Roping the animal went quite smoothly when all was said and done, and Callum moved in with the bottle and hands at the ready. But the cow jolted, kicking over the bottle and he had to put it upright again. Finally he got some milk in the bottom and ran it to the judge. Ty and Sam and one of their hired hands took off their cowboy hats and raised their arms, swinging them around, while Callum merely lifted a hand in a wave to the crowd.
“Looks to me like that feller needs a decent hat,” the announcer suggested. “Anyone got one handy?”
And out came a hat—a brown cowboy hat carried by one of the rodeo princesses, dressed in full Western gear with her satin sash across her chest. Cheers and whistles went up from the crowd as he accepted it and plopped it on his head—and more whistles as the girl stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. She left the arena and Callum took off the hat, acknowledged the crowd and then placed it back on his head again before leaving the arena, Ty and Sam giving him claps on the back.
They didn’t win, and fifteen minutes later, just after the final event of the afternoon got started, he showed up in the stands. He lifted a hand to people who smiled and gave him a welcoming nod, and his face was a telltale shade of crimson beneath his tan when he finally got to Avery’s side and sat down.
“Nice hat,” she commented dryly.
“Those guys,” he said, but there was humor in his voice. “I didn’t know they were planning that until it was too late.”
Avery looked over at him and grinned. “Admit it. You had fun.”
“I did.” His lips twitched.
“When did you last have fun, Callum?”
A shadow passed over his face. “A long time ago.”
Once again she’d wondered if there was more to Angela’s earlier comment. But now was not the time or place to ask, so she settled Nell on her lap and simply smiled. “Well, it was long overdue, then.”
The tension in his shoulders relaxed and he looked at Nell. “The sun hasn’t seemed to bother her.”
“It’s cooling off a bit now, especially in the shade. I should probably change her somewhere.”
“She’s a real trooper, Avery. A really good baby. If I haven’t said it before, you’ve done a great job with her.”
He kept his gaze trained on the bull bucking its way across the sandy floor of the arena, but Avery didn’t doubt that he meant every word. The compliment meant so much, and she wished things were different. Wished—for the first time ever—that he’d chosen to take that walk with her through the garden in Niagara Falls instead of following the allure of something faster and brighter. Then instantly felt guilty.
“You’ve stepped up way more than I ever expected,” Avery replied quietly, not wanting to be overheard by the Diamonds but feeling it needed to be said. “Whatever happens, Callum, she’s going to be okay because we both want what’s best for her. I’m glad of that. Glad she’s going to know her dad even if she’ll never know her mom.”
“She has you,” he answered. “She’s a lucky kid.” The conversation was getting a little heavy and he broke the tension with a smile. He patted his belly. “And as long as she’s with you she’ll never go hungry. You’ve spoiled me. It’s not going to be easy to go back to my cooking after you’re gone.”
Gone. She couldn’t forget that part. Couldn’t afford to forget it for a moment. Not once had Callum ever hinted that she should stay. Those thoughts were hers and hers alone, brought on by her feelings for him and the way she’d grown to love the town in such a short time. He’d simply accepted that she was going back to Ontario.
Maybe he wouldn’t even welcome such a move. He’d be close to his daughter, but that didn’t mean he really wanted to be close to her, did it? A few kisses did not a future make.
“I’ve got to get back to do the chores,” he said, checking his watch, indicating that the topic was closed. “It’s getting on.”
Leaving then, without staying for the evening festivities. Avery was a little disappointed. “Just let me get her things together, and I need to stop by the tent for the cupcake stands I bought.” She didn’t know what she was going to do with them now; it wasn’t like she could take them with her on the plane. Maybe she’d donate them to Butterfly House for future events.
Clara looked up as they prepared to leave. “Are you going already? But you only got to see a little bit this afternoon. It’d be a shame for you to miss out on more of your first rodeo.”
