Colters' Daughter (Colters' Legacy #3)(8)

“You can’t fix this for me, Seth. I know it goes against your every grain for me to say that because in your mind you’d do whatever it took. This is something I have to deal with on my own, and you know what? I can do it. I’ve been standing on my own two feet for years now.”

He sighed. “Yeah. I’m proud of you, you know.”

Her eyebrow went up.

He pulled her into a hug and she laid her head on his chest, soaking up the comfort her big brother always managed to give. Being home was the absolute best. The mountain was her haven. Her one safe place she could return to no matter how far she’d traveled. She loved the constancy of the land and her family.

“I am proud of you, Callie. You’re an intelligent, independent young woman. All of us are proud of you.”

“Don’t make me cry or I’ll wipe my nose on your shirt,” she threatened.

He hastily stepped away and gazed warily at her. “So what are your plans for the day?”

“Honestly? I think I’m going up to see Mom and the dads. Grab a nap. I didn’t sleep so well on the couch last night. I’ll have dinner with them and spend the night there. It’s been a while since I’ve had two consecutive nights off.”

Seth frowned. “You’re working too hard, Callie girl. There’s no point. Dillon has plenty of employees.”

She ignored him. “Are you all coming to lunch tomorrow? I’d love to take Lily riding down in the meadow. It’s been a while since I was there.”

Seth’s gaze softened. He knew how special Callie’s Meadow was to her. To all of them.

“Yeah, that sounds really good. I’m sure the others would love to come. It’s been several days since I saw Mom or the dads. If we don’t go, Mom will start squawking and then the dads will be all over our asses.”

Callie chuckled. “Nice to see my big badass brothers are still cowed by a five-foot-nothing mama.”

Seth didn’t look at all embarrassed by that.

“Can I use your cell?” she suddenly asked. “Mine ran down.”

Seth sighed and fished his phone out of his pocket. “For God’s sake, Callie. How many times have I told you to keep track of your charger and more importantly charge your damn phone? What if something happens to you on the way up the mountain? Or you get stuck somewhere and have a dead cell phone?”

She tuned out the lecture because God did Seth love to get long-winded. It was what made him such a good cop. He could lecture anyone into submission.

She punched in her mom’s number and shushed Seth with a finger over her lips as she waited for someone to pick up. A moment later, her father’s voice filled her ear. She smiled. She couldn’t help it. She might be twenty-three years old but she was still a total daddy’s girl.

“Hi Dad,” she said.

Ryan sighed. “Your phone dead again, Callie? Is that why you’re using your brother’s?”

She rolled her eyes. “Not you too. Seth is over here lecturing in my other ear.”

“Someone needs to.”

“Is Mom around? I wanted to ask her if she needed me to pick up anything in town. I was on my way over. I’m taking tonight off and thought I’d come to dinner and crash there if you guys don’t mind.”

“Of course we don’t mind, Callie. This is your home. I miss my girl. You’ve been working too damn much. It’s about time you took some time off. Hang on and let me ask your mother if she needs anything.”

Some of the tightness in her chest eased as she waited for her dad to come back. Unconditional love was the sweetest gift anyone could offer. And in her family it abounded. Love and support were freely given. Never any strings. Unreserved. Fierce. Giving.

She wanted to wrap herself in her family’s loving arms and never let go.

“Callie, your mom wants to know if you can run by and grab a grocery order. She’s going to call it in so all you’ll have to do is pick it up for her. She was planning to go into town today but this will save her a trip.”

“Of course I will. Tell her I love her and I’ll see her in an hour or so.”

“She loves you too. I love you,” he said gruffly.

“Love you too, Dad,” she said with a catch in her voice. “See you later.”

She handed the phone back to Seth who was back to watching her like she was some undiscovered specimen under a microscope.

“I’ve got to run,” she said. “Mom needs me to go by the store. I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch.”

She slipped past him before he could start in on his interrogation again. The others were still sitting at the table, not that they weren’t done. If she had to guess, Seth had made them stay while he went in to talk to her.

She blew kisses at Michael and Dillon, and then she leaned over and hugged Lily. “Thank you,” she whispered in Lily’s ear.

Lily squeezed her. “You’re welcome.”

Callie straightened, sent her brothers a smile and then headed out to her car.

Chapter Four

Could it be called an actual coincidence if he’d spent the entire morning prowling the small town of Clyde in hopes of running into Callie then to finally spot her when she got out of her car at the local grocery store?Max stared down the street, drinking in the sight of the woman he’d spent so many nights aching for. She was beautiful. Spirited. She haunted his nights—and his days. His fingers tingled from the remembrance of her silky skin beneath his palm.