“The best three words I’ve ever heard.” He kissed her swiftly, then climbed off the bed and reached for his discarded pants. He took a condom packet from the wallet, then turned to face her. Anticipation flooded her once again as he shucked out of his boxers, appearing not self-conscious in the least about standing naked in front of her.
Why should he? His body was perfection. He sheathed himself as he returned to the bed, his weight giving her a feeling of safety.
“Every night,” she said, leaning up to kiss the base of his throat, “I’ve watched you drive away, and a part of me has wanted to call you back.”
He settled between her legs but didn’t move to enter her. “Which part?”
“All of them, really.” She offered a slow smile. “All of me.”
With his elbows resting on either side of her, he cradled her face in his hands. “Those are the parts I want,” he confirmed. “All of you.”
“I’m yours,” she whispered as he filled her in one sure thrust.
She’d been made for this moment, and it was everything and more. Her fingers trailed along the muscles of his shoulders and back, reveling in his strength and power. He continued to rain kisses along her face as they found a rhythm unique to the two of them. Time seemed to stand still as they remained suspended in this moment.
Her nerve endings shuddered when the pressure built again, different from what had happened to her minutes earlier. This time she and Callum climbed the high peak together, and then suddenly fireworks exploded throughout her body. She felt Callum go taut and he said her name like it was the most beautiful word he’d ever spoken.
“Amazing,” he said into her hair moments later, dropping kisses like feathers on the top of her head.
She didn’t know how to respond, what to say to explain how much this moment meant to her. She couldn’t even admit it to herself, because she knew she loved this man. Not just because of great sex, although that was a bonus. She’d fallen for him for so many reasons, and being with him in this way had only served to crash through the last of her defenses.
Instead, she kissed him again, hoping to convey what she wanted him to know without giving away too much of herself. She let out a little groan of protest when he left her to go to the bathroom, only to return a few minutes later and gather her close.
“I’ll be gone before morning,” he promised, the comfort of his warm body making her blissfully drowsy. “But let me hold you awhile longer.”
As an answer, she snuggled closer, falling asleep with his arms around her.
* * *
“Please don’t say you’re going to try to become a farmer now, too?”
Callum turned with a grin as Dillon and Steven walked into the abandoned feed house situated two blocks off the main drag of Rambling Rose’s downtown.
He held out his hands, palms up. “Not exactly, although right now I don’t think there’s anything Fortune Brothers Construction can’t accomplish in this town.”
Dillon shook his head, a lock of sandy-blond hair falling across his forehead. “You shouldn’t say that to anyone,” his younger brother warned. “I’ve already heard rumblings about the locals not liking how much property we’ve bought in town. People think we’re catering to the new millionaires—the gated community crowd.”
“Not true,” Steven argued before Callum could speak. “The pediatric center serves everyone, as will the vet clinic.”
“What about the spa and the upscale shopping center and hotel?” Dillon kicked a toe at the dirty concrete floor. “Those aren’t exactly meant for the average resident.”
Callum stepped forward. “But they’ll generate revenue and tax dollars that will help the town.” He put a hand on Dillon’s muscled shoulder. Dillon had always been the peacemaker of the family and the worrier within their business partnership, his cautious nature balancing the ambition that Callum and Steven shared.
“So if you aren’t reopening the feed store,” Dillon said, spinning in a slow circle to take in the dilapidated space, “why are we here?”
“Because I wanted the two of you to be the first to see the site of our next project.”
Both of his brothers blinked.
“We’re developing an upscale restaurant,” he explained.
“In a feed store?” Dillon barked out a laugh. “I like the irony. Feed store as a restaurant, although it doesn’t actually lend itself to upscale.”
“You just need to see the vision,” Callum assured his brother. He walked a few paces away from them and pointed to an open stretch of wall. “Imagine a long bar there, serving hand-mixed cocktails.” He gestured to the far side of the space. “A kitchen with state-of-the-art equipment. We’ll source local and regional ingredients along with the craft beer and liquor.”
“My mouth is watering already,” Steven said.
Dillon shook his head. “Do I need to point out that none of us has experience running a restaurant? We’re contractors.”
“But Ashley, Megan and Nicole do,” Callum reminded him. “I talked to the three of them last night and they are interested in investing and heading up the design and menu.”
“They want to come to Rambling Rose to run a restaurant?” Dillon scratched his chin.
“Their own restaurant,” Callum clarified.
“The triplets are a force of nature.” Steven shook his head. “You realize that, right?”
Callum smiled. “We’ve got plenty of room at Fame and Fortune.” It might drive him crazy sometimes to balance all the intricacies of such a large family, but he and his siblings were undeniably tight. The thought of having the triplets in Texas felt right at a soul level.
Dillon paced halfway across the open space and then back again. “It has potential, but don’t you think we’ve got enough on our plates?”
“If we don’t seize the opportunity,” Callum said, “someone else will. Ashley wants to target a late-spring opening. They can get things up and running plus work out any kinks before the summer tourist season swings into high gear.”
