Callum was grateful that the wine steward approached their table at that moment. He’d been half tempted to tug Becky right out of her seat and into his lap. Or better yet to skip dinner altogether and find a nearby hotel where he could spend the next several hours making her feel special from head to toe.
The sommelier held up the bottle for his inspection and, at Callum’s subtle nod, began to uncork it while praising the vintage and offering bland small talk about the wine industry. Callum was used to this routine in the restaurants he frequented, especially after ordering a five-hundred-dollar bottle. Of course, he wouldn’t share the price with Becky. Part of him worried she’d be too nervous to actually take a drink if she knew how much it cost.
He hadn’t been lying when he told her he wanted to treat her this evening. If he’d been more on the ball, he would have chartered a helicopter and flown them to Houston or Dallas for a true five-star meal. Next time—if she gave him a next time.
As he took the cork from the sommelier, Callum felt a light pressure on his leg. He went to take the requisite sniff and ended up almost shoving the cork up his own nose when he realized it was Becky playing an innocent game of footsy with him under the table. Every nerve ending tensed and it took a herculean amount of effort to keep his features neutral.
One corner of her mouth curved up into a mischievous smile, but she kept her gaze trained on the wine steward.
“Perhaps the lovely lady would like a taste,” Callum suggested as he handed the cork back to the man.
With an agreeable nod, the sommelier poured a finger of the deep burgundy liquid into a glass and gave it to Becky. She didn’t bother to swirl the glass, and Callum noticed the man’s mouth furrow into a disapproving scowl.
Instead, she took a dainty sip. “Tastes like red wine,” she reported after a moment.
There was an indignant mew of distress from the sommelier. “It’s not just ordinary wine,” he explained, and Callum could tell the man was doing his best not to sound horrified. “That is a perfectly balanced vintage that’s both bold and complex. It’s like a symphony in your mouth.”
“Which is a complicated way of saying ‘great red wine,’” Callum explained, earning a slightly wider smile from Becky. What would it take to coax a full-fledged grin from her?
He desperately wanted to know.
“It’s lovely,” she told the sommelier, taking pity on the wine expert’s obvious distress.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” the man answered as he poured more wine into her glass. He filled Callum’s glass as well and then left the table. The waiter returned to take their dinner orders, and then they were blessedly alone. Or as alone as they could be in a quiet corner of the restaurant.
“You distracted me,” Callum accused playfully.
Becky held up her wineglass. “To distractions.”
“You can distract me anytime,” he told her as they clinked glasses, then frowned as he took a sip. “I’m missing something.”
“What’s that?”
“Your foot under the table.”
She giggled, then flashed the exuberant grin he’d been waiting for all night. “I should probably apologize, except I’m not sorry. That man was far too serious for his own good.”
“But you like the wine?”
“I understand very little about what makes it so special, but even I can tell that it is.”
Callum opened his mouth to reply, then shut it again. He felt the exact same way about Becky. Yes, she was beautiful. He’d dated beautiful women before. Women who were ambitious and accomplished. But he couldn’t remember ever having been so affected by any of them.
“Do you still want to know about my past?” he asked almost reluctantly.
“Of course.”
He gave a gruff nod and took another drink. As much as he didn’t want to speak about it, he knew they couldn’t go further unless she understood his shortcomings. He liked and respected Becky, and was crazy attracted to her, but none of those things changed who he was on the inside. What he could and couldn’t offer her. Best to have it all out now so she wouldn’t hope for more.
“Doralee and I met at a bar in Nashville. It was a fast courtship, and we married within a couple of months.”
“Like Rick and me,” she murmured.
He hadn’t realized the similarity in the time frame of their previous marriages. “I’m not sure I’d compare the two. I thought we were on the same page as far as the paths we wanted our lives to travel. Turns out we weren’t even reading from the same playbook.” He shook his head. “My business was starting to take off, and I had people coming to me about real estate deals in several smaller towns throughout Tennessee and the surrounding area. Steven and Dillon had joined me at that point, and I spent a lot of time working.”
“You’re dedicated.”
“I should have been more dedicated to my marriage,” he admitted, shifting in his seat. “She resented everything about Fortune Brothers Construction. In turn, I felt restricted, like she wanted to control me. The whole thing was a mess, and the entirety of it was my fault.”
