Chapter 40
T he light caught the rings on Callie’s finger as she waved to the security guard at the entrance to HICC.
Philly grinned. He could hardly believe she’d said yes.
Then again, they were too right for her to say anything else.
They’d have things to work out, things to settle into.
But he wouldn’t have proposed, and she wouldn’t have agreed, if they weren’t in it for the long haul.
His left thumb went to the bottom of his own ring.
He’d never worn jewelry before in his life.
He liked the weight of it. He liked what it stood for even more.
Knowing she’d chosen him, that he was hers , made him feel the way he imagined a puffed-up peacock did.
If he could, he’d preen. Maybe he’d ask Juliana if men could preen. She knew all sorts of weird shit.
“You’re grinning,” Callie said as she pulled into a parking spot.
“So are you,” he replied.
She stopped the SUV, then killed the engine. “I can’t believe we did that,” she said, holding her hand out and admiring the set of rings. “And I also can’t imagine doing anything else. Does that make sense at all?” she added, looking at him.
“I’m trying not to apply logic,” he said, reaching for her hand. He pulled it to his lips and dropped a kiss on the back, then turned it over and placed one on her palm. “It’s right. We both know it. Do we need more of a reason than that?”
She curled her fingers around his, then pulled his hand to her own lips. After pressing a kiss to his ring, she released him. “Years of habit says yes. Everything else tells me no, tells me that what we know is enough and we don’t need to define it or explain any more than that.”
He smiled again. “On that note, how about we drop this phone off, then head to the clubhouse? The sooner we get there, the sooner we can head home.”
“Home,” she said, sliding from her seat. “You ready to have a roommate?”
When they reached the front of the car, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m ready for you to be there. It’s a good house; it has good bones. But it hasn’t been updated in a while, and it could use a little TLC to make it a home.”
She leaned up and brushed her lips against his. “ Our home.”
He almost wished he hadn’t asked Mantis to gather everyone together tonight.
He’d much rather head back to their home.
But his family deserved more, deserved to be a part of this new journey.
He might shock the shit out of them, but they’d all been through so much together that none of them ever took for granted a chance to share joy.
“You two coming in?” Chad asked, standing at the front door, his foot propping it open, his arms crossed.
Philly shot Callie a look asking whether he had a choice. She laughed. “Yes, we’re coming,” she called back. With a huff, he followed her.
They made their way inside, then wound through a series of halls until they stepped into what Philly assumed was Chad’s office.
“Sabina would be here, but we had a situation come up and I needed to stay while she went home to be with the kids… Dammit!”
Callie tensed beside him as Chad’s gaze zeroed in on Philly’s left hand. And the band on his finger. “Please tell me you didn’t do what I think you did?! Couldn’t you two have waited at least a month?”
Philly barked a laugh, then sobered when Callie shot him a worried look. “Did you need to do a background check on him or something?” she asked, turning to Chad.
“He’s mad because he lost a bet,” Philly said. “Aren’t you?” he added with a pointed look at Chad.
“Bet?” Callie mumbled, her lips barely moving.
“By thirty-one days. Damn, you Falcons move fast,” Chad grumbled as he sank into his chair.
“Bet?” Callie said again, this time stronger.
“The Warwicks bet on everything ,” he explained. “And have dragged the Falcons into it.” Turning to Chad, he asked, “You were all betting on when we’d get married, weren’t you?” The look Chad shot him gave him the answer. “Who won?”
“Who do you think?” he grunted.
“Charley?” he guessed.
“She has insider information,” Chad groused. “With the amount of time she spends with you all.”
Callie’s brow furrowed, and she pulled the phone Rian had given them out of her purse. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, here’s a consolation,” she said, setting it on the desk.
Chad’s eyes flickered to the device before lifting back to hers. “You look at it?”
She shook her head. “For the same reason Rian didn’t. I’m reasonably savvy with tech, but numbers and criminal minds are more my thing.”
Chad nodded. “I guess this means you’re staying on at the West Coast office of HICC permanently?”
“If you’ll have me. If not, I heard the police department is looking for a detective,” she said.
Philly glanced over at her. The way she ducked her head told him she’d done the research before things had changed between them.
As far as he was concerned, she didn’t have anything to be embarrassed about.
In fact, his peacock feathers ruffled a bit.
“Are you kidding? Once we wrap this case up, you can write your own ticket,” Chad said.
“Stella hates your former boss, Greg Chrome. Something about a case he botched a few years ago, then tried to blame on HICC. She loves dropping open-and-shut cases in the FBI’s lap.
That it’s one Chrome refused to allow you to investigate makes it even better.
She’ll be sure to cc him on the email she sends to his boss to let him know. ”
Callie snorted a laugh, making Philly smile. She’d been tense since they walked in and seemed to finally be settling.
Just in time to head to the clubhouse. He frowned. Maybe he should call off the meeting with his family.
Chad leaned forward and picked up the phone. “I’d ask you two what you have planned for tonight, but I’d rather not know?—”
“In addition to being inveterate gamblers, the Warwicks also have no boundaries,” Philly said, shooting Chad a look. He and the Falcons had grown used to the Warwick way, but Callie hadn’t. He didn’t want Chad to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was.
Chad gave a small nod of apology. “We have a huge family that’s very close. Sorry, boundaries are kind of nebulous for us. But we can mind our own business.” Philly snorted. “Not well, but we can,” Chad added.
Callie inhaled. “Actually, we’re headed to the clubhouse. We wanted to tell Philly’s family tonight.”
He reached for her hand, and her fingers curled around his.
“They’re your family now,” Chad said. She bobbed her head, but more of a courtesy nod than a sincere one.
They were her family, but Callie needed time to understand that.
And trust it. He didn’t mind her hesitancy, though.
His brothers understood trauma, especially childhood trauma, and that it could take a long time to heal from.
And while he hadn’t shared all the details of Callie’s early years, he’d shared enough that they’d fill in the blanks and give her the time and space she needed to trust them.
Because his family was awesome.
And it was time to celebrate with them.
“On that note, we’re headed out,” he said.
“The sooner we see them, the sooner we can get home. She’ll be in to work late tomorrow.
” Callie gasped. “I’m sure Sabina and Leo will understand,” he added, knowing full well that both he and Callie were early risers and there was no way she’d be late.
Not with the prospect of bringing the man responsible for Liza’s murder to justice being so close.
“This is going to be the shortest marriage on record,” she grumbled as Chad laughed.
“Go, you two. Have fun, and don’t let Charley gloat too much,” Chad said as Philly dragged Callie out the door and back through the maze of halls.
Neither of their cars were at HICC, so he assumed they still had use of the SUV.
Reaching into Callie’s pocket, he snagged the keys.
He intended to drive this last stretch as there was a risk—albeit a slight one—that she’d drive them straight home and lecture him about boundaries.
Although, the image of her reprimanding him, like a misbehaving boy, had him reconsidering. He handed the keys back.
She eyed him before taking them. They climbed into the cliché celebrity SUV and the engine roared to life.
Whichever option she chose, he’d be just fine.