Page 70 of Unexpected Love
“You don’t have?—”
“Cal. I swear to god… if you downplay this, I’m going to punch you right in the nuts.” If she were standing in front of me right now, her hands would be on her hips, and she’d be slaughtering me with a glare.
“I’m not downplaying anything, babe. Just trying to tell you that you don’t have to make the trip down.”
There’s another shuffle over the line, and then she demands to speak to Kate again.
Kate fills her in, repeating what I’ve already told Jules. That I’m fine and just going to get checked out. And then Kate grins big at me.
She hangs up and says, “That woman really, really must like you. And I really like her.”
The trip across town to the hospital is quick, and soon,I’m wheeled into a room. Nurses rush around me in a flurry of activity, and then I’m whisked away for X-rays before Jules arrives. By the time I’m wheeled back into my room, she’s waiting for me.
She looks haggard and scared, but she grips my hand fiercely when I offer it to her.
“Hey, sweetheart.” I don’t want to admit it, but it’s as much of a relief for me to see her as it is for her to see me.
“Hey yourself.”
“Thanks for coming down.”
She stands over my hospital bed and squeezes my hand while petting my arm with her other. Her touch is gentle, but she’s looking at me like she can’t help herself. Eyes roaming all over my torso, up to my face, before meeting mine. She studies me for a long moment before relaxing and letting out a huge exhale.
“Nancy is taking Charlie back to her house as soon as she wakes up. She’ll make sure her day is as normal as possible,” she announces as she lowers into the hard plastic bedside chair.
Guilt that I’ve caused so much trouble for them flares. “I hate that y’all went to the trou?—”
“Shut up, Callum.” She hits me with my full name. “This is what family does.”
A warm blast of emotion settles in my chest, pushing aside the guilt and embarrassment over her seeing me brought so low.
I blink away the burning in my eyes.
“Don’t be a pussy, crybaby,” my mother’s voice echoes from the past.
But I shove it aside; there’s no place for her here with Jules, in this new life I’ve built.
“Is that what we are?” I mutter, trying to hide the factthat I’m emotional over being considered part of her family. ThatIhave a semblance of a family with Jules and Charlie-Belle.
“Of course it is.” Her eyes grow gentle with compassion and possibly understanding. “We might not be traditional. But you and Charlie are important to me, and to the rest of my family.”
“Somehow, it feels like things have changed since we talked at the station last night.”
She shakes her head, giving me a little huff of disbelief. “Yeah, well. You went and got yourself smacked by a tree. You didn’t have to take such a drastic step.”
I want to laugh, but even chuckling hurts, and I wind up groaning.
“I do care about you, Cal. Just because I have some hesitation, doesn’t mean I don’t care.” Her eyes hold me captive. It’s like she’s willing me to believe her. “Charlie cares about you too. You know, just in case you needed to hear that out loud.”
I tug her hand, forcing her to stand, and draw her close enough to slip mine behind her neck, pulling her in for a kiss.
As her mouth meets mine in a hesitant, tender kiss, I realize I don’t have to figure anything out. I’ve never felt it before, never had it returned to me to be sure. But I think this might be love. The thought is both terrifying and thrilling.
I don’t know how to be in love with someone. I don’t know what a good family looks like. If my mom were here, she’d be looking at what I could get out of the situation. At the very least, she’d be begging for additional pain meds and talking about suing someone for the injury. But I’m nothing like the person who raised me.
Jackson’s head pokes around the semi-closed door.
“Hey, man. Just wanted to check on you.”
