Becky’s heart hammered in her chest as their gazes met. Then she realized he wasn’t alone. In the passenger seat sat a beautiful blonde. It was difficult to get a good look at the woman as she drove past, but Becky could tell she was young and strikingly gorgeous.
Swallowing hard, she turned her attention back to the road and tried not to cry. The moment was over in seconds, but the meaning of it lashed her like the sting of a whip.
Callum had moved on. His sister and stepmom might claim he still cared about Becky, but how much could she have meant to him if he was already on a date and bringing the woman home?
Becky hadn’t realized it was possible for her heart to break any more until it splintered into a million pieces.
Chapter Sixteen
“I thought you were going to try to get home early last night.”
“Good morning to you, too,” Callum told his stepmom as she walked into the kitchen early the next morning. He’d expected to be gone by the time anyone else in the family woke, but should have known Marci wouldn’t let him off the hook so easily.
“Good morning,” she said with a smile. She joined him at the counter. He handed her a mug from the cabinet and then watched as she filled it with the coffee he’d just brewed. “Did I misunderstand the plan?”
Frustration wove its way through his veins like a needle and thread. He’d planned to return home before Becky left, hoping he’d get a chance to talk to her. He missed her so badly it felt like he’d lost part of his heart without her in his life. “I got sidetracked by a neighbor’s daughter. She’s home from college for the weekend and her car broke down in town. I helped her get it to the mechanic, then gave her a ride home.” He rolled his shoulders. “Becky was just pulling through the main gate when I drove in.”
“She’s lovely, Callum. Not just her looks, either, although she’s quite pretty.”
“Beautiful,” he countered softly.
Marci inclined her head. “Beautiful. Yes. But I got a sense of her kindness and strength yesterday. Her daughters adore her and she patiently answers every one of Stephanie’s questions and seems so interested in Linus’s welfare, even after a full day at work. I could tell she’s a truly good person.”
“Is this supposed to make me feel better?” He pushed out a laugh to soften the question when his tone came out harsher than he’d meant it. “I know I messed up with a one-in-a-million woman. But there’s nothing—”
“You can fight for her,” his stepmother interrupted.
“I’ve texted to check in with her every day since she ended things. She never replies.”
“Your generation and those infernal devices.” Marci sniffed. “You don’t win a woman back with a text. Be bold, Callum. Give her a reason to try again.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have one,” he admitted, pressing the heels of his palms to his closed eyes. “I’m not willing to risk my heart. She was right about me.”
“What makes you think that?” Marci asked. “Your divorce?”
He dropped his hands to his sides and forced himself to meet his stepmother’s concerned gaze. “I failed at marriage once, and it about killed me to hurt Doralee that way.”
“She wasn’t right for you from the start.”
Both he and Marci turned as Stephanie joined them in the kitchen, a sleeping Linus cradled in her arms.
“I’m not sure I can take being double-teamed by the two of you,” he told his sister.
Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Be an awesome brother and pour me a cup of coffee. This little guy was up more than normal last night. I’m dragging right now.”
“I’ll take him,” Marci offered, setting down her coffee. “While you talk some sense into your brother.” She smiled when Callum narrowed his eyes. “I’m stepping back so you don’t feel like we’re ganging up on you. But know I agree with everything Stephanie says.”
His sister handed the baby to Marci, then faced Callum. “You’re an idiot,” she said simply.
Callum snorted. “What happened to the family rule of no name-calling in front of Mom?”
“It’s not exactly how I would have put it,” Marci admitted, “but she has a point.”
“You know it, too.” Stephanie accepted the cup of coffee he offered, sighing as she took a long drink. “You love Becky Averill and her daughters and you want to make a life with them.” She pointed a finger toward him. “In Rambling Rose.”
He shook his head. “I don’t—”
“This is your home,” Stephanie interrupted. “And Becky is your person. Stop trying to deny it.”
“She broke up with me,” he pointed out, his heart twisting painfully in his chest.
“From what I gather, you left her no choice.” She leaned in closer. “I tried to get her to talk bad about you last night. I really did. And she wouldn’t do it. She loves you and if you’d just get out of your own way, you could have the life we all know you want.”
Marci joined her daughter. “I told you I’d agree with everything she said. We all know how much you sacrificed for this family and how the divorce made you question things. But you’re a family man at heart, Callum. You always have been.”
He opened his mouth to argue, then paused and drew in a deep breath instead. He’d spent a lot of years convincing himself he didn’t want the responsibility of that kind of commitment.
Now he couldn’t imagine his life without Becky and the girls in it. He hadn’t expected his life to take this turn, but his sister was right, as usual. He’d be an idiot not to risk his heart when he had this chance at real happiness. And yet...
“I can’t compete with her late husband,” he said quietly, finally voicing his greatest fear when it came to Becky. “From all accounts, he was damn near a saint. The perfect husband who would have been a perfect father.”
“Callum.” Stephanie squeezed his arm. “I promise you that Becky isn’t looking for perfect. Her girls don’t need that, either. They just need someone to love them.”
