Page 32 of Hold Me Tight

Callie takes one look at the price tag and shakes her head. “No, that’s too much?—”

“Do you like it?” I ask, cutting in. “Do you think Nora would enjoy sleeping in it? Is it something she can grow into?”

Callie studiously avoids my gaze as she nibbles her lower lip. “Yeah.”

“Then there’s nothing more for us to discuss.” I pull out my card before she can argue, and hand it over to the saleswoman. “We’ll take it.”

The woman practically squeals. “What about the mattress?”

“We’ll take one of those as well.”

She raises a brow. “And an extended warranty?”

“Yup.”

With my credit card in hand, she scurries off to ring up the purchase.

As soon as she disappears around the corner of the aisle, Callie swings toward me. “River, I love the bed, and I think Nora would too, but…” A flush creeps into her pale cheeks. “It’s way too much. I can’t afford it.”

I hold her gaze. “It’s a gift. There’s no need to pay for anything.”

“I don’t expect you to buy us the bed. Nora’s my responsibility. And I’m more than capable of taking care of us.” She lifts her chin as her bottom lip trembles. “I’ve been doing this on my own for nearly three years.”

That admission makes my heart ache. It’s tempting to lift my hand and massage the pain away. “I know. You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever met, Callie. I really admire that about you.”

She blinks, and her jaw stays locked tight, as if she doesn’t know how to respond to the compliment.

As tempting as it is to tug her close and wrap her up in my arms, to soothe some of the hurt within her, I remain still. “Nora deserves a bed that’ll grow with her. You do too. So let me do this.”

Just when I think she’ll continue arguing or flat out refuse the gift, she jerks her head in a tight nod. “Fine. But just this once.”

Her surrender feels like a small victory.

Like I’m one step closer to her letting me into her life.

After signing the sales receipt, we load the oversized boxes into the bed of the truck and strap them down tight. Callie watches me the whole time with a slightly furrowed brow, like she sees something she doesn’t quite know how to handle.

Nora chatters all the way home as she stares out the window and smudges it with her fingers. I can’t help but smile. Even though Callie remains silent, her thoughts are loud.

I glance at her before returning my attention to the road stretched out in front of us. “Are you all right?”

She nods a little too quickly. “Yeah. Just tired.”

“I’m sorry you’ve had to do all this alone. Zane should have been a better partner.” I look at Nora in the rearview mirror, and everything inside me turns to mush. “A better father, at the very least.”

She swallows hard as her gaze finds mine. “Believe it or not, I don’t regret getting involved with him. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have Nora. And she’s my entire world. She’s the reason I get out of bed every morning and work as hard as I do. I wish Zane were more involved, but maybe it’s better he isn’t. The last thing I need is for Nora to get attached, only for him to flake when she’s old enough to understand and be hurt by his indifference.”

I don’t think about reaching out and wrapping my hand around hers.

I just do it.

From the way her eyes widen and she stills in her seat, she’s just as shocked by the unexpected offer of comfort as I am. It’s not a total surprise when she slips her fingers free before twisting them nervously in her lap.

Neither of us say a word for the rest of the ride. The silence isn’t uncomfortable, but it’s heavy. Thick with things we’re both avoiding. My grip stays steady on the wheel, my focus on the road ahead, even as every part of me is attuned to her. The way she shifts in her seat. The slow rhythm of her inhalations. The faint scent of her perfume as it weaves through the air.

I tell myself I need to be content with whatever she’s willing to give me.

But the truth is, I’m already past that point.