“Boy bye, no one is about to jump into your arms.”
“We’ll see.”
With that, he struts down the street, his cockiness giving him a swagger that is so damn sexy.
I go back inside to see that Rowan is still in the kitchen. Declan has disappeared to his room, and the rest of the family is gathered in the living room watching a Christmas movie.
I sit next to her, and before I even open my mouth, she begins.
“You followed him outside.” She wiggles her eyebrows and barely conceals her mischievous mouth.
I throw a napkin at her.
“You two have been looking at each other a lot.”
“Mind your business.” I point a finger at her and wag it.
This just causes her to cheese harder. “My brother is my business.”
“Don’t worry, nothing is going on between us.” I go to stand up, but she grabs my hand, holding me in place.
“I would be happy if there is, but just know, even though Callahan is a confident rebel, he is sensitive.” All the jokiness leaves her face, as she levels me with a look I have never seen before. Even though he is older than her, it’s clear she feels protective of him.
“A rebel how?”
“He just isn’t like the rest of us. He acts before he thinks, and he has gotten into a lot of trouble because of it.”
I want to ask her more, but I decide it’s better to hear it from the horse’s mouth. Wishing her goodnight, I go to my room and try to stop thinking about him. But even my dreams are haunted by that ginger giant.
Chapter 5
Stillnotusedtothe cold, I’m bundled up in a long-sleeved shirt, thick sweater, and my jacket. Yet still somehow that with my fat isn’t enough to keep the chill from snaking up my back.
Walking up, Callahan, on the other hand, has on a jean jacket and a hat, clearly not cold. Still, his thick beard does little to conceal the red in his cheeks.
“You look beautiful,” he calls once he gets closer.
“You’re going to have to try harder than that.”
I guess hugging him once gave him some sort of permission, because he pulls me into his arms. I wrap mine around his waist, secretly relishing in the feeling. When he lets me go, I do so reluctantly.
“You’re right. What I should have said is you radiate life. Everything around you thrives.”
Without thought, I push him, causing him to laugh. Having heard his laugh a few times now, I think this is the first time I’m able to pinpoint what I love about it. It’s like he is just discovering this ability, and every time it happens, it takes him by surprise. The low rumble is like a heavy bass; it shakes my decision to not give him a chance, making me second-guess my rule.
“Let’s go,” I say, turning and walking down the street.
“You don’t know where you’re going.”
“I’ll figure it out.”
He runs to catch up to me. Linking his arm with mine, he slowly turns me back in the other direction.
“I knew that. I was just testing you.”
He shakes his head, but says nothing else.
The first place he takes me to is a deli. It’s supposed to be the best one in the city, and he swears by their pastrami sandwich. We get one to split while we take in the surrounding neighborhood. I inhale mine, and some of his, when he realizes my hand is empty. Being promised more food is the only thing that keeps me from going back to get another one.
