"Oh, I..."
Callie didn't want to give her the chance to back out now."It's not a problem.I need to pick up a few things myself since I've been gone a week.I need fresh fruit, bread, milk, and eggs — and hmm, whatever else I can think of.Do you want me to double up and bring you the same?And anything else fresh — I know what it's like when you're on the road.You have to detour too far to get fresh food.And do you need anything from the drugstore?Headache pills or anything else?"
She tensed, waiting while the silence stretched out, then let out her breath when Alara eventually said, "If you really don't mind, then yes, that'd be wonderful."
"Awesome.How about you text me a list when you've had time to think about it?We'll see you soon."She let out a short laugh."If you tell me in the text where you are — sorry, I think I was a little too excited to see you again."
"Thanks.But you're sure Ollie won't mind?"
She chuckled."Absolutely sure."She thought he'd be glad to see Zia again, but more than that, it struck her that he'd do anything for Reaves.
~ ~ ~
Ollie leaned his head back against the headrest and breathed in the damp ocean air that came in through the cracked window as Callie drove along the coast road.She shot him a quick glance.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he said with a smile."I can see why you like it here."
She let out a short laugh."And that's different from saying that you like it too, isn't it?"
He laughed with her, even though her question caught him off guard."I'm not sure that it is.If you want to know the truth, I guess I kind of wondered why you would move here instead of to Napa, where Becca lives."
"Napa's not the center of the universe, you know."
"No, I know," he agreed quickly."It's just, I guess it's always been the center of mine, that's all.But my point was that it's nice up here.Even the air's different."
"It is," she agreed."It's cooler.It might be damp, but it's cooler.It suits me."She paused."For now."
He wanted to ask what that ‘for now’ meant but thought better of it.
He was enjoying seeing her in her own environment.They'd already stopped at the grocery store and the drugstore, and people had recognized her and greeted her warmly in both.Even her truck and the way she drove it spoke of a capable woman.
Woman.Not that she hadn't seemed that way while she was in Napa.Just that it was more apparent here.
It made him smile to think that now he was the one who was out of his element.
She pointed through the windshield."I'm guessing that they're parked just up there."
"Did she sound okay?"he asked."Do you think Reaves was just overreacting?"
Callie shrugged."There's no way to tell yet, is there?We'll figure it out when we see her."She smiled."I think it's kind of cute that he's worried about her."
Ollie smiled as he imagined the look on Reaves's face if he were to tell him that Callie thought he was cute."He is interested in her, but I think he would have been concerned even if he wasn't."He frowned when he remembered."He said that he'd run into her the other night at the gas station.He was surprised that she had Zia out so late — it was after the bachelor parties.She had a headache then, too.That's why they were out, because she needed to buy Tylenol."
Callie frowned."Do you think she's broke?"
Ollie shrugged.That hadn't occurred to him."I don't know," was all he could say.
Callie worried at her bottom lip."She's only going to Oregon for a job with benefits, you know.She needs something steady.A guaranteed paycheck, even if it does mean working standard hours."
She shuddered at that as if just the thought of it made her uneasy.
He pursed his lips, guessing that Callie could relate to Alara's situation — and lack of benefits — because she worked for herself, too.
He probably shouldn't ask, but he had to."Do you have any kind of benefits?"
She barked out a laugh."Shit, I'm sorry.That sounded like you meant something else completely.But look—" She turned off the road into a pull-out area, and he could see Alara's Suburban and camper parked at the far end.
