She jumped when she heard something hit the door rather hard. She knocked twice and tried the handle when there was no response. It was locked. Jesus, what if she’d fallen over and knocked herself out? She really didn’t want to have to call a locksmith out on a holiday just to get her bathroom door open. She didn’t even want to guess what the cost might be.
“Callie?” she said as she knocked again. “Callie, are you all right?”
She heard the door being unlocked and then it opened slightly. She tentatively pushed it open, hoping she wasn’t going to see blood anywhere. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw Callie standing at the sink.
“What happened? I heard a loud bang from in here.”
“Oh, that was just me losing my balance and falling into the door,” Callie said as she met her eyes in the mirror. She grinned a bit sheepishly. “I was trying to take my shirt off so I could maybe clean myself a little bit, and I couldn’t manage it. No worries. At least I didn’t land on my bad shoulder, so it could have been much worse.”
“Do you need help?”
“You want to undress me?”
Callie’s grin turned from embarrassed to something Taylor couldn’t quite identify. All she knew was it caused a strange feeling deep in her belly she wasn’t sure she liked. Nor was she sure she didn’t like it. She felt the heat in her cheeks as Callie continued looking at her in the mirror.
“You’re here so I can help you,” Taylor finally said without committing one way or the other to the question she was sure was meant to embarrass her. “So if you need help, you should just ask.”
“Nice way to avoid answering the question,” Callie said with a chuckle. She turned and leaned against the counter as she studied her. “I’m willing to bet you hadn’t thought this through very well before offering to let me stay here with you. I’m sure things like helping me dress and undress weren’t high on your list of things to do.”
“You’re right. I hadn’t thought it through.” Taylor saw no point in lying to her about it. “But you’re here, and I’m here, so if you need help with something, ask. All right?”
“And if I need help bathing?”
“Do you?” Taylor hoped to God the answer would be no. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to deal with a naked Callie in her bathroom.
“Probably not, but I’m not sure how easy washing my hair will be with just my left hand.”
“Then how about I help you get your shirt off, then when you’re done bathing, come to the kitchen and we’ll wash your hair in the sink?”
Callie held her gaze for a moment before finally nodding. Taylor took in a deep breath before stepping toward her and helping her to get out of her sweatshirt. She kept her eyes averted as she did so, and neither one of them spoke other than to give directions to the other.
“Thank you,” Callie said when Taylor turned to leave the room. “I know having me here is probably uncomfortable for you, but I appreciate the help.”
Taylor simply nodded, but still refused to turn and look at her. She pulled the door closed behind her and finally let out the breath she was holding when she closed her eyes and leaned against the wall for support. She wondered if Callie knew the truth of her last statement. It was definitely uncomfortable having her here, but it had nothing to do with her specifically. It had everything to do with the fact she’d not had anyone in her house overnight since Andrea died. And there’d certainly been no one in her bedroom—or the master bath—since then.
* * *
Callie struggled to do what she needed to do. A soapy washcloth and a tub full of water seemed to be the easiest way to bathe without getting the stitches in her shoulder wet. She hadn’t taken a bath since she was about ten, which was when she began taking showers instead. Drying off when she was finished proved to be a challenge with only one arm. It took a considerable amount of time, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she’d finally finished.
After a couple of attempts to put on a clean sweatshirt proved futile, she admitted to herself she needed help. She hated being forced to rely on other people. She’d been independent and self-reliant for as long as she could remember.
She smiled when she remembered the way Taylor had tried so hard to not look at her when she was helping to remove her shirt. It was obvious to Callie she hadn’t been averting her eyes as a sign of respect to her, but instead Taylor’s attraction to her was evident. Anytime her hand inadvertently touched Callie’s skin she’d pulled it away as if she’d been burned.
She wondered why Andrea had felt the need to tell her Taylor didn’t like her. Taylor denied ever saying anything of the kind. Was it possible Andrea knew Taylor found her attractive and it was her way of keeping them apart? Callie pondered the notion that Andrea might have told Taylor the same thing about her.
A knock on the door startled her, and she managed to place a towel over her naked chest before telling Taylor she could come in.
“You’ve been in here for quite a long time,” Taylor said. “I was just checking to make sure you were all right.”
“I’m fine.” Callie smiled and leaned against the counter. She held the shirt out to her. “I’m afraid I can’t manage this though. I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize,” Taylor said. She took the shirt and began helping. Callie decided to take mercy on her and left the towel in place. It would be easy enough to remove it after she was sufficiently covered. “Grab your shampoo and we’ll get your hair washed.”
“What time are your parents going to be here?”
“They said about noon.” Taylor chuckled. “Which means they’ll probably be here around eleven thirty.”
“For my mother it would mean twelve thirty. I swear she’s going to be late to her own funeral,” Callie said. She hesitated as she picked up the shampoo bottle she’d left on the counter. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to be here today?”
“I’m sure.” Taylor nodded and motioned for her to follow. “Just don’t be surprised when they assume we’re dating. For some reason they didn’t believe me when I said we weren’t.”
