unlike Aldo during a thunderstorm.”
She thought maybe she should be offended, even as, behind him, Aldo raised his head and wagged his tail at the sound of his name. “I’m not—”
“No. You’re not. You’re trying to deal with all this and it got to be too much. No shame in that. You’ve been through hell, Callie. I know that.” Matt released her arm when she gave a slight tug. The last thing she needed was for Colleen or any other neighbor to look outside and see them...well, see them together, period. “I know that and I know this is a weird situation. So we’ll take it at your pace. I’d love to hang out with your kids. But if it’s too much, and you need to step back, I get it.” He ran his hand over his closely cropped hair. “Jason was important to me, but you were his wife. That means my access to your kids is up to you.”
She stepped back. He was giving her the control here and she appreciated it. “Glad you understand that. And again, I’m sorry.”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, which were understandably wary. “No problem. It was a great dinner. And I enjoyed the company. So did Aldo.”
This time the dog gave a little bark at the sound of his name. She couldn’t help but smile a little.
“That’s good. Well, I’ll let you get back to your workout.”
“Okay.”
She walked back across the street and felt his gaze on her the whole way. She kept her steps measured, even though she wanted to run, because she really didn’t want him to know she wanted to run. And hide. And ignore him until these feelings went so far away they never came back.
CHAPTER FIVE
T HE BOYS WERE wiggling at the front door when she walked back up to her own house.
“Can we see Aldo?” Eli demanded, and Callie made herself smile.
“Not today, kiddo.” Goodness, all this fuss over a dog. She ushered them back a bit so she could step in, and didn’t look over her shoulder. What if Matt was watching? What if he wasn’t? Both options gave her a little flutter, which she tried to ignore.
It was silly either way.
Her phone rang as she was steering the boys toward bedtime. A quick glance revealed it to be her mother-in-law.
“Hi, Maureen.” She tucked the phone on her shoulder and pulled jammies out for Liam.
“Hi, Callie,” Maureen Marshall said. “Listen, Joe and I were wondering if we could take the boys this weekend. Overnight on Saturday, to be exact. We can get tickets to the Sesame Street Live show and thought maybe they’d enjoy that. I know it’s kind of short notice, but...” She trailed off.
Callie smiled at Liam and tweaked his nose as she handed him the jammies and stepped back to let him try to put them on. “It’s fine. I think they’d like it.” And maybe she could pick up a shift at the salon Saturday morning. The extra money would be useful.
“Okay, good. Thanks, Callie. Do you have to work? We can pick them up beforehand.”
“No, but I’ll see if I can get a shift,” she replied as she helped Liam yank the pajama top over his head. He had a really big head and she liked to say it was because he had a big—and very smart—brain.
They settled on a time. She’d offered to meet them somewhere, but Maureen insisted on making the full trip over to them. It wasn’t a long drive, but it saved Callie half an hour or so of her morning.
“Guess what?” she told the kids after she hung up. “You can go to Grandma and Grandpa’s this weekend. Would you like that?”
Their excited squeals made her laugh. She hugged each boy in turn and said, “It’s still a few days away. But it will be fun to look forward to.”
“So, tomorrow?” Eli asked, and she dropped a kiss on his head and chuckled.
“Nope. Saturday. Today’s Wednesday, so two more days.” She pulled the covers back on each boy’s bed.
She got them tucked in and went through all the rituals. She knew they were just stalling, even with Liam’s eyes barely open, but she couldn’t help but
She thought maybe she should be offended, even as, behind him, Aldo raised his head and wagged his tail at the sound of his name. “I’m not—”
“No. You’re not. You’re trying to deal with all this and it got to be too much. No shame in that. You’ve been through hell, Callie. I know that.” Matt released her arm when she gave a slight tug. The last thing she needed was for Colleen or any other neighbor to look outside and see them...well, see them together, period. “I know that and I know this is a weird situation. So we’ll take it at your pace. I’d love to hang out with your kids. But if it’s too much, and you need to step back, I get it.” He ran his hand over his closely cropped hair. “Jason was important to me, but you were his wife. That means my access to your kids is up to you.”
She stepped back. He was giving her the control here and she appreciated it. “Glad you understand that. And again, I’m sorry.”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, which were understandably wary. “No problem. It was a great dinner. And I enjoyed the company. So did Aldo.”
This time the dog gave a little bark at the sound of his name. She couldn’t help but smile a little.
“That’s good. Well, I’ll let you get back to your workout.”
“Okay.”
She walked back across the street and felt his gaze on her the whole way. She kept her steps measured, even though she wanted to run, because she really didn’t want him to know she wanted to run. And hide. And ignore him until these feelings went so far away they never came back.
CHAPTER FIVE
T HE BOYS WERE wiggling at the front door when she walked back up to her own house.
“Can we see Aldo?” Eli demanded, and Callie made herself smile.
“Not today, kiddo.” Goodness, all this fuss over a dog. She ushered them back a bit so she could step in, and didn’t look over her shoulder. What if Matt was watching? What if he wasn’t? Both options gave her a little flutter, which she tried to ignore.
It was silly either way.
Her phone rang as she was steering the boys toward bedtime. A quick glance revealed it to be her mother-in-law.
“Hi, Maureen.” She tucked the phone on her shoulder and pulled jammies out for Liam.
“Hi, Callie,” Maureen Marshall said. “Listen, Joe and I were wondering if we could take the boys this weekend. Overnight on Saturday, to be exact. We can get tickets to the Sesame Street Live show and thought maybe they’d enjoy that. I know it’s kind of short notice, but...” She trailed off.
Callie smiled at Liam and tweaked his nose as she handed him the jammies and stepped back to let him try to put them on. “It’s fine. I think they’d like it.” And maybe she could pick up a shift at the salon Saturday morning. The extra money would be useful.
“Okay, good. Thanks, Callie. Do you have to work? We can pick them up beforehand.”
“No, but I’ll see if I can get a shift,” she replied as she helped Liam yank the pajama top over his head. He had a really big head and she liked to say it was because he had a big—and very smart—brain.
They settled on a time. She’d offered to meet them somewhere, but Maureen insisted on making the full trip over to them. It wasn’t a long drive, but it saved Callie half an hour or so of her morning.
“Guess what?” she told the kids after she hung up. “You can go to Grandma and Grandpa’s this weekend. Would you like that?”
Their excited squeals made her laugh. She hugged each boy in turn and said, “It’s still a few days away. But it will be fun to look forward to.”
“So, tomorrow?” Eli asked, and she dropped a kiss on his head and chuckled.
“Nope. Saturday. Today’s Wednesday, so two more days.” She pulled the covers back on each boy’s bed.
She got them tucked in and went through all the rituals. She knew they were just stalling, even with Liam’s eyes barely open, but she couldn’t help but
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