“I believe that he’s White Whale.”
Reed automatically took the picture, autographed it and handed it to Callie, not picking his head up.
“Oh, Reed!” Callie blinked her eyes rapidly.
Reed looked up. “I just adore you,” she joked and waved the picture in front of her face as if she were warm. “You are just soo hot!”
The three bull riders laughed. “Oh, Reed!” they crooned. “You’re just so hot.”
Grinning, Reed held his hands up, obviously enjoying the joke. “Dudes, you’re going to be hearing the same thing when the signing starts.”
They talked about their last rides. Callie could tell that Reed definitely missed it. Even though the PBR was off during the summer, she knew that most of the cowboys picked up extra circuits, state fairs or rode practice bulls to keep their riding up to par.
Reed couldn’t do any of that.
“See you later, Reed. I’m going to do some work.” As she walked away, she heard the three cowboys talking about her.
“Yee-haw, Reed.”
“She’s a fine-looking woman.”
“What’s Callie doing with you, partner?”
She vaguely heard Reed explain that she was a personal assistant working for his family.
“Sure. Tell us another tale.”
“If you’re not dating Callie, I want her number.”
Callie looked at Reed, raising an eyebrow. That made her feel good, but, no, she wasn’t interested.
Reed held his hands up. “Stop, boys. Let’s concentrate on the autographing.”
Just as he said that, the store’s workers waved in the line of people who were there to meet them.
She could tell by his big grin Reed liked meeting his fans. But he should be a lot better at answering his fan mail.
Thank goodness for her Personable Assistance business.
When she had a moment, she’d update the brothers’ websites, or maybe she’d start over. Sometimes that was the better option. And she needed to meet with the reunion and graduation committees.
She took her notebook out of her briefcase and jotted down some notes about everything that was on her mind. Then she got down to the task at hand.
She looked at the box full of paperwork and other items. It seemed like a lot of their transactions for buying and selling their livestock were handshake deals and receipts, if she could call them that, were for everything imaginable, including a paper coffee cup. Just marvelous. At least the sellers forwarded a medical report on each of the animals. She found some and paper-clipped them together. She didn’t find anything secured to the paper cup.
But she’d have to find out what the Beaumonts had paid for the animals, and then what they’d sold.
Callie took a deep breath. This was going to be a challenge, but she liked having the Beaumonts as clients. It was so much more fun than working at the historical society, the drugstore, the real estate office and the bakery.
Truth be told, she liked having Reed as a client, but that’s how they were going to remain—personal assistant and client.
Then she thought of his kisses again and it made her stomach flutter. It had fluttered a little when she was dating the three who had left her, so she didn’t trust her judgment.
But still, like years before, there was just something about Reed.
She’d just have to figure out what.
* * *
REED SAT ON a bench waiting for Callie to get his car from the far end of the parking lot. He’d had a great time at the autographing.
Callie made the day even more perfect. They stole glances at each another throughout the event, particularly when he had an over-the-top fan. But they were few, and most of the time, there was a steady flow of bull-riding and rodeo followers.
But he wanted to get back to the ranch. He wanted to check out the progress of the construction workers and the cowboys. He didn’t have his ramrod there, so he’d have to oversee everything. While his house was being repaired, Slim Perez and his family were enjoying a well-deserved vacation to Mexico.
Back in the car, they talked about the signing, the reunion/graduating party and whatnot.
A casual conversation, a lot of laughs and a lot of plans were made for the ranch and for the first graders’ grammar school tour tomorrow.
Then Reed thought about how Callie had never given him an answer as to what he could treat her to.
“Oh, I’m still thinking about it. I haven’t forgotten, but I can’t think of anything just yet, but it’s in the back of my mind.”
“Good, you keep thinking.”
“Absolutely.”
“Until then, what if I were to think of a few things? Like a movie, or a concert, maybe a play, or we could do some boot scootin’.”
“We’ll do some boot scootin’ when your torn meniscus is gone, okay?” Callie said, opening the door and getting out onto the brick walkway that led to the front porch of the ranch.
“You can scoot your boots?”
She laughed. “Bet your buckle, I can.”
“Woo-ee! You’re a girl after my heart.” He did some dancing steps with his crutches.
“I’m not after your heart, Reed. I know you were joking, but we should probably set things straight. I’m a loser when it comes to men. Remember? I’m not interested in a relationship with you. Can’t we just continue to have fun?”
“Sure, we can have fun, but don’t put me in the same category as those other guys, Callie. I wanted you to go with me back then, and I didn’t sneak off. And you made it crystal clear that I was a jerk for leaving a prosperous ranch for the unknown.”
“Wow, was I wrong. You’re doing great.”
“Maybe you’re wrong about us, too, Callie.” He raised his hands, palms up, and shrugged his shoulders. “Do you think?”
“Let’s not talk about this now, Reed. I still have a lot of work to do today.” She felt like curling into herself like a boiled shrimp and sleeping.
