Grayson

Chapter Eleven

"Hey beautiful! Wait up!" Peter yelled and Callie stopped walking and waited for him. He wrapped her tight in a hug and she pulled away and glared at him when she saw the coal ash smudged all over her white work dress.

"Dang you, Peter! I wanted to look nice for Grayson." she said. Peter looked her up and down and winked.

"You still look pretty damn good to me." Callie just laughed and shook her head. "So have you got plans for dinner?" Peter asked.

"Yes. Grayson should be coming into town anytime now and we're going to eat at the diner." The lopsided grin left Peter's face and he looked at her very seriously.

"Are you spending the night with him again tonight?"

"So what if I am?" Callie asked crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him. "That is none of your business."

"Don't get your bloomers in a bunch, Callie, I'm just trying to look out for you. I don't want to see you get hurt again."

"I don't need your protection when it comes to Gray. He won't hurt me." she replied curtly. Peter nodded and he wrapped his arm tight around her shoulders and kissed her temple.

"Come on, beautiful, I'll walk you to the diner and stay with you until the big guy gets here."

"You better get your arm off of me before the big guy gets here or else he's liable to remove it for you." Callie teased. Peter snorted and squeezed her tighter.

"I'm not afraid of him. Nobody is going to keep me away from my Callie."

"Oh really?" Grayson's deep voice said from behind them. Callie saw every ounce of blood drain from Peter's face and his slight double chin worked up and down in fear. He put distance between himself and Callie before turning around.

"Well hi there, Grayson." he said with false enthusiasm "We were just talking about you." Grayson nodded and Callie laughed at the amusement on his face. Grayson was clearly enjoying Peter's obvious discomfort.

"Leave him alone, Gray." she said walking to him and raising on her toes so she could kiss his cheek.

"I wouldn't want to come between him and his Callie." Grayson replied doing his best to sound angry. Although Callie could tell it was an act, it was clear that Peter could not.

"Uh.. I was uh.. That is to say Callie and I are just…" Peter realized he was mumbling so he shut his mouth with a snap.

"Go get us a table, Callie, I want to talk to Peter." Grayson said.

"Gray…" Callie's tone was full of warning. Grayson pointed toward the diner.

"Go, Callie. I'll leave him in one piece, I promise." Callie looked between the two men. Grayson's expression showed that he expected to be listened to and Peter's expression was begging her to stay and protect him. She couldn't help but walk away to the diner. She still owed Peter for teasing her about seeing her bloomers when she'd climbed out of Annie's window.

Grayson watched her until she disappeared into the diner and he heard Peter shifting his feet nervously beside him.

"You never were very good at keeping that lost puppy dog look off of your face whenever she would walk away from you." Peter said. Grayson just shrugged and turned back to Peter.

"Like you said, I never have been good enough for her but for some reason she wants to be with me." he said. Peter's face paled.

"You heard me at the docs?" he asked. Grayson nodded.

"Yeah. I believe you called me a hot headed bastard, a son of a bitch and you said something about pissing on my grave, which wasn't very nice by the way."