Page 85 of Matthew
He nodded. “Yeah. Les is outside with a customer, and we’ve got things covered in here.” He motioned toward Rosie.
The girl looked up and smiled this time. “Yep. It’s all good.”
Callie smiled back, still a little confused by the mixed signals from Rosie, and frankly, tired of needing to be suspicious of her own staff.
After grabbing a mug of fresh coffee from the breakroom, she made her way to her office. Sammy padded along beside her, tail swishing in quick fashion.
Once inside, she nudged the door halfway shut with her foot and sank into her desk chair. Sammy plopped down with a huff, clearly worn out from the invisible burdens only a very sensitive Golden Retriever could understand.
She booted up her laptop and took a long sip from her mug, the second-best coffee she’d had that day, and first real comfort she’d felt since Matthew walked out the door.
Her phone lit up with an incoming call. Her heart skipped a beat, hoping it was him, then settled back down when her sister’s name flashed on the screen.
Callie hitAcceptand held the phone to her ear. “If you’re calling to say Mom wants to rearrange the antique shop again, I swear I’ll fake my own death and disappear.”
“She already did,” Maggie deadpanned. “Apparently the flow of chi was ‘off-putting to the blue Depression glass.’”
Callie snorted. “It’s glass. It doesn’t have opinions.”
“Tell that to Grandma. This morning, she told a milk glass rooster to stop judging her.”
Callie laughed, her tension easing. “And how are you?”
“Running payroll and wondering if you’re still alive. You didn’t text me back yesterday.”
“I was busy. With Matthew.”
A pause. “Oh. Busybusy?”
“Maggie.”
“Oh my God, you totally were. Is he still there? Is he shirtless? Tap once for yes.”
She rolled her eyes and grinned at Sammy, who blinked up at her as if he’d heard it all before. “He’s at work. I’m at work. Everything is perfectly normal.”
Callie settled back in her office chair and sipped her coffee.
Maggie’s voice came through, all faux cheer. “I take it you two had a good night?”
Callie choked on her sip. “Wait—what?”
“Oh, don’t play innocent. I stopped by yesterday to take you to dinner with Mom and Grandma Jo. Imagine my surprise when I see Matthew’s vehicle parked in your driveway. So, I did the polite thing—I turned around and left.”
Groaning, she set her coffee on the desk. “Oh my God. Yesterday was Sunday?” She pinched the bridge of her nose. Sundays were their ritual dinner days. Their impromptu get together at the diner last week was just an added treat. “I completely forgot. Why didn’t you remind me?”
“I did. Three times. But clearly,someonewas too busy entertaining her off-the-books security detail.”
Callie exhaled, staring at the ceiling. “Please tell me you didn’t say anything to them about Matthew being at my house.”
A beat. Then Maggie’s voice was sweet as honey. “Okay, I didn’t tell them.”
Callie narrowed her eyes even though Maggie couldn’t see it. “Mags.”
“It’s a total lie, of course,” Maggie admitted. “But if that’s what you want to hear, far be it from me to disappoint my big sis.”
Callie dropped her head to the desk.
“Oh, don’t be dramatic. I can hear you banging your head,” Maggie said. “They were happy to assume you were feeding Matthew, and Grandma Jo said that was much better than you eloping with a tall stranger who sells heirloom tomatoes. They were totally cool about it. And so am I.”
