Michelle Major - Fortune's Fresh Start

“I can imagine.”

Fine lines bracketed his mouth, as if the thought of the woman who’d become a mother to him hurting caused him physical pain, as well.

“Then the triplets were born. They were miracle babies, really.”

“Multiples are special,” Becky couldn’t help but add, thinking of her sweet girls.

“It took Marci some time to recover. There were complications and she wasn’t herself for a while after.”

“From how she made it sound, you were a huge help.”

His big shoulders shifted and an adorable flush of color stained his cheeks. “I kind of had a way with the ladies, even back then.”

Laughter burst from Becky’s mouth, and the excitement bubbling up in her felt like she’d gulped down a flute of champagne. Was there anything more attractive to a mother than a man who was good with children?

“You certainly worked your charms on Luna and Sasha,” she told him. “They aren’t accustomed to having men in their lives.”

“Someone told me your husband died while you were pregnant,” Callum said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

The pleasure rippling through her popped in an instant. Grief had been a sort of companion to her after Rick’s death, and she knew the facets of it like the back of her hand.

“It was a car accident,” she said. “I’d just taken a home pregnancy test but we didn’t know I was carrying twins.” She bit down on the inside of her cheek. “I wish I could have shared that with him. I wish I could have shared a lot of things.”

She held up a hand when he would have said more because she knew another apology was coming. Not that he had any responsibility, obviously, but people didn’t know how to talk to her about the loss she’d suffered. Some things were too unfathomable for words.

“We’re okay,” she said, which was her pat line even when it wasn’t true. Sometimes she struggled, but she was dealing with it and making the best of things for her daughters. She blinked away the tears that stung the backs of her eyes.

“In some ways Rick is still with us,” she told Callum. “There’s a park outside of town where he and I used to go on walks after work. Now I take Luna and Sasha there when I want to feel close to him. I sit on the bench near the pond and talk to him, and I feel him with us. I know how much he would have loved his girls and he’s their guardian angel. Some people don’t get that or they think I’m just trying to see the silver lining in a tragedy that has none. But it’s what I know.”

His cleared his throat as if unsure how to respond. Becky mentally kicked herself. No guy wanted to spend an evening talking about a woman’s dead husband, even for a homecooked meal. This was the reason she could never hope to date, especially not someone like Callum Fortune. She had enough emotional baggage to fill a freight train.

“Can I ask why you stayed in Rambling Rose?” Callum asked after several awkward moments.

She opened her mouth to give him a pat answer, but was somehow unable to tell this man anything but the complete truth. “This was the home Rick and I chose together.” She glanced around the small kitchen. “And we picked this town because we wanted to be a part of a close-knit community. Neither of us was tight with our families growing up.”

“Do you have brothers and sisters?”

She shook her head. “Only child. Rick was, too.” She lifted the wineglass to her lips, watching Callum from beneath her lashes. Maybe it was inappropriate to talk about her late husband with a man she felt attracted to, but Callum’s steady presence made her feel like she could share anything with him.

She appreciated that more than she could say. Yes, she’d loved her husband deeply and would give anything to change the tragedy that had stolen their future.

That loss was woven into the fiber of her being. It had formed her into the woman she was today, resilient and fiercely protective of her daughters. She understood the only way to celebrate Rick’s life was by honoring what had brought her to this point.

Callum helped her clean up the dishes after they finished dinner, another point in his favor. They said goodbye, and Becky watched him drive away as she tried to tamp down the disappointment at the night ending so soon. Seriously, she needed to get out more. One simple thank-you dinner and she felt like a silly girl with a crush on the most popular boy at school.

Callum had called her a friend and that was how she should think of him, as well. Too bad her body wouldn’t cooperate.

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