Waiting for Callum (The Waite Family Book 2)

by Angel Devlin

  "Wow, I am being spoiled." Callum smiled.

  "It's the least I can do. Anyway, we have to eat."

  Why did I say that? Now it looked like I didn't make an effort for him, that we'd have been doing this anyway. This was just all going wrong. It had not been the morning I'd imagined at all.

  Luckily, lunch went a lot better. All I'd needed was to put Laurel's favourite foods out. She was too busy stuffing her face with cocktail sausages to pay us any attention. I'd got out her pretend tea set and she was pretending to feed her favourite toys Luna and Hugo in between.

  "So tell me more about Eli. I presume he's much more part of things now you've known him for six months."

  "Yep. It's like a divorce arrangement now. He stays every other weekend. And we still go bowling every Saturday night whether he's staying or not. Can't remember him not being part of things. And despite him saying he was academic, he loved watching me do my work and now says he wants to study to be an electrician, so it looks like in a couple of years I might have an apprentice."

  "Oh wow. And what does Angela think to that?"

  "She's fine with it all. Just happy to see him happy. Now she knows we're not taking him away from her, I think she looks forward to him being at ours. Gives her some time off the teenage years!"

  "Oh don't. I keep being warned about those. Laurel has her moments now. I'm dreading adding hormones to the mix."

  "You're a great mum. You'll be fine. Plus, you never know, you might have met someone by then."

  Okay, he was looking at me. Was that in an 'I mean me' way or was he just generally telling me I might meet someone else? What could I ask him back? Think, Becca, think.

  "You never know. I'm certainly not averse to the idea now."

  Ask me out. Ask me out.

  "What about coffee dad? He sounded interested?"

  And there we had it. He was suggesting I dated coffee dad. My innards flinched with disappointment.

  "Hmmm, maybe. I didn't get any vibes from him other than friend ones though. He wasn't really my type. How about you?"

  "The dates I've been on haven't been anything special. I took Lisa out; you know, the barmaid from the Half Moon."

  "Yeah, you said before." And I don't like thinking about it any more now than I did last time around.

  "Oh yes, when we talked about being friend-zoned. Well, I've dated a few women since then but none of it's been anything serious."

  If my stomach twisted up any further, I'd need a hospital.

  "Funny story, Lisa now lives in your old house."

  "What?"

  "Yeah. She's renting it."

  "Oh."

  "She's become good friends with Vi and Jules."

  Phone 999, it's an emergency. I have a massive hernia because someone pinched my friends. I cruelly abandoned them and now karma is kicking my arse hard. I'm being replaced.

  "That's nice."

  "Your face."

  I snapped my head up, my eyes firmly on his.

  "What do you mean?"

  "You're jealous. It's written all over your face. Completely and utter jealous."

  Hallelujah. He'd realised. Thank God. Now kiss me already, dumbarse.

  "You miss them, don't you?"

  "Who?"

  What was he talking about now? Why was he not kissing me?

  "Violet and Jules. You lost touch with them and now you're totally jealous they're friends with Lisa. It's not too late to pick up the phone you know?"

  I hoped he thought the bone-crushing disappointment now showing across my features was due to 'how much I missed my old friends'. Gah.

  "I know. Maybe one day. So there's no one special in your life then?" Back to you and dating, Cal. Back. To. You.

  Don't let me down.

  He took a deep breath. "I'm going to see Tali next week." He said.

  Of all the things I anticipated him saying, that was not one of them. I gave up any hope of him having any interest in me. The expression on his face was one of hope.

  "Oh, gosh. Shit, look at the time. I'd better let you get back to work." I told him.

  And then I began to clear things away and left him alone. It was rude, but I didn't want to hear about him meeting up with his ex. Not one single word.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Cal

  Well today couldn't have been any more awkward if Rob had returned from the dead and walked into the house.

  We'd not been able to talk much because Laurel had decided she was scared shitless of my drill and then lunch had been a disaster.

