Chapter 30

Grayson

When I woke up, I knew exactly where I was, and I was happy. Callie was still in my arms. I was sure I’d been holding onto her all night. Her hair was fanned out on my chest, and I stroked it. It was amazing being with her. Her breathing was deep and rhythmic, her skin soft under my fingertips where my arm was around her shoulder. I closed my eyes again and thought about the wedding last night, how everything had finally worked out the way it should have been.

I never thought I would feel like this about someone. I’d been the guy who did one-night stands only. I was a hell of a charmer, and I knew how to work my assets. My body was to die for, and I knew girls couldn’t resist me. But this? This was different. This was worth it. And Callie was gorgeous in so many ways, outside and inside. I was serious about this woman even though I hadn’t known her very long. The hypocrisy wasn’t lost on me. I had given Carter so much grief about exactly the same thing. But I hadn’t been in his shoes. And now I was.

When Jenna died, I’d felt alone. I had felt that everyone else — Carter and John and even my mom — had somehow moved on. I had felt left behind, felt there was a hole in my life that could never be filled again. I’d lost my best friend, and I could never get a new sister.

But I had been wrong. Callie was far from my sister, but she was a woman I could confide in, a woman I could trust, and she brought the best out in me. Much like Jenna had done. She wasn’t like Jenna had been, but she was genuine like Jenna, and that meant the world to me. She had brought me back to life again. I never thought the hollow feeling I felt when Jenna had been taken away would ever be filled again, but here I was, lying in bed with Callie who seemed to be shaped perfectly to fill the void I had felt for so long.

God knew I had done nothing to deserve a love so pure and beautiful. But it was here, ready for me to take it, and I would never let Callie go. I would never do something to sabotage love again, whether it was my own or someone else’s.

I tried to wriggle out from underneath Callie without waking her, but she opened her eyes.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” I said.

Callie shook her head and looked at the time.

“No, it’s fine. If we wake up now, we can spend a bit of time together before heading out for breakfast.”

I nodded. I used the bathroom after Callie did. When she turned on the shower and invited me to join her, I eagerly accepted. It wasn’t even about sex with her. It was about being together in the rawest form.

When we were done, we made coffee together in the kitchen.

“I can’t believe you’re still here,” Callie said when we each sat down with a mug of instant coffee. “After what I told you, I was sure you would run away.”

Callie had confessed she’d been the other driver, the one who had survived after Jenna had died. I had been shocked to hear the news. What were the odds I would fall in love with the woman who had been involved in the same accident that had taken Jenna from me? And it hadn’t been because I contacted her. It had happened purely by chance.

“I won’t lie. It was a shock,” I said. “To hear that you were there brought a lot of emotions back.”

Callie nodded sadly. I could only imagine the guilt she’d had to endure since Jenna’s death. Being part of the accident had to have affected her emotionally as much as it affected her physically.

“But I don’t blame you,” I carried on.

“How can you not?” Callie asked.

“Because I made peace with how she died ages ago. I know she swerved because of a deer. I know you weren’t in the wrong. Did I resent that you survived and Jenna didn’t? Once upon a time, yeah. But that was a long time ago. I didn’t know you then, and I was bitter about losing a ray of sunlight who used to make this world a little brighter. I’m not upset with you. I don’t blame you. I don’t want to lose you over anything.”

Callie looked like she was going to cry.

“I was in the hospital for two weeks,” she admitted. “I nearly died.” She lifted her hand to her head, pressing her fingers above her ear. She reached for me with her other hand and helped me feel what she was feeling. She had a thick ridge above her ear, a scar.

“I know it put you through a lot,” she said. “Thank you for being so kind about it.”

I pulled her against me and kissed her.

“There’s nothing to thank me for,” I said. “I’m glad you didn’t die too. I would never have met you, my friend would never have had the best wedding of his life, and we wouldn’t have been able to build a future again.”

Callie smiled, and I kissed her again.

We got ready to leave and headed out to the restaurant where the brunch was scheduled. When we arrived. John and Deborah were already present, as well as Abigail’s parents and a few of the other wedding guests who were still in town or lived here. We sat down together, and I took Callie’s hand under the table and squeezed it.

