Callum What I would’ve done with a hotel in Chico, I didn’t know, but if Maisie hadn’t stopped me, I really would’ve tried to buy one just to ensure her comfort. It was a strange thing, actually liking someone. Imagine that, caring enough to want to buy a hotel just so she wouldn’t be forced to share a room with me. A week before we’re getting married, no less. I shook my head at myself, but Gage shoved a room key into my hand and jerked his head toward the door. “We’ve got thirty minutes max before these kids start eating each other alive. Let’s go grab some food.” It had taken us much longer than three hours to get to Chico with all the stops and lunch. Then there had been the fiasco with the rooms and the big game was early in the morning. I glanced toward the team—at least the members of it who hadn’t gone off exploring—and realized Gage was probably right. They were getting antsy, grumbling and scowling when just a little while ago, they’d been all smiles. I nodded at my friend and grabbed my jacket off the back of a couch in the waiting area. “By the looks of things, we might not even have a full thirty minutes. What did you have in mind?” “Pizza,” he said without hesitating. “There’s a little Italian joint a couple blocks away. It’ll be easier to walk it. We won’t need to worry about finding parking that way.” “I’m right behind you,” I said, looking around for Maisie, but she’d disappeared with Brody a few minutes ago. I fell into st ep beside Gage, the two of us pushing through the lobby doors and out into the October evening. On our way to the pizza place, we talked about the game and the strategies he’d devised for the kids. When we drew close to the restaurant, I caught a whiff of garlic and molten cheese even out here on the sidewalk. Gage groaned as he inhaled. “God, what is about bubbling cheese that makes anyone weak at the knees?” I laughed, but I wasn’t about to argue. “What are our plans for dinner? Are we getting pizzas for the parents as well?” “Nope, we’re all fending for ourselves,” he said. “The first priority is the kids.” “Got it.” We put in an order so big that the guy behind the counter did a double- take. Twelve large pizzas with all the toppings, enough breadsticks to fill a bathtub, and a couple of salads so we had plausible deniability in case the parents expected greens. While we waited, Gage leaned back against the counter and gave me a look I’d seen a hundred times in the last couple months. It meant he was about to scratch where it wasn’t itching. “So, did you buy that van just to impress Maisie?” I barked out a laugh. “No. I bought it because her car is too damn small. Brody’s on the ice every other day, hauling around gear, and golf clubs, and God only knows what’s next. The van made sense. It’s a good investment for the future.”
His mouth tugged into a know-it-all grin. “Are you even hearing yourself right now?” “Yeah?” I frowned. “What about it? You were a seven-year-old boy once. You know how much space you need for all your stuff.” “Yeah, but you’re not a seven-year-old boy and your other cars suited you just fine until now. Face it, the van isn’t an investment. It’s you being all in on Maisie and her son.” I shoved my hands into my pockets, but he wasn’t wrong. The van wasn’t about convenience for me. It was about showing up, making their lives easier, and proving I could be the kind of man they could count on. The kind of man she deserves. Gage clapped me on the shoulder. “You’re doing the right thing, brother. Once all the awkwardness of this being an arrangement wears off, you and Maisie are going to be really happy together. I can feel it. And if not, there’s plenty of room in the van to sle ep.” The kid behind the counter called out our order number and slid stacks of boxes toward us. I grabbed half and Gage took the rest, but as we walked back toward the hotel, his words echoed in my head. Happy together. I’d never really pictured myself as a family man, the kind of guy who went home to the wife every night, excited to get home and see her. Having a kid in said home had factored into my planning even less. I’d never wanted any of that, but now? With Maisie, the prospect of it didn’t feel like a trap. It felt like a possibility. By the time we got back, the boys had taken over the biggest suite and they were sprawled across every surface. Video games were already blaring on the TV and duffel bags littered almost every inch of the floor, some of their contents already spilling out. “Alright, guys,” Gage called. “Grub’s up. Come get it while it’s still hot.” As if operating on a collective hive mind, they looked up, their faces turned our way, gazes honing in on the pizzas. They got up from wherever they’d been sprawled out and raced over. A couple of the moms laughed as they watched the boys swarm around us, but one in particular took charge, issuing orders like a drill sergeant and quickly getting them into a more orderly formation. Once they were in lines for the pizza and the frenzy had died down, she looked over at us. “Why don’t all of you guys head downstairs for dinner? I’ll stay behind and make sure they don’t burn the place down.” A few more moms volunteered to stay with the kids, apparently happy to grab some of the food that was already here. Maisie was hovering near the doorway, looking like she was torn between making an es cape with the rest of the parents or staying up here with Brody and his friends. I weaved my way toward her across the room, taking in the strands of dark hair that had es caped her ponytail and the uncertainty in those de ep green eyes. When I reached her, I nudged her elbow with my own and tipped my head to the hallway. “Come downstairs with me,” I said. “They’ll be fine. The boys aren’t leaving this room and they don’t need everyone to stay behind.”
