by Jillian Dagg
She went to bed early and awoke on Thursday feeling fresher, the sunburn no longer so painful. Thank goodness. She couldn't stand the thought of being subjected to another of Luke's lectures. She didn't have to worry as he had reverted to his cool boss persona. When he didn't appear at dinner again, it made Cally wonder if Karl was right and Luke did have a girlfriend somewhere.
After dinner Loretta came back with Cally to the unit.
Loretta complained, “I can't seem to get anywhere with Karl. He goes so far, then pulls back."
Cally flopped on her bed and kicked her feet into the air until her sandals dropped to the floor. “Has he tried anything?"
"Only in fun.” Loretta sat on the side of her bed to unlace her purple and white trainers.
"You shouldn't get involved anyway,” Cally told her.
"I'm not intending on getting involved. But I'd like some summer fun."
"Loretta, if you go too far with Karl, he'll give you a hard time around here. He's that type of guy. I wouldn't be surprised if he boasts to other men about his conquests. You wouldn't want that, so treat it as a flirtation, nothing more."
"Since when were you the authority on men?"
Cally sat up. “Since I've been thinking about this place and the guys. It really is unwise to get involved.
We're all here to do a job. That's all."
"Now you sound like Stanford."
"Maybe I do. But he's right. You have to use your brain in these type of situations, not your emotions."
"Psychologist Carolyn Creighton. Thank you.” Loretta chuckled. “But can't I even kiss that big hunk Karl before the end of the summer?"
"Not if you're smart."
"Oh, well,” Loretta said. “I'll have a break this weekend. I'm going home. He'll have to pine for me.
Vince is staying here so I'll be driving home with Don. It might make Karl jealous."
Cally barely heard Loretta as she thought about the last few weekends she had spent alone at the motel and longed to see her family. “You're lucky. Duluth is closer than Minneapolis and everyone here seems to live in Duluth so you can hitch a ride."
"Luke lives in Minneapolis. Why not hitch a ride with him?"
Cally smiled. “No way. I've had that man up to here. He didn't like my shorts the other day."
"Ah, ignore him. He just likes to play boss."
"Well, he is the boss. It's his gig.” Cally lay down again. She'd love to go home this weekend. Weekends had been spent reading, swimming, or walking by the lake. She had no available transport, so she'd been trapped here. Should she ask Luke? She knew he hadn't been here weekends, so he must have gone to Minneapolis.
"I'd ask him. If you want to go home, it's the only way. Once you're down in Minneapolis, you won't see him until the drive back here. It's that way when I go down with Vince. He drops me off and picks me up again. Don will be the same."
"Don?"
"I told you. Weren't you listening? I'm going with Don. Vince is staying in Echo Bay with those people he knows. His wife is coming up for the weekend to join him.” Loretta discarded her shoes and pattered in her white socks to the TV set. “Want to watch one of those pay TV movies?"
"Sure,” Cally said.
However, she pretended to watch the film while her brain reeled. If she went home she would see her sister. Essie had never married. Because she traveled in her fashion job, she felt it inappropriate to settle down and put a man in the position where she was absent all the time. The unmarried status of the two Creighton sisters was in direct contrast to their three brothers, Kevin, Ryan, and Matt, youngest to oldest, in that order. They all married young. Matt's company had recently transferred him to Europe for a few years, but it would be great to see the others, and her parents.
Cally wished she had her own car but she hadn't felt the old Pontiac was reliable enough for the trip here. Kevin and his wife had dropped her off here on the way to their vacation in Canada. They'd stopped one night on their way back. Since then, there had only been phone calls to keep Cally company.
The movie finished and just as the credits were rolling the phone rang. Loretta answered it as she had given all her relatives and friends the motel number. But this time she handed the receiver to Cally. “It's for you,” she said. “I'm going out for a pop. Want one?"
Cally shook her head as she said hello.
"It's Esther, your sister."
Cally laughed with pleasure. “I was just thinking about you."
"You want to come home. I hope."
"I should have brought my car, Essie. I'm stuck up here."
"Isn't there anyone who can bring you down for the weekend? You've been up there for ages."
"It's only four weeks. There's nothing wrong is there?"
"No. But everyone is longing to see you. I've also met an awesome man who I want you to meet. He's having a barbecue on the weekend and he wants me to invite you. So you have to be here."
Cally twisted the cord. Could she ask Luke? Or if she asked Luke he might be able to suggest a way of getting home.
"Doesn't anyone there live in Minneapolis?"
"Yes. I think the boss does."