Becky inclined her head as she studied him, her gaze gentle. If she argued with him or offered false platitudes to assuage his guilt, Callum might lose his mind. He couldn’t go back and fix the pain he’d caused his ex-wife, so the regret he carried with him like his own version of Sisyphus’s boulder was all he had.
“Do you ever speak to her?” Becky asked, one slender finger circling the rim of her glass.
The breath he hadn’t realized he was holding escaped his lips on a sudden hiss. “She called me this week, actually.” Something flashed in Becky’s dark eyes. He couldn’t name the emotion, but it warmed him just the same.
“Just to catch up?” she asked, a little too evenly.
“To tell me she’s engaged.” He drained the rest of his wine, then waived away the server who moved to refill his glass. “She’s been dating a guy since shortly after our divorce was finalized.”
“How does that make you feel?”
“Like more of a failure than I already did.”
“Callum, no.”
“I’m joking.” He gave what he hoped was a convincing laugh. “Sort of. I’m happy for her. She deserves a good man and a great life. I wish I could have been the one to give it to her. I’m sorry she had to go through our wreck of a marriage to find her happily-ever-after or whatever you want to call it.”
“Sometimes it takes going through a difficult period to truly appreciate the happiness on the other side.”
They were pretty words, but he didn’t know if he could allow himself to trust them.
“Do you really believe that?”
The smile she gave him was filled with yearning. “I have to.”
Right. Because this woman had been through something so much worse than the breakdown of a marriage.
Their food arrived, and he loved the way her eyes lit up at the sight of the mouthwatering dish the server set on the table in front of her. Becky had ordered some complicated chicken dish while he got steak.
She moaned in pleasure after her first bite. “I might not know a lot about fancy wine, but this is the most amazing dinner I’ve ever had.” She pointed her fork at Callum. “You should definitely take notes on this restaurant and recreate its goodness in Rambling Rose. Steal away the chef if you have to. I’ll spend a month eating peanut butter sandwiches for every meal just to save money to go out to a place like this.”
He wanted to assure her that she didn’t have to worry about money because he’d take care of her, but he couldn’t make that promise. Even if he could commit to it, he had a feeling he’d just offend her by offering. Even if they didn’t say so out loud, most of the women Callum dated liked his wealth. The fact that Becky made a point of being genuinely not impressed felt refreshing.
“That’s a ringing endorsement.”
She nodded around another bite, then lifted up her hand to obstruct his view of her face. “Sorry,” she said after a moment. “Eating quickly is a habit with me now. I can’t remember the last time I ate at a leisurely pace.”
“Have more wine,” he suggested.
She flashed him a look of mock horror. “Are you trying to get me tipsy?”
“Not at all,” he answered without hesitation. “But I do plan to kiss you tonight. A lot. And I want no question in either of our minds that we’re both willing participants.”
“I’m willing,” she whispered, her eyes sparkling.
He smothered a groan. “When you look at me that way I want to skip dessert and ask for the check right now.”
“When we’re together,” she said, leaning closer, “you make me want to be the dessert.”
Color flooded her cheeks as she made the flirty statement, but the effect on him was the same as if she’d been a seasoned seductress.
As perfectly prepared as the meal was, Callum barely tasted it. He couldn’t wait to be alone with Becky, even for a few moments.
“I’m so embarrassed,” she murmured. “I don’t say things like that.”
“Then I’m not sure whether I’m more honored or turned on,” he told her with a laugh.
They finished eating, the air around them charged with an electric current of desire. She left the table to call and check in with Stephanie as he paid the check. He found her just outside the restaurant’s entrance, staring up at a clear night sky filled with stars.
“Everything okay?” he asked as he moved toward her.
“Yes,” she reported with a relieved sigh. “Your sister said the girls went to bed without a fuss and have been sleeping soundly ever since.” She dipped her chin, looking up at him through her lashes, and added, “She said to take our time.”
“I intend to,” he said, his voice rough even to his own ears. He took her hand and led her around the side of the building, then turned his back to the cool brick, drawing her closer. Need rushed through him as their lips met, and there was no holding back the flood of desire. She seemed as frenzied as he felt, opening for him as soon as he drew his tongue across the seam of her lips. The kiss deepened, need exploding through him like a wildfire.
Her body formed to his, soft where his was hard, and he spread his hands across her back, wanting more from her than she could possibly give out in the open, even sheltered as they were by the darkness and shadows.
