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About This Author
I am a 40 year old married mother of two teenage boys. I live for writing, especially romance. Love the happily ever after scenerio. The best thing about writing for me is the ability to lose yourself in your work, and feel as if you've accomplished something great. At the end of the day, that's all that really matters.
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Bride 2 Be #1100666 added November 1, 2025 at 9:17pm
Restrictions: None
Chapter 23 - Onward
Chapter Twenty-Three
Onward
ANGER BURROWED DEEP WITHIN Lisa after discovering Calvin intended to buy a house. She did her best at the Brady ranch to put on a happy facade in front of everyone as they fawned over Calvin, but as Nolan and Anna drove them to her house, the closer they got, the more that anger burned through her veins.
Wasn't this the same man who promised that everything would be good? She should take a chance and invest in her future with Grayburg and him, knowing that he wasn't going anywhere and that her heart was safe with him? Yet here he was, already planning to move to his own place. Where did that leave her? She didn't even want him moving in with her to turn around and move out once his house was ready for him to run off to. The intense need to pace off the anger and incessant questions running through her mind caused her legs to tremble.
As Nolan turned down her street, that urge kicked up a notch. Before Nolan could bring the truck to a complete stop, she flung open the door and jumped out.
"What the hell, Calvin?" she shouted, unable to contain the fury.
"Uh oh," Anna said, exiting the vehicle. "Lisa, you don't want to do this out here on the street." Anna put her arm around Lisa and led her toward the house.
"I don't know about that. It might be good for the town to see who this man really is," she shouted over her shoulder. At this point, she wasn't sure she even wanted him to stay in her house, leaving her at a crossroads. Lisa had never once gone back on her word. If she said she would do something, she did it.
Calvin Grayburg made her question her kindness and standards.
Anna directed her to the front door and reached out her hand. "Keys?"
Lisa closed her eyes. "In my purse, back in the truck."
"No problem," Anna said.
Lisa watched as Anna headed down the walkway to the car. Nolan and Calvin pulled the luggage from the truck and set bag after bag on the sidewalk. Two bags became four and then six, and she swallowed hard as reality set in. Calvin Grayburg was no doubt here for the long haul. Just as she started to accept that, uncertainty crept in. What if he changed his mind and realized that small-town life wasn't for him? What if they invested all their money here and found a more lucrative spot to build up Grayburg Corporation? What if...
"Don't do that," Anna whispered, handing the purse to Lisa.
Lisa frowned. "Do what?"
Anna shook her head and smiled. "I can see the doubts creeping over your face. Give me the keys."
She dug into her bag, gripped the keys, and handed them over as Calvin approached. He was dragging three bags with him, including a large duffle, across his body.
Anna unlocked the door, took Lisa's arm, and pushed her inside the house.
Lisa stood in the entryway as Anna held the screen door, and Nolan and Calvin brought the bags inside.
"Why did you lie to me?" Lisa demanded, slamming the front door shut once everyone was inside.
Calvin spun around, eyes wide, and gasped. "I have never lied to you."
Lisa scoffed. "I don't recall you mentioning buying a house and moving when you persuaded me to go in on the deal with your company." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "In fact, it seems like you are mapping out your life just fine without any consideration for anyone else."
Calvin raked a hand through his blonde hair. "You cannot possibly believe that?"
He stepped toward her, and she took a step backward, knowing that if he were close, that proximity would manipulate her senses, and she'd forget her anger and probably launch herself into his arms. She hated to admit how vulnerable she was with him or how much she missed him over the last two days, but deny it all she wanted; it was the truth.
"I don't know what to believe anymore," she muttered, more to herself than him.
"You can't be serious," he said.
"Why not? You're the one who swore I had nothing to worry about, that everything would work out." Lisa glared at him. "You meant for you!"
Calvin shook his head. "What did you want me to do, Lisa? Pick the worst possible time to propose and risk you thinking I only did it to secure the business partnership?"
Lisa gasped. "What did you say?" Her head spun, and the word propose looped in her mind.
"You heard me." Cal moved closer. "Do you believe I love you?"
Lisa stared up at him, looked into the warmth of his hazel eyes, and could only nod.
"Well, that's something."
"I think we should head out," Nolan interrupted, reaching for Anna's hand.
"Thank you for all your help," Calvin said. "I do need one more favor, though."
"Name it," Nolan replied.
"I need to buy a car. Any suggestions?"
Nolan nodded, "It's Michigan; winters can be brutal sometimes with the lake-effect snowstorms. You don't strike me as the pickup type of guy, but you definitely need a four-wheel drive vehicle."
"I'm trading mine in tomorrow; you can come with me if you'd like," Anna said.
"You're getting rid of your BMW?" Lisa asked. "You love that car." Everyone in town knew that the little white BMW was Anna's pride and joy, which she held onto from her decade in New York.
Anna nodded and smiled, then rubbed her belly. "I absolutely love it, but I need something better once the baby arrives. I've got my eye on a cute little SUV, a baby blue BMW X3."
