Chapter 22
twenty-two
brEE
Zoey dropped me off an hour ago, and I was so close to drifting off into blissful sleep. I showered, slipped into my comfiest pajamas, and collapsed onto the couch with Nugget. My body is beyond exhausted, but apparently, my brain missed the memo. I’m wide awake.
Just as I start to sink into the glorious embrace of the couch, there’s a knock at the door.
Ugh.
Nugget’s ears perk up, and he’s already glaring at the door as if the boogeyman himself is standing on the other side. I give him a soft chuckle, rubbing behind his ears. “Chill out, boy. Let’s see who it is first before we go into protector mode.”
He huffs in response, still glaring at the door. He reluctantly starts to calm down. I sigh, already bracing for whatever awful interruption is about to happen and slowly creep toward the door. You know, just in case it is the boogeyman or, god forbid, a door-to-door salesman.
I crack the door open and freeze.
What the—
There’s no way. No freakin’ way.
Callan.
My brain takes a second to process it, but even then, I can’t seem to figure out if this is real or if my tired eyes are playing tricks on me.
“Callan?” I whisper, almost afraid to say his name out loud in case I’ve somehow slipped into a weird dream state. Is this really happening?
But then there’s the unmistakable pressure of his fingers on my skin.
His thumbs glide gently across my cheeks.
He cups my face in his hands like he’s afraid he might lose me if he blinks.
His eyes sweep over me, scanning, searching, making sure I’m not broken in any way.
I’m so close to losing it because he’s looking at me like he might fall apart if I’m not okay.
His voice cracks, words tumbling out in a rush, as if he’s been holding his breath this whole time. “My god, I was so worried. I didn’t get the message until I was stepping off the plane.”
And that’s it. The second those words escape his lips, the sobs I’ve been holding back for three long weeks come crashing to the surface.
I’ve kept them locked up tight and buried under layers of distraction since the moment I came home.
Every single day without him was like walking around with a piece of myself missing.
I clutch the front of his shirt, my hands trembling as the fabric absorbs the tears I’ve been too afraid to let fall until now. “I missed you…so…much,” I manage, my voice breaking with each ragged hiccup.
His strong arms are around me in an instant, pulling me close as he kicks the door shut behind him. “Come on, lass,” he murmurs. He presses a tender kiss to the top of my head, and in that moment, everything that’s been spinning out of control finally starts to settle.
“You need to sit,” he says softly, his hand guiding me but not forcefully.
He’s not wrong. My legs have turned into jelly, and the condo’s small enough that the living room’s only a few feet away.
He lowers me onto the couch, and then, without hesitation, pulls me onto his lap.
Normally, I’d have something sarcastic to say about being treated like a baby, but right now, I don’t have it in me. I don’t want to fight it.
Being cradled in his arms with the strong beat of his heart under my cheek… It’s like finally breathing after being underwater for too long. It’s everything I’ve been missing.
“What are you even doing here?” I finally ask, still in complete disbelief.
“Surprise?”
I smirk, leaning in to press my lips against his neck. “Surprise, indeed.”
Nugget, who’s been silently observing us like some furry little judge, lets out a quiet whine from his spot on the floor. My heart sinks a bit at the sound. “Oh, shoot! Poor Nuggie’s probably so confused.” I extend my hand, gesturing for him to come over. “Come here, sweet boy.”
Nugget trots over, tail wagging, and rests his head on the edge of the couch. Callan’s body tenses beneath me, stiffening like a board.
“Are you okay?”
He clears his throat a little too quickly. “Um, yeah. Totally fine.”
He doesn’t look fine. His eyes are locked on Nugget like the dog might decide to rip his face off.
Cal’s hands are practically frozen, his fingers twitching, bracing for an attack that doesn’t come.
It’s not the reaction I expected. Nugget, with his big, wide eyes and floppy ears, is about as harmless as a marshmallow, but it’s clear Callan’s bothered.
“Are you…afraid of dogs?”
