Page 29 of Group Hug

“Great,” I answer. “We’ve made a lot of new friends, and I’ve had to explain about five times that no, Gus is not a golden doodle, he’s a golden retriever, and Dave is a mini Aussie. No one seems too confused by Goliath so far at least.”

“Want us to both take a dog and walk you home?” Callum asks.

“Don’t you want to run some more?”

“Nah, we headed the other direction for a while, and when we didn’t find you, we turned around until we finally saw you. We have plans for plenty more exercise at home.” He wiggles his eyebrows. Unfortunately, I can’t see his eyes because he’s wearing sunglasses. I miss the view, actually. Callum reaches for Goliath’s leash and Petra takes Gus’s leash.

“Okay. I think we’re about done anyway.”

As soon as we get home, Petra and Callum head for the shower, and I grab a book to read for a while. It feels nice to relax now that I’ve spent some time outside. The dogs are calmer too. I think they needed the change of scenery as much as I did.

Soon Callum heads for the kitchen to work on dinner, so I follow him in asking, “Can I do anything to help?” I notice that he has continued to leave his shirt off a lot of the time. Petra and I enjoy the view.

“Hmm… I guess you can set the table. Dinner is a Moroccan chicken stew that I’ve had cooking for a while. I’ve also made us a cooked eggplant salad to go with it, and we can eat as soon as Petra comes downstairs. Last I heard, she was using her hairdryer.”

“She’s great, isn’t she?” I ask him.

“Absolutely. I wonder sometimes about her lack of family, though, and how that may have affected her ability to form relationships. You probably know more about that than I could ever hope to. Do you think we need to treat her any special way?”

“Be yourself, Callum. She no doubt needs honesty and consistency in a relationship more than anything. We both know her last one was a trainwreck. We also want to show her a lot of affection because I get the sense that was lacking in her childhood. Imagine being ignored by your parents.” I give a shudder. “It was hard for me to lose my parents, but I always knew they loved me, and my grandfather proved he loved me by taking me in and raising me. Granddad was crotchety sometimes, but I never doubted his affection.” I look down at my feet a moment and then continue, “For a while, I was angry at my parents for leaving me, and that left some scars, but intellectually I knew that they certainly didn’t do it on purpose. I just needed to grow out of that phase.”

Callum reaches past me to get something, and his bare chest brushes my shoulder. I love that skin-to-skin feel, so I lean into him a little and surprise him with a kiss. Well, maybe he’s not so surprised at all. He appears to be sporting a bulge in his jeans that I can’t resist stroking.

Soft chuckling comes from the kitchen door as Petra waltzes in. She’s also wearing the minimum amount of clothing—just a pair of tiny shorts that hug her ass and a tank top with no bra. Her legs look longer than ever in those bitty little pants of hers, and the outline of her puckered nipples is enticing. I immediately want a taste.

“Dinner’s ready,” Callum announces. “Let’s eat while it’s hot, and then we can play.” He gives us a wink.

“Wonderful idea,” Petra agrees.

“Uh huh,” I say because once again I’ve been struck semi-mute. These two people have a power over me that is incredible. I love it.

Dinner is absolutely delicious, and I tell Callum, “This might be my favorite dish so far. What’s in it? It’s incredible.”

He starts listing ingredients I’ve never heard of, and Petra gets the giggles at the look on my face when the doorbell rings. “I’ll get it,” I tell them. “Would you mind serving me a second helping?”

When I get to the door, I open it to see an attractive woman who looks to be somewhere north of forty. She has a duffle bag sitting on the porch beside her and a backpack slung over one shoulder. She has bright red hair that I’m guessing is not natural and is currently eyeballing me from top to bottom. She licks her lips and says, “Hi, handsome. You must be Ben. I’m Maggie.”

Frowning at her assumption, I answer, “I’m not Ben; I’m Weston.”

“No worries. Where’s my daughter? Did I get the wrong house?” She looks over her shoulder and then back to studying my body.

“Who’s your daughter?” I ask, even though I’m pretty sure I can guess.

“Petra, of course. People usually think I’m her sister.” She winks at me, and my stomach squeezes. Not in a good way.

“Petra’s having dinner,” I start to say, but she grabs her duffle and shoves me to the side as she swoops into the house. Is this woman for real?

“Good,” she says, dumping her belongings in the middle of the foyer. “I’m starved. I need a meal, a shower, and a bed. I’ve been traveling for days.” She sticks her nose in the air and, like a dog on a scent, she sniffs her way toward the kitchen. “Smells great in here.” Then she stops abruptly and looks around. “This is a nice place. I wouldn’t have expected it here in Corn Country,USA.” Then she scoffs, “First Iowa thenIndiana?What is she thinking?”

Twenty-Five

Petra

I’m laughingwith Callum over his description of one of his college professors’ habits of forgetting people’s names and making up ones he thought suited them better when I get a sudden prickling sense of… foreboding? I don’t know if I subconsciously overheard a snatch of a familiar voice or smelled a familiar perfume or what, but I jerk my head around just asmy motherflounces into the kitchen with Weston close on her heels. Weston looks confused and a little miffed, and as soon as she locks eyes on Callum, she looks like she might want to take a bite out of him.

“Mom! What are you doing here?” I ask as I stand to greet her. Still ogling Callum, she offers me her cheek to kiss but doesn’t try to so much as hug me back. Her normal luster seems a bit dimmed, and her clothes could use some laundering. I guess that’s what prolonged international travel can do for a person.

“I don’t need an excuse to visit my only daughter, Petra. Introduce me to your friends. Isthisone Ben?” She points rudely at Callum but gives him a come-hither look anyway.

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