For His Daughter's Sake

by Stella Bagwell

  “Callie!”

  Tyler didn’t know what had made him call out to her, or even if he’d said her name loud enough for her to hear. But apparently she’d heard him because she suddenly paused and looked in his direction.

  He glanced at Maeve to make sure she wasn’t about to dump the sippy cup on top of her head, then stood and waited for Callie to reach his table.

  Last night at the Ambling A, he’d noticed the pink dress she’d been wearing, but today he couldn’t stop his gaze from slipping over the yellow-and-white dress skimming her slender figure. Nor could he stop wondering why a woman who looked as pretty and sweet as Callie was unattached. At least, Erica had told him that Callie wasn’t married and didn’t have a special guy on the string somewhere.

  “Hi, Tyler. It’s nice to see you again.”

  She was smiling and the cheery note in her voice warmed him.

  Before he realized what he was doing, he was smiling back at her. “I’m glad to see you again, too,” he said. “Are you having lunch or just a drink?”

  “I’m having lunch with a coworker. Her treat, so I couldn’t refuse,” Callie told him. “I see you have a cute little lunch companion today.”

  She cast a tentative glance at Maeve, as though she feared the baby would start screaming angrily at any moment. Tyler couldn’t blame her.

  “I hadn’t planned on being in town today, but I had to run an errand for Dad,” Tyler told her. “The hay baler broke down. So instead of haying today, I’m here having lunch.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad,” she said. “I mean that your equipment had a breakdown. At least you’ll have a nice lunch. The food here is great.”

  She darted a glance across the room to where a redheaded woman was sitting at a table, sipping a drink. Apparently she was the friend who was springing for Callie’s lunch, Tyler decided.

  “Well, I’ll let you get back to your friend,” he told her. “I, uh, just happened to see you and wanted to say hello.”

  “I’m glad that you did.”

  She looked happy to see him. Almost as happy as he was to see her.

  Hell, what was coming over him? After the conversation he’d had with his brother last night, he’d decided his lot in life was to be alone. But now that she was standing only a few inches away and the corners of her lips were tilted into a charming smile, his thoughts were far from isolating himself in a lonely house.

  “To tell you the truth, Callie, I, uh, was wondering if you’d like to have lunch with me. I have to return to town at this same time tomorrow and...” He paused as another thought struck him. “Oh, do you work on Saturdays?”

  “I do. But I have an hour off for lunch.”

  “An hour would be fine,” he told her. “That is—if you’d like to have lunch. We could meet here? Say, at twelve thirty?”

  She studied him for a brief moment before saying, “That’s fine with me. As long as you’re sure about the invitation.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” He inwardly groaned. Hell, he wasn’t fooling Callie any more than he was fooling himself. The only thing he was sure about was that an unexpected need to spend time with her had struck him the moment he’d seen her walk by his table. And having lunch would be a perfectly harmless way to do it.

  She shrugged then glanced uncertainly at Maeve. “I don’t know.”

  Did she have an aversion to babies? Or was she truly concerned she might upset his daughter? Hoping it was the latter, he said, “I’m sure or I wouldn’t have asked you.”

  A look of relief crossed her face. “Okay. Then I’ll meet you here tomorrow.”

  He was so pleased she’d accepted his invitation that he reached across the table and wrapped his hand around hers. It felt as small and soft as it had last night and suddenly he was struck by the urge to lift the back of it to his lips. Where in the world was that coming from?

  He cleared his throat, then said, “Good. I’ll be here.”

  She glanced awkwardly over at her friend. “I, uh, think my lunch has been served. I’d better go eat before I have to go back to work.”

  “Oh. Sure.” Realizing he was still holding her hand, he released it and eased back into his chair. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Yes, tomorrow.”

  Tyler watched her walk away, but once she reached the table where her coworker was seated, he didn’t allow himself to glance in her direction. He’d already made himself look like a besotted fool. He didn’t want her to catch him staring at her like a lost calf gazing across the pasture, searching for its momma.

