Page 47 of Holiday Hopefuls
“Feels unappreciated and like he doesn’t receive the same attention,” I finish for her.
Callie nods. “From what I’ve gathered, yeah. Then, I was a surprise. And while I never got the coddling the youngest child tends to receive, I think he feels like I got away with so much more. It’s really only because Mom and Dad never actually paidme much attention. He feels like I got off easy. Picked an easy profession. That kind of thing.” She shrugs.
I don’t bother taming the snort that comes out. “There is nothing easy about being an educator, Callie, and you shouldn’t let them make you feel like there is.”
“If you truly believe that, then you’ve got your work cut out for you today.” We may only be two feet apart, but her thoughts are years away.
“Callie?”
The amazing woman sitting in my passenger seat turns toward me. “Oliver.” Large, chocolate eyes blink at me as we sit at a deserted stop sign.
Everything occupying my mind goes out the window as this woman stares across the tight space, daring to witness my bare soul. So I ask her the first thing that pops into my mind. “What’s your middle name?”
Her button nose wrinkles in disgust. “Why?”
Laughing, I resist the urge to reach over and smooth the creases from her kind face. A face that radiates sunshine when she smiles. “In case they ask. You know, as a test.”
Callie looks toward the car ceiling. “They won’t.”
“Humor me?”
She peers at me through narrowed eyes. Sighing, she caves. “Leora.”
My chest warms while I grin like an idiot. “Of course it is.”
“What do you mean?”
“I took this course on the psychology of names given to children for my degree. One of the things we looked at were the meanings of different names. Your name, it means ‘light’,” I explain. When Callie continues to blink blankly at me, I elaborate, “I told John—the night we talked about that flyer, actually—that I wished I had some kind of guiding light to get me through the holidays this year.”
Callie gives me her best skeptical look.
“I know, I know. It’s cheesy. But with my parents pushing me to find someone and settle down, I was starting to dread all the time I’d be spending with my family.”
“Which is sad, because they’re absolutely incredible.”
Her words warm my heart. It doesn’t take an expert to see I may just be in trouble when it comes to Calloway Rutherford, knowing that she enjoyed being with them, too.“I guess I’m just glad I had you there today, is all. So your name makes sense to me.” Releasing my hand from hers, I brush a loose piece of hair from her face. “You deserve a family that appreciates you, Callie,” I whisper. “Please don’t think otherwise.”
Callie blushes furiously. “Then I guess it's a good thing you'll be there.”
Brushing my fingers under her chin, I tip it up and bring her eyes to mine. “You better believe it, baby.”
She groans. “Not that again.”
“Oh, my sweet hot cocoa connoisseur,” I grin, “we’re just getting started.”
“You know what?”Callie straightens as we pull onto the street. “I think I left my stove on this morning. Maybe we should turn around and go check. Just in case. Because I’d hate to be responsible for burning down my entire apartment complex due to such carelessness.”
“You’re right, that would be bad.” A chuckles escapes, one hand on the steering wheel while the other remains firmly in hers. "But the stove wasn’t on. Trust me.”
“I do,” she says instantly, “but you also didn’t come in, so there’s no real way for you to know that.”
“You didn’t invite me in,” I point out. A fact I’m still telling myself I’m not disappointed about.
Callie frowns. “Fine. But?—”
“Calloway.”
Her mouth snaps shut while I pull into the driveway of the type of house that used to make peasants revolt.
