Page 63 of Legacy

“Wait, you never said that.”

“I didn’t think it was a problem.”

“But we already have the stuff in the house,” Rune said as he threw his head back and sighed audibly. “Now I’m going to have to move shit so she can paint.”

I pressed my lips together, wondering why my older brother always acted like a toddler when it came to things like that. He acted as if he didn’t own a business and wasn’t a fully functioning adult who knew what the hell he was doing.

“It’s really okay. I don’t need to paint.”

“Oh, but Felicity, we can totally do that.” My mom rubbed her hands together. “Wouldn’t that be fun?”

“I’m really okay,” I said, looking at the looks of horror on all the men’s faces in front of me. “I have enough to decorate for now. And, we all have other things to do other than painting.”

“See? I knew my daughter was brilliant.” My dad gave me a one-armed hug before he gestured towards his SUV. “Rune, Callum, you want to help me get a few boxes out of the trunk?”

“Boxes?” I asked. “I thought I had everything.”

“Well, you needed more frames and things for the walls. And there was that one vase that you liked when we went to that home goods store, and well, you need it.”

“Mom. You don’t need to buy me everything.”

“I don’t need to, I want to. Let me spoil you. You’re my baby girl.”

I wanted to sigh at that, but then my mom reached out and patted Rune’s cheek. “Just like you’re my baby boy. I don’t care if you all are sixty years old, and I’m walking beside you with my little walker. You’ll be my babies. Now, help me do the heavy lifting because that is what your strong backs are for.” She reached up and squeezed Callum’s cheek, and he just grinned down at her, the love in his eyes brilliant.

“Anything for you, Mrs. Carter.”

“Stop flirting with my mom,” Rune growled, his lips quirked into a smile.

Callum met my gaze for a moment, and I swallowed hard, knowing Keely was right.

Secrets always had a way of biting you in the ass.

The problem was, however, I didn’t know if the secrets were just between myself and the rest of town or if the secret happened to be between Callum and me.

Because I couldn’t read his face.

Not entirely.

Yet the desire in those eyes? I couldn’t mistake that.

And he didn’t look like a man who said it was only going to be one time.

No, he looked like a man on the hunt.

And I was his prey.

And frankly, I didn’t feel like I wanted to run.

Chapter 10

Felicity

Despite the fact that Ashford Creek tended to know a little bit too much about my personal life and wanted to know everybody’s business, I loved this town. I loved the way that they took care of each other. I loved the fact that you were technically never alone, and I just loved that open mountain air.

Settled in the Rocky Mountains, west of Denver, slightly off I-70, Ashford Creek was a typical tourist town, yet not quite touristy. We didn’t have the huge ski resorts nor a full national park entrance, but we were close enough to each that we had a decent tourist schedule. People wanted to bike within our parks. They wanted that small-town feel to get fudge and flowers and little gift shop amenities. Tourists kept the town going because mountain towns couldn’t last without an influx of people.

And I knew many of the full-timers didn’t appreciate that.