  * * *

  “Who was that? I thought you’d forgotten all about your lunch! Your sandwich is probably cold now.”

  Callie felt so dazed, she reached for her cola and drew several sips through the straw before she answered Saundra’s questions. “Sorry, Saundra. I didn’t mean to be gone so long. On the way back from the restroom I, uh, ran into a...friend.”

  Saundra’s brows shot up. “Friend? Do all your male friends hold your hand that way?”

  Heat rushed to Callie’s cheeks. “Don’t be ridiculous. He was just giving me a polite goodbye.”

  Saundra looked far from convinced. “Well, I’ll say one thing. He’s quite a hunky cowboy. Who is he?”

  Callie picked up a triangle of club sandwich. “An Abernathy. Tyler Abernathy, to be exact. I think he might be Gabe’s cousin, or something like that.”

  Saundra’s mouth formed a perfect O. “An Abernathy! This is getting more intriguing by the minute. And the baby with him, who does she belong to?”

  “Maeve is his daughter.”

  The information left Saundra deflated. “The man is married. Shoot. I thought you might have found yourself a new guy.”

  Callie tried to laugh, but the sound was too garbled to resemble anything like amusement. “I’m not really looking for a new guy, Saundra. I’m still gluing myself back together from that fiasco with Zach. As for Tyler, he’s a widower. His wife died in a highway accident about six months ago. I’ve been trying to remember hearing about the incident, but I don’t. Do you recall anything about it?”

  Saundra was shocked. “Oh my, how awful! Honestly, I don’t remember anything about an Abernathy woman being killed in a car wreck, but you know me, I barely know what month we’re in. Is this August?”

  Callie swallowed a piece of the sandwich before she answered. “Yes, this is August. That means next month will be September.”

  Chuckling, Saundra forked up the last bite of chicken salad on her plate. “Right.” Then she directed a coy glance at Callie. “So, Tyler Abernathy is single and available. Are you interested in him?”

  Callie had spent half the night asking herself that same question and still wasn’t sure about the answer. “I don’t think so. Or maybe I would be interested if—Okay, Saundra, there’s something about him that gets to me. But that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.” She absently jammed her straw down in the ice and cola. “I might as well tell you. You’re going to hear about it anyway. He asked me to have lunch with him tomorrow and I accepted his invitation.”

  This time Saundra’s eyebrows disappeared completely beneath the red fringe across her forehead. “Lunch? You and him? Callie, I’m stunned.”

  Callie drew in a long breath and let it out. Ever since she’d walked away from Tyler’s table, she’d felt as if she was on a cloud, or a flying carpet, or something that was holding her feet off the floor.

  “No more than I am,” she admitted.

  Saundra glanced over at Tyler’s table, but Callie refused to follow the direction of her friend’s curious gaze. The last thing she wanted was for Tyler to get the idea that she couldn’t keep her eyes off him.

  “Oh, how cute,” Saundra remarked. “He’s tied a bib on the baby and is feeding her something that looks like spinach or smashed-up green peas. I don’t know any man who’d b
other taking a child so young out to eat with him. Tyler must be special.”

  Purposely keeping her gaze fastened to her own plate, Callie said, “I have the impression that being a father is very important to him. Probably more important than anything.”

  “Well, that’s a refreshing change. My ex never wanted children. That’s how selfless he was,” she said, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

  Callie looked over at her. “Sorry, Saundra. Is that why you two divorced? You wanted children and he didn’t?”

  “That was only a part of the reason. I’ll tell you about it someday.” She pointed to what was left of Callie’s club sandwich. “Better finish your food. We only have ten minutes to get back to work.”

  While Callie hurriedly ate the last of her lunch, she had to fight to keep from looking over at Tyler and his daughter.

  Was she crazy to get mixed up with a widower and his baby? What made her think she might help him move out of the tragic shadows of his past? It was stupid of her.

  Don’t fight it. Don’t be afraid.

