Page 74 of Inseverable (Carolina Beach)

“Evening, ma’am. These are for you.” I hand her the flowers, not just to get rid of them, but so I can move quicker if I have to make a run for it.

“Oh, isn’t that lovely.” She steals a glance toward her husband. “Can’t remember the last time a handsome man brought me flowers.”

She means well, but her comment doesn’t earn me any points with her husband.

“Now, Daddy, quit looking at Callahan like you want to kill him and be nice,” Trin says, staying true to her cheery disposition. “Here, Momma, let me get your flowers in water before they wilt.”

“Oh, sweetie, I can do that. I have to check on the pies anyway,” Miss Silvie answers.

“Well, then I’ll help,” Trin says. “Have a seat,” she tells me, patting my ass. “I’ll just be a minute.”

And yeah, her daddy and brother notice the ass pat.

I lower myself to the chair directly in front of Owen who happily cleans his weapon of choice while he continues to eye me. Landon sits back in his chair and swigs a beer, appearing to have the time of his life. He reaches between him and his father and pulls another beer from the cooler. “Want one, Callahan?”

“Sure, thank you.” I don’t really want one. I mostly just don’t want to piss anyone off. I catch it when he pops off the cap and slides it across the table at me.

It doesn’t take long for Miss Silvie to return, but it seems like a long time when there’s a protective father with a 16-gauge waiting across from you. She lifts one of the pillow cases from the basket and examines it. “Trin’s just adding more marinade to the steaks. You like steaks, don’t you, dear?” She asks me.

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am.”

Owen continues to regard me, but doesn’t say anything. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Landon’s having a good old time watching me squirm.

“I don’t know if I like this new bleach,” Miss Silvie says like her husband isn’t seconds from shooting me between the eyes. “These sheets look dull. Don’t you think, Owen?”

“They’re fine, sugar,” he says to her, keepings his stare trained on me.

I take in the pile of wet sheets in her basket. “If your dryer’s broke I can take a look at it for you, ma’am,” I offer. Hell, anything to escape right now. “I’m pretty good with my hands.”

“I kind of figured, seeing how you can’t seem to keep them off my little sister,” Landon says. He’s laughing. I’m not. And neither is his daddy.

“Leave him alone,” Miss Silvie tells him. She pats my shoulder. “Thank you for the offer. The dryer’s fine. In the summer, I always hang my sheets and iron them afterward. There’s nothing like sleeping on sheets dried in sun,” she says.

“In bed,” Landon adds. “With her husband. Because you know,they’remarried.”

Landon wasn’t warm the first time we met. And the past few times I’ve visited, he hasn’t said much to me, quieting and watching every interaction between me and Trin closely. He probably doesn’t know what to think of me yet. But I have to admit, something changed between us when he learned of my past.

I’m not sure if I’ve earned his respect. Nor am I certain if he’s busting my balls because he likes me, or because he can. The one thing I’m sure of is his daddy doesn’t find his son as funny as his son thinks he is.

While I’m not thrilled with the attention, and my preference is time alone with my girl, I know it’s important to Trin that I’m here. So I take a sip of my beer and do my best to relax, smiling softly when she sweeps back onto the terrace.

“You doing all right?” she asks.

“I’m good. Thanks,” I tell her.

Landon offers me a wry smile. Apparently, he’s not on board with my plan to fit in and not die. “So what’s it like living in sin with my sister?” he asks. “You think you might go to hell for that?”

Trin, because she likes to help, flops on my lap and wraps her arms around me, snuggling close. “Momma, Landon’s giving Callahan and me a hard time for having consensual adult relations . . .”

I squeeze the bottle in my hand tighter.Jesus Christ, no.

“Are you going to let him embarrass our guest like that?” she continues.

“I’m just watching out for you, Trin.” He winks at me. “Making sure things stay right and proper, just like Daddy always was with Momma.”

Miss Silvie exams another pillow case. “You mean before or after he deflowered me in the middle of the Amazon rainforest?”

I choke on my beer at the same time Landon spits his out.

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