Sometimes Moments (10 page)

She blinked away her tears. Graham was never one to show his emotions around people. Peyton had been one of a few who Graham let close. But in this moment, Graham had shown a vulnerable side to himself.

Sitting up, Peyton placed her hand on Graham’s chest, leant forward, and kissed his cheek. “I love you, too, Graham.”

It wasn’t a love that had blossomed overnight. It was unconditional. It was a friendship bonded by an undeniable connection. He came first in her life. Not Callum. And not even the hotel mattered more than Graham Scott.

T
he morning sun hitting her eyelids caused Peyton to let out a soft groan. Slowly, she opened her eyes to find herself staring at Graham’s naked chest, his hand on her hip. Peyton watched him, the calm expression on his face as he slept. She smiled knowing that this was only one of the rare times where he wasn’t worrying over the family farm.

She looked down to see her palms on his chest. It wasn’t uncommon for them to fall asleep while watching a movie, but Graham’s partially naked chest was a first for her. She had spilt red wine on his shirt before they’d slept. So it wouldn’t stain, Peyton had placed it in the tub and let it soak in stain solution.

A knock
on the door echoed through the quiet house. As silently as she could, Peyton slipped away from Graham’s hold. He stirred for a moment before his breathing evened. Peyton scratched her head and let out a yawn. The cold hardwood floors made her wince as she walked towards the front door. After unbolting the chain and the lock on the handle, Peyton opened the door and was startled.

“Callum,” she said, shocked.

His eyes stared at the pyjama shorts and tank she wore before meeting her startled glance. “Good morning, Peyton,” he said with a tight smile.

“Why are you on my doorstep so early in the morning? Can I help you with something?” Peyton asked.

“Marissa called me last—”

“Peyton, is someone at the door?” Graham asked, stopping Callum from continuing.

Peyton stilled at Graham’s question and watched Callum’s eyes widen in surprise. She heard Graham’s footsteps move closer until he stood next to her. Callum stared at Graham—no doubt taking in his naked chest and making assumptions—before he looked back at Peyton.

She ignored the way his jaw tensed and turned to Graham. Then she smiled before saying, “Morning.”

“Morning, Peyton,” he said sweetly before he placed a kiss on her cheek.

She felt Callum’s eyes on her, but she didn’t care. She knew what Graham was playing at. But she did, however, blush at him. If this was how Graham treated women, then they were lucky.

Callum let out a cough, interrupting them.

“Callum, I heard you were back in town. How are you?” Graham asked.

Peyton turned and met eyes with Callum. She couldn’t decipher the almost angry look in his eyes.

“I’m good, mate. How’s the farm?”

Their small talk just adds to the awkwardness of this morning.

“Good,” Graham said, placing an arm around Peyton’s waist. “Have you had breakfast, Callum? I’m just about to make us some. You’re welcome to join.”

Both Peyton and Callum flinched in surprise. Callum shifted uncomfortably in his place. Looking down, Peyton noticed that he was standing on the veranda rather than the doormat, and that made her smile for a moment.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass. Listen, Peyton, could I talk to you for a moment?” Callum asked.

“Okay. I’ll get breakfast ready before I grab a shower,” Graham said. Then he squeezed her waist and left her alone with Callum.

“So, it’s you
and
lavender boy,” Callum said blankly. It was a nickname Callum had given Graham when they were kids. It was a nickname Peyton had never really liked.

“None of your business,” she stated firmly. Though there was nothing between Graham and her, Callum had no right to question it.

“You’re right. It isn’t.”

Peyton tucked her hair behind her ear and then crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation to his early morning visit. “Again, can I help you with something, Callum?” she asked with an irritated tone to her voice.

“Will you be at the hotel today? I stopped by yesterday but you weren’t there. Marissa called and sent over some drafts of the dance floor, some selections on silverware, and other ideas,” he said.

“Wait.” Peyton uncrossed her arms. “Why didn’t she just email them to me? Why is she going through you?” she asked, slightly offended.

“I almost lost them The Spencer-Dayle, so I owe it to them to make sure everything is ready. And Marissa wants constant updates and having Oscar up my ass will get her them. So, will you be at the hotel today?”

This time, it was Callum who folded his arms over his chest. She noticed that he was wearing a green, long-sleeved shirt. It was cool out, but she wasn’t sure if it really warranted a long top.

Peyton closed her eyes, knowing that what she said next would affect the next few weeks of her life. She would be working close with the man who had broken her heart and betrayed her trust.