  I didn't get any vibes she was particularly ready to start dating. In fact, she'd shown more emotion about Lisa taking over her old life than interest in romance. I got it though. When something so huge had happened in your past, it took a lot of confidence to start again.

  I couldn't believe that when I'd mentioned Tali, Becca had ended lunch and walked away. She was the one who'd encouraged me to get that closure and now she didn't seem interested. And then I understood. She'd taken herself away from Willowfield. Had cut all ties. She probably realised now that getting me to come here was a mistake and wanted me to do the job and go home. Back to my own world and leaving her to hers.

  My chest filled with a crushing disappointment, but at least now I knew. My feelings were one-sided. She didn't want any part of her old life back; she'd moved on.

  I carried on adding the sockets where she'd wanted them, while she kept Laurel occupied away from the main noise. I made my own drinks, and after I’d finished, I washed my mug and cleared up the brick dust.

  "Becca." I shouted up the stairs. But all I could hear was Laurel screeching with excitement about something.

  Was there actually any point in me saying goodbye? I picked up my tools and walked outside, closing the door firmly behind me. Once in the van, I sent a text.

  All done. I tried to shout you, but you didn't hear. You just need someone to plaster where I've had to drill into the walls and then a spot of painting and you're done. Take care. Cal.

  And then I drove away.

  By the time I got home I'd received a text back.

  Becca:Thank you. Sorry, I didn't get to say goodbye. You did an amazing job. I need to pay you for it.

  Cal:No payment necessary. I was doing a favour for an old friend.

  Becca:Well, thank you. Thank you for having been such a good friend. PS less of the old.

  But I wasn't focusing on her joke. I was staring at the world 'been'. Past tense.

  It was time to draw a line under Becca and move on. Part of which was going to speak to my ex.

  Jules came to sit with me that night and asked how I’d got on. She was the only family member who knew where I'd been; I'd not even confided in Milo.

  "She made it clear she was done with all of us, Jules. Although on saying that, when I said you and Vi were friends with Lisa, she'd looked really pissed off."

  "I'm not being funny, but you're a guy. You can't even find the butter if I put it on a different shelf. Are you sure she wasn't interested? Maybe you were just too chicken shit to find out."

  "I said I was going to see Tali and she dismissed me. Didn't want to hear about me hopefully gaining some closure in my life. It was crystal clear."

  Jules sighed.

  "I know, it's crap. But I just have to deal with it. At least she got some extra sockets out of the situation. I'm not sure what I got except frustrated." I stretched and yawned. "Right, I'm off to bed."

  Jules nodded, but she was deep in thought, probably wondering when any more of us Waites might actually get lucky in love.

  At eleven am on Monday, I pulled up outside the newly painted front door of my ex's new home. It was good that as an electrician I could move work around to fit in with my increasingly disrupted lifestyle. I was going to have to get better organised and have less drama in my life when I started this as my own business.

  The thought of CW Electrical Services was becoming more exciting every day. I'd started mak
ing lists of what I needed such as a logo, and I kept dreaming of the future when I had a team and it included Eli. I knew that this might not actually happen and the kid had time to decide to do many other things with his life, but I liked dreaming about the possibilities.

  In fact, I reckoned in a week's time, Eli might just decide he wanted to be an actor, because Ezra was coming over. He had a premiere in London a week on Friday which nicely coincided with half-term, so he was taking Eli and Angela with him and had roped me in to come along, because he'd be having to 'schmooze' as he put it.

  Yes, I'd daydreamed that I'd meet one of his attractive co-stars on the red carpet and she'd whisk me backstage for some hot action. It helped to take my mind off a certain other female.

  I climbed out of my van and rang the doorbell and then there she was.

  Tali.

  Looking nervous as hell while trying to pretend she wasn't. She'd forgotten I knew every move of her body.

  "Hey, Tali. I still take my tea the same way if you're making some."

  She relaxed a little at that and smiled. "Come in."

