Page 52 of He Loves Me Knot

He had a string of missed messages from her.

“Look, it’s not the best time to talk.”

“You’re not in the middle of sex, are you? Oh God, if she’s giving you head while we’re talking, I might?—”

“No. I’m in church.” Which made her comments even more appalling. The visual she’d conjured wasn’t what he needed to be thinking about either. He glanced back at the sanctuary, slightly worried that a lightning bolt might still strike him.

“In church? That’s a terrible place to have sex.”

He choked out a laugh. “Mum would kill you if she heard you.”

“Fortunately for me, I know you won’t tell her. Why are you in church?”

“Long story,little island. But I’ll call you later. But yes, she’s the one I work with, but she’s not really my girlfriend. In fact, if you’d asked her twenty-four hours ago, she probably would have told you I hated her. I don’t have time to get into it now, though.”

“That’s a terrible cliffhanger to leave me on, Cal. You’d better call me soon.”

Callum hung up, his head spinning slightly. Talking to Isla always had that effect. She was effervescent and warm, outgoing and fun—totally his opposite.

A priest was in the sacristy, and he lifted his head sharply as Callum approached. “Buenas.”

“Buenas,” Callum responded. “Estoy tratando de averiguar si hay una boda aquí hoy en la noche.”I’m trying to find out if there’s a wedding here tonight.

The priest frowned and shook his head. “No, not tonight,” he answered in Spanish.

The tightly corded muscles in Callum’s shoulders seemed to swell. He continued in Spanish, “Oh, I thought there was. No, um—baptisms? First communions?”

“I did a baptism about an hour ago, but that’s it,” the priest said, then gave him a curious look. “Why?”

Callum scrambled for a reason. “I’m supposed to meet a friend here to. . . take some pictures. I wanted to make sure we wouldn’t be in the way, that’s all. Thank you.”

He left just as quickly as he’d come, defeat burning acid in his throat.

A baptism.

Was that what Sergio had been invited to?

If so, they had missed it—and him. While Liddy had been in the clinic.

Shite. She’s going to be so upset. With herself or with me.

Either way, it’s not good.

He rubbed the back of his neck as he walked toward her. She didn’t deserve this. Even if she’d made a mistake by trusting Sergio, she was clearly a wonderful sister, and had been doing everything she could to make it up to Elle since then. All without credit, too, because Elle wouldn’t ever know the trouble she’d gone to for her.

I never should have bribed her.

She lifted her head, hope in her eyes as he approached, and the acid burning in him brimmed.

I don’t want to let her down.

Which, in itself, is such a foreign feeling.

This is Lydia Winnick—one of my staff.

He stopped where she was sitting and set his hand on the back of the pew in front of her. Releasing a slow breath, he raised his chin.

“There’s no wedding. Apparently, there was a baptism a bit ago, but it’s obviously over.”