Make-Believe Honeymoon

by Vivi Holt

  The bathroom door swung open and Jessie stepped out in a knee-length floral dress with a dark pink shrug. Her eye makeup matched the dress, and her hair was curled into small tight knots all over her head, just like their first night together on the cruise. She looked adorable, and he fought the urge to wrap her in his arms.

  Instead he shoved his hands in his pockets and stood to face her, his cheeks burning. “You look beautiful.” He shuffled his feet. Why did he feel like he was back in high school all of a sudden? This was Jessie, the fellow PI he’d been working and sharing a tiny cabin with for over a week.

  “Thanks.” She glanced shyly at the clutch she held in front of her dress. “So do you.” Her gaze met his and a spark of electricity coursed through him.

  He plucked a flower from the nightstand by the bed and handed it to her. “This is for you. Angela at the florist near reception said I should give it to you.”

  She smiled and held the flower to her nose. “It’s lovely. Thanks.”

  “Will you have dinner with me?”

  She looked confused. “Of course. We have dinner together every night.”

  She wasn’t making this easy on him. “I know we do. But I’m asking you on a date. I want to do this right.”

  Her cheeks flushed pink. “Oh. Then … yes, I’d love to have dinner with you.”

  He chose the steak house. It seemed like the most romantic restaurant on the ship, though he suddenly felt like he knew nothing about romance. When he thought back, he realized he’d never courted anyone before – women had just been in his life, and he’d never had to chase one. Not like Jessie. Her uncertainty, the way she pulled back, made him all the more determined. She was the one – she just didn’t know it yet.

  He grinned across the table at her and placed his hand over hers. She turned her hand over to thread her fingers through his. Such a simple act, one she’d done a dozen times on this trip as part of their ruse. But this time it held a new meaning, and it made his heart thunder against his ribcage.

  They placed their orders, and Callum took a sip of iced tea and cleared his throat. It was now or never. “Jessie, I want you to know that I’ve fallen for you. You’re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

  Her mouth fell open.

  “I know – you’re not there yet. I know you need time to figure things out, and that’s okay with me. I’ll be here, waiting for you. But I just wanted you to know that I’m in this all the way. I want us to give what we have a real shot, a real chance. Is that something you’d consider?” The pounding of his heart almost drowned out his voice. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he exhaled with relief once he was finished. He wasn’t accustomed to giving speeches – he was a man of action. Feelings, and expressing those feelings, were not in his comfort zone.

  Jessie tilted her head and stared at their joined hands, then met his gaze. Her eyes glimmered in the sparkle of the restaurant’s twinkling lights. Light jazz swept over them, mixing with the aroma of roasting meat and perfume. “I don’t know, Callum. I care about you, of course I do. But I have to think about Scott too.”

  “Absolutely. But if we’re right together, he’ll be happy, don’t you think?” He knew Scott was her priority, he knew what was on her heart. She’d told him how she felt, and he respected that. But she had to see they could still be together.

  “I’m not sure. He loved his dad so much, and I’m worried he’ll be upset at the idea of me dating someone else. I’ve never actually tried before.” She sipped her lemonade, then turned the glass around, watching the light play through the liquid.

  He kissed the back of her hand. “I like kids. And I think Scott will love me too, if you’ll give us a chance.”

  She sighed and pulled her hand away to rub her temples. “I told you earlier how Paul cheated on me. He had multiple affairs through the course of our marriage. I didn’t find out until after Scott was born, and then I had him to think of. Paul promised me it was over, that he’d never do it again, but he was seeing someone right before he died. I’d planned on confronting him – in fact, I’d already packed our bags to take Scott with me back to Atlanta when I got the call …”

  Callum’s heart fell. She hadn’t gone into detail before – he didn’t realize how bad it had been.

