Andrew flushed, acknowledging that with a half nod. “Point taken, Gracie. But even with—”
“And I feel compelled to mention,” I said, my voice taking on my silence in the classroom tone, causing Angus to whine sympathetically, “that my love life is no longer any of your business.”
“I still care about you, that’s all,” he protested softly, and in that moment, I wanted to kick him in the nuts.
“Don’t trouble yourself, Andrew,” I said, trying to keep my voice from breaking with rage. “I’m fine. Callahan is a good man.”
“Are you sure, Grace? Because there’s something I don’t trust about him.”
I set Angus down and looked steadily at Andrew. “How interesting that you should say that, Andrew. After all, look what happened with you and me. I thought you loved me. I thought we were pretty damn perfect together. And I was wrong. So it’s funny. You don’t trust Callahan, and I don’t quite trust you, Andrew, and I have no idea what you’re doing here right now, questioning my taste in men.”
He started to say something, but I cut him off. “Here’s what I know about Callahan. He uncovered a crime and he tried to make it right. At the same time, he was trying to protect his brother. He risked everything for the person he loved best, and he got screwed in the process.”
“Well, that’s a nice spin, Grace, but—”
“It’s not spin, Andrew. Have you ever risked anything? You…” My voice grew choked with anger, my heart thudding, face burning. “You asked me to marry you, knowing I was head over heels for you and knowing damn well you didn’t feel the same way. But you figured it was time to settle down, and there I was, ready, willing and able. Then you met my sister, fell in love, never said boo about it. Instead you waited until three weeks before our wedding to call things off. Three weeks! Jesus, Andrew! Think you might have spoken up a little sooner?”
“I never—”
“I’m not finished.” My voice was hard enough to cause his mouth to snap shut. “Even with Natalie, you just sat back and did nothing. Yet she’s the love of your life, isn’t she? But if it weren’t for me, you would never have even spoken to her again.”
His face reddened even more. “I said I’m grateful for how you got Nat and me together.”
“I didn’t do it for you, Andrew. I did it for her. You, though…you didn’t fight for her, you didn’t try to talk to her…you just sat there like a fern or something, doing nothing.”
His shoulders slumped. “What was I supposed to do?” he said, his voice small. “I wasn’t about to date my exfiancée’s sister. I didn’t want to put you in a bad spot.”
“And yet here you are, a week away from marrying her.”
He sighed, slumping back against the sofa, and ran a hand through his pale blond hair. “Grace, you’re right. I never would’ve even spoken to Natalie without your blessing. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you more. I thought it was the right thing to do. Wasn’t it?” He looked so genuinely confused that I wanted to shake him.
Then I saw the tears in his eyes. The sight took the fight out of me, and I drooped back against my chair. “I don’t know, Andrew. It was a complicated situation.”
“Exactly,” he said, and God, I was sick of him! For the past three years, I’d been obsessed with Andrew, happily and miserably, and enough was enough.
“Listen,” I said wearily. “I guess I appreciate your concern over Cal, but…well, you just don’t get a say, Andrew.
I’m none of your business anymore.”
He smiled, a little sadly. “Well, you’ll be my sister-in-law soon. You are my business, a little.”
“Save it, pal.” But I said the words with a smile. For Nat’s sake.
He set his wineglass on the coffee table and stood. “I should go,” he said, looking around again. “The house is beautiful, Grace. You did a wonderful job.”
“I know,” I said opening the door.
He went out on the porch, and I followed, closing the screen door so Angus wouldn’t get out. Andrew turned back to face me. “You’ll always be special to me, you know,” he said, not looking in my eyes.
I paused. “Well. Thank you.”
He put his skinny arms around me and gave me a stiff hug. After a second, I patted his shoulder. Then, quite out of the blue, Andrew turned his head and kissed me.
It wasn’t a romantic kiss…not quite. Too puckery. But neither was it a brother-in-law peck on the cheek. In typical Andrew fashion, he hadn’t been able to decide. Idiot.
