Chapter 5
Gage
“You let me sleep too late,” Callie says, stepping out onto the balcony the following morning.
“You needed it,” I reply honestly, kicking back in the chair to grin up at her. “Want a coffee?”
“Mm,” she sighs sleepily. Contentedly. “Coffee sounds perfect.”
I start to stand up.
“I can get it,” she says, placing a hand on my arm.
“Sit, Cal. Relax.” I gesture toward the second chair and slip past her.
As I pad into the kitchen, her playful quip follows me. “Is this how you treat all your ladies, Gage?”
I snort, shaking my head, as I pour her a mug of coffee. I add extra milk and half a sugar, just the way she likes it. When I step back onto the balcony and pass it to her, her dark eyes find mine over the rim of the mug.
She blows onto the coffee before taking a slow sip. Her eyes fall shut and she groans appreciatively. “This hits the spot.”
I roll my lips together to keep from laughing.
“Oh, stop.” She nudges my leg with her bare toes. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“Hard to do around you,” I admit. “And…” I hold up a hand to cut her off. “There are no other ladies, Callie. I’ve been single a long fucking time.”
“Yeah.” She tugs the wide neckline of her lightweight sweater higher on her shoulder. “But there’s always women, Gage.”
“None that stay for coffee,” I clarify.
She smirks at that and turns her gaze back to the sea.
“What do you want to do today?” I ask after a moment.
She glances at me in surprise. “I thought you had a whole plan.”
I chuckle. “I have many plans. Just trying to gauge what you’re up for.”
“Whatever you got,” Callie shoots back, grinning.
Man, this is the woman I missed. The playful, charming, down-for-anything woman I met years ago. “You’re already more relaxed than yesterday.”
She lets out a slow exhale. Nods. “You know, Gage, I feel better too.”
“Salt air and sleep.”
“Sunshine,” she tacks on, lifting an arm overhead to stretch before taking another sip of coffee. “I could get used to this.”
“Nothing stopping you except yourself.”
She rolls her eyes but then shrugs. Serious now. “This was a tough year.”
“I know it was,” I sigh, reaching out to take her hand. I hold her fingers lightly in mine and drag my thumb across the backs of her knuckles. “We can play hooky and disappear before the Gutierrezes arrive and pull us into whatever shenanigans have been cooked up for today. Or we could join them.”
Callie stares at me for a long moment. “And then go for dinner?”
“We have a reservation at seven,” I confirm.
Her eyes light, a spark of glitter. “Where?”
I chuckle. “Not telling.”
“How will I know what to wear?”
“You always look perfect,” I reassure her. “And it’s not too fancy. A traditional restaurant on the beach. I booked ahead just so you can try Paella Valenciana.”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot paella was invented here.”
“Yeah. There’s a ton of ways to make paella but the traditional way…”
She lifts an eyebrow, waiting.
“Green beans, chicken, rabbit, snails—”
“Snails!”
“They’re delicious,” I admit. “I think you’ll like it.”
“We’ll see. I think we should spend the day with your family. It’s been a long time since I’ve been surrounded by so much…energy. It’s infectious and…I could use some contagious light and laughter.”
“Then we’ll head to the beach in a bit. Mom and Pop have a whole setup. Wait ’til you see it.”
“Like, beach chairs and blankets?”
“Oh, there’s a tent and a volleyball net too.”
“No way!” Her eyes widen.
“Coolers stocked with cervezas. Popsicles and boccadillos.” At her questioning look, I clarify, “Sandwiches.”
“An old-school beach day,” she murmurs. “Sounds perfect.”
“Good.” I glance at my watch. “Let’s grab some breakfast and then we’ll meet up with the crew.”
“‘Kay,” Callie agrees, finishing her coffee. “I’m going to change.”
I nod, tugging on the swim trunks I’m already wearing. “Take your time.”
Callie grins. “I don’t remember you being this accommodating or patient, Gutierrez.”
“I wasn’t trying so hard to impress you then.”
“But you were trying?”
I smile. “Always, Calla Lily. Just not enough for you to notice.”
“Oh, I noticed.” She winks before leaving me alone on the balcony.
I resume watching the rolling tide when my cell phone beeps with an incoming text.
Carla
Jake and I are taking bets. Tell me you’re going to dinner tonight.
I shake my head. These little shits.
Gage
What’s the wager?
Jake
Is Carla texting you? She’s such a cheater.
Gage
You’re just learning this now?
Jake
And a liar.
Carla
I’ll make sure the little kids don’t pants you at the beach today if you make dinner reservations.
I laugh out loud, knowing Ariella will do it. I create a group thread with Carla and Jake.
Gage
I made dinner reservations for 7 at Casa Rueben.
Carla
I knew it! Pay up, Jake.
Jake
You put Tio up to this.
Gage
I’ll give you each $100 to make sure Callie feels comfortable around the whole family today.
Jake
Fine.
Carla
I like Callie.
Jake
Me too. A little too hot for Tio but…
Carla
Gage
What’s that supposed to mean? I’m good-looking.
Carla
You didn’t get voted Sexiest Man Alive the way Avery Callaway did.
Gage
Callaway’s the fucking QB. Half his awards are because of his title.
Jake
Sounding a little defensive there, Tio.
