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The truck rolls to a gentle stop. We’re in my driveway, I realize. Callum kills the engine and turns to me with a thoughtful gaze.
“You should have those adventures,” he says. “You should do everything you dreamed of doing.”
He reaches and takes my hand, warm in the rapidly cooling air of the darkened cab. I don’t say anything, just look at him as he studies our joined hands before his eyes return to me.
“I meant what I said, Hazel.” He reaches out and brushes my hair away from my face. “I’m very glad that I met you.
He doesn’t make a move to kiss me, and I don’t make a move either. We just sit, and I think both of us are just savoring the tension of the moment. Being with Callum makes me wonder if someone has found me for the second time in my life. I’d like to find out.
It’s only later, as I walk into my darkened kitchen and Callum’s truck roars away into the darkness, that I remember that I still haven’t given him Tom’s letter.
Chapter 4
Callum
“I like that girl quite a bit,” Ruthie says to me as I walk into the sun-lit kitchen, yawning after dreaming about Hazel all night. “I hope you don’t let that one get away.”
“Good morning to you, too.” I lean down and give her a kiss on the cheek as I slide into the chair next to her at the breakfast table. “Pass the coffee?”
She picks up the carafe and plunks it down in front of me, along with a slice of fruitcake. “Do you have a plan?”
“Grandma, you know I don’t like fruitcake.” I push the plate away and fill a cup with steaming black brew. “A plan for what?”
She rolls her eyes. “A plan for what you’re going to do with Hazel. I’m not getting younger and Istilldo not have any great-grandchildren. I’m going to get the four of you paired off and reproducing, or I’m going to die trying.”
I reach for the eggs and spoon a huge helping onto my plate. “Well, Hazel and I just met. We haven’t committed to anything. I like her a lot, but we just don’t know each other very well yet.”
My heart throbs in my chest. There are so many things I don’t know about her—it’s true. But I know that she’s fierce, independent, strong and heartbreakingly beautiful. She’s a survivor.
Ruthie eyes me speculatively as she sips her coffee. “I saw the way you looked at her during the party and last night over dinner. She has you hooked. I’ve never seen you like that with anyone. You’re such a free spirit, and you need someone who’s strong enough to run with you.”
I swallow a bite of toast and take a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. “I—have strong feelings for her.”
She reaches over and pats my arm. “Oh, I know. You were practically drooling after her last night.”
“I want to try this with her,” I continue. “But I’m—well, a little cautious about pushing her into something she’s ready for. And I don’t know if I’m crossing a line if I go after my best friend’s widow. There’s no etiquette book that covers things like this.”
Ruthie’s coffee cup clatters as she sets it down hard in its saucer. Liquid sloshes over the rim and pools inside the china dish. “Have you asked her?”
I blink. “Well, no.”
She throws her hands up in the air and heaves a sigh. “Men.Hazel is perfectly capable of deciding what she wants and is ready to handle. If she doesn’t want any hanky-panky with you, she’ll tell you.”
“Well, here’s hoping she does.” I sip my coffee and think for a second. “I was looking at Doc Smith’s practice. He wants to sell it and retire, and maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, having more of a home base and being closer to you.”
Ruthie smirks. “Just me? I haven’t lost my marbles yet, boy.” She pauses, choosing her words carefully. “Don’t be nervous about Hazel. I think she’s more ready than you might understand. She’s just been waiting for the right person to help her remember what love is like.”
Hazel sounds surprised to hear from me when I call her from my truck a few hours later.
“What are you doing right now?” I ask her.
“Just doing some chores and then relaxing.” I hear a few dishes clink in the background as though she’s working in the kitchen. “What about you?”
“I’m on my way out to John Morelli’s ranch to check on Goldie again,” I say. “I was wondering if you’d like to come assist. I’ve been looking for someone brilliant and gorgeous, and I think you might be a good fit for the job. Can I swing by and get you?”
She laughs. “Yeah, go ahead and lay it on thick. Does that work with everyone?”
“Almost never,” I answer, and she laughs. “I have a thing for smart women, and they see right through my bullshit.”
