Help Me, Hold Me

by Barbara Gee

  Vince gripped her shoulders and turned her around to face him. “Ever had a guy in here?” he asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

  Her eyes widened. “Of course not. That would’ve been asking for trouble. In more ways than one, considering I have a very protective grandfather who also has bionic hearing.”

  “Yeah, well Jeremiah likes me, and you’re a big girl now, so I think we’re safe.” He tugged her closer as he spoke. “There’s just something about a hot girl in her childhood bedroom,” he murmured, his lips curving slowly upward.

  Callie trembled as his hands settled at her waist. She put hers on his chest before moving them up over his shoulders, enjoying the ridges of hard muscle she found. He was totally ripped, totally male, and felt so good. She rubbed her fingers over the soft hair at the back of his head. He wore his hair short on the sides and a little longer on top now, but when he’d first come to the Wild, it had been long and shaggy, like many players still wore theirs. She preferred this more clean-cut look, but he’d looked awfully good with the long style, too.

  “Have I thanked you for getting Grandpa up on Apollo this morning?” she asked, remembering the heart-warming sight vividly.

  “You made me Great-Granny’s apple crisp,” he said with a chuckle. “That’s all the thanks I need.”

  She shook her head because a simple dessert wasn’t enough to adequately convey how grateful she was for what he’d done. “I should make you every recipe in Great-Granny’s book. Seriously, Vince, it meant so much to both of us. It was wonderful to see him so content and happy after a string of rough days.”

  She saw a flicker of something cross Vince’s face, but it was gone before she could decipher what it might mean.

  “He and I had a talk before the ride,” he said after a slight pause. “He’s worried about you being all alone when he’s gone. I told him you won’t be.”

  Callie blinked away the sudden sting of tears. His words meant a lot, but she didn’t want him to feel trapped by her circumstances.

  “I hope he didn’t lay a guilt trip on you,” she said. “I don’t want our relationship to be centered on me needing support after Grandpa passes.”

  “It’s definitely not, but I will be here for you. Along with your friends and church family. You won’t be alone, Callie.”

  She traced her fingertips along his jaw. His scruff was getting long enough to start feeling soft, almost in beard territory. Callie loved it.

  “You’re a good guy, Vince. I’m getting real used to having you around.” Maybe she was getting too used to it, but she had no desire to change things up. He made living in a bubble bearable—because that’s what it felt like she was doing sometimes. The outside world was there, but distant. Her days revolved around Jeremiah and the ranch and an occasional quick trip into town. Without Vince’s visits, she’d feel even more isolated, and she was so grateful he’d come into her life—and seemed to want to stay there.

  “Good, because I’m getting used to being around.”

  That made her smile, but she still worried a little about monopolizing his free time. “Just make sure you don’t give up things you enjoy. If you want to spend some evenings at the Full Heart, or with Boone and Jolene, please do. I don’t expect you to give up everything else just to keep me company.”

  “Don’t worry about me, Callie. If I’m here, it’s because it’s where I want to be.”

  She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his shirt. “I think you’re too good to be true,” she said, her voice muffled by the cotton.

  “Nope. Just the lucky guy who managed to get past Callie Green’s defenses.”

  She looked up at him, her chin propped on his chest. “In record time, I might add.”

  He chuckled. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. I took advantage of Jeremiah’s good mood while he was riding Apollo and asked about having a nurse come in to stay while you help at the retreat center next week.”

  Callie’s jaw dropped. “You did?”

  “I did. He agreed it’s time to bite the bullet and get the first time over with. He said he knows you enjoy helping out over there and you deserve some time away.”

  “Are you serious?” Callie asked, feeling like a huge weight had just dropped off her shoulders. “He agreed just like that? Oh my word, you’re the best, Vince.” She hugged him tight then looked up at him again. “The best of the best.”

  He smiled, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners. “If I was the best, you’d have a poster of me on your bedroom wall. But for some reason, I’m not seeing it.”