"Then ask him for a ride. Or what about buses?"
"I have to get out to the main highway for a bus."
"Surely someone could give you a lift there. How isolated are you?"
"Very.” Cally laughed. “All right. I'll work on it and get back to you."
"Great. Matt has sent some photos that are a must see."
"You guys. I miss you all."
"We miss you."
"I'll do my best.” Cally hung up just before Loretta returned with her can of pop.
"You look happy. Sure you didn't want one of these?"
"Positive. My sister wants me to go home for the weekend and meet her new boyfriend."
"Well, go ask Luke. Now. He's in the restaurant. Alone."
It was her only chance. Cally fixed herself up to go out in public and walked to the restaurant. Luke was sipping on coffee and going through some notes at a rear table near the window. Boldly she walked to the table and sat opposite him. He looked across at her.
"Hi.” His voice sounded almost gentle.
"Hi,” Cally echoed. “I want to ask you a favor."
"Go ahead."
This was too easy, Cally thought. Something's got to give. “Are you going to Minneapolis this weekend?"
He put down his pen. “As a matter of fact I am. Why, feeling homesick?"
"Yes. A little. Mostly though, my sister phoned and wondered if I could get home."
"Sure. You've been up here a while now. I should have thought of it before. I leave after dinner on Friday and I return Sunday about four o'clock. Okay?"
"Wonderful, Luke. Thank you. I appreciate it."
Cally rose from her chair, said, “Thanks,” again and left the restaurant. She almost ran from the restaurant to the motel unit. She was going home this weekend. Excitement made her want to jump high into the air. But as she opened the door to tell Loretta, she wondered if some of the excitement was due to the prospect of driving all the way to Minneapolis with Luke.
Chapter Four
By the time Cally had showered, changed clothes, and packed her bag on Friday evening she was alone at the motel with Luke. He gave her time to eat dinner and then she joined him outside by his Mercedes.
His jeans, worn with a black sweatshirt and black leather casual shoes, made him look much different than he did on the construction site. Somehow he was more approachable, less macho. And even more attractive, Cally's heart reminded her as he loaded her bag with his into the trunk.
"Do you want your jacket in the trunk as well?"
"No. I'll keep it with me,” she told him, folding the black leather jacket over her arm. A breeze blew through the trees this evening and there were white caps on the lake. Her silk blouse might feel too cool later.
Cally was prepared for a long drive south, but at least the Mercedes was a smo
oth comfortable ride, even if she didn't feel quite so comfortable with her companion. She made a little conversation and Luke contributed his share, but Cally was mostly just content to look at the passing scenery.
Luke broke the journey with a stop at a roadside restaurant where they shared a plate of french fries and drank coffee. They discussed how much further they had to go until they reached Minneapolis. Cally gave Luke Essie's address so he could take her directly there.
"Where do you live?” she asked curiously when they were back in the car. It was dark now and neon signs and headlights flashed in the windows. Once in a while a bus or truck would roar past.
"Eden Prairie."
"Oh, dear, I'll be taking you out of your way, won't I?” Essie's home was more on the outskirts of Minneapolis and St. Paul, closer to the Twin Cities core. Eden Prairie was down in the Southwest.
Luke shook his head. “No, it's fine. Just give me directions."
As they entered the city limits, Cally began her directions. Luke reached Essie's quickly and efficiently as if he knew the city well. The porch light was on at Essie's brick house which meant she wasn't home. She had mentioned, when Cally had called her back, she would be out on Friday evening, but she would try and get home early. Cally knew Essie's idea of early was much later than her own.
Luke insisted on carrying Cally's bag and waited while she unlocked the oak door and turned on the inside light. Cally had to admit she found Luke's attendance comforting. She was used to escorts who dumped her home and didn't linger. But then maybe there was a subtle difference. She perversely wanted Luke to linger.
Luke slipped her bag onto Essie's highly polished wood floor. “I presume there is no one home,” he remarked.
"Essie said she'd be out for a while.” Cally found herself staring at Luke, feeling as if she were being ripped apart because she had to leave him. “Thank you for the drive down,” she said. She didn't want him to go. This was silly.
"You're very welcome.” Hesitantly, Luke took a couple of backward steps. “Look, maybe you should give me your telephone number in case anything comes up and I have to be later than four o'clock on Sunday afternoon."
Cally thought that sounded like a good idea. She rifled around on Essie's antique hall table by the telephone for a pad of paper and pen. She scribbled down the number and handed the paper to Luke.
