Lookin' for Trouble (Honky Tonk Angels Book 6)

by Ciana Stone

  “No problem,” Cody interrupted. “Until you find a permanent place, you can stay with me at the ranch. I’ve got plenty of room.”

  “And,” Hannah added, “after lunch, if you want, I can take you over to meet Mrs. Branch. She runs the daycare at the church and she’s the nicest woman that ever walked the earth. The kids love her.”

  Jayce caught himself reaching to touch Callie when tears glistened in her eyes.

  “Oh… oh my…” Callie swiped at her eyes. “Are you serious?”

  “Absolutely.” Hannah looked at Cody.

  “Amen,” Cody agreed. “The way I see it, this is fate. We were in need and here you are. Least we can do is make it possible for you to do the work we need done.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Yes would be good.”

  Callie smiled through the tears and Jayce was struck with just how beautiful she really was. She nodded and extended her hand across the table to Cody. “I’ll do a good job for you, Miss Sweet. I promise.”

  “It’s Cody, and I know you will.”

  “Thank you.” Callie offered Hannah her hand.

  “You’re most welcome.” Hannah stood. “Okay, so I’m going to call in our order for the week, and we’ll be ready whenever you are to go meet Mrs. Branch.”

  “Oh, no. My car!” Callie exclaimed.

  “Oh right,” Cody said. “Out of gas.”

  “Maybe I can help,” Jayce offered.

  Everyone looked at him. “I’ve got gas cans in the truck. If Billy will ride with me, I’ll fill up the car and we’ll drive it back here. Won’t take more than half an hour.”

  “Oh, I can’t let you go to all that trouble,” Callie protested.

  “Just call it a welcome to Cotton Creek from a friend.” He turned to look at her.

  When their gazes met, something punched him in the gut. Attraction? Yeah, there was a good measure of that, but it was more than just lust. It took him a second to recognize the feeling and the realization surprised him. For the first time he could remember, he was getting to play the role of hero in a minor way and help a damsel in distress. He liked it.

  “Well, thank you, Mr. Weathers.”

  “My friends call me Jayce.”

  “Thank you, Jayce.” She looked down as she spoke and the gesture intrigued him. She hadn’t seemed all that shy until now.

  Wonder what Callie William’s story was?

  Chapter Two

  Callie brought Lily downstairs to the kitchen, put her on the floor and started preparing coffee. She knew Cody would be getting up any minute to head out to talk to her ranch hands. They’d only been at Cody’s for two weeks, but she pretty much had Cody’s schedule down pat. Honestly, she didn’t know how Cody had the energy to do all she did. Between the ranch and the bar and grill, she must put in seventy hours a week, but she never complained.

  The same thing was true with Hannah. Along with working at the bar, she also worked at her mother’s bakery, and like her sister, never complained about the amount of hours she worked. Callie had never met two harder-working or nicer women. Every day, she gave thanks to whatever lucky star or guardian angel had her breaking down outside of Cotton Creek.

  For the last two weeks, she’d actually slept the whole night through. She felt safe here and no one would ever know how precious that feeling was. Lily had taken to Cody and Hannah like they were family and she loved Mrs. Branch, the lady who ran the daycare. The days Callie worked at the bar on the accounting, she’d drop Lily off and Lily would run to Mrs. Branch, smiling and chattering like a magpie.

  As luck would have it, Cody and Hannah’s younger sister, KC, babysat to earn extra money. Callie checked with Mrs. Sweet first to make sure it was okay when KC volunteered to babysit should Callie want to pick up some evening shifts. It worked out beautifully. The Sweets’ home was right in town, and Lily had immediately fallen in love with KC. Callie had started working Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights and on Saturday nights, when KC didn’t have plans. That left her Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday to devote to Lily.

  Hannah said her mother was relieved KC had been so eager to babysit. Stella and Billy were still a bit nervous about KC dating, even though she was seventeen. They’d made Hannah and Cody wait until they were seniors to have dates other than at school functions or have a boy over to the house. They were trying to keep KC to that restriction as well.

