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“She’s been an amazing friend to Lauren. They have known each other for a while now and she helped Lauren through some dark days. Alex adores her and that’s good enough for me.” Andy stood and walked into the kitchen. He took two beers from the unopened twelve pack in the fridge. Grabbing an ice pack from the freezer, he threw it, and one of the beers at Trey as he walked back into the living room. “And let’s not forget she’s the one who has your mom planting flowers again, which is an absolute miracle.”

  “Callie is right. I am an asshole,” Trey admitted as he opened his beer and pressed the ice pack to his head.

  Andy laughed and raised his can in agreement, “She’s a smart girl, but in this case, I have to admit you might be right too. She’d have to be a crazy person to care about you with the way you’ve acted.” He dropped back down into the chair.

  “I do care about her.” Trey’s heart galloped in his chest at his admission. He knew being around Callie had stirred feelings inside of him, but to admit it out loud was a whole other thing.

  “I know. And that’s where it starts to get complicated.” Andy took another long swig of beer.

  “I had Sheriff Deal do some digging around to find out who she was.”

  Andy sat straight up in the chair, coughing and sputtering as he wiped beer from his chin. “What? Oh shit,” he leaned back and ran a hand over his face. “Why did you do that?”

  Trey shrugged. “I don’t know. She just showed up out of nowhere and you guys are acting all shady about it and none of you would give me any answers as to why she’s here.”

  Andy swallowed hard and gripped his beer can harder. “And what did you find out?”

  “Nothing really. Only that her name is Callie Loftier and her daddy is a bigwig businessman on the east coast. And I know she was sick as a kid and her parents do a lot of fundraising for a pediatric hospital she grew up near. I’m guessing that’s where she was treated.”

  Andy nodded his head, encouraging Trey to continue.

  “That’s really all I know. He said it was just in the beginning stages of the investigation, but even with the info I’ve received, I feel better.”

  “I’m glad you feel better, but you should be prepared, she’s going to be pissed when she finds out. What the hell did you think you’d find?”

  “I don’t know, Andy. For all I know she was some drifter serial killer who heard about a rich, widowed farmer’s wife who lives alone. She finds her on Facebook and befriends her. She shows up in the middle of a rainy night with nothing but a bag and a small, shitty car that could easily have been stolen from her last victim. She woos the whole family, makes them trust her and fall in love with her, and before you know it, everyone is dead. Crazy Girl has a pocket full of money and moves on to the next unsuspecting family.”

  Andy tilted his head; his eyes open wide. “First of all, woos the whole family? Have you been rereading your mama’s romance books? And second, I’m not going to even comment on how detailed and creepy that story is. But I do want to mention one thing you said… fall in love with her?”

  Trey’s head fell back against the couch, “Shit. I’m in real trouble here.”

  “Uh huh,” Andy agreed as he bit his bottom lip. “We’re all in trouble.” He took another swig of beer.

  “It’s just…when I’m around her I can’t think rationally, you know? She makes me crazy with that sassy mouth of hers, and she’s so stubborn. Don’t even get me started about that whole ‘free spirit’ thing either because I don’t understand one bit of it, but it’s sexy as hell.”

  Trey shook his head and continued but talked more into the room than directly to Andy. “She’s the exact opposite of everything I’ve ever been attracted to.” He turned his face toward his friend. “But she’s funny and kind and –”

  “Beautiful.”

  “Yes, beautiful,” Trey repeated, glaring at his friend.

  Andy put his hands up in front of him, laughing out his surrender. “Just helpin’ a brother out.”

  “I don’t need any help when it comes to Callie.”

  “Any other woman, I would agree with you, but I’ve seen you with Callie. Believe me, you need some help with that girl.”

  Trey chuckled at the joke, but not because it wasn’t right. He really did need help.

  “Well,” Andy said as he pushed himself to stand. “I would love to spend the night here talking about what a screw up you are, but I need to get home.” Trey followed his friend to the door.