Gage
Y’all need me to drop some knowledge on you?
Carla
Nope. I’ll take the $100 though.
I shake my head as I slide my phone back into my pocket. When I step inside, Callie is closing the door to my bedroom.
I freeze, drinking her in. She’s changed into a colorful sundress and the straps of her bathing suit are visible. Her long hair is twisted back into a bun and a pair of sunglasses is perched on her head. Her face is bare, her movements slow, her demeanor calm.
I bite the corner of my mouth. Man, I missed seeing her like this. Breathless and effortless.
Unstressed. Unhurried. Natural.
Callie James is always beautiful but there’s something special about the simplicity of this moment. It’s a sneak peek of the slice of life we could have. And man do I want it.
“Ready?” she asks, looking up.
“Let’s do it.”
I follow Callie out into the sunshine and love how comfortable and at ease I feel. How normal this is.
How ready I am to settle down, take things day-by-day, and just live with the woman I’ve always wanted by my side.
If Callie wasn’t laughing as loudly and as frequently as she is, I’d disown my family.
But man, would I miss them. Even if I’d never admit it aloud.
Pieces of Callie’s hair have escaped her bun and fall around her face, framing it. Her head is tossed back, her hand covering her mouth, her eyes shut and crinkling at the corners, as she howls with laughter.
Beside her, Svetlana is flapping a hand in front of her face to keep her tears at bay so she doesn’t smudge her mascara. Another giggle erupts from her as she holds out her wine glass, gesturing for my brother to top her off.
He does so, amid his own bursts of laughter.
Carla sits in a beach chair, braiding Ariella’s hair, and looking around the group of adults with amusement dancing in her eyes. Jake shakes his head, looking at me as if to say, this stupidity is really what you want for your life?
But as I look at my mom and pop, sitting side by side in beach chairs, their toes digging into the sand, their hands clasped casually between them, I realize it is.
My parents are celebrating fifty years of marriage and are sitting on the beach in my mother’s hometown with their entire family—children and grandchildren—scattered around them and bent over in laughter. What could possibly be better than that?
“Callie looks happy,” Mom remarks next to me.
I look at her and she arches a knowing eyebrow.
“She does. She needs a break,” I say.
Mom nods. “She needs family, too.”
I narrow my eyes. “She has—”
“She experienced too much loss in a short amount of time. She needs to be with people who know her, who love her.” Mom’s tone holds an edge, and I hate that I know what she’s trying to convey without coming right out and saying it.
She belongs with our family.
Deep down, I think Mom knew, maybe even before I fully accepted it, that Callie was it for me.
There was no other woman I brought around as much as Callie.
Because it was always under the guise of work, the rumors that would normally spin around my family were tempered.
My family has always respected my career and been my biggest support system.
But one December, I was sitting in Mom’s kitchen orchestrating a company to decorate Callie’s home with Christmas lights and Mom looked up in surprise before smiling and giving me a knowing look.
Since that day, she’s always peered a little too close at me whenever I mention Callie or whenever Callie comes around.
Mom’s always known that my feelings for Callie were more than just professional or platonic.
I clear my throat and take a swig of my beer in response.
Mom laughs lightly. “Callie!” she calls out.
Callie looks up, her eyes dancing.
“Did Gage show you the caves yet?” Mom asks.
Jake snorts. “It’s more of a crevice than a cave.”
Svetlana lifts her sunglasses to give him a sharp look.
Carla rolls her eyes. “It’s like Abuelita is suggesting a make-out point,” she mutters under her breath, garnering a snort from Jake.
Callie pretends not to hear her. “No, he hasn’t.”
“Oh, he should.” Mom tugs on my forearm, signaling I should show Callie the cave-cove-crevice right this second.
Sighing that my mother is trying to set me up, I rise to my feet. Good thing it’s the woman I want to be set up with. Extending my hand to Cal, I tilt my head down the beach to where the ocean waves created a little secret crevice in the seawall. “Want to take a walk?”
“Sure,” Callie says, standing to her feet.
“It’s almost painful to watch,” Jake murmurs.
“Jake,” Joe warns.
“Like a rom-com in slow motion,” Carla agrees.
“What’s a rom-com?” Ariella asks.
“You know those movies your mama and Tia Martina like to watch?” Pablo replies.
“The ones with the kissy-lips?” Ariella clarifies.
“Those are the ones,” Pablo laughs.
“Oh!” Ariella claps her hands together, glancing at me expectantly. As if I should wrap an arm around Callie, dip her in the center of the circle, and plant one on her.
“Ew.” Little Jorge wrinkles his nose.
Callie laughs good-naturedly, placing her hand in mine. Glancing over her shoulder, she tosses Carla and Jake a wink. “I’ll let you know if he does it right. That should earn at least another fifty bucks, right?”
Carla’s mouth drops open in horror. Pop laughs loudly while Joe swears.
I chuckle with Callie and pull her out of my family’s huddle on the beach.
As we take off toward the seawall, I glance at her. “Having fun yet?”
Her cheeks are pink, and her smile is wide. “This has been one of the best days, Gage. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I still have to kiss you. For the kids’ bet.”
“Right,” she agrees, laughing lightly. “Don’t want to lose a wager.”
I grin. “Don’t want to lose anything, Calla Lily.”