I didn’t deny it, but I also couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud after everything he’d done for us this weekend. “Maybe I just need to learn how to rely on someone other than myself.Outside of my family, it’s been a long time since I’ve trusted people to stick around.”
He inclined his chin in a vague nod, those eyes softening to the point that it felt like they were caressing my features as his gaze swept across my face. “I get that, but I’ll prove it to you, Maisie. I’ll prove that you can trust me to stick around.”
I managed a smile and waved goodbye when he backed away and climbed in behind the van’s steering wheel once more. I was still trying to remember how to breathe when he pulled away, the van disappearing slowly down our block.
Brody and his friends tore down the street after it, hollering and laughing as they chased the van like it was some kind of parade float. I stayed rooted to the sidewalk long after Callum had driven off, my forehead still tingling where he’d kissed me. My chest ached with the knowledge that, even as much as he seemed to believe I could trust him to stick around, I honestly didn’t know if I could. Not until he knew the truth.
A truth I didn’t know how to tell him without wrecking everything.Gah, how did this even happen? When did it get so complicated?
Eventually, I forced myself inside. The house was too quiet without Brody in it, but I left him to play outside and busied myself with unpacking, pulling dirty clothes from bags and tossing them into the washer just to keep my hands moving. If I stood still, I would think too much.
The rhythmic whir of the washing machine had barely started when my phone buzzed on the counter. My mom’s name lit up the screen. I took a deep breath before I answered, but I couldn’t quite keep my voice from shaking.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hey, honey,” her voice came warm and easy, just like it always had. “How was the weekend? How’s my grandson?”
I closed my eyes. My heart thudded so hard that I thought she might hear it through the phone. “It was good. Yeah. Brody’s good too. They won, so he’s pretty happy about that.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. “Are you okay? You sound a little bit rattled. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“Oh, no. No, it’s not that.” I inhaled another deep breath and released it slowly. “Mom, how would you feel if I told you I was getting married soon?”
There was a pause, then a light disbelieving laugh. “Well, I suppose that would depend on who you were marrying and how sure you were about him. You’re joking though, right? I mean, you’re not even seeing anyone.”
I didn’t laugh. My throat was tight, my ears ringing a little. “I’m, uh, I’m not joking. I’m serious, Mama. I’m getting married. Soon. Like, really, really soon.”
Complete silence came from her end of the line, heavy, sudden, and shocked. It took at least a minute before she spoke again, so long that I’d checked—twice—to make sure she was still on the line. “Maisie, sweetheart. What’s going on?”
The words tumbled out of me in response, messy and shaking. “Something happened, and I don’t know what to do. I need advice. Can you, uh, do you think you could come out to California? Soon?”
Her tone shifted instantly, concern threading through every syllable. “Honey, what happened? What is all this about you getting married? You’re not making any sense, baby. Just take a deep breath and talk to me.”
I gripped the phone tighter, my voice breaking as I forced the truth out. “I’ve agreed to marry someone, Mom. Uh, Callum Westwood, actually. You know, from college?”
Her inhale was sharp. “Maisie?—”
“He doesn’t know Brody is his son.”
The words hung there between us, raw and terrifying, and I pressed my palm to my eyes as if I could hold myself together while my mother tried to make sense of the truth I’d just unleashed.
CHAPTER 23
CALLUM
It had been a long week with way too many late nights at the office, too many phone calls, and too many people pulling at me from every direction, but all of that faded as I turned up the long drive toward my family’s estate.
I’d been looking forward to this all week, seeing Maisie again and getting to spend some time with her and Brody. If it had been up to me, we would have been at the courthouse today, signing papers and making it official, but I’d promised my dad I’d bring them to dinner first.
Tonight, my family would meet them and hopefully start to understand this wasn’t just some impulsive move on my part. Once that was done, we would talk timeline again. Maisie had seemed onboard with this new plan, too.
In the back seat, Brody smooshed his face against the window. His breath fogged the glass as his wide eyes tracked every house and tree.
“Whoa,” he breathed, craning his neck as we rolled past the sprawling lawns and stone driveways. “This place is huge. Is that a castle?”
I couldn’t help but smile as he pointed toward the older, stately manor house tucked among the trees. I had to admit, itssteep rooflines and ivy-covered stone did give it a fairytale sort of vibe.
“That one’s my brother, Jameson’s, place. He lives there with his wife, Sadie, and their dogs.”
