“Because I was passionate about the stories, not the act. I've said everything I needed to say. Writing was more therapy to me than anything else. It's time I just get on with my normal life.”
“But what about movie rights for the new book? You'll need me for those.”
“No movie.”
“You said that last time.”
“Would you want the worst day of your life on screen? No movie.”
Someone came in then to help me get ready and Nicole grew quiet. It didn't take long and when I stood up to leave, Nicole said, “I've enjoyed helping you tell your stories.”
My lips curved up and I walked out and toward the sound stage. Nothing could stop me today.
My heart thudded in my ears as a producer directed me to the stage. It felt like it was miles from my entrance to the desk that Riley King was now standing behind. He leaned forward and shook my sweat coated palm.
“California Bay, ladies and gentlemen,” he said, waving towards a chair for me to sit.
A beat passed before I realized I should probably say something. “It's great to be here, Riley.”
His palm smacked the desk. “It is wonderful to have you here. Look, I'm a huge fan. I grew up watching your mother and had the biggest crush on her. When your book came out, I devoured it. She really was an amazing woman, wasn't she?”
“She …” I cleared my throat nervously. “She was incredible.”
“In your book, you describe her flight from Hollywood and her life after, but today you're going to reveal something to us, correct?”
I flashed him a smile. “I am.” The nerves seemed to be swept away the longer I talked about my mom. “My mother's real name was Allison McCoy.”
He feigned shock - he'd already been told. “You mean you wrote an entire book about her and didn't reveal it.”
“That would have involved changing my life, Riley. And that of my brother.”
“Then why tell us now?”
“It's time.” I looked into the camera. “My name is Callie McCoy.” Looking back at Riley, I began to explain. “I have a new book coming out. It's one that I hope everyone reads, but it is being published under my real name.”
“The rumblings are that this book is about the Gulf City School shooting that happened about a decade ago.”
I nodded. “I was there.”
Gasps in the crowd.
“That story is still a little far off, but can I ask you a question, Riley?” I leaned in conspiratorially.
“Aren't I supposed to be the one asking questions?”
The crowd chuckled. Now or never.
I shook my head. “Do you like romance?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jamie:
Dinner went longer than I'd planned. I was missing the Riley King show. That didn't seem like a big deal, in fact it probably made me look a bit pathetic, but it reminded me of the guys. I'd been thinking about them a lot ever since I requested to stay in Tampa instead of going to Fort Benning.
I'd received a lot of calls from the boys when they'd heard. They asked me why I stayed and I didn't have an answer. Ok, that was a bit of a lie. I stayed for her. She'd called me a coward and that word sunk in deep, rooting itself in my psyche. I wasn't a coward. But, I didn't have the courage to face her yet either.
My team sat around the table, finishing their burgers. Lance was a burly fellow who'd been in special forces like me. He was heading up to Georgia tomorrow. Mindy was a wisp of a girl with a biting attitude. Will was taller than just about anyone else I'd ever met. I was the youngest on the team by far and the least experienced and they treated me like it.
Will and Lance left first, leaving me and Mindy to pay with one of our company cards. I stood up from the table and helped her with her coat when I caught the eye of a young boy who was sending daggers my way.
“I'll be right back,” I said to Mindy. I'd driven her directly from the office so she couldn't leave without me.
Jackson's eyes narrowed as I got closer. “Soldier,” he said.
“Hi Jacks.” I moved to ruffle his hair, but he ducked out of my reach. Liam, Declan, and Noah were seated around the table, but none of them spoke.
“Don't touch me.”
“Jackson.”
“Stop saying my name,” he yelled.
Noah put a hand on his arm to calm him down as we'd gained some onlookers.
“What's wrong?” I directed that to Noah.
“You left.” Jackson's voice grew small.
“Where'd you go?” little Liam asked.
“Boys,” Noah said, but even he didn't know what to say.
“I told you not to make mom sad and you did. You did.” Jackson was crying now, but trying to hide it.
My feet were rooted to the spot and only two words passed my dry lips. “I'm sorry.”
“No, you're not.” Jackson stood up. “Grown-ups only say that when they're trying to make you not mad anymore. You don't mean it. You don't care.”
“Of course I care.”
“I thought you were my friend. I thought you loved me.”
My eyes glassed over as Mindy walked up. “Are you ready to go?”
Jackson slumped back into his chair as tears continued to roll down his cheeks. Liam started crying with his brother.
I looked to Mindy, wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible, but knowing I couldn't. Not now.
Kat appeared, looking around at the sobbing boys in confusion.
“Jamie, what did you do?” She'd always had an affection in her voice for me, but it was gone now.
I spread my hands wide, unable to speak.
She waved it off and looked to the kids. “The bar tender is putting the show on now.”
This seemed to cheer them up. “Show?” I asked.
“Callie is on Riley King tonight.”
I walked towards the bar in a daze with Mindy following close behind. She seemed to be enjoying the drama. Kat was following us and I didn't miss the glare she threw Mindy's way, but it didn't bother me. I just needed to see Callie.
