by Tee Smith
“I gotta go. Thanks, Grace.” He patted her on the shoulder before rushing to his car.
“Where are you going?” she called to his back.
“To try and sort everything out with your mum. Tell her the truth about what happened.”
Dust swirled around him as he brought his car to a halt just outside of Callie’s office. It wasn’t the ideal place to park, but he didn’t really care. He didn’t have time to find a parking space; he had to find Callie, tell her what had happened that night.
“Callie?” he cried out, pounding his fist on the closed door.
“She’s not there, kid,” an old man perched on a nearby bench called out.
“Do you know where she is?” he asked, a sense of urgency in his tone.
The old man took a long drag of his cigarette, blowing it out painfully slowly. “She went thataway,” he raised a gnarly old hand and pointed in the direction of the arena.
“Thanks,” he smiled and tipped his hat before running toward the arena.
Charging his way through the people beginning to gather for the junior events, he made his way towards the back, flashing his access card to the security guards as they approached. He didn’t have time for small talk. It was her voice that caught his attention before he saw her, standing in the holding yards, chatting with three men he recognised as officials.
“I need to speak to you,” he demanded.
A flood of recognition filled her face as he approached, followed by a look of sheer annoyance. “I’m busy right now.”
“I don’t care. It’s important.”
The men stared at him, then awkwardly between themselves.
“It will have to wait.”
He charged toward her, grasped her elbow and tugged her forward. “Sorry,” he apologised to the men. “This is important.”
“Cody,” she argued, attempting to pull her arm loose. “I’m sure whatever it is, it can wait.”
“It can’t wait.”
“I’m sorry, I will be back with you as soon as I can,” Callie called over her shoulder to the men, whose looks of surprise had turned to frustration.
He supposed it could have waited, but she needed to know. Leaving her no choice, she allowed him to drag her away from prying ears. As soon as he was sure they were alone, he spun her to face him and held both her forearms.
“This better be good, Cody. I’ve got very important business to attend to.”
“I need to apologise to you,” he started.
“Well, you got that right,” she scoffed.
“Grace told me what happened the other night. Why didn’t you say something? All this time I’ve been wondering what the hell was going on.”
“Why didn’t I say something?” she repeated, her voice laced with anger. “Are you seriously dragging me away to discuss this right now?”
He dropped his grip on her arms, allowing them to fall to her sides. “Let me start this again,” he sighed. “Grace told me you came over to the house the other night and caught me in the act.”
Callie turned to walk away, and he reached out, taking her hand, forcing her to turn back. “Cal, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were there. I didn’t know you saw that.”
“Oh, so what? You’re sorry you got caught?” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Cody. I’ve got to work.”
“Yes, I’m sorry you saw that, but it wasn’t what you think you saw.”
“Oh, that’s original.”
“Seriously, you have to believe me. Heidi was telling a story, and she was showing everyone what happened one night at a rodeo, or some shit, I don’t even remember. She chose me. There was nothing in it. I’m not interested in Heidi. I only want you.”
“It doesn’t matter, Cody. It’s not like we were exclusive or anything. You’re a cowboy. I shouldn’t have expected anything else. You just do you, alright? Now, I have to get back to work.”
Her words hit him in the chest. He needed her to believe him. He was telling the truth.
“Callie,” he tried one more time as she turned her back and walked away from him.
She raised a hand and gave him a back-handed wave. She wasn’t interested in his excuses. Perhaps the truth didn’t matter to her, but it mattered to him.
Chapter Fifteen
Callie walked through the crowd of happy revellers, feeling the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. Another successful event was almost over. There would be the inevitable drunken fights, and security was on high alert. But all told, she had brought together another rodeo. Her dad would be proud.
A hush fell over the crowd as The Brays struck a chord, “The Cowboy’s Girl” had become almost an anthem at Carrillo and indeed throughout Harlow’s Bend. Each year, the band would play ‘their song’ about a cowboy and his girl. There had been a few marriage proposals borne from that song, and Callie suspected it was The Brays’ meal ticket to a few weddings.
Turning to watch as the first few lines rang out through the crowd, she was thrust forward when someone made contact with her back. Quickly regaining her footing, she turned to see a familiar face sporting bleary eyes.
“Well, hello there, Msssss Carrillo,” Joel Olsen slurred.
“Mr. Olsen,” she replied curtly, silently hoping the kids hadn’t seen him like this.
“Joelllllll,” he replied, swaying to one side. She was surprised he could remember his name, let alone hers. “Good show.”
“Thank you.”
“So I’ve been thinking about your invitation. I think I would like to apply.” He hiccoughed, took a swig from a beer can, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I mean, I think I’d be a pretty good catch.”
A laugh escaped her as she shook her head. “Leave me alone, Mr. Olsen,” she stated flatly and turned her back. She spun around to face him when she felt his hand on her bicep.
“I really think you should consider this . . . me. I mean, I might be the best offer you ever get.” Joel’s dark, watery eyes burned into hers.
