by Jillian Dagg
The family, Kevin and Rosie, Ryan and Salina and their newly born twin boys were there for breakfast.
The only person missing was Matthew, his wife, Susie, and their brood of four children.
"Heaven help Europe,” Kevin proclaimed, his green Creighton eyes twinkling merrily. “Matt's such an old grouch."
"Oh, he's not that bad,” Ryan put in, the only sibling of the family who didn't have blond hair and green eyes. His eyes were gray, his hair an exact premature match. “He actually mentioned he'd bought a camcorder and was recording some of their trips for us."
"Boring for sure,” Kevin quipped. “Never make the funniest videos show, for a fact."
Everyone laughed and Kevin squinted at Cally. “Anyway, let's have a look at C.C. You sure are tanned.
Is that safe?"
Cally loved the sensation of being swept along on a wave of people she loved. “You know what it's like on a construction crew."
"That is something you shouldn't be on,” Ryan chided. “I don't know what you're doing in engineering."
"Cool it, big brother,” Kevin inserted. “C.C.'s got her own agenda. Haven't you love? Plus a good job with Kevin Creighton Industries in the fall."
"I don't have an agenda,” she protested. “I just want an interesting career. I've been brought up by engineers. It's obvious I want to be one. If everyone was a doctor, I'd likely be a doctor. And go into practice with you, Kev."
"Brunch,” mother trilled. “Outside."
They all trooped to the patio where a green and white striped umbrella shaded a table set for breakfast.
"Salina,” Mrs. Creighton said, “why don't we put the babies down now you've fed them, so you can relax."
Salina, a brilliant redhead, nodded. “Sounds wonderful. I'll take them in. Ryan help."
"I'll help,” Rosie said, jumping up. “I have to get used to this."
"You're not?” Cally said.
"Sure is, aren't you love,” Kevin patted his wife's rear. “Go learn how to look after a baby, but don't have twins."
"Twins were in my family,” Salina said, cradling her two babies in her arms. “My mother is a twin."
"My brother Anson was a twin,” Randolph said. “There are twins on this side as well.” He grinned.
“Probably come out with C.C."
"Thanks a lot,” Cally said, raising her eyebrows.
As usual there wasn't much time for face to face interaction with any one member of the family. After breakfast Ryan brought out some photographs Matt and Susie had sent and they all spent some time experiencing the missing portion of their family. Cally also helped with her nephews, Philip and Stanley, so that Salina could have a break. The boys were sweet. While Cally was with her, Salina confided that she thought she might also be pregnant again. The couple, who had been childless, a two-income family for a long time, seemed to be having their family all at once in a last mad rush to beat Salina's biological clock. Salina admitted that.
Before Essie and Cally could leave there was volleyball on the lawn, then more coffee and drinks. Essie and Cally stayed so late they had to rush home to prepare for Paul's barbecue.
Cally had two outfits she felt would be appropriate to wear to the barbecue, but she hadn't made her choice when Essie pranced into her room dressed in a white silk shirt, wide black silky pants, and her hair a pile of curls on top of her head.
"Aren't you ready?” Essie asked, moving forward on high heeled sandals with thick chunky heels.
Cally wished she could come across as glamorous as her sister. “I don't know what to wear,” Cally said.
"What do you have?"
"This.” Cally held up cream pants and matching top, both in a soft rayon. “Or this.” She produced a long cotton skirt in dark blue and pale pink with a denim bodice.
"You don't have many glamor clothes, do you?” Essie said.
"No. Because I'm not a glamor type. I've got zillions of pairs of jeans."
"And I've only got one pair,” Essie said, disappearing into Cally's closet. “How about this.” She tossed a white jumpsuit on the bed.
"Too tight,” Cally said. “I haven't worn it for seasons. I should give it away."
"Tight is in."
"I don't want to be on display, Ess. It's a barbecue. Let me wear the cream pants and top. I feel comfortable in them."
"All right. But I'll do your hair."
Essie braided Cally's hair and tucked it on top of her head. She pulled down wisps onto her cheeks.
Because of her tan Cally needed little makeup and wore her gold chain and gold studs in her ears. She slipped her feet into sandals.
"How's that?"
"You look nice. You're tall, you can carry anything. Just one more thing."
Essie left for a moment and reappeared with a thin gold belt. “Wear this."
Cally placed the belt through the pant loops and agreed it added spice to her outfit. “Great. Thanks.”
