Free Inseverable: A Carolina Beach Novel by Cecy Robson Page A

supermarket.” I speak slowly, watching his chest rise and fall as his breathing starts to settle. “He was a nice man, gentle. But mostly kept to himself. Were you close?”
    “When I was younger we were.” He bends when something catches his attention in the sand. He lifts a small rock with a sharp tip. I barely catch sight of it before he flings it into the dense brush. “My daddy wasn’t around much so my uncle tried to be there for me as much as he could.”
    Like so many times before, Callahan’s face gives nothing away. But his stance when he said “daddy” stiffened in a way I’ve never quite seen. “I’m sorry,” I say quietly, feeling the depth of my words down to my bones.
    He cocks his head, frowning slightly as if expecting me to press for more information. But while I want to know everything about him, I’d never force him to share something he’s not ready for.
    “My parents divorced when I was a few months old,” he admits, watching me closely. “With only girls in the house, my momma felt I needed a strong male’s influence. So she asked her brother to step in and be the man my father never was.”
    Just when I think Callahan can break any more of my heart, there goes another chip. My daddy is my hero. He’s always been there, ready to catch me when I fell and cheer me on when I got back up. But now is not the time to tell Callahan as much, not when he still seems hurt by the father he never quite knew.
    “I’m glad your uncle was there to guide you,” I say.
    “I am, too,” he murmurs. “But our time together was always limited. He’d visit every summer, holidays; things like that. But his home was here, and ours was in Texas.” He shrugs. “When I was trying to decide what to do with my life, he’s the one who convinced me to go into the Army. We lost touch after I finished boot camp. I think the last time I spoke to him was about a year before he died.”
    I close the space between us, unable to stomach the sadness in his voice and place my hand carefully on his arm. “You must have meant a lot to him for him to leave you his home.”
    He watches my hand as it slips from his arm. “I suppose,” he says, returning his attention to the house.
    I’m not sure how many times the waves crash behind us, or how many gulls soar over our heads in their mad rush to fish. But it’s not until a dragonfly zips between us that Callahan once more speaks. “You seem worn. If you want, I can give you a ride back to your post.”
    “You’re not going to ask me inside for breakfast?”
    His head jerks back to face me. “ What ?”
    I regard him with a pensive expression I have to work hard to muster. “It’s the Southern and hospitable thing to do,” I remind him. And if that’s not bad enough, I add, “After all, I did save your life.”
    Again he simply stares, disbelief spreading along his manly features while that grin I can’t suppress around him warms my cheeks. I wait, taking in the way his expression alternates from “this girl is crazy” mode to “maybe she should have just let me die”.
    He whirls away, storming toward the house. “ Fine ,” he says.
     

Chapter Eight
     
    Trinity
     
     
    Rather than skipping ahead and into his house, I follow behind him. It is his home and far be it for me to impose. Plus, it gives me a chance to ogle the muscles along his broad back and the way his bitable butt cheeks clench and unclench with each step. With all the strength and will I possess, I resist the urge to tackle him and have my way with him. I’m a Southern lady, after all, so I keep my dirty thoughts inside my head where they belong.
    We step through the clear glass doors off the deck and into a large open family room painted light beige with a white trim. I pause to take everything in. The furniture is minimal, but comfortable and practical, giving the room a modern décor and an earthy feel, all while complimenting the original structure. Freshly sanded wide plank