Love Inspired January 2014 - Bundle 2 of 2: Bayou SweetheartThe Firefighter's New FamilySeason of Redemption

by Lenora Worth

  “You didn’t push him out, did you?”

  He had to laugh at that. “No, but I guess people would assume that. He didn’t have any children and...ironically...he considered me like a son.” Tomas stopped, shook his head. “Other than Bob, he was the only father figure I’ve ever had.”

  Callie played with the fringe on her blanket. “After your mother died, they took you in? Margie and Bob?”

  He nodded. “My uncle and I had a fight. They let me live in their garage apartment, rent-free. I worked around the house and helped Bob at construction sites. I got scholarship money and used student loans to get an education. After I graduated from college, Bob introduced me to the world of real estate. That led to the job with the entrepreneur. So I owe a lot to them and him.”

  She inclined her head. “So...why did you really come back here?”

  “Isn’t that obvious, too? I wanted to live in the house I was denied. I wanted to be the wealthiest man in town, like my father before me.”

  She gave him a stare tinged with pity and realization. “And you wanted to shut down the company that the Dubois family still owns. You knew the shipyard was struggling so you bought it and then you moved in. You came after us, didn’t you, Tomas?”

  “Not you, no. There wasn’t any us then.”

  She glanced at the portrait looming behind her. “There isn’t any us now, either.”

  Tomas told her the truth. “I came here with a vendetta, yes. But...then I met you and your family and...started attending church...and all of that changed. My whole purpose shifted after I got to know all of you. Especially you.”

  Callie lifted up and swung her legs off the chaise. “Do the remaining Dubois descendants know who you are?”

  “No one except Nick knows who I really am,” he admitted. “There is only one Dubois left, and he’s in a nursing home in New Orleans.”

  She stood up. “Your father? Gerard Dubois?”

  “Yes.”

  “Does he know you’re here?”

  “No.”

  “But you made him an offer on the shipyard?”

  “I had a representative make him a generous offer. The man is dying. He doesn’t care about the Fleur Shipyard, and the people he hired to keep it going have done a bad job all the way around. He either had to sell it or go into bankruptcy, so I saw an opportunity and I took it.”

  “Is that how you do things?” She pointed to the portrait. “You see an opportunity and you just swoop down and...take what you think should be yours?”

  Tomas turned to look at her and caught the whiff of her disdain. But she had a right to be doubtful.

  “You don’t know what my mother and I went through. We were always cold and hungry and we had very little help from anyone, not even the church. We were outcasts, Callie. No one wanted anything to do with us.” He turned to stare out at the too-bright sunset. “I was the little boy who didn’t have a father.”

  When he heard a rustling behind him, he turned to find Callie standing beside him. “I’m so sorry,” she said, her tone full of compassion.

  He looked out the window. “After she died, I came here to Fleur House and stood outside—right by that big double front door—and I shouted up at him, told him she was gone and it was his fault.” Tomas sniffed, put his hands on his hips. “Before I could get back home, he’d had her taken away and the next thing I knew, her funeral was arranged and paid for and she was buried beside the Dubois lot. That is the only recognition she ever received from him.” He looked out over the gloaming. “That is probably the only decent thing he ever did for anyone.”

  Callie came closer, tears moving down her face. “So you hate him?”

  “Yes, yes, I do. I have hated him most of my life. I wouldn’t have ever known him, except she talked about Fleur House all the time. I put things together, but I never questioned her. But I knew and sometimes, I wish I’d never known at all.”

  “Tomas.” Callie stepped closer and placed her hands on his face, her fingertips brushing at his skin. “You don’t have to seek revenge. You’re safe now. You have everything a man could ever want, so you need to let this go.”

  Tomas put his hands over hers and brought their joined hands down between them. “When I came here, I thought I’d finally achieved all my goals. I thought I did have everything I’d ever wanted. But...I don’t have you. And I know I don’t deserve you, so you need to explain something to me, Callie. Why are you here?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Callie held on to his hands, showing him she still had the strength to fight for him, too. “Because I had to know the truth. I had to understand why you’re so silent and standoffish at times and why you seem so determined to...fight against the world.” She looked up and into his eyes. “Tomas, you might own Fleur House now, but you’re still that little boy standing outside screaming at the man you hate. And until you let go of that image and that man, you will always be on the outside looking in.”

  Tomas pulled her close. “Not if I have you in my life. If I have you, Callie, I think I’ll finally have a home.”

  Callie pulled away, shaking her head. “But that’s not why I came here today. I only wanted to hear the truth, from you. And I find my picture sitting here in your house. Don’t pin all your hopes on me, please. I don’t think I can carry that weight along with everything else I’m dealing with.”

  Tomas touched a finger to her scarf. “Then let me carry you. Let me lighten your load. Just let me do that for you.”

  When she didn’t respond, he said, “Now look who’s being standoffish. I want to do this for you, Callie.”

