“Well… yeah… I’ve told him everything.”
“And how does he feel about all of that?” she asks, but before I can reply, she says, “I mean… does he berate you for your choices? Look down his nose at you? Mock you? Make you feel inferior? Does he constantly rub your nose in your mistakes and make you feel ashamed of yourself?”
I pull up straight, incensed on Rand’s behalf. “Of course he doesn’t. He’s done nothing but call me a survivor. He’s said my past doesn’t matter.”
“Then why the fuck are you letting it matter?” Callie asks sarcastically, and I feel like she’d love to add a thump onto my forehead for being so dense. “If you trust Rand, then you must believe what he says. If you believe what he says, then your past doesn’t have shit to do with your future with him.”
I have no words.
No comeback.
Certainly no argument.
My gaze drops to the floor as I can’t bear to have Callie see my own mortification at being so stupid.
I do trust Rand. Clearly trust his reasoning better than my own, since my head seems pretty fucked up these days. But more importantly, if I just let go of my notions of inferiority, and for the briefest of moments, suspend my own self-doubt, I can admit to myself that Rand seems to think I’m pretty great as is.
So why shouldn’t I?
My eyes snaps up, pinning Callie, who’s looking at me expectantly. “I’m a fucking idiot.”
She bursts out laughing, throwing her head back and revealing beautifully straight, white teeth. I can’t help it… I laugh too. We stare at each other in amusement as our laughs turn to chuckles, and then finally recede into a sheepish smile from me and a happy smile from Callie.
“Okay, my job here is done,” she says proudly, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “I expect to hear all the nitty-gritty details about how you and Rand make up, and you can’t spare any of the sexy stuff either.”
I snort. “He’s got to show back up in town for that to happen.”
“I’m sure he’ll be back soon,” she says, and something about the look on her face makes me do a double take.
“Wait a minute… do you know where he is?” I ask suspiciously.
She doesn’t say anything for a moment, and I think she might deny it, but then she sighs and shrugs her shoulders at me. “Actually, I do know where he is, I do know when he’s coming back and no, I won’t tell you. That’s for him.”
“But—”
“Now, I really have to go. Lots of stuff to do today,” she chirps at me, brushing by me to the front door.
“But—”
“Later, Cat.”
The door opens and then closes behind her quickly, and I realize that Callie just came over here to help pave the way for Rand’s return. She was gauging the situation and was bound and determined to do her damndest to make sure my head was on straight when he showed up on my doorstep.
Shaking my head and smiling to myself, I walk up to the front door and peek outside the rectangular pane of glass that sits to the side. Callie gets in her car, a sassy little BMW, and pulls out of my driveway.
Damn, I’m glad she came by.
I start to turn away, but movement catches my eye. I watch as another vehicle pulls in. I don’t recognize it… a nondescript black four door with a Wyoming plate on the front. The late afternoon sun hits the windshield at just such an angle that I can’t see who it is. My gut tells me it’s Detective Blanton, and I get excited that he may have news for me.
I’m surprised when after the car comes to a stop, the passenger door opens first. A man gets out and takes a look around the front yard. He’s probably in his mid-forties with dark brown hair, tall, fit, and reasonably attractive. The driver’s door opens and my jaw drops open when I see Rand get out. He says something to the other man across the top of the car, who nods in return.
Both men close their doors and start walking up to the house, and for the life of me, I have no clue what’s going on.
Rand walks up the porch steps first, and just as his foot hits the top landing, I open the door. His gaze snaps to mine and lights up with joy to see me standing there. I have a flood of warmth and happiness course through me as I realize how much I’ve missed him in the past few days, and how much I just want to throw myself into his arms.
But he brought company and that holds me back.
I look to the older man again, and note he has brown eyes and olive-toned skin. He gives me a cautious smile, and when he does, I note he only has one dimple popping on the left side.
Huh, just like me… only one dimple working.
Just. Like. Me.
I tilt my head, looking at him closer.
It can’t be.
It just can’t.
I turn my head slowly back to Rand and look at him… my eyes pleading with him to tell me who this man is.
“Cat,” Rand says quietly as he nods to the stranger. “I found your father.”
Chapter 25
Rand