Avery was torn. She did want to stay but she didn’t want to inconvenience Callum, especially since he’d already been so great. “It’s okay,” she replied. “It’s been a great afternoon.”
Callum shifted his feet. “Do you want to stay for a while? I can go milk and come back.”
Clara nudged Avery’s arm. “See? We’re all staying, and you can hang with us until Callum gets back. We’re going to set up shop in the Butterfly House tent over the supper hour so we can relax and have something to eat.”
“Are you sure?” Avery looked up at Callum. It was so hard to read his eyes sometimes, and she didn’t want him to feel pressured.
“I’m sure. I’ll come back, and if it seems too much for Nell, we can take her back home again.”
“All right. As long as it’s okay with the Diamonds.”
There was an awkward moment where Callum paused before saying goodbye, where it felt like a kiss would be a natural move and yet unnatural at the same time. In the end he touched a finger to Nell’s downy head and walked off, leaving Avery with a tempting rear view.
It wasn’t until they were walking back to the tent after the bull riding that Clara nudged her elbow again. “You have feelings for him, don’t you?”
“Who?” Avery asked, though she knew very well who Clara meant.
Clara laughed. “It’s written all over your face when you look at him. You don’t want to think of him that way, but you can’t help it.”
Avery’s cheeks went hot. “You can see all that? Do you think he can?”
Clara shook her head. “I have no idea. But I know that look. I wore it often enough when I was fighting my feelings for Ty.” She looked up ahead at her husband, her eyes luminous. “He’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“It’s awkward with Callum. Nell is my niece. Plus, I live so far away, you know?”
“So move here. Unless there’s someone back home…”
Clara let the thought hang. Avery considered lying so there’d be an end to the topic, but the truth was she liked Clara, and Angela, and all the Diamonds she’d met so far. Not only that, but other than her boss, Avery hadn’t had anyone to confide in since Crystal’s death. She blinked away a sudden stinging in her eyes. So many times something would happen with Nell and Avery would simply want to share it with Crystal—fully aware that it should have been Crystal experiencing those moments all along.
“No, there’s no one back home.”
“Then why not?”
“Because it’s already weird between us. And it would be foolish to make such a big decision based on feelings I don’t even know are real. Or if they’d ever be returned. It’s not sensible, Clara.”
Clara smiled. They reached the tent. Molly had spread out a blanket and Clara deposited Susanna in the middle and offered her several toys from a bag to keep her busy. “You sound like me, you know. I was pregnant with Susanna when Ty proposed. I didn’t want to make that kind of decision without love. Sometimes you have to have a little faith that it’ll all work out.”
Avery sat down in a lawn chair and sighed. “I’ve never been too strong on the faith thing.”
Clara sat down beside her and put a hand on her tummy. “I get it. But you know there are other good reasons. Nell would be closer to her daddy. After today’s success, there’s definitely room for you to do business here in town. And besides…” Clara smiled at her and put a hand on her arm. “You already have friends here, and a support system. With or without Callum. Cadence Creek is wonderful that way, Avery.”
“I won’t say the thought hasn’t crossed my mind,” Avery admitted. “I’ve grown to like this place a lot in the few weeks I’ve been here. It’s just such a huge step. Not something I can do on a whim.”
“Well, no one’s saying you need to decide now. But just be open to the idea. I don’t think Callum is as oblivious as you think he is. I’ve seen how he looks at you, too.”
“Yeah, and if we screw it up, it’s Nell who will pay for it.”
Clara didn’t have a reply to that, but she’d planted the seed in Avery’s head. As the women looked after the kids and rested their feet, Ty and Sam went in search of supper. Nell was freshly changed and in pink-footed sleepers when the men returned with a stack of foil-wrapped sandwiches and a bag of soft drinks.
As Avery ate her meal she watched the Diamonds interact with each other. There was good-natured teasing, a helping hand, an easiness they all shared that Avery envied. It had never been that way in her house. It was the kind of family Nell deserved, big and boisterous and generous, and for today Avery was a part of it. But only a small part, because she knew it wasn’t real. This wasn’t her family—they were only on loan.
