Summer Plans and Other Disasters

by Karin Beery

  “Thanks.” Callie smiled, but it quickly faded. “Listen, I don’t want to be rude, but it sounds like you know my brother pretty well—”

  “I don’t really,” Stacey said. “I’m just observant.”

  “And you know him from church?”

  “Yep. I met Jack and Ryan there a few months ago.”

  Callie’s eyebrows arched a bit. “You know Ryan too?”

  “Sure. They’ve had me over for lunch a couple of times.”

  “That was nice of them.”

  Stacey nodded, remembering the warm afternoons at the lighthouse. She smiled. “Those were fun days.”

  “Why don’t you come out tomorrow after church? It’ll give us a chance to get to know each other better.”

  Stacey’s spirit lightened. An afternoon at the lighthouse. Then reality set in, and the light faded. “I wish I could, but I have plans for tomorrow.”

  “Then come by sometime this week.” Callie dug into her purse. She eventually pulled out a business card and thrust it into Stacey’s hand. “You can ignore the part about piano lessons. My cell number is on there. Give me a call and we can figure out a good day.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Before she could answer, Jack stumbled into the aisle. He glanced between the two women before settling his gaze on Callie.

  “Are you done yet? We’ve got stuff to do at home. I’ve still got some errands to run, and all of this food is making me hungry. What?”

  Stacey looked from Jack to Callie. His sister’s eyes were large, then she smiled. She reached out and patted Stacey’s hand. “I’m absolutely sure. Call me.”

  Jack gunned the engine. He squeezed the steering wheel until the vinyl squeaked in his fists. Callie was rambling again. He tried to listen, but his thoughts kept going back to shiny golden hair and a bubbly laugh. That seductive sprite didn’t know how she affected him. And Callie had invited her into his house.

  “You’re going to break that.”

  Jack looked at his sister. “What?”

  She rolled her eyes. “The steering wheel. You can stop strangling it. I think it’s dead.”

  Loosening his grip, the color return to his knuckles. When he thought about Callie’s big mouth and that stupid invitation, heat traveled right up his arms and into his cheeks. “Why did you invite Stacey over?” he asked. “You don’t even know her.”

  “That’s why I invited her over. She said she knows you and Ryan. I thought it would be nice to have a girlfriend in town, now that Mae’s busy.”

  “It doesn’t have to be Stacey. Invite someone else.”

  Callie’s jaw dropped. “Jack!”

  “I didn’t mean that like it sounds.” He rubbed the back of his neck but failed to come up with another way to say it.

  “So, you don’t mind if she comes over?”

  “Yes. No. I don’t know. Does it have to be her? Can’t you invite someone else to my house?”

  “Our house. I’m living there too.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  Callie crossed her arms. “Not really. I don’t get it. You didn’t even pretend to be nice to her. You were practically a jerk.”

  “I wasn’t a jerk.”

  “I didn’t say you were a jerk. I said you were practically a jerk. It’s like you tried just hard enough not to be a total jerk so no one would notice. If we were kids, Dad would have warmed your bottom for that.”

  “I didn’t mean to be rude.” He sighed. “I just don’t want to encourage her.”

  “Encourage her? Just tell her you’re not interested.”

  Jack twisted his hands around the steering wheel, again. That would be the easy thing to do. Instead, he was sending mixed signals and he knew it. It started the first time he invited Stacey out for lunch. The second and third times didn’t help.

  Callie gasped. “You can’t tell her that because you are interested, aren’t you?”

  He snorted.

  She laughed, smacking him on the knee. “Jackson Stephens, there may be hope for you yet.”

  “Whatever.”

  All he had to do was stop inviting Stacey over. That would work. It wouldn’t look like he wanted to see her, because he didn’t want to see her. Not really.

  Then why did he suddenly have the urge to go grocery shopping again?

  Callie squished another box of macaroni and cheese into the cupboard. Jack was outside doing something, so she was alone with Ryan in the kitchen. The perfect time to get some info. “Tell me about Stacey.”