Placing her hand over his, where it clung to her arm, she peeled his fingers away. “If you ever lay your hands on me again,” she seethed. “I will make sure you never work in this town again.”
“Is everything okay here?” Cody’s voice took her entirely by surprise, and judging by the look on Joel’s face, she wasn’t alone.
“Yes,” she looked from him back to Joel. “Mr. Olsen here is just leaving. He came to say goodbye.”
“Does he need an escort?”
Stupidly, probably due to his drunken state, Joel stumbled forward. “I just want a kiss goodbye.”
Callie felt his weight press against her chest, and his whiskers brush against her cheek before he was pulled back, his eyes widening in shock.
“The lady told you to leave. What don’t you understand?” Cody ground out. His strong arms pinning Joel’s back to his chest.
The crowd around them dispersed, and within seconds four guards descended on them, two grabbing Cody while the other wrenched Joel from Cody’s grasp.
“Ms. Carrillo?” the smallest of the guards asked. He had been the one in charge; she had spoken to him several times throughout the day.
“Make sure he gets home,” she nodded to Joel. “Cody’s okay.”
Releasing Cody, the men escorted Joel from the fenced area, amid mumblings of contestation. The people around them went back to enjoying their night, barely registering that anything untoward had happened.
“Are you okay?” Cody moved in closer and reached out for her as the music amped up.
“I’m fine. Thank you. I could have handled it, but I’m glad you were here.”
“Who was that douche?”
“My kids’ teacher,” she sighed. “I mean, I knew he was a dick, but he’s obviously had too much to drink.”
“Their teacher?” his eyes widened. “Are you going to put in a formal complaint about him?”
She shrugged. “He’s drunk.”
“You’re
far too soft.” Cody shook his head.
“I never heard you complaining before,” The words slipped out, and she wished she could take them back. Heat filled her cheeks, and she shuffled her feet, not sure what to say. “Sorry. I gotta go.”
When he hung his head, her heart hurt just a little. She wanted him to argue with her. To tell her to stay. To tell her everything was going to be okay, that he loved her. She wanted to fall into his arms, to dance with him, and forget everything that had happened. She wanted to believe him nothing had, but she knew what she’d seen.
She turned hesitantly before taking a step, someone stumbled into her path, and she spun back around to find Cody gone. Searching the crowd, she saw a sea of people dancing, their cowboy hats bobbing up and down, the dust kicking up around their feet as the band struck up yet another crowd favourite. Well, she guessed that was it. It was all said and done. Over.
Chapter Sixteen
He had tried to put her out of his mind, but it was impossible. The boys were right; he really did have it bad for his boss. He had rejected Heidi’s advances. He had zero interest in her bleached blonde hair and her fake tits after having the real thing. There was nothing fake about Callie. She was all natural, and all woman. Over the past few weeks, she had become a lot more than just his boss. Her kids were terrific too. For the first time in his life, he had felt like he belonged, part of a family. Something he always craved.
He’d been chilling at the bar when he saw the man approach Callie. He should have recognised it was the kids’ teacher. They had brought school photos home a week earlier. Callie had been in an odd mood after her meeting with him earlier in the week. She hadn’t wanted to talk about it, and he assumed it was something to do with Austin’s grades, but seeing him lay his hands on her, and her reaction, awoke something primal deep inside of him. Was it jealously?
He wasn’t a fighter. Aside from a few boyhood scrapes at school, he had never fought anyone. Rodeos got rowdy, and the cowboys would fight over this or that, usually girls. As he marched over to the pair, Cody’s blood pumped so hard in his ears he felt he could rip Joel Olsen apart with his bare hands. Luckily, security jumped in and dragged him away.
Then it had just been the two of them again. He had given her space, assumed she was stressed due to the event preparation, didn’t want to push her. Standing there, alone with her, in a crowd of people, he had wanted to kiss her and tell her he wanted her, that he wanted to stay, but she had made an excuse and turned her back. He had told her she was soft when the truth was, he was the soft one. He had fallen for her; he would give up anything for her.
Dumping his empty beer can in the bin, he made his way to the gate. He’d had enough for the night. He wasn’t in the mood for partying. It was a long walk back to the quarters, but one he needed. It would clear his head. An ocean of tents had sprung up in the paddocks during the day. A few campfires burned in the distance. Most of the crowd remained, but some had headed back to their camps to spend time with their lovers. The thought twisted inside of him. What he wouldn’t give to hold Callie in his arms right now.
As he neared the homestead, he was surprised to see light emanating from the house. He knew Callie had stayed behind, and a sickening feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Was someone trying to rob the place? Picking up his pace, he made his way to the front veranda, taking the steps in one leap, he moved to peer through the window. He hadn’t given any thought as to how he would approach an intruder, but he’d be damned if he would let them get away with stealing from his family.
When the swinging seat creaked, he almost jumped out of his skin.
“What the hell?” he asked, placing a hand over his racing heart as his eyes adjusted to take in the boy swinging softly back and forth. “Austin? What are you doing here? I thought you went with your dad.”