“Yeah. I’ll be there at around eleven,” she answered.

Callum’s lips curved upwards. “Sure. I’ll see—”

“Peyton, where’d you put the bread?” Graham yelled, making Callum stop.

His smile faded. “I’ll see you at the hotel at eleven,” Callum said before she watched him walk down the steps towards the house across the road.

“See you then,” Peyton whispered to herself.

When Callum entered his house, Peyton closed her front door, her forehead pressing on the stained glass. She closed her eyes and reminded her heart to stop the achy throbs it was doing. It was business between them. But she couldn’t help but feel dejected by the events that had occurred over the past couple of days.

He’d said that he’d never let her fall in love with him, that love wasn’t on the table between them. The seventeen-year-old in her died inside. In a perfect world, Callum Reid wouldn’t have left her on that early Monday morning.

“He’s gone?” Graham’s voice had a layer of concern in it.

Peyton took a deep breath before she turned and smiled at him. He was still shirtless. “Quite the performance you gave there, Graham.”

Graham nodded with a victorious smile. “I could do a whole lot better. You tell me when I need to go another level and I’ll have you on a wall, kissing me.”

She burst out laughing.

“What? You don’t think we’d make him jealous if he saw us kissing?” Graham cocked a brow.

She chuckled at his confusion. “I don’t think we’d make him jealous, Graham. Not when he doesn’t care. This is all just for my forgiveness. He doesn’t want me. Now, did you actually make me breakfast or was that part of the performance, too?” Peyton took a step forward and gave him her best puppy-dog eyes.

His hands cradled her face. “Froot Loops are in a bowl, waiting for you, and your tea with lemon is there, too.” Then he kissed the top of her head.

“God, you are perfect! I’m going to marry you,” Peyton said once he let her go.

“You’d make me a really happy man, Peyton Spencer.”

“At least I’d make someone happy to be with me. We still on with that promise of ours?” She looked down at the promise ring on her left hand. A ring he’d given her a year after Callum had left town.

Graham took her left hand and bent down on one knee. “Peyton Spencer, do you still agree to marry me if we both go unwedded by the time we’re forty?”

She let out a laugh as the excitement twinkled in his blue eyes. Then she tilted her head and smiled at him. “You did put a ring on it…so I’m still kinda promised to be married to you.” He got up off his knee and wrapped his arms around her. The feeling of Graham’s solid and strong heartbeat against her ear was one that made her chest warm.

“No Jay and no Callum. It’s us, Peyton. You and me.”

She smiled because it was always just them. No one could ever out-love the love she had for Graham.

“Always.”

Peyton checked the time on her watch. She still had twenty minutes before she had to meet Callum at the hotel. She would get there before him and work through a game plan on how to deal with him. Life could not alter in any way since he had returned. This town was no longer his to call home and her heart was no longer his to claim. She shivered against the cold wind as she walked through the lane of trees and up the hill that led to the lake.

When she reached the top, she overlooked the entire lake and smiled at the hotel. She made it down the hill and towards the lake. Then she passed the bench and went down the path to the water’s edge. Just as she reached the old pier, she noticed someone sitting at the end with their legs dangling over the water.

Before she could stop herself, Peyton stepped on the wooden pier and continued towards him. She didn’t say anything while she observed him as he stared at the forest just near the hotel. Her chest constricted as she realised what spot he was looking at—the same spot they’d spent their last night together and the same part of the forest where she had given herself up to him. The part of the world where she had confessed that she loved him.

Peyton swallowed the large lump in her throat and started to walk off the pier, trying to stop the memories of that night from resurfacing in her consciousness.

“Peyton?” he called out.

She stopped. She was halfway off but halfway to him.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him. He gave her a tight smile—one she had seen many times since he had returned. Her chest heaved as she stared into those grey eyes.

“Want to sit with me for a bit? Before we go through Marissa’s plans?” Callum carefully scooted over and patted a spot for her.

She remembered the many summers they had spent sitting on the edge, watching the world go by. Simple times. Before everything in her life had changed. Inhaling a deep breath to settle her heart, Peyton treaded cautiously towards the end of the pier and sat down, her legs dangling over the edge.

They sat there in silence, staring at the lake and the people who pedalled their small boats across the water. Though Daylesford offered little in extravagance, it did offer simplicity and peace. Closing her eyes, Peyton let the feeling of the wind consume her. Peace. That was what she loved about this town.

“I always knew you’d marry lavender boy,” Callum said softly, almost in a whisper.

Peyton slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. “What?”