Page 30 of Goode Tidings

"Why? Because you don't want everyone to know your fib?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

I poke him hard in the chest with the plastic packaging containing the tweezers. He flinches. "Too bad. Every time someone in this town asks me where I'm staying and I answer honestly, they look at me as if I've grown a second head."

"You haven't told any of them the truth?" Relief softens the worry in his gaze.

"No, but only because I haven't determined if your secret is worth keeping." I poke him again, digging the corner in a little. There's no way it hurts; the fabric of his shirt is too thick, but it's enough to let him know I don't love being dishonest with people. "Is the reason you came here and took over that cabin worthwhile, or were you an entitled asshole who saw something you wanted and took it?"

He stares down at me. His jaw tics. He's definitely thinking about confiding in me. I can tell. It's a gift.

His mouth opens. I ready my ears for listening.

"Life was going just fine for me until you showed up and ruined everything." There's a stern set to his jaw.

"Me?" I point back at myself, making an exaggerated expression to let him know I'm offended.

"Yes. You." He leans closer. "I've never dropped a towel in front of anybody or been sprayed by a skunk until you appeared in my life. You're chaos on two feet."

I huff an aggrieved breath. "I did not make those things happen. I'm not that powerful."

"Are you sure about that? You told me you bleed for one fifth of the month and you don't die." He shrugs. "Seems pretty powerful to me."

I scowl at him and make a sassy motion with my head that sends a throbbing pain over my upper back. Too many hours this week spent hunched over putting the finishing touches on that design to be considered for the Blossom collab.

"What's wrong with you?" Callum asks as I reach over my right shoulder with my left hand and massage the irritated muscle.

"Angry trapezius," I answer.

"Hmm. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe heat is good for something like that. If only there were a way you could sit in a tub of hot water."

I continue to knead at the inflamed muscle, grimacing. "I'm not sitting in your hot tub, Callum."

He rolls his eyes. Great. I am the recipient of eye-rolling from both my teenage son, and an adult male. "Remnants of my nakedness, not that there were any, are long gone." He says it with this depleted tone, like I am oh so exhausting.

I'm already sleeping in his bed, using his kitchen appliances, his shower, his couch. I would love to feel the sweet relief on my irritated muscles, but I don't want to use another thing of Callum's. It doesn't feel right.

"Laundry," I blurt, remembering my earlier thought. "Don't you need to use the cabin's washer and dryer?"

"There's a small laundromat attached to the motel." His eyes look me over. "But thanks for your concern."

Tim appears at the far end of the aisle. "Are you still planning on buying those tweezers? Or are you two gonna hide out in the aisle and banter all damn day?"

"Coming," I call, turning on my heel and marching toward the register at the front of the store.

Footsteps clomp behind me.

"You don't have to follow me to make sure I don't inform on you," I say over my shoulder.

Callum catches up to me in a single stride. Seriously, why are his legs so long?

"I'm buying something, too," he says, dropping his lips to my ear. "And I'll tell you why I'm here when you're honest about the same."

My gaze whips up to his as we round the end of the aisle. He levels me with a satisfied smirk.

"After you," he says, gesturing for me to step up to the register first.

Tim takes the tweezers and scans the barcode on the box. I glance over my shoulder where Callum stands a few feet behind me, hands empty. "Doesn't look to me like you're buying anything."