Her Unexpected Hero--A Clean Romance

by Cheryl Harper

  “I went to your house. I hoped your dad was there. He was not.” Whit stepped inside and leaned against the wall. “These paintings are amazing. Caleb’s working up some kind of commission with the artist for the lodge, isn’t he?”

  Winter blinked slowly. Not yet he wasn’t, but he would be as soon as she whispered the suggestion in Janet’s ear. Because that was inspired.

  “Local artists. That fits with the Tennessee heritage he’s going for.” Whit studied the stacked canvases against the wall, almost as if he had the urge to flip through them.

  And that was the reminder that she didn’t need that they’d always been more alike than they were different.

  “What did you want to talk about?” Winter asked. There was only way to get through this. Face it all directly. She’d tried the easy way out. That never worked for Kingfishers and it wouldn’t start now, especially if the Callaways were changing tactics to face the truth head-on. The whole idea was exciting.

  “First, an apology. I’ll do it in public, too, since I’m the one who dragged this on the stage for everyone to observe, but between you and me, I’m sorry.” His solemn face made it hard not to trust his words. “I messed up. I messed up first by shoving this project through. Senior’s had this dream for a long time. I swear, most of the trouble in my life and with my brother goes right back to wanting to win Senior’s admiration.” He rubbed his forehead. “Caleb and I had it, but getting ol’ stone face to show any emotion is just... Doesn’t matter. That’s what I’m trying to wrap my head around. I had reasons for what I did, but they still hurt you and I owe you more than an apology for that. You were my best friend in the world. And I made the worst mistakes.” His lips were a tight line.

  Since she’d never once imagined Whit Callaway, Jr. could say he was sorry, she knew it had to be a struggle.

  “The marriage idea was dumb, Whit. Why did we try that again?” Winter asked.

  He rolled his eyes. “The consultant. The one Senior hired when we first started talking about the capital. He wasn’t worth half of what Senior paid, although I appreciate the investment. Happily married candidates, or at least those who can pretend to be, poll better with voters. Who cares what they say? As long as they look the part...” He gave two thumbs up. “Dumb. Like my ‘stunt’ with Candace Hawthorne.”

  Winter grimaced. “I had nothing to do with this story about your mother, but I did say ‘stunt’ to Bailey Garcia.” Should she apologize for that? The urge was strong. As long as they were getting things off their chests, she should clear the air. “I was having a bad day.”

  He laughed. “It’s okay, we both had our reasons, but I never thought you had anything to do with Mom’s story. She showed me her final draft before she sent it to the Sweetwater newspaper. Senior was the only one who didn’t know.”

  “And Caleb.” Winter rubbed her hand over the center of her chest, amazed all over again at how the memory of Caleb’s angry face made her heart hurt.

  Whit watched her until he said, “He’s in Knoxville, taking over the reins of Callaway Construction. After this lodge, he’ll be stepping into Senior’s spot full-time.”

  Winter studied Whit’s face. They’d been such good friends, sharing laughs over late-night pizza and standing side by side to win city-council elections. “You okay with that? It should leave more time for Senior to work with you on this campaign.” She wasn’t certain that was the best thing for Whit. If she considered their history, everything had gotten out of whack the minute Senior had come on board.

  “Except Mom’s got other plans. They’ll be traveling. She’s decided someone who runs the Callaway charity should see the projects she’s been funding. That means visiting all four corners of Tennessee, although first they’re taking a vacation in Louisiana.” He shrugged as if he couldn’t understand why anyone would do such a thing.

  Winter smiled. That was one thing she and Whit would always be in sync about. Vacation time confused them both.

  “That’s the other topic I wanted to talk to you about. My campaign. I need you, Winter. Please come back.” Whit met her stare without flinching. “No one can argue that you were the magic behind our success. You know what I want to accomplish. This thing with the teachers and Richard Duncan? Education is the keystone I’m willing to live and die by, and he’s out there, shooting off his mouth. I mean...” Whit shook his head. “I need to win this election. You’re the key to that. Senior is out of the picture. Moving forward, it’s you and me.”