She gave me a side-eyed glance, her shoulders tense under her light jacket. “I’m not sure. Shouldn’t I stay with Brody?” “And embarrass him by having his mother hovering while he’s hanging with the team?” I shrugged. “Most of the other parents are going to have a nice meal downstairs. You should, too. It’s been a long day and tomorrow is going to be even longer. Brody will be great. This is his team now. He’s loving it.” She hesitated, chewing her lip. Her gaze settled on him where he was sitting on the couch with a few of the others. They were howling with laughter and providing running commentary as they ate while they watched a couple of other boys play their video game. “I don’t usually... I mean, I haven’t really...” “Exactly.” I grinned. “That means you’re overdue. Just look at him. He’s having a blast and he doesn’t even know we’re still here.” Her sigh was dramatic, but she let me guide her toward the elevator. Triumph surged through me and I glanced at her once we were descending. “He really will be fine,” I murmured, not missing the tension on her features or the rigid set of her spine. “Brody needs to bond with these kids and it looks like he’s fitting right in. He seems to love them, but he’ll be aware that he’s a bit younger. I’m willing to bet bonding will be easier for him if we’re not hanging around.” She let out a de ep breath through her nostrils but gave me a tight smile and an even tighter nod. “I know. I know you’re right. It’s just hard to let go sometimes.” I felt something inside soften. “It must be. Especially because it’s only been the two of you for so long, but you’re not alone anymore, Mais. His team will have his back now and I’ve got both of yours.” She smiled slightly, but before she could respond, the elevator doors slid open. We strode into the lobby side by side. The lounge was in one corner, dim and cozy, the tables set with flickering candles while the hum of quiet conversation filled the air. We ended up at a little booth of our own with the other parents scattered around us at other tables. I folded my arms over my chest. “So, what’s your poison?” She arched a dark eyebrow at me. “My what?” “Your go-to drink. Everyone’s got one. What’s yours? Is it a gin and tonic, like you ordered at that bar?” “I don’t really know.” She toyed with the edge of her napkin, her gaze drifting around the room as if she was checking what the other parents were drinking. “I usually just stick to wine, but a gin and tonic seemed safer on a first date.” “Wine is also safe. It’s predictable.” I gave her a mock-serious look. “I’m starting to worry you might be boring.” Her eyes narrowed, a light suddenly sparking to life in them. “Boring? You got a little taste of my life today. It’s hectic. Was anything about that boring to you?” “That’s a fair point.” I laughed, the sound sliding out of me easier than it had in months. “Okay, so maybe not boring. Maybe just cautious.” “Cautious is smart,” she shot back, but mouth was twitching like she was fighting a smile.