“Okay,” he said. “I can take a hint, and I’ll back off. The next move is yours, Callie. We’ve already waited ten years. Let’s not wait anymore. We should be together, and you know it.”
“I don’t know that at all. And if you’re waiting for me to come to you, you’re going to have a long wait.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “Are you saying that our kisses didn’t mean anything to you, Callie?”
”No. They did.”
“Well, okay then!”
“Let’s forget about yesterday, Reed. Please.”
She is one frustrating woman!
He shook his head. “You got it, Callie. It’s forgotten.”
They exited the car and Reed followed Callie into the house, then into his father’s den, and watched her gather up a box with a grunt. He wished like hell he could carry it for her.
“I think it’s better that I work from my home,” she said.
“Why?” His stomach sank. He didn’t want her to leave.
“Because I don’t want to hurt you, Reed. I will. You know I will.” Her eyes watered. “You remember the other Callie, not this one. This one is older...and wiser.”
“This one is scared. This one has been hurt.” He took her hand and kissed the back of it. “We’ll work through it all, Callie. The only way you’ll hurt me is to shut down and not talk. Okay?”
She sniffed. “Okay.”
“I don’t want you to leave. Not when we’re getting to know each other again. And you’re not a quitter, Callie.”
She smiled. “I’m not. I’m glad you reminded me of that.”
Dropping the box, she said, “I’ll stay, but you stay away.”
“No promises, Callie. I did say you have the next move. I didn’t say I’d play fair in getting you there.”
* * *
FOR THE REST of the day Callie entered data related to the Beaumonts’ income and disbursement. About nine o’clock in the evening, she called it quits. Looking at her notebook, she realized that she had big gaps in information yet to fill in.
She was about to leave Reed sleeping on the couch, but he suddenly woke. “Huh?” He rubbed his face. “Are you leaving?”
“Yes. It’s been a long day.”
“Will you be here tomorrow for the school tour?” he asked. “My dad will be giving the lecture and tour.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” She smiled. “How’s he doing with them?”
“I think that Big Dan is doing great with the tours. By retelling the history of the ranch and his colorful stories, it’s helping him realize how much he’s been missing and now much he is the Beaumont Ranch. That’s what I’m hoping for anyway, Callie. Thanks.”
He seemed so optimistic, and she hoped that things would start to work out for the Beaumont family.
Time to get back to business, she thought. “By the way, do you need me to do anything tomorrow?”
He motioned for her to take a seat next to him.
“I don’t remember how we organized the day and my ramrod is in Mexico, but I can speak to some of the hands. They would have participated.”
“Good idea, Reed. Do you have a grill for the hot dogs and hamburgers?”
“I saw one on the side of the barn. The cowboys might have been using it, and it’s my guess that it might need to be cleaned.”
“I can clean it, Reed.”
“You’ll do no such thing. I think that cleaning a greasy grill is not one of your personal assistant jobs. I’ll do it in the morning.”
She raised her index finger into the air. “What about entertainment after everyone eats? I remember listening to some cowboys playing the guitar and singing.”
“You’ll be happy to know that we have a real cool bunch of singers and pickers. They call themselves the Cowhand Band.”
“I love it, but will they sing for the kids?” She raised an eyebrow.
“They’ve already agreed. They’ll do all the grades. It helps them practice.”
Callie shook her head. “It takes them away from their work on the ranch. Doesn’t it?”
“The kids love it, so it’s for a good cause. And the cowboys have to take a break sometimes or they’ll burn out. Remember that, Callie. You need to take a break sometime, too.”
“I rode in the car all day. That’s a break,” she said.
“But you were still working. Right?”
“Technically, yes. But being with you and talking and laughing isn’t like work.”
Reed laughed. “Hey, is that a compliment from you?”
“It is.” She waved. “See you tomorrow, Reed.”
“See ya.”
Callie would have to turn away from a kiss if Reed was so inclined, but she was halfway across the room, and he was still sitting on the couch.
“I’ll lock the door,” she said.
“Thanks.”
Reed still didn’t move. The least he could do was give her a kiss on the cheek.
But she’d told him to stay away.
It was good that he was listening to her.
Wasn’t it?
* * *
CALLIE RODE HOME, singing along to the radio so she wouldn’t think about Reed. Finally, she pulled into her driveway, behind an old car—even older than her hers—that she didn’t recognize.
When she walked into her kitchen, she heard voices raised in anger. There was only one person who’d come into her house and start a fight.
She slowly walked into the living room and tried to quiet her breath and stop her heart from slamming against her backbone. It couldn’t be, but there he was. Very tanned. White hair. Potbelly. A Hawaiian shirt and white loafers.
“Father? What are you doing here?”
Chapter Ten
“Why, hello, Callie. How have you been? It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”
“Not long enough, Father,” she said. “But what brings you to Beaumont? Did Tish Holcomb run out of money?”
The twins snickered.
Her mother shook her head. “Callie, be nice. I can’t tolerate a lot of drama.”
