SIX DAYS.
That was how long it’d been since her dinner date with Callen. Or what she was calling the near-miss pizza get-together. He’d got a phone call and hurried out. She wasn’t upset about that. He was a busy man, and there’d likely been some kind of work-related crisis. Still, that was no excuse for him taking six days to turn the near miss into a home run.
Of course, he’d called her, and they’d had some shallow conversations about how swamped he was. And again, that was probably true. He had been helping out at the ranch and had even made two trips back to Dallas to tend to some things there. But all the work and trips couldn’t cover up the feeling in her stomach that something was wrong.
Something not sex related.
What, exactly, she didn’t know, but she intended to find out, and that meant a trip to the inn. When she spotted his truck in the parking lot, she knew he was there. So was Havana, since her Mustang was parked next to the truck. That likely meant they were working, but since it was around lunchtime and a Saturday, she might be able to convince Callen to take a break.
Unlike her last trip here, there were plenty of people out and about. Main Street wasn’t a shopping mecca, but the weather was clear, so that brought people out to ooh and aah over the Christmas decorations—which were extremely festive for such a small town. Thanks to Rosy, Buck and the city council. They had donated money so that every lamppost was decorated with lights and coiled gold tinsel that glittered like the real stuff under the winter sun.
And then there were the heavenly smells.
It’d been Rosy’s idea to put scent diffusers outside all the businesses, and today the street smelled like a fresh Christmas tree. It went well with the sugar-cookie aroma coming from Patty Cakes. Just up the street, the grocer, Will Myers, was dressed in a Santa suit and was handing out cups of warm cider with cinnamon sticks to people who passed by.
This was one of the reasons she loved Coldwater, and all the decorations, scents and such nearly made her forget that it’d been six days since Callen had paid her a visit.
Nearly.
Today, there was a space in the inn lot, so she parked there and had nearly made it to the front door when someone called out her name. Someone who made her wish she’d got there just a minute earlier so she could avoid this meeting.
Gavin.
He was coming up the sidewalk toward her and had a cup of cider in each hand. Either he was very thirsty or he intended one for her.
It was for her.
Gavin thrust the cup at her as soon as he reached her. “Your favorite,” he said as if pleased he’d remembered.
She muttered thanks but made sure it was lukewarm to discourage conversation. It didn’t work.
“I’m glad I ran into you,” he said. “I’ve been meaning to call you.”
Oh crud. Now she couldn’t keep things lukewarm. “Look, Gavin, there’s no reason for you to worry about me. I’m fine. Beyond fine. I’m ecstatic.” Which was probably a little overboard, but she was trying to make a point here. She got her “enthusiasm” under control before she continued. “I’m not sitting at home crying my eyes out or anything. I’m getting on with my life.”
“I know.” And with that rather cryptic comment, he took a long sip of the cider. What he didn’t do was look her in the eye. Yes, the decorations were pretty, but they suddenly seemed riveting to Gavin, and she knew him well enough to know something was up.
Something she probably didn’t want to hear.
“I’ll just be going,” she said, tipping her head toward the inn.
He stepped in front of her. Then he opened his mouth, closed it and repeated those steps enough times to make him look like a handsome guppy in need of life-sustaining water.
“What’s wrong with you?” she came out and asked.
“You. Me,” he immediately amended, and he settled on another “me” before he paused again. “I think it was a mistake to break up with you, and I want you to consider getting back together with me.”
Shelby had a slight mouth malfunction, too. It took her a few seconds to get it working, before she said, “No”
At the same time, Gavin said, “Just consider it.” Now he looked deeply in her eyes. “We were good together, Shelby. We had plans to make a home together—here, in the town that we both love. Think about that.”
He brushed a quick cider-scented kiss on her still-startled mouth and hurried off just as Shelby croaked out another “No.”
Sweet baby Moses in the basket. This was not something she wanted. Something she wouldn’t have. But now instead of convincing Gavin that she didn’t have a broken heart, she was going to have to convince him that she was done with him.
And convince a good portion of the town, too.
Shelby realized that when she looked around and saw that their conversation had got the attention of plenty of people. A kiss from him on Main Street was equivalent to a high-speed global-release bulletin.
Huffing and sipping the cider, she went inside and spotted Havana coming down the stairs. Today, she was dressed like Santa’s elf, complete with holiday red hair and a jingle bell hat.
“I’m hoping the Christmas spirit will rub off on my Ebenezer of a boss,” Havana said, fanning her hand over her outfit. An outfit that included dangling candy-cane earrings. “His mood would have to improve just to qualify for the ‘it sucks’ label.”