  I stepped over the threshold and went to remove my shoes.

  "Oh no, don't do that. The house is messy. You'll need to keep them on."

  "Oh, okay." I followed her down the hall into a vast kitchen and dining space that looked over a huge back garden with decking and a large lawn. It had been a long time since I'd visited Danesford and saw how the other half lived.

  "Jules told me about your father, Tali. I'm sorry."

  "Are you?" She said. "Because if he'd done to me what he'd done to you, I wouldn't be sorry at all."

  I stood stock still.

  "Did Jules—"

  She shook her head. "No. My mother told me. She's been telling me a lot of things since he became unable to control her. I can't believe what he did to you, and… and that he let me stand at a church and get jilted, all to destroy our relationship." She went to pick up two mugs. "Let me make these drinks and then we can go through to the living room. That's finished, so you'll have to leave your shoes outside of that room, but we can talk. Properly talk."

  "Okay."

  I stayed silent while she made the drinks and then I followed her into the living room.

  Walking into the brightly lit space that had sliding patio doors at one side that took up the whole wall, I was struck by the clean looking lines, and I knew that although my own place would be nothing as grand as this, I liked the lack of clutter and would try to emulate something similar but on a smaller scale. Our house always had things left around with how many of us lived there: books, magazines, papers, clothing, mugs, wrappers, discarded post, and looked cluttered.

  "I love this room." I remarked. "Your tastes have changed then? This looks nothing like how you decorated our place."

  Tali laughed and it was nice to see her relaxing in my company. "Yeah, sorry about my vintage phase and all the antiques."

  I shrugged my shoulders. "I liked it at the time, but now I'm more into this. Clean lines and space. I'm thinking of getting my own place."

  There were two cream sofas in the living room and she sat on one while I took the other. She was dressed in wide legged yoga pants and a long slouchy top, both in pale pink, and her blonde hair was up in a high ponytail. She looked healthy and happy. I’d dressed in my beige chinos, thank fuck, because I didn't want the dye from my jeans transferring to these sofas. I'd probably need a mortgage for the repairs.

  "I can't believe that almost all of you are still living at home. Well, actually I can, because you were always so close. I envied you having so many siblings when I had none. Hugh has three sisters and a brother, so I finally feel like I have some family."

  "I'm glad you met someone, Tali. Congratulations. I hope you're not freaking out about turning up to church."

  She smiled but it was tinted with sadness. "No, I know Hugh will be there. My father did approve of him." She turned to me. "I know you'd have been there too if it wasn't for him. Things could have been very different, couldn't they?"

  And this was where the real conversation was about to start. All the things we'd never got to say before.

  "I wouldn't have been there, Tali. But neither would you. We'd have cancelled the wedding."

  She pursed her lips in thought and I could guess what she was thinking. Wondering how I'd come to that conclusion given the wedding was still going ahead as far as she knew.

  "I heard you talking to your friend just before the wedding. Telling her how you didn't know if you wanted to go through with it."

  She shook her head. "I was just panicking."

  I smiled, my eyes hopefully conveying my thoughts that it was okay. "Tali. If we'd have gone through with the wedding, eventually we'd have split up. I heard the truth in your voice that night. You were being honest with your friend; an honesty you'd not shown me. I get it now. You loved me and you had pretty fucking difficult choices to make. The man you love versus the children you didn't have yet."

  "I would have been there. I would have chosen you." She said softly.

  I nodded. "I know you would, and then we'd have embarked on starting our fostering or adoption process and you'd have spent the time wondering if you did the right thing. Then as problems arose and it got tricky—because adoption is a rocky road—you'd have begun to resent me. Your father would have been loading additional pressure onto you for not giving him a biological grandchild. Plus, your biological clock would never have stopped ticking because you can have them. It's me who can't."

  A tear slipped down her cheek. "I'm sorry."