  Winter studied her nails, worrying the cuticle of one thumb. Did he mean as a couple? How was she going to do this? Now that she’d seen the possibilities, she would never marry for his career or hers. “I can’t marry you.”

  Whit tilted his head to the side and then laughed out loud. “Sorry. I didn’t do a good job of explaining. I want to hire you. Pay you to advise me. Like professionals. We’ll be smart. We’re going to do this the right way, even if it is the hard way. No more stunts. Sound strategy and policy. That’s it. I’ll win or I’ll lose, but the voters of Tennessee will know who Whit Callaway is.” He held both arms out. “Sometimes dumb, but always trying to do the right thing.”

  For the first time since she’d walked out of the capitol after leaving the report on Richard Duncan’s desk, Winter knew what she wanted to do with her life. This was it. She was never meant to be the unofficial power behind the man. Her place was behind the podium, running meetings, setting goals for the Callaway team. This was the career she wanted: helping a good man who had some bad ideas but a solid heart lead the state they both loved.

  “It’s not going to be easy, not with our history.” Winter stood and walked over to stand in front of Whit. “You’ve been out there, stunting. I’ve been over here trying to cause trouble and mostly failing. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

  Whit raised his eyebrows. “You are not wrong, but we’re Callaways and Kingfishers. Hard work doesn’t scare us.” He held out his hand, and Winter slipped hers inside before wrapping her arms around him. The hug reminded her of all the times they’d celebrated together. There was no more or less between them than shared purpose. Never had been, but that had seemed like enough.

  Until Caleb Callaway had met her toe to toe.

  “I have a couple conditions,” Winter said and Whit blew out a gusty sigh.

  “Sure you do.” He thumped his head against the wall. “Hit me.”

  She waved her balled-up fist in front of his nose. “Don’t you do anything to threaten the reserve or my brother ever again.” Whit nodded firmly. “And I’m going to live here in Sweetwater. I can’t go back to Knoxville, not now that I remember how much peace Otter Lake brings me. I’ll drive down there to work with you. I’ll hit the road with you, but I’m going to find a place here that is mine. All mine. Win or lose this campaign, I’m going to have a home to return to.”

  Whit smiled. “Easy enough.”

  Relief washed over her. The uncertainty about her job had been a weight. She loved the gallery and she’d continue to work there, but this was her calling.

  “How soon do we start?” Winter asked. “I’ve got the media day at the lodge to complete and then...” She held up both hands. “I want to work.”

  Whit nodded. “About that. The plan is to announce Senior’s retirement, ramping up the charitable foundation, Caleb’s promotion and hiring you all in the same spot. Think you can get a larger group of reporters there with the promise of more than one story?”

  It was easy to imagine eyes lighting up when she suggested it to her contacts. “I can definitely do that.” That meant Caleb would return to the lodge at least one more time. What was she going to do about it?

  “How are we going to handle this relationship moving forward, Whit?” Winter asked. His frown was easy to read. “I’m going to be dating. Someday, you will, too.”

  He sighed. “Right, about that...” He smile
d. “If your question means what I think it does, I want you to be happy. That’s all. Reporters will try to stir something up and we’ll... What did you used to say?”

  “Hit them with the story we want them to tell.” He’d been listening to her. This was going to work.

  “Yeah. I can be taught.” He slung his arm over her shoulder. “If I’m going to be spending more time in town, I should do some damage control. Should I start with the ladies out front? The older one was ready to gut me with a ballpoint pen.”

  “She’s a good start, but lesson number whatever we’re on is never, never say the ‘older’ one about women who can vote. Her name is Janet. She’s awesome, but she could hurt you if I let her. Buy a painting. That’s one sure way to her heart.” Winter laughed and was amazed at how easy it was to let go of all her anger and hurt. With one apology, Whit had convinced her that what came next was going to be better.

  “Did you ever tell me how you found me this afternoon?” Winter asked, curious again. No one in Sweetwater would have given him directions.

