Page 63 of Goode Tidings

He laughs at that last part. "Did you write all that just now? Or was that in a draft, waiting around for the right time?"

I tap my head. "That was off the cuff. If I had a little more time, it would've been better."

"That was good, Eden. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"You think I have a nice butt?"

"We've been over this. Is that really what you took from the submission from an unknown person named Andes?"

He shrugs, but he looks impish. "You called me Hot Squat."

"Andes called you Hot Squat." I realize my misstep now. Subconscious thoughts sneaking out, making themselves known.

"You called me naked squatter before." He looks so pleased. Goodness, it's cute.

I release an exaggerated annoyed breath. "Oh my gosh, Callum. Fine. You're hot, ok? But you have eyes. You knew that."

He swallows the last of his wine. "When you're cheated on, especially by someone you're about to pledge your life to, it can take a nasty hit on your self-esteem."

"She's an idiot."

"She didn't know how to tell me she wasn't really in love with me. That was the problem. She couldn't tell the truth." He sets his empty cup on the ground beside his chair. "That's why I think your lack of a filter is refreshing. You seem like a person who tells the truth, even when it's hard."

He's right. I tell the truth when it matters. But he's wrong in thinking I don't have a filter.

If that were true, I'd be saying things to him that I shouldn't.

CHAPTER 29

Callum

It starts with a dinner invitation from Oliver. He comes down to the office, knocks on my door, and says his mom wants to know if I'd like to eat with them again.

He looks curiously at my two-screen work setup and asks me about Goode Tidings. I show him the ins and outs of website management, the back end of the website builder. "My mom said you go through the submissions yourself. I can help you with that, if you want help. You have to pay me though. I am not working for free."

I chuckle at his cleverness and clap him on his back. "There is no way I'm letting you see some of the garbage I'm sent." Learning about the worst of humanity is an unfortunate byproduct of growing older, but I'll do what I can to shield him from it as long as possible.

"Garbage?" He makes a dubious face. "But you run a good news website."

"People are weird."

That's how I end up eating dinner with Eden and Oliver on that particular night. Every night thereafter? I really can't say. It happens without fanfare. A leaky sink repair leads to why don't you stay? I'm making sage and brown butter gnocchi. You can learn. Then we're bumping into each other in the kitchen, and I determine Eden doesn't mind if I make mistakes when I'm learning to cook. I also discover how cute and ok fine, sexy she looks wearing her favorite apron with the floral embroidery.

Another time it's a text that says We're starting an LOTR movie marathon and it wouldn't feel right without it's number one fan. Couch dinner? This is how I learn she likes to snuggle under blankets to watch movies, and silently recites the most well-known lines. She also hides her face during certain scenes and peeks just long enough to decide it's too gross and covers her eyes again. It's adorable, but I start telling her when she can look again so she doesn't have to put herself through it.

It's nice spending so much time with Oliver and Eden. Somehow, it feels natural. Easy. Oliver seems to like that I'm there. He's a good kid, and it's not hard to see why. He has an incredible mom.

Every night when I leave the cabin, I say good night and thank Eden for letting me crash their two-person party. One night, Eden says, "It's safe to say our parties are three-person now."

Her words do something to the once-stunted organ in my chest. My heart beats faster, harder, expanding with these new feelings.

Each time I leave the cabin, it's becoming more difficult to simply offer a wave and be on my way.

I think I have a crush on Eden Madigan.

"I said no." I frown at the beautiful and headstrong woman walking briskly beside me.