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Trey pressed his lips together, looking over Callie’s head. “I would think my mother would be used to it by now.” Trey paused, then pointed a finger at her, “And you’re lying. I can see how much you missed me. You have a terrible poker face.”

  He turned and headed into the store, Callie hurried behind him. “Well, you’re drunk and… don’t walk away from me when I’m still talking to you.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Were you still talking?” Trey kept walking while Callie tried to keep up with him. “There’s actually a difference between talking and just flapping your lips when you don’t know what the hell you’re saying.” He stopped abruptly and turned around, Callie nearly plowed into him. “And I’m not drunk…” he smiled down at her, “but I’m working on it.” He added a wink for good measure as he turned back around and sauntered away from her.

  “You are such an asshole. Wait up!”

  “Why would I wait for you when you just called me an asshole?”

  “Okay, I’m sorry. Just hold up a second and let me talk to you.”

  “No Callie, I don’t think I’ll do that.”

  He turned down the aisle where the chips were and picked up speed.

  “Just wait for a second, Trey. If you don’t want to talk to me fine, at least go find your mom.” She lunged forward, grabbing his arm.

  “What do you want from me?” he growled as he spun around, yanking his arm out of her grip.

  She put her hands up in front of her, “Listen, I’m sorry if I spoke out of line the last time we were together.”

  Trey huffed out a breath and rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest.

  “You have two minutes to speak. Go.”

  “Um, I guess I just wanted you to know that I never meant to hurt you.”

  “Time’s up.” He turned and continued down the aisle and away from Callie. She struggled between walking and running to keep up with his long legs as he turned the corner, headed for the back of the store.

  “Trey, wait. That was nowhere near two minutes. Please.”

  He stopped in front of the coolers, browsing as Callie continued to talk, reaching in and grabbing a twelve pack of his favorite beer.

  “I shouldn’t have pushed you that hard. It’s none of my business.”

  “That’s right, it’s not. But here you are, standing in front of me again talking about shit you know nothing about. Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want?”

  Callie froze at his questions. Her earlier conversation with Eve echoed in her head. This has gone farther than I ever wanted it to.

  Callie opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. The truth was so close, all she needed to do was say the words. Tell him why she was here. It would feel so good to let it all out. But once again, she thought of Eve. Even though she had said it might be better to let him go, she knew Eve didn’t mean it, and Callie knew she held the truth that could finally break Trey. The truth couldn’t be told here with no family around to support him.

  She watched as Trey’s face reddened. He leaned down so they were face to face. “Can’t come up with a believable lie quick enough?”

  He started toward the front of the store and Callie followed him to the checkout line. “Listen…this is a conversation you need to be having with your family, not me.”

  “Well how convenient. Now you want to tell me the truth, but not without my family, and I bet that talk can only happen at the farm, right?”

  The checkout girl scanned his items and announced his total. He threw his money at her, “Keep the change, Tara. Sorry for the crazy person.” He made a circle motion at his temple and then pointed back at Callie. The checkout girl stood stiff and her eyes went wide. Her mouth opened slightly to respond but then snapped closed again and looked in Callie’s direction. Trey took off toward the exit and Callie said to the girl, “I’m so sorry. I’m really not crazy.”

  “Yes she is!” Trey hollered over his shoulder as he walked out the door. Callie squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose.

  A few seconds of silence ticked by until Tara finally spoke. “Um, Callie, is it?”

  Callie opened her eyes and Tara pointed toward the parking lot. “You’d better go if you’re going to catch him.”

  Callie gasped as she rushed after him.

  “Let me guess, you’re going to manipulate me into coming back to the farm so you can point out to me that not only am I a total asshole, but I also want my entire family to be unhappy for the rest of their lives?” he gruffly asked as she approached him.

  “What? No…” she panted as she tried to catch her breath.

  “Well isn’t that basically what you told me in our last conversation?” He pulled down the tailgate of his truck, setting his beer inside.

  Her mind raced through the conversation they had had at the guesthouse. Is that really what she had done? Had she placed blame? Made him feel even worse than he already did?

  She closed her eyes and covered her mouth with one hand. How could she be screwing this up so badly? She had to fix it but didn’t know how.

  She reached for him, lightly touching his t-shirt. “I’m so sorry I made you feel that way.”

  With lightning fast speed, he spun around, grabbing her around the waist and lifted her onto the tailgate. She gasped as he stepped between her legs, pulling her tightly against him.

  He leaned in, his wild eyes searching her face, ending on her lips. Her heart beat at a frantic pace, pumping desire through her veins and stealing away anything that wasn’t the man in front of her.

  Trey didn’t know where they would go from here – from this moment where the rest of the world was invisible and all that remained was the beauty before him – but he needed this. Just below the surface, he raged like a burning fire and she was the calming winds his soul needed. His head spun, intoxicated by the feel of her body pressed against his.

  What was he thinking? He couldn’t do this… he shouldn’t. He had nothing to offer her, he was broken beyond repair. She was free and beautiful and secure and his heartache would only anchor her to him.

