Page 34 of Matthew
The moment Callie shut the door to her office, silence rushed in to fill the space.
She stared at the corner of her desk, eyes unfocused, the nameDuke Carverstill echoing in her ears like a leftover storm warning. She’d known of him, of course. Everyone in this part of Texas had. Real estate shark. Deal maker. Deal breaker. The kind of man who made things happen, often by force of will—or by making people uncomfortable enough to fold.
He’d been dead for more than a month now, and still, somehow, his name had managed to slither into her life.
She rubbed her hands down her arms, trying to chase away the chill that had settled there.
Her grandfather used to say that when snakes died, sometimes the tail still twitched.
Apparently, this one had a long reach.
“You okay?” Matthew’s voice came from across the room, low, steady, grounding.
She didn’t answer right away. Callie leaned back in her chair and let the ceiling fan stir her hair while she stared at nothing. Finally, she blew out a breath and sat forward, elbows on her desk.
“Yeah,” she said. “Just didn’t expect that name to show up. Not here.”
Matthew stood by the filing cabinet, arms crossed, watching her as if he was taking stock of more than her words. “Could be unfinished business. Or someone using his name to stir the pot.”
She nodded, the thought already lodged in her brain like a burr. “Or maybe both.”
The nursery wasn’t some backdoor deal waiting to happen. It was soil and sunlight and sweat. Generations of it. But the second Duke Carver’s name got whispered anywhere near her property, everything started to feel…off.
“I don’t want his name dragging this place into something ugly,” she said, quieter now.
Matthew didn’t say she was overthinking it. He didn’t offer a placating shrug or tell her not to worry. He simply said, “Then we get ahead of it.”
She appreciated that more than he probably realized.
With a sigh, she reached for her phone and typed out a quick message to her sister.
Hey. Heads up. Something weird came up this morning. I’ll fill you in later. Nothing to worry about yet.
She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the screen, then hit Send.
No need to panic Maggie yet. Although, if this turned into more than a twitching tail, her sister would want to know.
Callie stood, shoved her phone in her pocket, and looked at Matthew. “Let’s go check by the greenhouses. I need to move.”
He gave a small nod, already pushing away from the wall. “Lead the way.”
They wandered slowly through the landscaped demo area near the greenhouses, a quieter space bordered by flagstone paths and terraced flowerbeds that showed off some of their best shade plants. Callie had designed the layout with her grandfather years ago, trying to strike a balance between beauty and practicality. A reminder of what was possible with good soil and steady hands.
Now, it felt like a calm corner in an uncertain storm.
One of the greenhouses glinted ahead, its panels catching the afternoon sun. The tension gripping her shoulders sinceCarter’s call began to ease, not because the threat had disappeared, but because walking helped. Being out here helped.
So did the man beside her.
Matthew walked with that same quiet awareness he always carried. He hadn’t said much since they left the office. He didn’t need to. His presence alone helped settle the noise in her head.
Sammy had flopped beneath the nearby birdbath, tongue lolling, completely uninterested in the world’s problems.
Must be nice.
They passed the blue salvia, and instinct made her reach out. Her fingers brushed his arm. “This…” she murmured, nodding toward the golden yarrow paired beside it. “One of my grandfather’s favorite combos. Said contrast made things stronger.”
Her hand stayed longer than it should have. She felt the warmth of his skin through the fabric of his sleeve before she released him.