John sat next to me and noticed I was holding Callie’s hand. He looked at me with an amused smile.

The conversation was mainly about the wedding, how beautiful it was, and how happy the couple looked. Callie got a lot of compliments about the wedding, and she handed out her business card to the people who asked for it. It was amazing to see her in action. She networked well, and she was modest about her talents. She could very well have been arrogant about it because she was good at what she did.

After we had drunk a few mimosas and the staff informed us the brunch buffet was ready, we let the women go first. When Callie stood up to dish a plate for herself, John leaned over to me.

“You look very comfortable with Callie,” he said. I knew he would comment on it.

I nodded. “What can I say? She’s an incredible woman.”

“Oh, for sure,” John agreed. “When did that happen? I recall you getting into it with her quite a bit.”

I shrugged. “I can’t really tell you when it happened. I guess it was always there, in a way. I was fighting it, among other things, but I snapped out of it. I guess it just clicked with her.”

John nodded. “That’s how it works with the right relationships,” he said. “It just happens. You don’t know when it crept up on you, but before you know it, you don’t want to turn back.”

“That’s exactly how it was.”

“It was like that with Deborah too.”

John and Deborah had always had the kind of relationship I had admired. I hadn’t thought I would ever get there. I had been too much of a player, and the women I had been with had been too needy or too shallow to tolerate for very long. But I knew what it was all about and how it felt when I met the right woman.

“You better treat her like gold,” John warned. “A good woman like that only comes along once in a lifetime. Carter was lucky to have another shot, but that’s rare. Don’t fuck it up with Callie.”

I shook my head. “Trust me, I’m done with that. I’m watching myself now. I’ll do whatever it takes to hold onto her. I know a good thing when I see it.”

John nodded, satisfied. “Good man,” he said. I was glad he was proud of me. I hated that I’d disappointed him earlier on with how I was acting. But everything was all right now. The past month had been a journey, and I had come out on the other side having learned more. I had found love and friendship and peace and understanding.

How much more did a man need?

I glanced at where Callie stood in the line with her plate.

“So, when are the two of you getting hitched?” John asked, seeing me look.

I chuckled. “I don’t think it will happen anytime soon,” I said. “I have a feeling she’s the one, but I believe in taking my time.”

Callie caught my eye, and we exchanged smiles. She was definitely the one I wanted to settle down with. I didn’t need years to figure that out. But there was no rush. We could take our time.

“That’s good news,” John said. “I don’t think I’d be able to handle another wedding happening within a month.”

I laughed. It had been a hell of a ride, arranging the whole wedding in such a short time. But enough had happened in the past few weeks for a whole lifetime, and even though I wouldn’t want the same roller coaster ride, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Except maybe the strippers.

Callie returned to the table with her plate of food and sat down.

“Is everything okay?” Callie asked. She had seen me talk to John, and she knew we’d had a few ups and downs since I’d arrived. I had told her a few things when we’d spent time together last night.

“Perfect,” I said and intertwined our fingers, bringing her hand to my mouth and kissing her knuckles.

“What did you talk about?” she asked.

I smiled. I wasn’t going to bring up marriage to Callie just yet. It was my little secret for now.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” I said and picked up my plate to dish food for myself.

When I stood in line at the buffet table, I glanced at Callie. She was talking to some of the other wedding guests, laughing with John and Deborah. It made me happy to see how well Callie blended into my second family. I wanted to introduce her to my mom.

I would have liked to introduce her to Jenna. My sister would have loved her. A wave of sadness washed over me, and I took a moment to remember Jenna, to imagine her with us here at the table. But she was at peace, and we had all moved on. And even though I would have loved for her to meet Callie, my life was complete as it was.

I had to start thinking about where Callie and I were headed. I had extended my stay for another few days to be with her, but I would have to go back to Dallas at some point. What was I going to do then? A long-distance relationship with someone as perfect as Callie wouldn’t cut it, and her wedding company was here.

Maybe I had to consider moving down here. With Carter moving here for Abigail, John and Deborah living here now, and Callie being an Austin girl, maybe Austin could become my home too.