  Ryan dropped a can of soup. “Stacey?”

  The can rolled across the floor, bumping into Callie’s foot. She’d been right. “Something’s definitely going on.” She picked up the can and gave it back to him. “You and Jack both go nuts when I mention her name.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Yeah, sure. You always throw canned goods around. Now spill.”

  Ryan put the can in the cupboard. “There’s nothing going on. I don’t know what you want me to tell you.” He motioned to Callie, and she handed him more groceries.

  “Come on. I thought Jack still associated girls with cooties.”

  “He does.”

  “Maybe he does today, but there was a time when he invited Stacey out here for lunch, so he must have found his cootie catcher.”

  Callie handed Ryan the eggs. He didn’t look at her. When she passed along the milk, cheese, and vegetables, he accepted them all without ever making eye contact. That wasn’t like him. While he never looked for conflict, he didn’t run from it either. Something was making him uncomfortable, and Callie doubted it was the broccoli.

  She also knew what Ryan and Jack thought about her curious questioning. “I’m gossiping, aren’t I?”

  “No.” He flashed a half smile. “But it’s your brother’s life. It’s not really my place to say.”

  Callie sighed. It was hard maintaining a relationship with a brother who didn’t tell you anything. If she didn’t already have over two decades of experience with the man, she might scream with frustration. But Ryan was right. It wasn’t his story to tell. “I’m sorry.” She tossed a loaf of bread on the counter before folding the empty grocery bags. “You would tell me if Stacey’s bad news, wouldn’t you?”

  Ryan dropped a hand on Callie’s shoulder and smiled. His skin warmed hers. “Of course. I’d even tell Jack.” He winked.

  “How chivalrous.” Callie swatted his hand away. “Will you at least give me your opinion on something?”

  “Depends. Are you going to cook dinner tonight?”

  She shrugged. “I could.”

  “I’ll help you.”

  “You’re on.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  Callie squared herself to Ryan. She was looking at his chin. The stubble along the firm jawline darkened his already tan complexion. She’d never noticed it before. That realization did funny things to her insides. Ignoring her stomach, she looked up into his familiar blue eyes.

  “Do you think Stacey and Jack could work?”

  Ryan crossed his arms. “I think Jack could work with anyone, if he wanted to.”

  Callie considered Ryan’s words. “Do you think Jack would ever want to make it work with … anyone?”

  Ryan smiled.

  There went those funny tummy things again.

  “How about grilled chicken?”

  Frustrated, she did the only thing she could think of. Callie stomped her foot. “You’re my brother’s best friend. You’ve got to know something.”

  “We aren’t girls.”

  “What’s that got to do with anything?”

  “Jack and I don’t talk about our love lives while we eat bonbons.”

  “Are you really that cliché?” She rolled her eyes as she reached past Ryan t
o grab a cookbook off the counter. “I never gossip with chocolate. Only potato chips. What should we have with the chicken?”

  Her phone rang. Callie’s heart took off like the raccoons she’d chased away. Digging through her purse, she rehearsed her lines as she searched for the phone. Her summer might be ready to change. She looked at the display.

  Alma area code.

  Whoever it was, they weren’t the kind of change she was hoping for. Callie stuffed the phone into a purse pocket before returning to the kitchen.

  Ryan handed her a cookbook. “Not going to get that?”

  “No.” She dropped the book on the counter and flipped it open. Ryan leaned close. Woodsy. Musky. Masculine. Callie held her breath.

  “You okay?” Ryan cupped his hand around her elbow.

  Callie couldn’t remember how the stomach was connected to the elbow, but when Ryan touched her there, the feelings intensified. She was completely aware of him beside her, pressing in closer to look at recipes. The weirdness spread.

  “Callie?”

  She jumped back. “What?”

  Ryan captured her gaze with his amazing blue eyes.

  She took another step back.

  “You’re pale.” He raised a hand. Callie turned away.

