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“I can draw you a map,” he says, huffing a little as we make our way up to the third floor. “But I promise, it’s not that hard to navigate.”
“Yeah,” I say, though I already know I’m gonna be dropping a location pin on my iPhone the moment I get in my room—although, I’m not sure that will even help. It’s worth a shot though.
We walk down a long hallway on the third floor, and thankfully, Bear is still in his service dog harness, so he’s on his best behavior. I swear he just knows he’s supposed to be a good boy when he’s got it on.
“Here’s your room,” Wade says, opening the second door on the right. I follow him into the room, seeing the massive king-sized bed on a log frame. It’s the most magnificent cabin themed room I’ve ever seen—and I live in a log cabin. This room makes my cabin feel miniscule. “I’ll be just next door.”
“This is just amazing,” I say, glancing over to him and wondering what his room looks like. “Can I see your room? Is it the room you grew up in?”
He looks surprised. “It is—and you can, but why?”
“I guess because I’m curious to see where you come from. And it’s a little piece of you,” I answer him as Bear and I slip past him into the hallway. He gestures toward his bedroom door, and the moment I open it, I’m struck by the sight.
It looks just like I imagined. There’re guitars lining the walls, a record player, and all the things you’d expect to find in a bedroom that belonged to a musician. “This room is even more amazing,” I say, noting the bookshelf from the floor to the ceiling on one side.
“You think so?” he asks, his voice coming out more endearing than I expected.
I turn to see him, standing there, staring at me. “I do. I think it’s fitting for you. And that bookshelf is an absolute dream.”
Wade smiles, his eyes flickering with a hint of amusement. “Yeah, that’s my prized possession. I collect books as much as I collect vinyl records.”
I walk over to the bookshelf, running my fingers along the spines of the books. There are books on music theory, biographies of famous musicians, and even a few classics thrown in. “Wow, you’ve got a little bit of everything here.”
“Yeah, I like to keep it eclectic,” he replies, leaning against the wall. “It helps with writer’s block, you know?”
I nod, feeling a smile tug at the corners of my lips. “I know exactly what you mean.”
He walks toward me, stopping about six inches from me. My heart picks up in my chest as I feel the heat radiating from his body. His cologne smells like a delicious mix of sandalwood and vanilla, making my senses reel. My breath hitches in my throat as he leans forward, closing the distance between the two of us...
To pet Bear.
Pull it together, Callie.
Last night, I actually thought that Wade Lewis was about to kiss me in the middle of his childhood bedroom. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t secretly wish he would have. I shake the memory from my mind—mortified just thinking about how hard my heart nearly jumped out of my chest as he approached me to pet my dog.
But now, it’s the afternoon of Wade’s brother’s wedding, and I need to focus.
I sit on the edge of my bed as I apply my makeup in the mirror. I take out my favorite mascara—one that makes my lashes look long and full—and coat them with a few swipes. Next, I give myself some subtle contouring along my cheekbones with bronzer and apply a shimmery rose-gold eyeshadow, which gives me just enough color without looking too overdone. Finally, I go over it all with a light dusting of translucent powder so everything will stay in place throughout the night. I’m nearly done when the realization hits me right in the chest.
The last wedding I attended was my own...
I swallow the hurt as I reflect on my own wedding day.
I spent months planning every detail for our perfect day—from the color scheme to the favors. Nick and I promised each other forever, and we meant it down to our core. I wholeheartedly believed that life would be peaceful and full of love and laughter together as husband and wife.
But life had other plans.
Less than two years later, I found myself divorced and heartbroken, trying to pick up the pieces and move on with my life. My high school sweetheart had cheated on me with a business associate he met in New York.
He packed up his entire life and started a brand new one, without me in it.
It hurt. And I was in a dark place for much longer than I care to admit. I drank my feelings away ... falling into some of the same habits that I loathed my birth parents for. For me, that divorce was so much more than a broken marriage. I grieved the loss of his entire family—the first family I had ever been able to call my own. His mom was always so welcoming, and his dad treated me like one of his own. When we said our vows, I thought I was marrying into a family that would be mine forever.
Signing those divorce papers meant I was alone—again.
Well, except for my sister and Bear, of course.
I just want a family of my own.