She performed a model runway walk. “Will I pass now?"
Essie grinned. “You'll pass. You look fantastic."
Paul lived in Eden Prairie, which made Cally think of Luke. As they passed long green lawns and lakes and large new homes, she wondered where he lived.
Essie pulled into the driveway of a split level house and parked behind a black BMW as if she'd been here often. Cally thought she might have been. Paul seemed serious.
Cally liked Paul immediately. White slacks and a cotton sweater covered a slim athletic body. His dark curly hair was short and tipped with gray. She could tell he was probably a very successful lawyer. His gray eyes gave her a thorough appraisal and he seemed to be in control of himself, a personality trait Cally couldn't recall observing in many of Essie's men before. It was a strength; similar to Luke's strength.
Cally wished Luke wouldn't keep popping into her mind. Hopefully, Paul's friend might distract her.
With Essie in tow, Paul showed Cally around the house he'd moved into about a year ago now. Then he served drinks on a small, shrub-enclosed patio where a gas barbecue was set up ready to cook their meal. Two other guests, Gail and her fiancé, Ron Forman, arrived bringing a bottle of wine and a box of special chocolate goodies for later. Ron, a big bulky man, and Gail, delicate and small, were engaged to be married. They jointly owned an antique store in St. Paul and had fallen in love over the few years they had been in business together.
It did seem, as time passed, that Cally might be the fifth wheel to the other two couples if herdate didn't arrive. She half-hoped he wouldn't. She was quite content to enjoy the evening with the other four, who all had a great sense of humor and kept the laughter bubbling. Cally really liked Paul and decided she wouldn't mind him as a brother-in-law, if Essie ever did decide to tie the knot.
Then the doorbell rang.
Essie raised her glass and one eyebrow at her sister. “He's here,” she mouthed.
He certainly was. Paul returned with Luke Stanford.
Chapter Five
"We've met,” Luke said with a smile, after meeting Essie and saying hello to Gail and Ron, who he knew.
Even so, he shook Cally's hand. To touch him that way, her fingers entwined with his rough ones, made her legs buckle.
"What do you mean, you've met?” Paul asked bluntly.
"Carolyn is working for Stanford this summer, aren't you, Creighton?” He grinned at her.
"Yes. I am,” she said to Paul. Essie was just about jumping up and down with curiosity.
"We drove down together,” Luke added. “Let's say it's a small world, a coincidence."
"Sure is,” Cally echoed.
"You never said you knew him,” Essie put in.
"I never knew who I was meeting here,” Cally told her sister. Then she gave her a look saying, later I'll explain.
Essie gave her a you'd better in return.
"It's great we all know one another,” Paul said. “Now we can get down to serious business. Cooking the food. Luke's excellent with a barbecue. Hi
s parents made him cook every weekend when he was a kid."
Luke grinned. “Yeah, well. That doesn't mean I'm any good. It means I know when the food is cooked.
And it's the only reason you invited me, French."
"No way, friend. When I heard that Esther's sister would be here for the weekend, I thought it would be a chance to have a party without you being the odd man out for a change."
As Cally listened to the two men, she touched one of the gold studs in her ears in an unusual nervous gesture. Luke's eyes looked pewter tonight, and his casual dark slacks and maroon cotton shirt made him a trifle mysterious. His dark hair was crisp and his bronzed skin emphasized his even white smile. Cally couldn't believe he smiled so much. She'd thought him so dour when she first started working for him.
And up until this week the opinion had held.
"I'm only odd man out because I never meet any women,” Luke said.
"Obviously, you have met one,” Paul said with a twinkle at Cally. “Now come on. Let's get this show on the road. I'm starved."
"Why didn't you mention, Luke?” Essie asked curiously as Luke was ushered over to the barbecue by Paul. Essie's usually laid-back expression was actually incredulous.
"Because it wasn't necessary. There are thirteen men on the crew."
"Unlucky,” Essie quipped.
"Well, twelve, two women, and Luke."
"Maybe not so unlucky,” Essie revised. “Why didn't you say who drove you here?"
"I haven't had much of a chance,” Cally said. “And up until this moment it wasn't important."
Essie's eyes followed Luke as he walked into the house with Paul presumably to get the food. “I'd say he's pretty important. I mean, if I met him, I'd remember. If he was my boss, I'd remember. If he drove me all the way from Echo wherever-it-is to Minneapolis, I'd remember."
