Calum

by Diane Darcy

  Red chose that moment to show up. He tipped his hat back a bit, displaying a wide grin. “Now, Tiffany, this fine young man is as honest as they come and I won’t have you saying otherwise.”

  The pastor was quick to intervene. “Also, Randall, do you think you could help us out?”

  A man reluctantly moved forward from the back of the crowd, sighing long and loud, but Tiffany shot Deanna a triumphant smile.

  With a shrug Deanna turned away and then all the women slowly started to dissipate, moving into the kitchen off to one side, and helping arrange food at another table.

  Mandy went with them, leaving Calum to his duty. He was no happier than Randall.

  The pastor gave them both a thumbs up. “Disaster averted. Thanks, you two.”

  Red shot him a grin and headed off with the pastor.

  Calum and Randall stood behind the table as the older group in front of them carefully studied the desserts, making notes on small pads of paper, before carefully cutting into the concoctions to taste them.

  He glanced at Randall and the man looked no happier to be assigned guard duty.

  “She did what?”

  Calum stood off to one side, leaning against the stage with curtains at his back. He didn’t glance at Mandy or her friend where they whispered furiously off to one side, but he did try to listen.

  If for no other reason than that the whole thing was most amusing.

  Spread before him, the assortment of pies, cookies, cakes and other desserts, many of which he did not recognize, were under his watchful eye.

  The smell alone weakened his knees.

  And what were some of these things? Round balls on a stick? Something green and jiggly with a pond scum type consistency, but which looked rather tasty he had to admit.

  Multicolored dots decorated one plate of desserts which he thought were cookies, but he’d not seen toppings of that sort before.

  He might have to try them all, just so he’d be cognizant of all the new types of food in this century.

  A man had to do, what a man had to do.

  He glanced off to where Mandy continued to whisper with her friend, Sierra. She wasn’t allowed near the table, so the appearance of fairness would not be in dispute.

  Mr. Randall Padgett was still at his post a few feet away. He looked to be in his forties or so, had a bit of a stomach, and some gray in his hair. He was a little on the short side, and seemed an impatient sort.

  In the interest of fairness, he’d also been charged with the task of watching over this table, until the judges finished making their determination.

  He glanced at the pies that Mandy had proudly displayed earlier. Her grandmother’s recipe, apparently, and he was quite proud of the way they looked.

  If he had his way, he’d be the first to have a taste — after the judges, of course.

  “I’ll be glad when this is over,” Randall said from his position. He stood above the table, arms crossed, glaring at his wife across the room. “How I get roped into these things, I’ll never know.”

  Calum just grunted. He knew better than to consort with an opponent.

  But for all that, Calum thought he might like the man if he wasn’t the enemy.

  And mayhap he wasn’t, but for now, Calum was uncertain if he could befriend the man as their wives seemed to be at odds.

  He’d have to wait and see.

  He followed Randall’s gaze to where the judges sampled the desserts and talked amongst themselves, as many of the women stood around the edges of the room, covertly watching.

  “I mean, come on, already. I’m hungry, we need to eat!”

  Calum agreed with the man, thinking that perhaps the judges could speed things along.

  If for no other reason than to lessen his wife’s anxiety over the situation.

  Finally, Pastor Williams came forward to declare, “We’ve made our decisions, and will be announcing the winners at the end of the evening. In the meantime, we’ll bless the food, and start eating!”

  There were cheers, and Calum, knowing his responsibility had ended, crossed over to where his wife stood with her friend.

  They all folded their arms as Pastor Williams blessed the food, and when he finished, he said, “Now, just one more thing, Mandy and Calum, will you two come up here please?”

  Mandy smiled up at Calum, entwined her arm with his, and the two of them crossed the distance to the pastor.

  He put his arm around both of them, and said, “I’m sure most of you have already heard,” there was chuckling throughout the room, “that Calum and Mandy were married last night. So, I would like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Calum Milne.”

  There was applause, and cheers, and the people nearest them came to offer their congratulations, while many others in the room made a beeline for the overloaded tables of food.

  As he was introduced, he shook hands, and tried to remember names. If these people were important to Mandy, they would be to him as well.

  Tiffany waited her turn to talk to them and, before Mandy had a chance to introduce them, stuck out her hand. “I’m Tiffany Pagett. I believe you met my husband, Randall, over by the desserts?”

  Calum took her hand out of politeness, and gave it a quick shake, but when he tried to release it, she didn’t let him go.

  “Aye, I did meet yer husband,” he said cautiously.

  “Oh, just look at you. And what a wonderful accent. I’m sure Red loves having you around. He does like to brag about his Scottish heritage.”

  Tiffany looked as if she was waiting for him to comment and, as they stood there holding hands, he felt heat rise up the back of his neck.

  He did not wish to offend her by jerking his hand free, so he just relaxed it a bit, letting her take the weight of his arm.

  “You can give him back his hand now, Tiffany,” Deanna said, her voice slightly acid.

  Tiffany made a scoffing noise and released him. “I’m just welcoming him to the neighborhood.”

  Deanna snorted. “Fine, but keep your hands to yourself while you do it.”