I jerked back. “Andrew, are you out of your mind?”
“What?” he said, his quirky eyebrows raised.
“Well, call me crazy, but I don’t think you should ever do that again, okay? Ever.”
“Shit. Sorry,” he said, grimacing. “I just—I’m sorry. Force of habit. I don’t know. I just…forget it. I’m really sorry.”
I just wanted him gone. “Bye, Andrew.”
“Good night, Grace.” Then he turned and walked down the steps to his car. He opened the door, got in, started the car and waved, then backed down the driveway.
“Good riddance,” I muttered. I turned to go into the house, then started in fright.
Callahan O’ Shea was standing at the border of our yards, looking at me with an expression that made me surprised I hadn’t burst into flames.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“CALLAHAN!” I STAMMERED. “Hey! You surprised me.”
“What the hell was that?” he growled.
I waved my hand dismissively. “That was nothing.” He just doesn’t think you’re good enough for me, that’s all.
“Want to come in?”
“Grace,” he bit out. “It didn’t look like nothing. It looked like your sister’s fiancé just kissed you. The guy you were going to marry!”
“So I’ve got a lot of ’splainin’ to do?” I said. He narrowed his eyes. Aw! He was jealous! Funny how pleasing that can be, isn’t it? Unfortunately, Callahan didn’t seem to share my amusement. “Well, don’t just stand there brooding, Mr. O’ Shea. Come in. You can grill me all you want.”
With a muttered curse, he came up the steps and into the house, not even glancing down as Angus launched himself through the air to attack. Instead, he took in the wineglasses on the coffee table. The scowl deepened.
“It’s not what you think,” I said.
“And what do I think?” Callahan asked tightly.
“You think…” I squashed a smile. “You think Andrew’s hitting on me.”
“That seemed obvious.”
“Wrong. Sit down, Cal. Want some wine?”
“No. Thank you.” He sat in the spot recently vacated by Andrew. “So? Why was he here? And does he always kiss you on the mouth?”
I nestled into my chair and took a sip of my wine, considering my honey. Yep. Definitely jealous. Perhaps now wasn’t the time to say I found it incredibly sexy. “Andrew hasn’t kissed me for a long, long time. Why he did tonight, who knows? He said it was force of habit.”
“That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard.”
Angus growled, his teeth firmly sunk into Cal’s work boot.
“You’re jealous, aren’t you?” I couldn’t help asking.
“Yes! I am, actually! You loved that scrawny little idiot, and he came over tonight and kissed you. How am I supposed to feel?”
“Well, for one, you should feel happy, because as you said, Andrew’s a scrawny little idiot. And you’re the opposite.”
Callahan started to say something, then stopped. “Thanks.” The corner of his mouth pulled up.
“You’re welcome,” I smiled.
“Do you still have feelings for him, Grace?” he asked carefully. “Tell me right now if you do.”
“I don’t. As you said, scrawny little idiot.”
Callahan considered me for a moment, then reached down to dislodge Angus’s teeth from his shoes. “Go see your mommy,” he said. Angus obeyed, leaping onto my lap and curling in a tight circle. Callahan sat back and looked at me, his face considerably more at ease than when he first came in. “Does it worry you? Andrew kissing someone who’s not Natalie?”
I thought on that. “No. The first time those two saw each other, they fell in love, just like that. Kablammy, like they were hit by lightning.”
“Or a field hockey stick,” Cal added.
Oh. Oh. My heart swelled. “Anyway,” I said, blushing. “Andrew came over because he was…” I paused.
“Concerned.”
“Because you’re dating someone with a record?”
“Correct.” I stroked Angus’s sweet, bony head, earning a little groan in response.
“So the man who left you for your sister has a problem with my morals.”
“Bingo.” I smiled across at my sweetie. “And I told him I thought you were pretty wonderful and quite honorable, and I may have mentioned how great you look without your clothes on.” Callahan smiled. “Plus, I told him one of the things I liked best was the fact that you hadn’t fallen for Natalie or Margaret, so I thought you might be a keeper.”
