My sister nods, looking quite satisfied with what she’s about to tell me. “I have no idea how he knew what Mr. Hargrove was involved in, but apparently, ever since he started dating Alexis, he was sucking up, trying to get involved in both of his businesses. Turns out, he was the one who introduced Mr. Hargrove to the supplier who came to the wedding. He set up their meeting.”
My jaw is practically hanging in my salad.
“They said if all goes well, his ass will be in prison.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“I know, right?”
“Wow, I really know how to pick ‘em, don’t I?”
My sister shrugs, noncommittal. “You were on the side of the good guys with Max and Miles.”
CHAPTER 61
CALLIE
Days go by, and apparently the wheels of justice do turn slowly, because I hear from my sister that things will be tied up with Mr. Hargrove and all of the legal proceedings for quite some time. Sadie and Adam do their best to get back to a normal life, now as a married couple.
The iced coffees continue to arrive daily. I should contact the men and tell them to stop, but I assume the deliveries will cease when they leave town, or when they eventually lose interest. But they keep coming, sometimes with a little note, often without.
On a rainy morning, there’s a folded umbrella next to the coffee, propped against the house. On another day, there’s a plant in a small green pot. Three stems of bamboo, tied together with a golden band. An attached message reads, “It reminded us of the three of us. We belong together, Callie.”
I never dreamed they would be this persistent, and I remember a conversation I had with Max about how small gestures mean more to me than big ones. He was listening, and he remembered.
I see my mom a few times over the weeks that follow, and we talk about things little by little. Early on, I apologize for bringing the men to the wedding, and like my sister, she assures me that she doesn’t think I’m at fault.
“Max and Miles explained that you had no idea about the secret work they do,” she says. “And that you weren’t actually dating.”
“When Max heard I needed a date, he offered to pose as my fake boyfriend, and he asked if his brother could come along.”
“They told me that, too, and it made me realize that I’m ultimately responsible, since I’m the one who pressured you to bring a date to the wedding.”
“I know you just wanted everything to be perfect.”
She lets out a huff. “Imagine! I was trying to impress Mr. Hargrove. Thank heavens Adam wasn’t involved in any of that.”
On another visit, she says, “Your sister let slip some things I never knew about your relationship with Rick.”
“Oh?”
“Callie, why didn’t you tell me what he did?”
“I don’t know … I figured you’d be disappointed in me for letting myself be taken advantage of.”
She gives me an odd look, her features pinching toward the center of her face. “Really? Is that what you think I’d—” She stops herself, then continues on to ask, “And is that why you didn’t tell me about the money issues, about why you quit school and why you’ve been working so much?”
I shrug. “I didn’t want to be a burden.”
She rushes toward me and envelops me in a hug. “Oh, Callie! I love you. You could never in a million years be a burden.”
Today, I’m helping Mom harvest blackberries in her yard, and while both of us are deep in the brambles, she lobs a question at me, out of the blue. “So, how are things going with Max and Miles?”
“How are things going?”
“Yes, have you been seeing them?”
“No … I’m not really in touch with them anymore.” Unless you count coffee deliveries and random notes that I never respond to.
