“Goodnight, Cullen.” She edged the door closed, her way of telling me it was time for me to go.
“Goodnight.” I took a step back. “See you in the morning.”
The latch clicked. I’d never take the risk of entering her bedroom again while she was still living under the same roof. But I’d also never wanted someone I couldn’t have so damn much. And wanting her felt a lot like standing too close to the flames—knowing I’d get burned and leaning in anyway.
With the risk of something happening between us shot down, I headed back toward the living room and sat down on the couch. My botched interaction with the nanny had made one thing painfully clear. It was time to decide how I was going to handle the Callie thing.
Fuck, I had a hard time even owning up to the truth in my own head. Committing to parenting scared the crap out of me. It wasn’t the kind of thing I could try out for a few weeks then drop when something else came along that looked like more fun. It was a lifetime commitment. The only thing I’d ever committed to for more than a week or two was the fire department. Even then, if something happened, I could walk away.
I couldn’t do that as a father. Didn’t matter that my own dad had. If I committed to raising Callie, I wouldn’t ever leave her. Rose was right that she deserved someone who’d stand by her, protect her, take care of her, and even love her. My chest snagged on that last word.
Love.
Four little letters.
Why was it such a difficult word for me to say?
Some shrink would have a field day trying to figure that out. One more week. I’d let myself sit with the decision for one more week before making the call. And in the meantime, I’d limit my interactions with Rose to the shit that dealt with Callie.
Satisfied, I flipped on the TV and tuned in to watch the last bit of the football game. A wolf howled outside, the lonely sound rising to a high pitch. I turned up the volume and ignored it.
CHAPTER 6
ROSE
It had been almost an entire week since the kiss and if I closed my eyes and tried real hard, I could still feel the pressure of Cullen’s lips on mine. He’d been distant since that night. Both of us seemed to be struggling with how to act normal, like nothing had changed. The truth was that kiss had made me question everything.
But I did what I always did when something threatened to rock my careful plans… I ignored it. I didn’t have time to let myself think about the fictional happy ever afters that tried to crowd into my head. Not while trying to keep myself from falling for Callie. I poured myself another cup of coffee while she napped in the crib Asher brought over. Cullen had set it up in his room for now. That way I could get a decent night’s sleep when he was working an overnight at the station.
Last night had been a rough one. Her bottom two teeth had started to poke through and she’d barely slept. At least Cullen would be back in a bit and would be able to pitch in tonight. I just had to hold on until then.
Ozzy’s ears perked up from his spot in front of the fireplace. If he started to bark and woke up Callie, it could be hours before I could get her to fall back to sleep.
“Hey, bud. Let’s go outside.” I moved toward the front door, hoping I could get him outside before he let loose.
He jumped up and barked at the window.
“No, no, no.” The doorknob turned in my hand just as Callie let out the first soft cry. Defeat had my shoulders sagging, but I still ushered Ozzy out the door.
He ran down the drive, barking all the way. Then came back toward the house, chasing after Ruby’s truck. She stopped in front of the cabin, her smile wide enough to see through the windshield.
I pulled the door almost closed behind me and stepped out to meet her. Maybe Callie would settle on her own and fall back asleep.
“Good morning, sugar,” Ruby said as she handed me a white bakery bag. “I haven’t seen you around town and wanted to check in to see how that beautiful baby is doing.”
The scent of cinnamon and butter drifted up from the bag. My stomach immediately growled, reminding me I hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch yesterday. I’d been too tired to fix dinner just for myself last night.
“She’s teething. There’s not enough coffee in the world to keep me from falling asleep on my feet today.”
“Aw. Looks like I came at the right time. Let me put one of those rolls on a plate for you and give you a little bit of a break.” Ruby bustled past me, not waiting for an answer.
I followed her back inside. Callie must have sensed she had a visitor. Her cries went from breathy and soft to a drawn-out wail.
“I’ll get her.” Ruby nodded toward the coffee pot. “Why don’t you get a refill and pour me a cup?”
It didn’t feel right to have her doing the job I was getting paid to do, but I’d learned that arguing with Ruby was a waste of time. I grabbed a spare mug from the cabinet and filled both of our cups.
When she came out of Cullen’s room with a teary Callie in her arms, I was sitting on the edge of the couch. “Do you want me to take her?”