Oh. Well, this probably wasn’t a time to confront him about why he hadn’t attempted sex with her in the last six days. Not that Shelby would have worded it that way, but she’d intended to touch on the subject in a roundabout way.
“Callen ripped down the mistletoe that I’d hung over his office door and threw it on the floor,” Havana said, and without taking a breath continued, “and he kicked a Santa.”
Shelby’s eyes widened, and she thought of the friendly Will Myers handing out cider.
“A toy Santa,” Havana clarified. “It was one of those about yay high.” She held up her hands to indicate about two feet. “It was motion-activated, so whenever you walked by it, it sang ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.’”
Shelby could imagine that would get old, fast, but kicking it didn’t seem like the healthiest solution.
“Any idea why Callen’s mood is so bad?” Shelby asked.
“Phases of the moon is my guess. I hope you’re here to cheer him up.” Havana gave her a knowing wink.
Since there was no “knowing” between Callen and her, Shelby just shrugged. “I was hoping to talk to him.”
“Have at it. You could probably borrow a flak jacket from the police station.” But before Shelby could groan and reconsider this visit, Havana smiled and switched subjects. “Are you all ready for the wedding?”
Shelby made a so-so motion with her free hand and then tossed the cider cup in the trash. “With Rosy, the plans tend to be, well, fluid. She likes to tweak a lot here and there.”
“Well, she can’t tweak too much longer. The wedding date’s coming up fast. Rosy mentioned you’d gone to the florist with her.”
Shelby started to ask when she’d seen Rosy, but since her shop was just up the street, Rosy probably popped in here all the time. Probably did some matchmaking, too.
Which might explain why Callen was putting some distance between them.
“I did go with her to the florist,” Shelby answered. “She, uh, made some unusual floral choices.”
“Wouldn’t expect anything less. She invited me to the wedding. Then she asked me to be a bridesmaid.”
Oh. Well, that was a surprise, and yet more proof that Rosy had paid frequent visits here. “That brings the number to thirty-six now.”
Havana’s eyes widened. “Uh, that’s an unusually high number even for Rosy.”
“Agreed, but she asked most of the women who’d been Buck’s kids over the years. Thirty-five said yes. But don’t worry—the dresses don’t have to be all the same. She just wanted us to all wear something red.”
“Yeah. She mentioned that. She also mentioned her dress was pink. I really like an unconventional color scheme.” That from the woman in an elf suit.
A woman that Shelby very much liked.
“My advice—don’t sit at table three at the reception,” Shelby told her. “That’s where she’s putting the zombie bunny centerpiece. Oh, and avoid table five, too, if you don’t want to have to look at stallion junk while you’re eating.”
“Thanks for the tip. I’ll remember that.” Havana came down off the step and moved out of Shelby’s way. “Good luck visiting Ebenezer.”
With slightly less determination than she’d had ten minutes earlier, Shelby went up the stairs. In the hall just outside his office, she spotted the sprig of mistletoe and the stuffed Santa with a bashed-in stomach. It was still moving, the stiff outstretched hands twitching, its mouth clacking up and down like a nutcracker, but thankfully it wasn’t singing.
Because Callen’s office door was open, she got a glimpse of Ebenezer in his natural habitat. He was scowling and barking out an order to whoever had the misfortune to be on the other end of the phone line. Something to do with a delayed contract. Callen threw the f-word around multiple times and made an anatomically impossible suggestion for the person responsible for the delay. Then he jabbed End Call as if he’d declared war on the phone button.
And he looked at her.
Shelby somehow managed a smile, and the lecture she’d thought to give him just vanished. Why, she didn’t know. He was obviously seething with leftover anger, maybe from the contract, maybe a phase of the moon.
Whatever it was, Shelby snatched up the mistletoe from the floor and marched in, going straight behind his desk. She whirled his chair around until he was facing her, dangled the mistletoe over his head, dropped down onto his lap and kissed him. That part didn’t require any courage whatsoever because that mouth of his was magic.
He was still stiff, his muscles tensed to the point of snapping, but she kept it up until she heard the husky rumble in his throat and felt his arms slide around her.
Oh yes. Magic.
She eased back, met his eyes and smiled again. “Hi.”
“Hi back.” He didn’t smile, but those muscles relaxed a little.
“Bad day?” She tossed the mistletoe over her shoulder, moved her mouth closer to his until she was only a breath away.
“Not anymore.”
“Then my job here is done.” She chuckled, started to move off his lap, but he held her in place.
Mercy, what a face, and it was right there in front of her to kiss. Which she did. She went in deep, sliding into the hot taste of him and instantly wanting more. She was coming to realize that she always wanted more with Callen.