Austin’s head hung low as he mumbled something incoherent.
“I thought someone was breaking into your house when I saw the light on. Does your mum know you’re here?”
“Yeah,” he said, only lifting his head slightly.
“Why are you here? Are you alright?”
Finally lifting his gaze, he noticed Austin’s tear-stained cheeks.
“My dad doesn’t want me anymore.”
Cody’s eyes widened. “I’m sure that’s not true, mate. What happened?”
“I was packed. Ready to go. He rang and said he wasn’t coming after all. Something about a last-minute change of plans.” His face screwed up, and he looked like he was about to cry. “He’s got a new family now. He doesn’t need Grace and me anymore.”
“Oh, boy, that’s tough,” Cody sighed, leaning back in the swing as he tried to gather some words of wisdom. “I remember feeling like my parents didn’t want me anymore.” Austin turned to look at him, so he went on, perhaps sharing his own story might help. “I was sent to Sydney when I started high school, so not much older than you are now. I had to live with my grandma. She was really old.” Austin scrunched his nose, and he went on. “It wasn’t that she was a bad person. She wasn’t mean or anything, but I didn’t know her, and I wanted to stay with my parents.”
“Why couldn’t you?”
“They worked all over the place. They homeschooled me through primary school, or I did school of the air. A few times, I went to a real school, but never for very long. They figured that when I started high school, I should go to a real school. So not only was I away from my parents, I was dumped into a massive school with five-hundred other kids who knew all about going to school, and I didn’t.”
“Wow, that must have been hard.”
“Yeah . . . yeah, it was,” Cody mused.
“So, what did you do?”
“I got bullied a bit. I was different, y’know? Didn’t know about school routines. I wasn’t used to having to wear a uniform. It was all new to me.”
“Yeah,” he nodded in understanding. “Did you get to see your parents again?”
“Once. Then about a year later, they were both killed in a head-on collision with a truck.” It was his turn to hang his head as he recalled the pain in his grandma’s voice when she broke the news to him. Their death hadn’t hurt as much as the feelings of abandonment. It was almost like they had already died the day they turned their backs on him.
A small hand on his shoulder dragged him from his rumination, and his sadness was quickly replaced with guilt.
“Anyways, I’m not telling you this to make you feel sorry for me; it’s just that I understand why you’re hurting right now. You’re a great kid, Austin. Your dad’s the one who is missing out.”
“Yeah, that’s what Mum says as well. I wish you were my dad.”
“Me, too, mate,” he uttered before the quietness of the night enveloped them again. The hum of the after-party buzzed like an annoying mosquito while they sat, staring out into the night—each contemplating their fate.
Chapter Seventeen
Callie yawned as she pulled her car up in front of the house. She would need to be up early in the morning to oversee the clean-up. The party had pretty much wound up when she left. Once the bar closed, everyone wandered back to their camps or headed home. Tomorrow would be filled with sore heads and regrets. For her part, though, she was proud she had pulled it all together. Ticket sales had been higher than expected. Which meant she would be able to afford to treat the kids to a few extras for their birthday this year. It was hard to believe they would be teenagers soon.
Making her way up the stairs, Callie drew her attention to the swinging seat. It had been two hours since he had walked away from her, or had she walked away from him? Either way, she was tired and didn’t have the energy to deal with Cody tonight.
“What are you doing here?” she asked flatly.
Cody patted the empty seat beside him.
“Do we have to do this right now? I have an early start.” She continued to the door, gripping the key between her thumb and forefinger. She only locked the house due to the eve
nt. The kids had been given strict instructions to lock up and not allow anyone in. She had suggested a baby sitter when it became apparent that Adam had let them down, but Grace was adamant they would be fine alone. She was still on the property and was only a phone call away. After all, they were almost thirteen.
“I don’t want to do anything,” Cody sighed.
“Then, why are you here?”
“I came by, and I saw lights on. I thought someone was breaking in and came to investigate.” She stiffened at his revelation.
“It was only Austin. We had a chat. He’s not doing too well. But I am guessing you already knew that?”
Guilt clawed at her, and a lump formed in her throat. Austin had called her just as the first round of calf-roping started. He had asked her to come home, but she had been too busy. She should never have been too busy for her son.
“Adam didn’t come,” she stated. She hadn’t been overly surprised. He had let the kids down many times, and her hundreds of times before that. She had almost come to anticipate it. In a way, she was relieved. The thought of spending the term break on the farm alone, without them, had her almost breaking out in hives. She knew that was selfish, but she had spent the past twelve years being their primary caregiver, and the last three being the only one.
“He’s feeling abandoned,” Cody went on. “I just sat with him for a bit. He went to bed about half an hour ago.”
Callie turned the door key over and over between her fingers. “Thank you.”
Cody rose to his feet and silently moved toward her. She could smell his musky aftershave, and it did things to her, made her want him. He had to leave.
“It’s the least I could do,” he gave her a half-smile. “I think those kids are better for me than I am for them.”
