Once Upon a Time (The Wacky Women Series, Book 3)

by Day Leclaire

  Rule #100:

  Rules were made to be broken.

  Callie pulled up outside the Southside Police Station and jumped out of her car. Donna came running over to her. "What's happened?" Callie demanded. "Where's Cory?"

  "He's inside. The police think he's involved in another vandalism case. He didn't do it. We've both learned our lesson. Besides, he was at Willow's End at the time. But no one believes him." She glanced at the station house, a hint of fear in her blue eyes. "I think they've arrested him. If his parents find out, he's in big trouble. Please, will you help?"

  "Of course." Together they hurried into the station and up to the police officer at the front desk.

  "Why, hello, Callie," Sergeant Thompson said. "What's got you in such an uproar?"

  "I've come about Cory Muldrew," she explained, giving Donna's hand a reassuring squeeze.

  Fortunately it took no time at all to straighten out the situation. She and the Sergeant compared notes, and to their mutual relief, discovered Cory had, indeed, been working at Willow's End at the time of the vandalism incident. "If you need Julian to collaborate—" she offered.

  "No, no. You take this young man on home with you and that'll be the end of it."

  "Does this mean my parents don't have to know I was down here?" Cory asked. "If Dad finds out, he might want to sue for false arrest or something."

  Callie muttered a rude word beneath her breath and grabbed Cory's shirt front. Before he could utter another sound, she towed him out of the station and toward her car. Fifteen minutes later she arrived back at Willow's End, utterly exhausted.

  She collapsed into a kitchen chair and dropped her head on her arms. So she'd lost the bet. So she'd lost Willow's End. She'd been true to her conscience and done the right thing. Julian would understand about right things and consciences. Sure he would. She sighed. And pigs around the world would sprout wings, rise up, and fly.

  "Callie?"

  She lifted her head and saw Julian standing by the kitchen door. He walked toward her and she stared at him, unable to answer. Answering meant losing the bet and she wanted another few minutes with things the way they'd been. Just another minute to pretend it would all work out. Another minute to savor the fantasy of Julian and Willow's End and Brutus together, and a part of her life.

  He offered a slow, warm smile. "I looked for you a while ago. I thought you might like a swim. I'm afraid it's too late now." He indicated the suit he wore. "There's an emergency connected with work and I have to see a customer in Peoria."

  His dark hair, still damp from a shower, clung to his skull in dark attractive waves. She stared at him. She couldn't help it. He was so precious to her, so important to her happiness and wellbeing. And so out of reach. Tears pricked her eyes. In a way, this was goodbye. When he returned from his business call, things would never be the same between them.

  "Are you all right?" he asked, his concerned gaze sweeping over her.

  Callie almost smiled. "Sure." She was always "all right" whenever he was around. He seemed to have a magical ability to make her world just about perfect.

  He hesitated, apparently unwilling to leave. "Where did you go?"

  "Out." She took a deep breath. She should tell him now and get it over with. Waiting wouldn't make the end result any easier to bear. "Julian..."

  "Are you sure you're all right?" He approached the table and tossed his suit coat and briefcase onto a chair. "You're so... so quiet."

  She stared at him, unable to say a word. His eyes were warm and loving, his expression open and relaxed. In a minute that would all change. Tell him! The words rang in her head. Tell him now, before it's too late.

  "Oh. By the way, congratulations." He grinned at her look of confusion. "Come here. I have something for you."

  She stood up. "Julian," she said in a rush. "I need to tell you—"

  "Tell me later. This is more important."

  He dropped his hands onto her shoulders and pulled her close. Callie snatched a quick breath, inhaling the scent of him. It was enough to make her dizzy. She slid her arms around his waist and leaned into his embrace, resting her head against the solid warmth of his chest. It felt so good to be held by him. Everything else paled to insignificance beside that fact.

  "Congratulations, green eyes," he said, his lips caressing hers. "You did it. As of five minutes ago, you won the bet. I'll be honest. I had my doubts. But you pulled it off and I couldn't be happier."

