Page 45 of We Thought We Knew It All
“You don’t really have a job back there still, do you?” I asked.
She scoffed. “Do you all really think they’d just let me leave and work from another country for a month?” She leaned back into the couch. “No, I...” She buried her face in her hands, causing her next words to come out muffled. “I sort of married my boss.”
My jaw fell open, my mouth unable to form words.
She grabbed my arm. “You can’t tell the others. I haven’t even told my mom. It was a whim. We got married and then a week later I sort of freaked. When Callie told me she was here, it was where I needed to be.”
“Don’t tell me it was some old guy.” I couldn’t believe that was the first thing I thought of to say. She smacked my shoulder.
“Eww. Dean is only a few years older than us.”
“Did you love him?”
“Yes. No. I don’t freaking know. Stop asking me ridiculous questions.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” I started laughing, unable to stop. “Only you would get married and then flee the country.”
“This is so not funny!” She laughed.
“Morgan, if it’s not funny then it’s just depressing. Take your pick.”
She grinned. “Jamie Daniels, why don’t you ditch Callie and marry me?”
“Sorry. I don’t go for married women.” I pulled her into my side. “I’m sorry for what you’ve gone through, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“When did you become such a softie?”
I snorted. “That’s not exactly a term I’ve ever heard used to describe me.”
Jess’s face flashed through my mind along with the words she’d said to me at every chance.Being a Ranger means you have to be tough, not hard. Why the hell are you so hard, Jamie? It’s like you don’t care about me at all.
She’d been right. I had been hard with her. Then she died, and I still hadn’t forgiven myself.
“Jay is on his way over,” Morgan said, bringing me back to the present. She walked to the fridge and pulled out a couple of beers. Taking the caps off as she walked, she handed one to me.
I drank it back with a sigh.
What if I didn’t apply for that job? What was I going to do? If I was honest with myself, I knew there wasn’t much for me in Gulf City career-wise. Tampa was only an hour away, so maybe I’d have options.
I thought of Morgan and her husband, separated by an ocean. Was he looking for her? Dreaming of her like I’d dreamed of Callie?
Our lives hadn’t stopped. She’d been married and even had kids. I’d seen and done a lot. But we’d made it back to the beginning and now a different path lay out before us.
* * *
I pulledthe truck up outside Callie’s house. It was dark, but she’d left the porch light on for us. Declan and Liam had gone to bed early, but it wasn’t a school night so I took Jackson out to a movie. Cal was wearing herself down between getting the restaurant up and running, working on her book, and taking care of her boys. We barely got any time alone, but that wasn’t what worried me. I didn’t think she was sleeping much.
I didn’t know for sure because she hadn’t let me stay the night with the boys there - probably a good decision - but I saw her exhaustion in the dark circles that slowly developed beneath her eyes. I saw it in her lack of patience with the workers at the restaurant. Worst of all, I saw it in the way she’d been yelling at Jackson earlier.
I turned off the car and glanced sideways at the sleeping boy. He’d struggled to stay awake for the entire movie, but insisted we stay. As soon as we’d gotten in the car, he was out.
His chestnut hair spilled over light features - bright eyes, rosy cheeks. I reached over and brushed it out of his face.
A smile came to my lips as I shook my head to clear my thoughts. There was something about that boy and I found myself wanting to be in his life. He was curious and smart, serious and happy. He fashioned himself his mother’s protector.
I got out of the car and walked around to his side. Pulling open the door, I reached in and lifted him. His head fell against my shoulder, but he didn’t wake. I shut the door with my foot and walked toward the house. It was unlocked so I shifted Jackson to open the door.
Callie met us on the other side. She stood still for a moment, an emotion flitting across her face that I couldn’t place.
