Saundra turned away from the display window where she’d been pulling a black T-shirt with a ghost figure onto a headless mannequin.
“Oh, thanks for asking, Callie, but I actually have a lunch date a little later today.”
This was the first Callie had heard about it. How had Saundra kept this kind of news to herself?
“A date? Good for you! Do I know him?”
Grinning, Saundra walked over to Callie. “I don’t think so. He works at Rapid-Ship down the street. I see him whenever I take merchandise down there to be shipped out to customers. One day we started talking and the more we talked, the better things got. He likes redheads,” she added with a sly wink.
“Lucky you. I hope it works out.”
“Well, I do, too. At least for a couple of dates,” she said with a chuckle. Her expression sobered as she studied Callie’s pale face. “What about you, honey? I’ve not asked in a couple of days, but have you heard anything from Tyler?”
Callie’s head swung glumly back and forth. “No. And to tell you the truth, Saundra, I don’t believe I will. He’s obviously not interested in me anymore.”
Just saying that out loud was painful, but Callie was getting used to the constant ache in her chest. She only wondered how many more days or weeks needed to pass before she started to feel like a human being again.
“Callie, I find it hard to believe that Tyler turned out to be such a cad. I thought...well, never mind what I thought. You better go on to lunch. I’ll hold down the fort until you get back.”
“Thanks, Saundra.”
Because the day was full of bright sunshine, Callie purposely chose to walk the distance to Bronco Java and Juice in the hope that the fresh air would lift her spirits. On the way, she admitted to herself that she was filled with anticipation at a chance encounter with Tyler and Maeve. In fact, she’d visited the place twice last week with the same thought in mind, but Tyler had never showed. In fact, one of the waitresses had stopped by her table and inquired about Tyler. She’d told Callie they hadn’t seen him and the baby in a long while.
She could only hope today would be different, Callie thought as she entered the sunny coffee and juice bar. Today Tyler might accidently be in town and decide to eat lunch before he headed back to the ranch.
After taking a small table at the back of the dining area, a waitress came and took her order for a juice drink and a pimento cheese sandwich. Since it was only eleven thirty, the place wasn’t full yet, but more people were steadily arriving and, each time the bell over the door tinkled, Callie looked up, hoping to see Tyler.
“Hi, Callie. Good to see you today. Have you been waited on?”
Callie pulled her eyes from the door to see Cassidy Ware standing beside her table. Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, her long blond hair pulled into a ponytail, she looked more like a fresh-faced teenager than the owner of a booming restaurant.
“Oh hi, Cassidy! Yes, a waitress has already taken my order.” Callie gestured to one of the empty chairs. “I’d love for you to join me for a minute. That is, if you’re not too busy.”
Smiling, Cassidy pulled out one of the chairs and sank into it. “The lunch hour is just getting started. But I’ll take a minute anyway,” she said. “We’ve already had a monstrous morning. I could use a cup of coffee myself right now.”
“I don’t have to ask you how business is doing,” Callie said. “I can see for myself that the place is always jammed full. Do you ever think about expanding?”
“I wish. But there’s just no place here to expand. A street runs in front and behind the building. And the businesses I’m sandwiched between have no plans to ever move. I could move to another location, but I love this one. Still, you know what they say, never say never.”
A waitress arrived with Callie’s order and she’d thoughtfully brought her boss a cup of fresh coffee.
“Thanks, Teresa. I’ll give you a tip for this,” Cassidy told the woman.
Callie began to eat as Cassidy said, “I’ve noticed a few ghost tours around town after dark. You guys must be staying busy, too.”
“We are. Evan is constantly coming up with ideas for different tours and bringing in fresh merchandise. We all stay very busy.” A fact that Callie appreciated. She didn’t want extra time to sit around and dwell on how happy being with Tyler had made her. And how utterly miserable she was without him.