“Are you here to chew me out because I haven’t been over?” he asked.
She shook her head and got a nice little buzz when her breasts brushed against his chest. “I don’t usually kiss people I’m about to chew out.”
There must have been some kind of inflection at the end of her comment because his eyebrow rose. “But?”
Shelby looked deep into those amazing eyes, and they gave her the nudge she needed to blurt out that whole thing about how she’d expected him to come back to her for sex. However, the movement in the doorway stopped her.
So did the chuckle.
Not Havana. No such luck. The doorway was filled with the Laramie brothers. Kace, Judd and Nico. It was Nico who’d chuckled and spoke.
“Interrupting anything?” Nico asked, and he winked at her.
* * *
CALLEN FIGURED HE was going to get some lectures and ribbings about this. And grief, lots of grief.
“Wow,” Shelby said, getting to her feet. Callen could see that her cheeks were flushed pink with embarrassment and that she was struggling with what to say. Finally, she smiled, lifted her hands and said, “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you, too.” Of course, that came from Nico, the only person with Laramie DNA who was actually smiling.
“I should be going.” Shelby looked at Callen, maybe to make sure it was okay for her to leave, and he gave her a nod and a hand squeeze.
Nico did a whole lot more than that. When Shelby went to the door, Nico gave her a hug and a loud smacking kiss on the mouth. He whispered something to her that Callen didn’t catch, but it had Shelby’s face pinking up even more.
It was Shelby who initiated the hug with Judd and Kace. No kiss, but she did punch Judd on the arm. It was hard enough to get his attention but soft enough to still qualify as sisterly.
“Quit being scary Judd when Mateo’s outside,” Shelby warned him. “He thinks you’ll arrest him or something.”
Judd didn’t argue with her. Didn’t agree, either.
Shelby walked out, and Callen heard the deranged stuffed Santa make clicking sounds again. She’d obviously triggered the motion activation that he hadn’t managed to completely destroy.
“Nico insisted we come,” Judd grumbled.
And Nico was probably the only person on earth who could have talked Judd into it.
“Why?” Callen asked.
“Well, it wasn’t so we’d catch you with Shelby on your lap.” Nico grinned. “Actually, I wanted a picture so I could give it to Buck. I was just out at the ranch and he said he wanted a recent picture of us for Christmas. So come on.” Taking out his phone, he walked behind the desk and motioned for Judd and Kace to join him. “It’s group selfie time.”
Nico caught onto Callen’s shoulder, pulling him to his feet. Something that wasn’t necessary because he had no intention of balking about the photo. He just wished he’d thought of doing it. With Buck facing cancer, a group photo seemed like a small thing to give him. In fact, he could do better than a selfie.
“Let me get my assistant up here,” Callen offered. “She can take it.”
Callen was about to call Havana, but then he saw her coming up behind Judd and Kace, who were still in the doorway.
“We need a picture,” Callen explained. And he was reasonably sure that Havana heard him despite the goo-goo eyes she was making at Nico. Of course, Nico was making them right back at her.
“Keep your dick in your jeans around my assistant,” Callen warned him in a whisper. Though he couldn’t actually think of a good reason as to why Nico should do that. Well, other than he didn’t want the image in his head of his kid brother naked and screwing a woman Callen had to see and work with every day.
Nico only smiled, which was in no such way an agreement. It was just as well. Judging from the intensity of the goo-goo, Havana had decided that Nico would make a tasty Christmas present to herself.
Havana took Nico’s phone, and, yes, there was some finger brushing when she did that. Despite the distraction, she started doing one of the things she did best. She took hold of Judd and Kace, positioning them where she wanted to get a good picture. It took her a couple of minutes, shifting and doling out instructions of “move an inch to the left” and “don’t forget to smile” before she finally snapped some shots. She studied them on the camera and clicked off a few more.
“Got it,” she said, handing the phone back to Nico.
More finger touching, smiles, and Nico winked at her, causing Kace, Callen and Judd all to groan in unison. Soon, Callen would warn Havana that Nico was a player, but he suspected that would only excite Havana even more.
Nico flicked through the pictures to show them. Not exactly a bloom of happiness and Christmas cheer on their faces, but Callen and Nico were smiling. Well, Nico was, anyway. Callen had done his best.
Judd grumbled about having something to do, and he headed out. So did Kace, but not before he said, “I want a copy of that picture.”
“You bet. It’s what you’re all getting for Christmas,” Nico said with a chuckle.
Havana lingered a moment, and Nico and she must have exchanged some kind of silent conversation because she grinned and nodded but closed the door behind her when she went downstairs. Obviously, that silent conversation had led his assistant to believe that Nico and he needed a private chat.
