The scent of roast and cinnamon still lingers in the living room as the conversation shifts from casual to…serious. Bree stands up to head to the restroom, and it’s the perfect opening.
Shannon clears her throat, and it grabs my attention immediately. There’s no escaping this.
She leans forward, her eyes locking with mine, and just like that, the mom vibe is turned up to full volume. The playful tone from dinner disappears. “So, Callan,” she starts. “What are your intentions with our daughter?”
I settle back into the couch, Shannon and Tom looking at me like I’m on trial. I’ve got no lawyer. There’s no manual for this.
“I love her,” I say, the words simple but true, and lock eyes with Shannon first, then Tom. “She’s the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. My intention is to make her happy, to support her, and to build a life together if that’s what she wants.”
Shannon doesn’t blink as she watches me, her gaze sharp,like she’s reading between the lines of every word I say. Tom breaks the silence a second later. “Nice to hear but life together isn’t just words. It’s action, sacrifices. Are you ready for that?”
His words hit me like a ton of bricks, and for a second, the pressure of their expectations presses down on me. The silence stretches out, and I can almost hear the weight of it, like it’s got a voice of its own. I give a slow nod, meeting his eyes and letting him see that I’m not just hearing him, I’mgettingit.
“Aye, I know it’s not easy,” I say, because of course it’s not. Nothing worth a damn ever is. “So you know, I haven’t told her I love her yet. Not because I don’t mean it but because I want to be sure she’s ready to hear it. I don’t want to throw it at her like a net and hope she stays. She deserves better than that.”
A flash of something I wouldn’t quite call approval crosses Tom’s face before he quickly masks it with thatdadexpression again. Shannon looks at us, her eyes flickering between her husband and me, assessing, making sure we’re on the same page.
“We just want to make sure she’s safe,” Shannon says, her voice softer now but no less serious. “That she is loved. We’ve seen her hurt, Callan. And as parents…it destroyed us, watching her go through that.”
“I understand why you’d be worried,” I say, my tone genuine. “Bree’s been through more than anyone should, and I can see how it’s affected you both. I’ve seen the way she’s been before, and I’ll be damned if I let that happen again.”
Bree thought this would be hard for me, that it would rattle me. She couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s an honor. Sitting here with her parents and telling them how much I love her and want her in my life. After everything with her piece-of-shit ex, getting the chance to show them just how different I am from him? That’sthe least I can do.
“She’s safe with me,” I tell them, my voice unwavering. “Always.”
The words hang in the air, and for a moment, it feels like time slows down. The look in Tom’s eyes softens a touch. Shannon nods, her expression still protective, but maybe just a little more willing to trust me.
Bree steps back into the living room, a hesitant question on her lips. “Everything okay?”
I glance up at her, giving her a reassuring smile that’s more for her than anyone else. “More than okay,” I say with a wink. “I hope?”
Shannon and Tom chuckle at that. “Yes,” Shannon agrees, nodding with a warm smile. “All good.”
Relief hits me like a wave, and I don’t waste a second. I pull Bree in closer, my arm slipping around her shoulders as she nestles against my side. Her body relaxes immediately, the tension I didn’t even know was there melting away in an instant.
Yep. Nailed it. This wholemeet the parentsthing? Piece of cake.
twenty-eight
BREE
We’re heading back to my place now, and I can finally let out the sigh that’s been waiting to escape for hours. I let my mind wander a bit, and of course it lands on how good Callan looks with one hand steady on the wheel, the other resting low on my thigh. It’s impossible not to get a little lost in the way he sits there, like everything around us could fall apart, and he’d still have it all figured out.
“Thank you.”
He glances at me, brows furrowing, his focus shifting just enough for me to see the confusion flicker in his eyes. “For what?”
“For being so perfectly you and getting my parents to adore you.”
The corner of his mouth lifts into that signature smirk. “Well, I can’t take all the credit. I had a pretty great motivation.”
It still catches me off guard when he’s sweet like this. I expect sarcasm, some sharp remark, but then he surprises me withthat.
“Or,” he says, “your parents might just have really low standards.”
I burst into laughter. Now thatis what I was expecting.
I shake my head, trying to suppress my smile. “I knew you couldn’t resist.”