  Callie wanted to be with him, but after what he’d just shared with her, she was even more convinced she’d made the right decision. Hoping he’d understand, she looked him in the eye. “You had a bad childhood and then you lost your wife to an overdose. Why would you want to go through this with me? Won’t it just bring all that back?”

  Tomas’s eyes went dark at that comment. “Have you ever considered that by helping you through this bad time, I could possibly regain some compassion and...some redemption?”

  No, she’d never considered that. His words echoed inside her head like a mantra. Was she being selfish by pushing him away? “I don’t know,” she said. “Tomas, this is not easy. You might become even more bitter and discouraged, and you know how I feel—”

  “Yes, you like your independence. You’re worried about all the baggage I brought with me. You think I’ll wind up like your ex-husband, that I’ll be disgusted and unable to handle this.” He looked at her scarf then moved his gaze down her face. “You will always be beautiful to me, Callie. I don’t need a portrait to show me that. I’ve been through the worst a person can go through and I’ve survived. I’m a fighter, just like you. And until I met you, I was willing to fight dirty. But I’ve changed. You have to believe that.”

  Callie saw the determination and resolve in his eyes. “I believe that. I do.” She had to admit he’d been more open with her tonight than ever. “You’ve never talked this way before.”

  “I’ve never been confronted this way before, either.”

  She let out a chuckle. “Yes. You are a man of few words, but I can see you’re beginning to trust me. I appreciate that.”

  “Then...just let me be your friend, someone you can turn to when your family begins to smother you too much.”

  That suggestion caught her heart. “You’d do that for me? Just let me be me, alone and...silent and...not having to answer questions or put on a happy face?”

  “I’d do that for you,” he replied. “I’d be honored to do that for you.” He brought her close, gave her a soft smile. “Because I’m so very good at that myself, you see? I’ve had a lot of practice ignoring people, ignoring my feelings.”

  “You’re right there,” she repl
ied, that familiar tug tightening around her heart. She laid her head on his shoulder and let out a sigh. “Don’t hurt me, Tomas. I can’t take that.”

  She lifted her head to look him in the eye. “All this time, I’ve been telling myself I didn’t want you to get hurt again, and I just realized I’m the one who’s afraid. I’ve asked you over and over not to hurt me.”

  He gave her an indulgent smile. “You finally noticed that. But you have to see—I don’t want to hurt you.” He held her there while outside the dusk turned to a mauve-gray darkness that cocooned them. “I only want this.”

  Callie didn’t speak, didn’t protest. She closed her eyes and savored the quiet, enjoyed the scent of his aftershave, memorized the feel of his touch.

  Seeing her portrait here had scared her at first, but now, being in his arms, it felt right. Papa was a wise man. And a very proud one. He’d sacrificed for her, in so many ways. Maybe giving Tomas that portrait was his way of letting her go.

  “This is nice,” Tomas said on a whisper.

  “Yes.” She let go and stood back. “I have to be sure, Tomas.”

  “We can take it slow, the way we talked about doing. That doesn’t have to change.”

  She had a solid fear of being too weak to even smile at him, but...having Tomas near gave her something to fight for. But she also needed time. “Will you to take me home now?”

  “Of course.” He looked confused, but he walked her down to his car.

  They rode in silence into town. When he pulled into her driveway, Callie glanced over at him and smiled. “Thank you, for telling me the truth. I understand now.”

  “And what do you understand?”

  “That you’ve been wronged, hurt, abandoned. That you want retribution and...acceptance.”

  He nodded at that. “You can see the bitterness in me?”

  She laid a hand on his arm. “No, Tomas, I can see the goodness in you. What you did for my papa today—I won’t forget it. And because of that, I know you will be a blessing in my life.”

  He held her with his gaze, his dark eyes telling her much more than any confession ever could. “Thank you,” he replied. “So...I can call you, come around now and then?”

  “That would be nice.”

  “I’ll take that for now,” he said.

  He got out and opened the door for her and walked with her up onto the porch. “Want me to come inside?”

  “No.” She laughed. “I’m pretty sure my sisters will be over here in about two seconds flat.”

  “They love you.”

  “Yes. They mean well.”

  “You have a good family.”

  Callie touched her lips to his face. “I’m always willing to share them, you know.”

  “I’ll remember that.”

  He kissed her, a quick warm peck on her lips. Then he walked back to his car and waited until she was in the house and had a light on.

  Callie loved that he waited to see her safely inside, but she had to wonder if he’d stay here in Fleur in a house that he’d hated most of his life. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to finagle this whole thing—the shunned illegitimate son of one of the richest men in town coming back successful and bitter to take over what his father had denied him. A classic case of revenge and the need for retribution.

  A classic case of how so many things could go wrong when everything should be so right.

  And she was caught in the middle of it because her heart wouldn’t let her turn away from this man.

  Tomas needed her as much as she needed him.

  But what would she do if Tomas suddenly decided he didn’t want to stay here in Fleur with her?

  * * *

  He couldn’t stay in Fleur House without Callie.

