by Debra Holt
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Okay. Maybe cows weren’t so bad. At least, she hadn’t found any of them missing… yet. The dust from the hay and the stalls had given her a mild headache. She supposed she would get used to it at some point. She enjoyed seeing how the youngsters and teens who were showing the cattle really took pride in their animals and went to such great lengths to show them off in the proper way. Calla found herself caught up in watching them give their animals baths, then they actually blow-dried the animal, and some had teased their tails and sprayed them like they were in a beauty salon for cows.
Ty found her watching one such display of grooming. “Want to try it? I’m sure they’d let you give it a go.”
Calla shook her head. “No, thanks. I’ll leave it to the experts. They’d have a better chance of winning that way. I just never knew so much went in to just showing cattle.”
“Well, this isn’t just ‘showing cattle’ to these young people. This is what pays their way into college in most cases. They raise a half dozen or more of these animals over the school years. They show them at country fairs like this one for small prizes, but then they also compete at the big stock shows where they hope to get in the auctions and if they place with ribbons and the grand champion titles… well that could finance a four-year education in some shows. This is very serious business to them. Plus, they learn a lot about animal husbandry and the ranching business and take pride in seeing what they can accomplish.”
Calla listened, amazed at what he was saying but even more by the look of pride he had in what was going on around him. He truly cared what they were doing for the young people. Calla felt herself falling even farther over that cliff she had found herself poised on a few days back. It was hopeless to stop it. She was falling head over heels in love with the cowboy mayor beside her. She took a gulp of air into her lungs at the sudden realization and the dust caught in her throat and she ended up choking and coughing. Ty looked at her with a worried crease in his brow. He took the clipboard from her and his hand closed around one of hers.
“Let’s get you into the fresh air. I think it’s about time for some lemonade, too. It’s hot and dusty inside these barns and if you aren’t used to it, it can be overpowering the first time or two. But you’ll get used to it.” They found a cool spot under some shade trees and an empty picnic table. He left her there while he went to a nearby stand for their drinks.
The crowds had begun to grow as the noon hour approached and she was only vaguely aware of them, but her mind was still trying to wrap itself around the discovery her heart had just shared with her brain. The clash with reality did not have the best of timing, but that often happened with love… or so she had been told. And now reality had decided to lay one on her… she was in love. With a man that she never would have dreamed would have even been on her radar not that long ago. But then so much had changed in her world in the past few months that she shouldn’t be surprised at anything. Calla was certain of one thing. Until she could get a grip on this new reality and figure it all out for herself, she didn’t want to share it with others, and especially not with Ty. He couldn’t guess how she felt… not yet.
Calla knew that he had feelings for her. He had told her so last night and each time he had kissed her or even looked at her. But lust could often be confused with love. She knew that lesson too well. And she wasn’t about to make any more mistakes where her heart was concerned. She needed to keep her guard in place for a little while longer. Keep things light and carefree. Easier said than done. She watched Ty approach with the drinks in hand and she had to stifle an incredible urge to jump up and launch herself into his arms. Easy girl.
“Thanks,” she said, as she took one of the drinks from him. Amazed that her hands weren’t shaking as her insides were at that moment. Ty eased down beside her on the bench, his body touching hers and short-circuiting her attempts to keep control of her thoughts. Calla concentrated on sipping her drink, her eyes watching the people passing by. Some she knew, others she didn’t. Most often people smiled and spoke, and Ty returned the greetings. Of course, everyone knew him. He was their mayor. He had also grown up in their midst. He belonged.
She and her sisters were probably seen as newcomers by rights since they had been sent to high school and college away from McKenna Springs. They were relegated to a step above ‘visitors’ in their own hometown. Although Calla felt the circle of people was growing daily who accepted them. Maybe in another ten or twenty years, they’d be considered home-towners. She grinned at that thought.
“What’s so amusing?” Ty had caught the grin.
“Just some things I was thinking about my sisters and me. This is certainly not what I expected to be doing this summer.”
“I see.” Ty nodded his head. “My guess is you had plans involving travel to exotic places maybe… not to a country fair in a small Texas town, surrounded by cows and cowboys.”
“You would have been correct in that. But then life had other plans for us. And who’s to say that this detour wasn’t the best plan after all?”
Ty gave her a long, steady look… the one that always picked up her heart and flipped it over for good measure. “I know I hope and pray you mean that.”
“Hey, who said it was break time and didn’t let us know?” Jaz and Darcy came walking up to their shady spot, effectively breaking the tension that had built without warning. Calla was both relieved and disappointed that her alone time with Ty was at an end. She put a smile on her face and greeted the pair.
“Sorry you didn’t get the memo. I sent it by carrier pigeon.”
Jaz tossed a smile at them as she and Darcy settled on the bench across from the pair. “He must have got lost.”
Calla’s cell phone vibrated at that moment and she took it out of her pocket and glanced at it. There was one message from a number she didn’t recognize. The others were engaged in conversation, so she clicked on it and read the message. ‘Calla, it’s Gwen. I really have something important I need to discuss with you. I’ll be in your neighborhood tomorrow morning. Can we meet for a cup of coffee? Please call me.’