  Callie counted herself lucky to not only have the chance to make some extra money, but also have someone she could trust to watch Lily. Already Lily had claimed KC as “my gurl.”

  The icing on the cake was Jayce Weathers. He’d dropped in a few times during the day when Callie was working, and a couple of evenings. She was definitely enjoying being flirted with by such a drop-dead gorgeous man. For the first time in three years, Callie was remembering that she was more than just a mother—she was still a woman. Jayce awoke feelings she had buried and it was exciting to feel that part of her come to life again.

  Yes, it was as if life had decided to smile on her and Callie felt like pinching herself to make sure it was real.

  Today was Thursday, so she was off and could have slept in, but Lily had become accustomed to an early schedule. Callie thought she’d take Lily into town, visit the bakery and then do a little shopping. Lily was quickly outgrowing her shoes and could use a couple more outfits. Hannah had told her about the thrift shop and a small store in town that carried affordable clothing. Maybe they’d make a morning of it, then visit the town park.

  God, even just planning a day like that felt like paradise. Was this really her life now? It was almost perfect.

  She was still looking for a place of her own, but until she’d squirreled away more money, she wasn’t going to be able to move. She’d convinced Cody to allow her to do all the cooking and cleaning as a way of payment for her generosity, and had asked Cody yesterday if there was anything she could do to help with the ranch work.

  Callie didn’t know much about ranching, but her grandparents had owned a farm and she’d spent a lot of her time there, so she did know how to milk a cow, feed animals and shovel manure. And she loved horses, having been around them at her grandparents’ farm. She still remembered how to muck out a stall. Cody said it wasn’t necessary but Callie wasn’t going to let up. She had to pay her own way and since she didn’t have a lot of money, this was a way to do it.

  Lily bounded up and took off running the moment she heard footsteps on the stairs. “Tody, Tody!” So far, the Cs in Lily’s vocabulary were not constant, and her pronunciation of Cody’s name always elicited a grin from Cody.

  “Hey, bug-a-boo!” Cody swept Lily up in her arms. “Hmmm, I smell coffee.”

  “Taulkee.” Lily nodded.

  “Yes ma’am. Taulkee.” Cody walked into the kitchen, carrying Lily. “Girl, you don’t have to get up and fix coffee on your day off.”

  “Oh, yes I do. Miss Sweet pea was chomping at the bit at first light.”

  “You little early bird.” Cody nuzzled Lily’s neck, eliciting a fit of giggles.

  “Belly hurt.” Lily rubbed her stomach.

  “Okay, let’s get you some breakfast.” Callie poured Cody’s coffee and turned. “Do you want oatmeal, Lily?”

  “No, no want it meal.”

  “Okay, how about eggs?”

  “Hmmmm, eggs,” Cody said as she set Lily down. “I like eggs.”

  “My yike yeggs.” Lily jumped up and down. “Yeggs, Mommy, yeggs.”

  “Eggs it is.” Callie smiled. “Cody, want some breakfast?”

  “You won’t hear me turn it down.” Cody plucked her cup from the counter and took a seat at the table.

  “So, how did it go with KC last night? She still working out?” Cody asked.

  Lily looked right up at the sound of KC’s name. “My gurl gone.” A sad expression came on her face and she shook her head. “My sad. My gurl gone.”

  “You’ll get to see her again soon, butter bean,” Call
ie assured her, then answered Cody, “As you can tell, Lily is in love with her. She just wailed when it was time to leave. I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”

  “Are you kidding? KC is thrilled to be able to earn some extra money. Mama and Daddy have always been good to us, but they don’t cotton to laziness, so they taught us young that if you want something you have to be willing to work for it.”

  “My mother was the same.”

  “Was?”

  Callie nodded and turned away. She didn’t want Cody to see her face. Callie never talked about her mother. It was still too painful.

  “Sorry, hon.”

  Callie nodded, pretending to pay attention to preparing the eggs. The truth was, Cody’s question had sent her shooting back to a time she wished she didn’t have to remember.