  She wasn't apologising for me not being able to have children. We'd been through all that years ago. She was apologising because she knew I spoke the truth. It wasn't the life she'd wanted to live.

  "You'd have tried, because you loved me; and I would have let you go because I loved you."

  Walking over to her, we went into each other's arms and in that embrace let out all our 'sorry's' and I was so pleased that she had reached out through Jules, because finally here was real closure for us both. It was a shame that as she was in my arms, once again my mind went to another female who I'd held within them. Another closed door.

  Once we'd composed ourselves and Tali returned from the downstairs bathroom after excusing herself to wash her face, she fixed us both a sandwich and then took me on a tour of the house. Jules was in the master bedroom plastering.

  She smiled but kept her gaze on me, silently asking if I was okay. "Good work, Jules." I told her, and she nodded her head, catching my subtle undertones that everything was working out just fine.

  "I love your house, Tali. It's making me even more excited about getting my own. I think when I get home tonight, I'm going to check out Rightmove and seriously begin looking around."

  "That's great news, Cal. It's time. It really is. You went back home when you needed your family around you, but I don't think you do anymore. Jules said there's not been anyone significant since us, but that you're starting to date again. That's good. That's really good."

  "It's very strange us talking about dating and marrying other people isn't it?"

  She laughed. "Weird as fuck, but I'm glad we are talking."

  "Me too."

  "I know it would be completely inappropriate for us to stay in touch, but don't be a stranger, Cal. Keep my number and when you meet someone let me know. I want to know you're happy. It would mean the world to me to know that."

  "Okay. But I am happy, Tali. I'm in a good place right now." I realised as I said it, that it was the truth. "I'm about to look for a new house, and to go into business for myself. I'm dating again, and although I don't know what the future holds as to whether or not I'll find my way to fatherhood of any kind, I've got a younger brother who I'm trying to be a good role-model to. Right now, I'm okay."

  "He's lucky to have you looking out for him." She squeezed my arm.

  "How come you've not had any children yet?" I asked the question Becca had raised
with me.

  "I got so wrapped up in what was happening with my friends that I became obsessed with the thought of motherhood. But I wanted it for all the wrong reasons. It was hard, but when everything happened I kind of went through a period of loss. All my options to motherhood had gone and along with that was the devastation of what I thought had happened. I moved away, which my father hated, but I needed space. I took a business course and focused on my career instead. Then I met Hugh along the way and slowly found myself again. He helped put me back together, but ultimately, I did it myself. Unwittingly, my father made me more independent than ever."

  "Well, it looks good on you."

  "Thanks. I hope I get to have kids. It is what I want, and we're going to try after the wedding, but I'm just concentrating on now. That's what we have, now. We don't know what the future will bring, do we?"

  Moving closer I gave Tali another squeeze. "I wish you every happiness, Tali, truly. I'm glad you were part of my life, but I wish you so much love and happiness with Hugh. Good luck with everything."

  "Thank you. You too. Go be a huge success, get that house and go get a girl."

  Then I left, waving at Tali at the doorway and feeling a peace settle over me that I'd not felt in a long time.

  One day, I’d find love again. I knew it. But for now, I had a pretty amazing life and I was determined to live it to the best of my ability. And to start, I was going to look for a new place to live. A renovation project. Tali's house had given me ideas and I wanted something I could get relatively cheap because it was a wreck and do up. I knew from when we'd renovated Violet's house that the Waite family could turn things around at a rapid pace, but if it actually took me a few months, I wouldn't mind at all. Eli could come help. I'd bet he'd love that.

  But for now it was off to my next job, to fix some electrics and bring joy to someone else's life.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Becca

  If I believed in signs from the universe, I’d take it that Callum Waite was not meant to be part of my life after all, despite our fateful meetings along the way. I couldn't believe that my daughter had made so much noise I'd not heard him leave. Well… actually, I could believe that, but I felt so bad, and rude, at letting him come and sort out the sockets, take no payment, and just give him a sandwich and the cold shoulder.