Colters' Daughter (Colters' Legacy #3)(56)

Her judgment sucked. She’d even known that she fell back into his arms too quickly, and yet she’d done it anyway. She was partly to blame because she’d been too willing to forgive. But she’d wanted what he’d offered so much that she’d turned a blind eye to the pain he’d already caused her.

As much as she didn’t want to go back to her parents’, she didn’t have a choice because her only other option was to go to Lily’s where her brothers would hover and make threats against humanity.

“Callie?”

She drew away and dragged a hand through her bedraggled hair. “Yeah, we can head back. I don’t want Mom to worry.”

He helped her to her feet and then herded her toward her mom’s SUV. “You can ride with me. Your dads and I will come back for the Land Rover later.”

Callie nodded because it was far easier to just go along with whatever he wanted. She didn’t have the energy to drive anyway.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Callie lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, just as she’d done for the last twenty-four hours. Her mom was worried. Her dads were worried. Her brothers had called every hour on the hour.She didn’t have the strength to face their sympathy or their desire to fix things. They couldn’t.

She hadn’t slept. Oh, she’d wanted to. She could think of nothing better than to escape her reality and just let her mind go blank. Just for a little while. But sleep had eluded her and so she’d lain here, wide-eyed, heart hurting so much and her mind crowded with Max.

The solution was reactionary—let’s be honest here—she was running. Just like she’d always done. And as much as she’d like to think she had the will to stand up, face Max and her family, the simple truth was she just wanted to get away from it all.

The more she thought about it, the more the idea took root until it was all she could think about. It helped that it took her mind off the awful, gut-wrenching grief. Action was preferable to lying here with her mom just a few feet away on the other side of that door, silent and worrying.

She sat up and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. When she got up, she bobbled a bit and stood there a moment while she regained her balance. Then she strode to her dresser and looked at herself in the mirror.

She looked awful. No amount of makeup would cover the raw grief etched into her face. She wasn’t even going to try.

What she had to do shouldn’t take long. She traveled light. Always had. A trip to the bank and then to the realtor’s office and she could be on her way to the airport.

She latched on to her plan of action with single-minded pursuit. Now that she had hatched the idea, it simply wouldn’t go away and it became what she had to do, not what she wanted.

She glanced around, trying to figure out what she should bring, but it took too much energy. There wasn’t anything she needed that couldn’t be bought later.

Grabbing for her purse, she went to the door and opened it, expecting to see her mom or one of the dads in the hall. Thankfully it was empty.

Blessed numbness gripped her like ice as she walked toward the living room. It was such a relief. No more pain. No more tears. She walked like a robot and performed as such. Her mind had shut off and now she only had one focus.

“Callie!”

She turned slowly, knowing her stare was probably as blank as she felt. Her mother stood in the living room looking pale and worried. Ethan was beside her, his dark eyes stroking gently over Callie, threatening to break the wall of ice.

Holly rushed toward Callie. “Are you all right? Would you like something to eat?”

The lie came easily. Before Max, she’d never lied to her parents. Doing so now should have made her feel awful, but curiously, she felt no regret.

“I’m going to see Lily.”

Holly frowned and looked toward Ethan, a silent plea for help.

“If you want to go see Lily, I’ll drive you,” Ethan said in a soft voice. “You shouldn’t drive right now.”

Callie shook her head and even mustered a smile. “I’m fine. Really. Can I borrow your truck? Mine’s still in town. I’ll ask Dillon to make sure you get it back.”

Ethan glanced at Holly and then back to Callie. “Baby, you look…awful. I think I should drive you.”

She hadn’t wanted to get into a big to-do with her family, but she didn’t see a way out of this one. “Okay. You can drop me off at the sheriff’s office. I want to talk to Seth anyway.”

Both her mom and dad looked relieved.

“He’ll be glad. He’s so worried that you’re angry with him,” Holly said.

Callie managed another small smile. “Why would I be angry with him for loving me?”

Holly enfolded Callie in her arms and hugged her tight. “You’ll come back tonight and stay? Your dads are cooking your favorite.”

Again the lie escaped so easily. “Of course. I’ll drive up after I get my truck.”

Ethan grabbed the keys and put an arm around Callie to guide her out the door. She climbed into the Land Rover and stared over the land, her parents’ home, all the things she loved most. She avoided the meadow. She couldn’t even look at it now.

Her dad was quiet as they pulled down the driveway toward the mountain road. She focused her attention straight ahead, refusing to glimpse at the land that had meant so much to her.