  “Don’t ever be sorry about who you are, Callie.”

  She was breathless and he loved how he affected her. He wanted to tell her what she did to him, too. Somehow, even though the words she spoke to him were painful, he knew they were all true. He also knew no one in the world would’ve been able to express such truths to him in the way she did. He should walk away right now, spare her of all the garbage that would come crashing down around her if she started having feelings for him.

  With one hand on the side of her face, his other gripping her hip and holding her in place, he leaned in closer, searching her eyes with a fierce recklessness that stripped everything away. “You were right about one thing, Callie,” he whispered. “I am an asshole.”

  His lips crashed against hers. It was aggressive and possessive. She matched every lick, and suck, and nibble with him, trading dominance and submission back and forth.

  He ran his tongue across her bottom lip and she opened for him, moaning as he ran his fingers into her hair. It was wild and free, like her, but controlled at the same time, like Trey.

  He broke away and she whimpered, trying to keep him close. He pressed his forehead to hers.

  He couldn’t do this. He felt her too profoundly and every part of him wanted to give in to her. She'd seeped into his mind with every minute that passed by. There was no way he could let her into his darkness. It would strip her of all the freedoms she held so dear. His heart was in pieces, broken beyond repair, and barely beating. But that was his prison cell, he wouldn’t let it become hers.

  “I knew it,” he whispered.

  Lifting her off his truck, he put her feet on the ground, but she refused to let him go. She twisted her fists into his t-shirt, afraid of what would happen if she released him. He ran his hands down both sides of her hair. He loved it when she let it hang down in waves.

  “What? What did you know?” she asked.
Her voice was soft and breathless.

  “I knew kissing you would feel like that.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before touching his lips to her forehead.

  He needed to leave…now. He was so close to picking her up, putting her in his truck, and driving. Driving until they ran out of gas, driving until she asked him to stop, driving until there was nothing but him and Callie.

  But that was not reality for him. He knew his demons would follow, so he let her go.

  “Just wait. Hold on…please.” He could hear the desperation in her voice and it was almost his undoing.

  She followed him around the side of the truck. He got in and shut the door, looking at her through the open truck window. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she grabbed at the door handle.

  “Hold on,” she begged.

  He gripped the steering wheel hard, trying desperately to keep control. “Hold on? Hold on to what, Callie?”

  Callie slid her hand around the back of Trey’s neck. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes for a second before pulling her hand away and placing a soft kiss on her palm.

  “To me,” she whispered. “Just hold onto me.”

  He put the truck into drive.

  Her eyes darted to the gear shift and then frantically back to him. “Wait, don’t leave! Not again.”

  Trey’s eyes softened, “It’s all I know how to do anymore,” he said, “and it’s better for everyone.”

  She took a timid step back, watching as he pulled out of the parking lot.

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. She crossed her arms around her midsection, trying to fight off the terrible ache in her stomach. She was lost again, unsure what to do next. Her ragged breaths painfully filled her lungs when all she really wanted to do was scream out.

  And across the parking lot stood Eve and her friends, watching it all. Everyone watched.

  She stood frozen in the spot where Trey’s truck had been as Eve cut through the crowd walking toward her. As soon as she could, Eve pulled her into a tight embrace, protecting her from the prying eyes of the town. “I tried, I really did. I’m sorry, but you were right. Your talk,” she sobbed into Eve’s shoulder, “I guess it came a little too late.”

  Eve took a deep breath, exhaling quickly and pushing Callie back to look into her eyes. “Love is love. It’s demanding, agonizing, and at times can be a downright bitch. But it’s the one thing we all crave. When it’s right, it’s incredible and there’s nothing else like it.”

  Callie nodded her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

  “Don’t worry,” Eve said. “What’s done is done. We’ll figure this all out. But first, let’s go eat pizza.”

  Fourteen

  Trey rubbed his hand down his face, mumbling to himself as he shuffled through his dark dining room toward the back door. Who would be knocking at nearly midnight?

  He’d barely gotten the door open before a fist came flying and connected with his jaw. White lights exploded behind his eyelids. He stumbled backward after another blow landed on the side of his head. He spun, trying to catch himself on the kitchen counter and stay upright before his assailant could get in another punch.

  “You piece of shit!” Andy barked as he flipped on the light and charged into the house after him. “I can’t believe your Daddy hasn’t risen from his grave to beat the shit out of you himself.”

  “What’s gotten into you?” Trey shouted as he shielded his face with his arms. Andy grabbed his shirt with both hands and backed him up through the kitchen and into the living room.

  “If it weren’t for those girls back at the farm who are so damned worried about you, I would give you the worst ass kicking of your life right now.” Andy tightened his fists in Trey’s shirt and pulled him in even closer. “You’re an embarrassment to all of us.”

  Trey shoved him off. “What the hell? You’ve lost your damn mind if you think you’re going to come into my house –”

  Andy stepped closer and pointed a finger inches from Trey’s face roaring at him, “Did you push Callie?” He grabbed Trey again. “Don’t even try to lie to me! I know you pushed her last week when you surprised her with breakfast.” Andy shoved Trey and he fell against the couch, his back against the cushions. “Let’s not even talk about how out of line it was for you to let yourself in while she was sleeping!”