  Suddenly, Winona’s prophetic words whispered through her head. Had the old woman been talking about Callie and Tyler?

  No! Most everyone considered Winona Cobbs just a little off-center. If the truth was known, she was probably as mystical as the black granite rock Callie used for a paperweight.

  Besides, there wasn’t really anything to fear. She and Tyler could never be anything more than friends.

  Chapter Three

  Callie had never been one to make much of a fuss over her appearance. But this morning she’d taken extra pains to pick something from her closet that wouldn’t look too dressy, or so casual Tyler would think she was the custodian at Bronco Ghost Tours.

  And if fretting over her clothes hadn’t been enough, she’d spent a few more minutes trying to make her hair look smooth and sophisticated. A laughable idea with her naturally wavy hair that went berserk if the least bit of humidity moved in.

  As she’d readied, Vanessa had paused in the open doorway to Callie’s bedroom and watched with a raised brow as she’d adjusted the belt on the cool denim skirt she’d chosen to wear. But thankfully her roommate hadn’t commented on the skirt, or the white gauzy blouse she’d tucked into the waistband.

  Callie hadn’t told Vanessa about Tyler’s lunch invitation. Mostly because she figured nothing would come out of the date. In fact, she was probably being presumptuous for even thinking it was a date.

  By the time twelve thirty rolled around and Callie wheeled her little olive-green Jeep into a parking spot a few doors down from Bronco Java and Juice, she decided it didn’t matter what sort of label she put on their meal together. Even if Tyler might be the tiniest bit interested in her, she might be wise not to get her hopes up. He was simply looking for female company. Not a wife.

  Don’t be a dope, Callie. Stop trying to figure out Tyler’s motives. Just go enjoy the man.

  Determined to follow the practical voice in her head, she walked down the sidewalk to the coffee shop and was only a few steps away from the entrance when she heard Tyler’s voice call out to her.

  “Callie! Wait up!”

  Pausing, she looked around to see him balancing Maeve in one arm and shutting the door on a black pickup with his free hand.

  He’s brought the baby with him. Why did that surprise her? Both times she’d seen the man, he’d had his daughter. That meant he probably took her with him whenever the occasion allowed. Still, the baby made it a threesome for lunch. And though Callie hated to admit it, the idea left her a bit wilted. All along, she’d been thinking she’d have the man to herself for one long hour.

  “Perfect timing,” he said as he joined her on the sidewalk. “We can go in together.”

  Callie was always wondering how it would feel to have a man at her side. Not a jerk like Zach, but a real man, the kind like Vanessa and Melanie had at their sides. Well, she couldn’t see any harm in letting herself dream of Tyler being her man—for the next hour, at least.

  She gave him a little smile. “I’m glad to see you, Tyler.”

  One corner of his lips lifted in a half grin and her heart reacted by doing a silly little somersault.

  “So am I. I thought I was going to be late. I’ve been waiting for Dad’s baler part to arrive.” He shifted the baby to a more comfortable position in the crook of his left arm. “I hope you don’t mind Maeve joining us today. I don’t like leaving her with anybody else unless I absolutely have to.”

  The little girl was dressed adorably in a red-gingham shirt and tiny blue jeans. A red bow held her short curls in a cluster atop her head and Callie wondered if Tyler did all the baby’s care by himself. It would be hard enough for a single man to deal with a son’s needs, but a daughter would be an entirely different matter. How would a cowboy like Tyler know about hair bows and lacy dresses?

  Realizing she hadn’t made any sort of reply, she shook away her thoughts and said, “I don’t mind. I admire you for taking your parental duties so seriously.”

  “Thanks,” he said. Then taking her upper arm with his free hand, he urged her toward the entrance of the coffee shop. “Let’s go on in. You only have an hour.”

  Since it was midday on a Saturday, Callie had expected the place to be busy, but she’d not imagined every table in the sunny dining area to be taken.

