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Warren smiled. “She seems a little stubborn, kind of like me, but at least she is coming.” He paused for a drink. “She mentioned you are letting her stay with you so she doesn’t need to get a hotel room.”
Before Warren could continue, a waiter appeared to ask if they required anything else while they looked over their menus. “I wish Sara would welcome Callie to the family the same way you have,” Warren said once the waiter left.
Dylan nearly choked on the water he’d just swallowed. Obviously, his stepfather had no idea his relationship with Callie had turned intimate. His mother gave him a strange look.
“Just went down the wrong way,” he said once he stopped coughing. “Give Sara a chance. She might still come around. It hasn’t been that long, and it has been quite a shock for everyone.”
He thought Sara was being immature about the situation. In many ways, he felt she hadn’t fully grown up yet. Not that it was entirely her fault. Warren and his mother tended to still treat her like a princess rather than an adult woman.
“I hope you’re right. They are sisters,” Warren said before changing the topic.
For the rest of the meal, they discussed Warren’s campaign, an upcoming debate, and the upcoming fundraiser. With the election only five months away, there was a lot of work to do, and Warren liked to get input from those closest to him.
Right before dessert arrived, Warren’s cell phone rang. Excusing himself, he retreated to a more private area to take the call. Dylan didn’t envy his stepfather. These days, the man ate, slept, and drank politics. This was actually the fourth call he’d gotten during dinner. He didn’t want to know how many Warren had already received that day.
Once Warren left, Dylan’s mother focused her attention on him. “Thank you for keeping an eye on Callie.”
“It’s not necessary,” he said, unable to keep the anger out of his voice.
Wrapping her manicured hands around her teacup, Elizabeth studied him before answering. “You’re probably right. Callie seems like a nice woman.” She paused as if trying to choose just the right words. “But Warren has worked too hard for this. I don’t want everything ruined because of one indiscretion from his youth.”
Dylan knew Mum only had Warren’s best interest in mind. Still, it didn’t sit well that she viewed Callie as any kind of threat. True, he once shared her sentiments, but that was before he’d gotten to know her.
“Once you get to know her, you’ll see she isn’t like that.” Dylan tried to keep his voice devoid of emotion.
By the way his mum’s perfectly shaped eyebrow went up, Dylan suspected he hadn’t succeeded. “Just how well have you gotten to know her?”
“We’ve become friends.” The last person he wanted to discuss his relationship with was his mum.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Elizabeth looked as if she wanted to add more, but didn’t say another word as Warren approached the table.
***
Callie stared at her silent cell phone. She didn’t even want to know how many times she’d done it that night.
You’re pathetic. She couldn’t keep the derogatory thought from her mind.
Dylan said he’d call tonight, and here she sat by the phone like a lovesick teenager. She sighed at the thought of the word love. She couldn’t deny it. She was falling in love with Dylan Talbot. Callie didn’t know when it had started to happen, not that it really mattered. The only thing that mattered was what she planned to do now.
Telling him was not an option. He hadn’t given any indication that he felt the same way. Maybe that made her a coward, but she still had no intentions of telling him.
Lauren suggested she just enjoy herself and see where things went. That didn’t seem like a great idea either. In the end, she would be the one with the broken heart, not Dylan or Lauren.
“Be glad you’re a dog.” Callie scratched Lucky behind the ears.
The classic rock lyrics coming from her cell phone caused her heart to beat faster, and she silently cursed herself. She hated how she had so little self-control where Dylan was concerned.
“Hello.” Man, she wished she didn’t sound so eager.
“Hi. I hope I didn’t wake you,” Dylan said. “I just got in from dinner with Warren and my mum.”
“No, I’m just watching some television.” Or at least trying. The television was on, yet she didn’t know what was happening even though it was one of her favorite shows.
“I won’t keep you. I just wanted to say hello, and tell you I should be up on Saturday. There’s no way I can get out of the city before then.”
“You can stay here if you want,” Callie said before she even had a chance to really think about it.
As soon as the words passed through her lips, she wanted to snatch them back. Was she coming off as too clingy? Was she pushing things too far too fast? Callie felt so out of her element with this man who kept inching his way into her heart.
