“Nope. I like my life exactly as it is. This is not my scene anymore.”
“It would be if you hadn’t been injured.”
“Nah, even when I played football, I hated the crowds.”
“You mean the fans?”
“Maybe.” He shrugs, and I can’t help the laugh that bursts out of me until his football career seeps back into my mind.
“Have you spoken to your dad?” Callum’s dad is American and his mom is Scottish. They lived next door to us in North Carolina during our teenage years. Callum’s between Easton and me in age, but they played football together when we were inhigh school, so they were much closer. Until Easton moved away for college and Callum and I stayed near home.
He injured himself before starting his second season in the pros, during an altercation with his dad, the same year his parents divorced. And when his mom moved back to Scotland to take care ofherdad, he followed.
“No, but he tried reaching out. He heard about the wedding from your dad.”
I cringe, my face scrunching in apology. Easton doesn’t like me talking to Dad about his life. They don’t speak. It’s why his last name is Wilder and mine’s Reynolds. He convinced Mom to change his name to her maiden name as soon as he was old enough to understand what sharing a last name means. My brother may not express emotion, but he feels it, and our parents’ split hit him pretty hard.
I’ve always looked at it differently from him. I’m more pragmatic. They tried to make it work and it didn’t. Was single parenting hard on Mom? Of course. But I imagine staying in a loveless relationship would have been a lot harder. And now she has Phil.
As if knowing I’m thinking about them, Mom and Phil wave through the window from where they’re talking to my sister and her husband outside.
“I’m sorry about my dad. That’s on me. I promise I never mentioned you. But I probably shouldn’t have told him about Easton either. Although, I’m sure Mom or Addie would have said something too. Easton’s the only one who cut him off.”
“It’s not your fault. And it’s not hard to ignore him.”
I almost laugh until Callum forces a smile, the edges failing to meet his eyes. Not that he ever usually smiles that wide.
“I think it’s time we had a drink. What do you say?”
“Am I going to be attacked by your boyfriend?”
“Shut up. I don’t have a boyfriend. And even if I did, I’m sure it would be clear that there are no sparks between us. At all. You’re too much like my brother. So that would be wrong.”
“But it’s okay if it’s your brother’s father-in-law?” Callum raises an eyebrow, his melancholy gone, replaced with his dry humor. He didn’t even smile as he delivered that blow.
“Stop. We’re not talking about this today. It’s Paige and Easton’s day. I’m not ruining it by one of them overhearing that I have a thing for Paige’s dad.”
“It’s athingnow.”
“Callum,” I warn and he raises his hands in the air.
“I’m stopping. But I’m not sure he’s feeling the vibes you think you’re putting out.”
“What vibes? What do you mean?”
“I don’t think he realizes you’re repulsed by the very idea of hooking up with me. And I you. At least not from the glare he’s shooting my way.”
“First, repulsed sounds kind of mean, especially now that you’re referring to me. And second, that’s not helpful. I don’t want to know that information. Okay?”
“Fine. He’s not jealous. He’s too busy flirting with a gorgeous mature woman who looks like she stepped straight out of a Hollywood movie.”
“Dammit, Callum. That’s his ex-wife.” My chest burns as I fight the urge to look.
“Damn.I was only messing with you. Sorry ’bout that.”
“No, you’re not. Come on. You’re buying me a drink.”
“Aren’t they free?”