  She walked to the refrigerator, opening the door and using it as a barrier. “I think I need to eat something.” Liar.

  “Then let’s get started with dinner. Want to finish the menu with me?”

  Callie stuck her head in the refrigerator, savoring the cold air on her skin. “You know, I’m not very picky. You decide and just tell me what to do.” She grabbed a package of chicken and passed it to him.

  Ryan reached for the meat, and their fingers touched. Callie flinched. Her heart flipped. What was happening?

  He cleared his throat. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I think so.”

  He closed the refrigerator door.

  “I’m pretty sure.”

  He smiled.

  Her phone rang.

  Callie gasped. “I’ll get it!”

  Ryan chuckled. “Who else would?”

  She ignored him and grabbed the chirping phone from her purse. “Hello?”

  “Cal.”

  Her bones melted. “Kyle?”

  “I got your messages.” His smooth, bass voice crooned in her ear. “So, you’re back in town?”

  She looked at Ryan. He pulled assorted jars and bottles out of the cupboards. The phone trembled in her hand. “I got back yesterday.”

  “Did you have a safe trip? You got here okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”

  “Good. Listen, I’m meeting some coworkers tonight for drinks. Do you want to go with us? We can catch up?”

  She couldn’t control her smile. “Really? I’d love to have drinks with you.” Ryan closed the cupboards and looked at Callie. Her heart sank like an anchor. “But I already have plans for tonight.” Ryan’s eyes widened. “Can I take a rain check?”

  Then Ryan shook his head, waving his hands in front of him.

  “Wait!” Callie watched Ryan. He pointed at the phone and winked. “I think I can change tonight’s plans?” He nodded. “Yes, I can definitely postpone my plans. Tonight will work. Where should I meet you?”

  “I’m not sure where we’re going,” said Kyle. “Why don’t I just pick you up?”

  Callie’s knees wobbled. She leaned against the wall. “Sure, that would be great. What time?”

  “We have to finish some stuff here first. I could be there by eight.”

  “I’ll be ready. See you then.”

  “Bye, Callie.”

  The air around her buzzed, or maybe it was the phone. It didn’t matter.

  Kyle had called, and he wanted to see her. The very thought warmed her core. She’d already completed the first phase of her plan by moving to Traverse City. Finally, she could focus on the second phase—spending time with Kyle.

  “He’s coming here,” she whispered, looking at Ryan’s handsome face. Her heart fluttered. Of course it did, because Kyle had finally called. The flutter had nothing to do with Ryan. Right?

  “Kyle’s coming here for drinks?” Ryan focused on the cookbook. The news didn’t seem to faze him, not that it should.

  Still, Callie couldn’t help the twinge of disappointment that pricked behind her chest. Why should she be disappointed? Her plan was finally coming together. “He’s picking me up. We’re going out for drinks with his coworkers.” Not her ideal reunion scenario, but could work, if it didn’t get awkward.

  After all, they’d broken up three years ago. They’d barely seen each other since. The excited buzz in the air turned into a terrorizing zap.

  “Oh my gosh.” She paced the short width of the kitchen. “I’m going to see Kyle. I need to call Mae. I mean, this is what I wanted, but I never really thought about how I would feel when it finally happened. Things are working out. I should be thrilled, right? And I am. It’s just, I was planning on having a good long talk with him, but we’re going to be with other people. It could get weird, and I—”

  Two strong hands clasped her shoulders, stopping her forward motion and forcing her back into the moment. Ryan looked her right in the eye. “This is what you prepared for. If your plan works, you don’t have anything to worry about. It’s just drinks.”

  Just drinks. “You’re right.” Callie put her hand over her heart, willing it to settle into a slow, normal rhythm. She smiled at Ryan. “Thank you so much. I feel bad bailing on you like this. He’s not going to be here until eight, so we can still cook together if you want.”

  “I can cook chicken by myself.”

