He arches a brow at me and then shakes his head. “You can’t just come here and decide to insert yourself in everyone’s life, not when you don’t intend on staying. You think you’re helping them, but all you’re doing is getting their hopes up to only up and leave in a few weeks.”
I swallow thickly, because I can read between the lines. He doesn’t just mean helping Effie with her business.
“I’m just trying to help,” I say sharply.
“Yeah, well, sometimes people are better off not accepting help from people who aren’t fully invested in the outcome.”
The words feel like a slap to the face and I’m not really sure what to say.
“Do you know how hard it is to travel as a solo Omega? This place is the most comfortable I’ve ever felt traveling. I’m invested.”
“No, you’re invested in making yourself feel better and not giving a shit about how it will affect everyone else. I can’t do this right now. Go ahead and get her on social media or whatever you promised, but you’re going to have a hell of a time getting their listings online when Nan doesn’t know their banking information, only I do.” He doesn’t spare me another glance after that, he just walks off.
Callum is an asshole, that hasn’t changed, but is he completely wrong? Helping Effie does make me feel better, and I’m only here for a limited time. It’s not like I could stay on and help her with things. Though that conversation wasn’t just about helping Effie, was it?
He views me as this person who swooped in set on causing chaos in his pack's life and that’s far from what I came here to do.
“Maisie dear, would you like a snack?” Effie asks from the doorway and I give her a forced smile and head up the gravel walkway. As soon as I approach, Effie puts an arm on my shoulder. “I know exactly where the banking information is.”
I turn to face her quickly, nearly knocking off my equilibrium.
“You heard all that?” I ask her and she lets out a small laugh.
“Of course I did. That boy, he’s lost, so I give him direction. I don’t need him cooking as much as he does. I don’t need him to deposit the checks. The lad needs something to do. Keeping him busy is the best way to keep him out of trouble.”
“What about Graham?” I ask.
Effie smiles as she thinks of her other grandson. “He’s finding his direction, and I don’t want him to feel like he has to take on the family business. Him and my Callum are so different with what they need. Callum needs busy tasks, and Graham has just needed space to find himself.”
“So then we’re doing this?” I ask, holding up my phone.
“We’re most certainly doing this,” the older woman agrees.
I have to contain a smile, because I think I kind of love the old innkeeper.
21
callum
After a dayof being pissed off, I just can’t hold it in anymore. It’s late, far too late to be bothering my Nan, but I know I won’t be able to sleep until I get this off my chest.
Greer and Lain are completely fucking besotted by the Omega, but I can’t let my Nan be bewitched by her too.
I let myself in and I’m shocked when she’s sitting in her simple purple robe, sipping tea in the kitchen.
“Christ, Nan, you scared the shite out of me,” I say, and she clears her throat.
“You’re the one coming into my kitchen late at night. I imagine to give me an ear full. I figured I’d save your Grandda and let him sleep through it. Go on then,” she says, sipping from her teacup.
“That’s not?—”
“No? Callum, I know you better than you know yourself. Now, get it out,” she says, clearly fed up with my bullshit.
“You and Grandda need to slow down, not trying to drum up even more business.”
“Take a seat,” she says, pouring me a cup of tea. “Do you not think that I could have had Graham do this years ago?”
I blink at her, because I had that thought. If they wanted to be on social media, Graham could have easily set them up and have done everything Maisie is doing right now.