  “Hey, you know it’s Daisy Days this weekend, right?” Andy glanced over his shoulder as he grabbed the door handle.

  “Yep, been looking forward to it all year,” Trey said sarcastically.

  “Your mom has decided to have her Friday night cookout.”

  Trey leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “Really?”

  “I think it would be really nice if you showed up. I mean, you need to apologize to Callie anyway, and plus, the old gang is coming. They would love to see you.”

  “I don’t know, man. That’s a lot to deal with.” Trey dropped his eyes as he rubbed his chin.

  “I get it, I really do. Baby steps.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Andy slapped his hand onto Trey’s shoulder. “But you will apologize soon, right?”

  Trey pushed himself off the counter, extending his hand out toward his friend. “I will. I promise. She deserves it. Do they know you’re here?”

  “Shit, no!” Andy grasped his hand and shook it. “Those two women told me to stay away from you, and if you tell them I was here, I will beat your ass again.”

  “No way. I’d rather they don’t know you were here, and for the record, I’d hardly call a couple punches through the door an ass-kicking.”

  “Oh yeah, O’Brien? That sure sounds like a challenge to me.” Andy said jokingly, shoving Trey’s shoulder.

  “Save it. You’ll need it for all the boys that niece of mine will have chasing her in a few short years.”

  “Jesus, I’m not ready to think about that.” Andy shook his head, “Thanks, Trey.”

  “I can’t say I’m one hundred percent on board, but like you said baby steps.”

  Fifteen

  “Oh my God, Callie. How could you have possibly thought this was a good idea?”

  Callie cringed at the panic in her sister’s voice during their usual Friday phone call. She’d avoided the whole ‘where are you now’ conversation with Jade for the past couple of weeks, but once her sister set her mind to something, she didn’t let up.

  And once Callie began, the entire story of who Trey O’Brien was and what he meant to her spilled out without a filter.

  “You don’t understand,” Callie whispered, looking down at the dark wooden porch that overlooked the backyard of the guesthouse. The sun warmed her tired legs as she took a deep breath and stretched them out in front of her. “They’re losing him.”

  “And how is that your responsibility?”

  “I don’t know, Jade. It just feels like it is.”

  The heaviness in the silence between them was laced with an all too familiar emotion. Callie knew her sister was processing, trying to figure out one of two things. If there was some way to get Callie out of this mess, or how she was going to pick up the pieces when it was all over.

  “I care about him. He’s important to me. I really think I can help him get through this.”

  “But at what cost?”

  “At whatever cost, I guess.”

  Jade blew out an exaggerated breath. “Oh, my Gosh, Cal! When are you going to forgive yourself for being alive?”

  Callie braced herself for a conversation she and her sister had had a million times.

  “You’re a beautiful, thoughtful woman. You deserve to be happy. Please, what can I do to get you to come home and live your life here where you belong?”

  “I am living my life.” Callie closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the sound of the birds singing. H
er sister didn’t understand her need to be free, but she also knew her concerns were founded in love.

  “How? By floating from one place to another? By putting your physical and emotional wellbeing at risk for the sake of strangers?”

  “They don’t feel like strangers to me. I don’t expect you to understand.”

  Jade sighed again, sounding annoyed. “And what about this guy’s family? Don’t they understand this is a potential risk for you? What if it doesn’t work out and you can’t save him?”

  Callie shifted her weight in the chair, “I’m taking all my meds and getting plenty of rest.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it. This isn’t your usual situation. It’s so much more…” Jade paused, unsure of the right word to use.

  “…personal,” Callie finished.

  “Yes, personal. He could really hurt you.” Jade’s voice cracked, and it made tears spring to Callie’s eyes.

  “I’m okay. I know what I’m doing. You’re just going to have to trust me.”

  “It sounds too risky.”

  Callie pulled one leg up next to her and used the other to rock the chair she sat in. “Well, it is. But I knew that coming into it. My biggest fear is once he finds out the real reason I’m here, he’ll feel betrayed because we didn’t tell him right away. And then we’ll lose him for good.”

