Keeping Denver

‘Are you sure you don’t want to come with Richard and me to my sister’s? She’d be happy to have you,’ Frances asks as she and Richard load their bags into the trunk of their car. They’re headed to spend Christmas with her sister in New Jersey and will be gone for three days. ‘I don’t like the idea of you being alone for a holiday.’

I’m quick to reassure her. ‘I’ll be fine. Besides, I plan on spending Christmas day helping down at the shelter. They could always use the extra volunteers this time of year. You two go ahead and have a good time. Don’t worry about me.’

Frances’ face softens as she pulls me in for a hug. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Richard stepping away to make a phone call. ‘If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. Spencer is going to be in town so, call him too if you need anything. He can be here in no time,’ France reminds me for the third time this morning.

My heart warms at the thought of someone caring whether or not I’m alone. That’s not something I’ve had before. Ending his call, Richard steps up to me and kisses my cheek, his mustache tickling my skin. ‘See ya, sweetheart.’

‘Bye, Richard. Drive safe and let me know you made it.’ I wave as the two of them climb into the car. When they are no longer in sight, I head back inside the house, where I jog up the stairs to my room. Kicking off my slippers, I strip out of my plaid pajamas and into a pair of jeans, black sweater, and tennis shoes. With all that has been going on, I missed Roland’s birthday party. So, today, I am going by the library in hopes he is working. Stuffing my phone and keys into the pocket of my coat, I pull my hat on over my head and leave. With it being Christmas Eve, I don’t bother with calling Mitch, opting for a taxi instead.

Walking into the library, a huge smile takes over my face when I see Roland. He recognizes me immediately and returns a smile of his own. ‘Denver. It’s so good to see you.’

‘You too. I hope it’s okay that I’m dropping by like this. It’s just that I missed your party and wanted to tell you in person, happy belated birthday.’

‘Of course, it’s alright. Come, sit down.’ He ushers me to an empty table. ‘How have you been? Lucas tells me you got that job at his office. He also says his boss fancies you.’ He waggles his bushy eyebrows.

I force a smile on my face at the mention of Callan. ‘I got the job. All thanks to you. That’s another reason I came here. I wanted to thank you for helping me.’

Roland pats my arm. ‘No need to thank me, young lady. You got that job all on your own.’ He spreads his arms, gesturing at me, ‘Now, look at you.’

‘Granddad?’ A voice calls from behind. Twisting in my chair, I watch as Lucas strides in our direction. His eyes land on me sitting with Roland, and grins. ‘Denver, what are you doing here?’

‘I stopped by for a visit, but I was just leaving.’

‘Are you in a hurry to get somewhere? I dropped by to give grandpa a ride home. But if you don’t have a place to be, we can grab dinner or something,’ he says hopefully.

‘Oh, you two go on. Your mother is picking me up today. She’s taking me to do some last-minute shopping.’

Lucas’ dimples make an appearance when he beams at me. ‘What do you say, Denver?’

I bite my lip, not sure if I should accept his offer. ‘Sure. Dinner sounds good.’

The moment we exit the library, I’m shocked to see Mitch parked at the curb waiting expectantly. ‘Miss Hollis.’ His eyes cut to Lucas.

‘What are you doing here, Mitch?’ I roll my eyes. This is not cool. It feels like I’m being spied on, and I don’t like it.

‘I was sent to pick you up, Miss H—I mean Denver,’ he corrects himself when I give him a stern look.

‘I didn’t call you.’ I fold my arms, letting him know I’m not happy.

‘Mr. Hawk said I would find you here.’

‘He did, did he? How does Callan know my location?’ I ask bewildered then stop short when the answer pops into my head. ‘He’s tracking my phone, isn’t he?’ Mitch’s silence is all the answer I need. I turn to Lucas. ‘Did you drive here?’

Lucas points down the street. ‘I’m parked down the block.’

I turn back to Mitch. ‘I’m sorry you wasted your time coming all this way, Mitch, but I won’t be needing a ride. Be sure to tell Mr. Hawk as well.’

Mitch’s lip twitches. ‘Not a problem, Denver.’

After Lucas and I climb into his car, he cocks his head to the side. ‘You know this probably won’t bode well for me?’

My expression turns serious. ‘We don’t have to go to dinner, Lucas. I can get a cab home. I don’t want to cause you any trouble.’

‘And miss my chance at hanging out with a beautiful woman. Not a chance.’