  “That’s not what I mean.” Her smile faltered when she realized Ryan’s hands were still on her. Callie glanced at her shoulder. He dropped his hands. She thought his jaw twitched, but he turned away so quickly that she couldn’t be certain. “Are you sure this is okay with you? We had plans first. I don’t mind calling Kyle back and rescheduling.”

  Ryan pulled some tongs out of a drawer. “Don’t do that. This is what you’ve been waiting for. We’ve eaten together plenty of times before. I’m sure we will again.”

  Callie knew he was doing the polite thing, but those words from Ryan’s mouth sounded more like nails on a chalkboard than a chivalrous offer. “At least let me help you get started. Maybe it’ll help me relax.”

  “If you insist, but you’ve only got three hours before he gets here.”

  Three hours to cook dinner and get ready. She could keep her commitments to both men. The thought pushed heat into her cheeks. Why did that sound so scandalous? It wasn’t like she was dating both of them, or even one of them. Dinner with Ryan. Drinks with Kyle. Why did nothing about that feel right?

  Ryan tried to forget about Callie’s date, but she kept running in and out of the kitchen while talking on the phone to Mae. He heard something about her plan, then something about wrenches. She was clearly excited to see Kyle.

  Ryan groaned.

  Callie and her plans.

  She had kept her word and helped him prep some kebobs, but it was more of a hassle than a help. After she had dropped her third piece of chicken and second mushroom on the floor, Callie gave up and sat down to watch. She couldn’t focus on Ryan or the conversation for very long, but she wouldn’t leave. She stayed to help with the dinner prep, just like she’d planned.

  As Ryan walked outside to preheat the grill, he thought back to some of Callie’s plans. She’d graduated valedictorian of her high school class, got into her first-choice college, and double majored in music and education. She saved for and bought her car with cash. And Jack never stopped teasing her about her over-the-top, but always amazing, holiday menus.

  Most of her schemes worked out exactly how she wanted them to, but Ryan smiled as he rememb
ered some of her less successful endeavors. Using oil-based house paint when she ran out of the right shade of nail polish. Pulling the push mower behind her bike with a string of bungee cords when the riding mower broke. Practicing two hours a day when she tried to teach herself the harmonica, so she could join a blues band.

  When Callie set her mind to something, she followed through, no matter what she had to do to make it happen. That determination usually paid off. It took an obvious work of God to pull Callie’s attention from her plans. Ryan wondered which way things would work out with Kyle.

  Back in the kitchen, he started loading the dishwasher while he made plans of his own.

  “Ryan? Can I get your opinion on something?”

  He braced himself. “Sure.” Maybe. “What do you need?”

  Callie shuffled into the kitchen, her phone in one hand and a bunch of blue shirts hanging from the other. “Mae says I should wear blue tonight. Which shirt do you like the best?”

  He looked at the hangers full of fabric. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes. What do you think?”

  One at a time, Ryan grabbed a shirt and looked at it. Blue with sleeves. Light blue with shorter sleeves. Weird blue with straps. Another blue with sleeves. She’d look good in any of them, but that wasn’t what she’d asked. Not sure what else to do, he examined each shirt again, his head aching as he wondered if there was a right answer.

  “Never mind.” She took the shirts back. “You look like someone just asked you to eat a bowl of pigs’ feet. I’ll pick one.”

  His shoulder relaxed. “Thank you.”

  “But you’ll tell me how it looks, right?”

  “Sure.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled then disappeared before he could blink. The sight of her smiling would never leave his brain, which was why he needed a distraction.

  Onions. If anything could take his mind off of Callie’s fidgeting and primping, the burning aroma of chopped onions should do it.

  He had just finished quartering three large onions when he heard the shower turn on. The water continued to run as he chopped lettuce and peppers, tossing them in a bowl. Setting it aside, he picked up his platter of kebobs and took them out to the grill. Ryan stayed there, and away from Callie, until everything was done. As he pulled dinner off the sizzling grates, Jack emerged from his workshop.