Page 67 of Falling

“Love you, Ruby. I’ll FaceTime you later if you want to see them for yourself. I just need to charge my phone or I’d do it right now.”

“No, that’s perfect. Let’s chat later.”

My exhale is ragged, but I feel so much lighter when I stand up again.

Now, any jitters I’m feeling are more about seeing Callum this morning.

Before I go downstairs, I look in the mirror and tell myself, “It’s okay to have sex and even these feelings…with no strings attached. I can just accept it for what it was—the best night I’ve ever had.”

But even as I say it quietly in the bathroom, I’m awarethat my heart crossed over into unknown territory even before last night.

Callum owns a piece of me. There’s no denying it.

I go downstairs as he’s coming inside and he pauses before taking his coat off and hanging it on the hook near the door. I watch him shyly, trying to get a read on how this morning-after will be. His expression is solemn compared to the playful, sexy smirk he wore throughout the night. When it’s silent during his walk toward me, I press my nails into my hands to resist the urge to start rambling nonsense and instead, I stand there quietly.

When he reaches me, he stares at me for a moment before pushing my hair off my shoulder, his fingers brushing over my neck. And then he leans in and kisses my cheek. My eyes flutter shut with the nearness of him, and nerves and infatuation ping-pong around my insides.

“Mornin’, Sunshine,” he says gruffly. “You doin’ okay today?”

“I’m so okay it’s not even funny.” I clear my throat and press my lips together, barely holding back a laugh. “How about you?”

His eyes smile first, crinkling at the edges, before the slow grin crosses over his face. His hands land on my hips and he tugs me flush against him.

“The only thing wrong with today is that I had to leave you in my bed,” he says against my lips.

He kisses me so thoroughly, my knees go weak.

Yeah, I’m doing better than okay.

When we eventually pull apart, he gives me that slow grin again and I try not to dissolve into a puddle.

“Feel like going out for breakfast? I wasn’t sure how long you’d sleep, so I went ahead and fed Dolly after I milked the girls.”

“Thank you. I definitely overslept.”

“I feel bad that you haven’t even been to Happy Cow yet. And that’s why no one ever said I was a great host,” he says.

“Uh, you’re thebesthost. You didn’t even know you were having a house guest…much less a couple weeks’ worth of this.” I point at myself and his huge hands on my hips tug me closer. “And I haven’t felt like I was missing a thing—the farmer’s market was great, Sunny Side was great…I adore The Dancing Emu. The downtime has actually been exactly what I needed. I was burned out.”

“You had a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, didn’t you?”

I nod. “Knowing what I know now, all the time and money I put into saving our farm feels like it was for nothing, but I wouldn’t change anything…well, except for agreeing to marry Junior in the first place.”

His jaw clenches. “Do you think it’s safe to say you can have Thanksgiving here?”

My cheeks heat as I smile at him shyly. “You really want me intruding on your family’s Thanksgiving?”

“After last night, I think it should be obvious that I want you intruding on my everything.”

My insides burn hotter. This man.

He smacks my backside. “Come on. It’s time to acclimate you to Landmark Mountain.”

“The farmer’s market wasn’t enough?”

He looks like he ponders it for a moment and then lifts his shoulders. “It was a good start, but there are a few other places I need you to see. You haven’t even been to our family’s resort yet. Well…it’s Scarlett’s now and Jamison’s…and Jamison’s brother, Zac.”

“I’d love to see it. Uncle Pierre has mentioned the resort before and then told me when Zac Ledger bought it.” Myeyes widen. “Does Zac ever come to town or do Jamison and Scarlett just handle the business?”

---