  Trey ran his hands through his hair as Andy paced in front of him. “I know…I just needed some answers. It was stupid and she’s making me crazy,” Trey groaned.

  “Stupid? You think it was stupid? It was so beyond stupid! Your brother would beat you until you couldn’t walk if he were here! You have no idea the kind of damage you could’ve done by shoving her like that!”

  Trey covered his face with his hands. He knew he’d lost control and shoved Callie out of his way. The moment had replayed a million times over in his mind and it was the guilt that was keeping him away.

  “And you want to know something funny? After she told me what happened, she begged me not to come here. She cried, you piece of shit. She said she was sure you didn’t mean to hurt her and you were just angry at the situation. She fucking protected you. Can you believe that?”

  “Oh my God,” Trey sighed, looking away from him. “Did I hurt her?”

  Trey’s stomach sank as Andy’s face became even redder and he clenched his fists open and shut.

  “Well I don’t know, Trey,” he snarled, his voice shaking. “What do you think? She’s tiny, and you shoved her into a table. Of course you hurt her! She has a huge bruise on her leg.”

  Trey covered his eyes with the palms of his hands and groaned as he slid further down onto the couch. He couldn’t handle hearing he had hurt her. What the hell was wrong with him? How could he have done that? He dropped his head onto the back of the couch and squeezed his eyes together even harder.

  “And now this? You kiss her in front of the entire town like…like she’s yours? Like you can do as you please with her? Are you trying to give your Mom a heart attack?”

  “I know. I’m an idiot.” He leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees and rubbing his palms together roughly.

  “Jesus, Trey. You know better than to touch a woman like that out in public. Do you want everyone to think she’s just one of your weekend screws?”

  “No,” Trey said through gritted teeth as he rubbed his hands together harder.

  “You were raised better.”

  “You’re right!” Trey yelled, pushing himself off the couch. “You’re right and I seriously messed up and she will probably never speak to me again!”

  “I know I’m right. And I can only hope she never speaks to you again, but she’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and has probably already forgiven you. She came here to help all of us, and you just keep screwing things up.” Andy growled as he flopped down into the chair and tried to rub some of the tension from his temples. “You left her standing there, crying in front of everyone. Do you have any idea how humiliating that must have been for her? Do you even care?”

  Trey’s shoulders slumped and he returned to the couch. “I care.”

  “Well, you have one hell of a way of showing it.”

  Trey’s words came out barely above a whisper. “She seems to be all I care about anymore. I wonder what she’s doing, what she’s thinking. She says things that make me think and feel and…shit, I don’t know. I haven’t cared about anything for so long, I don’t really know what to do with all of it.”

  “So, you do have feelings for her?”

  Several silent minutes stretched out between them.

  “Did she tell you what we argued about?” Trey asked quietly.

  “What do you mean?”

  “In the guesthouse… Did she tell you why we were fighting?”

  Andy shook his head slowly. “No, she said it wasn’t important and that she had pushed you too far.”

  “You and Lauren.”

  Andy looked away, rubbing the nape of his neck w
ith one hand.

  “It’s too hard,” Trey’s voice was soft. “I’m not sure I can do it.”

  “Do what, man?” Andy asked as he blew out a breath and rubbed his hands down the front of his thighs.

  “Watch it happen. You two are walking around town like my brother never existed. Like what they had doesn’t matter.”

  “Trey, it’s been two and a half years. She’s been alone for a long time. No one is pretending anything. Jamie and Lauren would still be happily married if he was still here. I know that, she knows that, and Alex knows it. But he’s gone.”

  “Why does everyone feel like they have to keep reminding me of that?”

  “Because you act like you keep forgetting. He’s gone. And if there is one thing I know about your brother, he would never want Lauren to be alone. He would want her safe, and protected, and…loved.”

  Trey tried to fight against the tightness in his chest, he cleared his throat. “You love her?”

  “Of course, I love her. Do you honestly think I would just mess around with someone like Lauren? She’s amazing and I’m blessed by every second she wants my sorry ass around.”

  Trey exhaled, shifting in his seat, “Well, I would agree with the last part of that statement.”

  Andy smiled. “But I do love her, and God willing, I will be her husband someday. You need to be on board with that or leave us all alone to move forward without you. I won’t have you causing any more trouble.”

  “It’s so hard.”

  “Yep, it is,” Andy agreed as he nodded his head. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it. But it’s happening, and you can either be a part of it or not. Either way, it’s time I stop worrying about you and concentrate on protecting Lauren, your mom, Alex…and now Callie from any more pain. And I will protect them for the rest of my life.”

  “Protect them from me?” Trey’s eyes met Andy’s, there was an honesty there that had been the foundation of years of friendship.

  “Yes, from you. Right now, you’re the biggest threat to this family, your family…our family.”

  “And Callie is part of that now?”