Idiot.

He dropped his keys onto the slate kitchen island and looked around his home with new eyes. He had always thought that he was suited to the hard lines of glass and concrete and slate, but after spending so much time at both Callie’s homey store and her cute cottage on the outskirts of town he found that he was craving softness. And color.

And comfort. What he wouldn’t give to be back in Callie’s house, kissing her in front of the fire, with her big mutt lying at their feet snoring.

Chapter Six

The next day Tobey walked into Callie’s Candies holding a bright bouquet of yellow and white narcissus. She was down on the ground with her back to the front door, helping a couple of little girls pick out a gift for their mother’s birthday while their father watched with pride.

“Mommies love these boxes of truffles,” she said to the girls as she showed them a heart shaped box with a thick velvet ribbon on top.

The two girls solemnly nodded their agreement and handed her a five dollar bill.

Just as solemnly, treating them as if they were forty-year-old women buying thousands of dollars of merchandise instead of little kids, Callie took their money and walked around to her register. Tobey noted that her eyes and face looked swollen and puffy and inwardly cursed himself. He had done that to her with his callous, selfish behavior.

Right then and there he vowed never to treat her badly ever again.

When Callie looked up and saw him standing awkwardly by the door, holding the flowers as an obvious peace offering, she nearly dropped the box of truffles on the floor.

She caught the box in mid-air and placed it on her gift-wrapping table, her hands shaky.

She gave him a tremulous smile and was about to say something when Tobey smiled back and leaned against the wall, making it clear that he could wait until she was done helping the girls.

Callie finished wrapping the truffles with trembling fingers. She handed the girls a lollipop each and then followed them with her eyes as they took their father’s hand and skipped out the door.

Tobey approached her at the same time that she ran around the counter. Their words intermingled, “I’m so sorry,” he said, and she said, “No, I’m the one who’s sorry.”

He handed her the bouquet and she clutched them to her chest as if they were more valuable to her than gold or diamonds. “Can you forgive me?” Tobey stroked her cheek with his fingers. “What did I ever do right to deserve you?”

Callie shook her head. “I’m the lucky one. And I want you to know that I’ll always support you. Whatever you do, I’ll still love you,” she said.

She gasped and took a step back into the counter, dropping the flowers onto the floor as she realized what she’d just said.

Tobey closed the space between them, stepping into the circle of flowers on the floor. “I love you too,” he said and then dipped his mouth to hers. He buried his hands in Callie’s soft curls and tasted her sweetness. Her hands wrapped around him and she pulled him tightly to her. Even the bell ringing on the door to the shop, indicating that a customer had entered, was not enough for either of them to want to pull away from each other.

“Ahem,” a firm voice said from behind Tobey’s back. He pulled away from Callie’s sweet lips and groaned, knowing that voice could only belong to one person.

Looking over his shoulder he said, “Alice.”

Shaking her head as if they were two kids goofing around during class, Alice said,

“I thought I might find you here.”

Callie slid out from Tobey’s arms and held out her hand, looking charmingly disheveled. “I’ve been so looking forward to meeting you, Alice.” Callie blushed and said, “Under different circumstances, of course.” Alice yielded slightly under the weight of Callie’s charm and shook her hand.

Turning back to Tobey, the older woman said, “I’d like to know if you think your behavior is going to sell more candy in this store, or less? You’ve got an important phone call to return in the office.”

Tobey grinned shamelessly and held his hands up in defeat. “Point taken, sergeant.” He leaned over the counter and placed another quick kiss on Callie’s lips.

“Are we still on for dinner tonight? My family has been dying to meet you.” Callie whispered, “I can’t wait,” and they made do with one more quick peck.

Callie stood in the store alone with Alice, feeling more nervous than she had since she was a schoolgirl. But Alice wasn’t one to beat around the bush.

“I’ll get straight to the point,” Alice said and Callie nodded, her heart pounding even though she knew she hadn’t done anything wrong. Trying to break the ice, Callie interrupted and said, “Can I offer you anything first? Maybe some hot cocoa and a truffle?”

Alice looked momentarily flustered. “Why yes,” she said. “I could use a hot drink to warm my bones.” Callie went to pour her a steaming cup and Alice said, “And if you wouldn’t mind, I’d love a truffle. I had one last year and I still haven’t forgotten it.” Callie breathed a sigh of relief. Tobey’s assistant seemed a whole lot less scary when she had chocolate smudged on her lips. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you,” she said, after Alice had bitten into the truffle with a sound of delight.

Alice held up her hand, making it clear that she wanted to finish the chocolate in silence. Callie grinned, pleased that her candy made people so happy. But her grin fell away as Alice said, “I wasn’t sure that I approved of your relationship with Tobey at first—it is unprofessional for a consultant to date his client, after all—but now I can see that you’re the best thing that’s happened to him in some time.” Callie was frozen where she stood. Alice continued, “I love him like a son and he’s about to make the biggest mistake of his life. I want you to stop him.” Her brain struggled to catch up. “Do you mean how he’s closing his business?” Alice nodded, her lips tight again in disapproval.

“Has he talked to you about it?” Callie asked.

“No. But that boy can’t hide anything from me. Never could, never will. I’ve known for months. But I also know that he hasn’t made it official yet by firing me because he doesn’t want to shut down his dreams.”

Callie shook her head. “Alice, I appreciate you coming here to try and help Tobey, but I don’t think he’s going to listen to me.”