  Tiffany glanced around. “When do you suppose they’ll be giving out awards?”

  Deanna hissed out a breath before turning and walking away.

  Sierra giggled. “Why are you torturing my mom?”

  Tiffany grinned. “Because it’s so fun to do.”

  Sierra rolled her eyes and Tiffany finally walked away to join her husband at the buffet.

  Mandy glanced up at him. “Hungry?”

  “Starved.”

  “There’s Luke. I’ll leave you lovebirds to it,” Sierra said, and made a beeline for the young man in the cowboy hat standing in the doorway.

  Mandy took his hand. “Come on. Let’s eat.”

  Finally, she was his again, and as they stood at the back of the line, he placed his hands on her shoulders, careful not to pull her hair. He couldn’t help but feel immense satisfaction at being able to claim her.

  She leaned back against him and he was happier, and more content, than he could ever remember being.

  She’d been acknowledged by all as his wife. His.

  He was her husband.

  And naught could change that fact now.

  “Oh, my gosh, this is so crazy!” Sierra said.

  “What is?”

  “You know in the romance movies when he looks at her when she looks away, and then she looks at him when he looks away?”

  “Yes?”

  “You two are totally doing that! It is so cute I can hardly stand it!”

  Mandy felt herself blushing, embarrassed, even though she was pleased at the same time. “He’s looking at me?”

  “Right now, like he’s starstruck, or maybe lovesick.”

  Mandy grinned at her friend. “Awesome.”

  “Everyone, listen up,” Pastor Williams lifted his arms. “I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for making our Spring Social such a success. The decorations were top rate, the food was delicious, and thank y
ou to Cal Sorenson and his sons for the music. So much hard work from everyone deserves applause.”

  The crowd, seated at the four long rectangular tables, dutifully clapped.

  “Let’s look forward to the Summer Social in June, when the sun won’t set until later and, cross your fingers, let’s pray for sunshine!”

  “Hear, hear,” Red clapped from his seated position beside Connie, Peter, and his wife.

  There were more murmurs of agreement throughout the gymnasium.

  Pastor Williams suddenly looked a bit uneasy. “And now, it looks like the judges have chosen our winners.”

  Oh, jeez.

  Mandy, along with everyone else, turned around when Pastor Williams made that announcement.

  They were sitting with Sierra and Luke, and most everyone was done eating, though a few of the men, including Calum, were just finishing up with seconds or thirds on dessert. Calum’s first dessert had been a piece of her pumpkin pie, which she appreciated.

  Pastor Williams lifted up a sealed manila envelope. “Now, I want you to know how difficult this was, once again, to judge this competition.”

  “Here we go,” Sierra said under her breath.

  “I know, right?”

  Calum was finishing up a bite of tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs, and looked at the two of them, brows raised.

  Mandy shook her head at him. “Don’t ask.”

  She looked around until she could see Deanna with her husband, and Tiffany with hers at another table.

  She actually felt sorry for the men. The two of them would have to hear all about it for the next three months until the next competition, no matter the outcome.

  Pastor Williams cleared his throat. “Somehow, someway, we’ve ended up with more than our fair share of good cooks. It hardly seems fair to the rest of the world when I think about it.”

  His remark earned him a few chuckles, but not, Mandy noted, from Deanna or Tiffany.

  “This could be very, very bad,” Sierra whispered so softly that Mandy almost didn’t hear.

  Mandy reached out and took her hand and squeezed it. She glanced at Calum who watched their interaction, before he searched out the two older women, showing that he understood the drama playing out before them.

  “Now, as you all know, this cooking competition is quite a tradition in our little neck of the woods. Famous in some circles, actually. And the bragging rights are not to be overlooked. I realize that it can be a bitter pill to swallow if you’re not a winner, but I also know that you’re all good men and women who will accept the judges’ decisions with equilibrium.”

  “He’s stalling,” Mandy said under her breath.

  “Yeah, not good,” Sierra agreed.

  “He’s remembering three years ago when Tiffany Padgett freaked out because Mrs. Romano’s cheese dish wasn’t technically a dessert.”

  Mandy crossed her legs. “Mm, hmm.”

  Calum grinned at their conversation which made her smile at him in return.

  Pastor Williams held up a yellow ribbon “Anyway, without any further ado, third place goes to … Carolyn Stevens for her caramel, coconut cookie bars!”

  Mrs. Stevens let out a squeal and stood. She crossed the distance to Pastor Williams, and took the ribbon, her salt-and-pepper bun bobbing as she walked toward him.

  “Thank you!” She glanced around the room, nodding her head a couple of times as if looking for the other judges. “Thank you so much!”

  She crossed back to take her seat, proudly showing her ribbon to her family.

  Pastor Williams cleared his throat and all eyes went back to him. “And, for second place, we have,” he cleared his throat again. “Tiffany Padgett!”

  Sierra bumped her knee against Mandy’s, and Mandy expelled her breath. Tiffany gracefully stood from her chair and walked up to retrieve her second-place ribbon, her dignity and smile firmly in place as she nodded to the pastor, and then waved at the lightly clapping audience.

  She resumed her seat with just as much grace, her attention firmly on Pastor Williams as he cleared his throat once more.

