Page 26 of Legacy

And it killed me. Because he wasn’t mine. He would never be. And I needed to grow up and get over him. Not that the man would ever make it easy.

Callum held up both hands, eyes wide. “What’s your problem?”

“I don’t have a problem, Callum. And I’m really independent and can handle holding a couple of boxes on my own.”

“I was just trying to help.”

“I think you’ve done enough, then.”

“What the hell’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing’s wrong with me. Nothing’s ever been wrong with me. You are the one who always saw faults.”

“I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about right now. Let me help you because I know opening your car door is going to be difficult.”

“Then I’ll drop the pies.”

“It doesn’t make any sense. Why would you do that to spite yourself?”

“I’m careful. I’m an adult. I can do little things like holding boxes of pies by myself, Callum. You don’t need to keep rushing out to save me.”

When his eyes widened fractionally, I thought maybe he got it. Yet, I needed to make sure. “I don’t need another big brother. I don’t need you to constantly act all growly around me and try to help. In fact, I’m moving on. So just let me be.” I whirled on my feet, nearly dropping the pies again, and stomped towards my car.

Well, that would show him. Speaking out of turn and flailing like a little girl, all while saying I was getting over him. Because when had I ever been under him? No, he had never known the full extent of my crush. And yet, I was pretty sure I’d just blurted it.

I was an idiot.

I did indeed get the pies into my SUV without dropping anything, though it had been a little precarious.

I was so stupid when it came to Callum Ashford. I always had been. My palms were freaking sweaty at this point, and I blamed him. Or rather, my reaction to him. I just needed to get over him and whatever crush might be annoying me at the time and move on. Just like I had told him. To his face. Like an idiot.

I groaned and tried not to lean my head against the steering wheel since I was still driving. By the time I pulled into my mother’s driveway and parked behind her car, I was finally breathing a bit more and feeling as though I wasn’t fully losing my mind.

I didn’t even have to open my door before my dad was there, a grin on his face.

“There’s my baby girl.”

I laughed, unbuckled my seatbelt, and threw myself into Jackson Carter’s arms. At fifty-five, he was robust, strong, and looked nowhere near his age. I was an ‘oops’ baby, to say the least, but I was fine with that. My two older brothers were far older than me, and yet, it hadn’t mattered. I’d come along, and they’d treated me like their little doll. Maybe an action figure, if I was honest. Both Atlas and Rune had carried me around on their shoulders and showed me off to the world. Then they’d all gone off to college, Callum and the rest included, leaving me behind. That’s when my parents and I truly bonded. When it felt as though I was an only child, waiting for my big brothers to return.

My dad’s hugs were an example of exactly the type of guy he was. They were real hugs. You could divulge all of your secrets and know you were safe in his arms as he held you. He squeezed me once and kissed the top of my head.

“It’s been far too long.”

I smiled despite my nerves from before. “It’s been forty-eight hours.”

“Far too long. My baby chick lives so close, and yet, I never see her.”

I grinned and pointed towards the right wing of the house.

“I live with you. I haven’t seen you in forty-eight hours because you went on a fishing trip, and the timing interfered with my work hours. I’m sorry you don’t see me often enough.”

“You’d think I would since we share a roof. Now, do I see some of Fiona’s pies there?”

I grimaced and gestured towards my passenger seat. “There they are for you. And I didn’t drop one.”

He raised a brow. “I wouldn’t think you would have. Something you should tell me?”

I pressed my lips together and shook my head. “Nope. Other than next time, Atlas gets the pies.”