His Daughter's Prayer

by Danielle Thorne

  She stepped back and admired her paint job. It looked fantastic. She’d picked up some different hardware that Mark had set aside for her at his store—it was going to be perfect.

  Her phone rang, and she jumped. Wiping her hands off on a towel, she caught the phone on the last ring, expecting it to be Amanda.

  “Yes?” she said with a silly, country drawl.

  “Uh, Callie? It’s Brett Martin.”

  Callie shut her eyes and grimaced. “Hi, Mr. Martin. How are you?”

  “Fine, Callie. I just had lunch with the testing proctor. Do you know her?”

  Callie frowned. “No. What test?”

  “The real estate classes,” he said in a brisk tone. “I mentioned them in my voice mails, remember?”

  “Yes.” Callie’s heart sank. “You mentioned there’d be classes at the community center, but I’m afraid it isn’t something I’m interested in.”

  “Ah...” Mr. Martin sounded confused. “I’m sorry, we must have a misunderstanding here. I meant for you to take them. We’ll pay the tuition, and you agree to stay on at a two-year minimum with me here. How does that sound?”

  Callie’s heart thudded in her chest, and her ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton. “I didn’t know you expected me to do that,” she squeaked. “I thought you understood, Mr. Martin, that this was just for the summer and maybe into the early fall.” She cleared her throat. “I mean, I thought it was an option, should I need the job if I don’t go back to Nashville, but all I’d planned to do was stage for a few months for you.”

  Her boss hesitated. “Well, that was the initial idea, I agree, but you might as well sell some of these homes you’re staging.”

  He was dangling money in front of her, and it wasn’t fair. She needed to pay off her debts. She wanted her own boutique, but the bank was stalling her every time she called about the empty shop on the corner. She just couldn’t start working real estate full time and be tied to that for several years.

  She took a deep breath. “I’m happy just preparing the listings to show, and I really enjoy updating furniture. You have a lot in storage. I can get that all done.”

  “I understand,” Mr. Martin said in a patient tone, “but I really need an extra agent, and I think you have what it takes.”

  Callie tried to decide if he was giving her an ultimatum.

  “You seem to have a lot of downtime,” he added.

  “I spend a lot of time on the road,” she said defensively, “like Amanda, but I’m doing a different job. The job that you hired me for, right?”

  A long silence filled the connection between them with tension. Finally, he said, “That’s our number one priority, yes, but I’d like you to have a license if you’re going to work for us so you can fill in when needed.”

  Callie’s shoulders sank. Then she squeezed the phone in her hand. “I’ll check into that.”

  “Sounds good,” he said, then said goodbye and hung up.

  She hit the disconnect button. “I don’t want to go to real estate school,” she grumbled loudly.

  Her voice echoed around the house. Pouting, she slumped down into one of the dining chairs. But did she really want to go back to her old job?

  Selling houses would mean less time working on furniture projects. Being forced onto a career path was going to sidetrack her from her goals. She’d been hired on to stage homes, but they demanded so much help from her with other things, she’d hardly had time to go to flea markets or auctions, much less find an affordable space for the boutique.

  Callie let the cell phone fall from her fingers and clatter on the floor. It wasn’t like Mark cared whether or not she went back. He was wonderful, but he hadn’t asked her if she’d thought about staying. She closed her eyes.

  Why did life never go according to plan?

  Chapter Ten

  “Oh, Callie, it’s not that bad!” Amanda marched beside her from the parking lot where they’d met toward the long line at the concession stands. She dragged Nicole along like an old blanket. The little girl whined for candy the whole way.

  Callie tugged her white ball cap down over her forehead and reached for Justin. He was still a hand-holder; kindergarten hadn’t changed that. She looked down at him, and he gazed back up at her with big brown eyes. “I love you,” she told him, and he beamed up at her.

  “It is bad,” Callie said, turning back to her sister. “I don’t want to spend my weeknights taking classes to do something I’m not even interested in. How long before I’m filling in to show houses for people that call in sick? I didn’t take this job to become a real estate agent.”

  Amanda huffed. “Is this because I asked you to unlock the house on Griffin Avenue before you drove out to the farmhouse this morning?”

  “No,” Callie pouted. “Maybe.”

  “I want my grape lollipop,” Nicole bellowed.

  “Just wait a minute,” Amanda snapped.

  Callie laughed. “You spoil them.”

  “I do not. She’s just greedy like her daddy.” The line to the concession stand moved a few steps. “Five more minutes,” Amanda promised Nicole.

  “Haven’t you fed them dinner yet?”

  “No,” her sister said with impatience. “That’s what this is for.”

  Nicole screamed again. Callie looked away.

  “What? Do you think you can do better? Wait until you’re in my shoes before you start giving parenting advice.”

  “I know, I know,” Callie said. She pulled Justin closer and wrapped her arm around him, and he hugged her leg. “I just wouldn’t feed my kids candy for dinner.”

  “Ha! You just wait.” Amanda dropped Nicole’s hand and let her flop around on the ground.

  “Well, I told Mr. Martin I’d think about it,” Callie said. “But he pretty much told me I don’t have a choice.”

  “I’m sorry.” Amanda reached over and touched Callie on the arm. “He never said anything to me about this before now. I guess he’s trying to kill two birds with one stone and wants to convince you to stay.”

  “Yeah, well...” The whole situation made Callie angry.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Amanda said. She finally seemed to get how upset Callie felt.

