Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

The inside of the car had gotten hot once again as they'd gotten closer to the coast, and Callum leaned into the rush of wind coming from the driver's side window. He adjusted his sunglasses, frustration seeping through his fingertips as they got closer to La Hacienda.

The last few days had been a whirlwind, none more frustrating than the night before when they'd gotten back to the room at Tabacón. Sleeping in a bed with Liddy again had been painful because he'd wanted to curl his arm around her waist and draw her into his body, which kept betraying him with images of their kiss in the hot springs.

And Sergio had clearly confused her.

He wanted to be angry with her but— fuck. She'd wanted that wanker first.

All right, so maybe he turned out not to be a wanker, but still . . .

And now that Liddy had learned Sergio was everything she'd hoped he would be and Elle would get the dress back, everything would go back to the way it had been. They still had to pretend they were dating, but that was easy enough.

A relationship with one of his employees wasn't an option and this would all end neatly, with no messy emotional drama.

Just how I prefer it.

Except, as he glanced at Liddy, who looked unexpectedly tanned and tropical in the dress she'd bought from the hotel, her hair pushed back by her bandanna, but long and flowing over her shoulders, he wanted to stop the car and kiss her until she understood she should be considering a date with him and not that nitwit Sergio.

But if I have to convince her of that, then there's nothing for me to say.

He would never beg a woman to choose him. Never.

And anyway, what was there for her to choose? They'd shared a kiss. A good one. But that didn't mean anything else was on the table.

I don't have feelings for her.

Not that Sergio is probably looking for anything either. He lives in Costa Rica.

Though he had come from London . . .

He had to stop thinking about this.

"I still feel like we should have gone to get the dress this morning," Liddy said as they pulled into Samara's main street.

Callum blinked away his convoluted internal debate, then flicked his gaze at her. The beach was right off the main road, glistening in the morning sun, and she looked like she belonged here. He, on the other hand, felt more awkward than ever in his touristy Pura Vida emblazoned T-shirt from La Fortuna.

"I have to go out that way anyway to pick up Isla this afternoon. It would honestly be a waste of four hours if we went now, and it would make more sense to arrive with Isla at this point. It'll be fine. Now that we've rescued your passport, you may even arrange with the airline to have me pick it up for you if I take it."

"You don't think I'm going to get arrested for bringing pot into the country, do you?"

Callum shook his head. "They probably just confiscated it and gave Sergio a stern warning. Who knows? They let him out, and they wouldn't have done that if they were worried about drug trafficking. Besides"—he nodded to the beach—"Samara may not be as big of a hippie, pot-smoking town as Tamarindo or some of the other beaches on this coast, but it has its fair share of lawbreakers. The police will let it slide as long as it's not flagrant or excessive."

"I'm still worried. And still going to kill Logan. What did you tell him when you asked him if he had left pot in the bag?"

Callum shrugged. "I asked him if that's why he'd said his mum wanted to see the dress, he admitted it was, and I told him that Isla found the bag while she was packing. I explained we didn't tell him we didn't have it because we didn't want his mum to be worried and asked for him to be discreet."

Liddy winced. "I feel bad for all the lies your poor sister is going to have to keep track of on our behalf."

Her comment produced a laugh in him, the first real one he'd had all morning. Isla lives for this crap. "I wouldn't worry about that. You're going to like her. She's about as easygoing as it gets. But she does like having the inside scoop on everything."

Now why did I say that? What difference does it make what Liddy thinks about Isla?

"She sounds great." Liddy looked down at her hands, clasping them in a gesture that Callum was starting to realize was a non-verbal cue of when she felt insecure.

He cleared his throat. "Look . . . Liddy. I know the past few days have been different. But I don't regret anything that happened, and I don't think either of us should. And maybe the good thing is that we finally settled what happened a couple of years ago when we met. Not have that continue to poison our professional relationship."