  “I mentioned I’d stopped by your house. Had to talk to your mother.” Whit shivered. “Where was your dad?”

  “He’s been teaching classes at the seniors’ center.” Winter chuckled at how grim Whit was. “You okay?”

  Whit sighed. “Your mother is scary. I hope that’s the last time I have to meet with her alone again for a long time.”

  “I know what you mean.” She grinned at him. “How soon am I going to get a paycheck? Until I move out of my parents’ house, you run the risk of meeting her.”

  Whit pretended to consider. “I’ll leave a check before I go. Payment for this media day. That’s what we’ll call it. Know any good Realtors? If this is headquarters, we may both need new places.”

  Winter laughed. “Let me introduce you to Janet Abernathy. She’s going to be your number one fan. Fast.”

  Eventually, she was going to have to figure out what to do about Caleb, but it was nice to know what came after her media day for the lodge. She’d needed that purpose. Having it made it easier to focus on what she wanted next. As soon as Caleb returned to Sweetwater, she’d get started on it.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  WHEN CALEB ROLLED up to the lodge’s job site early on Friday morning, he hoped he was prepared for an onslaught of both Callaways and reporters. Leading them through the lodge would be easy enough. Instead of falling behind schedule while Caleb had been stuck in Knoxville for the past four days, it seemed that Carlos had worked some kind of magic. The walls were fully framed. In his quick tour, when he’d made it back to Sweetwater late the night before, he’d found electrical and plumbing and the first rounds of drywall were up in some of the guest rooms on the second floor.

  Had he actually been holding his crew back all this time?

  Caleb shook his head as he climbed out of the truck, hard hat in hand. Carlos waved to him and trotted over. “Boss, good to have you back.” He motioned toward the lodge. “I hope you don’t mind, but I made a few changes. The progress on the cabins has slowed, but the lodge itself is ahead. I wanted to take advantage of the weather and the trades on hand. Next week, they’ll move to the cabins while we focus on interior walls. After that I plan...” Carlos slowed to a stop in front of him. “I plan to follow your direction. You’re back, right?”

  This confirmation that Carlos was ready to lead was all Caleb had needed. He held out his hand. “This is outstanding, man. You’re promoted to lead project manager. We’ll talk to personnel at Callaway Construction to get everything official next week. The lodge is your first project. Make it a good one.” When Carlos gripped his hand hard, it was impossible to ignore the emotion on his face. “You do good work. Keep it up.”

  Caleb slipped on the hard hat. “Show me what happens next.” This was the role he was going to have to get comfortable with. Supervising. Guiding. Less climbing joists and swinging hammers and more developing his people skills. He wasn’t sure how that would work out, but Senior had faith. Caleb would, too.

  They were standing over the architect’s modified drawings, discussing the new finishes Caleb had requested to fit with his all-Tennessee plan, when the first news van squeaked to a stop. “Wave them in. Park them off to the side. When my family gets here, send them up to the front.” Caleb didn’t want his mother having to walk on the rocky, uneven ground any more than necessary.

  Carlos nodded and trotted toward the van as he hollered for assistance. Caleb stared hard at the lodge plans and wondered if taking over Callaway Construction would mean losing the best parts of the job. Then he realized he’d always loved setting the parameters, establishing the rules for each build, the most.

  This could work.

  When the black sedan that had to be carrying his family parked in front of the lodge, Caleb wondered if he should have gone for the silk tie.

  “Nope. No matter what, I’m not a tie kind of guy.” He hadn’t worn one in Nashville or Knoxville. When he moved operations to Sweetwater, they’d be polo and logo kinds of people. Goodbye, formal Callaway tradition.

  His stepfather slid out of the sedan’s driver side and went around to open the door for his mother as Whit got out of the back seat.

  Caleb tensely waited to see if Winter joined his brother. When Whit slammed the door shut, Caleb relaxed a bit. Did that mean the campaign to win Winter over had failed?

  His day was sunshine and smiles at that point.