  Callie squeezed her eyes shut. It was sheer agony to listen to him, to feel his touch, knowing she didn't deserve any of it. She had to tell him the truth, even though she couldn't stand to watch the pride and pleasure fade from his expression when he heard. Once he learned what she'd done, he'd be forced to sell Willow's End. He'd have no choice.

  Gently she disengaged herself from his arms. "Julian, there's something I have to tell you." She forced herself to meet his eyes. "I didn't win the bet. Donna called a little while ago. She and Cory needed my help. I couldn't refuse."

  She could sense his coolness already. He didn't say anything, but behind his calm remote exterior, she sensed a far different emotion.

  "We'll have to discuss this later," he said quietly. "There isn't time now. I'm sorry. If it weren't for this situation at work... We'll talk the minute I get back."

  "Is there any point?" she whispered.

  He cupped her face in her hands. "There's every point, if for no other reason than this...."

  He leaned down and kissed her. His lips were hard and firm and made promises she wanted to believe. Callie clung to him. Her hands slid over his crisp cotton shirt and gripped his shoulders. Silently she pleaded with him, begging with urgent lips and arms for his understanding. For his love.

  "Julian," she whispered against his mouth.

  He ran a hand through her hair, tugging it gently. "Be patient, Callie. We'll work it out. Trust me." And with that he picked up his briefcase and coat, and left.

  Trust him, Julian said. And she did. With her life. But not with Willow's End. He'd made no bones about his intentions. He wanted to sell. And thanks to her, now he could.

  What she really needed right now was either a good, long cry or a hot cup of tea. More than anything, she wanted to cry. She settled for the tea. Crossing to the stove, she put on the kettle. The soft, blue gas flame blurred before her eyes and she blinked hard, willing herself not to give in to tears.

  Brutus trudged into the room and flopped down on the floor, his head turned away from her. "I know. I screwed up. I let everyone down. Rub it in, why don't you."

  He blew out a gusty sigh.

  "Guess I know where I stand with you."

  Yes, she knew where she stood. Absolutely nowhere. The tears became harder to blink away. How could helping Cory be so wrong? It wasn't. But that was beside the point. She'd wagered and lost.

  If nothing else, that stupid bet had clarified things for her. She'd been gifted with a giving nature, the same as Maudie. They shared that characteristic. Both of them had always been ready, willing, and downright determined, to lend a helping hand. Callie scrubbed at cheeks that were unaccountably wet. If Julian didn't appreciate and understand, then he didn't really understand or love her.

  "All right! Would someone mind telling me what's going on around here? I mean, enough is enough." Valerie shoved open the back door and walked in, her face set in determined lines.

  Callie took one look at her friend and burst into tears.

  "I knew it. I knew it!" Valerie exclaimed in consternation. "All those weird phone calls, those pathetic excuses you've been handing out to everyone. The whole of Willow's going on about how you've changed. They've decided Julian's a bad influence and should be run out of town. I said I'd talk to you first." She whirled on Brutus. "You! Beat it. I won't have any gloomy faces around here making things worse. Besides, this is girl talk. And despite that operation you had, I still consider you mostly male."

  With a huff, Brutus heaved himself to his feet and stalked fr
om the room.

  Valerie grasped Callie by the shoulders and led her to the kitchen table. "Sit. I'll fix the tea. Although by the look of you, a good stiff scotch would do more good." She hurried to the stove and poured boiling water over the tea bags. Then she placed the two steaming mugs on the table and sat across from Callie.

  "Now, spill it. What's going on around here?"

  It took forever to get the entire story told, but eventually Callie ran out of words.

  Valerie sipped her tea thoughtfully. "You want my honest opinion?"

  Callie smiled weakly. "Can I handle it?"

  "Probably not. But I'll tell you, anyway. Julian's right. People do take advantage of you. I take advantage of you." She waved aside Callie's cry of protest. "Oh, not deliberately. It's just you're always so willing to help out. After a while people take your assistance for granted. Need someone to chair a committee? Ask Callie. Need a dozen cupcakes for the school social? Callie will do it. Need a babysitter for Tom, Dick or Danny? Callie loves kids."