Cassidy sipped her coffee. “Well, it looks like Bronco is going to get even busier when November rolls around. It’s been announced that the Mistletoe Rodeo is a go. And with the competition being a two-week long affair, there should be hordes of people flooding into Bronco. Especially with Geoff Burris coming back to host the whole thing. You know he’s a big rodeo star, don’t you?”
“Rodeo star? Uh, yes, I’ve heard he’s very successful,” Callie answered. “I’m sure Bronco will be hopping once he arrives.”
Did Tyler like rodeo competitions? Callie wondered. Since he spent many of his days roping and riding on the ranch, he probably knew all about the sport. Still, she couldn’t picture him doing something as festive as going to a rodeo.
“Yoo-hoo, Callie. Are you with me?”
Realizing she’d missed part of what Cassidy had been saying, she quickly apologized. “Sorry, Cassidy, I was thinking about something.”
“Clearly.” She peered closer at Callie’s face. “As soon as I sat down here, I had the feeling that something was wrong. What is it?”
Callie blew out a long breath and placed her half-eaten sandwich back on the plate. “It’s very easy to explain, Cassidy. I’ve been a complete idiot. I’ve fallen for a man whose heart still belongs to his dead wife.”
Cassidy studied her for a brief moment then leaned her head closer so that no one else could overhear. “If you’re talking about Tyler, then I think you have it all wrong, Callie.”
Confused by the woman’s remark, she asked, “What do you mean? Wrong about what?”
“About Tyler’s feelings for his wife. From what I saw of them when they were out together, I suspect their marriage was on the rocks long before she died. I even heard rumors from friends that all was not well in that Abernathy household.”
Callie was stunned. If this was true, maybe she’d just learned the reason why Tyler had never mentioned his wife or talked about their life together. Maybe he hadn’t wanted Callie to know that his marriage had been failing.
“I thought—All this time I believed Tyler was madly in love with Luanne.”
“If he was, he hid it well,” Cassidy said, adding with an encouraging smile, “If you really care that much for the guy, I wouldn’t give up on him. I’d put up a fight.”
Callie had never fought for a man’s affections. Up until Tyler, she’d never had one worth fighting for. “I’m not sure I’d know how to do that, Cassidy. Especially when I think Tyler is hiding from me—maybe even from life in general.”
“Then you have to root him out. Make him face you and whatever else that’s making him hide.”
Callie was mulling over Cassidy’s advice when the barking of a dog caught her attention. Both women looked in the direction of the sound, which seemed to be coming from somewhere in the back of the building.
“Oh, I guess Scooter’s here. That’s what I call him. He shows up every now and then and scratches at the back door, begging for scraps. I’ve called animal control, but so far they’ve never been able to catch the little scamp.”
“A stray dog? Is it white with a brown eye patch?” Callie asked.
Cassidy frowned thoughtfully. “The dog is white, but I don’t recall about the brown patch. Why? Does he belong to you?”
Callie shook her head. “One of Daphne’s dogs at Happy Hearts has gone missing. I was just wondering if your stray might be her dog.”
“Oh, I’ll go see. If Scooter fits the description, I’ll contact Daphne.” She quickly ro
se from the table. “See you later, Callie.”
Cassidy left for the kitchen and Callie took a few final sips of juice before she picked up her check and headed to the counter to pay. Her lunch hour was nearly over and it was obvious Tyler wasn’t going to show.
The sensible thing for her to do would be to forget the man, Callie told herself as she walked back to work. Yet she still couldn’t shake the feeling that he needed her in some way. And now that Cassidy had hinted that his marriage might have been in shambles, the feeling had intensified.
But what good was that going to do? she asked herself. Even if Tyler’s heart wasn’t pining for his late wife, he obviously didn’t want to be with Callie. And the fact was crushing her.
* * *
“Van, you’re going to have to tell everyone at the wedding that I woke up sick this morning and I couldn’t make it to the ceremony.”
Vanessa glanced away from the dresser mirror where she was applying mascara to her already long lashes and stared at Callie, who was standing in the bedroom doorway.
