AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“For Callie.”
Eleanor’s mouth compressed. “Be careful, Jake. I wanted you to take her out, not make her fall in love with you.”
“I’m the one who fell in love with her.” Saying the words aloud was a sudden relief, as if a band around his heart had clicked open.
Her eyes widened. “Youfell in love?”
“Hard.” He let out a laugh and shook his head. “I know it’s only been a few weeks. I know it’s crazy. I know you think I’m not good enough for her and that we’d be a terrible match. But it’s the truth. I love your daughter. She’s so smart and kind, and yeah, she has that control thing going on, but only because she cares so much about her family, her students, her work…she makes me want to be better in every way possible.”
Pursing her lips, Eleanor set her brush on the edge of a paint can and stepped toward him. “Let me get one thing straight, Jake. I never thought you werenot good enoughfor my daughter. The fact that you were in town temporarily was the only thing preventing me fromreallytrying to set you up.”
“But you also wanted me to keep her busy so there’d be less chance she’d find out you’re seeing Henry.”
“Yes.” She had the grace to look ashamed. “I know I’ve relied on her far too much, and I haven’t known how to be more independent without hurting her. But I both needed and wanted some time alone to process what I have with Henry. I’m sorry I didn’t—”
“Don’t apologize.” Jake held up his hand. “Asking me to go out with your daughter was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.Sheis the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Eleanor stared at him for a moment before a spark of happiness rose to her eyes. “And how does she feel about you?”
“I…” He paused and cleared his throat, his face heating. “Well, she likes me a lot. We haven’t…uh, discussed, like, ourtruefeelings or anything yet, but—”
“Never mind.” She laughed suddenly and squeezed his free hand. “None of my business. I will say that Callie seems happier than I’ve seen her in a long time, and the fact that she forgot to remind me to take my car in for service is evidence enough that she’s been preoccupied with you.”
“I want it to work.” He tightened his fingers around hers, more certain of this than he’d ever been about anything. “I want to be with her.”
“Life is short, but filled with opportunities, Jake.” Eleanor smiled. “Go and get what you want.”
* * *
“Did you know I was able to send my mother a transmission via a digital communications network using encoded data?” Jordan set Callie’s slide carousels on the lecture hall table and began wrapping up the remote control cord. “She received it within seconds.”
Callie tapped her pen on her lecture notes and frowned. “Are you talking about email?”
“That might be what they call it today.” He nodded, his brow creasing as he knelt by the podium to untangle the cord. “Isn’t modern technology amazing?”
She narrowed her gaze. “What are you doing this weekend, Jordan?”
“Studying Greco-Roman history, of course.”
“If you have time…” Clearing her throat, Callie lifted her chin. “I could use your help transferring all my lectures and slides on to my laptop and creating digital presentations.”
Jordan straightened so fast he banged his head against the edge of the podium. “Ow. Are you serious?”
“Are you okay? Yes, I’m serious.”
“Wow. Yeah.” He rubbed his head, a wide smile stretching across his face. “That is fantastic. I would love to help you join the twenty-first cent…er, transfer your lectures and slides on to a computer.”
“I’ll send you an encoded data transmission via a digital network so we can set up a time to meet.” Callie closed her satchel and gave him a short nod. “Thank you, Jordan.”
“My pleasure, Dr. Prescott.”
Feeling somehow lighter, Callie returned to her office. She sat at her desk and did a final read-through of her book proposal for Cambridge Press. She composed an email, attached the file, and clicked the Send button.
The tension eased from her shoulders, and she let her breath out in a long rush. Yes, there was still a chance that the Fire Imprint editor wouldn’t like this new version of her proposal, but Callie had written enough papers and articles to know when her work was good.
The proposal was good. Interesting. Innovative. Unique. She would write the book even if a publisher didn’t accept it first.
Instead of containing her research to history books and essays, she wanted to get out into the world and talk to the people who’d been inspired by Greek mythology—filmmakers, novelists, music video directors, artists.