  "You make me sound like a pushover," she protested.

  Valerie shrugged. "Hey, if the goose honks when you squeeze it..."

  "If the goose..." Callie's eyebrows drew together. "That doesn't make a bit of sense."

  "It doesn't have to," her friend retorted. "If it makes you stop and think, that's all that matters."

  "Okay, okay. I'm thinking. And I've learned my lesson." She sighed. "But what good does it do? I've still lost Willow's End."

  "Did Julian say that?"

  "He said he wanted to sell the house."

  "Wanted to. That's a bit different from going to. Callie, he obviously cares a lot about you. Do you think for one minute that he wants to take Willow's End away from you? It sounds to me like he's been doing everything within his power to ensure you win the bet."

  Callie shook her head. "If he wanted me to win, why didn't he just agree to keep Willow's End in the first place?"

  Valerie rolled her eyes. "Because he would have spent most of his time in Chicago worrying about what sort of disasters you were engineering down here. Think, girl. Do you realize how much he's risking by making this bet?"

  "He's risking? I'm the one who'll lose Willow's End."

  "He loses Willow's End, too," Valerie pointed out very softly and very distinctly. "Julian never said he didn't want the house. In fact, he hasn't considered himself in any of this. He said he wanted to sell because he was concerned about your welfare. He's thinking about what's best for you. And he cares enough to risk this new relationship of yours."

  "I never thought of that," she admitted. "But what now? I blew it. I mean, I didn't blow it. I had to help Cory. But I've lost the bet."

  "I guess you decide what's more important to you. Willow's End or Julian."

  Julian. The answer leapt unbidden to mind. With regret she pushed her memories of Willow's End to one side. He'd been right. The most important thing wasn't the house, but the people in it. And he topped that particular list. "Thanks," she said with a wide smile. "I can't tell you how much easier this makes everything."

  Valerie groaned in frustration. "Well, don't leave me in the dark. Which is it? Julian or Willow's End?"

  Callie shook her head in mock dismay. "And you call yourself my best friend. You should know which I'll choose without asking."

  Valerie grinned. "I do. But I still want to see that mushy look you get when you say his name."

  * * *

  Later that afternoon, the front doorbell rang. Thinking it might be Julian, Callie ran to let him in, Brutus at her heels. She realized her error the second she pulled open the door. Julian wouldn't have rung the bell. He'd have walked right in.

  A tall, good-looking man greeted her with a friendly smile. "Hi," he said. "I'm not sure if you remember me. I'm Brad Anderson. Julian and I grew up together, though I think we were in college by the time you moved here."

  "Of course I remember you. You and Julian are business partners now," Callie replied. "Would you like to come in?" Brutus growled low in his throat and Callie stared down at him in amazement. What had set him off?

  "I'd love to," Brad agreed with alacrity, though he hesitated to follow up on her offer. "Your dog won't bite, will he?"

  "I'm not sure," Callie admitted.

  Julian's partner laughed as though she'd made a joke, and Callie didn't quite have the nerve to tell him she'd been dead serious. He stepped inside. To her relief, Brutus refrained from eating him then and there.

  "Nice to see you again," Brad said, and smiled, his eyes revealing admiration. Though what he saw to admire, Callie couldn't say for certain. Between the tears she'd shed in the kitchen and her session with Valerie, she must look a mess.

  She studied him uncertainly. "Julian isn't here. He had a business meeting in Peoria."

  "I know. I just came from there. I stopped by to pick up some papers I need to take to our Chicago office." Brad patted his coat pockets and pulled out an envelope. "Julian said to give this to you."

  Not caring what common courtesy demanded, Callie ripped it open and swiftly scanned the message. "Callie, give Brad whatever he wants. I'm sorry about the bet. We'll settle this business when I return." He'd signed the note with his initial, the single letter written in a strong slashing stroke.

  She folded the paper in half and struggled to pin a smile on her face. What did his note mean? How would they settle "this business." She could take a wild guess, but she prayed she was wrong. Not that it mattered. Thanks to her visit with Valerie, Callie had learned a vital fact. Losing Willow's End would hurt. It would hurt like hell. But it didn't come close to the hurt she'd feel if she lost Julian. Nothing was more important than their love. Not even Willow's End.