Fifteen minutes later, Lucas and I sit at a table in a quaint little Greek restaurant. The waitress places our menus in front of us. ‘Can I start you off with something to drink?’

‘I’ll have water.’

‘I’ll have whatever beer you have on tap,’ Lucas tells the waitress.

I glance over the menu. ‘What do you suggest? I don’t think I’ve ever eaten Greek food before.’

‘Do you trust me to order for you?’ he asks, and I nod. When the waitress returns, Lucas orders for the two of us.

‘Great. I’ll have your order out soon.’

Once the waitress walks off, Lucas gets right to what I was expecting him to bring up. ‘Denver, I wanted to say I’m sorry for how things played out with Kelly.’

‘Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything.’ His apology leaves me puzzled.

‘Yeah, but I stood by along with everyone else and said nothing while that bitch accused you of stealing. So that you know, no one at the office believed what Kelly was accusing you of. Even before the truth came out.’

‘Though unnecessary, I appreciate you saying that, Lucas.’

‘And just so you know, the office is not the same without you either. Mr. Hawk isn’t the same either,’ he adds.

A few minutes later, our food is delivered and just as I am about to dive in, my phone starts ringing. Pulling it from my pocket, I notice Callan’s name lighting up the screen, and send the call to voicemail.

‘Sorry,’ I say to Lucas, who gives me a knowing look.

Two seconds later, my phone starts ringing again. This time I cut it off and shove it back into my coat pocket. No sooner do I put my phone away is when Lucas’ phone starts ringing. I close my eyes. Please don’t let that be Callan.

Lucas looks down at his cell then back at me. He answers. ‘Hello?’ I watch as Lucas listens to Callan’s voice on the other end. ‘I’m kind of in the middle of a date, boss. Can it wait?’

Callan’s booming voice carries through Lucas’ cell, loud enough for the people seated near us to turn their heads in our direction. I begin to worry about Lucas getting into trouble. By the way, his shoulders start shaking as he holds back his laughter, it becomes apparent he is not the least bit concerned with his boss’ tirade. ‘Sure thing, Mr. Hawk. I’ll see you soon.’ He hangs up. ‘Looks like my boss left the Kerrigan file at the office, and I’m the only one who can bring it to him,’ Lucas smirks, not at all hiding his amusement.

My shoulders slump, and I rest my forehead in my hand. ‘I’m sorry, Lucas. He’s being a jerk because of me.’

‘No. He’s acting like a man who does whatever it takes to keep his woman away from another man,’ Lucas says with a bit of admiration in his voice.

‘You and I are friends.’ I throw my hands up. ‘Can’t he see that?’

Lucas chuckles. ‘Yeah. But if you ever give me an opening, Denver, I wouldn’t hesitate to take it, and Callan knows that.’

‘What?’ I squeak.

‘Don’t be dense, sweetheart. Sure, we’re friends, but you’re a sexy as fuck woman, and I’d be an idiot not to take whatever you’d be willing to offer. I’m also a man who knows when he doesn’t stand a chance. I did have fun fucking with Callan, though. Even if he’s going to make my life hell at the office.’

‘I’m…I…’ Am I really being dense?

Lucas stands and tosses a few bills on the table. ‘Come on, sweetheart. I’ll walk you out.’ He places his hand on the small of my back, ushering me out of the restaurant where Mitch is waiting. Again, I roll my eyes. He steps out of the driver’s seat with his cell to his ear—no doubt talking to Callan. Mitch remains on the phone as he steps around to the back passenger side and opens the door for me. Lucas gets a little gleam in his eye as he leans in and places a kiss on my cheek. ‘We’ll have to try this again some other time, sweetheart,’ Lucas says the words a lot louder than necessary, and I know it’s meant for Callan to hear. Why must he egg him on? I step to the car. ‘Mitch,’ I say in a flat, uninterested tone. This time, Mitch clears his throat, fighting through a chuckle. He quickly composes himself as I sink into the back seat, and he closes the door.

The next afternoon, I’m at the shelter helping serve food when Lucy comes in with her hands full, so I rush to help her. ‘Here, let me help.’

‘Denver! Oh my god! It’s been forever since I’ve seen you.’

Lucy and I set the bags down on the table we have set up to serve the food, and pull each other in for a hug.

‘I’ve been worried about you. The last time I saw you was when that man skipped town with your money. Are you still working for that lawyer?’