  “Mama, I can’t wait to show you what we’re doing.” Caleb relaxed into his mother’s hug and then braced himself against the hard clap of Senior’s hand on his shoulder.

  “You ahead of schedule now?” Senior asked.

  Caleb nodded. “Yep. All I had to do was get out of the way.” He pointed at Carlos, who was directing a small line of news cars over to the side of the site. “That’s the guy who’s going to finish this up. Carlos was part of Summit, but next week, he’ll join Callaway Construction.”

  Senior raised his eyebrows. “Cannot argue with this progress.”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets and went to examine the building.

  “Wow. Pretty over-the-top with his praise, isn’t he?” Whit said from behind Caleb.

  Their mother chuckled and went to join him.

  Now that Winter was nowhere in sight, it was easier to welcome Whit. Caleb offered his hand and then stumbled back when Whit threw his arm over his shoulders. “We’re about to make all this work out, Cal. You see that, right? Mama’s going to be happy. Senior will be busy making that happen. Now is when we do what we’ve been waiting for.”

  Caleb studied his brother’s face. If he’d been rejected a second time by the woman who he’d planned to marry, wouldn’t he be sadder?

  “Where’s Winter?” Caleb asked, determined to stop waiting and get his life going.

  Whit grinned. “I wondered where you stood. I mean, with her, it was kind of easy to see. She was annoyed about your confrontation. I knew asking you to bring her on board was a big job. I didn’t know it would get you into this much trouble. I hurt her feelings, but you... Man, you messed up large.” Whit squeezed his shoulder. “She’ll be here in a minute. If I were you and I were as desperate to fix things as you must be to come out and ask that,” Whit said with a shake of his head, “I’d be rehearsing the grandest of all apologies.”

  The urge to knock the grin off his brother’s face was strong. Then he realized what Whit was saying. “You don’t care if I try to make something between us work?”

  Whit stepped back. “I care because she’s the best friend I’ve ever had. Neither one of us was in love, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love her. You get that, right?”

  Was he telling the truth? Caleb studied his face and couldn’t find a lie. “I do get it.”

  The chug of an ancient station wagon interrupted them and the slide of horror across Whit’s face was e
nough to make Caleb laugh.

  “That’s what she’s driving? Does it run on vegetable oil?” Whit muttered. “Has to be her mother’s car.”

  Caleb crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Winter step out of the car, a black pantsuit her armor and a stack of bright yellow hard hats in hand. She marched up to them. Caleb tensed, ready to defend himself against whatever attack she might launch. Instead, she thrust a hard hat at Whit. “Put this on. Better optics.” Then she was off in pursuit of Senior.

  Whit whistled. “Oh, man, you got a long road ahead of you, but I believe in you.” He thumped the hard hat on his head. “She’s worth it, too.”

  Then he was moving toward the group of reporters gathering at the base of where the steps leading up to the completed lodge would be. Someday. Caleb could see it in his head.

  “You ready to start the tour?” Winter yelled, her hands cupped over her mouth. Since she was staring at him, Caleb got the picture. It was time to make this happen.

  “Yes, ma’am. Let’s start in what will be the grand lobby.” He pointed toward the end of the building that would have the most spectacular view down the valley toward Otter Lake.

  Caleb did his best to charm the reporters while giving them information on the completion, the materials used and the Tennessee companies providing them, and the plans for the smaller cabins dotting the mountainside. This was his shot to convince everyone watching that the Callaways were building something meant to last beyond the reserve itself.

  At the end of the tour, after he’d exhausted all of his facts and figures, Winter gathered the group right back where they started, at the base of the lot facing up to the lodge. “Before you all go, the Callaways have some information on upcoming events.”

  Caleb watched all the reporters brace themselves, notebooks and recorders and cameras at the ready.

  Then Senior stepped forward. “First thing, I’m announcing my retirement. That’s nothing important, but most of you have heard of Marjorie’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Something like that can change some priorities, so we’re going to focus on the Callaway Foundation for a bit. That’s her first love and she’s mine, so we’re pretty excited about that.”