Page 53 of Backed By You
I park the truck and hop out, walking around to the back to grab Hulk’s bed, food, dishes, and sack of toys.
“Morning,” Duke calls, jogging toward me. With a huge grin on his face, he takes the grocery bags full of Hulk’s premium dog food, frozen chicken, and painkillers. He hasn’t needed them as much the last few weeks, and he’s been walking like a champ, but Callie insisted we bring them just in case.
Her walking boot has been off for weeks as well, and with a bit of makeup, the thin red line by her temple is invisible. You’d never know she took a hell of a fall less than a month ago as she hops out in a form-fitting summer dress that’s had me adjusting myself one too many times in the last hour.
“Morning,” I say, nodding to the bed and bag in my hand. “Where do you want this?”
“Inside,” my brother says with the giddy excitement of a school boy. I smirk. “I cleared him a spot in the living room. I even got him a bed for my office at work.”
“That’s really sweet of you.” Callie sniffles as she helps Hulk down from the backseat. The hair on his hind leg is growing in faster than I thought it would. “Thank you again for doing this.”
Duke grins. “Are you kidding me? I should be thanking you for thinking of us,” he tells her. “Olivia is going to be thrilled. Maci even commented that she’s interested to see how a big dog will fit in with our routine and the house.”
“Sounds like you might be getting your wish soon,” I comment. Callie nudges me with her elbow and glares.
My brother shrugs. “A man can dream.”
We follow Duke inside his two-story, custom-built mountainside home and enter through the kitchen, where Olivia is perched in her highchair having breakfast.
Maci stands at the sink, smiling at our arrival. “Good morning,” she calls.
Olivia squeals the moment she lays eyes on Hulk, her arms flailing with excitement. His tail wags vigorously as he trails beside Callie to say hello. The baby giggles that flood the room put a smile on everyone’s face.
I wait off to the side as Callie talks through Hulk’s schedule and his trained cues for needing to go out or if he may be in pain. She hands them a written report she’s been working on all week, reiterating everything she just told them. “If anything comes up,pleasecall me,” she says finally. “You have my number and Beau’s, but I also wrote down my friend Shea’s, my father’s, and my assistant’s.”
Maci’s brow furrows as she looks over the three sheets of paper in hand. “You have an assistant?”
“Production assistant,” she says. “She’ll have my phone and such during interviews and the premiere.”
Duke snorts, impressed. “Sounds fancy.”
Callie laughs. “Well, it is LA.”
I clear my throat, noting the time. “We need to head out if we’re going to make the flight.”
Hulk is sitting next to Olivia’s highchair, content as can be as Callie crouches beside him. She kisses him and he licks her tear-streaked face.
“You be a good boy, okay?” Her lower lip wobbles. “I’ll be back in two weeks. And we’ll video chat every night. I love you so much, big boy.” She hugs him one last time before standing with a choked cry.
She turns with a sniffle, meets my gaze, and walks right into my arms. I hold her as she buries her face in my chest, clinging to me…in front of my brother and sister-in-law.
Something tightens in my chest—a mixture of protectiveness and something else I’m still getting used to when it comes to Callie. Six weeks ago, I would’ve stiffened at this public display. Now, I find myself stroking her hair, not giving a damn who sees it. Though I try to ignore the raised brow of my brother and the beaming smile from his wife.
We haven’t exactly been open about what’s been going on between us over the last few weeks. Another step in this relationship I feel like we missed. Or maybe I’m reading too far into it? None of my family has seen us together. Not even Rhett, who’s stopped asking altogether when he does come around to check in.
We give our goodbyes and I lead Callie to the truck, helping her into the front seat. I soak in the crisp morning air. In a few hours, we’ll be in her world instead of mine.A world she fears.
The thought sends an unexpected ripple of tension through my shoulders.
“Hey, Beau,” Duke shouts, jogging toward me.
I close Callie’s door and turn to him. “Yeah?”
He pants with a grin. “I wanted to, uh, make sure you knew you have a plus one for the wedding next month.”
Right. The double wedding. The thought of Callie at my side during an important family event hits differently than I expected. It feels right. I lock the topic away for later.
“Good to know,” I say, starting to walk around to the driver’s side. I hop in and back out, glaring at my brother and his shit eatin’ grin as he waves before backpedaling to the house.