  She had to laugh. “A definite oversight on my part. I have your jersey in my closet though, right beside Boone’s. Does that help make up for it?”

  He pretended to think about it. “That—along with a kiss in your pink bedroom—just might do it.”

  She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. “Well, as it happens we have a few minutes before the oven timer goes off.”

  “That’ll be enough…..for now,” he said, bringing his hands to the sides of her head. “We can always finish later.”

  Then he tilted her face a little to the side and lowered his mouth to hers. Callie’s heart lurched and she melted instantly into him, giving herself up to the wonder of this man’s kiss and the feel of his body, so warm and strong against hers. Her mind went a little fuzzy, but two thoughts were quite clear. This was what kissing was meant to be…..and Vince was the man she was meant to be doing it with.

  She wound her arms around his neck and pressed closer, lost in sensations still wonderfully new to her. After a long, sweet minute, he lifted his head slightly, just enough to break the kiss, and she slowly opened her eyes, meeting his intense gaze.

  “Every time, Callie,” he said, his voice low and rough. “Every single time it just floors me. I feel like it’s impossible to ever get enough.”

  Her whole body felt shaky—he made her feel so much she couldn’t contain it all. “Ditto,” she said a little breathlessly, “but if the timer goes off and we don’t hear it, Grandpa’s gonna wake up and wonder where we are.”

  He nodded reluctantly, his eyes dark blue and still wanting. She took a step back, missing the feel of his arms as soon as they dropped away from her.

  “Vince—” She stopped and bit the inside of her lip, wanting him to know how she felt, but not sure how to put it into words.

  A dark brow slid up slightly as he waited.

  She clasped her hands tightly behind her back and went with her gut, even though it bared part of her soul to him and made her feel awfully vulnerable.

  “I’ve spent a lot of time sitting in this pink room thinking about boys over the years. Whenever the girls were in here with me, from middle-school age on, ninety percent of our conversations revolved around boys. Most of the time it was about boys we knew, but sometimes it was about the ones we hoped to meet one day. Those strong, gorgeous, incredible men who would sweep us off our feet and make us feel like the luckiest girls in the world, and give us the happily ever after all school-girls dreams about.”

  Vince watched her, his gaze intent but not giving anything away.

  Callie looked down and cleared her throat. “I know it’s too soon to bank on the happily ever after part, but—” She raised her eyes to his again. “The sweeping off the feet part and the rest of it? All I can say is it’s even better than I imagined. Way better. And here I always thought I had my sights set way too high.”

  “Callie,” he said, his voice soft as he reached out and took her face in his hands once again. “I don’t ever want to let you down. I want to be that man, and I want to take it all the way to the happily ever after. But I need to know you won’t pull away when it gets hard.” He shook his head slowly, his eyes fixed on hers. “Don’t assume what we have is going to fall apart when we have to spend time away from each other. If we want it badly enough, we’ll figure it out, together, and we’ll make it work.”

  She gripped his arms and nod
ded, her chest aching with the amount of emotion packed inside. “I do want it badly enough, and I don’t want to wimp out when it gets tough. It’s just hard because I’m a planner. I like to have everything all mapped out before I start something, and there are a lot of really big things it’s impossible to map out right now.” She sighed and dropped her hands to his waist, hooking her fingers through his belt loops. “I need to trust more, and learn to take things as they come. I know that.”

  He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “We need to pray about it, too, pray that we follow God’s will. If He brought us together, He’ll help us stay together, right?”

  “Right,” Callie said, thinking for the hundredth time that Vince was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

  He bent his head again, this time pressing his lips briefly against hers. “We can do this, Callie. We can have our happily ever after.”

  A distant beeping reached their ears. Callie’s eyes widened and she grabbed his hand and pulled him out to the hall, heading quickly toward the stairs. “We can also have Great-Granny’s apple crisp,” she said in a loud whisper over her shoulder, “if Grandpa doesn’t kick you out for fooling around with me in my bedroom.”

