Free Claiming Callie: Part two by Paige Rion

and muscles that strain against his T-shirt?
    “ I don’ t. That ’ s wh o,” she mutters.
    She promised to help him win Maya over and win her over he would, in no small part to Callie ’ s jealousy-inducing ways. And after the condescending tone Maya used with her last night, she relished every moment of making her suffer, while it lasted.
    She nods in self-affirmation just as the door to Jinny ’ s bedroom opens . The oversize T-shirt Jinny wears falls to her knees overtop a pair of flannel pants that are too big and drag on the floor as she walks. Her eyes are all squinty, as if she go t no sleep, and her hair ’ s a tangled mass.
    Callie narrows her eyes. Her cheeks have a definitive glow to them. “Todd ’ s in there, isn ’ t he? ”
    Jinny grins. “He snuck in at one o ’ clock. You were already asleep.”
    “Gah! Fine, feel all smug about having a real bo yfriend. I ’ ve decided as soon as I help Dean hook Maya, I ’ m going to start looking.”
    It ’ s more like I just decided. As in, right that second.
    “Oh yeah?”
    Callie shrugs and stands. She moves to the cupboard above the coffeepot and pulls out a mug. She nods, more to herself than for Jinny, liking this newly sprung idea more by the second. Yes, this is a good idea. Just what I need. A boyfriend, STAT. This tim e with Dean will allow me to focus on what I do want in a man. Then, once he has Maya and I ’ m proverbially cut loose, I can launch myself right into the dating scene.
    “Yeah. It ’ s time. I ’ ve been without someone special for too long, and last night just mad e me realize how much I miss it, you know? I miss having someone who makes me feel special, all warm and fuzzy inside. And I miss having someone on my team.”
    Jinny bites her lip and nods. “Yeah.”
    Callie pours herself a cup of coffee and adds cream, then ta kes a sip. “ I don’ t have any prospects, but I guess that needs to wait, anyway.” She shrugs.
    “What about Dean?”
    Callie snorts. “For real?”
    “Yeah.” Jinny blinks at her.
    Callie shakes her head. Even entertaining the idea is preposterous. Isn ’ t it?
    Frowning, she leans back into the counter, knowing the truth. It doesn ’ t matter . “Dean wants Maya.”
    “Right. Yeah, he does,” Jinny says, chewing on her bottom lip. She moves toward Callie and the coffee, where she pours her own mug full of fresh brew.
    She ’ s acting strange. The lip chewing is a total giveaway.
    Jinny doctors her coffee the way she likes it, then stares into the mug with sharp concentration, as if the exact ratio of sugar to cream is the most important thing in the world. When she speaks next, her voice is so quiet Callie ’ s not sure she hears her right. “Well, what if he didn ’ t want Maya? What about then?”
    Callie takes a huge swallow of coffee. The scalding liquid burns her throat and her eyes water, but it gives her something else to focus on o ther than the unsteady beat of her heart.
    Why would she even ask me this?
    “That would be…” Callie pauses, unsure of the right word. Nice is the first one to pop into her head, but she can ’ t say that. Definitely not. And what is nice, anyway? Nice is the old lady next door. Nice is coming home to a sink devoid of dishes. Relationships shouldn ’ t just be nice .
    Besides, it would definitely be weird. More than weird.
    Sure, last night was great, but she can ’ t even imagine it. He ’ s still the little boy who put bugs in her hair and chased her around the Michaels ’ yard, earthworms dangling from his dirty fists.
    “ Well? ” Jinny prods.
    “It would be too strange. I ’ ve known him forever. He ’ s your brother. He ’ ll always be like family to me. I mean, I lived with you guys for a whole year, for God ’ s sake,” she says, as if it should be obvious. Then, to make her point clear, she sets her mug down and adds again, “No. It would never happen. ”
    #
    Monday comes and Callie ’ s determination for Operation Get