Fortune's Fresh Start

by Michelle Major

  “I’m a lucky man,” Callum answered easily.

  Becky felt the eyes of a pretty hostess behind the podium assessing her. Like Becky, the young woman probably wondered what Callum was doing out with a mom and two toddlers. Rambling Rose was a quiet town, but there were enough available women that he could have enjoyed an evening without a baby’s sticky hands patting his cheeks, the way Sasha did to him now.

  The man, who introduced himself as the restaurant’s owner, led them to a table in a quiet corner, already set up with two high chairs. The girls, unaccustomed to dining out, looked around at their new surroundings with wide-eyed curiosity. She and Callum strapped each of them into a high chair, and she took out the travel toys she’d brought to entertain them. A waitress quickly brought water and took their drink orders before hurrying off again.

  Becky smothered a giggle as she took a seat next to Luna. “I’ve never been treated like this at a restaurant,” she admitted, glancing around to make sure no one could hear. “Even before I had the twins. Now on the few occasions I’ve tried to go out to eat with them it feels like the waitstaff resents every moment I’m taking up space. Must be nice to be a true VIP.”

  Callum blinked as if he’d never considered his elevated status or the perks that came with it. “Why would anyone mind if you had the girls with you?”

  As if on cue, Luna chucked a wooden block across the table. Callum reached up and caught it without missing a beat.

  “You just intercepted the first reason,” Becky told him with another laugh. “There’s also the distinct possibility of a meltdown by one or both of them. Not to mention more food falls on the ground than makes it into their mouths.”

  “People go out to eat with kids all the time,” he countered. “It’s no big deal.”

  She shrugged and glanced down at the menu. “Maybe I feel it more because I’m on my own. I don’t get to tag out or divide the responsibility. I wouldn’t change having twins, but it can be a lot. I’m sure that’s why your stepmom ended up depending on you so much with the triplets.”

  The waitress returned to the table with a beer for Callum and a margarita for Becky. They ordered, and then Callum lifted his glass in a toast when they were on their own again.

  “Tonight’s toast is to you being the VIP for the night,” he told her, the warmth in his gaze setting off an answering heat low in her belly. Luna lifted her sippy cup, and Callum gamely clinked his beer against her plastic cup and then Sasha’s. “And a toast to me being with three very important ladies tonight,” he said, making funny faces that had the girls squealing in delight.

  Becky tried to shush them, but he seemed to enjoy the noise. She couldn’t figure out Callum’s contradictions. Although he clearly loved his family, it was just as obvious that he still harbored some resentment over the position he’d been put in as caregiver to his younger sisters. Why would he willingly get involved with her when he knew her situation?

  She took a breath and put those thoughts aside.

  It didn’t matter why. She needed to just enjoy the evening.

  They talked and laughed, and Callum continued to entertain her girls. When Sasha began to fuss, Becky pulled out a binky and the girl popped it in her mouth and sucked contentedly. Luna wasn’t so easy to pacify, so Becky was grateful that the toddler appeared completely enamored of Callum.

  Like mother like daughter.

  Just as their food arrived, Luna decided she’d had enough of the high chair. Becky lifted the girl into her arms, a pro at eating one-handed.

  “I forgot how good food tastes when you don’t have to cook,” she told Callum around a bite of chicken enchilada. “It’s the closest I’ve had to gourmet in ages.”

  “What would you think of going out sometime, just the two of us?” he asked as he deftly caught the pacifier Sasha tossed at him. The girl offered a wide grin and put it back in her mouth when he returned it to her.

  Becky tried not to react, but the words turned the yummy food she’d eaten into a lead balloon in her stomach.

  “I’m sorry,” she said automatically, still bouncing Luna on her knee. “This was a terrible idea.” She pushed away her half-eaten plate of food and began gathering the girls’ things into the diaper bag. “If you see the waitress, I’ll take care of the check... It’s the least I can do.”

  Callum covered her hand with his. “What’s wrong? Did I say something?”

  She shook her head as she stared at the back of his tanned hand and the smattering of fine hair covering it. His body was so different from hers, and just the thought of it made her heart swoop and dance.

  But it didn’t matter if he couldn’t accept the reality of her life. “It’s not you. It’s me.” She made a face. “That sounds like a line, but I mean it. This is why I haven’t dated. The girls and I are a package deal. I get we’re a lot, and I don’t expect you to be okay with it. I just thought—”

  “I know how dedicated you are to your daughters,” he told her, squeezing her fingers gently. “Your unconditional love for them is one of the things I admire about you. I’ve never felt that way about anything or anyone. I’m not sure I have it in me.”

  “Then why are you suggesting I leave them behind?” She hated the catch in her voice and the tears that pricked the back of her eyes. The problem with loving her girls so darn much was that everything about them made her emotional. Or perhaps that was due to exhaustion or loneliness or the silly hope she’d allowed herself to have that Callum might not care about the tragedy that defined her life and her responsibilities as a mom.

  “I’m not. I promise.” He laced their fingers together, and the heat of his hand spread into all the cold, lonely places deep within her. “Of course I want to spend time with them. I just thought a night off would be good for you. Give you a little break.”