  "Listen," Brad said, "I don't mean to rush you, but I need to get those papers." He looked around eagerly. "Though, I also hoped you'd be willing to show me around the house."

  Callie stared in bewilderment. "You mean, like a tour or something?" At his nod, she guessed, "Oh, you must want to see the changes Julian's made."

  Brad shrugged. "If you think I should. I'm really more interested in the future potential of the place. Anything Julian's changed that I don't like, I can always change back."

  Callie tilted her head to one side. He looked intelligent enough and his words seemed fairly straightforward. So why didn't she understand a thing he said? Maybe her brain was on the fritz. Too many emotions had caused a short circuit or temporary brain damage. Something.

  She recalled Julian's instructions. They'd been quite specific. Considering their present situation, she'd be wise to follow them. "Where would you like to start?"

  "You don't mind? Somehow I thought you would."

  "Julian said to give you what you wanted." She summoned a grin. "Do you want the grand tour or just the highlights?"

  "The grand tour."

  Callie took him to the dining room first, surprised to find Brutus tagging along. She pointed out the improvements they'd made, not bothering to make a secret of her pride in their work. Repairing the coved ceilings had been particularly tricky.

  "Looks nice." He pointed to the door across the room. "Where does that go?"

  "To the kitchen."

  He frowned. "I suppose that won't be a problem." He winked at her. "Though knowing my wife, she'll probably want to knock down the wall and open up the two rooms."

  Callie stared at him as though he'd gone insane. "So tell her no."

  He burst out laughing and Callie began to wonder if she was the one who'd gone insane. "I remember you always had a great sense of humor," he declared. "Tell her no. That's a good one. What do you say we check out the kitchen?"

  He went ahead, Callie and Brutus trailing in his wake. She glanced at the dog and he gave her a pointed stare. "Then, it's not just me, right?"

  Brutus shook his head with a snort.

  They found Brad standing in the middle of the kitchen doing a slow 360. "Marie's going to have a fit when she sees this." He clicked his tongue in
dismay.

  "Your wife again? And why is she going to have a fit over my... er... Julian's kitchen?"

  "Because she's heavy into chrome and modules. All this oak will send her right around the bend."

  Well, of all the nerve! Callie put her hands on her hips. Enough was enough. She'd been willing to do the man a favor, but that didn't mean she had to put up with his insults. "Let me tell you what your Marie can—"

  Brad crossed to the back door and looked outside. "And there's the lake. Lord, I love that lake. We used to spend our entire summer down there. Remember?"

  "Vividly."

  "It does go with the house, doesn't it? No one else shares title to it?"

  "No. Now listen—"

  "Fantastic. Come on. Let's check out the other rooms."

  Brutus snarled at Brad's retreating back. "You and me both," Callie said in an aside. "And Julian had the nerve to complain about Maudie. She could have taken lessons from this guy." She shook her head. "Funny. I don't remember his being this strange."

  She and Brutus found Brad in the library. "Would you mind holding this?" He handed her one end of a measuring tape. "Now stand over by those windows while I see how much space we've got in here."

  "Would you mind telling me—"

  "Darn. Well, that's that, then. Those bookcases will have to come out. Marie's sauna won't fit otherwise."

  "What? What sauna?" Forget the sauna, she told herself. He'd just said he was going to pull out Maudie's pride and joy—the bookcases. She let go of her end of the measuring tape, not one bit sorry when it whizzed across the room and snapped against his fingers. "Let me tell you something, Brad. You're not laying a hand on these bookcases. They're solid mahogany and over a hundred years old."

  "That old? Then they definitely come out. They've lived long past their usefulness, wouldn't you say?"

  "No, I would not say. What do you mean coming in here and measuring this and threatening to knock down that? You don't own the place, you know."

  "Not yet, maybe. But I will soon enough."

  Callie felt as though she'd just taken a shot to the jaw. She stared at him in shock, every bit of color draining from her face. "No," she whispered in disbelief. "That's impossible."