  His low chuckle made her smile.

  CHAPTER 22

  She’d just taken the dessert from the oven and set it on a hot-pad on the counter when Vince’s phone chirped with a call.

  “It’s Boone,” he said before raising it to his ear. “What’s up, Cap’n?” he asked, smiling. “You missing me now that I have better company to keep?”

  He listened for a bit, then turned his head to look at Callie. “Hang on, I’ll check.” He moved the phone away from his mouth. “Boone and Jolene are wondering if we’d be up for having some company for dinner. They can snag a pan of lasagna and some other stuff from the cafeteria and bring it over.”

  Callie thought about it for a second, then nodded. “I’d love that, and I think Grandpa will be okay with it, since he’s having a good day. Tell them we have dessert covered.”

  Vince relayed the message, set the time for six-thirty, and hung up. “Does that mean I have to wait until after dinner to try that apple crisp?” he grumbled.

  “Mm hmm. We can’t serve our company a dessert that’s been partially eaten.”

  He groaned, but before he could complain, Jeremiah shuffled in.

  “What’s going on in here?” he asked. “You baking again, Callie-girl?”

  “Great-Granny’s apple crisp,” she told him, her face lighting up at the sight of him walking toward them. “Did you have a good nap?”

  “Pretty good, until that beeping woke me up. It was going off for at least a minute.”

  “Sorry, we were upstairs and didn’t hear it right away,” she told him as she filled the teapot with water.

  Vince leaned back against the counter and folded his arms, wishing they were still upstairs. “Callie was showing me her trophy room,” he said smoothly, although that hadn’t been the highpoint. “She thinks she’s got me beat.”

  “If she doesn’t, you’re the exception. The girl’s an over-achiever. Always has been.”

  Callie gave Jeremiah an exasperated look, which made Vince grin. “I don’t think I’ve got him beat, Grandpa, and you shouldn’t either. He’s a professional athlete. He could probably fill five rooms with all his stuff.”

  Jeremiah waved a hand. “Don’t make his head swell up any more than it already is,” he warned.

  Vince splayed his hand over his heart. “You think I’m vain? I’m hurt, Jeremiah.”

  Callie laughed. “Do you feel up for some more guests, Grandpa?” she asked. “Boone and Jolene Kendall want to bring us dinner. I think they’re missing Vince, since we’ve been hogging him.”

  “Nah,” Vince drawled, giving her a teasing grin. “They want to spend some time with you. Make sure you’re worthy of my attentions.”

  Her happy laugh sounded again and it was all Vince could do not to walk across the kitchen and kiss her.

  “I don’t mind if they come,” Jeremiah said, “but I doubt I’ll have much of an appetite.”

  Callie took his teabags from the cupboard. “I know, dinner isn’t your thing. I’ll make sure they know. You can sit and visit with us anyway, if you like. At least for a little while.”

  “I s’pose I could chit chat a little, see what Vince’s friends are all about. Then I’ll be ready to hit the hay and you youngins can carry on.”

  “You’ll like them,” Vince said confidently. “Now how about you and me go get comfy in the living room so Callie can get some work done. She keeps glancing at her computer with a guilty look on her face.”

  Callie looked at him quickly, seeming surprised he’d been able to read her so well yet again. “I was thinking I should get at least an hour in,” she admitted. “I promised Lance and Sam I’d order the baler parts Grandpa approved, and I have some bills that need to be paid.”

  Vince walked to the table and opened her laptop. “Have at it. I’ll keep Jeremiah occupied.”

  The older man was already heading out of the room. “Don’t need anyone to keep me occupied, but I’d be happy to grab a deck of cards and whup you at Rummy.”

  Vince gave Callie a pretend worried look before following. “Sorry to break it to you, but I don’t know how to play Rummy. I’m willing to learn if you promise not to gloat, because really, how much of an accomplishment will it be to beat a beginner anyway?”

