Page 46 of (Un)Planned

My stomach achedas we left the Lost Tavern and headed back into the heart of the town. Calla must have felt the same, because she let out a loud groan next to me. “How could you let me eat that much?”

“Let you?” I scoffed, hitting the blinker to turn back onto Main Street. “If I’ve learned one thing working with you, no oneletsyou do anything.”

“Truth.” She nuzzled her head on the passenger seat. “But you need to admit that I was right, that I won our bet.”

“And have you decided what you want from me yet?”

Calla pursed her lips, tapping them like she had to think hard about what prize to claim. With every touch, the need to claim her got stronger, wanting to fuck that pretty little pout the way I knew she liked.

“Not yet,” she answered. “But next time we come up, remind me to get the wings. They’realmostas good as the burgers.”

My hands tightened on the steering wheel as my thoughts fixated on one little word in her statement.We.When we’d be back here. It was ridiculous how much I liked the sound of it, imagining long weekends spent just like this with Calla on my arm. Maybe it was a pipe dream, imagining a life this simple. With the partners coming soon, if the visit went well, there was a strong chance I’d be promoted. And with that, there would be even more work to be done. As it was, my phone had almost broken with the amount of texts pouring in while we were eating. I wouldn’tknow exactly how many, however, because about halfway through our meal, Calla snatched it away from me, putting it on silent and stuffing it in her purse.

“I’m holding this thing hostage.” She smirked. “You’ve survived one weekend without jumping every time it rang. You’ll survive this one, too. Besides, if any emergencies come up, Jack knows to call my cell now.”

I hated to admit it, but she was right. That weekend had been the first time I turned my cell off in a long time, and as surprising as it was, the world didn’t stop. When I got back to work on Monday, everything was still operating as it should, and any client concerns were handled that day.

A wave of guilt consumed me for a moment, thinking of how many times I refused to put my phone away before. Dinner with Natalie, marriage counseling sessions. For fuck’s sake, I was texting about a contract at my mother’s funeral. Work-life balance was never my strong suit, but for Calla, I was willing to try.

I needed to try.

She motioned up ahead to an empty spot along the street. “Stop here, and we can walk around for a bit. Help my stomach from exploding.”

I swiftly pulled the SUV to the parking space, shuffling to the other side to hold the door open for Calla. She took my extended hand, smiling brightly up at me. “Look at you, Sunshine. Who knew you were such a gentleman.”

“You bring it out in me, beautiful.”

She tucked her chin, trying to hide the flush on her cheeks. I wanted to run my thumb along it to trace its shape, to see how far the blush ran, explore the expanse of her bare skin with either my fingers or tongue. At this point, I didn’t care which one. If we didn’t get some time alone soon, I wouldn’t be responsible for my actions.

Calla pulled me down Main Street, leading me into different shops and greeting almost everyone we met by their full name. She knew all their stories and which questions to ask. She was the most genuine person I’d ever met, and it was clear that this town loved her. It almost made me jealous, made me long for a place that never existed.

However, everything came to a screeching halt when we reached the florist shop. As soon as the door flung open, Calla’s face paled, and she took a step closer to me. Instinctively, I reached out my hand, capturing hers, not caring who saw us. But the whole time, Calla stared at the woman leaving the shop carrying a bright bouquet. Her voice wobbled a little when she called out, “Mom?”

The woman froze, staring at Calla like she was a ghost. Upon further inspection, it was no shock that these two women were related. It was like looking at Calla in thirty years. The same red hair that haunted my dreams was streaked with shades of gray. The same whiskey-colored eyes were lined with creases.

“Calla.” Her mother opened her mouth like she wanted to say more before dropping her gaze down to our joined hands. I started to distangle our hands, but Calla held firm. Her mother let out a disappointed sigh. “What are you doing here?”

“Does it matter?” Calla said, trying to appear strong, but I could hear the hitch in it, feel the way her hand trembled in mine. “It’s not like you have any interest in seeing me.”

“I told Devyn that I expected you–”

“At your dinner party. Right,” Calla scoffed. “Because now you want to be a family? What is it? David needs to impress some clients, some deal he needs help securing?”

Her mother arched a brow. “Don’t make a scene. If you had something to say to me, you could have called.”

“So could you.”

Sensing the tension echoing off each of them, I held out my hand. “Theo Ayad, Mrs. Winters. I believe we met last year when I was staying at the Isadora.”

“Yes, you were with Mr. Rice’s party.” Her eyes narrowed at me. “How do you know my daughter?”

“We work together,” I answered. “I suppose I should thank you for that.”

“Excuse me?”

I smiled, but it held no warmth. After bearing witness to the damage this woman had done to her daughters, I had zero desire to play nice, not when it was her voice in the back of Calla’s mind, telling her that she wasn’t enough. “Your daughter is one of the smartest, hardest-working people I’ve ever met, and you were too stubborn to notice. So, yes, thank you for refusing to see her worth.” I held Calla’s hand a little tighter. “Because now I have the chance to make sure she never forgets it.”

With that, I spun Calla around, leading her back to the car. She met me step for step, not saying a single word. A single tear ran down her cheek, and it hit me—I fucked up. Shit. The words poured out of me, and not once did I think that it would affect Calla. After a few more steps, I could apologize in private. I’d do whatever it took to erase that look from her face.

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