***
Flopping onto the king-sized bed, Callie wished she could lie down and go to sleep. She was exhausted. The night before, she’d been up way too late talking with Jake, who had unexpectedly shown up around lunchtime. When she’d finally gone to bed, she hadn’t fallen asleep right away. Instead, she’d stared at the ceiling for hours, only falling asleep when the first rays of sunlight came through the window.
Never one to waste the day lounging around in bed, she’d still gotten up around seven. Then after returning from her morning walk with Lucky, Jake took her sailing for the rest of the day.
Just a quick dinner then bed. She forced herself into a sitting position. Normally if she felt this tired, she would get into some comfortable pjs, grab something simple like cereal for dinner, and plop down with a good book.
She couldn’t do that here. At least not with Jake expecting her to join him downstairs. Another hour or two, body, then you can get some rest. Promise.
Before heading downstairs, Callie combed her hair out and pulled it back in a simple ponytail. A day on the open water destroyed the French braid she’d fashioned that morning, and she didn’t feel like taking the time to re-do it now.
Downstairs, Jake stood with one arm resting on the marble banister waiting for her. “Thought we’d eat down in the Tea House. It’s a perfect night for it.”
“Can’t we just eat here? It must be a pain for the staff to get food down there. Then they only have to bring everything back afterward. I’m fine with eating in here.”
Jake didn’t immediately reply. Rather he seemed to consider her words as if he’d never given it any thought before. “They already set things up for us.”
She came down the last few steps. “Whatever, I guess.”
Jake threw an arm across her shoulders. “Don’t sound so enthused,” he said with amusement. “Trust me, you’ll be glad I suggested it.”
Callie wasn’t sure if it was what he said or rather how he said it, but she got the distinct feeling he wasn’t talking about dinner anymore. “Lead the way.”
It truly was a gorgeous evening. While the thermometer still read eighty-five degrees, a cool refreshing breeze rolled up from the ocean. There wasn’t a cloud in the star-studded sky, and the moon was nearly full.
This is what summer in New England is all about.
As they crossed the large expanse of lawn separating the mansion from the Tea House, Jake kept up a steady conversation.
“What did you think of your first time sailing?”
“Loved it. It was so different from the ferries and pontoon boats I’ve been on. I can see why you like doing it so much.”
“Glad you enjoyed it. Maybe we can go again before I leave. If you want, I can teach you; then you can take my boat out whenever you want.” Reaching for the door to the Tea House, he started to pull it open, but stopped. “Damn. I forgot to tell Maria to bring down some of her special Sangria.” Jake let go of the door handle. “Go on in and get started without me. I’ll be right back.” With that statement, he gently nudged her up the steps before turning and heading back toward the main house.
“Whatever,” Callie said, somewhat confused. She assumed Jake had his cell phone on him, and even if he didn’t, there was a phone inside that could be used to call the main house. She saw Warren use it the day they had eaten lunch in there. Why didn’t Jake just call the kitchen and save himself a trip back, she wondered as she pulled open the door.
Callie took one step inside, and then stopped dead. The Tea House was full of red and white roses and calla lilies. The only other place she’d seen this many flowers was inside a florist shop. Hundreds of candles lit the room, casting a warm romantic glow. Standing in the center of it all was Dylan, dressed in Dockers and a polo shirt. Despite everything, her heart leaped at the sight of him. Traitor.
He’d obviously orchestrated this, but for what purpose? Was his conscience feeling so guilty that he felt he had to go to such extremes to apologize?
Might as well get this over with. I was going to have to face him sooner or later. She crossed her arms protectively around herself, then moved a few more steps into the room. “I didn’t know you were coming,” she said in lieu of a greeting. It wasn’t like she was going to say, nice to see you.
Dylan didn’t move. “I came to see you.”
“Did you buy out every flower shop in the state?” She refused to acknowledge his statement. She didn’t care who he came to see.
“If that’s what it takes, I will.” He started to move closer, but stopped when Callie took a step back toward the door. She wanted as much space as possible between them.
She swallowed, hoping to dislodge the lump of emotion in her throat. It was threatening to choke her. Don’t cry in front of him. He’s not worth it.
Callie struggled to hold back the tears. “What do you want from me, Dylan?” Her voice was low, not much louder than a whisper.
He moved forward again, this time not stopping until he stood mere inches away. “A second chance.” She almost didn’t recognize his voice; it was so thick with emotion.
Callie chewed on her bottom lip, questions swirling around in her head. A second chance? At what? Being friends? Being lovers? Did she dare ask?
“That doesn’t really answer my question, Dylan, and you know it.”
Dylan reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek. She jerked her head back slightly, but didn’t move away from him. “I know you think everything between us was an act,” he said. It sounded as if he was choosing his words carefully. “It wasn’t, Callie.”
More than anything, she wanted to believe him, but could she take that risk? The conversation she’d overheard hadn’t been a dream. It had been very real, and Dylan had never once tried to deny his agreement with Phillips when he’d shown up at her apartment that night. He wasn’t trying to deny it now either. Yet right now, he seemed so sincere, and this whole setup had taken some planning. Would someone who had just been acting go through so much trouble? She just didn’t know.