He forced himself to bank his yearning, to slow the pace to where he could savor her. They kissed until he couldn’t tell where he left off and she began. The flare of desire almost overwhelmed him with its intensity, his body hot and ready.
She broke away from the embrace when a horn sounded in a parking lot, glancing around in shock before offering a tentative smile. “I was afraid we were going to get caught making out like teenagers.”
“Wouldn’t have been the worst thing that’s happened.”
“But mortifying just the same.” She straightened her dress. “I’m a mother of twins. Moms don’t kiss like that.”
He reached out and cupped her jaw, unable to stop himself from touching her. “Who told you that?”
She arched a brow. “Chapter three in The New Mom Handbook.”
“There’s a handbook?”
“I’m joking.” She leaned into his touch, like a cat begging to be petted. He flicked the tip of her earlobe with his thumb, and she bit down on her lip. “We should go. I don’t want to take advantage of your sister’s generosity.”
He wasn’t ready for the night to end, but didn’t want to push too far. This had been a big step for Becky, trusting her daughters with a babysitter and allowing herself a rare evening out.
“I’ve had the best time,” he said as he took her hand.
“You really spoiled me,” she told him. “I almost feel like a princess.”
There was so much more he wanted to give her, to show her. If only she’d let him.
The thought pinged through his brain that maybe he should pump the brakes on their connection. Hell, he couldn’t even commit to the restaurant idea, as strong as it was, because that would mean more time in Rambling Rose. His original plan had been to move on after the last of his initial slate of projects opened. That was his sweet spot as far as staying in one place. Enough time to make a difference in the community but not so long that he’d be tempted to stay.
Becky was a temptation he hadn’t expected, and he had no clue what to do about it.
The next week was a blur for Becky. The pediatric center continued to be busy, and her days sped by in a whir of patient care and paperwork. Of course, that didn’t count the moments she spent fantasizing about Callum.
She couldn’t deny that her feelings had intensified since their special evening out. He was so much more than she’d expected him to be. Handsome as sin was hard enough to resist. Callum was the whole package—smart, successful, generous and kind.
As great as the fancy restaurant had been, she had just as much fun with him on casual nights at her house. He came over almost every evening after she got off work. They took turns grocery shopping and would cook together while the twins watched from the high chairs or played nearby. She would have thought he’d get bored with her daily routine, but he didn’t seem to mind the monotony of life with toddlers.
After the girls went to bed, Becky and Callum would spend hours each evening talking and then even more time kissing. She came alive in his embrace. It became more difficult each night to let him go. He seemed as reluctant to leave her as she was to watch him drive away through the flutter of curtains at her front window.
Which was how she found herself on an ordinary Tuesday night, standing in the open doorway of her small house trying to force her arms to unwind from around Callum’s broad shoulders.
“I have to go,” he said, then claimed her mouth with his.
“It’s late,” she agreed when they finally came up for air. “You should go.”
It took another several minutes before she finally lowered her hands to her sides and backed up a step.
“I had an amazing time,” he told her.
“We ate spaghetti with sauce from a jar and watched reruns,” she pointed out with a laugh.
“It doesn’t matter.” He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “With you, it’s always amazing.”
Stay, she wanted to tell him. Surely he would understand what that one word meant. She wanted more from Callum. As much as he could give her.
Right now she simply wanted him to stay.
But she didn’t speak the word out loud.
Instead, she watched as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and backed away down her front walk.
“Good night, Becky,” he called and then turned and jogged to his car. Almost as if he couldn’t wait to get away.
She hoped he was moving quickly so that he wouldn’t turn around and invite himself back into her house.
She slammed the front door shut like she might chase him down the street without the barrier between them. She moved to the window because it hurt her heart—not to mention the rest of her body—to know he was driving away. His taillights glowed red against the midnight darkness as he pulled away from the curb.
He’d driven only a few feet when his brake lights went on. Becky’s breath hitched as the truck reversed back into its former spot against the curb in front of her house. For several long minutes nothing happened. No movement. No lights. No Callum.
Then the truck’s interior lit up for a few seconds as he climbed out of the cab. He walked around the front of the vehicle and up her walk. Back to her house. To her.
Becky didn’t give fear or doubt a chance to take hold in her brain. She dropped the curtain and rushed to the front door, throwing it open and dashing toward Callum. He grinned as she hurtled herself into his arms.
“I want you to stay,” she whispered into his ear.
“Exactly what I hoped you’d say,” he said as he carried her into the house.