  She sniffled and pulled a Kleenex from her purse. “I haven’t told anyone else – it’s shameful and upsetting, and when he died I figured there wasn’t any need for people to know. I just swallowed it and let it lay there. So you see, I’m all messed up. I don’t know how to trust a man. I loved him more than anyone in this world and he broke my trust and my heart. When I found out, it was like a piece of me crumbled to dust. I haven’t been the same since.”

  Callum reached for her hand and this time she didn’t pull away. “I’m so sorry that happened.”

  She sniffled again, wiping her eyes with the Kleenex. “I’ve never even told my mom.” She chuckled. “It feels good to get it off my chest.”

  Callum pulled his chair closer to hers until their knees touched and rubbed her back, comforting her, reassuring her. He didn’t know what else to do. All he knew was that her pain caused an ache inside him he hadn’t felt since his mom died. “I can’t change what happened to you. I can’t fix the hurt he caused. But I can promise to love you and be faithful to you. That’s my vow. I will never go behind your back or break your trust that way. If you give us a chance, I’m sure I’ll disappoint you and hurt your feelings and make you mad as a rattlesnake …”

  She chuckled into her tissue.

  “… but I will never, ever be with another woman if you choose to be with me.”

  She nodded, but he could still see the uncertainty behind her brown eyes. “It’ll be a while until our meals get here. Let’s dance while we wait.”

  Her eyes widened and she glanced at the empty dance floor. “But no one else is dancing.”

  With a grin he stood and drew her to her feet. He led her to the dance floor and wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close. The warmth of her body against his sparked an ache inside – he wanted her forever, all of her. With his lips against her hair, he whispered, “Will you give me a chance? Give us a chance?”

  She nodded wordlessly and let her head fall softly against his chest. They danced to the smooth jazz playing over the restaurant’s speakers, swaying to the beat as Callum’s heart swelled with joy.

  16

  Jessie took a spoon and dug it into the macaroni and cheese, which had hardened to a blob in the saucepan. She frowned and tried to stir, but the spoon barely budged. She pushed harder, working her way around the bottom of the pan. Perhaps she should add more milk?

  “What’s burning?” asked her mother as she walked into the kitchen, nose wrinkling.

  Jessie sighed. “Nothing. It’s not burning, it’s just well done.”

  Her mother chuckled and peered into the saucepan. “I’m sorry, honey, but I do believe we need to call the coroner.”

  Jessie’s shoulders slumped and she laughed. “It doesn’t make me a bad mother, does it?”

  Mom chortled. “If that made you a bad mom, half the women in America would flunk out.”

  “So what can we eat?” asked Jessie, lifting the saucepan from the burner and shutting off the heat.

  “Hmmm … how about my famous tuna casserole? I can whip it up in thirty minutes.”

  Jessie wandered to the fridge and opened the door to stare inside. “I guess we can munch on those carrot and celery sticks before we eat.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Her mother threw on an apron and began fetching the ingredients she’d need, while Jessie dumped the vegetable sticks onto a plate beside a half-empty container of French onion dip that smelled like it was still within the use-by date. “Do you remember when we bought this?” she asked, holding up the dip.

  Her mother shrugged. “I’m sure it’s fine. They put enough preservatives in that stuff to last for months.”

  “Well, that’s a comforting thou
ght.” Jessie set it back on the plate with a frown and carried it to the living room table, then took a seat on the couch beside Callum. He patted her leg, but didn’t take his eyes off the TV in the corner. He was wearing a blue Braves cap and a matching jersey with MARKAKIS 22 on the back. Scott balanced on the edge of the coffee table, wearing a plain white cap, his back hunched and his gaze fixed firmly on the television screen. “Who’s winning?” she asked, doing her best to see around Scott.

  “Braves, 9-3, top of the fourth. They’re just killing the D-backs.”

  “Oh.”

  Just then, Freddie Freeman – the one Braves player whose name she could remember – swung and launched the ball into the left-field stands. Callum and Scott leaped into the air in unison with a shout. “Yeah! Woo-hoo!” Scott turned and gave Callum a high-five that led into a convoluted move involving fingers tickling each other, a full body spin and a shoulder-to-shoulder bump. Though with Callum’s height, it was more of a shoulder-to-ribs bump.

