisted on it. In the past, she never let people linger, never wanted them to.
Her boundaries were firm, her independence a carefully guarded thing.
But something about last night and the way he’d looked at her, touched her, and held her with such heat and devotion, it left her feeling seen in a way she hadn’t realized she craved.
And after what had transpired between them under that lean-to, soaked in rain and raw honesty, she had to admit…she wanted more.
Not only more of him.
More with him.
And now the ache in her chest had nothing to do with desire. It was the hollow ache of someone who’d been seen— really seen—and realized how badly she didn’t want to be invisible again.
“Woof!”
Sammy padded over and rested his chin on the mattress, his tail giving a soft thump.
“I know, bud,” she murmured, scratching behind his ears. “I’m up.”
The floor was cool beneath her feet as she made her way to the kitchen, the house still holding a hint of the storm, humid air, creaking wood, the smell of wet leaves through the cracked window. She let Sammy out, started the coffee, and tried not to overthink.
Tried, being the key word, because something had transpired between her and Matthew.
Something real, and the scarier part was how good it had felt.
Not only the physical heat, though. No, it was also the emotional clarity.
He not only saw the woman who ran things and kept her walls up, but also the one behind all that.
The one who felt too much and showed too little.
And she’d let him.
Now, with a delivery scheduled and questions still circling her thoughts, she wasn’t sure what to do with the fact that she wanted more.
At the sound of Sammy’s “Woof!” , she let him in, and while he ate, she enjoyed a cup of coffee, serenaded by the sound of him crunching his food.
Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed and ready for the day as she headed out the front door with her dog in tow. The sun was still low, casting long shadows across the yard and nursery. Sammy trotted alongside, nose to the breeze, tail swaying with easy confidence.
She followed, her pulse ticking up, not from nerves.
From instinct.
Something about the air felt different today.
Not storm different.
Watch-your-back different.
The walk to work should’ve helped clear her head. It didn’t. Damp earth, wet grass, and the faint, comforting scent of basil followed her as she approached the main building. Sammy trotted ahead, ears perked, and tail wagging.
And yet, everything felt different.
The lean-to. That storm. Matthew’s hands on her skin.
Callie still wasn’t sure how her body hadn’t caught fire and set the table ablaze. She rubbed her arms, trying to shake off the memory.
It didn’t work.
Unlocking the front door, she stepped inside and flipped the main lights, blinking against the fluorescent hum as the store came to life around her. T-shirts in neat stacks. Starter kits on the shelves. Hanging planters and seed packets lining the wall. All exactly as she’d left it.
But she wasn’t the same.
Not after last night. And not only because of the sex—though holy smokes, the sex. It was the look in his eyes when he said he wasn’t coming in. The way he’d kissed her with meaning and tenderness as if she were everything.
And somehow, that had rattled her more than the blazing heat they’d shared.
She moved through the building on autopilot, checking locks, double-tapping the tablet to bring up the latest manifests. Everything looked clean. Normal.
So why was her pulse still ticking high? Because while her brain wanted to focus on today’s delivery, her heart kept replaying every single detail of last night.
Deep down, she knew this morning wasn’t just the calm after a storm. It was the start of something way beyond her expertise.
The back door creaked open as Callie was setting the tablet down on her desk. She turned, expecting Matthew, but it was Maggie, her arms full of coffee and a pink pastry box from the bakery in town.
“You’re a damn hero,” Callie said, grabbing a cup and practically hugging it. The one she’d enjoyed in her kitchen earlier was a memory.
More caffeine was needed. Now.
Tater greeted Sammy with a slobbery lick before the two bolted outside, all wagging tails and playful lunges.
“I know.” Maggie smirked. “What can I say? It’s a gift.”
Callie groaned, dropping into her chair. “I’ve got to stop feeding your ego.”
“Nope. But you might want to feed your face.” She set her coffee and the box on the desk, then opened the box lid. “I’ve got apple fritters the size of your hand, and a bear claw for your handsome boyfriend.”
“He’s not—” Callie started, then gave up with a laugh. “Fine. I’ll save him the bear claw if he makes it in time.”
Maggie sank down in the chair in front of the desk, grinning from ear to ear as she ate. It really was amazing how none of her fritter fell out.
Callie grabbed a fritter and waved it at her sister. “Okay, I’ll bite. Why are you smiling?”
“Because you didn’t deny that Matthew was your boyfriend,” Maggie replied before taking another bite.
She finished swallowing her mouthful and shrugged with what she hoped was a boatload of nonchalance. “I like being around him.”
Literally.
Oh, crap.
Heat infused her cheeks so fast, it was a wonder smoke didn’t blow out her nostrils.
Those thoughts were dangerous, especially around her sister.
Callie took a big bite and chewed slowly, savoring the sweet apple taste, and to have an excuse not to respond to whatever was brewing on her grinning sister’s lips.
“Oh, you so need to elaborate,” Maggie said. “You’re blushing.” She leaned closer. “Come on, spill it. What’s going on with you two? I know you’ve kissed. I can see it in your eyes.”
They’d done much more than that, although she wasn’t going to tell her sister.
She shrugged again but couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her lips. “A few times.”
“Yes!” Maggie shook a fist in the air. “I knew it. I’m so glad. ‘Bout time you cut loose.”
Callie didn’t get a chance to reply, because Sammy and Tater trotted in from outside, each with one of her boots clamped between their teeth.
“Tater?” Maggie frowned. “What in the world do you have in your mouth?”
The dog proudly pranced forward, tail wagging as he deposited the soggy boot at Callie’s feet. Not Sammy. He plopped right down by the desk, her other one firmly in his mouth.
Callie stared at the shoes she’d forgotten by the table last night.
Idiot.
“Uh, Cal ?” Maggie said. “Why do the dogs have your favorite Ariats?”
Schooling her features to neutral, she lifted her gaze to Maggie. “I got caught in the rain yesterday and had to ride out the storm under the lean-to.”
There. No lies.
Just a few very hot omissions.
“Why did you take them off? Maggie asked, then blinked. “Unless you weren’t alone…”
Perfect time to finish her fritter, so she did by shoving the rest into her mouth.
Her sister sucked in a breath then shot to her feet, startling both dogs. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
The dogs jumped to their feet too, barking in unison.
“Sorry, boys,” Maggie said, lowering her voice and energy as she stooped to pet each of them. “You don’t understand. This is momentous. My sister got herself some with the hot ESI guy.”
Frowning, Callie leaned forward. “Shh…the others will be arriving for work. Keep your voice down.”
“Can’t.” Her sister laughed. “I’m way too happy for you.” Maggie sat back down, her grin still in place. “Bet it was thunderous.”
She snorted despite herself. “Definitely earth moving.”
“Yes,” Maggie repeated, this time in a loud whisper as she fist pumped the air. Then her gaze narrowed as she glanced around. “Why isn’t he here? Oh, no. You didn’t shut him out, afterward, did you?”
Callie shook her head. “No, actually he walked me home before he left.”
“He left?” Maggie’s frown deepened. “He’s giving you the brushoff?”
“No. No, nothing like that,” she insisted, hoping she was right. An invisible band squeezed her chest. “It was actually really sweet. I’d suggested we should both go home.”
Maggie winced. “Ah, Cal , why? Don’t go putting up your walls.”
She shrugged. “Habit. But he’d insisted on walking me to the house.”
Her sister clapped. “Oh, I approve, and Mom would give him brownie points for that.”
“Mom better not ever know, Mags ,” she said, leveling her sister with a hard stare.