  “And first place goes to Deanna Boyd, for her lemon meringue pie! She had extra points for the lightness of her meringue, and the color of springtime.”

  There was more clapping, as Deanna stood, and just as gracefully as Tiffany, moved forward to receive her blue ribbon.

  “Thank goodness,” Sierra said.

  Mandy, clapping, glanced at Calum, and when he winked at her she pressed her lips together hard so she didn’t laugh.

  He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Ye were robbed, my dear, yer pie was amazing.”

  “That is exactly what you should’ve said.”

  Sierra chuckled. “Suck up,” she said, proving she’d overheard.

  Deanna and Tiffany avoided each other for the rest of the night as everything was cleaned up and put away.

  Calum was just taking a load of dishes into the kitchen when he heard Mandy laugh in a jarring way.

  He stopped, unsure if he should interrupt.

  “What are you trying to say Tiffany?”

  “All I’m saying, is that your husband was standing by the desserts, and he was closest to mine before the judges even had a chance to taste it.”

  Mandy laughed again, that same harsh quality to her tone. “You have got to be kidding me. For your information, my husband is the most kind and honorable man you’d ever meet in your entire life, and he would never do something underhanded. He simply doesn’t have it in him.”

  A warmth spread through Calum unlike anything he’d ever felt.

  Mandy defending him over desserts seemed a silly enough thing, but it warmed him to his bones.

  In the past, Eleanor was the only one to have ever defended him to anyone.

  No one had ever dared to speak ill of him in front of his grandparents, only behind their back.

  That his new wife would stand for him, though they’d known each other for such a short period of time, it took him a moment to steady himself.

  “So, it sounds like you’ve known him for a while then.”

  “That’s none of your business. But Tiffany, I’m warning you right now, spread any rumors about my new husband being anything other than the most trustworthy man you will ever meet, and you’ll have me to answer to.”

  In the next moment, Tiffany was brushing past him, and she shot him a dirty look as she went by.

  Calum finally started to move, and he went into the kitchen to see Mandy busy at work, wrapping leftover food and putting things away.

  He set the food he was carrying on a counter top, and then captured her as she went to move by him, pulling her into his arms and stealing a quick kiss.

  The quick kiss turned into a longer one and Mandy, resistant for but a moment, finally relaxed against him and returned it, her arms creeping around his neck.

  “Okay, you two, break it up. There are dishes to be done.”

  They took a step back, looked guiltily at each other, and then smiled. Mandy was the first to turn away to help as yet another woman came in the kitchen with more food.

  Calum watched her, gratified to his soul that she was his.

  That she believed in him. And was ready to defend him, even over so ridiculous a thing.

  Chapter 15

  Tiffany left as soon as possible, and after they helped Deanna finish loading her SUV, they were some of the last ones there.

  “Well,” Deanna said, finally allowing her pleasure to show. “That was fun!”

  Sierra bowed to her mother. “All hail Deanna Boyd!” she said with a laugh. “Enjoy it while you can, Tiffany is on to you now. Her next dessert is going to scream summertime, because she won’t let you get away with this twice.”

  “I’ll come up with something. I’ve already got a few ideas.”

  “Congratulations, Mrs. Boyd,” Calum offered.

  She bowed her head. “Thank you. And congratulations to the two of you. From what I’ve seen tonight, you make an
absolutely adorable couple.”

  Mandy reached forward and took Calum’s hand, amazed at how easy it was for her to do so. “Thank you.”

  “Your grandfather said he was going to the bar, and it’s a Saturday night and you’re newlyweds! So, go home and have fun!”

  Mandy could feel herself blushing. “Will do.”

  Waving goodbye to her friends, they walked together to her car.

  “Would ye like me tae drive, lass?”

  Mandy narrowed her eyes. “Sorry, not on the busiest night of the week. You’ll have to show me your skills some other time.”

  “I’d be glad tae.”

  His flirtatious tone had her grinning at him as he helped her into the driver’s seat. “Do you want to go home?”

  “Where ever ye are, that’s where I’d like tae be.”

  “Good answer,” she said, and he shut her door and rounded the car and slid in beside her.

  After they backed out and she put the car in drive, they held hands once again.

  Marriage was turning out to be a lot more fun than she’d thought it would be.

  They got back home and Red’s car was not in the driveway.

  So, it looked like they really did have the place to themselves.

  He helped Mandy out, and when they started walking toward the house, he changed his mind at the last moment, put his arm around her waist, and swung her in the other direction.

  “Wow! What are you doing?” she asked, but she was smiling, her voice full of laughter.

  “I thought we might take a short walk.”

  “Ate too much dinner?”

  “Mayhap to make up for how little ye consumed.”

  She placed a hand on her stomach. “I don’t have much room in here anymore. It doesn’t take much to fill me up. But then, I’ll be hungry a couple of hours later.”

  They walked toward the back of the house, and along the path that he’d used many a time since he’d come to live here.

  He could hear the cows in the distance as they walked along, and when he placed a hand around her shoulder and pulled her close, she lifted her arm and returned the affection with a hug around his waist.

  The freedom to walk about was enticing.