Page 123 of Callahan

I chewed on my bottom lip as I struggled to come up with a retort.

Finally, I blustered out, “We both agreed it was temporary. You said, ‘Secrets make it hotter,’ remember? Well, we’ve reached a point where it wouldn’t be a secret anymore.”

“You’re right, I did say that.” She looked at me with a sad smile. “I guess I wasn’t ready for it to end so quickly.”

“I wasn’t either, prince—Lainey. But it’s probably better now than later, after we’d fallen in love.”

A little voice popped into my head to whisper, “Too late.”

Fuck.

I couldn’t already be in love with her.

But I knew I was.

Once we figured out who was behind the threats to her, I had to get the hell out of town before I did something I’d regret.

Like make her mine.

****

Lainey

Teresa was waiting on the porch when I pulled into the O’Briens’ driveway.

I quickly got out and went around to the backseat to unbuckle Conor, then grabbed the insulated bag with the bottles of breast milk off the floorboard and rushed up the walk.

“You are a lifesaver!” I exclaimed as I handed Conor to her.

“I told you, dear, I’m happy to take my grandson anytime. Aren’t you glad you started him on a bottle?”

“I have never been more glad about anything in my life!”

Okay that was a slight exaggeration, but I felt it in the moment.

I jogged down the porch steps and called over my shoulder, “Hopefully, the bakery’s window gets installed with no problem, and I can open by noon, at the latest. So, if you need to bring him by, I can take him to the apartment.”

I opened the Civic’s door and paused for her response.

“I think I’d feel safer if he were with us.”

“Yeah, me too. Thank you again, Teresa.”

She blew me a kiss and I slid into the driver’s seat and drove toward Main Street.

~~~~

Earl’s rusty, white pickup was already at the bakery when I pulled into a parking spot between it and three spaces that had been blocked off by orange plastic cones.

The cones were a good sign.

I dug through my purse for my keys on my way to where he was waiting with two college-aged guys on the sidewalk in front of the bakery.

“Sorry I’m late!”

“You know,” Earl chastised as I unlocked the original lock, then the deadbolt that Brian had installed. “I’m supposed to be able to access the property.”

I opened the door and smiled sweetly at him.

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