The bartender switched the overhead screen to the Riley King show and at the end of the commercial break, Callie walked confidently onto the stage. She was breathtaking and I felt a catch in my throat.
I was so mesmerized, I barely heard her as she talked about her books. Her leg bounced nervously, but other than that she looked like she belonged.
She leaned forward with the sexiest smile on her lips and asked Riley a simple question. “Do you like romance?”
The broad-shouldered man chuckled loudly. “Miss McCoy,” he said. “Is that a proposition?”
I clenched my fists.
She winked. “Sorry, this girl is taken. You see, there's this man who loves your show. He was a Ranger, like you.”
“Smart man.”
“Very smart. And also the biggest idiot you'll ever meet.”
“I think I like this guy.”
“I do too.” Her voice grew sad. “We've known each other forever. We know all the good and especially all the bad. But I did something horrible.”
The crowd let out an “awww” and I breathed heavily. A hand slipped into mine and I looked over to see Kat before returning my eyes to the screen.
“I won't go into specifics, but I hope you don't mind if I use your show for my own means.” She winked at Riley and the crowd laughed again. They were eating up every word and so was the host.
I watched the beautiful, confident woman on the screen and saw the young, teenage outsider I'd known and loved. It was still the same girl, never playing by the rules. Riley King didn't seem to mind that she'd hijacked the interview. It'd be ratings heaven.
“Use away.” Riley waved her on with a laugh. “I'll just sit here and look pretty.”
Callie flashed him a grin before taking her lip in between her teeth. I saw the moment the nerves tried to take over, but she straightened her back and seemed to push them away. That's my girl, I thought. Stron
g. Tough.
Cal released a breath and I felt Kat squeeze my hand again.
“This Ranger of mine,” Callie said. “I betrayed him, kept something from him, and he has every right to hate me. I'd never forgive me if I was him. But he isn't me. He's always been better than me, even if he doesn't see it. He thinks he's a coward, but I'm the coward.”
She seemed to forget she was talking in front of basically the entire country at the moment, because she looked into the camera and started speaking directly to me.
“Jamie, I didn't choose him because I loved him more. It was because I loved you so much it terrified me. Because you were already gone. We'd said our goodbyes and I couldn't handle another one.” She stood up and the camera followed her to the center of the stage.
Glancing back at Riley, she shrugged. “I had to get him to listen to me.”
Riley smiled indulgently. He was enjoying this as much as his audience. It was a real-life drama playing out right on his stage.
“I'm not scared anymore. You were very wrong about something. It will always be you. It always has been.” She turned to walk back towards her seat and looked over her shoulder at the camera. “And I want to marry the heck out of you too.”
When she sat back down, Riley King mimed wiping a tear from under his eye and sent the show to commercial.
I leaned forward against the bar, unable to hold my own weight up any longer. Kat released my hand and all three boys were staring at me.
“Well,” Mindy said. “That was odd.” I looked into her eyes, realizing she didn't know the enormity of what just happened. To her, as to most people watching, that was just some author declaring their love for a nameless man.
To me, it was everything.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Callie:
“Mom.”
“Momma.”
“Mom!”
“California.”
I jolted awake when I heard my name. Colby was standing at the foot of my bed with all three boys.
“Crap, what time is it?” I asked.
“Crap, crap, crap,” Declan mimicked.
“That's not nice, Dec,” Jacks chided.
“Good thing I stopped by.” Colby laughed as he lifted Declan onto the bed.
Declan immediately crawled up to snuggle against me.
“Time?” I asked.
“Seven-thirty.”
I groaned. “I thought I'd left the late gene behind years ago.”
“And the messy gene.” He looked around at my not-so-clean room.
“It's been a rough week.”
He nodded sympathetically. “Still no word from Jamie?”
Shaking my head, I kicked off the covers. “It's been almost a week. I've given up thinking he'll call.”
“Maybe he didn't see it.”
“We know he did.” I gather Declan into my arms and stood up. “Kat said he watched it with them.”
“I'm sorry, sis.”
“Yeah, me too.” I sighed. “But life goes on and I have three boys to get ready for school in record time.”
“I'll take breakfast duty,” he saluted and hurried to the kitchen. I didn't know what I'd do without my brother.
I threw on a pair of khaki pants and a sweater before tying my hair into a bun and heading into Declan and Liam's room to get them dressed.
Jackson already had himself ready and all three ate quick bowls of cereal while I finished getting ready.
“Jackson.” I handed him his backpack. “You have your homework?”
“Duh, mom.”
I let that slide as he ran out to catch the bus.
“You coming to Emma's for breakfast?” I asked my brother.
“Why else would I come by here in the morning?”
“Because you love your nephews.”
He grinned and I punched his arm before shepherding the younger boys out. “I'll meet you there after dropping the boys off.”
We took off in our separate cars and once the boys were safely ensconced in their classrooms, I went to meet him. On the drive, I couldn't help wondering if that was going to be my life from now on. I loved my kids with everything I had, but it was hard doing it on my own. One day, Colby would have his own family and wouldn't be able to help raise mine. I couldn't even manage to get up on time this morning.
