Chapter 28

Callum

I’m in love. I’m fucking in love. For the first time in my life… I’ve fallen for someone. And not just anyone… the one .

Violet left Atta Boy Brewery about fifteen minutes ago, heading back home to finish up her work on the ranch. Home . The word feels strange because for the first time in a long time, home doesn’t feel like it’s split between two places. Hers and mine. It’s ours. And now that she’s gone, I already miss her more than I care to admit. It's like the second she walked out the door, a piece of me went with her.

I sit at my desk, absentmindedly flipping through paperwork, but my mind keeps drifting back to Violet. Her smile, the way she teased me earlier, the warmth of her body pressed against mine. I realize with a pang that I'm not just missing her company. I’m missing her. And the thought of that hits me harder than I expect.

Before I can get too lost in my thoughts, the door to my office swings open, and Anya steps in, a mischievous smile already tugging at the corners of her lips. "So, Cal, what’s up?" she asks, her voice light as she strolls over, like she’s expecting me to give her some type of order.

I glance up, and without hesitation, say, "Hey, I need your help."

Her eyes widen in mock surprise as she shuts the door behind her and hurries over to me. "Wait, what? You need my help?" She doesn’t waste any time reaching out to press the back of her hand to my forehead, checking for a fever. "Are you feeling okay? Cal never asks for help."

I roll my eyes, leaning back in my chair, though her teasing only makes me smile. "Oh, ha ha," I say, swatting her hand away. "Yes, I need your help. I want to plan something special for Violet."

Anya raises an eyebrow, intrigued now, but still clearly not ready for what I’m about to say.

"I want to plan a wedding," I continue, the words feeling more real now that they’re out in the open. "A real one. For me and Violet."

Anya’s eyes go wide, her mouth opening slightly as she processes what I’ve just said. It’s like I can see the gears turning in her head, the realization slowly dawning on her face. Then, a grin spreads across her lips, and she practically bounces on her toes. "Oh my god," she gasps, her voice filled with excitement. "My older brother’s in love!"

I let out a soft laugh, though I can feel the truth of her words settle deep inside me. She’s right. I am. Somewhere along the way, without even realizing it, I fell in love with Violet.

I rub the back of my neck, feeling a little sheepish. "Yeah," I admit quietly, the weight of it finally hitting me. "I am."

Anya squeals and rushes over to hug me, practically knocking the breath out of me. "This is amazing!" she exclaims, pulling back to look at me with wide, sparkling eyes. "I’m so happy for you, Cal! You and Violet are perfect together. So what’s the plan? What do you need me to do?"

I smile, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. "Well, I want it to be a surprise. Something simple, but meaningful. Just us, maybe family and close friends. I don’t want anything huge or over-the-top. I just… I want to make it official. For her. For us."

Anya claps her hands together, already brimming with ideas. "I’ve got you covered," she says, her voice determined. "Leave it to me. We’ll make this perfect. Violet’s not going to know what hit her."

I lean back in my chair, the thought of a real wedding with Violet making my heart race. I never thought I’d be here—planning a wedding for the woman I’m in love with. But now, I can’t imagine anything more right.

"Thanks, Anya," I say, my voice softer now, more sincere. "This means a lot."

She smiles, reaching out to squeeze my hand. "You deserve this, Cal. And so does she."

“Thanks,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck.

Anya takes a seat across from me, her expression serious yet filled with the warmth she’s always had. She meets my eyes with a calm intensity. “Can I say something?” she asks, her tone almost too gentle, like she’s about to drop something heavy on me.

I crack a smile, knowing full well that whether I say yes or no, she’ll say what’s on her mind. “Even if I said no, you’d say it anyway. So, yes, go ahead.”

She grins, but it fades quickly as she leans forward slightly, her voice soft but direct. “Ever since we were kids, you’ve always felt like you had this obligation to all of us. Like you were responsible for making sure everything was okay, like you couldn’t ever really have fun because you were always watching over us. You’ve been that way forever. Even when you opened this brewery, you’ve been married to the job since day one. You work harder than anyone else here—and I don’t think it’s because you’re the boss. It’s more than that.”

Her words catch me off guard, though I try to play it off. “What do you mean?”

She looks at me like she’s been holding onto this observation for a long time, waiting for the right moment to let it out. “I think you’ve held the reins for so long, you’re afraid to let go.”

