“He may want, but that doesn’t mean he’ll get,” Lily said lightly.
“Oh Max always gets what he wants,” Callie said in resignation. “I have no willpower where that man is concerned. He’s lethal. ”
Lily’s eyebrows rose. “That good, huh?”
“Uh-huh. ”
Lily laughed. “Callie, I’ve never known you to back down from anyone or anything. Granted our acquaintance is still somewhat new, but your brothers have regaled me with tales of your childhood and your adulthood as well. If anyone can stand up to this Max, I’d say it would be you. ”
“Think Mom would kill me if I didn’t make it back up the mountain tonight?”
“Tell you what. I’ll call her and tell her I asked you to stay over. Then we can all ride up together tomorrow for lunch. ”
“You are way too good to me, Lily, but I love you dearly for it. ”
Lily touched her arm and her expression went serious. “You once helped me through one of the most difficult days of my life, Callie. I’d say we’re good for each other. ”
“We girls have to stick together,” Callie said solemnly. “In this family, we’re way outnumbered!”
Chapter Eight
The next morning, Callie was still sleeping soundly when Lily gently shook her awake. Callie blinked fuzzily and let out a groan. “Is it morning already?”Lily smiled. “Yeah. I wouldn’t let the guys wake you and made them tiptoe through the living room. They’re going ahead. I told them I’d ride up with you. That’ll give you time to shower and feel human before you face the entire family. ”
Callie reached up, framed Lily’s face and then smacked her noisily on the forehead. “God, I love you. ”
She heaved herself up and planted her feet on the floor. “
What time is it anyway?”
“Eleven. You’ll need to hurry if we’re going to make lunch. ”
Callie pushed herself up and staggered toward the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, feeling somewhat human again, she came back into the living room where Lily was sitting in the armchair.
“Ready?” Lily asked.
Callie nodded.
Lily looked dubiously at Callie. “Want me to drive?”
“No, I’m okay. ”
“Did you sleep at all last night?” Lily asked once they started down the road toward town.
Callie grimaced. “Not much, I’ll admit. Thinking too much. ”
“Did you come to any groundbreaking conclusions?”
“Just that Max has a hold on me that months of separation and anger haven’t managed to break,” she said bleakly.
“You don’t sound happy about that. ”
Callie’s hands tightened around the steering wheel. She held her breath as she turned down Main Street and drove past the hotel where Max was staying. Only when they were beyond did she acknowledge Lily’s statement.
“There’s a part of me that’s happy. Really, really happy. Like that bubbly, giddy feeling you get when you’re really excited about something. ”
“And the other part?”
“Like I’m worried I’m standing on railroad tracks with a freight train bearing down on me. ”
“Well, that’s an image,” Lily muttered.
Callie chuckled. “Best I could come up with on such short notice, but it fits. ”
They drove in silence for a few moments longer. Callie turned onto the road that led up the mountain to her parents’ house and deftly navigated the holes, the switchbacks and the loose dirt.
“It’s my pride,” she finally admitted. “I can’t get beyond my pride. It sounds so stupid. I feel stupid. ”
“It’s not stupid, Callie. Pride is important. ” Lily reached over and squeezed Callie’s knee. “It’s going to be okay. Just remember you don’t have to be pressured into anything you don’t want. This is your turf. He has to come to you. You aren’t at a disadvantage here. He is. ”
Callie smiled and rounded the corner to the turnoff for her parents’ cabin. She shot between the tall pines and rolled to a stop behind Seth’s truck. Then she checked her watch. “Made it with fifteen minutes to spare. Now Mom won’t gripe because the food got cold. ”
“Like she’d know. ” Lily snorted. “Your dads are the ones getting the food on the table. ”
Callie broke into laughter. “Yeah, so true. ”
The both got out and hurried up the steps. Callie opened the door, stuck her head in and yelled, “We’re here!”
To her surprise, when she walked in, her parents—all four of them—and her brothers were sitting in the living room, their faces set in determination. And they were all staring at her.
“Uh-oh,” Callie murmured to Lily.
Lily shot her a look of apology and turned her palms up as if to say she had no idea what was up. Callie let out a small groan. D-day. The day her family was no longer going to be put off.
She knew those looks. Saw the worry in her mom’s eyes. Saw the grim set of her fathers’ and brothers’ lips. Yeah, she was going to get it from all sides. She was tempted to turn around and run like hell, but she wasn’t a coward.
She took a step forward and wiped her palms down her jeans. “Hey guys. ”
“Callie, come sit down,” Adam said in a low voice.
She winced. It was that tone that brooked no arguments. Even at twenty-three years old she wasn’t too old to heed her dad’s order. He didn’t give them very often, but when he did, he meant business.
With a sigh, she flopped onto the couch next to Seth. Seth was her ally. Always had been. Only now he didn’t look like much of an ally. He looked as determined as her other family members to make her talk.
Ryan leaned forward, resting his forearms on his legs. He stared at her with those blue eyes so like her own. “What’s going on, baby girl? Don’t you think it’s time you told us what’s wrong?”
“You’ve been moping around here for months now,” Ethan cut in. “You came home like a wounded animal and I don’t see that it’s gotten any better. ”
Tears pricked her eyelids, and the people she loved so dearly went bleary in front of her. Lily came to stand beside her and put a soft hand on her shoulder in support.
“Callie, we’re worried,” her mom said. “You just aren’t yourself. ”
She scrubbed a hand over her face and heaved another sigh of resignation. “I met someone while I was in Europe. ”
Adam got this pinched look on his face like he did when he wanted to kick someone’s ass. Lord but this wasn’t the way she wanted to introduce Max to her family.