Hollywood House Call

Sixteen



Noah moved through Callie’s room. Her bed was rumpled where she’d slept, his shirts she’d worn were folded and lying on the trunk at the end of the bed. Her sandals were strewn around the room, and the second he stepped in here, he was enveloped by her sweet, floral aroma.

Noah gripped the edge of the dresser and closed his eyes. He’d majorly botched up everything he ever had with Callie. By protecting his heart, he’d completely crushed hers. What kind of man did that to an already vulnerable woman?

He glanced into the adjoining bath, his eyes instantly falling onto the tub where he’d helped her with her hair that first day. It was only six weeks ago, but so much had happened since then.

Aside from her quick healing, she’d opened up emotionally, she’d fought to not let her accident ruin her, he’d met her family and instantly felt a connection to them when they welcomed him into their home.

But the main thing that had happened was his heart had been taken over. Noah had sworn when Malinda died that no one would ever fill that void…and no one could. But he realized now that Callie found a new place in his heart to reside and she wasn’t replacing Malinda at all. What he found with Callie was new, fresh and so real he didn’t know why he hadn’t seen it until that hurt, anger and despair flooded her eyes along with tears.

It was those tears that nearly killed him. He was the cause of those tears. He did this to her and he would have to be the one to fix it.

As a surgeon, he knew all too well that fixing things wasn’t always simple or easy. But it was worth the time and effort.

And Callie Matthews was worth everything he had in him to give. He wasn’t letting her go that easily.

Noah pulled his cell from his pocket and called his Realtor.

This was just the first step in getting her back. For good.

* * *

Callie went right to work on her computer trying to find another job. At this point, she knew she couldn’t be picky.

Noah had dropped her off that morning and here it was near dinnertime and he still hadn’t brought her stuff. If he thought she’d be coming back, he was a total moron.

She’d cried in the shower until the water ran cold, then pulled on a blousy, sheer yellow top over a white tank and denim shorts. At least she could look cheerful even if she wasn’t feeling it.

Callie had been on her laptop the past few hours because searching for work was productive and at least keeping her mind focused on something other than the fact that another fantasy, another dream had just been taken away by fate.

Callie refused to believe coming to L.A. was a mistake. She did love the town, and after going home, she knew for sure that being in the city suited her.

There were several tutoring jobs that she could start immediately and that would be good money until she could figure out what else she needed to do. She wasn’t giving up on acting. Even though Noah had lied to her, Callie firmly believed what Max had told her about Anthony looking at her twice and she knew a makeup artist could work with her face.

She refused to let fate take control of her life. She’d let herself grow dependent on Noah by living with him, falling in love with him and focusing more on him than on her questionable career. And now she had to refocus on her original goal—acting.

But since she’d quit her job, she needed immediate funds that would keep a roof over her head, not to mention pay for the expense of the microdermabrasion. Perhaps she could take out a loan.

Someone knocked on her door and Callie froze. If that was Noah, he could just drop the stuff off and be on his way.

“I need to talk to you, Callie.”

She closed her eyes and sighed. Might as well get this over with because her neighbors didn’t deserve the bellowing.

Crossing the room, she jerked open the door. “What?”

His eyes raked over her body and she refused to allow the tingle to creep through and spear her heart anymore.

“Where’s my stuff?” she asked, noting he held nothing and there was no luggage on the stoop.

“I want to take you somewhere,” he told her.

She folded her arms over her chest, as if that would keep more hurt from seeping in. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“Just one hour, Callie. That’s all I’m asking for, and at the end of that hour if you don’t want to see me again, I’ll walk away.”

It was so tempting to slam the door in his face, but she couldn’t do it. As much as she hated liars and deceivers, she wanted to know what he had in store for her.

“One hour,” she told him. “No more.”

His shoulders relaxed as he blew out a breath. “Thank you.”

She grabbed her keys and her purse by the door and locked it behind her. By the time she was seated in his car, she wondered if she’d made a mistake. Now that she was in his presence, would she crumble and believe every word he said? She didn’t want to be that woman who believed liars and found excuses to take them back.

“You look beautiful,” he told her as he pulled out of her apartment complex.

“Don’t. I don’t need the pretty words.”

“That time we went to celebrate your role, and you were standing there holding those yellow tickets, I thought of you as the color yellow,” he went on as if she hadn’t said anything. “I know it sounds stupid, but you’re always so vibrant, so alive, and that smile you had on your face as you held that insane amount of tickets, I just thought if Callie were any color, it would be yellow.”

She glanced down to her yellow top and closed her eyes. “What do you want from me, Noah?”

“A fresh start?”

Callie glanced across the spacious SUV and stared at him. “What?”

“I called my real-estate agent and accepted that last offer on my house. I’m moving back into my old house.”

Her heart clenched as she fisted her hands in her lap to keep from reaching for him. “That’s great.”

“And I have a proposition for you, but you can take time to think about it.”

Intrigued, and angry at her crumbling defenses, she asked, “What is it?”

He spared her a glance as he came to a red light. “I want you to still model for me. I’ve made a decision on the new office I’m opening.”

Reaching across, he took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m going to make it a surgical center for victims who have been scarred or burned.”

Callie jerked her hand back, bringing it to her mouth in an attempt to hide her quivering chin. “Noah…”

He pulled ahead when the light changed and then turned into the pizza place where they’d “celebrated” weeks ago. Once the car was in Park, he faced her, taking both of her hands now.

“You’ve taught me so much, Callie. You can’t know how you’ve opened my eyes to what’s important.” His eyes filled with unshed tears. “After meeting your family, learning even more about you and knowing how hard you’ve fought for what you want, I know that you are the woman I want in my life. I want your drive, your determination…your love.”

Callie shook her head. “You don’t mean that. You just see me as another woman who left you.”

“You and Malinda may have similar appearances, but that’s where the similarities stop. You have my heart, Callie, in a way I don’t think she ever did. Yes, I’ll always have a piece of me that loves her, but what I feel for you is so big, so beyond anything I’ve ever known. I can’t give you up and I won’t let you give up on us. Not when we’re so close to perfection.”

Callie glanced to the restaurant, saw all the kids inside playing games, getting tickets and running around with smiles.

She wanted to believe every word he said. She firmly believed that if he didn’t truly love her, he wouldn’t have acted so fast after she left. He wouldn’t have sold his house, wouldn’t have shown up at her door ready to fight for what they had.

She glanced back to him. “What are we doing here, Noah?”

His smile widened. “Celebrating.”

“What are we celebrating?”

He reached behind her seat and pulled out the ugly monkey she’d won weeks ago. “It’s not a ring, but I’m hoping you’ll celebrate spending our lives together. Forever.”

Callie looked at the pathetic stuffed animal and smiled through tears. “God, that was so romantic and silly at the same time.” She laughed.

“What do you say we go in and win more ridiculous stuff to put in our house?”

She threw her arms around his neck and held tight. “I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.”

Noah eased back, framed her face and kissed her lips. “I love you, Callie Matthews.”

She saw the truth in his watery eyes. “I love you, too.”

* * * * *