Page 46 of Holiday Hopefuls
“Never. So it wouldn’t be a huge stretch for Chris to tease you about my hiring you. Don’t get me wrong—I’ve dated plenty. But no one’s ever, um … ”
“Made it to the family holiday test?”
She shakes her head. “In fact, they’ve only ever met one boyfriend.”
My brow lifts of its own accord.
“But that’s only because our fathers know each other,” she continues. “And he’s friends with Chris, who was certainly not happy when things ended. You can add that to the list of reasons he provides such a wondrous familial experience.”
“Your brother sounds like quite the gem,” I grumble. “Is he worse than the older one? Prescott, right?”
Callie straightens in her seat. Eyes wide, she grips her seat belt. “Wait a second. We’ve never discussed payment.”
My hand takes on a life of its own, reaching across the console and enveloping hers. The subtle squeeze is meant to be reassuring, and it occurs a little too late that she may think I’m being creepy.
Blythe always talks about how it freaks her out if a guy randomly touches her. Especially if they’re not dating.
And while Callie and I are technically together, that still doesn’t give me the right to just assume anything, even if I have touched her before now.
But when I try to pull away, Callie places her free hand onto our intertwined ones, squeezing right back.
“I promise I’m not worried about that, Callie.”
She nods. “We’ll deal with all of that later.”
Discomfort lodges itself in my throat. Trying anything I can to swallow it, I continue, “Anything else?”
Callie shrugs. “Mom likes to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral.”
I bark out a laugh. “Quite the attention-seeker, got it. What about anything secret I may need to know that would give us away?”
“Don’t get me coffee when it’s passed around. My family loves their java jolt, so it definitely will be offered at some point.”
Lifting a brow, I give her my best look of innocence. “Why would I do that when my girlfriend only likes hot chocolate?”
Callie smiles to herself. “Imogene … she’s pretty standoffish. Don’t be surprised if she just ignores you for the most part. She’s kind of Prescott's minion, but she’s really smart. And I don’t know that she would be rude, except to make Prescott like her. She’s constantly making sure she has his approval.” Her cheeks pinken, and I assume she’s leaving things out. For whose benefit, I’m not sure. “But Prescott’s little girl is precious,” Callie gushes. A brilliant smile brightens her face.
My brows raise. “Prescott has a kid?”
Callie nods. “Marigold. She’s seven, and my favorite person in the family.”
“Other than Connie?”
She doesn’t respond immediately, but the smile leftover from mentioning her niece doesn’t fade, either. “I think Connie and I could be close. Maybe.”
“If it wasn’t for Chris?”
She nods, that burst of sun slipping.
Considering my next words, I phrase my next question delicately. “Why does Chris seem to be so antagonistic toward you? Of all your siblings, you seem to have the most difficult relationship with him.” I give her hand another squeeze forcourage. Her cheeks pinken at my gesture, which brings me more pleasure than it really should.
So I do it again just to be sure.
This time, Callie tucks her face toward the window as her lovely blush deepens.
Something inside me stirs, making me wish I had a good reason to reach out and touch her cheek. To see if it’s as warm on my fingertips as I imagine it is.
“He and Connie were the youngest,” she starts, still facing the passenger window, “and they never seemed to need anyone but each other. I always teach my students independence at the beginning of each year, but any attempt to help Connie gain a little distance from Chris has never gone over well. I’m already seen as the interloper in my own family, and Mom and Dad have always made it clear they expected to stop after four, anyway. ‘We already had two of each, Calloway. Why would we need more?’ That’s my dad’s favorite answer when asked if he wanted any more kids.” Bitterness seeps in, tainting her sweet voice. “Prescott is the oldest—your standard overachiever. Mom and Dad doted on him, but they always pushed him so hard. With Imogene, they often pitted her against her brother. Pushed her to be better, faster, smarter. A couple years later, they had the twins. Connie had some medical issues at birth. There was a collapsed lung and she had to stay in the NICU for weeks. So, while Mom and Dad pushed the oldest two, Connie got all the coddling. Still does, really. And Chris … ”
