Page 35 of Untroubled Heart

“Callie!” I call.

She looks cute as fuck in a pair of dark green overalls and black high-top sneakers. Her legs are completely on show, and when she turns around to face me, I see the hint of a tattoo on her thigh. Her chestnut hair is gathered on top of her head in a loose bun. Nothing’s changed since the first night I met her. She always looks so beautiful, but something about this version of Callie has me under a spell.

“Mason? What are you doing here?” She swings the pram around, and inside sits a gorgeous little girl. She’s sitting up, looking curiously at me with big, blue eyes that match her mum’s and the same soft brown hair.

“I was on my way out. I live around here. You?”

“We came to get a cookie. Well, I came for the cookie, Navie came because she hasn’t learnt the word ‘no’ yet and doesn’t know how to refuse my ideas.”

I chuckle as I step closer to them. “Your mum bosses you around too?” I say to Navie. “You and I should stick together, Blue.” I hold my fist up to her, not expecting her to actually bump it, and definitely not expecting her to lean in and leave an open-mouthed kiss all over my knuckles.

“Ohh, sorry about that.” Callie reaches under the pram into a bag and pulls out a wipe. “She’s just learnt how to do kisses.”

Callie grabs my hand, wiping the drool away. Her warm, soft palm is pressed against mine, making my stomach tighten and fizzle all at once.

She pulls away before I’m ready, and I’m left staring at my hand, half expecting a mark to be left behind.

“I remember something from your calendar for tonight. Somewhere with an odd name?”

“And Gigs. It’s a new club for live music events.” I look up and down the street. Every bay is full, and people crowd the footpath. “Do you live nearby?”

“No, we’re about a twenty-minute drive from here, but I managed to get a parking spot at the end of the street.”

It’s already dark, the light around us coming from the street lamps and festoon lights strung overhead. I don’t like the idea of her and Navie walking alone once they’re ready to leave.

“Are you just getting the cookie, or are you meeting a friend or something?”

“Just the cookie. There’s a mini food truck at the end of the boardwalk, closer to the marina. I’ve been making my way through their menu since I moved here.”

“I’ve got time. I’ll walk with you guys.”

She pins her blue eyes on me, full of playful tease. “Are you sure being seen with a single mum won’t ruin your street cred?”

“Where’s the fun in doing what people expect?” I smile.

She stares at me, trying to figure out my motives, and I wish I could explain them, but it’s nothing more complicated than the fact that walking around with her and her daughter sounds more appealing right now than going to a fancy club opening.

“You are unexpected,” she says with a disbelieving laugh, turning the pram around as we head towards the boardwalk.

Our arms keep brushing as the crowd pushes us together. The first time surprised me, and then it made my heart jump. By the third time, I kinda kept wanting it to happen. I wanted to chase that spark on my skin.

“I have some exciting news,” I say, once we reach the main part of the boardwalk. “I put an offer on the house we saw the other day, and this morning the owners accepted it.”

Callie gasps, causing Navie’s head to snap back, curious about what garnered her mother’s attention. “How exciting. Mason, I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks.” My chest fills with pride, her approval earning a strange sense of achievement in me. “I was also wondering if you wanted to help out with the build.”

“Of course. Anything you need me to do.”

“Not like admin stuff in the office.” I shake my head. “I was thinking maybe you’d like me to teach you some of the demo and building stuff. You said you like learning new things.”

“Like I’d get to throw a sledgehammer through a wall?” Her eyes light up, and her bright smile is unstoppable.

“Yeah.” I smile back. “Safely, of course.”

“You’d really teach me some things?” she asks, softer now.

“If you want.”