  “We?” Jade questioned, but Callie couldn’t find it in her to respond to that. She had no idea how to explain her feelings for Trey. Even in her own mind, it sounded frightening.

  “Maybe the time has come to tell him. These things can’t always be handled at the perfect time in the perfect place. Sometimes it’s messy and painful, but at least everyone knows the truth. That’s when people start to heal.” Jade’s usually comforting voice had the opposite effect tonight.

  Callie squeezed the bridge of her nose and exhaled. “I don’t know anything anymore except the reasons I came here are not the reasons keeping me here. Somehow, it got twisted and turned around and I just feel so out of control all the time.” Her stomach churned and she pressed a hand against it, hoping to ward off the terrible feeling that had taken up residence there.

  Jade’s voice softened, “Isn’t that what you’ve been looking for? The ability to lose control and not be fearful of the unknown?”

  “This is different. I don’t know how, but it is,” Callie said.

  “Or maybe this is the first time you’ve cared enough to let it feel different.”

  Moments from the time Callie had spent on the farm flashed through her mind. Images of her and Alex on her horse, Eve planting flowers, Lauren smiling at Andy. A warmth spread through her chest. It was going to be hard to leave these people. “Maybe.”

  “I don’t have any advice for you, and I certainly have no insight because I don’t know those people at all. But I’m begging you, please be careful. Take care of you first. If things get rough, come home and let me help you? Promise me that, Callie.”

  “I promise.”

  “Okay, but before you get off the phone…” Jade paused and then giggled like a teenager, “tell me about that kiss one more time.”

  “So…Daisy Days?” Callie asked as she placed yet another stack of yellow napkins down on one of the white, cloth-covered serving tables Eve had set up in the yard. She looked toward the sky, letting the sun kiss her cheeks and enjoying the cool breeze that blew by.

  Lauren laughed and Callie’s heart warmed at the sound. Her friend seemed happy today. “I forget you’re not a small-town girl.” Lauren turned toward Callie and held up a paper plate, pointing to the daisy printed in the middle of it. “Yes, Daisy Days. Every year the whole town gets together and celebrates. The streets shut down, the music plays, and we enjoy each other’s company.”

  “Well, okay then,” Callie said, smiling at Lauren. “Sounds like I’m about to find out what small-town living is all about.”

  “You sure are. It used to be an O’Brien family tradition to kick off Daisy Days by having a big potluck cookout on Friday night, but we haven’t done it since Jamie died.” Lauren’s smile faltered for a second, but she recovered, looking back at Callie. “I’m glad Eve decided to start it up again. It’s good for all of us.”

  It was suddenly so apparent to Callie how much she admired Lauren’s strength. This woman had been to Hell and back. She could’ve easily given up after all the hardships in her life but here she was, fighting to keep the only family she’d ever known together and moving forward.

  Callie went back to arranging the napkins, but her mind drifted to a certain O’Brien. “So, do you think he will come?”

  Lauren shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know.”

  Callie braced herself with both hands against the table, leaning into it as she let her head hang down. “I think maybe it’s time I leave.”

  Lauren stopped, frozen in place. “Why?”

  “I just… I don’t really know what to say,” she squeezed her eyes together and pushed herself off the table, turning to face Lauren. “This has gotten so complicated. I feel like I’ve become part of the problem instead of the solution. I didn’t expect Trey to be… I mean…he’s so…ugh!” Callie threw the remaining napkins onto the table. “I think I might have real feelings for him, Lauren.”

  Lauren let out a hearty laugh, “Well, duh. That’s not really a reason to leave, is it? Wouldn’t that be a reason to stay?”

  Callie’s mouth fell open, her eyes widening as she looked at her friend. “Clearly he doesn’t feel the same way.”

  Lauren shifted her weight to one side, lifting her eyebrows and smiling. “He kissed you, didn’t he?”

  Callie’s nose crinkled as she crossed her arms over her chest. “He had been drinking.”