"I guess that's true," Liddy said, a smile at her lips. It didn't quite meet her eyes, though. "But just in case you're worried, I fully intend to keep my end of the bargain with you. I know things are tough for you with your mom, and I'm sure having Sophia here is awkward, so I'm happy to do my share. I mean, by now most of my family probably thinks we went off to be alone and have our own adventure, so that should help."

Callum had no doubt of that. "If only they knew the truth. You deserve the sister-of-the-year award after that disaster."

Liddy rolled her eyes, settling into her seat more. "Except it was my dumb ass that created this mess."

"Not really. More like Logan. Speaking of which—you don't still have any of those hot peppers from the market, right? Because I could think of a use or two for them with Logan."

"Oh God, I never want to smell one of those again. I think I may never even try hot peppers again. We'll think of something to punish Logan, though."

Callum breathed out, releasing the knot of tension that had been building in his chest during the drive. Why does this feel so natural? Talking to Liddy had always been anything but. Three days of forced and continuous contact had made that vanish completely.

Not talking to her is the difficult thing now.

They pulled into the drive for La Hacienda. Funny how it didn't bother him to be here nearly as much as it had the first day he'd arrived.

He glanced over at her as he parked the car. "Are you going to find your family, or do you want to sneak by the room first?"

"Room, please. I need a hairbrush, at minimum." She made a face. "I'm also a little worried my family might be furious with me when I show up. I mean, in some ways, we should probably try to act like a relaxed, sexed-up couple who just had a mini honeymoon, but I'm worried that might piss them off if they're mad."

Sexed up . . .

Callum tried not to react.

Instead, I have blue balls.

Sleeping on the floor tonight would be a relief in some ways.

He didn't respond as they got out of the car, but she slipped her hand into his as they started toward the room. She winked at him. "Showtime?"

He laughed. "You're dedicated to the ruse. I'll give you that."

"I owe you. I fully intend on repaying my debt to you now so that you can't lord it over my head when we're back at work."

Funny how all that made him do was think about how much he'd love to bend her over his desk . . .

He released a slow stream of air from his lungs. Get it together.

They started through the lush walkway, passing the office as they went. Callum didn't glance at it, but no sooner had they gone by the door than it opened, and his mother came out—as if she'd been watching through the window for him.

"You're back!" she said with a friendly smile. She approached them with a few quick steps. "You'll never believe what I found in the garden last night." From her pocket, she produced Liddy's mobile phone.

Liddy's jaw dropped. "You found it?"

"I've been looking for it every day," Mum said with a laugh. She held it out for her. "I hope it still works. The battery was dead, so I plugged it in for you."

Liddy took the phone, then let go of Callum's hand and hugged her. "Thank you so much for looking. I'm so grateful. I can't tell you how relieved I am to see this. Even if it doesn't work anymore. Oh—my gosh, my credit cards. I was going to cancel them today, too."

"I can't believe you haven't already," Callum said.

"Oh hush. It's not like I've had a ton of access to modern technology." Liddy pulled away from his mum.

A look of surprise registered in Mum's eyes, then she squeezed Liddy's hands. "Of course, mi amor. Happy to look out for you."

Callum tore his gaze away. Does she really think I don't know what she's doing?

Mum had been trying to find a way back into his life for a while now. And now she thought she had found a new way—by showing love and acceptance for the "new woman" in his life.

To hell with that.

Mum sniffed as she stepped away from Liddy. A timid expression crossed her face, and she shifted, clasping her hands. "I'm just happy you're here. How is your family enjoying La Hacienda? They are all so nice."

She seems nervous.

Liddy smiled sweetly. "They love it. It's wonderful. Thank you so much for being such a lovely host."

And Liddy called me the liar. He smirked to himself.

"We should get going, though." Liddy gestured back at the path. "We really didn't mean to take off for a couple of days, and I'm sure my family is wondering why I disappeared."

"Of course. Hasta luego," Mum said with another broad smile. She reached for Callum as he passed her, coming up with only air instead. "Come visit me, Callum. I would love to talk to you."

"I know." His curtness almost made him grimace. Be nicer. He didn't want to sound like such a dick and turned toward her. Especially not in front of Liddy. "Maybe once Isla is here, we can have a family lunch or something." Isla would be a good buffer.