“I do,” he whispered. “I will if she’ll let me.” Allowing himself to acknowledge that undeniable fact lifted the weight that had been crushing his chest.
His stepmom and sister shared a smile. “Then don’t you think it’s time you shared that with Becky?”
He gave them each a quick hug, dropped a kiss on the top of baby Linus’s downy head and quickly headed for his truck.
Becky would be at work by now, so he drove straight to the pediatric center, trying to work out a plan in his mind for how to win her back.
The best he could think of past his racing heart and sweaty palms was throwing himself to his knees and begging her for another chance.
Surely something better would present itself in the moment, but either way Callum wasn’t going to let anything stop him.
He rushed through the lobby and down the hall that housed the primary care wing.
Becky’s friend Sharla sat at the nurses’ station, giving him a look that could freeze the sun as he approached.
“I need to speak with Becky,” he said, forcing a calm tone.
“She’s not here.”
He glanced around as if he could will her to appear. “When will she be back?”
“Dunno.”
Okay, this wasn’t going the way he’d planned, but if his bid for another chance with Becky needed to include groveling to her coworker, he’d do that.
“I’ve been an idiot,” he told the surly medical assistant. He figured if his sister had been willing to tell him that out loud, most people in Becky’s life must agree.
“Go on,” Sharla said slowly, proving him right.
“She’s the best thing that ever happened to me, and I’m sorry I hurt her.”
“You hurt her badly.”
He sucked in a breath. “I want to make it up to her and the twins. I can’t lose them
. They’re my world.”
The woman studied him for several long moments before nodding. “I actually believe you... But she still isn’t here.”
He sighed. Damn. “When will she be back?”
“Two days.” Sharla tapped a finger against her chin. “Maybe three. If she doesn’t decide—”
“Decide what?” Callum’s mind reeled. “Where did she go? She left Rambling Rose? That’s impossible. This is her home.”
“Slow down, cowboy.” Sharla stood and placed her palms on the desk. “I believe you love our Becky, but that doesn’t mean I’m convinced you’re what’s best for her. Especially after she saw you bringing home another woman.”
Callum felt his mouth go slack. “What woma—” He muttered a curse. “Last night when I passed her at the gatehouse? I wasn’t on a date or bringing anyone home. I’d wanted to get to the ranch before Becky left, but I had to give my neighbor’s daughter a lift home when her car broke down in town.”
Sharla’s pink-glossed lips formed a small O.
“Please don’t tell me Becky left town thinking I was already dating someone else.”
“I won’t tell you.” Sharla made a face. “Which doesn’t make it any less of a fact.”
“I have to talk to her.”
A patient came out of one of the exam rooms with Parker, who lifted a questioning brow in Callum’s direction.
“I might have fibbed about her return date,” Sharla said quickly. “I need to get back to work, but she went to see her parents in Houston. She’s planning on coming home tomorrow night. Talk to her then and you better make it good. Becky deserves the best you’ve got, Mr. Fortune.”
“She deserves the best of everything,” he agreed. He just hoped he could convince her a second chance was best for both of them.
* * *
Becky blinked away tears as she watched her mother place a kiss on Sasha’s chubby cheek. The quieter twin sat in her mom’s lap while Luna grinned and banged a wooden spoon on the colorful xylophone that had been Becky’s as a child.
“I can’t believe you saved all these toys,” she told her mom.
Ann Averill shrugged. “They were your favorites, so I figured if you had kids one day they’d like them, too.”
“The girls are in heaven.”
It wasn’t just the twins, either. A sense of peace had descended over Becky as she’d relaxed in her childhood home. Despite how they’d acted toward her in the past, she wished she hadn’t waited so long to reach out.
A twinge of sorrow pinched her chest as memories of the weeks after Rick’s death filled her mind. She’d been overwhelmed by grief, which had quickly morphed into anger when her parents tried to convince her to move home to Houston.
She’d felt their lack of confidence that she could make it on her own in Rambling Rose like a slap in the face. Her pain had made her even more determined to manage life on her own without asking for help. They’d never been a particularly close family, and the rift had seemed to widen on its own until it had been easier not to speak to them at all than to listen to her mother’s subtle digs or her father’s outright condemnation.
Spending time with the Fortunes had reminded her of the importance of family. Her relationship with her parents might not be perfect, but she wanted her daughters to know their grandma and grandpa.
“They look like your grandmother,” her mom said, her gaze wistful as she snuggled Sasha and smiled at Luna. “I thought the same about you when you were a baby.”
Becky nodded. “And they have Rick’s smile,” she whispered.
“You’re a good mom, Beck.” Becky glanced up to where her father stood in the doorway, a spatula in hand. Her dad grilled all year round and had started prepping the steaks almost as soon as Becky and the twins had arrived that morning.
Tom Averill was a gruff man, quiet and solid, and he’d always communicated his affection through action rather than words. Some of the best memories Becky had from her childhood were of her father flipping pancakes while Becky watched Saturday morning cartoons at the kitchen counter.
