by Diann Hunt
Brad was speechless—again. It was Callie, with someone else’s hair.
She tossed a brief glance at Brad, then quickly looked back toward the family.
“Uh, Callie Easton, this is the Sauders family. They will be moving into this home.”
Callie took in a sharp breath. “Oh my, it’s so nice to meet you!” She pumped their hands with great enthusiasm. “It’s so fun to put the faces with the work—you know what I mean?”
They stared at her, blankly.
“You know, you work and work and have no idea who you’re doing it for or if they’ll like it or if they’ll want to move first chance they get. You wonder what kind of family they are, you know, the lively type or the—”
Brad turned toward the Sauders. “I know you have to get to work, so we’ll let you go.” He edged them toward the door.
Micah walked over to Callie and tapped her leg. Callie looked down. “Yes?”
“I like you.” With that, Micah walked back over to her parents.
“I like you, too,” Callie called out happily to the little girl before sticking the earbuds back into her ears.
Once Brad said his goodbyes to the family, he turned back to the work at hand. His crew worked busily, hammering away. He had to admit that Callie was a real trooper. She hammered with the best of them and kept up a steady pace. Brad sneaked a look from time to time, to see how she was doing.
He looked at her once more and scratched his head. Somewhere between dinner and breakfast, she had managed to change her entire look.
Why would she do that?
Chapter Five
After lunch the rain that had started in the late morning had evaporated and the team was called in to work on the roofing. Men talking, boots scraping against plywood, the lingering smell of spring rains. It surprised Callie how much she enjoyed those smells and sounds. They brought a certain comfort she couldn’t explain. Sometimes she thought she could turn around and find her dad there, watching her work.
“Hey, Callie,” one of the workers said. “Brad had to run to the hardware store. We’re working on the roof. If you want to grab that staple gun, you can join us. We’re running behind.” He climbed the ladder to the roof.
Callie swallowed hard and swallowed hard again. And then one more time for good measure. He wants me to go up on the roof. Me. Callie Easton—who won’t even climb a stepladder—on the roof.
Okay, no problem. She could do this. She wasn’t a wimp. If those guys could do it, so could she. Willing air back into her lungs, she walked over, grabbed the staple gun and climbed the ladder that loomed before her.
Though she was no fashion statement, she was thankful for her sturdy boots. When she made it on the roof, she dared to take another breath. A big one. It might have to last her awhile.
After someone explained the job to her, she ignored the threatening nausea, kept her gaze fixed on the roof and refused to look down. She began to staple the felt underlay onto the plywood, making sure she overlapped each course to the one before it. After some time she relaxed a little, though she was careful to hold herself steady. Her hand gripped the staple gun as she moved it along the felt.
What would her dad think if he could see her now? Did he ever think of her? Did he wish he could see her again? Maybe he had a new family and barely remembered her at all. If only her mom hadn’t—
The spring winds whipped up the edge of the underlay, and she steadied it, being careful not to move too much. The sweet scent of honeysuckle lifted with the breeze, tickling her nose. While she worked the guys talked in a steady hum. Her thoughts drifted to last night.
She could only imagine what it would feel like to sink into Brad’s embrace, to feel the touch of his steady hand as he tenderly tilted her face to him and pressed his lips upon her own, warm and moist, the soft scratch of his evening whiskers—
“Look out!”
Brad’s voice rattled her to attention. She turned in time to see one of the guys slipping on the plywood. His boots scraped against the wood; his body slid down-ward. With one hand she white knuckled the edge of the roof and with the other she clutched onto him in a vise-like grip. Her hand was weak and shaky as she attempted to block the worker’s fall. A man on the opposite side steadied him, and another near his ankles stopped him from plunging. He was able to get his footing on the ladder and make his way down. Everyone cheered. Men started congratulating Callie for her quick work.