Mum's eyes shone. "That would be wonderful."

Liddy was practically dancing as they continued walking toward the room. "I cannot believe your mom found my phone. That was so amazing of her to keep looking for it."

"She tries to be a good businesswoman." Callum repressed the urge to sigh. And she's great at manipulating.

Liddy gave him a sidelong glance. "You know, I know it's none of my business, but it really seems like she wants to be in your life. That's not nothing. And she's your mom. Maybe it would be worth having that talk with her and hearing her out. Even if you still feel the same way about things—and you're totally within your right to be hurt about her continued relationship with Sophia—it might be good for you."

. . . and there. That's exactly what Mum wanted.

Callum shook his head and gave a sardonic chuckle. "Now I see why she's trying to butter you up. See how well it's working? If we really were a couple, her pressure on you would be enormous. Whatever her motivations, it's manipulative, Liddy. Just like she's always been."

"I haven't seen her try to convince you to give Sophia another chance?—"

"That's because we've barely been here. Trust me when I tell you I know what I'm talking about. You only know the side of her she wants you to know."

"I'm not trying to question that but"—she set a hand on his arm—"you don't seem like you're happy with the way things are either."

The last thing he wanted was to be further irritated with her. She meant well. Probably even thought she could give him some insight into this that he didn't already know. But spending three days with him hadn't made her an expert on his life. He resisted the impulse to say anything to that effect. Instead, he turned to her and said, more emphatically, "Trust me."

She faltered in her step. Then she started forward again without looking back. "Okay. Sorry, I didn't mean to be pushy."

He caught her hand in his. "It's fine. If anything, I like it when you're pushy. Reminds me of the girl who made me flip a coin with her for a damn guidebook."

Liddy looked over her shoulder, her wide eyes making it clear she hadn't expected him to bring that up.

Her fingers tightened against his. She couldn't possibly know the effect her touch had on him.

I have to stop touching her.

And the more he thought about her telling Sergio to come out here for their date, the moodier and more pissed-off he became.

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you hadn't turned out to be my boss?" Her voice was low, as though she was making a great deal of effort to speak cautiously.

"I guess that depends on whether you would have called me." But that wasn't entirely truthful, either. In fact, he'd never been more thankful that she'd been his employee. She would have been just another woman from his past by now. Or worse, I would have hurt her.

As a member of his staff, she'd been safe from that. Safe from me.

They rounded the corner of the path that opened to the swimming pool, and Callum nearly stopped. If they'd wanted to go back to the room sight unseen, they couldn't have picked a worse time. It appeared everyone who had come to the wedding and was staying at La Hacienda had gathered around the pool.

"Liddy!" A woman with long gray hair waved her arms as she rushed toward them. She moved with a slight limp, her yellow dress a bit wrinkled. "You're back!"

"Hey, Mom." Liddy left Callum's side. "Oh, wow, I didn't expect everyone to be out here right now."

"We tried to get in touch with you. It's a welcome brunch now that almost all the wedding guests are here. You know your sister's wedding is in three days." Liddy's mum gave her a scolding look.

"I know, Mom." Liddy cleared her throat, a visible flush creeping up her neck. She turned and practically yanked Callum over to her side. "I didn't have time to introduce you the other day, but this is my boyfriend, Callum Scott. Callum, my mom, Brenda."

Whatever Liddy's mum might think about the two of them taking off the past few days, she said nothing as she held out her hand for Callum. "Nice to meet you. Quinn's been telling me so much about you. Your mother, too—she's a lovely lady."

"Yeah, I've known Quinn practically since birth," Callum said, ignoring the comment about his mother. That his mum would tell Liddy's mum anything about him was oddly disconcerting.

And it also occurred to him that—though he and Liddy had shared a lot with each other the past few days—the gaps in what they didn't know about each other were huge. They should have probably taken the time to cover the basics.

Note to self for later.

