Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“How long ago did you break up?” I ask.
Her brows lift as she looks my way, probably because I haven’t asked many questions. “A few months ago.”
“How do you want to play it?” Max asks her. “Should we pretend he’s not there, or tell him I’m a billionaire who’s swept you off your feet?”
She shakes her head, looking weary. “I don’t know. I’d like to be able to pretend he’s not there. I just want to get through it.”
“We’ll play it by ear, then,” Max says. “Are you available for dinner the day after tomorrow? We can do this again. We need to set up a backstory for our relationship.”
Callie swallows a spoonful of ice cream, slowly drawing the utensil from her lips. “I am available, but you don’t have to make dinner for me.”
She finishes her last spoonful, and I stand to collect her empty bowl. “We have to eat. It’s no problem making enough for one more person.”
“At least let me bring something, and can I help clean up tonight?”
“Bring a dessert if you like, and no need on the cleanup. It all goes in the dishwasher.”
“Well, thank you. I’d better get home and get to bed.” As she stands to follow me, the quick full-body stretch she does is reflected on the sliding glass door, and I pause to watch.
Ever since he saw Callie at the sandwich shop, my brother’s been giving me shit about my sudden devotion to yoga. I won’t admit it, but he’s probably correct in saying that I wouldn’t still be going to class if Callie weren’t the instructor.
She’s stunning, and getting to know her this evening has only made her more attractive. Her strength and her humor have taken me by surprise.
Once inside the house, she collects her bag and says goodbye. I rinse the dishes while Max, always the smooth one, walks her down to her car.
The differences in the amount of game we have were apparent from an early age. In my head, I’m as full of charisma as my brother, but responses from women make it clear that reality doesn’t match my expectations.
Max has always been the one to get the girl, not that we’ve competed for years. Women are drawn to him, and for the most part, I don’t mind. His natural charm earns him a lot of unwanted attention from admirers, and though he always lets women down in a way that leaves them feeling good, it seems like a hassle.
None of this matters when it comes to Callie, though. It can’t.
When he returns, he joins me in the kitchen, grabbing the sponge to wipe the counters, while I finish loading the dishwasher.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
He stops and stares at me. “Are you kidding? It’s an opportunity we can’t pass up.”
“I get that … but Callie could make things complicated, couldn’t she?”
“How so?”
My look tells him to cut the bullshit, but he stubbornly plays clueless.
I gather a handful of silverware and drop it with a clatter into the designated compartment. “You like her.”
His ironic laughter echoes off the wall in front of me. “I like her? I’m not the one going to yoga every morning, am I?”
“We can’t get involved with her, Max.”
“We’re not, Miles. We’re doing her a favor, accompanying her to a wedding. It’s a win-win.”
I turn to glare at him. “We need to be careful, or it could get messy.”
CHAPTER 16
CALLIE
Before she even sets her purse down, Mom pulls one of the completed wedding favors from the top of the small stack. “It needs more greenery. It looks cheap with only a couple of leaves.”
Sadie takes it from her and puts it back. “It looks fine.”
“It looks rustic. We’re going for elegant.”
“We’re going for let’s finally get these done instead of fussing over them for no good reason,” Sadie argues.
I look between them like I’m watching a tennis match, and I definitely know who I’m rooting for.
Sadie is the one who chose a packet of flower seeds as the favor idea, but Mom is the one who insisted the packet be made by hand, the labels be custom made, and the packets be closed with a wax seal over a small cluster of paper leaf sprigs. These are the fussiest packets of seeds that ever existed.
It’s our second weekend working on these, we’re running out of time, and they still don’t meet Mom’s standards.
“Keep going, Callie,” Sadie says. “They look perfect.”
Mom huffs out a frustrated sigh, heaves her bag onto a chair, and heads for Sadie’s kitchen.
My sister shakes her head as she presses wax down on another packet. As she starts on the next one, she says, “So, Mom tells me you’re dating someone.” Her tone is quiet and rightfully filled with skepticism, because Sadie knows I would always tell her before I’d tell our mom. She’s the only person in my life who knows most of the story about Rick.