  “So, Jayce stopped by after you left last night and asked if you were working,” Cody said. “I told him he’d just missed you but that you were working until closing on Friday.”

  “Oh?” Callie tried not to acknowledge the little thrill that statement gave her.

  “That man is all kinds of fine.”

  Callie cut a look over her shoulder as she popped bread into the toaster. “You’re interested in him?”

  “Me? Heck no.”

  “Why not?”

  “He’s not my type.”

  Callie turned at those words. “Oh, then what is your type?”

  “Temperamental, dangerous, a man not afraid to break the rules when the situation demands it – someone smart but not puffed up with his own intelligence or importance. A man who loves the outdoors and isn’t uncomfortable under the stars or squeamish about getting dirty. A man who knows how to do things, take care of what needs taking care of. A man who’s hard from the work he’s done and not some prissy gym rat that would be scared of a mouse or a snake. A man who’s loyal and sends my lust-o-meter to the red line.”

  “Interesting and very specific combination.”

  “Yep.”

  “So who fits that bill?”

  “No one I’ve met yet, but when I do meet him, watch out because it’s on.”

  Callie laughed. “Just like that?”

  “Yep. How about you? What’s your type?”

  Callie turned back to the stove and stirred the eggs in the skillet. “I don’t know if I have one.”

  “What about Lily’s dad? What was he?”

  “A mistake.” Even she could hear the bitterness in her voice, and she hated it. Deke had been a mistake, a horrible one. The only good that had come from her time with him was Lily. The only thing.

  “We all make them, girl.”

  The toast popped and Callie busied herself buttering it, then finished the eggs. She piled eggs and toast on three plates and carried them to the table. “Eat eat time, Lily.”

  “Eat eat time!” Lily scrambled into a chair, kneeling to be high enough.

  “We need to bring a booster seat home from the bar,” Cody commented. “Oh no, wait. I think there’s a high chair in the attic. This weekend I’ll climb up there and look for it.”

  “Cody, you don’t have to go to so much trouble for us.”

  “It’s no trouble, girl. That’s what friends are for.”

  Callie hated that once more tears threatened. Would she ever become accustomed to kindness again? And why did acts of kindness fill her with such unreasonable anxiety? It was like there was a part of her certain that anyone who was nice to her was putting themselves in harm’s way.

  Please god, don’t let that be true. She wasn’t the smartest or the bravest, and certainly didn’t profess to have herself and the world all figured out, but one thing she knew for sure. She’d never survive having to live through watching someone else who was kind to her pay a horrible price for their goodness.

  *****

  Jayce and his fifteen-year-old son, Carson, had just stepped out of the diner when he saw Callie and Lily walking along the sidewalk, holding hands.

  “Hold up, bud.” He put a hand on Carson’s shoulder. Carson stopped and they waited.

  Callie looked up and Jayce could tell the moment she saw him. Her expression arranged first into a smile and almost immediately thereafter into something that struck him as anxious.

  He waited until she drew near. “Hey, Callie.” He knelt to address Lily. “And Miss Lily. What’cha got there? Ice cream?”

  “I-keem.” Lily nodded and extended the dripping cone to him. “Bite?”

  “No, but thank you sweetheart.” Jayce stood. “Callie, this is my son, Carson. Carson, this is Ms. Williams. She’s new to town and works at the Honky Tonk.”

  “Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Carson gave her a smile and then turned his attention to Lily. “Hey little one. You’re cute.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Callie replied and looked at Jayce. “And nice to see you. Is there no school today?”

  “Teacher’s work day,” Carson offered. “So I’m working with Dad today.”

  “Oh, well, I imagine he’s enjoying that. You look like you could work circles around most people.”

  Carson grinned. “Yeah, he tries to keep up.”

  Jayce smiled as well. “Hey, go easy on your old man.” He then looked at Callie. “So what are you girls up to?”

  “Just doing a little shopping for some new clothes for Lily and having a treat. We thought we might find the park and let Lily play. Do you know where it is?”