She sought out Brad below, but he wasn’t looking at her. Not that it mattered what he thought. He was a friend. Granted, a very good-looking friend, but still. The look on his face when he saw her new hair color had been priceless. To say that he was surprised would be an understatement.
There she went again. Thinking about a man she hardly knew. She had been through the whole falling in love thing once, and she had told herself she wouldn’t do it again. Maybe deep down she knew that was a promise she wouldn’t keep—or hoped she wouldn’t—but even though it had been two years since Jeremy, she wasn’t sure she wanted to jump into a relationship again. Not that Brad was interested in her. A kiss was no big deal. Especially since the man was in pain. People do crazy things when they’re in pain. Maybe once he healed, she’d have to trip him again.
She needed to keep her thoughts far from him or she could fall off the roof, too. Though something told her she was already falling.
“Are you all right?” Brad’s voice was gruff, but she didn’t miss the concern on his face.
“I’m fine.”
He touched her arm. “You shouldn’t have been on the roof. Leave it to those who are experienced.”
She felt anger rise inside her. “I did okay.” She put away her share of the tools.
“You did okay because you got lucky.” His eyes blazed. “Don’t do it again.” He stomped off, leaving her and the crew gaping after him.
Her neck and face felt white-hot. If she were a poker, she’d brand him with a J for jerk.
“Don’t worry about it. He was just worried about you,” one of the guys said. The others nodded.
Finished for the day, Callie went to her car, kicking dirt along the way. If Brad Sharp thought he could talk to her that way in front of the others and get away with it, he was wrong.
Dead wrong. The next time she saw Brad, she was going to give him a piece of her mind.
Once Callie reached her car, she clawed her way through her handbag for her cell phone.
“Hey, Aunt Bonnie.”
“Hi, Callie. You off work now?”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m calling. I’m headed home to let Chaos out, and then I’ll be at the salon in time for my perm appointment.”
“I hate it that you’re having to work so hard.” Aunt Bonnie’s voice was thick with worry. “Would you like me to order a sandwich and have it waiting for you?”
“No, thanks. I’ll grab one on the way.”
When Callie stepped inside her place, the sight that greeted her told her she might want to turn around and go back to work. On second thought, if she had to choose between seeing Chaos or Brad, she’d choose her rebellious puppy, hands down.
“Chaos!” She had forgotten to put him in his crate before leaving for the day. Throwing her handbag on the kitchen table, she ran through the house. Toilet paper marked a white trail through the living room. Shredded remains of a doggie toy were scattered about. Chew marks ran clear through the toe of a favorite shoe. A sinking feeling settled in her stomach. “Chaos!” she called again, this time with more urgency, as she eyed the scattered debris. Just as she entered her bedroom, she spotted Chaos with a feather pillow in his mouth, his head twisting and jerking about playfully, long ears flapping with wild abandon, when a final rip in the pillow released an abundance of feathers into the room. “Chaos,” she said once more, falling on her knees in utter despair.
He bounced up to her with delight. Feathers stuck to his fur, and he looked like a sparsely plucked chicken. Callie laughed in spite of it all—which o
nly fueled his enthusiasm. His tail wagged furiously, and he jumped on her, tongue lapping endlessly, feathers scattering about.
She was quite upset over the state of her house, but the jumping and puppy joy completely won her over. She held Chaos close and wondered how in the world she would get everything picked up in time for her appointment. Reaching for the phone, she called Aunt Bonnie and explained what had happened, telling her she’d clean up the main problems and get there as soon as possible.
After hanging up, Callie stood and surveyed the area with hands on her hips. “Well, we have a mess to clean.” Chaos wasn’t bothered in the least. In fact, he seemed quite pleased with this turn of events as she watched him trot down the hall as though to proudly display his afternoon shenanigans—just in case she had missed anything on her first walk-through.
She hated to admit it, but she knew that Chaos was spending too much time alone. The evidence was all around her.
What a day.