His gaze snaps back to me, eyes wide for a split second before he exhales a long, drawn-out breath. “Aye. That’s one way to put it.”
I don’t want to laugh because I can tell this is no joke, but...
“You’re telling me that big, bad, fearless Callan MacKenzie is scared of precious fluff balls?”
He winces, clearly not thrilled with where this conversation is heading.
And that’s when it hits me. I try to hold it in, but a laugh bursts free before I can stop it.
“I’m sorry, oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.” I gasp between giggles.
“It’s not funny, I swear. I promise Nugget won’t harm a hair on your head.
But Cal… Dogs? Of all the things, it’s dogs. ”
“I was attacked by one when I was little,” he admits. “Vicious thing.”
Well, now I feel like an asshole.
“What kind of dog was it? Not a German shepherd, I hope.”
He shakes his head quickly, his gaze flickering toward the floor. “It was a…uh…chihuahua,” he confesses.
And that’s when I lose it completely. “A chihuahua?” I gasp, barely able to get the words out between fits of laughter. “I didn’t realize ankle biters could leave such emotional scars.”
His face flushes bright red. “Aye, laugh it up. Those wee devils are more ferocious than you’d think. All teeth and attitude.”
I try to compose myself, wiping tears from my eyes. “I’m sorry, I really am. It’s just… I never expected you to fear a dog that only just reaches your knees.”
“That’s because they’re sneaky,” he argues. “You don’t know what it’s like to face off with one of those wee bastards. They come at you from all directions, all teeth and no fear. It’s like a battle of wills.”
I raise a brow, still laughing but trying to hold onto some semblance of seriousness. “A battle of wills, huh? And who won in the end, Callan? The chihuahua?”
“Aye,” he mutters. “The chihuahua won. And don’t you forget it.”
I can’t help but soften, my grin fading as I meet his eyes. “Well, Nugget’s a sweetheart, I promise. How about we introduce you two properly? You’re the two most important men in my life.”
A slow smirk creeps onto his face as he eyes Nugget with a suspicious glance. “The two most important men, huh? Should I be jealous?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Only if you’re worried about him stealing your side of the bed. He’s a cuddler.”
Callan leans in closer, his voice dropping into a teasing murmur. “Don’t worry, lass. I don’t plan on sharing your attention.”
“You’re trying to distract me,” I scold. “Just hold your hand out and let him sniff you.”
Nugget stares up at us with his head tilted to the side. His big brown eyes are wide, trying to understand every word we’re saying.
Callan stretches out a reluctant hand, fingers stiff like he’s facing down a coiled viper instead of a wagging tail. I try not to laugh, but it’s hard when he’s so…serious.
The tension in his shoulders tells me this is no joke to him, though.
I can see he’s fighting more than just embarrassment.
Nugget, oblivious to Callan’s obvious apprehension, sniffs his outstretched hand with enthusiasm.
His tail wags harder, and with no warning, he plants a big, wet lick right on Callan’s knuckles.
I bite my lip, watching as Callan freezes. His eyes widen in shock, quickly morphing into disgust.
“What was that?”
“He likes you.”
He glances from me to Nugget, his brow furrowing in confusion. “That’s how he shows it? By slobbering on me?”
I scratch Nugget behind his ears. “It’s a compliment, trust me.”
Callan sighs, shaking his head, but I notice the faintest curve of a smile tugging at his lips. “This beast and I have very different ideas when it comes to compliments.”
“Do you, though?”
He holds my gaze for a beat, then glances back at Nugget, the corner of his mouth quirking up a little more. “I suppose you’re right. Maybe I can learn something from him after all.”
It doesn’t catch me off guard in the slightest when Callan leans over and, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, licks my cheek. I burst into laughter, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “Exactly what I thought.”
His smirk deepens, clearly pleased with his impromptu display of affection. “I’m just following Nugget’s lead. Thought I’d give it a shot.”
I shake my head, still chuckling as I lean back against him. “You’re lucky I’m too exhausted to give you a hard time about that.”