Page 123 of Headed for Home

Cassidy fans her face, making my emotional outburst look tame. “You accomplished a lot in thirty minutes.”

Charlie sits upright. “Guess what? My body’s got two kumsquats and a banana.”

“And I have a breadbasket,” his sister shares.

Their mother squints at me. “Do I want to know?”

My shoulders slump. “You have a breadbasket. I’ve been holding out on telling you but they dragged the truth out of me.”

“Bananas go in baskets,” the little boy continues.

“Now we’re getting too technical,” I chuckle. “Hey, do Australian Shepherds fetch?”

“That’s random,” Cassidy deadpans.

“Just something I’ve been wondering.”

She gives me a quizzical glance. “Yes, they’ll chase balls for hours.”

“Squish them too,” I mutter.

“His kumsquats are sensitive,” Kenzie whispers.

I laugh when my fiancée blanches. “Don’t worry. You’ll still get protein from those bad boys.”

“Yeahhhhh,” she utters. “Maybe I should leave you three alone.”

“Nope, you’re stuck with us.” I lunge sideways, cinching an arm around her waist. “This is what you get.”

Cassidy laughs and rests her head on my shoulder. “What did I do?”

“You took pity on a lonely man and gave him a family.”

“Best. Decision. Ever.”

That’s technically the end, but are you curious about what’s in the secret drawer? I have a bonus scene for you. Maybe there’s one or two more as well. Get them here!

Want more of the Knox Creek crew? Callie and Ridge have their own story to tell inScore on You. Enjoy this excerpt from Ridge’s point of view.

As it turns out, silence from Calliope Porter is what tests my limits. This timid woman snatches every ounce of composure I possess just by giving me her attention.

The quiet yawns and stretches, then demands a snack after such a lengthy nap. My jaw itches and I scrub at the stubble there. I need to say something. She just stumbled upon me painting her front door. This was her idea. Kind of. But that’s not the point. As the trespasser, it’s my responsibility to explain myself.

My tongue swells to the point where speech is impossible. Only a muffled grunt is audible from me.Real fucking eloquent.I clear my throat and try again.

“Hey, Callie.” My palm lifts to wave at her as if that small gesture will ease the tension. “As you can see, I went ahead and took care of the update you suggested. Now you don’t have to get your hands dirty. Not that it would be a bad thing if you did. It wasn’t my intention to cross a line. I just wanted to handle the project for you. Consider it a housewarming gift. A personal touch from me to you.”

That’s not grounds for calling the cops or anything. I tuck my chin and fire off a round of foul expletives aimed directly at my mouth. The fact I’m stumbling over my words like a toddler in ice skates isn’t doing me any favors. As if agreeing, Callie’s lips twitch in what I trick myself into believing is amusement. At least I’m useful for something.

The affirmation—self-proclaimed or not—loosens the strain in my lungs, allowing me to breathe freely. “I meant to have this done before you got home.”

A crease appears between her brows. She still doesn’t speak, which is a stark contrast to the girl who has been rambling to me over text messages longer than my dick. This timid version can barely look me in the eye. It seems her fondness for conversation is reserved for our text thread. That’s just fine. I’m the one who sprung this unannounced visit on her.

“This isn’t how I planned for us to officially meet,” I rush to explain. “But here we are. I saw you leave and figured the time was right. It was meant to be a surprise. Guess I took longer than necessary to finish.”

Callie peers around me to inspect my artistic ability. The hint of a smile from earlier expands into a full grin.

I follow her line of sight to stop myself from gawking. The effort is commendable, but worthless. My focus returns to her within seconds. “Do you like it?”

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