“No, I can’t, but I will hunt you down and do everything in my power to make your life hell if you walk out.”
“You’re threatening me?”
“If I have to.” He told himself this was not the way to make things work with Callie. He could feel it in his gut. He sucked in a breath.
“I’m sorry,” he told her. “I shouldn’t have said that. The truth is he wants you around and I love him and want him happy. He’s the only family I have. Callie, please, give it a try. For him. You can hate my guts all you want, but don’t hurt him.”
“I don’t hate you.”
“We’re not exactly getting along.”
“That’s because you have a stick up your ass. Loosen up and be human.”
“You could try being less defensive. Not every slight is because you went to prison.”
Her gaze narrowed. “You’re a pompous jackass.”
“You’re a professional victim too scared to try.”
“You need to spend more time with Keira.”
The shift in subject caught him off guard. “Why would you say that?”
“Because it’s true. She’s not settling in well. She’s scared and there’s too much stuff going on. You should be there more.” She folded her arms across her chest. “All right, enough with the name calling. I’m not going to be the senior vice president of something made up.”
He was having trouble keeping up with her. “You were only going to be a director.”
“Whatever. I have a GED I earned in prison and a few units of an AA. I’m not exactly executive material. When I had lunch with Grandfather Alberto, he told me about the company. Don’t you, like, make food and ship it across the country?”
“Yes.”
“So there’s a factory. I could do that. Work on an assembly line or sweep floors. I want a real job, Malcolm. Not something fake.”
His grandfather would have a fit, he thought, but it was better than her walking out on them. “Okay, if that’s what makes you happy. The factory is in the SoDo district. I’ll take you there.”
“Great.” She hesitated. “Can we do this without telling them who I am? I mean I already have a different last name. Do they have to know I’m your sister?”
He knew what she meant—being one of the family would make her different and he already knew Callie just wanted to be like everyone else.
“No one has to know,” he told her. “About who you are or your past. I’ll make sure no one knows anything.”
She visibly relaxed. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Do you promise not to take off without telling me first? And by that I mean in person while giving me a chance to change your mind.”
She paused just long enough for him to know she was thinking about her answer. Her shoulders slumped a little.
“Yes,” she said softly. “No disappearing in the night. But because of our grandfather. There’s no other reason.”
“There doesn’t have to be.”
* * *
“I feel old,” Malcolm whispered.
Delaney chuckled even as tiny shivers rippled down her spine. Maybe they were from his warm breath, or the fact that they were standing close together as they waited in line in front of Din Tai Fung in the University District. There were over a dozen couples or groups waiting for a table at the popular restaurant, but being so close to the University of Washington campus, the demographic was decidedly on the young side.
“Because of all the college students?” she asked, her voice teasing. “Hmm, when did you graduate from UW?”
“Looking at them, about a million years ago.” He grinned. “Okay, it was twelve years ago.”
She looked into his dark blue eyes. “Well, darn, we just missed each other. I graduated seven years ago so we weren’t on campus at the same time.”
“Too bad. I would have noticed you for sure.”
She smiled even as she remembered Malcolm noticing her or not wouldn’t have been an issue. She’d been dating Tim and had always been true to him.
When Malcolm had called and asked her to dinner, she’d regretfully told him she had a study group for her calculus class until six and that she had to be at work by five thirty in the morning.
“I’d rather not wait until the weekend,” he’d told her. “Can I meet you by campus and we’ll make it an early night?”
How was she supposed to resist that? Now, as he drew her against him, shielding her from the wind, she knew there was a lot about him to like.
The line moved quickly and they were soon seated at a small table.
“I love the wonton soup,” she said. “You can pick the dumpling type. I like them all.”
The restaurant specialized in soup dumplings and noodles and was always crowded. Considering how packed it was, the restaurant’s noise level wasn’t too bad.
They quickly made their selections. That out of the way, Malcolm asked Delaney about her classes.
“Our first test is coming up in calculus,” she said. “I’m terrified.”
“You got a degree in finance. Didn’t you have to take calculus?”
“Yes, but it was for business majors. Trust me, this one is way different. There are actual math people in my class. They’re so smart.”
“You’re smart.”
“Thank you but it’s different. They are scary smart.”
“You’ve made a big change in your life,” he said. “Still okay with it?”
She winced. “Ask me after dissection.”
He didn’t say anything, instead he just took her hand in his and rubbed her fingers.
“Fine,” she grumbled. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“I doubt that.”
“Maybe I should have thought more about the naturopath thing. It’s a huge change and being a doctor requires a level of passion I’m not totally sure I have. I’m exploring.”
“You’re trying an early second act.”
“Exactly.” Which sounded so cool and fun, but she was less sure that was how she would define things. “It’s so strange. All my friends from when I was growing up are on different paths. They’re married with kids. Sometimes I have trouble relating to them.”
“Sure. You and Tim never had the chance to get married.”
Mostly because she’d put off the wedding, she thought. And now it was too late. Not that she wanted to marry Tim anymore. She’d moved on—sort of. At least she hoped she had. She wasn’t sure about anything right now and it was definitely time to change the subject.
She sipped her tea. “How are things going with Callie? Is she settling in?”
His expression tightened and he leaned back in his chair. Uh-oh, she thought. She was not a body language expert, but even she could read those signs.
“We don’t have to talk about it,” she told him.
“Why would you say that?”
“You practically built a wall.”
He exhaled and leaned toward her again, then shook his head. “I have no idea what’s going on with her, but it’s not good. We’re fighting. I barely know her and we’re fighting. I don’t fight with people, although according to Callie, it’s not actually a fight, which means I have even less of an idea about what’s going on.”
“Want to start at the beginning?”
He hesitated. “Callie grew up in Oklahoma and moved to Houston. She never had much as a kid and there just weren’t a lot of advantages for her. She, ah, she’s having trouble adjusting to everything that’s happening.”
Delaney stared at him. “Malcolm, that shouldn’t be a surprise. Of course she’s in shock—who wouldn’t be? Does she have any other family, aside from you and Keira?”
“No. She never knew her dad and her mom died a few years ago.”
“Then she’s been on her own. She’s in a new city, with a brand-new family and no support system. She gets to be crabby.”
“You’re right. I need to remember that.” He hesitated. “She said I need to spend more time with Keira.”
Delaney might not have met Callie yet, but she suddenly liked her very much. “That’s a good idea. She needs you in her life.”
“I don’t know how to act around her or what to say.”
“Just ask her questions and listen to the answers. That’s all she needs. To know that you care.”
His steady gaze settled on her face. “I do care about her. She’s family.”
“Then that’s all she needs to know.” She put her hand on his arm. “I’m an only child, but I grew up on a street with a ton of kids. There was practically every family dynamic imaginable and what I learned was at the end of the day, each kid needs to know she’s important and loved. The rest of it takes care of itself.”
“You make it sound easy.”
“Maybe it can be.”
He grinned. “If you’re wrong, I’m going to say so.”
She laughed. “Go ahead. I’m not. You just wait. In a few months, you’ll look at your sisters and realize you can’t imagine life without them. More important, you wouldn’t want to.”
“I hope you’re right.”