Page 134 of The Havenport Collection

Violet

Callum suggested we go grab breakfast to celebrate the big win this morning.

After four weeks, our team finally won a game.

The boys were ecstatic. Henry had even scored his first goal.

It was so sweet to see Callum coaching them and cheering them on from the sidelines.

He looked super hot in his soccer shorts and coach’s shirt.

I enjoyed many parts of Callum’s body, but I had never paid much attention to his legs before.

And damn, what nice legs they were. Long and lean and muscular.

My pulse fluttered every time he ran past me on the field.

The boys were in love with him already. He was patient and kind but firm. He made them practice and always do their best. He had also started to ask them lots of questions about school and tell stories about his own days at Havenport Elementary.

I didn't want to rush things with the boys, and Callum respected that.

We explained that we were friends, but we were careful to tread lightly around them.

After everything that had happened in the past few years, I needed to take it slow.

They had some questions, but mostly they were just happy to have Callum around.

I didn’t call him my boyfriend, for fear of upsetting them, but Callum had fast become so much more than that.

He was a role model for my boys, a trusted business advisor, and a creative and passionate lover.

It had only been a few weeks, but he had ignited a fire within me that I thought had died out years ago.

Pregnancy, childbirth, nursing, chasing toddlers—it was exhausting even in the best of circumstances.

The last five years had taken so much out of me, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Sex was not a priority and something I had pretty much forgotten about.

Over the past few years, I had made peace with the fact that part of my life was over.

But I was wrong. Callum made me feel sexier than ever.

The way he looked at me, the way he touched me—it was both reverent and desperate.

I craved him daily, and we were getting better and better at finding times for secret rendezvous.

Since the barn was under construction for the wedding, we had to adjust and move our midday trysts to Callum’s condo.

I wasn’t too sad about it, since he had already bent me over almost every surface in the place.

I was both happier and more exhausted than I had been in years.

And I had this amazing man to thank for it.

“Are you guys hungry?” Callum asked, trying to keep them occupied while we waited for a table.

The boys bounced around, unable to stay still. “Yup. Super hungry,” Henry said.

“I’m starving,” Sam added, always trying to one-up his brother.

“The pancakes here are the best ever,” I said. “Definitely worth the wait.”

Callum bent down and lowered his voice. “And, this is top secret. It’s not on the menu.” He pretended to look around suspiciously, and I suppressed a laugh. “But if you ask Jackie really nicely and she likes you, she will put M I’ve got a business to run.” She walked away with the coffee pot, muttering to herself.

“What the hell was that?”

“Mom. Language,” Sam interjected, never looking up from the dragon he was drawing on his placemat.

Callum couldn’t stop laughing, and I shot him a look.

“Don’t worry about it. We’re Havenport official now. If Jackie sends the word out, it’s a done deal.”

“This town is insane.”

He grabbed my hand and kissed it. “I don’t disagree, but we haven’t exactly been hiding this. I’m proud for the world to know you’re my girl.”

“Ew,” Henry said. “Mom’s a woman, not a girl.”

I smiled. Apparently they did listen to some things I said.

“Sorry, bud.” Callum looked at me with a sexy smirk. “You’re my woman. And I’m cool with the town knowing. Saves us a lot of work telling people now.”

I lowered my voice. “This means you’re stuck with me.” I winked at him.

“Gorgeous, there’s no place I’d rather be.”