I leaned in a little closer, holding her gaze and lowering my voice. “Cautious is fine, but sometimes, taking a risk is even better.” The waiter came to take our order, but Maisie held my gaze for another beat before finally glancing up at him. “I’ll take a whiskey. Neat. Make it a double.” My eyebrows shot up, the order feeling like a win. “Make that two, please.” The waiter hummed his understanding and left us alone again, and Maisie refocused on me. “What about you? What’s your poison?” I smirked and let my eyes linger on her just long enough. “I’ve got plenty, but right now, I’d say tequila. It makes me honest.” Laughter burst out of her, surprised and genuine. It lit her whole face, and damn if it didn’t make me want to chase that sound again and again. “Tequila makes you honest, huh? I’ll have to remember that.” We slipped into easy conversation after that, trading stories and teasing each other every now and then. I found myself leaning in, brushing her knuckles when I gestured, and I watched the tension slowly bleeding out of her shoulders. My old charm was coming back out to play, but it didn’t feel like an act this time. It felt real—and it was working on her. Maisie relaxed enough that she was actually smiling between sips of her whiskey, her eyes lighting up when she teased me. The shift was subtle, but I noticed every bit of it. “You know, for someone who claims to be terrible with cars, you managed to solve my entire transportation crisis in less than twelve hours,” she said. “That’s pretty impressive.” I shrugged. “What can I say? I’m resourceful.” Her lips curved into a sk eptical smile, her eyes moving from one of mine to the other. “You’re something, alright.” I grinned. “Something good?” She rolled her eyes but didn’t look away. “I’m still deciding.” My pulse sped up. “That’s fine. Just don’t take too long, okay? I don’t like being k ept waiting.” She laughed, pressing her hand over her mouth like she hadn’t meant to let it es cape. I reached across the table without thinking, gently tugging her hand away. Her fingers were warm, so much smaller than mine, but strong. “Don’t hide that,” I said softly. “I like it.” Her breath caught, but she didn’t yank her hand out of my grip. Her gaze locked with mine, searching, and I swore I felt something click into place. For a second, all the noise of the lounge faded, the clink of glasses and even the buzz of conversation just suddenly vanishing. In that moment, it was just her and me, the space between us crackling with electricity like a wire had been exposed. It was the kind of moment that couldn’t be planned or forced and the air itself seemed to buzz with inevitability. Maisie cleared her throat and broke eye contact, but she still didn’t pull her hand back right away. “You’re dangerous when you’re charming.” I let my thumb brush against her knuckles, the movement slow and deliberate. “I suppose that means it’s a good thing you like danger, isn’t it?”
The flush that spread across her cheeks told me everything I needed to know. She was feeling it too, the undeniable connection between us. Even if she scoffed and tried to deny it. “I thought you said I was boring and predictable. Cautious.” “Then you ordered a double shot of whiskey. Neat.” By the time we left the lounge, I felt like something had changed. Maisie was still quiet, but not the guarded, shut-down kind from before. This was different. Lighter. Like maybe I’d peeled back a corner of her armor and caught a glimpse of what was hidden underneath. We went up to check on Brody, quietly making our way into the suite where the team had collapsed in a sprawl of limbs and pizza boxes. The TV was still glowing, controllers abandoned mid-game. Brody was out cold, his body spread out on the couch cushion, his mouth open just enough to make me grin. Maisie moved toward him, pulling the blanket higher over his chest and brushing his hair back from his forehead. I watched her, my throat tightening as the weight of what I suddenly wanted hit me so much harder than I’d expected. She stood there for a moment, as if she was uncertain whether she should just crawl up beside him, but finally, she walked back to me. I’d been standing in the doorway and I motioned her out before I st epped back and quietly shut the door again. When we got to our room, the latch of our door shutting clicked loud in the quiet. Maisie froze, like she could feel the sudden shift in the air, too. I leaned against the door for a moment, just looking at her. We hadn’t been alone together in a room since college. Eight years of unanswered questions pressed at the back of my throat, and in the dim light of the small room we were sharing, little more than two beds, a dresser, and a tiny adjoining bathroom, it didn’t seem necessary to shove those questions down any longer. “Can I ask you something?” It was out before I could stop it, my voice a little rougher than usual. “You can say no.” She turned to face me from where she’d been standing in front of the dresser, her hands next to her head and one of her earrings already halfway out. Her expression turned wary as she cocked her head at me. “What is it?” “Why did you leave that morning? After... us. Why didn’t you ever speak to me again?” Her eyes widened, the color draining from her face. For a heartbeat, it looked like she might actually bolt. I stayed where I was, giving her space but not letting her look away. Not this time. Ever since we’d reconnected, I’d wondered about it. I’d lived with the silence of the unanswered questions. I wasn’t letting it stretch even one more day if I could help it. Maisie had been the first girl I’d wanted to wake up to, but when I’d opened my eyes, she’d been gone and I’d never seen her or heard from again. It felt like it was about time I finally got to find out why.