By the time Brad paid for the Chinese carryout and headed to his mom’s, he had calmed down. Seeing Callie hanging on to that guy while she was only inches from the edge of the roof herself had caused fear to strike his gut. With his crutches in hand, all he could do was helplessly watch the drama unfold and pray for her safety. He sucked in a deep breath. He couldn’t think about it anymore.
Clutching the bags and crutches, he leaned his elbow against the doorbell. His mom finally answered. “Brad, come on in.”
The house wasn’t much better but at least she was dressed and her hair was combed.
“I brought you some chicken broccoli,” he said, lifting the bag. He wasn’t going to ask her if she’d eaten. He knew better. And he also wasn’t giving her a choice. If he had to spoon-feed her himself, he’d see that she ate something.
“You are worse than a mother, you know that?” she said with a grin. “You shouldn’t have done that, honey, what with your ankle and all.” She reached over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Oh, I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt so much today. I’m getting along pretty good. Should be able to get rid of these soon.” He knocked his hand against a crutch. “Luckily, it was my left leg, so it doesn’t affect my driving.”
“Well, that part is good,” she agreed while getting some glasses down from the cupboard for iced tea. “Thank you for dinner. What do I owe you?”
“A night out on the town with my best girl.”
“Oh, you don’t want to be seen with this old woman.”
He walked over to her. “Sure, I do, Mom. I think you’re beautiful.” He pulled her to him and cringed at her thin body. He had to be careful how he approached things.
They sat down to dinner and he said grace for the meal.
“You still want to go see Grandma tonight?”
“That would be great.”
She toyed with her food but ate some, so that made him feel a little better.
Once they got through the meal, she grabbed her purse and Brad drove them over to the nursing home. Their heels clacked against the durable linoleum as they made their way to Gram’s room. A man dragging a portable oxygen tank behind him shuffled up beside them and wanted to know if Brad’s mom was married. The woman walking with him frowned and gave him a good whop on his head. “Ya hardly got any breath in ya, and you’re still chasin’ the women. Ya old goat.” He tossed Annie a wink and Brad could see her trying not to smile.
“Well, look at you,” Gram said when they entered her room. “Looks like you got in a fight and lost.”
“Something like that,” Brad said with a grin, taking long strides toward the bed. “It’s dangerous out there.”
“Don’t I know it. That’s why I stay in here.” She chuckled. “Did you bring any goodies?”
Brad laughed, bent down and dropped a kiss on her forehead. She was all skin and bones. Wrinkles gathered in tiny bunches around her milky gray eyes and threaded lines through her cheeks. “What kind of goodies, Gram?”
“Chocolate. What woman doesn’t want chocolate? Doesn’t matter if we’re nine or ninety, we want our chocolate.” She scooted up in bed, as though preparing for a good debate. She poked a gnarled finger toward him. “And if a woman doesn’t want chocolate? She needs help.”
“Now, Gram, you know chocolate isn’t good for you. All that sugar.”
Grandma looked at his mom. “I’m telling you that doggone television has ruined kids today with all that nutrition mumbo jumbo.” She turned back to him. “Maybe you haven’t noticed, but I’m not exactly in the running for Miss America.”
Brad laughed out loud. She was spry for ninety years old, he’d give her that. “Okay, I’ll bring you chocolate the next time I come.”
“Bring some for your mom, too. If she gets any skinnier, a strong western wind could blow her into Indiana.” She patted the bed for him to come sit down beside her. “You married yet?”
He was halfway into his sit-down position when her question almost made him fall over. No beating around the bush, and she didn’t have the daintiest of voices.
She chuckled. “Must have a live one on the line or I wouldn’t have rattled you that way. It’s time you get a good woman to help you settle down so you’re not flitting all over the world.”
A nursing-home attendant walked into the room and filled a pitcher with fresh water.
He groaned. “Oh, come on, Gram, not you, too.”
“It’s time you brought someone in here to meet me.” There was that gnarled finger again, pointing at him.