“Thanks, Dad.” Becky managed the words without crying, which she knew would embarrass her stoic father.
He gave a curt nod and disappeared again.
“He’s proud of you,” her mother said. “We both are.”
“Really?” Becky laughed. “I had the impression you thought I was in over my head.”
“Perhaps at the time of Rick’s death,” her mother admitted. “We were so worried about you recovering from that kind of tragedy. Then when you found out you were carrying twins...” Ann shook her head. “I didn’t believe in you as much as I should. You’re much stronger than either your father or I realized.”
“You raised me,” Becky said softly, “so you can take some of the credit.”
Her mother chuckled. “No. You get it all.” Her expression sobered. “I still worry about you and wish you’d move home. The girls need—”
“Rambling Rose is our home, Mom.” Becky smiled and clapped along with Luna’s enthusiastic banging. “We’re part of the community.” Her breath hitched as she realized how true that statement was. She owed a large debt to Callum for helping her finally muster the courage to come out of her shell. Because of the way she was raised, she’d thought of asking for help as a weakness.
Rick had been equally independent and their relationship had been the two of them against the world. It worked until his death, and then she was lost at sea with not even a paddle to aid her in getting to dry land.
From the first moment Callum had volunteered to watch the twins while she helped Laurel, he’d made it easy to lean on him. She’d gotten close to the people at work in a way she hadn’t before and begun to expand her circle of friends, enriching both her life and the twins’.
Would she have been willing to make that happen without Callum’s innate support? Hard to say, but Becky would remain forever grateful to him.
Her feelings about Callum must have shown on her face because her mother’s expression became suddenly assessing.
“Have you met someone new?” Ann asked as she smoothed a hand over Sasha’s back.
“I went on a few dates with a guy, but it didn’t work out.”
“Why?”
“We wanted different things, I guess.” Becky picked an invisible piece of lint from her pant leg. “He’s not sure if he’s going to stay in Rambling Rose long-term, and my life is there.”
“Is it?” Her mother sounded more curious than judgmental. “You’re a nurse, Beck. You can have a career anywhere. The girls are so young that a move wouldn’t really impact them. There’s something about how you look right now that makes me think this man was special to you.”
Becky drew in a sharp breath, and her mother sighed. “We might not have the closest relationship,” Ann said, “but I’m still your mom. I know you, sweetheart.”
“I can’t leave my home,” Becky said, her voice cracking on the last word. She cleared her throat. “Rick and I chose Rambling Rose. Even if I wanted to relocate, I don’t know how I could. It would feel like I was being disloyal to his memory. Like I was moving on.”
“No,” her mother answered immediately. “That isn’t true.”
Sasha climbed off her grandma’s lap, as if sensing Becky’s distress, and toddled toward her, Luna quickly following suit.
Becky opened her arms and cradled her twins. “People tell me that,” she said to Ann. “They tell me it’s okay to move on. But I don’t want to move on. Rick will always be a part of me. He’s a part of our beautiful daughters. His death made me who I am today.”
“I understand.” Her mother nodded. “Which is why I don’t believe you have to stay in Rambling Rose. It’s fine if you want to. I’m not trying to convince you to leave. But if you meet someone who makes you and the girls happy, that’s important. Rick
would want you to be happy again. You can honor him by living life to the fullest.”
Was she doing the opposite now? Yes, she felt a connection to Rambling Rose. The town was her home. But it didn’t compare with how happy she’d been with Callum. She didn’t know if he’d even consider the option of Becky and the girls going with him when he left. But she knew his fear of staying in one place wasn’t about her. They could make a life together wherever the work took him if that’s what he needed. She understood his fear about settling down, but she could show him that the home they both craved wasn’t simply a matter of four walls. It was in their connection to each other. Had she given up too easily? Had her doubts and fears about what she had to offer led her to make the biggest mistake of her life?
* * *
Callum’s heart beat double time as he drove past the park on the edge of town and saw Becky’s minivan parked in the gravel lot.
Sharla had texted him that Becky was definitely coming to work the following morning so his plan had been to talk to her after her shift tomorrow night.
He could still do that, he thought, as nerves thrummed through his veins. Chances were she’d gotten back recently and probably wanted some time to decompress after the visit with her parents.
Excuses. He had a million of them.
None could mask the fact that he was afraid Becky wouldn’t give him a second chance. That he’d put his heart on the line and have it well and truly broken. His ex-wife hadn’t been the only one hurt when their marriage ended. It had taken a while for Callum to admit it, but he still carried the scars from his divorce.
He’d been a less than perfect husband and didn’t want to ever fail in that way again. But now he realized if he continued to guard his heart so tightly that there wasn’t room for anyone inside it, he might protect himself from pain but he’d also prevent himself from finding true happiness.
The kind he knew he’d have with Becky.
Before he changed his mind, Callum pulled into the parking lot and stopped next to her vehicle, refusing to waste one more minute on doubt and regret. It was close to sundown, but the air was calm and the lingering scent of an earlier rain shower made everything earthy and fresh.
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