When the chuck wagon races were about to begin, Avery was feeling slightly overwhelmed by all her feelings and the well-intentioned advice she’d received, and she declined the invitation to join the Diamonds to the stands. “Nell’s nearly asleep,” she said quietly. “I think I’ll wait for Callum here.”
Inside the tent it was quiet and the background noises of people talking, country music, and the occasional announcement on the loudspeaker all served to relax her more. Nell, fed and changed and tired from all the fresh air, figured out it was close to her bedtime and her lids drooped. Avery retrieved a light blanket from the diaper bag and put it over both of them. She swallowed, imagined hopping on a plane in a few short days and her heart hurt.
What if she did decide to move here anyway? Clara was right. There were good reasons to consider it even if she left her feelings for Callum out of the equation.
What would it be like to live in a town like this, small and welcoming? What if she could open her own business, be her own boss? She imagined having a little storefront on Main Street with a striped awning, glass counters inside lined with cakes, tortes, cupcakes, all her own original creations. And maybe Nell would come in, cheeks rosy and hair mussed from an afternoon of playing with Susanna and Ryan and other neighborhood children.
She swallowed against the lump in her throat. It sounded perfect. The childhood she’d always wanted rather than a selection of apartments in various cities, more concrete than grass. The few parks near her apartment had to be monitored for drug dealings and other dangerous items left lying around like sharps and used condoms. It was hardly idyllic.
If only…
A warm hand squeezed her knee. “Avery.”
“Hmm?” she asked, her eyes still closed.
“It’s Callum.”
“Callum,” she said, and raised her hand, touching his face with her fingertips. She let out a sigh. She’d been dreaming, half in and half out of sleep, thinking about Callum and his eyes and his long legs and the way he looked when he smiled.
It was so warm and cozy. She dug under Nell’s blanket more, willing the dream to come back.
“Avery,” he said again, softly.
And then she knew she wasn’t dreaming and her eyes opened. Callum was kneeling by her chair, freshly showered, looking up at her with his beautiful eyes.
And she knew that despite all the justifications, she couldn’t move to Cadence Creek. Not and be this near to Callum. It wouldn’t do any of them any good if she fell in love with him—and she was smart enough to know that she was already more than halfway there.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CALLUM’S HEART SEEMED to pound clear up in his throat as he knelt before Avery. Coming here today had been bittersweet. He had already fallen for Nell, and now he felt himself making that slow, sickening slide with Avery. It scared the hell out of him. She was so…perfect. Beautiful without feeling the need to flaunt it. A perfect mother, a nurturing heart and a hard worker.
Which he might have been able to ignore except he’d already kissed her once and he knew what she could do to his heart rate. Dammit, she made him want things that he’d vowed never to want again.
And the stupid thing was he wanted to trust her. His gut told him he could.
Then again, he’d been down that road before, too, hadn’t he?
“Avery,” he said again, squeezing her knee. “It’s Callum.”
“Callum,” she murmured sleepily, and she raised her hand and touched his face. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the simple touch.
An idea had taken hold today and he was still playing around with it in his mind. She fit in here. She’d made friends and Callum had actually enjoyed getting out to the community event—even when it had meant revealing that Nell was his kid. The past few weeks he’d had a lot of time to think about the last year and the decisions he’d made. He knew one thing for sure. He hadn’t been raised to turn his back on his responsibilities. And Nell was far more than that. She was family.
The problem was Avery and figuring out how she fit into everything. At times she looked at him like the sun rose and set in him. In others she was polite and utterly platonic. If he asked her to stay, he wondered if she’d get the wrong idea.
Or if he even knew what the right idea was.
“Callum,” she said, stronger now, as she came awake.