“You might as well not fight it. I’ve known this woman long enough to know that when she points like that, it’s all over. She has the will of a pit bull,” the nursing attendant said.
He suddenly thought of a bazillion things at home he needed to tend to.
“So how are you feeling today, Mom?” Annie asked.
Gram started coughing and Brad mouthed a silent thank you to his mom.
When Gram’s coughing settled down, she said, “Well, you can see I’m not ready to run a marathon, but I’m still kicking, so don’t give away my crossword puzzles.”
Brad laughed at his grandmother’s spunk. She turned her attention to his mom.
“Annie, I’m serious about your weight. You need to eat. And your hair—”
“She’s working on it, Gram. And I’m taking her to get her hair done soon,” Brad said. Annie nodded.
“Ooh, I haven’t had my hair done in years,” Gram said wistfully.
For a second Brad thought about getting Callie to come over and take care of Gram’s hair. But could he trust Gram with Callie?
On second thought Gram’s hair looked just fine the way it was.
Chapter Six
“Are you sure we have to walk, Chaos?” Callie could barely crawl, let alone walk. She had washed, colored, snipped and curled more hair today than she cared to think about. Was every kid in the town going to the prom tonight? Glancing at her hands, she groaned. Between building a house and working with hair, her hands were in need of some serious TLC.
She yawned and flopped into a chair. It was Saturday afternoon, and all she wanted was a hot bath—or at the very least a good book and a soft bed. Chaos jumped into the chair and thumped his front paws against Callie’s chest, nearly taking her breath away. His tongue lapped her face furiously. He smelled of puppy food and baby shampoo.
“Okay, okay, I’ll take you walking.” Callie pulled the happy pup away from her face. Chaos’s stubby tail wiggled with wild enthusiasm, his big brown eyes joyful. Her heart warmed.
She hauled herself out of the chair, retrieved Chaos’s leash and grabbed an energy bar on the way out the door. She had had no idea that owning an animal was such work. Although Callie loved Chaos fiercely, some days she wondered how she could manage it all. Single moms and dads had to be the world’s greatest heroes of all time.
The smell of spring perfumed the air. As they made their way past the schoolyard, gas station and across the bridge, Callie began to feel life s
eep back into her tired body. The cool air did her good. The park near her home came alive with the laughter of children. Chaos jerked and pulled away from Callie, running straight for the kids, joining in the play. Amid giggles and cuddles, Chaos was in his element.
“Looks like they’re having fun.”
The deep voice caused a blip in Callie’s pulse. She turned around to see Brad with a slight smile on his lips.
She couldn’t ignore her anger, no matter how handsome he looked. “Hi, Brad.” Her words were cool. “Where are your crutches?”
He shrugged. “Hammer needed to get out. I knew I couldn’t manage him and the crutches.” Tail wagging, Hammer stood at Brad’s feet, watching Chaos and the children.
“I see.” An awkward pause hovered between them.
“Listen, about the roof thing yesterday, I shouldn’t have talked to you that way.”
“I quite agree.”
“But I meant what I said.”
“I may not be experienced, but I’m not afraid to try.” Okay, maybe she was, but she wasn’t going to tell him about her fear of heights. “And if it weren’t for me, that man probably would have fallen.”
“You’re right. It’s just that when I saw you—” He cleared his throat. “You’re right.”
He didn’t go so far as to say he was sorry, but his apology was in there somewhere. She’d accept it. The fact that the look on his face melted her heart had nothing to do with it.
She turned to watch Chaos. “It seems puppies and children were made for each other. I wish I had that kind of energy.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Brad’s dark eyes glistened in the afternoon sun. “You have more energy than a pot of brewed coffee.”
She didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended.
Hammer tugged at his leash. “Want to walk with us?” Brad asked. “Or should I say hobble with us?”
“I think you’re doing pretty well, considering you hurt yourself just a couple of days ago,” Callie said.