"You coming to the Memorial Day thing at the VFW?"
"Probably."
"Callie's making donuts for it. Special order." He grins. "You should stop by the shop later this week, and tell her what you want."
My hands tighten on the truck door. "I'll think about it."
"Come on, man. When's the last time you had a good donut?"
"Yesterday."
He laughs. "Fair point. Still stop by, she'd like to see you."
I don't ask how he knows that. I get in the truck and drive away before he can say anything else that makes this worse.
The drive home takes twenty minutes. I spend all of them trying not to think about Callie. About how she looked when I walked into the shop yesterday morning. About the way her fingers brushed mine when she handed me the coffee. About her voice on the phone last night.
I fail spectacularly.
By the time I pull up to the cabin, I've made a decision. I need to stay away from Morning Star Donuts, and stay away from Callie. It's the only way this works. The only way I don't betray Luke's trust.
I take a cold shower, it doesn't help.
I try to work. The London office sent over new specs for the security protocol I'm building. I stare at the code on my screen and see nothing but Callie's eyes. Green. Sharp. Seeing too much.
I give up and go for a run.
The land around my cabin is five acres of woods and open field. I run the perimeter twice, pushing myself until my lungs burn and my legs ache. Physical pain I can handle, this other thing, this wanting, I don't know what to do with.
When I get back, I'm dripping sweat and no closer to any kind of peace.
My phone shows three missed calls. Two from work. One from my sister in Colorado.
I call Emma back first.
"Finally," she says when she answers. "I was starting to think you'd fallen off the mountain."
"I went running."
"Very wilderness man of you. How's Texas?"
"Hot."
"Shocking." I hear her moving around, probably multitasking like always. "I talked to Mom last week. She's worried about you."
"Why?"
"Because you live alone in the woods and never date anyone. Her words, not mine."
I pinch the bridge of my nose. "I'm fine."
"Are you?"
"Emma."
"Ethan." She mimics my tone perfectly. "Seriously. When's the last time you did something besides work and hang out with Luke?"
"Yesterday. I went to a donut shop."
