what Callie wanted. He wasn’t sure what had spooked her tonight—though he could guess. He’d clicked with her kids.
Who did he honor? His longtime friend? Or the friend’s widow, to whom he was attracted?
Matt shoved it all away and focused on the fall of his feet against the sidewalk, a familiar rhythm, and the way Aldo loped a little bit ahead, tongue lolling. His head blessedly emptied of all thoughts—but Callie and her panicked eyes were still there, in the back of his mind.
* * *
“So. I saw one superhunky neighbor leaving your house last night,” Colleen teased the next morning, after the boys had disappeared into the day care part of the house. Callie felt her face turn bright red as her mouth dropped open. She hadn’t actually planned for this, on top of a night spent tossing and turning, and full of dreams of Matt kissing her— kissing her , dear God. It hadn’t occurred to her that someone would see him coming or going. And draw conclusions. That were completely wrong, of course.
“Um. Yeah,” she said, her recovery slow and awkward, but still... “He just stopped in to see the boys. Since he knew Jason and all.” She busied herself with backpacks, and wished the kids hadn’t abandoned her so quickly.
Colleen made a noise in her throat that could have meant anything. “Okay.”
“Colleen—” Callie started, but her friend stopped her, holding up a hand. “I know, Callie. I won’t say anything. Well, that’s not true,” she amended, and Callie had to smile. “I’ll say he seems like a great guy. And I know you could use a great guy in your life.”
Callie’s smile faded. “No. We’re fine just how we are.”
Colleen didn’t push it, but her look said volumes. “Are you?”
Of course they were. She’d worked very hard to be sure they were. It was her main priority. A great guy in her life? Other than her boys, that wasn’t on the list.
* * *
That evening, a respectable amount of time after Matt pulled into the driveway, Callie trekked over to his house. She knocked, half hoping he wouldn’t answer. He tugged open the door a few seconds later, disheveled and sweaty in a T-shirt and gym shorts that showed off—oh, my—powerful thighs. She wanted—inexplicably—to lick him all over.
Not helpful.
“Can I help you?” he asked, sounding slightly amused, and she realized she’d been staring. There was no hiding the resulting heat that swept up her neck.
She cleared her throat. Her voice seemed to be stuck. “Did I interrupt something?”
“Not really. I just finished my workout.”
“Ah.” Her mind blanked at the thought of him lifting weights. Muscles flexing. Mmm...
“Callie?” Now he sounded really amused.
She blinked. “Right. Sorry. Been a long day. Listen, I just wanted to apologize for my rudeness last night,” she said, and made herself meet those amazing blue eyes. Here was the tricky part. She didn’t want to admit how badly she’d freaked out. “It just got a little—overwhelming.”
“I know.” He leaned on the door.
“You know?” she repeated. Her stomach dropped. She’d hoped she’d been a little more subtle. Apparently not.
“Yeah. I could tell. Where are the kids?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “In the house. Standing in the doorway so they can see me.” Matt looked around her and waved, and they waved back at him excitedly. What did he mean, he could tell? How could he read her? He didn’t know her, not really. “I’m really sorry. I never should have run you out of the house like I did last night.” It still made her wince, that she’d gotten so panicky over them playing. Bonding.
“Callie. It’s okay,” he said softly, and she gave a stiff nod.
“Okay. Just wanted to make sure.”
He caught her arm as she turned, and lightly pulled her around. The heat of his touch, gentle as it was, made her shiver.
“I could tell,” he repeated, his voice slightly rough, “because you looked completely spooked. Not
Who did he honor? His longtime friend? Or the friend’s widow, to whom he was attracted?
Matt shoved it all away and focused on the fall of his feet against the sidewalk, a familiar rhythm, and the way Aldo loped a little bit ahead, tongue lolling. His head blessedly emptied of all thoughts—but Callie and her panicked eyes were still there, in the back of his mind.
* * *
“So. I saw one superhunky neighbor leaving your house last night,” Colleen teased the next morning, after the boys had disappeared into the day care part of the house. Callie felt her face turn bright red as her mouth dropped open. She hadn’t actually planned for this, on top of a night spent tossing and turning, and full of dreams of Matt kissing her— kissing her , dear God. It hadn’t occurred to her that someone would see him coming or going. And draw conclusions. That were completely wrong, of course.
“Um. Yeah,” she said, her recovery slow and awkward, but still... “He just stopped in to see the boys. Since he knew Jason and all.” She busied herself with backpacks, and wished the kids hadn’t abandoned her so quickly.
Colleen made a noise in her throat that could have meant anything. “Okay.”
“Colleen—” Callie started, but her friend stopped her, holding up a hand. “I know, Callie. I won’t say anything. Well, that’s not true,” she amended, and Callie had to smile. “I’ll say he seems like a great guy. And I know you could use a great guy in your life.”
Callie’s smile faded. “No. We’re fine just how we are.”
Colleen didn’t push it, but her look said volumes. “Are you?”
Of course they were. She’d worked very hard to be sure they were. It was her main priority. A great guy in her life? Other than her boys, that wasn’t on the list.
* * *
That evening, a respectable amount of time after Matt pulled into the driveway, Callie trekked over to his house. She knocked, half hoping he wouldn’t answer. He tugged open the door a few seconds later, disheveled and sweaty in a T-shirt and gym shorts that showed off—oh, my—powerful thighs. She wanted—inexplicably—to lick him all over.
Not helpful.
“Can I help you?” he asked, sounding slightly amused, and she realized she’d been staring. There was no hiding the resulting heat that swept up her neck.
She cleared her throat. Her voice seemed to be stuck. “Did I interrupt something?”
“Not really. I just finished my workout.”
“Ah.” Her mind blanked at the thought of him lifting weights. Muscles flexing. Mmm...
“Callie?” Now he sounded really amused.
She blinked. “Right. Sorry. Been a long day. Listen, I just wanted to apologize for my rudeness last night,” she said, and made herself meet those amazing blue eyes. Here was the tricky part. She didn’t want to admit how badly she’d freaked out. “It just got a little—overwhelming.”
“I know.” He leaned on the door.
“You know?” she repeated. Her stomach dropped. She’d hoped she’d been a little more subtle. Apparently not.
“Yeah. I could tell. Where are the kids?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “In the house. Standing in the doorway so they can see me.” Matt looked around her and waved, and they waved back at him excitedly. What did he mean, he could tell? How could he read her? He didn’t know her, not really. “I’m really sorry. I never should have run you out of the house like I did last night.” It still made her wince, that she’d gotten so panicky over them playing. Bonding.
“Callie. It’s okay,” he said softly, and she gave a stiff nod.
“Okay. Just wanted to make sure.”
He caught her arm as she turned, and lightly pulled her around. The heat of his touch, gentle as it was, made her shiver.
“I could tell,” he repeated, his voice slightly rough, “because you looked completely spooked. Not
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