“Grace,” Cal said seriously, leaning forward, “I can’t imagine falling for Natalie or Margaret. Not after meeting you.”
My throat tightened abruptly. No one…no one…had ever compared me with my sisters and found me superior.
“Thanks,” I whispered.
“You’re welcome,” he murmured, gazing into my eyes. “You want me to find Andrew and beat him up?”
“Nah,” I said. “It’d be like shooting fish in a barrel.”
He laughed, then reached down to retie the work boot Angus had mauled. “You planning to tell Natalie that her fiancé’s going around kissing people?”
I thought about that for a second, playing with my puppy’s fur. “No. I honestly don’t think it meant anything. I mean, really, Angus has given me a more passionate kiss than that one.” Not to mention you, bub, I added silently. “I think it was just a reflex.”
“What if it wasn’t?” Cal asked.
My head jerked back. “It was. I’m sure. He loves Natalie! They’re crazy about each other. You saw that.”
Cal hesitated, then gave a nod. “I guess.”
He guessed? Everyone could see that Natalie and Andrew were meant to be. It was obvious. Wasn’t it?
Angus snapped awake from his brief nap and leaped off my lap, trotting into the kitchen to see if God had miraculously refilled his bowl.
Callahan leaned back against the couch, looking like a contender for Sexiest Man Alive. In all the time I’d spend with Andrew, I could honestly say I’d never felt like this…the thrilling rush of Cal’s presence mingling with the comfort that came from the certainty that he…well…he liked me. He chose me. He wanted me. He even put up with Angus.
“So how’s your family taking the news that Princess Grace is dating an ex-con?” he asked, grinning a little.
I decided not to tell him about Dad’s eleven-point argument on why Cal was a bad idea or the fact that Mom had already talked to a private investigator. “They’ll get used to it.”
“I guess they thought your cat-wrangling pediatrician was a better choice, huh?”
Those words were Arctic water on my heart. Oh, yeah. Wyatt Dunn, M.D. “Um…well.” I nibbled on a thumbnail.
“Callahan. About that.”
“What?” Cal said, grinning. “Don’t tell me he dropped by for some kissing, too.”
My stomach twisted. “No, no. Um, Cal. As long as we’re talking. I need to tell you something. Something you might not like.” I realized I was chewing my thumb again and put my hands in my lap. Taking a deep breath, I looked into Callahan’s eyes.
The smile slipped off his face, leaving it blank and inscrutable. “Go ahead,” he said silkily.
“Well…this is actually kind of funny,” I said, attempting a chuckle. My heart raced in a manic patter. “Here’s the thing. I…I never actually dated Wyatt Dunn. The doctor. The pediatric surgeon.”
Cal didn’t move. Didn’t even blink.
“Yeah,” I continued, swallowing twice, my mouth dry as Arizona in July. “Um…I…I made him up.”
The only sound was Fritz the Cat, ticking away, and the jingle of Angus’s tags as he snuffled around the kitchen.
Tick…tick…tick.
“You made him up.”
“Well, yeah!” A panicky laugh burst out of my tight throat. “Of course! I mean, come on! You suspected, right? A good-looking, single, straight pediatric surgeon? I could never get a guy like that!”
Oh, boy, did that ever come out wrong.
“But you could get a guy like me.” Callahan’s voice was dangerously calm.
Shit. “I…well, I didn’t mean it that way. I meant that there’s no such animal. He’s…you know. Too good to be true.”
“You made him up,” Cal repeated.
“Mmm-hmm,” I squeaked, clenching my toes in discomfort.
“Tell me, Grace, why would you do something like that?” The calm in his voice was downright ominous.
I didn’t answer for a minute. The day I made up Wyatt Dunn seemed a long, long time ago. “Well, see, we were at a wedding.” As quickly as I could, I told him about the comments, the bouquet toss, Nat in the bathroom. The words fell out of my mouth like hailstones. “I guess I didn’t want Natalie thinking I wasn’t over Andrew,” I said.