“I am not going to lie for you, Callie Sheldrick. You’re not sick. You’re being a big coward!”
Callie’s shoulders slumped in resignation. “Okay, I admit it. I am a coward. We both know that Tyler will be there to see Gabe exchange vows with Mel.”
“Not just Tyler. I’m sure every branch of the Abernathy family will be in attendance. If you happen to be in the right place at the right time, you might even get a chance to meet Tyler’s parents.”
“Oh no. I’m not about to try to insinuate myself in his family. Tyler is a very private person. Besides, you’re forgetting the fact that he’s made it painfully clear I’m no longer a part of his life.”
Vanessa pushed the wand back into the mascara tube and walked over to Callie. “When you talked to him last, did he tell you those exact words?”
“No. But I’m not stupid, Van. There is such a thing as common deduction. I’ve not heard a peep from the guy. He doesn’t have to shout the words from a rooftop for me to get the message. And now you expect me to go to Mel’s wedding and pretend that I’m not—”
“You’re not what?” Vanessa gently prompted.
Callie couldn’t stop the tears she’d been trying to hold back. They spilled onto her cheeks. “Dying inside,” she finally managed to say.
“Oh, Callie, honey.” Vanessa gently curved an arm around her shoulders. “I understand that you’ve had some disappointments when it comes to your love life. But you need to believe that things will eventually turn out as they should.”
Callie sniffed and tried to smile. “You mean if Tyler is meant to be my soul mate then it will magically happen? Dear Lord, I’m getting worried about you, Van. You’re sounding more like your great-grandmother Winona every day.”
Grinning, Vanessa gave Callie’s shoulders a squeeze. “Now you’re sounding more like my happy little Callie.” She turned her around and gave her a nudge to her bedroom across the hall. “Go get dressed and make yourself beautiful. And if it will make you feel any better, you can ride with me and Jameson to the wedding.”
“Not on your life. You two lovebirds need to take in this wedding atmosphere all alone. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll drive myself.”
“All right. But don’t think you’re going to back out. If I don’t spot you in the crowd, I’m driving back here to the apartment to get you.”
Sighing, Callie shook her head. “Don’t worry. I’ll be there. And I’ll try to put a smile on my face.”
* * *
Tyler had rather shovel manure out of ten horse stalls than go to Gabe’s wedding. But all the Abernathys would be there and it would look worse than strange if Tyler didn’t show up for the big event. Besides, if he’d tried to hide away on the ranch, Dean would’ve roped, tied, and dragged him to the ceremony.
“As far as I’m concerned, this is wasting daylight,” Tyler muttered as he stared out the passenger window of Dean’s plush pickup. “It would’ve made more sense for me to be building that last section of fence instead of going to a damned wedding.”
“Just relax, Tyler. This shindig will be over before you know it. Anyway, you’ll get to have cake and champagne.”
“I’d rather have beer.”
Dean grunted with amusement. “And pretzels? I doubt Mel chose to serve those two items at the wedding. Now if Gabe had a say, he might’ve taken pity on us cowboys.”
“I’m not worried about eating or drinking,” Tyler replied.
The Association, where the wedding and reception was to be held, was a fancy country club for local cattlemen. Joining The Association cost a fortune, but even a large amount of money wasn’t enough for a man to acquire membership. A person had to be sponsored by someone who was already a member, so becoming privy to the club’s amenities wasn’t an easy feat. Tyler would be the first to admit he sometimes enjoyed the finer things in life, but the swanky clubhouse was really not his style. Still, a few years ago, he’d gone through the expense and rigors to become a member because Luanne had urged him to. She’d liked the prestige that came with The Association and had not wanted to miss any of the social functions held at the country club.
Since Luanne’s death, Tyler had had no desire or reason to attend the clubhouse. More proof of just how much his life had changed, he thought.
“You might not be worried about the food or drink. But you are worried about running into the little brunette,” Dean stated as he braked the truck behind a slower moving car.