  She watched them with a smile. It felt good to see them together. Ever since they got back from the cruise, Callum had been coming over regularly. At first Scott had been hesitant to even make eye contact, but now he seemed completely at ease in Callum’s presence, even liked him. It had been Scott who’d called Callum to ask if he’d come over to watch the game with them, which surprised her. He'd loved watching sports with his dad. To be fair, he probably didn’t remember that – he was only four when Paul died. But it caused her throat to ache and her chest to tighten when she’d heard him make the call.

  “What a shot!” cried Scott to Callum.

  Callum nodded. “450 feet if it was an inch. You can see the fork sticking out of Corbin’s back – he’s done.” And sure enough, the Diamondbacks’ manager was trotting onto the field to take out his beleaguered pitcher.

  Callum sat down again, and Jessie put her hand in his and leaned her head on his shoulder. He kissed her hair and let go of her hand to loop his arm around her, pulling her close. She tucked herself under his arm and let her eyes drift shut.

  She felt safe. It had taken time, but she knew now she could trust him. He wasn’t like Paul. He was different – humble, kind, compassionate and strong. Everything she wanted in a man, in a companion – and most importantly, in a father for Scott.

  He took a carrot stick, stuck it in the dip and took a bite. “Mmmm … that’s good. Thanks, sweetheart.” He smiled at her.

  Her heart melted, and she chuckled to herself. If carrot sticks and questionable dip made him happy, he was definitely the man for her.

  He dragged his eyes from the screen. “I think we’re getting along pretty well.”

  “Do you mean you and I, or you and Scott?”

  He shrugged. “Both.”

  “I agree.” She leaned over for a kiss. Even though they’d been dating for a month, the touch of his lips still stole the breath from her lungs and sent shivers through her body. “I’m just going to check on dinner.” She floated to the kitchen with a smile on her face.

  Her mother glanced at her, then arched an eyebrow. “You look happy.”

  “I am.” She grinned wider and leaned against the counter, crossing her arms.

  Mom stopped stirring to rest her hand on Jessie’s arm and looked her in the eye with a smile. “I’m so glad, my darlin’ girl. I worried for a while you’d never find happiness again.”

  Jessie’s throat tightened and a lump began to form. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “You deserve it, you know. Happiness. I know Paul didn’t treat you the way you deserved.”

  Her eyes widened. “What?”

  “Don’t be so shocked. You didn’t tell me much, but I’m not as simple as I seem. I know a player when I see one.”

  Jessie laughed, her eyes smarting with tears. “A player? Mom, where did you learn that word?”

  Her mother’s eyes twinkled. “I was married to a cop, remember? You’d be amazed the words I’ve learned. Plus I’ve seen MTV a time or two.”

  Jessie embraced her mother, feeling the fear of what might happen if people knew the truth fading away. “Thank you, Mom.”

  Her mother nodded. “Callum’s a good man. Give him a chance.”

  She swallowed, then nodded.

  “Do you love him?”

  She sighed. “Yeah, I do.”

  Her mother patted her on the arm, then leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek before returning to her stirring. “Good.”

  Jessie left her standing at the stove, going out the back door and into the garden. Her mother was the green thumb of the family and had turned the backyard into a cottage garden that was the envy of her neighbors. A swing hung on the porch and Jessie sat on it, staring at the backyard as it faded in the dimming light. A firefly buzzed by, its light blinking as it went.

  Her mother knew, had likely known all along. She’d been carrying the secret around to protect everyone who’d ever loved Paul and to keep them from thinking badly of Scott’s father. And she didn’t have to. She didn’t plan on telling anyone else, but just knowing that Mom knew made the pain drift away. She could leave it in the past where it belonged. She was ready for a new beginning. A new life with Callum.

  The back door swung open and Callum walked out, smiling as usual. “Can I join you? Or are you having some more of that alone time you love so much?” He chuckled and crossed his arms to wait for her response.

