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“Oh? What is it that you have planned?” I ask, taking a deep breath as I sink back into the plush desk chair that Wade bought for my room.
“Harper and Coop are coming over to the ranch today for a supervised visit, and I thought it would be nice if you could be there to meet the both of them.”
My stomach flips. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean,” I pause, lowering my voice, “this isn’t a real relationship, and you don’t want to lie to your son—kids are so fragile.”
He nods, not even remotely put off by the comment. “I know that, but I can introduce you as a friend. Even if we were actually engaged, I wouldn’t overwhelm him with that kind of information. I need to take things slow with him,” he pauses. “So, are you up for it?”
“Yeah, sure,” I say with a shrug. “I would love to meet him.”
“There’s really nothing to worry about, he’s going to love you. Mom and Dad will be around too, so hopefully Harper will be on her best behavior.”
Yikes, that sounds bad.
I nod, not showing any signs of the anxiety building in my chest. There’s no way that I’m going to let him see how terrified I am to meet his ex-wife. I usually don’t get intimidated by meeting new people, but I can’t help but want to make a good impression—for his sake.
“What time are they supposed to be here?” I ask, glancing out the window of my bedroom. It’s a spectacular view—one that I could definitely get used to—other than the barns, it’s open fields, dotted with horses and cattle. I live in the mountainous woods of Arkansas, so I’m used to some amazing views, but I’ve never experienced them right outside my window.
“They’re supposed to be here in about thirty minutes, but you don’t have to come down right then,” he adds quickly as my face contorts with a bit of panic. “Feel free to take your time, and come down whenever you’re ready. No pressure. I know this is super short notice, but I thought they were coming tomorrow. She changed her mind because Coop apparently has a birthday party ... and I didn’t want to tell them no.”
“I completely get that,” I say, giving him a smile. “I can probably be ready before they get here. I just need to hop in the shower real quick and get changed. I’ve been so focused on writing that I haven’t showered in over twenty-four hours.”
“That’s great to know, Callie.” Wade scrunches up his nose before shooting me a wink, his face lighting up with amusement.
“Dry shampoo is a real miracle worker.” I smirk.
“I guess you weren’t kidding in the slightest when you said you were low maintenance. I like it.” He winks again.
“You like the fact that I haven’t showered?” I ask, giving him a look of disbelief.
Wade shrugs. “I mean, I don’t have a clue what dry shampoo is, but whatever works. It’s honestly refreshing to be around a woman who isn’t so caught up in how they look.”
“So then why did you date women like that?” I counter, narrowing my eyes at him. I have no idea why I’m digging into this, other than maybe just pure curiosity?
Wade sighs, rubbing his defined jawline. “I guess it’s because I was trying to keep up appearances and maintain my rockstar image. The world kind of expects a rockstar to be with a model or another woman in the industry—so I played my part.”
I nod, unsure if he’s telling the whole truth or if he’s just trying to make me feel better about myself.
“Well, I’ll just be a few minutes and then I’ll head downstairs,” I say, forcing a small smile.
“I take it that’s my cue to leave then.” He smirks, rubbing the back of his neck as he backs up toward the doorway. “I also wanted to say that I’d like to have another writing session with you—if you want.” His words come out awkward and almost nervous, making me smile for real.
“I think we can do that.”
“You’re a really talented writer, Callie. I’d like to pick your brain for as long as you’re here. I can pay you for it if you’d like—you’ll get royalties from it when it’s released, but if you want some sort of upfront amount, I’m more than happy...”
“Let’s just focus on your ex-wife and son for now,” I say, pushing back from the chair and heading toward the bathroom. “One thing at a time.”
“You got it.” He laughs, ducking out of the room.
I hop in the shower for a quick rinse, and then choose to do the simplest freshen-up routine I can, so I can ensure I’m downstairs before Harper and Cooper get here. Despite Wade saying it doesn’t matter, I don’t want my first impression with Harper to be that I’m not interested in meeting her. That just seems rude to me—but maybe I’m just too concerned about the whole thing.
It’s going to be fine.
I just keep repeating the thought to myself as I slip into a fresh pair of boyfriend style jeans and a cream-colored sweater. I smooth out my auburn hair, leaving it in a slight mess of waves, giving it a beach texture. With a dab of mascara, I’m good to go and head down the two flights of stairs to the bottom floor.
“You look beautiful,” Wade says to me as I walk into the kitchen. Angie, his mom, is leaning on the counter with a beaming smile.
Does he mean that? Or is this for show?
