Page 37 of Sunkissed Colorado

I just sighed and went to the next aisle. Callum followed, picking up a jar of pasta sauce and holding it up. “What do you think of this brand?”

I didn’t look. “Not a fan.”

“Good to know.” He put it back on the shelf, then picked up a bag of pasta. “Regular or whole wheat? Yay or nay?”

“Are you seriously going to ask my opinion on every item in the store?”

“Only the important ones.” He grinned, and I felt that traitorous smile tugging at my lips again.

“I don’t eat pasta,” I heard myself saying. “Unless it’s gluten free.”

“Ah. The picture is becoming clearer.”

“Is it?”

“Do you have celiac?”

“No. But I do have an allergy.”

When I turned a corner and continued walking, he made a sound of protest. “You skipped the milk and the cheese back there. We need that aisle.”

“Do what you like.Weare not shopping together.”

Then he actually grabbed onto my cart and wheeled it where he wanted.

“Callum!”

I found him loading up on Greek yogurt, with his cart in hand and mine beside him. “I skipped this aisle because I’m allergic to dairy,” I protested. “I sometimes do almond milk, but I wasn’t planning on it until I see how much room is in Rosie’s fridge.”

He picked up a carton of something to examine the label. “Coconut yogurt? What about that?”

“I don’t like it.”

“So is this why you hardly eat anything at the brewery when we’re working? The dairy thing? And the gluten?”

I nodded. “I’m also allergic to raw mango, kiwi, and cucumbers.”

“Damn. That sucks. Did you talk to Alice about it? I’m sure our head chef can make stuff that works for you.”

“I just don’t like making a whole issue of it.”

Callum looked down into his basket with a suddenly serious expression, studying the labels on everything he’d collected. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back. Need to put some things away.”

“Why?”

He loped off without answering, returning after a minute or two. And for some reason, I was standing there waiting for him.

Because we really were shopping together now. I had no idea how this had happened.

When he returned, he asked, “You’re staying with your aunt now? You’re out of the serial killer motel?”

Right. I’d just mentioned my aunt’s fridge. I regretted giving him those details. “Yes, I’m staying with Rosie now.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Been thinking about what you told me last night.”

I groaned. “I’m not ready to talk about that yet.”

But of course, Callum forged ahead. He turned to face me, his bulk blocking my exit from dairy land. “I understand now why you hated me. You thought I was the worst kind of asshole bully, and I get that now. But just so we’re clear, next time I see Tommy Pickering, I’m going to find out why he said the shit he did. If he was bullying you in high school, that’s not okay.”