Page 56 of Hidden Desires

Autumn chuckled and shook her head. “I don’t know. I sort of made it a rule not to have that kind of attachment to an animal when I was in vet school.”

“But you’ll let me get a dog, right?” He kissed her, nibbling on her lower lip. “A big hairy mutt that hogs our bed and steals your pillow. You’ll allow that, right? Because you love me?”

“We’ll go pet shopping after the Gallagher thing is taken care of.”

Jackson chuckled. “You are the best girlfriend ever.”

He started walking toward the vehicles with her still in his arms. “Just remember that when you get up at two a.m. to take the dog out to pee,” she warned him.

* * * *

It was close to six when they arrived back at Autumn’s house, the day spent alone together. The living room was full of Callahan’s, the Major and Nick along with Davis. Nick sat in the recliner dressed in his fatigues shaking, his head at the ever entertaining Davis. The Major stood in the kitchen pulling out brownies he’d just baked.

“There’s my baby sis.” Nick stood, ignoring Davis, and immediately wrapped his sister in a warm embrace. “You are in so much trouble for not having any of your famous brownies here when I arrived. I had to put Dad up to making them.”

Autumn smiled at her father over her brother’s shoulder. “Dad’s aren’t as good as mine.”

Major Eric Callahan hadn’t even changed from his fatigues. He and Nick were both dressed from head to toe in full military regalia, with the personality to match. Autumn pulled away from her brother and walked toward her father.

“I’ve missed you.”

Her father nodded toward her and opened his arms. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.” She hugged him close. “I’m sure Davis made everything up to be a bigger deal that it really is.”

“Autumn you had—” Davis choked off the words he was about to say, catching Jackson’s look.

“All right you guys,” she pulled away to face her family, “I’m not a little girl who can’t take care of herself. I have my fair share of problems and I battle them all the Callahan way. I’m just as much as a fighter as any one of you so don’t you dare treat me like the wounded victim.”

Jackson took a seat next to Davis on the couch, neither one commenting on her remark. Nick remained silent as well, sitting back in the recliner. She glanced over at her father who had yet to take his eyes off Jackson.

“Autumn.” Her father finally met her eyes. “You are still my little girl and you always will be.”

“Dad, I’m fine. Jackson and I talked about it, and even though it hurts, we’re okay.” She plopped down on the couch next to the boys. “So drop it.”

Davis and Jackson raised their eyebrows at her while Nick simply shook his head. No one told the Major to “drop it,” not now, not ever. Eric Callahan, however, was not her drill sergeant or commanding officer. He was her father.

He took off his hat and threw it on the coffee table, making her flinch. “I promised your mother before she died I would take care of you.”

“And yet you send Jackson to do your dirty work.” She stood up to face him. “Don’t get me wrong—I love him and I will until the day I die—but you hardly have right to blame him for anything.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, don’t try to deny it. I see the way you’re looking at him. You trusted him to protect me, and he got me knocked up which only resulted in the miscarriage of your grandchild.” Autumn clenched her jaw, surprised by her own anger. “I don’t need a protector, Dad. I never wanted that. I can handle this and Gallagher on my own.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at her. “I’m not having this argument with you while you’re in an emotional state.”

“My emotions are fine.”

“No they’re not. You’re acting just like—” He shook his head.

“Just like who?” When he didn’t answer, she pressed him again. “Just like who, Dad?”

“Your mother. She miscarried three times before she conceived you.” He walked to the loveseat with all eyes in the room on him. “I kept telling her it was okay. That we didn’t need a little girl, that our three boys were what we were destined to have. But she wouldn’t stand for it. It broke my heart each time seeing the pain she went through when the doctor gave her the news. He’d given up on us, too. He asked for me to get her counseling and to try to talk her out of having another child.” Her father’s eyes filled with tears. “I couldn’t. She had all your baby stuff picked out—those cute little pink dresses with matching bows. She wanted a little girl, and I wasn’t about to tell her no.”

Autumn sank back against the couch, her father’s words hitting her hard. Her mother had gone through the same thing she had? No one ever knew about it. Faye was a private person as far as her personal life went, but she undoubtedly loved each and every one of her kids.

Autumn stood, unable to deal with it anymore. After all the stuff that happened with Jackson, seeing him finally able to stand at his own mother’s grave and give her flowers only brought the past memories vividly in her mind. She missed her mother. Even after fourteen years of her being gone, she still missed the little things that made Faye Callahan so special. Being there, for one. She walked out of the room and headed for the backyard and some much needed space.

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