  She patted the seat beside her and stopped swinging long enough for him to sit down. “Got tired of the game?”

  “It’s pretty much done – no way Arizona’s coming back from that.” He put his arm around her shoulders and she nestled into his side. “You look different.”

  “I feel different.”

  He turned to face her, one eyebrow up. “What is it?”

  “Just letting go of the past.”

  He nodded, his eyes narrowed. “I’m glad.”

  She smiled.

  “So does that mean you’re gonna let me make you happy now?”

  “Yes, please.”

  He bent his head, his lips hovering just above hers with only a breath between them. “You know I’ve been waiting for this moment forever?”

  She chuckled. “You haven’t known me that long.”

  “Still … I’ve been waiting for you, even before I knew I was. All my life I’ve been alone. And deep down, I knew I wanted someone who’d love me and who I could love without anything between us. A forever kind of love. And I have that with you.”

  She smiled and kissed him, feeling her legs turn to jelly.

  He leaned his forehead against hers and stared into her eyes. The intensity in his made her breath catch in her throat. “Now that you’re ready to love me that way, I have something I want to ask you. Will you marry me?”

  Her throat tightened, but her smile was wide. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  “I just can’t stand being away from you,” he added, a glint in his darkened eyes.

  She laughed and her eyes filled with tears. “Then don’t, sugar plum.”

  One year later

  The man in the denim jacket walked from the building. Callum watched from the corner of his eye – yup, that was his target. He stood and slung his shoulder bag over one arm, then hurried after him. The lunch crowd in Buckhead was busier than he’d recalled – plenty of folks moving between the high-rise buildings on both sides of the road and the traffic edging slowly past.

  He momentarily lost the target in a group of business suits, but the man emerged on the other side, glancing over his shoulder as he put something in the inside pocket of his jacket. Was that a memory stick? Callum frowned and ducked as the target scanned the crowd. His client had accused her employee of stealing valuable intellectual property assets. If he could catch him in the act, Callum would be very popular with her – she was a big spender and had him on retainer. Paranoia and wealth made for regular work in his industry.

  His mind wandered back to the Alton Meer case a year ago. Alton and Susan
had been sentenced a few weeks earlier in an Atlanta courtroom, and during the trial Alton had confessed in order to get his sentence reduced. He’d told the police all they needed to know about his mother and how she’d given him the drugs he used on Kyle Callahan to get him to write the new will. Then, while he was at the game, she used an empty syringe to push an air bubble into Kyle’s artery that brought on a massive cardiac arrest.

  Alton earned himself a fifteen year sentence, his mother would be behind bars for the rest of her life. Katrina and Kyle’s children finally inherited the estate that was rightfully theirs after the GBI managed to get the money transfer reversed using the evidence they collected against the pair of criminals.

  He grinned to himself and jogged forward again as the man he was following crossed the street. Soon the target was lost in another crowd between the various popular restaurants and parking garages along the street. He stopped and searched the street for any sign of the denim jacket. None. He huffed in frustration and pulled his cell phone from his back pocket.

  Just as he was about to dial, a text from Jessie made the phone vibrate in his hand. Following target. Got photos of a meet & xchg. C u @ base. J xo

  He grinned, then set off at a run back to his car. Jessie had it covered – she’d email him the photographs and he could investigate further online. They might have a result for the client before dinner. Two really did work better than one.

  By the time he made it back to “base” – their basement office in Jessie’s mom’s house – through stop-and-go traffic, Jessie was already waiting for him. “How did you beat me back here?”

  She laughed. “I got lucky. Plus I know all the back streets.”

  “You’ll have to teach me those sometime – I still get lost as soon as I leave Marietta. Atlanta traffic is killing me.” He leaned down to kiss her on the mouth and smiled into her eyes. “Hello, wife.”

  “Hello, sugar plum.” She grinned and traced the outline of the new beard he was trying out.