What was that about? She hadn’t seen Gwen in months until two days ago in passing and now she had called her, needing to talk to her about something important. What could that be?
“Earth to Calla,” Jaz spoke louder to get her attention. “Did you get bad news?”
Her three companions were watching her. She shook her head. “It’s just a former colleague. I need to text her a reply. Excuse me.” Calla sent a text inviting her to stop by the house in the morning before she had to report to the fairgrounds. She could give her a half hour and that should be plenty of time for whatever the topic was. It was only a couple of minutes and Gwen replied with an affirmative and her thanks. The phone went back into her pocket. She returned her attention to the conversation.
“I have to leave you pretty ladies and go check on some horse entries,” Ty said, easing out of his spot at the table. “I’ll catch up with you all later. Enjoy yourselves.” They watched him walk away. Calla felt a shadow crossed the sun.
“Don’t look so disappointed. He’ll be back,” Jaz spoke up, grinning at Calla.
Calla shot her an unamused look. “I’m not disappointed.”
“Too bad you saw him first,” Jaz continued. “I might have had first dibs.”
“I seriously doubt that,” Lily threw in her opinion. “He has eyes for only one Rose sister and it isn’t you or me. Get over it.”
Jaz pretended an exaggerated heartbreak.
“You two need to get hobbies… other than an interest in my love life.” Calla finished her drink and tossed her cup into the trash bin a couple of feet away.
“There!” Jaz immediately jumped on her words. “I told you so,” she nodded at Lily. “We have proof positive confirmation that our sister is in love.”
“I did not say any such thing!”
“You said you had a love life… same thing.”
C
alla stood, shaking her head. “I have my next assignment. I suggest you two get busy with yours.”
“Jaz, you should stop teasing her so much,” Lily admonished, as they watched Calla head toward one of the barns.
“It’s fun. Besides, she’s right. You and I have no such lives.” Jaz stood, looking around her. “I wonder where they’re keeping the cowboys? We should check them out.”
There were plenty of cowboys later that evening when the first rodeo performance got under way. The Tremayne family weren’t considered one of the best pro-rodeo stock contractors in the country for nothing. Calla was impressed with their whole operation. Although she was a novice at such things, she listened with rapt attention as Ty explained each event and what was going on behind the chutes, as well as, in front of them. The seats the Tremaynes had provided for them were next to the announcer’s stand and provided the best view in the arena.
“It looks like a good crowd came out this evening,” Darcy commented, sliding into the empty seat they had saved for her.
“As of this afternoon at four, every performance, all six of them, are sell-outs,” Reid replied, passing her a program.
“That’s great news. Looks like this first annual event is on its way big time,” Lily smiled. Her eyes were glued to the chutes below them where they were moving the bucking horse stock into the chutes and cowboys were hauling in their riggings and loosening up with their own personal routines.
“I’m afraid I can’t quite see what the excitement there is about climbing on a huge animal that has one intent and that is to throw you as far as they can and then stomp your guts out afterwards.” Jaz shook her head.
“Really, Jaz.” Calla gave her sister a look.
“What? I didn’t say stomp their brains out… they clearly don’t have many of those to spare already.” She gave her sister a broad smile in return.
“Pardon our sister’s warped sense of humor everyone. We try to ignore it and not encourage it.” Lily shot a grin along with the words.
Everyone shared in good-natured laughter at the sisterly jabs, except for one… Reid. He simply kept his gaze on the program page before him. That wasn’t lost on Jaz, who chose to excuse herself to find the ladies’ room before the festivities got under way. This was something else Calla took note of… the interaction, or the lack of, between her sister and the fire chief. Both interesting and puzzling at the same time.
“I had hoped to offer you a ride home after the rodeo this evening,” Ty whispered, leaning closer to her while everyone was caught up in the rodeo action before them. “But they’re running slack tonight and it may take a while… a couple of hours or more.”
“Slack?” This was a new term to Calla.
“Running slack is where you have an abundance of team ropers who need to have their go and you don’t have enough room during the regular performance. Cowboys also use it as a time to try out new horses or partners.”
“I see. But why do you have to put in more hours? You’ve been here since early this morning.”
“I’m working with a new partner tonight. My brother and I used to do a lot of team roping. I have a good horse that needs some running and one of the Tremayne’s needs a heeler… a hind roper. So, we’re giving it a go.”
“I’d really like to see that, but I’m already feeling the long hours. Will you be roping again this week?”
“If things go well, we may give it a shot in the next couple of days. It helps when you know the people running the show.” He grinned, and she felt a sudden urge to plant a kiss on the mouth that was so close to her cheek. Control yourself, Calla. You aren’t some high school girl crushing over a cute cowboy. No, you are a mature adult woman crushing over a sexy cowboy.
“Play your cards right and I’ll think about a raincheck for that ride home.”