Damn, I should have rehearsed this earlier. Now wasn’t the time to figure it out. “I was attracted to you from the beginning, long before Phillips asked me to keep an eye on you.”
“But you didn’t trust me.” It was more a statement than a question. One filled with a combination of anger and sadness. Both of which pulled at his heart.
He wiped another few tears from her face. This time she didn’t pull away. “That wasn’t an issue. I knew you weren’t a threat to Warren by then.”
Dylan specifically said he knew she wasn’t a threat to Warren rather than saying he trusted her. Because while he had trusted her in terms of his stepfather, deep down on some level, he hadn’t trusted her in regards to himself. He hadn’t even realized that was the case until Jake gave him a kick in the ass. Now that he’d dealt with those fears keeping him from trusting her, Dylan knew it hadn’t been Callie he didn’t really trust, but himself.
“I couldn’t convince Phillips to leave you alone. If I didn’t go along with him, he was going to hire someone.” He wondered if he was getting through to her. Since she hadn’t bolted, he assumed she was at least willing to listen. “I couldn’t allow that.”
“What a world you live in,” Callie said, sounding amazed. “Did it ever occur to you to tell me what was going on?”
“There was more to it,” Dylan admitted. He had to tell her everything if he had any chance of her forgiving him.
Callie groaned and, for a minute, he thought she planned on leaving. “Honestly, Dylan, I’m not sure I want to know any more. Maybe it’s better if we just leave things the way they are. We probably won’t see much of each other anyway, and I won’ tell Warren about any of this.”
It’s now or never, Talbot. She’s going to bolt soon. “Did you know I was engaged once? Francesca and I met at a party in London.” He didn’t give Callie a chance to respond. Instead, he plowed on. “She was from Connecticut, but visiting friends in England. I
thought she was the perfect woman until I walked in on her and an old buddy of mine from college one day. A friend who I’d introduced her to.”
Looking confused, Callie shook her head. “What does that have to do with me?”
“I haven’t had a real relationship since then. Haven’t met anyone I wanted to be in one with. Not till you anyway,” Dylan answered, dreading the next words he knew he had to say. “I didn’t realize it till after that night in New York, but I’ve been scared. Scared that I would make the same mistake again that I made with Francesca.”
Callie remained silent, her sapphire eyes studying his face. What is she thinking? He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her till she said something, anything. The silence was killing him.
He watched as Callie ran her tongue over her lips. “You still haven’t answered my question, Dylan. You say you want a second chance. A second chance at what?” He heard the fear in her voice. He knew it had been hard for her to ask the question. If the tables were reversed, he wasn’t sure he would be willing to give her a second chance.
He smoothed back a few strands of hair. “Do you really need to ask?” He studied her face for a moment. God, he hoped it wasn’t too late. “I want another chance with you. I love you. And if I thought you’d agree, I would fly us out to Vegas tonight and marry you.”
Joy and love bubbled up inside her. He loved her. Was it really possible? “Getting married by Elvis was never a dream of mine.” She needed to lighten the atmosphere a little.
Had he just asked her to marry him, or had that been his own attempt to cut through the tension? If he had, it was one strange proposal. Maybe the strangest ever uttered by a man. “Now if it can be Mickey Mouse, I say get the plane ready.”
Dylan brushed her mouth with a feather light kiss. “No more joking,” he ordered. “Now isn’t the time.”
She heard the uncertainty and worry in his voice. Two emotions she didn’t know he was capable of. He always seemed in control of situations. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she said, “I love you too.”
Crushing her against him, he gave her a long, tender kiss. She felt it down to her very soul. Eventually, he broke contact and took a few steps back so he could see her. Then he pulled a small black ring box from his pants pocket. “Callie Taylor, will you marry me?”
Oh, my God! He hadn’t been joking around before. Happiness like she’d never known before overwhelmed her. “Yes,” she replied, laughing and crying all at once, which was something she hadn’t thought possible to do.
Dylan slipped the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. “I wasn’t joking about Vegas tonight, but if you want to wait, that’s fine.” Pausing, he gave her one of his lopsided boyish grins. “And if you want Mickey Mouse to marry us with Goofy as best man and Minnie as your maid of honor, that’s okay too. I don’t care what kind of wedding we have as long as you’re by my side.”
Callie laughed. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed joking with him. “What if I want the wedding cake made out of Girl Scout cookies? Got to keep those cookie pushers in business, you know.”
He burst out laughing at her question. “Only if they’re the ones filled with peanut butter.”
She pretended to think it over for a minute. Finally, with a small sigh, she said, “I guess I can live with that, but I’d rather have the mint ones.” Callie stared down at the diamond and emerald ring on her finger.
“I would like to wait. I don’t need a huge wedding, but I do want my family and friends there,” Callie said seriously, thinking for the first time since her mom’s death that she wasn’t as alone as she’d thought. Perhaps her mom had finally told Warren the truth so she wouldn’t be so alone.
Dylan kissed her again. “Whatever you want. As long as I have you, I don’t care about the rest.”
The Teacher's Billionaire Page 41