“Would it be easier if we let them think we were?” Callie winced when the words left her mouth, and she was grateful Taylor was ahead of her, so she couldn’t see how much she regretted what she’d said. As it was, Taylor’s step faltered, and then she stopped in the hallway to the kitchen and turned around.
“What exactly are you suggesting?” She didn’t seem to be upset at the idea, which for some reason emboldened Callie.
“I just thought maybe it would make them feel better to think you aren’t alone.” When Taylor didn’t respond, Callie decided to elaborate. “I mean, obviously whoever you’ve been in relationships with in the past three and a half years hasn’t worked out. Maybe they’d like to know you’re not sitting around by yourself.”
“I haven’t been in a relationship since Andrea died,” Taylor said, her voice tight.
Callie felt like her feet were too heavy to move as she watched Taylor disappear into the kitchen. How could it be possible she hadn’t been with anyone in over three years? Callie was certain it wasn’t because no one had asked her out. She was too beautiful to not have women trying to date her. Men too, for that matter. No, maybe no relationships, but she must have dated, and simply not found anyone she liked enough to be with long-term. That was something Callie could understand.
She shook her head and forced her feet to carry her down the hall. She shouldn’t be thinking about Taylor this way. It was becoming glaringly apparent she was trying to isolate herself from the world to a certain extent, and Callie didn’t have the energy to deal with someone who had no desire to live their life to the fullest.
* * *
It was almost eleven thirty when Quinn called, and Callie took her phone to the kitchen and looked out the window above the sink as she answered it.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Sis,” she said by way of greeting.
“To you too,” Quinn replied. “I’m sorry
I didn’t call you yesterday, but Meg dragged us out grocery shopping for today’s feast, and you know how much I hate grocery stores. Before I knew it, it was too late to call.”
“Don’t worry about it. How is everyone there?”
“Good, but how are you, Cal? You scared the hell out of us, you know.”
“Scared the hell out of myself.” Callie chuckled.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” Quinn sounded a little choked up, and it made Callie happy to know there were people who cared so much about her. “Are you behaving yourself?”
“For the most part,” she answered, remembering Taylor helping her to remove her shirt earlier.
“I’ll still have a job when I get back?”
“Well, I can’t promise anything.” Callie watched as a light snow began to fall. “But I can assure you I’m being my usual charming self.”
“That’s a bit alarming.” Quinn laughed. “But at least you’re housebroken. You are housebroken, right?”
“Of course I am. I haven’t wet the bed since I was twelve, I think,” Callie allowed a small smile. “Which is better than you did, I might add.”
“What can I say? I was a sound sleeper when I was a teenager.”
“You’re still a sound sleeper,” Callie said. “Who are you trying to fool? I should ask Grace if you’ve wet the bed lately.”
“Okay, truce,” Quinn said with a chuckle. “What are you doing for the holiday? Didn’t you say your partner and his wife invited you to their house?”
“Yeah, I only said that so Mom wouldn’t worry about me being alone,” Callie admitted. “Taylor’s parents are coming here for dinner today.”
“I kind of figured you fibbed about your partner. I haven’t seen Bob and Eleanor in years. Tell them I said hello.” Quinn said something to someone on her end of the line, then came back. “Mom wants to talk to you. I’ll see you on Sunday, all right? I’m not sure what time it will be though.”
“I’ll be here waiting.” Callie grinned. Where else would she be? It wasn’t like she had her car, and even if she did, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to drive it with one hand.
“Hey, Cal?” Quinn said quietly. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Callie said, surprised at the rush of emotion she felt. It wasn’t like either one of them to be sentimental, but she figured it was a good thing to put words to your feelings once in a while.
“Callie,” her mother said after Quinn evidently handed her the phone. “I’m so happy you’re okay. I was worried sick the other night after Quinn got the call about what had happened.”
“I’m fine, Mom,” she said with a soft smile. “You aren’t getting rid of me so easily.”
“Grace wants to say hello.”
“No, Mom, wait,” Callie said as she watched a car pull into Taylor’s driveway. “I have to go. Taylor’s parents are here. Tell Grace and Meg and everyone else hello for me, and give them all a hug, okay? I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay,” she said. “Thank Taylor for me for taking care of you.”
She finally managed to end the call at the same time the doorbell rang. Taylor stuck her head in the kitchen on her way to answer it.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Fine.” Callie smiled. She took a deep breath and tried to prepare herself to meet Taylor’s parents.
Chapter Eight
“You two can sit out here and watch the parade while we get the food heated up,” Taylor’s mother said to Callie and Taylor’s father. Callie wasn’t about to argue. Of course she wouldn’t be able to help much anyway, even if she’d wanted to.
“Are you a football fan, Callie?” Taylor’s father asked when they were alone.
“Yes, sir, Mr. Fletcher.”
