Page 93 of Matthew
Callie walked over and slid her hand into his. “So glad you did.”
Mac approached, his expression unreadable. “We’ll coordinate with the DEA and the sheriff’s office on next steps. For now, take her home.”
Briggs nodded in agreement. “We’ll clean up here. And be careful of your plants,” he added when Callie opened her mouth. “You two have earned the rest of the day.”
Matthew didn’t need to be told twice. He wrapped an arm around Callie’s shoulders and guided her gently out of the greenhouse.
As they stepped into the sunlit morning, Sammy bounded across the gravel, barking wildly, his tail whipping like a metronome on overdrive.
Callie dropped to her knees in time for the dog to barrel into her arms, whining and licking her as if he could fix everything. “Okay, okay,” she murmured, burying her face in his fur. “I missed you too, traitor.”
“There’s my girl,” Nate said, close behind him, relief stamped across his face as he pulled her up into a hug. “You gave me a big scare. Don’t ever do that again.”
Callie hugged him back. “Sorry. All I wanted was to check my plants. Was that too much to ask for?”
Nate chuckled, releasing her. “Apparently.”
She stepped back and slid her arm around Matthew without any prompting from him. His pulse settled and breathing became easier again.
“Thanks for the heads up,” he told Nate, holding out his hand.
The man immediately shook it, adding his other hand to sandwich his. “Thanks for getting here so fast. For…”
He squeezed the guy’s hand and nodded before releasing him.
No need for words, he understood Callie meant the world to the man.
She meant the world to him too. And so much more.
“I’m going to take the rest of the day off, Nate,” she said. “Can you watch over things? Pretty sure we have to shut down while they investigate anyway.”
“Yes, of course,” Nate said. “You go ahead. I’ve got this.”
She squeezed Matthew’s hip. “Thanks. We’re going to head to the house now.”
Sammy stayed close as they walked through the field. Matthew understood the dog’s need, because he kept Callie close too, hip-to-hip, needing to feel her, to reassure himself that she was really all right. He wasn’t sure he could ever let her out of his sight again.
In time, the independent woman would balk at that, but right now, for Matthew, the struggle was real.
Of course, he’d let her out of his sight eventually.
Maybe.
Probably.
Okay, not likely.
***
Ahalf hour later, the house was silent except for Sammy’s persistent panting and the occasional rustle of his tags as he continued to stick close to Callie’s side.
She sat on the edge of the couch, still in the same clothes, her hands wrapped around a cup of coffee he’d made but she hadn’t sipped. Matthew crouched in front of her, not saying anything, watching, waiting.
Finally, she looked at him. “I didn’t think I was scared. Not at first. But now? It’s as if my body finally got the memo.” Her laugh was soft, broken. “I’m shaking.”
“You’re allowed to shake,” he said gently. “Hell, I’m still trying to breathe.”
Her gaze softened. “You saw it on the feed?”