Steven pulled his phone from his back pocket. “A guy over in Brenham emailed me about a barn that’s being torn down. He’s got almost a dozen pallets of reclaimed wood.” He passed the device to Dillon, who then handed it to Callum.
“That would be perfect for the bar and an accent wall,” Callum said, glancing from the photos on the phone to his brother. “I bet the girls would love it.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Steven agreed.
Dillon had taken a few steps away, his back to them. Frustration pricked along Callum’s spine. He didn’t want to move forward without having both his brothers on board. The company was busier than ever since he’d moved operations to Rambling Rose. The pace of business would take all three of them working together in order for it to be a success. Failure wasn’t an option.
If Dillon shot down the idea for their sisters to open a restaurant, Callum would respect that. He might be the company’s founder, but it was a partnership now.
His younger brother spun around, meeting Callum’s worried gaze with an unreadable expression. They stood like that for several seconds until Dillon gave a barely perceptible nod. “If we keep the pipes and ventilation ducts exposed, that will cut costs and make installation simpler. The concrete floor needs to be cleaned and polished, so insulation, electrical and plumbing are going to be the biggest hurdles, assuming there’s no structural damage.”
Callum and Steven exchanged a fist bump.
“What’s that about?” Dillon demanded, eyes narrowed.
“I’m all about the big picture,” Callum explained. “Steven goes right to design. You’re the detail guy. If you’re already working out the HVAC systems, that means you think the project is a go.”
Dillon rolled his eyes. “Of course it’s a go. What the triplets want, they get. Besides, once the ‘
big picture’ guy is set on something, the rest of us make it happen. How do you think we ended up in this tiny speck of a town in the first place?”
“Not so tiny once we’re through,” Callum pointed out. “The Fortune brothers are putting Rambling Rose on the map.”
“Does that mean you’re going to stay?” Steven asked, his tone casual. “After all the current projects are up and running?”
Callum shrugged, irritation making him twitch. Of course he wasn’t going to stay in Rambling Rose. He’d made certain that long-term ties weren’t part of the equation since the end of his marriage. He wouldn’t take the chance of hurting someone the way he had his ex-wife or opening himself to that kind of pain. But ever since his night with Becky, it felt like his priorities had been turned upside down.
He’d spent so long making his career the most important thing in his life because that kept him safe and in control. His growing feeling for Becky and her girls scared the hell out of him, and moving on would be the quickest way to keep them in check.
“I’m scheduled to drive over to a little town on the eastern edge of San Antonio next week,” he said by way of an answer. “It’s long past its heyday, but has great bones and easy access to the interstate. The place has potential.”
One of Steven’s thick brows lifted. “We were under the impression your relationship with Becky had potential, as well.”
Dillon cleared his throat. “Couldn’t help but notice your headlights coming down the driveway in the wee hours most nights. And a few early mornings.”
“Are you a vampire now?” Callum asked.
“Light sleeper,” Dillon said with a chuckle.
“You need to move into one of the guesthouses,” Callum suggested, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
“Who would have coffee ready for you in the morning?” Dillon shot back.
“Manny,” both Steven and Callum said at once, referring to the older caretaker who had come with the property. Manuel Salazar had worked at the ranch for decades. He had a gift with horses and happened to be a decent cook, as well. Callum and his siblings had come to rely on Manny to manage the property and their lives.
Dillon sniffed. “His coffee tastes like tar.”
“But he serves it with the best huevos rancheros I’ve ever had,” Steven countered.
“I won’t argue that,” Dillon admitted. “And no one better tell him I dissed his coffee. I’ve almost got him convinced to share his green chile recipe with me.”
“Becky loves green chile,” Callum murmured, remembering how excited she’d been when he’d brought a taco casserole to her house two nights earlier. He’d felt like a bit of a slouch admitting that an employee had actually done the cooking, but she hadn’t seemed to care.
“Come on.”
Callum stumbled a step as Steven brought him back to the present moment with a shove. “What?” he demanded.
“You like this woman,” Steven said.
“Maybe even more than like,” Dillon added, doing an annoying shimmy across the dirty floor.
“Shut up,” Callum told both his brothers. “We’re hanging out. She’s nice. It’s nothing more.”
“Oh, look at that.” Dillon pointed at him. “Your pants are on fire.”
“Because you’re a liar,” Steven said helpfully.
“I get the reference.” Callum felt a muscle start to tick in his jaw. “You both need to mind your own business.”
“Our business is you,” Steven said. “That’s the way it works with family. Don’t act surprised. Especially after you decided to buy a building for the express purpose of helping the triplets.”
Callum blew out a breath, his annoyance disappearing. It would be great to have his younger sisters living in Rambling Rose.
“No more talk about my love life,” he told them. “Let’s discuss restaurant plans. I’m less likely to punch you that way.”
Both his brothers laughed. “We’ll let you off the hook,” Dillon said.
Steven nudged him again. “For now.”
Callum would take whatever kind of reprieve he could get.
Chapter Nine
“I’m not sure about this,” Becky whispered, more to herself than anyone else.