‘Uh, actually, I’m working for his friend now. As his assistant.’ I keep my answer light.

‘That’s cool. What about an apartment. Did you ever find one? You must have since I haven’t seen you around here.’

‘I found a place.’ I decide to be vague, not giving her too much information. Changing the subject, I ask. ‘What about you? How’s school? Are you enjoying the holidays?’ I finish laying the bread out on the table.

‘I am. I’m leaving with some friends of mine tomorrow. We’re going to spend New Year’s in Florida. But, before catching my flight later this morning, I wanted to drop off all this extra food we had at my parents’ house. No need in it going to waste.’

‘That was thoughtful of you, Lucy.’ My compliment earns me a smile. Over the next hour, Lucy and I work side by side along with the other volunteers, serving dozens of men, women and children who are standing in line waiting for a hot meal. The number of people in need today was more than the shelter has experienced so far this year, and what’s worse, is we are running out of food, fast. I look at Lucy. ‘They’re still so many people to feed. What are we going to do?’ A commotion at the entrance of the shelter grabs both our attention. Lifting on my toes, I try peering over the people still standing in line to catch a glimpse of what’s going on. The shelter’s coordinator, Carol, bustles toward us with several men trailing behind her, all carrying trays of pre-cooked food. One after another, the men set the food down on the table in front of us and the waiting people. There is so much food we are forced to set up three extra tables. ‘Where did all this come from?’ I ask in awe.

Carol points across the room. ‘The handsome young man, standing by the entrance door.’ My eyes follow her line of sight, and cover my mouth, holding a gasp back, the moment I spot Callan. He’s helping some of the men set up tables. As if he feels my gaze, Callan stops what he’s doing and turns. His eyes land directly on mine.

At this moment, I let my heart lead me. Without hesitation, my feet carry me toward him, my heart pounding like a drum. Callan drops the chair he was carrying, meeting me halfway. I don’t say anything as I throw myself into his arms. This is what matters; not the flowers, lunches, or the car. Not even the little notes that made my stomach flutter. This right here, his grand act of human kindness does me in.

He wraps his arms tight around me, and I cling to him as if he’s the only lifeline I have in this world. ‘Fuck, baby. I’ve missed holding you,’ he rasps as I bury my face in his neck. I breathe him in, clutching at his neck collar as if I’m terrified he’ll disappear. We hold each other for a long moment before I step back, breaking the connection. I can tell he’s reluctant to let me go but does so anyway. I am grateful for his actions here today, but I don’t want him thinking this will erase what he’s done. A tiny shred of guilt seeps into the pit of my stomach when I see a flicker of hurt dance across Callan’s face when my head starts overthinking things again, and I take a step back, putting distance between us.

‘This is amazing, Callan. How were you able to get all this food last minute?’

The cocky grin I love so much makes an appearance. ‘I have my ways.’

‘Money talks.’ I don’t mean for my words to come out sounding callous. A wounded look crosses Callan’s face, and my stomach falls. Seeing him hurt, because of my words makes me feel horrible inside.

‘Money does tend to help.’ I hear the slight upset in his voice.

‘I’m sorry, Callan. I didn’t mean it like that.’ I reach out to touch him but stop myself.

‘I know you didn’t.’ The lines on Callan’s face soften, as do his eyes. We both fall silent for a minute, neither quite sure what to say. ‘Listen, Denver. I…’

I hold up my hand. ‘Not here. I don’t want to talk about it here. Today has been a good day, and with your generous help, it has gotten a whole lot better. Let’s focus on that and helping as many people as we can instead.’

Callan gives me a tight-lipped nod. ‘Will you allow me to drive you home later?’ My eyes fall to the floor. ‘Please, baby,’ Callan pleads.

The moment the endearment passes his lips, my tummy gets that all too familiar flutter. I think about his request for a moment and decide we both have things we need to get off our chests. ‘Okay.’

Callan visibly relaxes. ‘Yeah?’ He looks for clarifications, and I nod, giving him a small smile. He sighs. ‘Thank you. I’ll be here all day helping. Come find me when you’re done.’

The rest of the day passes in a quick blur. My head is a jumbled mess, and my nerves have kicked in when I realize it’s almost time to leave for the day. ‘You ready to go, baby?’ Callan asks, stepping up to me as he pulls his coat on.

