Chapter Twenty-Six

Callie

Emery’s face lights up in the sweetest way when she sees me the next morning. She runs to me across the kitchen, her eyes brimming happily, her mouth open in a wide grin. I ignore the little niggling voice that tells me this could end in disaster. There’s too much warmth in me to believe it anymore. If I can’t trust this feeling, what can I trust?

“Callie,” she beams. “Oh, Callie.”

She throws herself into a hug. I wrap my arms around her body, holding her close.

“Can we make breakfast together, please?” she pleads.

“We sure can,” I tell her, moving around the kitchen bar with her hand in mine.

Wes stands at the entrance to the kitchen. For a moment, his expression is clouded with suspicion, just like it was at the ice cream parlor. But when Emery giggles and says, “You need a pan for eggs , Callie,” Wes’s face changes. It lights up almost like Emery’s. He smiles at me and nods as if to say, I was wrong about you . He doesn’t need to say anything else. I’m sure I’ve read that right.

“Emery, I’m going to talk to your daddy and then get going.”

“Oh, bye-bye, Uncle Wes!”

Emery and I busy ourselves in the kitchen. She insists we sit at the window overlooking the yard as we eat. My heart swells with love when she excitedly says, “It’s almost as pretty as you, C-A-L-L-I-E!”

After breakfast, I set her up with a book in the library. Gray joins me at the door. He doesn’t loop his arm around my waist, but I can sense him wanting to do that.

In a quiet voice, he tells me, “Wes has agreed to speak to Sloane.”

My stomach cramps with nerves. This is the big fat what-if that’s been hovering over everything. For the first time since the magic of last night, my resolve falters.

“What’s he going to say?”

“That I’m finally happy. That we have to put Emery first. And that you’re a good person who’s not trying to steal Emery, and you want the best for her.”

“Of course I do,” I say passionately.

He gently wraps his arm around my waist. I freeze for a moment, wondering if we’re going too far in front of Emery. But I have to start letting go of thoughts like that. Emery looks up and sees us. Her eyebrows shoot up almost comically, and a sweet smile graces her lips. Her expression suddenly becomes grownup in her precocious way. For a second, I think she’s going to say, I told you so .

But then she does something even more mature, especially for a girl with as much energy as she has. She smiles for a moment longer and then turns back to her book as though agreeing to let the development go unacknowledged, assenting to let it effortlessly and beautifully become a part of her life.

“I have to ask you something,” Gray says. “It’s tough, Callie.”

I turn to him, a chord of tension striking in me. But I try to keep my voice down and level for Emery. “What is it?” I ask.

“If Wes somehow makes Sloane see reason, you’ll have to forgive her for what she did with your ex-boss. I hate that bastard for what he did, and part of me hates her for pulling some crap like that. Drug addiction, pure sadism, whatever it was—there’s no excuse. But if we’re going to be together, you’ll need to find a way to let it go. Believe me, I don’t want to do this to you.”

“It’s done,” I tell him.

His mouth falls open in shock. “Really?”

“I meant what I said, Gray. I want the best for Emery. That’s why I tried to fight my feelings. It’s why I tried to lie to myself. I know what it’s like to be a scared, confused little girl. I know what it’s like to wonder and wonder if everything’s going to be okay. If forgiving Sloane is the price I must pay for Emery’s happiness, I’ll pay it.” I lay my hand on his chest over his heart. “Anyway, maybe Sloane can find a place of peace. Perhaps she can be the mother Emery deserves. I don’t want to replace her. I just want to make Emery’s life better.”

He lowers his voice. “I want to kiss you so badly right now.”

“Later,” I whisper.

We don’t want to rush Emery too fast. She’s been through so much. For now, we settle on holding hands. Emery looks up, unable to contain her energy for any longer. My heart glows when she hops down from her chair and skips over. She toes the floor in front of her, seeming uncharacteristically nervous.

“Is there something you want to say?” I ask.

“Can I hold hands too?”

Gray chuckles. I laugh.

“Sure you can,” I tell her.

“Yippee!” She clasps both her hands around ours, grinning up at both of us.

***

Later, Emery is taking a nap. Wes has arrived with news from Sloane. We’re in the living room, and a light rain is falling outside. Gray’s best friend is looking at me so differently; it’s difficult to remember how distrustful he was when we first met.

“Sloane has checked herself into rehab,” Wes says.

Gray’s hand tightens on me, his surprise evident.

“I know,” Wes murmurs, glancing at his friend. “It shows a level of self-awareness I never would’ve anticipated in my sister. I know this might not mean much to you, Callie, Gray, but she’s been going through a rough time. All her life has been tough. It’s made her—” He cuts himself off with a dark sigh. “A bad person,” he continues as if it hurts him to say this. “I’ve tried to ignore it, to justify it, but I can’t. Seeing you happy for the first time in years, Gray, has changed my perspective. It’s forced me to take an honest look at the situation. Sloane was never right for you—she’s made mistakes.”

“She’s Emery’s mom,” I say. “If she can work on herself and come back in a position to care, I think that’s a great thing.”

Wes gasps, then smiles at Gray. “Is she putting this on?” he says, laughing.

Unlike the last time, when he seemed genuinely convinced I was pretending to be somebody I wasn’t, this was clearly a joke.

“This is who she is,” Gray replies, wrapping his arm around me. “You can’t fake perfection like this.” He leans over and kisses me on the cheek.

As usual, warmth flutters through me at the kiss.

Wes takes something from his inside jacket pocket. “She’s written a note. I think it’ll explain things better than I can.” He clears his throat, then reads. “I’m aware I’ve behaved in ways embarrassing and dishonorable for a woman who calls herself a mother. I don’t want to blame my behavior on anybody or anything, but the fact is, I’ve been running from demons my entire life. I’m sorry that I threatened to drag Emery through the courts. That would’ve been a wicked thing to do. I was jealous when I saw you happy, Gray, but then I realized something… you could only be happy with her. Not me. Callie is as special to you as Emery should be to me. But I have put myself first too often. When I return, I hope you will let me see Emery in whatever capacity you see fit. I hope Callie can offer Emery her love and care. I hope we can find a way for all of us to coexist.”

I blink, shocked at the tears pricking my eyes. I’m imagining my mom writing something like that. I feel for her immediately, intensely. “I don’t want to replace her,” I murmur. “She’ll always have a place with Emery. Won’t she, Gray?”

I turn to find him looking down at me, his eyes glistening.

“What?” I say.

“Just… you.” He leans down and kisses me briefly on the cheek. “For somebody who’s lived such a hard life, who’s been treated like crap when you never deserved it, you’re so forgiving.”

“Maybe I can only be forgiving because I was treated that way,” I murmur. “And this is all about Emery. It has to be.”

“Thank you,” Wes says, tucking the letter away. “Really, Callie. I was a jerk to you when we first met. I’ve been trying to ignore Sloane’s bullcrap for years. But what she pulled with that Jorge asshat, that was just unacceptable. We had one hell of an argument, but she’s seen sense. I just hope she can stick to the path. And if not, then at least Emery has a maternal figure who cares about her.”

Finally, the tears start sliding down my cheeks. I nod, my vision blurring, unable to believe how lucky I am. Deep down, there’s a voice whispering, But what if he controls you? What if… ?

“Callie, Daddy, can we have some pizza?” Emery calls, running into the living room, overflowing with happiness, and I couldn’t hear that small self-doubting voice if I tried.