“None of us can,” Callie said. “So what does bring you back to Beaumont?”
“John and Joe’s graduation, of course,” he said.
John chuckled. “Of course. We just told you about our graduation and scholarships tonight. You thought we still had two years left to go in high school.”
“Maybe I was a dab off,” he joked, and the boys laughed.
What was going on here?
“Father, where are you staying?” Callie asked.
“You have a very nice house here. Four bedrooms and a guest room. I got a tour from the twins. The guest room would suit me perfectly.”
Callie shot her brothers an I-can’t-believe-you-did-that look. They booth shrugged their huge shoulders.
“Oh, don’t get your hackles up, Callie,” he snapped, then smiled one of his charming smiles. “I’m only kidding. I knew I’d be as wanted here as the chicken pox, so don’t worry. I’ll be staying at the Beaumont Inn.”
“Your father also volunteered to take me to my chemo and radiation treatments, so the boys don’t have to, and since you have to work during the day,” her mother said, sitting back in her chair.
“That’s not necessary, Mom.”
“I’m almost done with them, honey.”
Was she the only one that minded Melvin Wainright’s sudden reappearance in their lives? Callie wondered.
Callie shook her head. “If it doesn’t bother you, it shouldn’t bother me.”
Her father clasped his hands together. “Callie, I hope I’m not interfering. I want to help.”
She took a seat. Was she the only one who figured out the obvious? That Tish must have run out of money.
“What brought you from Tahiti to Beaumont?” Callie asked again. There had to be a reason.
“Tish is having surgery. She didn’t want to have it in Tahiti because she wanted Doc Bender to do it.”
“I hope it’s nothing serious, Melvin,” her mother stated.
So, she’s at Dr. Jacob Bender’s, Beaumont’s only plastic surgeon. The plot thickens.
“Tish is just having something tucked, tightened or lifted. Nothing serious, and I told her that she always looks great, but that’s Tish for you.”
Callie didn’t miss seeing her mother touch the bottom edge of her wig. This was the second time in ten years that her mother had lost her hair. The wig was hopelessly outdated, but she hadn’t wanted to spend the money on a new one, no matter how much Callie had insisted.
“So, Father, you’re going back to Tahiti soon?”
“Just as soon as Tish is ready to leave.”
Joe leaned forward and played drums with his index fingers on the edge of the coffee table. “And get this, Callie, as a graduation present, Dad is going to take us back to Tahiti with him. Can you believe it?”
“Don’t you guys have to get jobs to put some money away for college?” The grins left both their faces. “I wanted to tell you that Reed Beaumont said you could work for him at his ranch.”
Her common sense smothered their joy over Tahiti like a wet blanket.
“Callie, you’re too serious. Don’t you ever have fun?” her father had the nerve to ask.
“Fun? No, I did not have fun when we were being evicted from house after house, or am I the only one who remembers that? Am I the only one who remembers thugs coming to the house looking for you to repay your gambling debts? Am I the only one who remembers getting public assistance? Or how about something so we could have lunches at school? Mom worked nights cleaning the
school when she was able, so I was the babysitter. The twins were seven years old when you first left, so I didn’t have much fun, did I?”
Her face flamed and she had to get away. Her father wasn’t the first one to say that she was too serious. Reed Beaumont had said it a couple of times.
Was everyone in this house crazy or was it just her?
Her brothers had the sense to look uncomfortable. Her mother shifted in her chair. “Callie, we can talk later when your father leaves, but until then, you need to calm down.”
Her father stood. “I was just leaving. It was wonderful to see everyone. And, Callie, if you’d ever want to sit down with me and have a talk, just let me know. Call me at the Beaumont Inn.”
He grinned and his bright white teeth glistened in the lamplight. Callie thought that Tish must have great dental insurance.
“And Reed Beaumont...huh, Callie?” her father asked. “Now, there’s a great catch.”
She stiffened. “I am the personal assistant for all the Beaumonts, and nothing more.”
“Too bad.” He shook his head. “That’s too bad.”
“Mom, as soon as he leaves, I’d love to have that talk with you.”
“Sure, honey.”
“Goodbye, Father. Have a nice trip back to Tahiti.”
About a half hour later, her mother knocked on her bedroom door.
“Callie?”
“Come in, Mom. Is he gone?”
“He’s gone.”
“Mom, I just don’t understand you. After all that he did to us, how could you entertain him in my house... I mean our house.”
“No. You meant your house, Callie.”
“I had to buy it for us, don’t you see? He can’t come here anymore and plummet us into debt.”
“Honey, one thing I’ve learned about in dealing with breast cancer is that there are some things that you cannot change.”
“I know, Mom. But you fight. You don’t give up.”
“And we fought and we didn’t give up throughout the years. Right? And as a result, we turned out to be a close-knit family—you, the twins and me. It’s your father who missed out.”
“But I missed out, too, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did, Callie. When I was sick, you watched the twins. You worked hard. You supported us when I couldn’t work.”
Reunited with the Bull Rider Page 12