Page 32 of Callum
Fiona straightened, her breath catching in her throat. The woman almost looked like…
No.No. That wasn’t possible.
But even though the impossibility of the situation was at the forefront of her mind, her feet still moved across the room. She called to Stacey, letting her cousin know she’d be back, before weaving her way through the crowd, watching the back of that dress. Every so often, a family member or old family friend would touch her arm or say something, but her entire focus remained on the woman in front of her.
She disappeared out of the function room, and Fiona followed her out, stopping at an open hall. Doors were on one side, and one was open. She stepped closer to that door to find an empty terrace. Instantly, her skin pebbled at the cool breeze.
She took two steps forward when the door behind her blew shut. A gasp slipped from her lips and she turned, almost expecting to see the woman there, but there was no one. The terrace was deserted.
Another draft of cold air hit her face like a blast of common sense. It was official. She was crazy. Because if she wasn’t, she wouldn’t have followed a woman she couldn’t have seen out here. It just wasn’t possible.
Exhaling a long breath, she walked back to the door and pulled…but it didn’t move. She pulled again. What the hell? Had the door jammed when it swung closed? She tugged three more times before realizing it was stuck.Shewas stuck. Stuck outside in the freezing cold, with no phone to call for help.
* * *
Callum’s gazereturned to Stacey to find Fiona wasn’t with her anymore. He waited for her uncle Burt to finish what he was saying about politics before quietly excusing himself. He only made it a few steps before Amanda stepped in front of him.
“Hi.” She tilted her head. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to you before now.”
Callum tried for a smile. It was tougher than it should have been because of what he knew about her treatment of Fiona. “That’s okay, it’s your wedding day. You’ve got a roomful of people to talk to.”
“Still, it’s important to make sure my little sister’s new boyfriend is treating her right.”
He had to bite back a less-than-polite response. This woman and her husband hadn’t treated Fiona anything close to right. Why would she suddenly care if anyone else did? “Your sister’s a very special woman, and I always treat her as such.”
Amanda’s lips thinned.Ah, there you are.
“People do tend to love her.” She pursed her mouth. “Have you been dating long? She never mentioned your name until a week ago, and I couldn’t seem to get a straight response from Fiona.”
“Not long.” When he didn’t give any more than that, the woman’s smile slipped.
“How’d you meet again?”
“I borrow books at the library where she works.”
Her eyes lit up like she’d caught him in a lie. “You don’t look like a reader.”
“Looks can be deceiving. I read a different book every week.”
“Fiona always had her head stuck in a book. I prefer reality.” She reached out and ran a finger down his chest.
Callum’s muscles tightened. What the hell was her game? He immediately stepped back, letting her hand drop. “Books are doors to new worlds. They don’t mean a person isn’t living in reality. And they connected me to Fiona, so that’s a win-win right there.”
Amanda’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t sure if it was because he’d stepped away or because of his words. Either way, he didn’t care.
Edna stepped up beside her daughter. Unlike Amanda, her smile was genuine. “Oh, darling, everything is going so well.”
Amanda’s lips curved, but the action looked forced. “Thank you.” She looked up at Callum again. “I was just asking Callum about his relationship with Fiona. It seems fast, considering we know nothing about him and only learned his name a few weeks ago.”
This woman was really trying to get a rise out of him. Maybe she was used to guys falling at her feet and was pissed Callum hadn’t done that.
He nodded civilly. “Things have definitely moved quickly. Says a lot about the kind of woman Fiona is. She had me addicted the first meeting.”
Wasn’t even a bit of a lie.
Amanda’s features once again blanked, while her mother’s face softened. “Oh, that makes me so happy. I must be honest, I was a bit worried about today, but I’m so glad that both my babies are happy and taken care of.”
Callum bit back a laugh at the look of displeasure on Amanda’s face. Fiona hadn’t been exaggerating.