  “I’ll gloat if I wanna gloat,” Jeremiah said, his voice fading as he got further down the hall.

  “Hey, Vince, wait a second.”

  He turned back when Callie called to him. She was walking toward him, her beautiful face lit with a soft smile. She didn’t slow down when she reached him, just walked right up against him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “I just wanted to hug you,” she said, her cheek against his chest. “Thanks for caring about him. And me.”

  He hugged her back. “I don’t mind hanging out with him, you know that. You get your work done so you can enjoy the evening, okay?”

  She nodded, her arms gradually loosening. “Good luck with the Rummy thing.” She looked past him toward the living room, lowering her voice to a whisper. “I’ll give you a hint. When Grandpa’s right eye starts squinting, it means he’s about to lay down a whole bunch of good stuff and if he doesn’t go out right then, he’s only a hand or two away from it.”

  He chuckled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’ll watch the eye.”

  She let him go and he went to find Jeremiah. It was time to learn how to play Rummy.

  Something told him he wasn’t going to enjoy it nearly as much as kissing Callie in her pretty pink bedroom.

  ***

  Callie was nervous about Boone and Jolene coming over. They both seemed awfully nice, but she hardly knew them, and what if they didn’t think she was right for Vince? They were so important to him, and if they had any concerns about the relationship, he wouldn’t just brush them aside.

  Between worrying about that, and answering texts coming in hot and heavy from Brit, Kim and Rose, her hour of work was less productive than it might have been. It was better than nothing though, and she was grateful to Vince for giving her the time.

  She had just closed her computer when he walked into the kitchen, big and handsome, making her heart skip. He came over, leaning down to place one hand on the back of her chair and the other on the table in front of her. He pushed his face into her hair, groaning softly.

  “I suck at Rummy,” he said, “and Jeremiah gloats shamelessly. Please tell me you’ve gotten enough work done for today.”

  She laughed and leaned into him. “I have, and I’m forever grateful to you for giving me the time.”

  “Hmm, I kinda like having you in my debt.” He lifted her hair and pressed his lips against her neck.

  Callie closed her eyes, loving the feel of him.

  “You smell so good,” he murmured
before pulling away and standing up. “Are you sure you’re okay with Boone and Jolene coming over?”

  She nodded. “I’m fine with it, but a little nervous.”

  He squatted down by her chair, putting them close to eye level with each other.

  “Why are you nervous?”

  She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “What if they don’t think I’m right for you?”

  His blue eyes were warm as he took both her hands in his. “That’s not going to happen, Callie. They’re going to love you. There’s not a doubt in my mind about that.”

  She let her eyes roam over his face. “It’s just that the stakes are pretty high, you know? I know what they think is important to you.”

  “They’re gonna love you,” he repeated, wrapping his arms around her waist and standing up, holding her tightly to him so her feet were a good half a foot off the floor.

  She giggled and held onto his shoulders. “I told the girls about us today. I think I’ve had at least a hundred texts. They definitely approve.”

  “Oh yeah?” He gave her a quick kiss. “I’m glad you told them, and I’m glad they’re excited. It’ll be the same for Boone and Jolene. You’ll see.”

  This time she was the one to kiss him, intending for it to be quick, like his had been. Instead, she let her lips linger on his. It was nice being almost at the same level, and it was easier to take the lead. She took his head between her hands and went in for more.

  His response was immediate, and they found themselves sharing a slow, deep, heated kiss, right there in the middle of the kitchen. Everything else slipped away. It was just him. Just Vince.

  And Jeremiah.

  “Okay, you two, time to rein it in. Your friends just drove up and someone’s gonna have to get the door.”

  Another glorious kiss ended and Vince let her slide slowly to the floor. They smiled at each other for a moment longer, neither particularly concerned about being caught in the act, then Callie smoothed her hair and looked outside.