“I told you not to call her that. Her name is Callie,” Tyler growled at him. “And you’re wrong. I’m not worried about seeing her.”
“She will be at the wedding, don’t you think?”
Think. That’s all Tyler had been doing the past few days. Especially since he’d stripped the house of any sign of Luanne.
“I figure nothing less than a dire emergency would keep her away. Mel is her friend.”
“That’s good.”
“What does that mean?”
Dean darted him a frown. “It means you might have a chance to get on your knees and beg her to forgive you.”
Tyler’s frown matched the one on his brother’s face. “Forgive me for what?”
“For starters, running off. Leaving her high and dry.”
Tyler bristled. “Who told you something like that? Did Mom—”
Dean held up a hand to halt the rest of his sentence. “Whoa, don’t get peeved at Mom. I wrangled the information out of her.”
“I should’ve known. When it comes to me, that nose of yours is pretty damned large.”
“I just don’t want you to throw away a good thing, brother.”
Dean had barely gotten the remark out when The Association clubhouse came into view. Dozens of vehicles were already parked in a designated area away from the massive building. Tyler scanned the assortment of cars and trucks, but he didn’t spot Callie’s olive-green Jeep.
Maybe she wasn’t coming, after all.
A man dressed in a Western suit and black cowboy hat was managing the wedding guest traffic, and Dean followed his directions to an empty space at the end of a long row of vehicles.
Once they were parked and standing outside the truck, Tyler tightened his bolo and tried to tell himself he wouldn’t be disappointed if Callie had decided to skip the wedding.
* * *
Callie had never seen the outside of The Association clubhouse, much less been inside the elaborate building. But she’d heard about the place. After Jameson had taken Vanessa there for a fancy dinner, she’d given Callie a first-hand description. At the time, she’d thought her roommate had been exaggerating the luxuriousness of the place, but she’d been wrong. If anything, Vanessa had failed to mention many of the lavish details of the natural stone and wood building.
When Callie entered the high-beamed foyer at the fro
nt of the building, an usher directed her to a lounge furnished with large leather couches and dark wood tables, illuminated by fancy lamps with beautiful Craftsman-style shades.
Several wedding guests, dressed to the nines, were milling about the massive room and she scanned each group for a sign of a familiar face. When she failed to see one, she moved through an open door that led into another lounge almost a duplicate of the first.
This time, she didn’t worry about finding a recognizable face among the people sitting on couches or standing in the small groups chatting and laughing. Instead, Callie practically gawked at the cavernous fireplace with its huge wooden mantel and the massive windows that showcased a majestic scene of tall, jagged mountains in the distance.
Amazed by what she was seeing, Callie wondered if this was how most of the cattlemen of Bronco relaxed. Once, she’d considered asking Tyler if he belonged to The Association, but since he’d never mentioned the club to her, she’d decided against it. Now as she walked from room to room, taking in the elaborate bar area and main dining room, she honestly couldn’t see him relaxing in such extravagant surroundings. But then, these past couple of weeks since they’d parted, she’d come to realize that there was a whole lot to Tyler that she didn’t know.
“Callie, I was about to think I was going to have to come after you!”
Turning, she saw Vanessa approaching in a rush. Her powder-blue dress skimmed her lush curves while her dark hair was swept to one side to reveal a long, dangling earring of pearls and rhinestones. It was easy to see why Jameson was so smitten with her, Callie thought. She looked incredible.
Callie glanced down at the floral taffeta dress she was wearing. “I couldn’t make up my mind about which dress to wear.”
“You look lovely.” She snatched hold of Callie’s arm. “Come on. I think they’re about to start seating the guests. You need to sit with me and Jameson.”
Vanessa was obviously feeling sorry for Callie because she’d had to attend the wedding without an escort. The idea was humiliating, but it was hardly Callie’s main concern. Seeing Tyler again was stretching her nerves to the breaking point.
For His Daughter's Sake Page 18