"Well, I hate to tear you two lovebirds apart, but you'll have plenty of time to spend together later, I'm sure. Elle had a few questions for you, Liddy." Brenda was already leading Liddy away. Liddy gave Quinn a helpless look over her shoulder, her backpack slung over her arm.

Given Isla and Quinn—and their mothers—had already remarked on their absence, he probably couldn't escape right now, no matter how much he might want to. Hating his touristy shirt and feeling more awkward than ever, Callum trudged toward the Camdens.

Mason was the first to see him and turned away from where his girlfriend, Rebecca, was applying sunscreen to his cheeks. "Mate, you're back." He held out a hand toward him. "I heard you did some sightseeing, you tosser."

Rebecca gave him a shy, clearly uncomfortable smile. She still wasn't used to being around him in social settings. And Liddy's harsh words about the way he treated his employees rang through his ears. "Hi, Callum. Liddy come back with you?"

This was the part of this arrangement that he should have expected. The one where it meant lying to the people they both knew and worked with. He nodded in Liddy's direction. "Her mum grabbed her right as we got in."

"And did you have a pleasant trip?" Rebecca raised a brow.

He stiffened. Did Liddy tell her anything?

The subtext to her words seemed to imply she knew something more about why they'd left La Hacienda .

Callum choked back the impulse to ask her. The more people who knew about their arrangement, the higher the chance his mother or Sophia had of finding out the truth. And then Mum would become even more relentless about not only him talking to her—but talking to Sophia, too. "A bit of a disaster, really. We ran out of petrol, got pulled over for speeding.. .among other things. But it all worked out in the end."

I need to check with Liddy and find out who—if anyone—she's told about our deal. He'd asked for her discretion but hadn't outright told her not to say anything to anyone. But maybe he should have. Mason was too close to Quinn. Given that Logan already knew more than he should, Callum felt as though he stood on shaky ground.

Quinn picked that moment to approach them, a mimosa in one hand. "Cal, it's good you're back, mate." Quinn clapped him on the back and leaned in closer. "Next time you decide to steal away with the maid of honor, you might give me a bit of a warning."

"Is everything all right?" Callum scanned Quinn's face.

"Erhm." Quinn cleared his throat. "It's all fine."

"Quinn!" A petite blond woman with a tight bun, dressed in a business suit and yielding an iPad, came striding up just then. "Ah, there you are. We need you to sit at the head table with your bride for the welcome brunch photo." She didn't wait for Quinn to respond and turned toward Callum. "Hi, I'm Kat. And you would be?"

"Oh, Kat, this is Callum Scott," Quinn said with a polite smile.

"Oh! The missing groomsman." Kat tapped on her iPad. "Excellent. So glad you've returned. Just remember, we're going to need you on the bus today at two o'clock at the latest. Try not to get lost, all right?"

Who the hell is this woman?

Callum gave Quinn a curious look, then glanced back at Kat. "Actually, I have to pick my sister up from the airport in Liberia today at four."

"Your sister?" She tipped her face down at the iPad again. "Ah, yes. Isla Scott. No, darling, don't worry. I already have someone else assigned to that task. Everything is completely under control now. See you at two," she said with a stern look, then practically prodded Quinn. "Come along then, Quinn."

Someone else is going to pick up Isla? Dammit, that will complicate things with retrieving the dress.

Callum raised his brows as his friend was helplessly dragged away.

Mason filled the space where Quinn had been. "That's the wedding planner Mum surprised Quinn and Elle with yesterday."

Callum nearly groaned. Oh no.

He searched the crowded pool area for Liddy. He should have noticed before—this event was over the top for La Hacienda. A long buffet table, featuring an omelet station and what appeared to be a personalized crepe and waffle station, was set up in the most open area of the pool, blocking the path to the beach. Cocktail tables, complete with fresh flowers and long tablecloths, had been set up around the pool, and the wooden lounge chairs that normally occupied the space were mostly pushed out of sight.

He found Liddy. She stood beside Elle, who wore a thin-lipped smile.

Liddy met his gaze, then grimaced.

The situation was clear enough: Quinn's mother had staged a coup.