I lick my lips. ‘Yeah. Let me say goodbye to Carol really quick.’ Callan has my jacket in his hands, and helps me slip in on.

‘I’ll wait here,’ he whispers in my ear, the heat of his breath prickles my skin, and I have to fight the urge to spin around and kiss him like a fool.

Making my way into the back, I find Carol in the kitchen. ‘Hey. I’m heading out. You need anything before I go?’

Carol stops what she’s doing. ‘We got it from here, Denver. Go on home with that hunk of man meat I saw you with earlier. Tell him thank you for me again.’

I blush. ‘I’ll tell him,’ then turn to leave, but Carol stops me.

‘Hey, Denver. I think what you did today was great. I’m happy you’ve been able to get back on your feet.’

‘You’re welcome, Carol. I’ll forever be grateful for what you all do here, and what you’ve done for me. I promise to come back and help as often as I can.’ We both smile at one another before she resumes what she was doing, and I exit the room.

When I emerge from the back, Callan is still rooted where he said he’d wait for me. Stopping beside him, he reaches out, placing his palm on the small of my back, leading me outside to his car. Callan opens the door and I climb in. His scent is all around me as I settle in the seat. Closing my eyes, I take in a deep breath, letting the smell of him fill my senses.

Callan sits beside me, leaving a small space between us, as the car moves down the road. Our hands rest on the leather seat, and my fingers twitch because I want so badly to touch him. The tension in the car becomes palpable on the drive home. The air thickens with so many emotions I can feel the weight of it pressing against my body. It’s not until Callan parks in front of Frances and Richard’s townhouse does he speak. ‘I’m sorry, Denver,’ Callan says those words to me, his green eyes boring into my soul. I know he means it. ‘I know I’ve texted you those words a dozen times in the past week. I also know words will never be enough. I can promise you, baby; I’m going to do everything in my power to earn your trust back.’ He palms my cheek and I lean into his touch.

‘I love you, Denver Hollis.’ With those three words spoken, the flood gates open. It’s like I’ve taken my first breath of air. ‘I love you too, Callan. I love you so much, but…I need time.’ My last words hurt, but they are my truth.

‘I’m going to give you all the time you need. ‘

Tears fall down my cheeks. ‘I still haven’t forgiven you.’ I sniffle. ‘I trusted you, Callan. I followed your lead when it came to our relationship, even though I knew we were moving too fast. I voiced my concerns several times, but in the end, I trusted you enough to fall. I fell so deeply in love with you, Callan, and I thought you felt the same.’ Callan pulls a handkerchief from his pocket, and dries my tears. I keep talking, needing him to hear me. I need him to understand. ‘When I needed you the most, you weren’t there. I thought I had gone into this whirlwind relationship with eyes wide open. I feel so stupid for actually being so blind to the fact that you really didn’t give us your all.’ I take a shuttered breath.

‘I love you so fucking much, Denver. I know now that I’ve allowed my past and insecurities to cloud my judgment and my heart. I can promise you that it will never happen again.’

I hiccup, trying to gain better control of my emotions. ‘I want to believe you. I do.’ My red-rimmed eyes stay fixed on Callan. ‘I was so scared, Callan. I’d never been arrested before. Having an officer put handcuffs on me, being placed into the back of a squad car, in broad daylight with strangers gawking at me. Being questioned and then having to sleep in a cold cell.’ Pausing for a moment to catch my breath, I look out the car window. ‘You want to know the worst part? Having the man I love, who I thought cared about me, look at me like I was nothing. Having that memory embedded in my soul is what keeps me from not being able to move forward. No matter how bad I want to move on with you, I’m scared.’

‘All I’m asking for today is a chance. Let me prove it to you, Denver. You can trust me again,’ he emphasizes. ‘We can take things as slow or as fast as you want. You’re in the driver’s seat, baby. I need you like I need air to breathe. I’ll put in the work, and do whatever it takes,’ Callan chokes out. The pain and sincerity in his voice settle deep in my core.

‘How?’ I ask. ‘How do we make this work?’

‘We start over. I didn’t do it right the first time, and I intend to make it right.’ Callan clears his voice. ‘Denver, would you go out with me?’

‘You want to take me on a date?’

‘Yes.’

I mull over his question, making him wait several agonizing minutes until I give him my answer. ‘Okay.’

‘Saturday, at seven?’ he asks hopefully.

I nod. ‘Okay.’