"Oh," Lisa said. "Well, Cal's right. We really appreciate all you've done. Please tell Carol again that dinner was fantastic."
"Cal, I'll pick you up around nine."
Lisa noticed that Anna used her pet name for Calvin, trying her best to stop the argument from going further. Though Lisa did appreciate that Anna had her back, she wanted to hash this out and get to the bottom of the situation.
He reached forward, shook Nolan's hand, and kissed Anna's cheek. "Thank you both again. I'll see you in the morning, Anna."
Lisa stared at Anna, wishing her and Nolan wouldn't leave. Anna smiled at her, the excitement in her soft green eyes dancing at the prospect of what would happen once they left.
"I'll be waiting for your call, Lisa," she said before walking out the door.
"I'm sure you will," she uttered. No one took good news and ran with it like Anna did. That woman could turn the most mundane things into an extravaganza before most people could even contemplate what was going on in the first place.
Once they left, Calvin closed the door and stared at her. Lisa's eyes widened as she read the hurt in his hazel depths. She was afraid to move or speak, not knowing what to say, and suddenly aware that she caused the pain he was feeling. The man had just basically admitted he wanted to marry her! Just hearing that he intended to buy a house, have a permanent residence here, and build his life here sent every doubt in motion and caused her to act irrationally. Was this how love worked? She'd seen enough pain between Nolan and Anna at the beginning and all the heartache Megan endured at the hands of Corey to shy away from all it had to offer before Cal waltzed into her life. Would it make her constantly jump to the wrong conclusions? Is that what she did to her sister to make her run off? Was this a pattern she used not to let anyone close?
Stunned by her last thought, Lisa swayed; the spinning in her head made her reach for the wall.
"Whoa," Cal said, rushing forward and wrapping her in his arms. "I think you'd better sit."
Words remained elusive as she tried to understand everything happening. Calvin walked her to the couch and sat her down, kneeling before her.
"Are you all right?" He brushed a stray hair away from her face and cupped her chin. "Lisa, look at me."
Tears welled in her eyes, and the last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of him. She shook her head and turned away, unable to meet his eyes. He couldn't see her break down. It was bad enough that Cal witnessed her pacing when anger took hold, though he hadn't held that against her. A total breakdown would have him heading back to the airport for sure, and she wouldn't be able to blame him.
"Listen, I can only help you if I know what's wrong."
She sighed, and that innocent action released some tension coiling through her body. Calvin's thumb brushed her cheek, sending a shiver down her spine. She closed her eyes, letting the sensation take root. She couldn't deny how good it felt to have this man touch her. All these little things Calvin did had a calming effect, and she hoped she remembered that as the doubts and questions returned to her mind.
"I'm scared," she whispered, keeping her eyes closed, not ready to see his reaction.
He pressed his forehead to hers and sighed. "You know what I find truly amazing?"
"What?"
His thumb brushed her cheek again, sending warmth through her. She inhaled his spicey scent, which added a layer of comfort as her runaway thoughts calmed.
"I'm not."
Her eyes snapped open. "Not even a little?"
He shook his head. "You know I'm very calculated in my decision-making. I crunch numbers, research until I've exhausted every viable avenue, and run worst-case scenarios, trying to circumvent any roadblock that could come my way."
Like Calvin, she tended to do the same thing. "Yes, I'm aware of that."
He took her hands and sat beside her. "Before I came here after we went to Vegas, I knew my life would change course. Did I know I would purchase property to expand and move here then? No."
"But when that was the direction you decided to take, you still weren't afraid?" she asked, every word he said sinking in.
"There may have been a moment when fear of failure entered my mind, but I had gone over the information I'd gathered so many times that it all fit perfectly."
He touched her cheek, and she leaned into him, loving his warmth and strength. "You've always been self-assured," she said.
He laughed, "Not until college," he admitted.
Lisa shook her head, unable to picture him any other way. "I find that hard to believe."
"It's true. College was the first time I started living, allowing myself to do something other than academics. I didn't have much social time growing up between school and the family business, not that I was looking for it. I always knew I'd be working at the Corporation, and that was the focus."
Lisa nodded and could understand that because she saw his drive about business. "Cal," she said, "what happens if we find out this thing between us is just infatuation? A passing phase?"
He studied her face for a moment. "Do you honestly think this isn't love?"
God, she wanted it to be! She took a deep breath and knew it was time to confess something he most likely didn't know about her. "I don't know. I've never been in love before."
Just saying the words aloud sent a shiver down her spine. She expected a reaction—a sharp intake of breath, a whistle, something. Instead, the man sitting beside her smiled like he'd just heard the best news he'd heard all day.
“That makes two of us.”
Lisa gasped and stared at him. “Cal, how can that be? You were engaged to Julie for years.”
“True.” He took both of her hands, his thumb rubbing across her knuckles. “But I realized my feelings for
Jules paled to what I found with you.”
Lisa gasped, then flung her arms around his neck.
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