“So.” Nico glanced around the office. “You’re back.”
“It’s temporary. I’ll be leaving after the wedding.”
Nico nodded and settled into the chair next to Callen’s desk. Actually, Nico “lounged,” stretching his legs out in front of him and crossing his boots at the ankles. He tucked his hands behind his head and gave Callen one of those grins. Callen figured they were about to have a frank chat about Shelby. Specifically, his kissing Shelby while she was on his lap.
“Buck said he’s anemic and that you’ve been helping him out,” Nico commented, throwing Callen off his stride. He’d already geared up for the Shelby lecture, which wouldn’t feel like so much of a lecture coming from Nico.
Callen nodded but wanted to curse. Buck’s week was almost up, and he’d hoped that the man would just go ahead and tell all. Including Nico. Apparently not, though. That meant first thing tomorrow, he’d have to go out to Buck’s and carry through on the threat to spill the secret. Buck would almost certainly bargain for an extension, but Callen wasn’t giving him one.
“I saw Rosy while I was there,” Nico went on. “She’s in the full throes of wedding mania and never looked happier.”
So true. And it caused Callen to feel another pang of guilt. It would put a damper on her happiness when she learned that Buck had a tumor. But telling her might end up saving Buck’s life if it meant his getting treatment sooner than later.
Or too late.
“I met the kid. Mateo. He thanked me for not looking at him like he was going to shank me. What the heck is that about?” Nico asked.
Callen considered an answer that would keep that easy expression on his brother’s face. Instead, he went with the truth. “Mateo and his sister went through some bad stuff. Like us. They had their own personal version of Avis Odell.”
Nico made a sound of regret, stayed quiet a moment and then smiled again. “But now they’ve got Buck. He erases the Avis Odells.”
No. Nothing could erase that, but Buck had certainly helped with that as much as was humanly possible. And that was why Callen had smiled in the picture.
“Are Mateo’s and his sister’s parents still around?” Nico asked.
“Their dad left years ago. Like ours.”
There’d been no need, though, for him to remind Nico of that, but unlike Nico, Callen actually had a few memories of their father. The best word he could think to describe him was disinterested. Not just in his own kids but his drugged-up wife. He would come home from work, grab a beer and then eat his dinner in front of the TV.
“Their mother’s the one who beat the hell out of them,” Callen added, once he was sure he had control of the rage that rippled through him at just the mention of it. “Mateo ended up in juvie when he fought back and she had him arrested. And when he was away, the mother whaled on the sister hard enough to put her in the hospital. That’s when the right CPS worker got involved and got her out of there—and Mateo out of juvie. The mom’s serving two to four years in jail.”
Not nearly enough time, and she’d likely get out sooner than that. Avis Odell hadn’t served out his sentence before being released.
Nico’s smile stayed easy. And genuine. “But now they have Buck,” he repeated.
Yeah, but not for long. Callen kept that to himself.
“So, are you here to try to get into Shelby’s pants?” Nico asked.
Callen wondered if Kace had mentioned he’d asked the same thing and used those identical words. Judging from Nico’s grin, it was something he would approve of. Hell, Callen approved of it, too, but...
“I’m here for only two more weeks,” Callen reminded him. “If I had sex with her, then what happens afterward?”
“More sex?” Nico chuckled. Then got as serious as Nico could manage. “You mean because she’s grounded here and you’re not. I see your problem. Hard to have sex when you’re hundreds of miles away. Plus, there’s that whole out of sight, out of mind thing, and with Gavin pressing her to get back together...”
“What?” Callen snapped.
“Oh, you didn’t hear about him kissing her about a half hour ago? It happened right outside the inn. Rumor has it that Gavin’s trying to woo Shelby back.”
Well, shit. A kiss? Shelby sure as hell hadn’t mentioned that. And he felt the wave of what he was dead certain was jealousy come down on him like an avalanche.
“The kiss could have meant nothing,” Nico went on, making it sound as if it were something. “After all, I kissed her, too. Right here when I came in.”
Yeah, but that was different. Nico was like a little brother to Shelby. Gavin was her ex-fiancé and the town’s “darling.” And like Shelby, he had deep roots here. He damn sure wouldn’t have to go three hundred miles to get in her pants.
“Something troubling you?” Nico asked in such a way that Callen wanted to slug him.
“No.” But he wanted to have a chat with Shelby. After he had the chat with Buck, that was.
Hell. A kiss!
Nico eased out of his lounging pose, sat up and leaned closer. He looked Callen straight in the eyes. “So, tell me the truth—because I’m not buying the anemia story. What’s really wrong with Buck?”