“Please, it’s Bob,” he said with a smile. His eyes dropped to her shoulder, and she wiped her left hand on her pant leg, surprised her palm was actually sweating. “First time?”
“Excuse me?” Callie asked, wondering exactly what he was referring to.
“Being shot.” He had the television remote in his hand but set it down on the coffee table without turning the set on.
“It is, yes,” she answered, not minding in the least he chose not to turn the parade on. She hated parades, and they were even worse on TV.
“I was shot twice, myself,” he said.
“Are you a police officer?” Callie was a little surprised. Why wouldn’t Taylor have said something about her sharing a profession with her father?
“No, retired FBI.”
“Wow. Taylor neglected to mention that.”
“I’m not surprised. When she was younger, she was proud of her special agent dad,” he said with a soft smile. He looked at her then and shook his head. “But after she lost Andrea, her opinion of people who choose to risk their lives every day changed dramatically. She was relieved when I retired earlier this year.”
Callie nodded as though she completely understood, but in reality, she struggled to grasp why Taylor would think so little of all people in high-risk jobs. Obviously, it had hit her hard when Andrea died, Callie already knew that, but could it possibly be the reason why she didn’t like her? Callie really couldn’t grasp that way of thinking.
“I always tell her somebody has to do those jobs,” Bob said after a moment. “Which she says is fine, but she doesn’t have to surround herself with the people who do them.”
“I had no idea she felt that way,” Callie said. “But I guess it helps to explain why she seems so irritated with me about having gotten shot.”
“She’ll get over it,” he said, sounding more confident than Callie felt. “She told me, and I also read a bit online about what happened. While I agree with her assessment that you should have waited for your partner, you didn’t really do anything wrong. She’ll understand at some point.”
He picked up the remote again and turned on the parade. Callie tuned it out and became lost in her own thoughts. If Taylor disliked her because of her profession, then there wasn’t anything she could do about it. She wasn’t going to stop doing the job she loved. She’d never had to deal with someone not liking her because of her job. Well, except for murderers, but who cared what they thought? She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed.
“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked Bob, mostly because she wanted one, and she couldn’t have one because of her pain medication. Maybe she could live vicariously through Bob.
“I could go for a beer, but I can get it myself,” he said. He started to get up, but she stopped him.
“No, it isn’t a problem,” she assured him. She patted Blaze on the head as he jumped onto the couch to take her seat. “Be right back.”
* * *
“She seems nice,” Taylor’s mother said while she and Taylor were heating up the food. Taylor shook her head and turned to look at her. She’d known this was going to happen. “And she’s very attractive, too.”
“Mom, I told you we aren’t dating.”
“I know you did, dear, but she still seems nice.”
“I suppose.” Taylor sighed and opened the oven so her mother could put the turkey in. Yes, Callie did seem nice. Taylor just wished Callie wasn’t succeeding in ruining every negative thing she’d thought of her over the years.
“Maybe you should be dating her.”
“Mom, please.”
“What? I worry about you, dear.” Her mother turned to face her and put her hands on her hips. Taylor thought she looked as though she were ready to brawl. “Your father and I just want you to be happy, Taylor.”
“Please, just stop.” Taylor faced her mother, mirroring her stance, hands on hips. “I am happy, okay? Can you please let it go?”
“How can you possibly be happy when you have no one to share your life with?”
“I don’t need another person to make my life complete.” Taylor was well aware Callie and her father were just in the next room, and she was doing her best to keep her voice down. Her mother�
�s infuriating persistence wasn’t making it easy for her. “And besides, like I told you on the phone the other day, I don’t really know her. Hell, I’m not sure I even like her.”
“Then why would you offer to let her stay here with you?”
“She was Andrea’s best friend. And I didn’t want to make Quinn cut her trip short.”
“So instead, you changed your own holiday plans.”
“Jesus, Mom,” Taylor said as she ran her hand through her hair in frustration. “You live less than two hours from here. Quinn is in Philadelphia. Callie has no other family here. I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”
“It’s not, dear,” her mother said with a sly smile. “I’m just pointing out that if you truly didn’t like her, you wouldn’t have even considered taking on this responsibility.”
Taylor wanted to argue, but she knew her mother was right. Even at forty-two, she was still pissed off when her mother reminded her of the fact she was more intuitive than Taylor wanted to give her credit for.
“The food smells wonderful,” Callie said as she walked into the kitchen. She was smiling, and Taylor wondered how much of their conversation she’d heard.
“It does, doesn’t it?” her mother asked. “We’ll be ready to eat in a few minutes.”
“Your dad wanted a beer,” Callie said as she opened the fridge.
“Seriously? And he sent you in here to get it for him?” Taylor couldn’t believe he’d do such a thing to the only person in the house who was injured. She headed for the living room, but Callie stopped her.
“I asked if he wanted anything,” she said. “I offered, Taylor. He didn’t send me in here.”
“Oh.” Taylor swore at herself under her breath for thinking he would. “Okay.”
Twice in a Lifetime Page 5