I shake my head, trying to brush off the truth in her words, but there’s no point pretending. “It’s not that, Anya,” I say, though my voice lacks the conviction I wish it had. “I just… I wanted to make sure our family had everything. Maybe I’ve been a little too controlling with the brewery, but I’ve always felt this weight, like I needed to make sure this place succeeded—for all of us. Dad invested into this place, and I wanted to make sure he got his money back, and then some. I wanted to make sure none of us would ever have to struggle because this place didn’t make it. You know what I mean?”

Anya nods, her eyes filled with understanding. “I do. And that’s exactly why you’ve always taken on more than you needed to. You wanted to protect us. But, Cal, you’ve already done that. This place has succeeded. You built something incredible here. And now, maybe it’s time to loosen the reins a little. Not let go completely,” she adds with a smile, knowing how hard that would be for me, “but just enough to let the rest of us help. We’re here too, you know. You don’t have to carry it all on your shoulders. We can help, and you can spend that extra time with Violet.”

Her words sink in slowly, like a release I didn’t know I needed. It’s like she’s just given me permission to finally let go of this iron grip I’ve had on the brewery—and my life. For years, I’ve convinced myself that as long as my family was happy, that was enough. That their happiness meant mine. But lately, especially since Violet, I’ve realized how much I’ve denied myself. How much I’ve avoided the idea that maybe I deserve something for me too.

I feel a wave of relief lift off my shoulders, like I can finally breathe. “I guess I have been working too much,” I admit quietly. “I’ve never really put myself out there, not for real. Honestly, as long as you all were happy, I thought that was enough. I didn’t care about my own happiness.”

Anya’s eyes shimmer with emotion, and I see the tear slide down her cheek before she stands up. She walks around my desk and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug, her small frame somehow offering the comfort I didn’t even realize I needed. “You deserve happiness too, Cal,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. “You deserve someone to look after you, just like you’ve always looked after all of us.”

Her words settle deep in my chest, right where I’ve kept that guarded part of me hidden for so long. And for the first time, I feel like maybe she’s right. Maybe I do deserve happiness. Maybe it’s time to stop being afraid of letting someone in.

I close my eyes, holding onto my little sister for a moment longer, feeling more at peace than I have in years. "Thanks, Anya," I murmur. "I needed that."

She pulls back, wiping her cheek with a smile. "I know you did."

Anya leaves my office and I grab my phone, pulling up the chat with just my brothers and Griffin.

I’m getting married.

Griffin: I just heard.

Brock: Wait. What? I’m outta the loop…as always.

Tripp: Thought you were already married.

Now we’re making it more about us.

Griffin: He just asked Anya to plan the whole thing. Congrats, dude.

Paxton: Any excuse to drink is good enough for me. But seriously, congrats.

Tripp: I’m so happy you’ve come to your senses and fallen in love.

We’re having a wedding, a real one. Don’t tell Violet, I want it to be a surprise.

Paxton: Chicks dig surprises. This one time I went out and bought this bed bondage system for Hartford. She fucking loved it.

I don’t even know what any of those words mean.

Shep: Bed bondage what?

Brock: You and Hart get into some kinky shit. It’s actually nice because Hartford’s given Willow tons of ideas.

Griffin: Anya too.

Paxton: Ha ha. Don’t knock it until you try it. Maybe for your wedding present, Cal, I’ll gift you a bed bondage set. I think Violet would love it.

Shep: Hey I didn’t get any wedding presents from anyone.

Tripp: It’s because you and Felicity eloped in Vegas. Sorry, dude.

Paxton: I’ll get you and Felicity one too. Bed Bondage Systems all around boys. Griffin, sorry bro, can’t get behind getting you one to use on our sister.

Brock: Gross. Yeah, Griff, you guys need to just not have sex at all.

Disgusting. Can we not talk about Griff and Anya’s sex life? Please?

Griffin: Don’t worry boys, Anya and I have a subscription to a sex box.

Paxton: A WHAT? They have those?

Griffin: Yep. Here’s the link sexsexandmoresex.sex

Shep: Cal, I’m happy for you. Seriously. You and Violet both deserve this.

Griffin: I could tell you two were meant for each other when we went camping.

Brock: Happy for you too, Cal. Whatever you need.

Tripp: Same. Congrats, big brother. Violet is amazing.

Shep: Happy to have her as a sister-in-law.

Thank you everyone. Where’s Paxton? He’s gone quiet.

Griffin: I’m sure he’s shopping sex subscription boxes.

Paxton: 100% They have so many cool things on this site. Thanks, Griff. When’s the wedding?

Next weekend. Don’t tell Violet. Tripp, make sure Millie knows not to tell Violet.

Tripp: I’ve already told her, and she’s super excited. Whoever knew you’d be such a romantic, Cal. I’m proud.