What's wrong?Reaves mouthed.
She's here!he mouthed back.
Reaves covered his face with his hand as Ollie said, "That's okay.Reaves is here, but he was heading out anyway.No wife or kids to worry about."
"I'll see you in a minute, then."
"I'll come down and meet you."
He ended the call, and Reaves grabbed his keys and phone from the counter."Let me know when it's safe to come back.I can stay at my dad's if you want me to, but I highly recommend..."
"Thanks.I know you're right.I'll figure it out."
He pointed to the beds that he'd set up in the corner between the sofa and armchair.Peanut and Butter shot to them and sat, eager and alert, their ears pricked, tails sweeping back and forth in perfect sync with each other.
"Wait there, guys, and be good."
As they rode down in the elevator, Reaves punched his arm."You look like a man going to the gallows.Cheer up — you'll be fine.Just tell her."He gave Ollie a sideways glance."You know the way to the park from here, don't you?"
"Yup."
"You could take her there to walk the dogs and explain as you go.Although, you’d have to keep them on their leashes, so people don’t run away screaming."
"Yeah."
"Or even better — you could pack her and the dogs into your SUV, drive over to the estate, and walk there.The dogs will be more comfortable on their own turf, and Callie won't be able to storm off or run away.You'll at least have the drive back here to explain yourself."
Ollie gave him a rueful smile."I don't think that holding her hostage while I apologize is the best way to make up for lying to her."
"Yeah, maybe not, but..."
The elevator dinged when it reached the ground floor.
"Text me if I can help — or if I can come home."
"Thanks, bud.You're the best."
"I always have your back, you know this."
~ ~ ~
Callie looked up at the apartment building.It was pretty fancy, but then it seemed like everything here was.She shouldn't hold it against him.It was a Napa thing, not an Ollie thing.She came from Dodge City, Kansas, and lived in Fort Bragg.Everything about Napa felt kind of upscale to her by comparison.
She should probably get out and go meet him, but she needed a minute.She wanted to remind herself that she really shouldn't be so excited to see him.They were just going to hang out.Walk his dogs.Have something to eat later — and if she got her way, that would mean takeout of some kind; she’d rather hang out with his dogs than go to some restaurant where she’d no doubt feel underdressed.She'd insisted that they were better off as friends, but...but she found him so attractive that she was having trouble remembering why that seemed so important.
On a logical level, she knew why.He lived here; she lived in Fort Bragg.He had a busy career as a pilot; she was happy as a clam in her little cottage with her kiln in the cabin out back.She didn't need to go turning her life upside down trying to fit a guy into it.
But Ollie was a good guy.
She'd watched him over the course of the wedding weekend.People liked him — not just some people.Everyone.From Elena and Walt, who worked for Jacob, through all of their friend group, to Alexandria DuPont — the highest of the mighty.Callie didn't feel too bad using that term, since it was the one Alexandria’s own daughter, Willow, had used.
Even Alexandria seemed to think the world of Ollie.More than that, she talked to him like an equal.That said something.Callie had watched her with Xander and Slade too, since those two were with Alexandria's daughters.It was obvious that she liked them and got along with them, but there was something different about the way she was with Ollie — like the others were the next generation and she cared about them, but Ollie was more like...an equal.That was the only word she could come up with.And it seemed strange, because Ollie worked for her.Well, her son Bentley was the boss now — Alexandria was kind of retired — but still, he'd worked for her family for years.
There was just something about him.
She looked up when the front doors to the building slid open and Ollie and Reaves stepped out into the sunshine.What was she even thinking?The two of them could have stepped right out of the pages of a magazine.They were good-looking enough, dressed the part, and...she pursed her lips.And Ollie was as sexy as sin.
To be fair, Reaves probably was too, in his own way, to some women — just not to her.She could see the appeal; he had the dark hair and square jaw, he was more solidly built — muscular — than Ollie, but he just didn't do it for her.And ever since she'd heard little Zia call him Prince Daddy, that was the only way she could think of him.He was a daddy in her mind — and she had no desire to ever have kids, and she sure as hell wasn't looking for a daddy.