  “Oh, looks like we’re out of luck,” she said. “There’s no place to sit.”

  “We could go to the pizza place,” he suggested. “But they don’t have anything on the menu that Maeve can eat. What about going to a fast-food place for a burger?”

  Callie was about to tell him that she was game for anything when she spotted a busboy clearing away the remnants of someone’s meal.

  “There’s a table over by the window coming available,” she told him. “Is it okay with you?”

  “Great! Let’s go snatch it before someone else does,” he said.

  With Tyler’s hand gently resting against Callie’s back, they crossed the room to where the busboy was wiping down the tabletop. Along the way, Callie sensed a few heads turning in their direction and it was more than clear that she wasn’t the one arousing interest. The Abernathys, no matter what branch of the family, were well-known around Bronco. Especially in Bronco Heights where the upper crust of the town’s population resided.

  The busboy fetched a high chair for Maeve and, once the three of them were seated, a waitress appeared to take their order. After she left to get their drinks, Tyler pulled a teething ring from the diaper bag and gave it to Maeve. She immediately whammed the piece of rubber on the high chair tray then threw it on the floor.

  Callie couldn’t help but laugh at the baby’s indignant protest. “I think she’d prefer food.”

  Grunting with amusement, he leaned over and picked up the teething ring. “Yeah, I insulted her. But she’ll just have to wait. I have a sippy cup to give her, but I don’t want her to get filled up with milk before the food arrives.”

  “I’d be at a total loss trying to do what you’re doing,” she admitted. “I’ve never been around babies much. A few of my friends have babies, but I’ve never held them.”

  “Why not?” he asked curiously. “You don’t like kids?”

  Callie wondered why this man had a special knack for making her blush. He seemed to ask all the awkward questions rather than the easy ones.

  “Well, sure I do. I’d like to have children of my own someday. But I don’t know enough about babies to feel comfortable caring for one yet,” she admitted. Then hurriedly added, “But I’m a quick learner.”

  Doubt narrowed his eyes and her heart sunk. She must have flunked the motherhood questions, no doubt a very important issue to him. But just as she was about to write off any chance of ever seeing him after today, a slow smile spread across his features. The expression lightened his blue eyes and softened the te
nse lines of his features. How nice it would be, she thought, if he smiled like that more often.

  He said, “A quick learner is what you have to be around babies. Most of the time, I still don’t know what I’m doing with Maeve. But I’m trying and doing the best I can.”

  “I’m sure you are. And that’s all any of us can expect out of ourselves, don’t you think?”

  “Sometimes it’s hard to give our best effort,” he said solemnly. “And I fall short more than I succeed.” He shrugged and cast her a wry smile. “But that’s enough about that. Tell me about you. What do you do at Bronco Ghost Tours?”

  She let out a soft laugh. “Technically, I’m Evan’s assistant, but I do most anything that’s needed around the office. I help with scheduling the tours. I explain to our customers how the tours are done and what the subject matter is. And I answer any questions they might have. We also sell Ghost Tour merchandise directly out of the store and online, so I help with that, too.”

  “Who actually guides the tours? Do you ever do that?”

  A cacophony of sound filled the busy restaurant. Diners were laughing and talking, glasses clinked and cutlery rattled, while in the background, country music played. Yet the noise really wasn’t registering with Callie. All she could hear was Tyler’s low, masculine voice.

  Shaking her head, she answered. “No, thank goodness. One time when Evan was in a pinch, he asked me to fill in. I was terrible at the job. But the guests were all nice and didn’t seem to mind that I had to keep reading my notes.

  “Evan started out guiding most of the tours, but things got so busy that he’s hired two more guides to help. Molly’s a middle-aged woman who also acts in a little theatre group here in town. She’s extra good at dramatizing. And Josh, the other guide, is a young college student majoring in history. Talking about the town’s old history is right up his alley.”

  “I can hear in your voice that you like your job,” he said. “That’s good. It’s awful to be trapped in something that makes you miserable.”