  Tomas stood back to admire her portrait, which now hung on the wall over the sofa in the sunroom. No one else except Eunice and Margie had seen it, but now that Callie knew he had it, he wanted to display it. He didn’t want to upset Callie, but he loved this painting. Loved being able to help her with her medical bills, even if she didn’t like his generosity. She saw it as trying to buy her love, but he was trying to save her life. He’d pay whatever price he could for that chance. Only, he had no control over her health. No control at all.

  But there were a few things he could work on. Now that she’d let him back into her life, he intended to show her he could be a better person. So he sat down and made a plan. He set up a conference call with Nick and a few of his other top advisors and assistants, explaining his new plan to improve the shipyard and make it better.

  “We need to update the equipment, talk to union representatives and get their ideas for keeping the Fleur Shipyard viable. Nick, you will of course continue to update and improve the offices and the overall concept for the workplace. I also want to pursue more U.S. Navy contracts. If we can get commitments to build at least two ships, we can keep this shipyard up and running for several years.”

  Nick seemed surprised. “I thought you still planned to shut it down temporarily, or at least reduce production.”

  “New plan,” Tomas had replied into the speakerphone. “More early retirements and severance packages. Less layoffs without reason. We want to make cutbacks, but let’s look in other places.”

  “I like it,” Nick replied.

  Several of his other top advisors argued the point back and forth. Some wanted him to shut it down and call it a business loss and others encouraged him to make it an asset.

  “I think we can agree we need to do our best to keep it open,” he finally said. “That’s the new plan.”

  He issued orders to Human Resources to find maintenance workers, electricians and welders. He needed riggers and machinists and painters. He knew many of the townspeople could fill these positions, so he ordered a job fair to be held on-site within the next month or so.

  The busywork kept him tied to his desk, but he made an effort to visit the offices Nick and Brenna had already started renovating. And he found time to call Callie at the end of each day.

  Today, he looked over his desk and felt satisfied while he waited for her to answer. He’d accomplished something positive for a change. “So...how are you today?”

  “Pretty good. Tired. I don’t have an appetite.”

  “What would you like to eat if you had an appetite?”

  “French fries, but I’m supposed to eat healthy. Although my doctor told me I need a variety of food since the chemo pretty much messes with my taste buds. Ice cream would be good.”

  “I’ll bring you ice cream then.”

  Callie’s sisters made sure she ate healthy, fresh foods so Tomas tried to honor that policy, too. He enjoyed picking her up on good days and bringing her out there for dinner in the gazebo. He picked beans and peas from the community garden and had Eunice cook them. He made Callie big, fresh salads and used lemon juice and olive oil to help keep her well fed. He studied books on how to deal with breast cancer and learned more than he ever wanted to know about the disease.

  He watched over her all summer and thanked God for their quiet time here together. He offered to take her to her chemo treatments, but she always refused. Until one sunny morning when Alma called him, asking for help.

  “I’m not feeling well and Callie has a treatment in New Orleans today. Papa is booked up with boat tours so I didn’t even call him. He gets so emotional watching her have her chemo treatments. Brenna is in San Antonio. You’re number four on the list. Can you take her?”

  “Sure, but will she let me take her?”

  “She will if I tell her so.”

  * * *

  Callie didn’t like this. It was one thing to sit with Tomas eating a bowl of pralines-and-cream ice cream, but it was quite another to be in a car with him, on the way to New Orleans for her treatment.

>   She glanced over at him, marveling at the strength in his fascinating face. “You understand this could take all day, right?”

  “Right.”

  “And you know this means you’ll miss a day of work?”

  “I have my laptop and my cell.”

  “But...you must have a lot to do. I’ve heard from several people that you’re really revitalizing the shipyard.”

  “Yes, I am doing that.”

  “So why are you doing this?”

  Tomas shot her a quick gaze before he pulled out onto I-10, headed toward New Orleans. “I’m taking you to your treatment.”

  “I know that, but why... I mean...how?”

  “Why? Because that’s what a friend does for another friend. How? Because I have a car and I’m the boss so I can set my own work hours.” He checked the traffic then patted her hand. “I don’t mind doing this, Callie. Alma is busy with her café and she’s pregnant. She needs a break every now and then.”

  “True, but I’ve told her that over and over.”

  “And Brenna and Nick are back and forth between work in Texas and work in Fleur, so they can’t always be here to get you to New Orleans. And your daddy has obligations, too.”

  “He’d drop everything if I asked.”

  “Exactly. You don’t ask. But people are more than willing to step in. I’m sure there is a long line right behind me.”

  She smiled at him, already enjoying being with him. “So how did you get bumped up to this new position?”

  “I told your sisters to put me right below them in the pecking order. I’m Number Four on the list.”

  “Pretty soon my papa will be calling you Tomas Number Four.”

  She realized the implications of that statement, the intimacy of allowing him one of her papa’s nicknames. Tomas gave her a look that told her he wanted that more than anything.