  “I don’t need a break.”

  He traced tiny circles on the inside of her palm with his thumb. “Every mother I’ve ever known needs a break at some point. I’m not saying that because of how much I helped Marci growing up. You work full-time and dedicate every other waking minute to your daughters.”

  “They’re my life.”

  He stared at her, and she found herself fidgeting under his perceptive gaze. “After Rick died,” she said softly, “my parents pressured me to move back to Houston. When I refused, my mom told me I’d regret staying here on my own. She said if I didn’t return home they wouldn’t help me. I’d have to do everything on my own.”

  “I’m sure she was just angry and worried,” he said.

  “They haven’t seen the twins since they were six months old.”

  “What about their first birthday?”

  “I took them to the park on my own.”

  His thumb stopped moving.

  “I don’t understand,” he told her. “These are their granddaughters.”

  Becky shrugged. “Maybe they’ll come around eventually. It’s not a big deal. The girls are too young to realize anything.” She tugged her hand away from his when the waitress came to clear the plates. Luna’s head drooped against her chest. “But I guess it’s left me with something to prove. If I admit that I need time off from being a mom...” Her breath hitched, and she swallowed back the emotion that formed a ball in her throat. “That feels like failure.”

  Sasha gave a tiny cry, and Callum reached for her without hesitation. Becky tried and failed to stay unaffected by his easy way with the girls.

  “You must know you’re an amazing mother. Your girls are clearly happy and thriving.”

  She sniffed and busied herself loading the diaper bag while he managed to take out his wallet and then his credit card with one hand.

  “I can take her,” she offered, shifting Luna in her lap.

  “All good.” Callum waited until the waitress had taken his credit card to continue. “Tell me you know I wasn’t trying t
o avoid being with Luna and Sasha.”

  “I know,” she said with a nod. “I’m sensitive about them. About my status as a single mom.”

  “Your status is safe with me,” he said in a tone that produced the desired result of making her laugh.

  It had been so long since she’d laughed at anything but the antics of her toddlers. “I overreacted,” she admitted. “Force of habit.” She figured she didn’t need to explain to him that at this point her life consisted of one spiral of exhaustion after another. It would be the height of foolishness not to want a night off, especially if it meant spending an evening alone with Callum.

  “I don’t have any babysitters I trust,” she said honestly. “I guess I could ask one of the women from the pediatric center day care. The girls adore them.” The waitress returned with Callum’s card. He signed the slip and they both stood. “Would you like me to take Sasha?” she offered.

  “I’ve got her,” he said, snagging the diaper bag from the table and slinging it over his empty arm.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  He gave her a slow half smile that she felt all the way to her toes. For a moment it was difficult to remember they were in a public place, each of them holding one of her daughters. The urge to lean in and brush her lips across his was almost too much to resist.

  His grin widened as if he could read her mind and liked the path of her thoughts.

  She spun on her heel and hurried out of the restaurant.

  “You move quick for a woman holding a baby,” he said lightly when they were on the sidewalk.

  “I can do almost anything holding a baby.” She cringed at how strange the comment sounded. “I mean—”

  “I remember that from when my sisters were babies.” He fell in step beside her as she started toward her car. “Stephanie was four when the triplets were born. All three of them loved being carried. We used to joke that for the first two years of their lives, their feet never touched the floor.”

  “My upper body is super strong,” she said with a smile. “Although they’re getting big enough that I won’t be able to carry them both at the same time for long. Someone is going to have to learn to like walking since they’re stuck with just me.”

  “They aren’t stuck,” Callum reminded her gently.

  They’d reached the minivan. Becky hit a button on the key fob, and the side door slid open. She strapped the girls into their car seats, and the two of them immediately began babbling softly to each other.

  “Spending time with you makes me feel like the lamest person in the world,” she told Callum as she straightened from the car.

  He blew out a disbelieving laugh. “I make you feel lame?”

  “That didn’t come out right.” She pressed two fingers to her chest as her heart beat at a manic pace. “You make me realize how small my life is at the moment.”

  “Small and lame.” He raised a brow. “The hits just keep on coming.”

  She shook her head as she pressed the button inside the car to close the side door. How could she explain the tumult of emotions racing through her? “We’ve had dinner twice now.”

  “Enjoyable both times,” he said quickly.

  “The first time, you had to hear about my late husband.” She flicked a glance toward the car. “Tonight we covered all my insecurities about motherhood. Not exactly scintillating conversation on either count.”

  “It is to me.” He took her hand and drew her forward a few steps so that they were standing a few paces away from the car door, out of the line of sight of the twins in their car seats. “I can’t quite explain it, but everything about you fascinates me.”

  She laughed. “This isn’t selling myself short, but I might be the least fascinating person in Rambling Rose.”

  “You are brave, strong, independent, determined, loyal, loving.”

  “You make me sound better than I am.” His words rolled around her brain, searching for a place to fit. She’d always thought of herself as a survivalist. She did what she needed to in the moment. Could she actually see herself the way Callum did? She loved the idea of it.