Ty smothered a quick chuckle, a twinkle lighting his eyes. “Are you flirting with me, Calla Rose?”
She gave him a slow, secretive hint of a smile. “You play your cards right, Mr. Mayor, and you might be that lucky.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“Hi, Gwen! I’m glad you found me.” Calla greeted the other woman with a smile, holding the screen door open for her to enter into the living room.
“Your directions were perfect. And I’m so pleased you could spare me a few minutes. I know you’re very busy.”
“Please, come in and have a seat. I have some coffee ready and fresh croissants that my sister Lily baked this morning.” Calla took a seat across from Gwen. She stifled a smile as she noted the three-piece, tailored pantsuit, expensive pumps and handbag, and hair and makeup in place. Calla used to be a carbon-copy of the woman. It was like looking back in time at herself in a mirror. Had she really been happy then? Less than a year ago, she would have said yes. Now… well now, there was her work with the dance hall that had shown her she could succeed in something she thought totally out of her element, and there was a possibility of her heart having met its match. Perhaps more than a possibility.
“How are your sisters? Are they also working with you here?”
“Yes and no. They both have their own careers in the city, but they’re here on weekends and in particular, this weekend… helping with all the festivities for the celebration. You should take some time and come out to the fairgrounds this weekend. There’s really a lot to see and do.”
Gwen shook her head. “Wow, there has certainly been a change in you… but in a good way. You seem so… so excited and lighthearted. I can’t describe it really. But it’s all good. I envy that. You seem to have no scars from your time at the firm.” Gwen’s demeanor had certainly changed by the time she stopped talking. There was a dark cloud shrouding her eyes and Calla noted the whitening of her knuckles as the hand holding her coffee mug had tightened its grip.
“I sense there’s something specific that brought you here today, Gwen. Is there something I can do for you?”
The mug went back on the coffee table and Gwen’s hands smoothed out invisible creases in her slacks, her tongue running over her lips in a nervous gesture before she took a deeper breath and met Calla’s waiting gaze.
“I’ve filed a lawsuit against the firm. Sexual harassment, defamation of character, and wrongful dismissal. My attorneys have advised me, and I already knew this of course, but any other employees of the firm who may have gone through the same thing as I did, or have knowledge of these practices, would be beneficial to the suit. I’m here to ask for your help in stopping the firm from continuing their abuses. Will you help?”
Calla sat in stunned silence. She had not expected this would be the topic of Gwen’s visit. It took a couple of minutes for her to gather her tumbling thoughts. She sat up in her chair, marshalling her thoughts before she spoke.
“I have to admit I’m stunned. I had no idea this was going on with you at the firm. Although I suppose in hindsight I can see where there were sometimes I may have wondered, but I dismissed them in haste. I was too busy with my own work and… other things. I should have noticed more. I should have been more accessible. I’m so sorry for what you went through. No woman should have to endure that in their workplace or anyplace else for that matter.”
“That’s what I hoped you’d say. You know they’ve done it before and they still continue. They almost flaunt the fact. There was a new attorney, fresh out of law school… they hired her after you left. She lasted not even a month. Rumor has it that ‘senior’ had her work late one evening. The cleaning crew saw her run out of his office and she left the building in tears. She never returned. My attorney also has spoken to her. She wants to help but is scared that it could ruin her career even before it gets started.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that. I can imagine what she’s going through right now.” And she well could. The embarrassment, self-loathing and doubting, loss of trust in her instincts… and so much more. No one deserved that in their lives. And she knew that some were not as strong or as lucky as she had been. She had her family a
nd her new life to get her through the dark period. Calla felt an anger rising inside her. Nothing had changed at the firm and there would be more unsuspecting victims.
“That’s why I came here,” Gwen continued. “I heard the rumors from the office when you left. I wanted to speak with you sooner, but I had just gotten to the place where I had made my decision to do something about the firm. We were beginning to lay the ground work for the case. But I’m here now. I know this is your personal decision to make, Calla. But if you and I can speak up together and perhaps the other victim, also… we have a chance to teach them a lesson and to save other women from the same degradation. Will you at least think about this?”
“When I saw you in San Antonio, that day at lunch, you mentioned you were with another firm. Are they aware of all this?”
“Yes, I have been very open with them. They support me… to the point of one of their investigators has been loaned to my counsel for the case.”
“This is something that I can’t just give you an answer on right away, Gwen. I must give it some thought. It means uprooting some of the life I’ve managed to build, some of the peace of mind. I hope you understand that.”
“Of course, Calla,” Gwen replied with a nod. “I wouldn’t expect otherwise. I just wanted you to think about it and let me know if we can count on you. You must do what is right for you. Here’s my attorney’s card and my cell phone is on the back, too. Thanks for hearing me out.”
“I promise I will give it serious consideration. I’ll call you on Monday with a decision.”
Gwen stood, and Calla followed suit. They shared a hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t come on a more pleasant visit. I’d like to come back some time when I can enjoy your little town and see that dance hall I’ve heard so much about.”