“My sister’s the best hairstylist in Rambling Rose,” Sarah Martensen told Becky the following evening. “Brandi is an expert at color.”
That vote of confidence did little to ease Becky’s nerves, but she smiled. At this point, she sat in a stranger’s basement hair studio, with the twins being entertained by Brandi’s teenage daughter in the adjacent space. She’d wanted to update her look and remembered Sarah offering to babysit during the pediatric center’s opening.
Becky had gotten to know Sarah’s husband, Grant, well over the past couple of weeks. The building manager for the pediatric center, he was the kind, paternal type of man she would have wished her girls to have for a grandfather.
With few other options, she’d asked him for his wife’s number and called Sarah to see if she would be willing to babysit while Becky got her hair cut and colored. She hadn’t sported a real style since the girls had been born.
Sarah had immediately suggested that Becky make an appointment with Brandi, her younger sister, who’d recently opened a hair salon out of her home. It was a simple room in her basement but had all the essentials as far as equipment and supplies.
A benefit was that she’d been able to bring her daughters with her. Sarah had planned to watch them, but Brandi’s sweet teenager, a senior at Rambling Rose High School, had captivated the twins.
“I’m going to make you so beautiful,” Brandi promised with a wink, “that the handsome Fortune is going to fall at your feet.”
“Brandi, hush,” Sarah told her sister on a rush of breath.
Becky felt her eyes go wide. “How did you know I was doing this for Callum?”
Sarah shrugged, looking ten kinds of self-conscious. “Grant mentioned that the boy has been stopping by to visit you on the regular.”
“He has business at the pediatric center,” Becky protested weakly. It wasn’t as if she and Callum were trying to keep their relationship—or whatever they’d call it—a secret. But it still felt odd to know people were discussing her personal business. The perils of small-town life, she supposed.
“My husband says Callum Fortune is quite taken with you.” Sarah giggled like a schoolgirl. “To be honest, I don’t know how you get any work done. I’d spend my days waiting for him.”
“I love my job,” Becky told them. She didn’t bother to mention that she also loved Callum. Hair salon small talk was one thing. Revealing her biggest secret was quite another. “It’s nice that he visits, but we’re just having fun.”
“A woman could have a lot of fun with a man like that.” Brandi gave a throaty chuckle as she gestured for Becky to stand so she could move the salon chair in front of the sink attached to the wall. As Brandi turned on the water, Becky sat again, leaning back to rest her neck on the basin.
It felt strangely indulgent to have another person rinsing her hair. Brandi tugged at the thin strips of foil, then used a shampoo that smelled like lavender on Becky’s hair. She closed her eyes and let out a blissful sigh.
Would Callum notice the change? In a way it didn’t matter. She appreciated this small bit of pampering. It had been too long, she realized, since she’d taken care of herself. She hadn’t even taken a vitamin since her jar of prenatal gummies had run out just after the girls were born. Luna and Sasha would continue to be her priority, but it was past time she started taking care of herself as well as them.
Not just with Callum as a motivator, but because she wanted her girls to see that joy and fun were an important part of life.
All too soon, Brandi turned off the water and tapped Becky’s shoulder to indicate she could sit up.
“That was the most luxurious thing I’ve done in ages,” Becky told the sisters, prompting them to share an incredulous look.
“Maybe Callum Fortune isn’t as much fun as he looks,” Sarah said, both women dissolving into fits of laughter.
Color rushed to Becky’s cheeks. “Not counting Callum,” she muttered.
“Atta girl,” Brandi said as she toweled off Becky’s hair.
The next half hour rushed by in a blur of snipping scissors and small talk. Every few minutes, Sarah peeked out of the salon to confirm Brandi’s daughter was still entertaining the girls. In this makeshift cocoon of feminine camaraderie, Becky suddenly felt connected to the Rambling Rose community in a way she hadn’t since making her home in the small town.
Her status as a widow and single mother had defined her, and she’d allowed it to keep her from truly becoming close to people. A part of her expected everyone to judge her in the same way her parents had. Her mom and dad had never believed she could make a life for herself on her own. She’d wanted to prove them wrong, but in her quest for self-reliance, she’d cut herself off from making real friends in the process.
Brandi and Sarah were decades older than Becky, but the women made her feel like part of their tribe.
Becky was so lost in thought it took her a few seconds to really focus on her reflection in the mirror when Brandi finally spun her around to see her finished hair.
“It’s gorgeous,” she whispered, reaching up a careful hand to touch the soft strands. Instead of the one-dimensional brown she’d known her whole life, now her hair was subtly highlighted with strands of gold and auburn. The cut was layered around her face, but still hung over her shoulders in a way that looked both effortless and stylish. “You really are a genius with hair.”
Brandi gave her a quick hug from behind. “Sweetie, my job is easy when I have someone as pretty as you in the chair.” She undid the black smock covering Becky and gave her a hand mirror to inspect the back.
Becky swallowed down the emotion that welled up in her throat. She felt beautiful for the first time in ages, like she was still a woman and not just a mommy.
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