  “That is who you are.”

  His voice rumbled over her, and she realized she’d swayed closer to him, lured by the promise of someone seeing her in the way Callum did.

  The longing to kiss him that she’d felt in the restaurant pulsed through her again. Even in the dim glow of the streetlight, she could see the gold flecks in his dark eyes. They’d appeared solid brown at first glance but they were more distinct than that. Much like Callum, the nearer she got the more detail she could appreciate. There were so many facets to this man underneath the polished facade. She wanted to know them all.

  She felt the hitch in his breath and then his mouth brushed over hers, light as a touch of a butterfly’s wings. Awareness zinged along her skin like his touch was electric. Or maybe it was the energy inside her that had been waiting to be set free.

  When he would have pulled back, Becky leaned in, unwilling to let the moment go so soon. Her enthusiasm was rewarded by Callum’s soft groan of pleasure. He fitted his mouth to hers more thoroughly and his fingers gripped the back of her shirt like he was trying to root them both in place. Desire raced through her, a cresting wave she wanted to ride forever.

  As lost as she was in his embrace, a soft squeak from inside the car had her jerking away. She peered in the window to see Luna and Sasha holding hands. It wasn’t clear which one of them had made the noise, but they appeared content for the moment.

  “I should go,” she whispered, pressing her fingers to her kiss-swollen lips. It was a wonder she didn’t feel a sizzle even now, like a drop of water on a hot pan. “The girls need to get to sleep. Thanks again for dinner.”

  “It was the highlight of my week,” Callum said.

  “Me, too,” she told him, hoping her knees didn’t give out. She didn’t want the night to end but climbed into her car as Callum watched, her heart full and her body alive in the most intoxicating way.

  Chapter Six

  The next morning, Callum found his sister unloading supplies into a storage closet at the vet clinic. “Can you do me a favor?” he asked.

  Stephanie looked over her shoulder. “As long as it doesn’t involve patching the drywall or installing flooring in the front lobby.”

  “No manual labor,” he confirmed. “I need you to babysit.”

  She turned. “That’s cute, Callum, but you’re a big boy now. I’ll make you a snack, but I don’t think you need a babysitter.”

  “Funny, Steph.” He massaged a hand over the back of his neck. Asking for help of any kind didn’t come easy to him. But he needed this. “Would you babysit Becky’s twins for a night?”

  His sister’s eyes lit up. “Are you serious? I’d love to get my hands on those babies.”

  “Maybe take the enthusiasm down a notch. You sound a little scary right now.”

  “Do you want my help or not?” She gave him a playful nudge. “Those twins are adorable. I’m not scary, but I’m surprised Becky is willing to leave them for an evening. Obviously they go to day care, but she seems like the type of mom who’d have trouble taking any time for herself.”

  He sighed. “That’s why I need your help,” he admitted. “Luna and Sasha are adorable and sweet, but I’d like to treat Becky to a night out. She’s worried about leaving them with a sitter.”

  “It’s understandable,” Stephanie said, her tone turning wistful in a way he didn’t understand. “Being a mother is a big responsibility, especially on your own.”

  Callum studied his sister, trying to figure out where this contemplative mood had come from. He’d been in the role of big brother for so long that sometimes he forgot his younger sisters were adults with aspects of their lives he knew nothing about. “You’ll find someone,” he told her gently.

  “I’m not lookin
g for a man,” she said, almost defiantly. “I don’t need to fall in love to have a full life.”

  He held up his hands, palms out. “I understand that. I’m just saying I want to see you happy.”

  “Goes both ways. Becky makes you happy, doesn’t she?”

  How could he put into words all the things Becky made him feel? Excited. Nervous. Distracted. Enamored. Beside himself with desire. “We’re friends,” he said simply.

  “Just because your marriage ended the way it did doesn’t mean you’re trash at relationships.”

  Callum chuckled. Leave it to Stephanie to cut right to the heart of his issue. Yes, he had a feeling he was garbage at commitment, to say the least. Too much responsibility on his shoulders so young in life had left him with a fierce streak of independence. He didn’t like to be tied down by anything except his work because that was the only piece of his life he could truly control.

  “I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

  “It’s true.”

  “Maybe. But who knows how long I’ll stay in Rambling Rose? All of our projects are on schedule. Once everything is up and running, it might be time for me to move on. I’ve been looking at a couple of locations around Texas—communities with potential.”

  “What about the potential for you to stick around?” Stephanie grabbed another box of supplies. “You can’t keep hopping from one location to the next. We all need roots.”

  Sometimes those roots can feel like they’re choking you, Callum thought, although he wouldn’t say the words out loud. The topic of his role in the family and how that had impacted the man he’d become was a sensitive one.

  He never wanted his sisters to feel as if he resented the role he’d played in their lives but he couldn’t deny its effect on him.

  “I’m happy with the life I have,” he said, earning an eye roll from Stephanie.

  “One of these days you’re going to want more,” she told him as if she were far older and wiser than her twenty-seven years. “For now, let’s leave it that I’d be happy to babysit for Becky’s girls. Most of my evenings are free so just let me know what night.”