Parenting was full of doubts, but at least when you had a partner, those doubts wouldn't eat you alive. I had no illusions about Dylan. He'd now been relegated to the occasional father. My boys deserved more than that.
Colby was sitting in a booth when I arrived, an omelet already in front of him. “Jasper is a gem.” He pointed his fork at me.
“He's a brilliant cook, isn't he?”
“I like having free food again.”
I laughed. “And unlike Ally's, here you don't have to work for it.”
“That is a major plus.”
“Are you working today?” I asked.
“Nope. I'm on the next four so today is free.” He looked up at me. “And Jasper is going to cover things here.”
“Why? I'm here.”
“We have plans.”
“Colby.”
He waved a bite of egg at me. “No. Don't argue.”
“Well, of course, just because you tell me not to.” Sarcasm dripped from my words.
He cracked a smile. “Cal.”
“Ugh, fine. I'll leave my business in the hands of my cook just weeks after opening when we're packed to the gills. Sounds like such a good idea.”
“Glad you agree.”
“I think your sarcasm detector is broken.”
“No, I'm just ignoring it.”
Leaning back in the booth, I crossed my arms over my chest. One of the waitresses brought me a stack of pancakes and bacon. I looked up to find Jasper winking from the kitchen. Shaking my head, I dug in.
“You'll need your strength,” Colby said, explaining the food he'd obviously ordered for me.
“Why?”
He grinned. “There's a swell coming.”
That caught my attention, but something was off. “Since when do you care about that? You don't even surf.”
“Since I'm the best brother in the world. I don't have to surf, but you could use some waves. I'll hang on the beach.”
I wasn't about to argue again. Surfing sounded pretty darn good and the waves had been crap lately. Maybe they'd help me clear my mind. We finished eating and then both drove back to my house.
I ran in and threw on my bathing suit and wet-suit while Colby strapped my board to the top of his car. We rode together to the beach and when we pulled into the parking lot, a familiar car was waiting for us.
Jay stepped out and came to meet me with a wide smile on his face.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, looking back and forth between Jay and my brother.
“I needed a day off.” He shrugged. “Amber is handling things at the office.”
I nodded, not questioning it more. In truth, it felt good to have both of them there with me. I linked arms with Jay and started leading him across the parking lot where I got a glimpse of the ocean. My feet stopped moving and I slipped out of Jay's grasp.
“Seriously, guys?” I looked into their guilty faces. “You make me leave work and there aren't even any surfable waves?”
The water rolled slightly before foaming towards the shore. There was no curling, no height. It wasn't flat, but it may as well have been.
I took my annoyance with me as I marched out onto the sand and threw down my board. “Ugh,” I yelled. “Can't anything go right?”
I didn't realize Colby and Jay hadn't followed me until I heard a different voice behind me. “What's wrong, sugar? Some asshole leave you hanging?”
I didn't turn at the sound; my feet wouldn't let me. I closed my eyes and breathed in the salt air. It calmed me down, but I still couldn't speak.
“Don't you hate it when you're told there are waves and it's flat?” He laughed slightly.
I knew what he was doing. He was trying to make me remember, not realizing that I'd never forgotten. I finally turned. Jamie Daniels stood in front of me in faded jeans and a button down that was open over a white tank. His hands dug deep in his pockets as he rocked back in his sandals. His blond hair had grown since he left the Army and it was now styled to the side. His clear eyes looked at me, willing me to speak.
“I was so mad at you,” I whispered.
“I know.”
“I mean that day. You lied to me about the waves and I skipped the first day of senior year.”
“Would you have remembered anything you learned that day?” he asked, not waiting for an answer. “But you remember coming here with me.”
“Because we fought.”
“We always fight. You know what I remember about that day? I wanted to spend time with you so bad that I would have done anything.”
“And this day? Why did you have them lie to me about the waves today?”
“Because, Cal, you went on TV for me.”
“But that was a week ago.” I hugged my arms close as if protecting myself.
“I still needed time, but Callie, I don't ever want to stop fighting with you.” He stepped closer and I didn't stop him from reaching out to touch my cheek. “I don't want to stop watching you. I don't want to stop kissing you.” He moved even closer and I was lost in the image of the two of us. He leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over mine. “I don't want to stop loving you.”
My head was too full and I needed space so I pushed him back gently. “It isn't just me, Jamie. There are strings attached to me.”
“The boys.” He understood me without an explanation, he always had. He ran his fingertips under my chin. “It took me seconds to fall in love with them. I want them, Cal. I'm not their father, but I want them to be mine.”
He wiped a tear from under my eye with the pad of his thumb.
“Do you remember the proposition I gave you before we became friends?” he asked.
I nodded, resting my cheek against his palm. “It was the beginning of senior year - our last hurrah. You wanted to have an amazing year. You wanted to be epic.”
“So be epic with me, California McCoy.”
I nodded as I held in sob.
“You already proposed to me, so I think I only need to say yes.”
We Thought We Knew It All (Invincible Book 2) Page 14