Cally laughed. “Maybe you would. And I have to admit I don't forget him. He's a strong presence, but I didn't expect him to turn up here as a friend of Paul's. So he wasn't a component of the weekend."
"And now he is,” Essie said. “Well, it's great you do know him already. It makes it easier, doesn't it?"
Cally truthfully didn't think it made anything easier. She'd like to forget Luke. Except she couldn't when he was there all the time. He served her chicken which he cooked to perfection. He sat with her at the table with the other four and ate. He poured her wine. In fact he acted as if he were meant to be with her.
Which he was, she supposed. She just didn't want him to think she'd planned this or knew it was going to happen in advance. Finally, she got alone with him and voiced these fears.
He stood with his hands in the pockets of his slacks. “No. I understand it was sheer chance. I guess we should have compared notes on what we were going to do this weekend."
"I wasn't really sure,” Cally said. “I just ride Essie's wave when I'm home."
Luke glanced to where her sister was standing, secured by Paul's possessive arm on her slim waist.
“She's very beautiful."
Wondering if Essie was more Luke's type of woman, she said, “Yes, she is."
He returned his gaze to Cally. “And you look like her, you know that?"
"In some ways, I suppose I do. But I'll always be a tom boy compared to Essie."
"Which is why you're on the construction crew and she's in fashion."
His white smile made Cally's head spin. It was as if someone had pushed her out of a fog into a brightly lit ethereal place.
"Have you known Paul for long?” she asked.
"I knew his brother, who is closer to my age. But Paul is my lawyer, actually Stanford Construction's lawyer. When I'm working in town, we play tennis together."
"Don't you get enough exercise at work?"
"Sure. But that's work. Tennis is recreation. Most of the winter I'm crammed into a small office with my brother Tom. Didn't Tom interview you?"
"Yes, he did. He was really nice. Friendly, personable."
Luke's mouth twisted wryly. “And I'm not?"
"You're more reserved, I suppose."
"I suppose. Tom was impressed with you. He has none of my reservations about women on the construction crew. He's actually very much for it."
"I got the impression he was on my side."
"But I'm by your side,” Luke said. “I should tell you that you look really nice tonight, Carolyn. Your hairstyle is sharp."
Cally touched her hair, feeling a blush penetrate her skin. “My sister did my hair."
"She's talented."
"Yes. She is."
"But I bet she couldn't survive a day out on the asphalt holding a flag."
Cally chuckled at the vision of Essie on the construction site. “No. I don't think she could."
Luke also chuckled, a low rumbling sound, and Cally felt she was becoming enmeshed with him and might regret the intimacy on Monday.
"Nobody calls you Carolyn,” Luke commented.
She screwed up her nose. “I know. I seem to get stuck with nicknames."
"Okay if I keep calling you Carolyn?” he asked. “When we're alone. On the site you have to be Creighton. Equality and all that."
"All right,” she said, but she wondered if he intended on them being alone after tonight. Of course, there was still the ride back up north. Just imagining being with him in the car on Sunday set her heartbeat thumping wildly. She knew then, as she'd known for a long time subconsciously, that Luke was something she was going to have to control.
Essie pulled Cally aside near eleven o'clock. “I'm going to stay on with Paul for a while. Luke told Paul he'd see you safely home. I'll just be another half hour or so."
"I thought Paul wasn't serious,” Cally teased.
"I'm merely going to help him clean up and then we're going to discuss next weekend. I have a fashion show to put on in Chicago and he's coming with me."
"You mean, Paul is going on a business trip with you?"
"Yes. I know it's irregular for me, but we like being together. He's good company."
"Then you really like him?” Cally persisted.
"Yes. I really like him,” Essie admitted. “This might be the end of my singleness, Sis. And what about Luke? He's gorgeous, C.C. And he seems to like you. He's so attentive."
"He hasn't got any choice, has he?” Cally said, wondering if that were the truth. Was Luke being affable because he'd been literally stuck with her tonight?
They said goodnight to Paul and thanked him. Essie stood in the circle of Paul's arm while they waved from the front door. Gail and Ron left the house with Luke and Cally. They stood talking for a few moments, then Cally was tucked into Luke's Mercedes beside him. Luke drove to Essie's house. As he had a long way to drive home again, Cally felt obliged to ask him in for a cup of coffee. He didn't refuse, either because he really wanted coffee or he wanted to prolong their time together. The latter thought made Cally's heart beat faster.