All for Love: What a Westmoreland Wants

“I can imagine. You didn’t eat a whole lot on the plane.”

She chuckled. “Only because I wasn’t sure I could keep it down. There was a lot of turbulence.”

And he’d known how much that bothered her. He was glad when she’d finally been able to sleep through it. He had watched her most of the time while she’d done so.

“I’m ready now, Callum.”

He was tempted to reach out and take her hand in his, but he knew that doing such a thing would not be a smart move right now. He needed her to get to know him, not as her brother’s best friend, but as the man who would always be a part of her life.

* * *

“Hey, don’t look at my plate like that. I told you I was hungry,” Gemma said, laughing. Her stack of pancakes was just as high as Callum’s. He had told her this particular hotel, located in downtown Sydney, was known to serve the best pancakes. They not only served the residents of the hotel but locals who dropped in on their way to work. From where Gemma sat, she could see the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the distance. It was a beautiful sight.

“Trust me, I understand. I remember my mom bringing me here as a kid when I did something good in school,” he said while pouring syrup onto his pancakes.

“Wow, you mean this hotel is that old?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

He glanced over at her as amusement flickered in his gaze. “Old? Just what are you trying to say, Gemma?”

“Umm, nothing. Sorry. I have to remember that you’re my client and I have to watch what I say. The last thing I want to do is offend you.”

“And be careful that you don’t,” he warned, chuckling. “Or all that information you provided yesterday on colors and designs would have been for naught. How you can keep that stuff straight in your head is beyond me.”

He paused a moment. “And I talked to Ramsey last night. Everything is fine back in Denver and I assured him all was well here.”

Gemma smiled as she took a sip of her coffee. “Did you tell him we were on the flight from hell getting here?”

“Not quite in those words, but I think he got the idea. He asked me if you fainted when the plane hit the first pocket of turbulence.”

She made a face. “Funny. Did he mention how Chloe is doing?”

“Yes, she’s fine, just can’t wait for November to roll around.” He smiled. “She has two more months to go.”

“I started to call them last night when we got in, but after I took a shower and went to bed that did it for me. I hadn’t thought I’d be able to sleep so soundly, but I did.”

During the rest of their meal, Gemma explained to him how they managed to pull off a surprise baby shower for Chloe last month right under her sister-in-law’s nose, and how, although Ramsey and Chloe didn’t want to know the sex of the baby before it was born, Megan, Bailey and she were hoping for a girl, while Zane, Derringer and the twins were anticipating a boy.

Sipping coffee and sharing breakfast with Callum seemed so natural. She hadn’t ever shared breakfast with him before...at least not when it had been just the two of them. Occasionally, they would arrive at Ramsey’s place for breakfast at about the same time, but there had always been other family members around. She found him fun to talk to and felt good knowing he had noticed her outfit and even complimented her on how she looked. She had caught him staring at her a few times, which meant he couldn’t ignore her so easily after all.

They had finished breakfast and were heading back toward the elevators when suddenly someone called out.

“Callum, it’s you! I can’t believe you’re home!”

Both Callum and Gemma glanced around at the same time a woman threw herself at him and proceeded to wrap her arms around his waist while placing a generous smack on his lips.

“Meredith! It’s good to see you,” Callum said, trying to pry himself from the woman’s grip. Once that was accomplished, he smiled pleasantly at the dark-haired female who was smiling up at him like an adoring fan. “What are you doing in town so early?”

The woman laughed. “I’m meeting some friends for breakfast.” It was then that she turned and regarded Gemma. “Oh, hello.”

The first thought that came into Gemma’s mind was that the woman was simply beautiful. The second was that if it was the woman’s intent to pretend she was just noticing Gemma’s presence, then she had failed miserably, since there was no way she could have missed her, when she’d nearly knocked her down getting to Callum.

“Meredith, I’d love you to meet a good friend of mine,” he said, reaching out, catching Gemma’s hand and pulling her closer to his side. “Gemma Westmoreland. Gemma, this is Meredith Kenton. Meredith’s father and mine are old school chums.”

Gemma presented her hand to the woman when it became obvious the woman was not going to extend hers. “Meredith.”

Meredith hesitated a second before taking it. “So, you’re from the States, Gemma?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

She then turned adoring eyes on Callum again, and Gemma didn’t miss the way the woman’s gaze lit up when Callum smiled at her. “Now that you’re back home, Callum, what about us doing dinner at the Oasis, going sailing and having a picnic on the beach.”

For crying out loud. Will you let the man at least catch his breath, Gemma wanted to scream, refusing to consider that she was feeling a bit jealous. And besides, for all you know, I might be his woman and if I were I wouldn’t let him do any of those things with you. Talk about blatant disrespect.

“I’m going to be tied up this visit,” Callum said, easing Gemma closer to his side. Gemma figured he was trying to paint a picture for Meredith that really wasn’t true—that they were a twosome. Any other time she might have had a problem with a man insinuating such a thing, but in this case she didn’t mind. In fact, she welcomed the opportunity to pull the rug right out from under Miss Disrespect. Meredith was obviously one of those “pushy” women.

“And I’m only back home for a short while,” he added.

“Please don’t tell me you’re going back over there.”

“Yes, I am.”

“When are you coming home for good?” Meredith pouted, her thin lips exuding disappointment.

Gemma looked up at Callum, a questioning look in her eyes. Was this the woman waiting for him that he told her didn’t exist? He met her gaze and as if he read the question lingering there, he pulled her even closer to his side. “I’m not sure. I kind of like it over there. As you know, Mom is an American, so I’m fortunate to have family on both continents.”

“Yes, but your home is here.”

He smiled as he glanced down at Gemma. He then looked back at Meredith. “Home is where the heart is.”

The woman then turned a cold, frosty gaze on Gemma. “And he brought you back with him.”

Before Gemma could respond, Callum spoke up. “Yes, I brought her back with me to meet my parents.”

Gemma knew the significance of that statement, even if it was a lie. To say he had brought her home to meet his parents meant there was a special relationship between them. In truth, that wasn’t the case but for some reason he didn’t want Meredith to know that, and in a way she didn’t want Meredith to know it, either.

“Well, I see my friends have arrived now,” she said in a cutting tone. “Gemma, I hope you enjoy your time here in Sydney and, Callum, I’ll talk to you later.” The woman then beat a hasty retreat.

With his hand on her arm, Callum steered Gemma toward the elevator. Once they were alone inside the elevator, Gemma spoke. “Why did you want Meredith to assume we were an item?”

He smiled down at her. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Gemma shook her head. “No, but why?”

He stared at her for a few moments, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He seemed to think for a minute. “Just because.”

She lifted a brow. “Just because?”