  “Maybe.” She pointed a finger at Callie. “But I would bet Alex’s horse that Trey has feelings for you.” Lauren grabbed a carrot from one of the veggie plates and bit it in half, smiling at Callie as she chewed.

  The screen door flew open as Eve came out carrying a case of water. Callie rushed over to help.

  “Thank you.” Eve took a deep breath as she lifted her chin, surveyed the yard, and placed her hands on her hips. “It’s going to be a great day today. I can feel it.”

  Lauren began directing Andy as he pulled the biggest grill Callie had ever seen behind his truck. “Right about there,” she directed. “Yep, that’s perfect.”

  Andy leaned out his window and yelled, “Are you sure now, sweetheart, because I’m happy to move it that way six inches…and then back the other way four…just to be sure.”

  Lauren glared at Andy. He laughed and put his hands up in defense. “Just want to make sure it’s exactly where you want it.”

  Eve giggled and said to Callie as she turned back toward the house, “Aren’t those two the cutest?”

  “That’s one big grill,” Callie stated after putting the bottles of water in the cooler and joining Andy and Lauren in the yard.

  Lauren clapped her hands together, “This is about to be one big party.”

  And even though she had wished it to be true, Callie’s breath hitched in her throat when Trey’s truck came barreling into the driveway, coming to a stop in front of the guesthouse. He jumped out and Callie reached for Lauren’s arm.

  “Steady, girl,” Lauren whispered, covering Callie’s hand with her own.

  Trey wore brown cargo shorts with a black t-shirt that stretched across his chest and he wore a white baseball hat backward. He looked more like a larger-than-life surfer God than the moody, drunk farmer he was.

  “Andy, that grill should be…”

  Andy dropped his head dramatically and pointed at Lauren, letting Trey know that she’s the one who had picked the spot.

  “I was just saying…that spot is absolutely perfect. Exactly where I would’ve put it. Good job, Sis.” He flashed a big smile at Lauren and winked.

  Andy yelled, “Get your ass over here and help me! These women have a to-do list a mile long, a
nd all of it has to be done before the first guest arrives.”

  Trey reached into the bed of his truck, pulled out a bouquet of flowers, and walked toward them. Callie suddenly struggled to breathe and her heart pounded wildly as she watched him get closer.

  Eve rushed out onto the porch, her face beaming. “Oh my goodness, you’re here!” She looked over at Callie and Lauren, “See, girls, I told you this was going to be a great day.”

  Eve stepped off the porch, setting down a plate of food and meeting her son in front of the tables. “Trey, can you help Andy bring around the bales of hay from the barn and set them around the food areas so people have extra seating?”

  “Well hello to you too, Mom,” he said teasingly as he presented the flowers to his mom.

  Eve paused, taking the flowers from her son and smiling brightly. “Thank you, sweet boy,” she said as she raised up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “It feels good to be here,” Trey admitted.

  Eve’s eyes filled with tears, but she shook them away. “I need to get these in some water,” she said as she inhaled deeply. “You guys get to work. The first guests should be arriving any time now.”

  Callie moved back over to the table she had been working on and began fidgeting with the napkins, trying to hide her trembling hands. She was sure everyone in the county could hear her heart thundering inside of her chest. She tried to ignore him, tried to be unaffected, but in the span of a heartbeat, she remembered it all.

  How it felt when her body melted into his, and how safe he’d made her feel when they’d shared their dance in the rain. The way he always stood a little too close, invading her space and making it his. How he somehow looked even more handsome covered in dirt after working on the farm all day. His scent that surrounded her, claiming her, and making her stomach clench with excitement. The way his eyes twinkled when he was about to tease her. The smile that could light up an entire room. The desperation in their kiss and the way he’d whispered to her afterward.

  “Hey,” Trey said as he appeared next to her.

  One word. He had only spoken one word, yet the sound of his soft voice slid over her skin like silk while leaving a fiery trail at the same time. Every part of her was acutely aware of every part of him.