“That's it,” she said, aware of his fingers brushing hers in much the same way as they had that first day when she'd handed him the truck keys.
Luke looked down at the number for a moment before tucking the paper in the front pocket of his jeans.
“I'll get going now. Enjoy your weekend."
"You too,” she told him and watched from the door until the Mercedes disappeared down the end of Essie's street. When she closed the door, she felt disappointment mingled with relief that the journey with Luke was now over. She could dismiss him from her mind and enjoy her weekend.
Cally carried her bag up to her room. She loved her room at Essie's house. Essie did things with color and the dark apricot bedspread, curtains, and rugs, complimented the black velvet armchair and polished teak dressing table and desk. Cally was shrugging a sweatshirt over leggings, when she heard her sister's key turn in the lock of the front door. She ran down the carpeted stairs to greet her.
"You arrived before me.” Essie smiled while she put down a beaded purse on the already cluttered telephone table. After a hug, Essie perused her sister with green eyes much like Cally's. “You look pretty good. A great tan."
"I'm out in the sun all day.” Cally gave her tall, slinky sister a similar perusal. Essie's hair was gathered with a pearl clasp into a trail of loose gold curls down her bare back. Her black silk jumpsuit hardly contained any material above the waist where it covered small breasts. Her tanned shoulders glistened.
“Were you out with your new man?” Cally asked, intensely curious.
"Yes. We went for dinner. He's looking forward to meeting you at his barbecue party tomorrow evening.” Essie moved into the kitchen and Cally followed. “He's a lawyer and he's lovely to look at.”
Essie went to the coffee maker and automatically prepared coffee. “Do you want a cup?"
"Sure,” Cally said, sitting on a red leather chair at the black lacquered table. She was prepared for a long evening of chat. Essie never slept very much. Cally had often heard her sister moving around the house at night. Sometimes Essie would do paperwork instead of sleeping.
Essie placed china mugs on the table. “What's his name?” Cally asked.
"Who?"
"Your man of course,” Cally prompted.
Essie grinned, an indication she had been purposely vague. “Paul French, and he's never been married.
Imagine, nearly forty and not married. I have never met such an eligible man."
Cally gave her sister a narrow look. “Do you want him to be eligible? I thought you escaped men with that affliction in the past."
"Oh, I know, C.C., my job doesn't incorporate the time for a steady man. Especially marriage. Paul hasn't mentioned marriage, but I know he'll get to it sooner or later."
"And you're not ready for that question yet obviously,” Cally remarked.
"Well, marriage is more than love. It's commitment. Do I have the space around me to be so committed?"
"I know your work is very important,” Cally said. “I can't advise you, Essie. I haven't met anyone who turned me sideways yet either. I might change my mind and marry immediately if that were the case. It can get lonely being by yourself. Admit it."
"I admit it,” Essie said thoughtfully, pouring the coffee. “I'm glad you're not tied up. Paul has a friend, a bachelor like himself, who's coming to the party and who needs a partner. Paul likes everyone paired up.
So you're it."
"Oh, no,” Cally said in true dismay. She felt she'd had it with men this week. “Do I have to?"
"If you don't like the looks of him, go hide behind the bushes.” Essie laughed. “It's really only to meet Paul. I'm not trying to pair you up or anything. Paul says this guy is pretty loose, doesn't want a steady, so it'll be merely companionship."
"Well, I guess I can take it for a short evening.” Cally twisted her mug around on the table, wondering if she should mention Luke to Essie. She wouldn't, she decided. Luke wasn't important enough. He was a man entirely out of reach. There was no way she should, or even could, get involved with him. He was her boss. As he liked to remind her often. Except this evening on the drive here, it hadn't been that way.
They'd just been a man and a woman together.
Cally found she forgot about Luke most of the time anyway. She enjoyed being with her sister. They were good friends and stayed downstairs talking until three o'clock before going to bed. In the morning they were up early for the visit to their parents. They drove in Essie's red Mustang convertible that was the envy of every young guy in the district. It was a perfect summer day with an incredible blue sky. The smell of new mown lawns greeted them around every turn, and the summer flowers were brilliant.
Randolph and Eva Creighton lived in a sprawling stone house that used to be in the country but now stood on the border of some new houses. Eva, gray hair held in place by an emerald scarf that matched her shorts and top, was thrilled to see her young daughter. Randolph, more laid back, his silver hair well groomed, his smile always calm, gave her a kiss on her forehead. He had Boston roots and always dressed and acted the gentleman. Retired now, he spent most of his time pottering around the house and large grounds.