  “Sure. It’s three blocks down. Turn right on Maple and then a block down and turn left on Oak.”

  “Right on Maple, left on Oak. Thanks.”

  “Happy to help. Well, I guess we best get along. Hope you have a good afternoon.” He knelt again. “Have fun at the park, Miss Lily.”

  “Sving,” she said and grinned.

  “Yes, have fun on the swings.” Jayce stood and tipped his hat. “Nice seeing you, Callie.”

  “Nice to see you, Jayce. And good to meet you Carson.” She led Lily past Jayce and he watched.

  If she turns around and looks she’s interested.

  He grinned when she looked back over her shoulder. With a wave, he turned. “Well, we’re burning daylight son, so let’s get to it.”

  “She’s pretty.”

  “Huh?”

  “That lady. Miss Williams. She’s pretty. Is she married?”

  “No, I don’t believe so.” Jayce headed for his truck, which was parked a block down the street.

  “Then maybe you should ask her out.” Carson fell in step with him.

  Jayce looked at Carson in surprise. Carson had never broached the subject of Jayce dating before. “And why would I do that?”

  Carson shrugged. “Remember how Uncle JD was before he and Jo got together? I mean, he was good to everyone, but he was just always seemed mad at the world or something. Since Jo came, he’s smiling all the time and Dawson and Briggs say that he laughs all the time now.”

  “And I don’t laugh?”

  “Yeah, you do, but Pops says you’re a rounder.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “A rounder. You know. You get around with a lot of women but none of it is ever serious. It’s just good times and sex. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  Nothing could have shocked Jayce more. “Good times and sex?”

  “I’m not a kid, Dad. I’ll be sixteen in four months. And Pops is right. You’re not getting any younger and in a couple of years, I’ll be leaving for college. Maybe it’s time for you to think about settling down. A lady like Miss Williams with a little girl might be looking for the same thing. And I saw the way you looked at each other.”

  Jayce shook his head. How had he missed the fact that his son was growing up fast? Or that Carson saw things Jayce had never given him credit for having the brains to figure out? “Well, I just met the lady, son, so let’s not start planning the wedding yet, okay?”

  “I wasn’t planning a wedding. Just suggesting that you might want to ask her out. For more than just sex.”

&nbs
p; “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  What he didn’t say was that the idea did have appeal. Not that Callie was the one, but that maybe it was time to think about finding a woman and trying to build a life. His brother was doing it, and even Kyle Stadler, one of Cotton Creek’s most confirmed bachelors, was now in a relationship and couldn’t be happier.

  It would be nice to have someone to come home to – someone to spend the weekends with and someone to be a family with. As much as he purely loved women, loved charming them, being in their company and enjoying their bodies, the thrill was starting to wear off.

  Yep, maybe he would think about asking out Callie Williams. On a real date.

  ChapterThree

  Callie saw him when she pulled into daycare parking lot. Jayce was sitting in his truck. She got out of the car and walked over to him. “Hey. What are you doing here?”

  “Got finished early today and thought it might be nice to have a picnic.”

  “A picnic?”

  He gestured toward a big picnic basket on the seat beside him. “Had the folks at the diner fix up some food and wanted to see if you and Lily would like to join me for a picnic in the park?”

  “Really?” She couldn’t believe he’d done that. She and Jayce had been smiling and sharing looks ever since they’d met, but he’d not made any move to ask her out. She’d started to think she was misreading signals and he wasn’t interested. For him to suggest a dinner date and include her daughter touched her in more than just a lusty manner.

  “Yeah, if you’d like.”

  “I would. Very much. Let me run get Lily.”

  “Okay. I’ll be right here.”

  “I won’t take long.” Callie hurried into the daycare.

  As was typical, when Lily saw her, she beamed and announced to everyone. “My mommy back. My mommy back. My go home now. Bye bye.” With that, she ran into Callie’s arms.

  “How’s my sweetie pie?” Callie kissed her. “Were you a good girl today?”

  “My good.” Lily nodded.

  The smile from Mrs. Branch confirmed that.