My lips find hers, and I kiss her slowly and deeply. When I end it, I say, “Out of everything you just said, all I heard were the words ‘my man’.”
She’s silent for a beat. “You never stopped being my man, Luke Hardy. You just never knew it.”
48
Callie
Family.
I never realised what I was missing out on until I became part of Luke’s family. Sitting around the table over dinner, with this family, I feel so much love and acceptance that my heart could actually burst.
Sean crawls onto my lap and rests his head against my chest while wrapping his arms around me. He’s been my shadow all afternoon, which is cool, because if he wasn’t mine, I’d certainly be his.
Luke smiles at us as he reaches for my hand. Since we’ve spent all afternoon with the family, we haven’t had a chance to talk about what’s happening between us. I’m okay with that, though, because I think we’re on the same page now.
“So,” Estelle says with a clap of her hands. She’s so happy to be here with us all. Her glow burns bright. “Sailing is booked for eight tomorrow morning.” Looking at Avery, she asks, “What have you decided, darling?” I smile at the relationship they’ve formed. Estelle has become the mother to her she hasn’t had for most of her life.
Tyler answers for Avery. “She’s not going. I’ll stay here with her.”
Avery scowls at him before looking at Estelle. “I’ve decided not to go. But Tyler will go with you. I’m going to check into the day spa instead.”
Tyler opens his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. “I’ll stay with Avery. We can have a girls’ day.”
She hits me with a grateful smile.
Sean shifts so he can look up at me. “No, I want you to come sailing,” he grumbles.
I take hold of his face with both my hands. “We can go sailing another time.”
“When?”
“When we get home from this trip we’ll organise a day. How does that sound?”
His face lights up with a smile, and he nods. “That sounds good.”
My eyes meet Luke’s.
No words are exchanged, but I know what’s behind the expression on his face. He’s wondering what I mean by ‘when we get home’.
Estelle continues, “You girls will have breakfast with us?”
“Yes, I will,” I reply.
Avery agrees also and Estelle beams. “Good. I need my girls at breakfast.”
My girls.
Family.
* * *
After dinner, we all take a walk along the beach, laughing the whole time. Even Avery and Tyler put aside their bickering and have some fun. When they let their issues go, they are something else to watch. Her eyes sparkle and his body language screams out how much he wants her. I always knew they had something; I just hope they can find their way to it.
As we stroll back towards the resort, Luke’s arm slides over my shoulders and he pulls me close. We slow down while everyone keeps moving forward. “You know what I’m looking forward to?” he says.
I glance up at him. “What?”
“Sailing with you.”
I snake my arm around his waist and sink into his love. “Me too.” I know he’s not talking about sailing.
“So this is really happening?”
I stop and turn to face him. Looking up into eyes that beg me to give him the one word he wants to hear, I smile. “Yes. We’re really going sailing.”
His chest rises as he inhales a long breath. He then returns my smile. It’s not a smile I’ve ever seen. This is so much more. “I’ve been wanting to go sailing with you for far too long, baby.”
“I know,” I whisper. “Me, too.”
He steps close and catches my lips with his. Goosebumps flood my skin as he kisses me like a man starved for kisses. I wrap my arms around him and twine one leg around his. I could spend eternity kissing this man.
When he finally lets me go, I say, “I love that we don’t do quick kisses, ever.”
His eyes fill with a burning intensity. “Callie, I won’t let you go again. Are you sure this is what you want?”
My heart thumps in my chest as I nod. Just the thought of saying no fills me with fear. “Yes.”
“What about your work?”
“I hate my job, and I can work anywhere with the job I’m going to pursue now. I want to publish books, and I can do that from a sailboat if I have internet. I can live anywhere, Luke, and I choose to live with you and Sean.”
His eyes search mine.
When he doesn’t say anything, I place my hand against his chest. “Besides, I already have my flight booked home to Brisbane. And I’m sitting right next to you on that flight.”
He frowns, clearly confused. “What?”
I grin. “I asked Estelle to book me a flight home to Brisbane rather than to LA. I was so unhappy over there. Thank God for Avery talking some sense into me, convincing me it’s okay to take a step back if you make a bad choice in life. I packed up my apartment and shipped what I wanted to keep home and sold the rest. And I quit my job. The last couple of weeks have been very busy to say the least.”
His hand slides around the nape of my neck. “We’re really doing this.”