He smiled. “Hey, sleepyhead. Sorry I took so long coming back. You two okay?”
She nodded. “I stayed back from the chuck wagon races. Nell was nearly asleep, and I was comfortable.”
“We can go if you like. We don’t need to stay.”
“It’s up to you.” She smiled softly. “Everything okay at home?”
His heart gave a little kick as she called it home. It had been more of a home in the last week than it had ever been before. It had nothing to do with the fact that she’d managed to keep it tidy while he worked or that he’d been able to eat more than sandwiches and bacon and eggs. It was that she’d brought life to it—both her and Nell together. Before they came, it had been a place to eat and sleep. Now he looked forward to going back to the house at the end of the day.
The Diamonds approached and he stood up, sliding his hand off her knee. “Everything’s fine.”
The Diamonds greeted Callum and everyone chatted for a few minutes until Molly spoke up. “Well, I think I’ll head out.”
“You’re not staying for the dance?” Sam asked.
“No, I’ll leave that to you young people,” she answered.
Clara looked up at Ty. “I think I’d like to go home, too, Ty. I’m really tired.”
Ty looked down at Clara with concern. “Everything okay?”
She smiled. “Yes. It’s just been a long day.”
Molly’s eyes narrowed. “It’s eight o’clock. Only reason I can think of for someone your age to be tuckered out is that she might have an announcement to make.”
Clara’s cheeks pinkened. “I might. We might.” She grinned, put her hand on her tummy. “Due in March.”
As the group erupted in congratulations, Callum felt a bittersweet pang remembering the night Jane had told him about the baby. The excitement, the fear, the gravity of it. A future of possibilities. He’d shut that part of himself away for a long time but it broke loose now, making him momentarily jealous of Ty and Clara. He knew how Ty was feeling right now—about ten feet tall. It was written all over his face. Callum stole a look down at Avery. She was smiling and she stepped forward to offer her congratulations, but there was a wobble in the way she held her lips, too, that made him believe the news made her a little bit sad. Was she thinking about Crystal? Did she have bad memories to blend with the good, like he did?
Clara squeezed Avery’s hand. “Why don’t you send Nell home with us? That way you and Callum can enjoy the dance without
worrying about the baby. We have lots of everything. You, too, Angela. When was the last time you and Sam had an evening alone since Ryan was born?”
Molly nodded. “I never mind having grandchildren around. You can always pick her up later, Callum, or just come by in the morning.”
It startled him that after such a brief association, he was made to feel like a part of the family. And it made him miss his own family, especially his brother and sister. This is how things should be between siblings.
His parents were nearing retirement and had looked forward to grandkids. They’d made no secret of it, until the wedding had been called off. Now it was a topic that was never discussed. Hell, he hadn’t even phoned them to tell them this latest news. Maybe because he wasn’t sure if they’d be happy or disappointed in him.
Avery’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “I don’t know,” she said, her voice hesitant. She looked back at Callum. “What do you think?”
She was asking him? It felt, oddly enough, like a compliment that she would defer to him when she usually—and quite rightly—took the lead when it came to parenting. “It’s up to you,” he replied, but he was thinking that the idea of a few hours alone with Avery could be a very good—and bad—thing. Up to this point it had all been about spending time with Nell. Now it was spending time together.
“You’re sure you don’t mind?” Avery asked Clara. “You said you were tired. I don’t want to impose.”
“I’m not going to fall over.” Clara laughed. “I’m just not up to dancing. Believe me, it’s no trouble, as long as you have your car seat.”
Avery looked up at Callum. “What do you say?”
He trusted the Diamonds completely, but Avery’s eyes held a shadow of worry. “If you’d like to stay, I know Nell will be perfectly fine with them.”
“It would be fun,” she relented, a wistful note in her voice. “I just haven’t left her before.”
Little Cowgirl on His Doorstep (Mills & Boon Cherish) (Cadence Creek Cowboys - Book 3) Page 13