  She swallowed, and the tears she’d been fighting back welled up in her eyes. “I just want to have somewhere to show and sell my stuff,” she said. They moved up in line. Almost there.

  “Well, at least you’re back home. That was always Mom’s dream for you.”

  “For now.” Callie laughed, and the mood lifted. “And her dream was for me to marry Jeff Crowder and join the DAR.”

  Amanda laughed, too, held up two fingers to the woman working the counter and called out, “Two hot dogs with the works!”

  Justin tugged on Callie’s elbow. “I want gummy bears,” he said in a polite whisper.

  Callie looked down into his beautiful face, and the agony of the day disappeared. “Okay, sweetie,” she said, reaching down to pick him up although he was a bit too big to carry around anymore. “You can have whatever you want.”

  When they reached the bleachers, Callie scanned the field until she spotted Mark throwing hard passes back and forth with one of the other players. He didn’t have his ball cap on; his hair looked as golden as his smile while he talked to his teammate.

  “Callie!”

  She looked down and saw Hadley on the ground beside the bleachers digging a hole with a plastic spoon. “What are you doing?” Callie laughed.

  “Come see my tunnel.”

  Grabbing Justin by the hand, Callie helped him to the ground and over to Hadley’s project. They crouched over the meager hole.

  “This is my dog house,” Hadley announced, “but I have a cat.”

  “You do?” Callie raised a brow at her.

  “I’m going to get one.”


  “I have a dog,” Justin said. He studied the hole and looked with interest at the spoon.

  “Justin, why don’t you help Hadley dig a tunnel for the dogs and cats?”

  They both seemed to think this was a great idea. Callie pulled a metal nail file from her purse and handed it to her nephew. “Don’t poke anyone.”

  The kids went straight to work, and Callie sat on the bottom bleacher nearby, wondering why Lois wasn’t there. It was nice that Mark felt comfortable enough to take Hadley along with him wherever he went, and people seemed to look out for her, but sooner or later she was going to need closer attention.

  She glanced at the players on the field. Mark was looking her way or maybe at Hadley. He looked relieved when he saw her and raised his glove. She nodded. There was no way he could really concentrate on the game worrying about his daughter.

  She watched him relax. Someone shouted from the dugout, and the team members jogged in to stand around their coach. Callie watched Todd high-five somebody, then say something to Mark.

  She tried not to stare, but she couldn’t help watching him. She noticed he acted less reserved when he played softball with his friends. Just like he acted the night he’d stayed up with her at the farmhouse laying the wood floor. He had a poker face when it came to business and acquaintanceships, but for his friends, he seemed to let the walls down.

  Again she thought of the kiss he’d brushed across her lips. It’d been so gentle and tender yet at the same time sent her heart soaring into the clouds. A big smile broke out on her face. Just thinking about him made her happy, and more than ever, being with him made her feel like she was home.

  * * *

  Mark tossed his glove to the ground in the dugout with disgust. He glared out over the field at their opponents. He’d missed a fly ball that resulted in a run for the other team.

  He looked back over his shoulder. Callie sat in the stands with her sister. Hadley still played in the dirt nearby. She hadn’t run off. Lois had plans with her friends, so he’d dragged Hadley along with him to the ball field. The distraction must have affected his game, he decided, even though he worried less about Hadley with Callie nearby.

  The Copperheads had caught up, but the other team managed an extra run before the third out. The loss stung.

  Mark rushed to pick up his equipment before Hadley realized he was through and dashed out onto the field. The air had cooled. He glanced up to see if any stars shone through the ball field’s bright lights, but he could only find the blue moon. Fireflies blinked on and off in the brush on the edges of the field. He hurried through the gate and headed for his daughter, anxious to say hello to Callie.

  She was wiping dust off Todd’s little boy when Mark caught up with her. “Hey, how’s the house?”

  She looked up and smiled as she climbed to her feet. “Hi.” The little boy stared up at him for a second, then pulled away and darted toward the field. Hadley ran after him. “The farmhouse?” Callie asked.

  “Yes.”

  “It’s great. They have two showings tomorrow and one on Sunday.”

  “That’s good news.”

  “Yes. Amazing, really. In this market and at that price point, I’m surprised it’s showing already, but it is a new listing.”

  “I’m sure it’s because it looks like a model home.”

  “It’s all in the camera angles,” Callie said modestly.

  “Don’t sell yourself short. Are you all finished up?”

  “I just have to move the hutch into the kitchen sometime tomorrow. Todd’s supposed to come to help out.”

  “Oh, yeah? Is he going to be enough?”

  “Sure, it’s not that heavy.”

  “Okay then,” he said, as if giving in. “Let me know if you need any help, and thanks for keeping an eye on Hadley.”

  “It was no problem.” Callie bit her lip and held his gaze. “And thanks for the offer, but I know you have a store to run. Have any other Realtors come by?”

  “A fellow came in yesterday from Taylorsville. I can’t remember his name, though.” Mark studied her and she returned his gaze, eyes beaming. “I really appreciate the referrals, Callie.”

  She nodded. “So, I was wondering... Amanda and Todd are having a picnic on the morning of the Fourth, and I need—”

  “Gimme!”

  They both looked over at Hadley, who was standing at home plate with the base in her grubby hands. Justin tried to take it from her and a tug-of-war ensued.

  “Oh, boy.” His concern that Justin might end up with a bald spot hurried him through the gate. “Put it down, Hadley,” he said in a louder tone than he intended.

  The kids continued to screech and pull the sandbag back and forth.

  “Hadley.”

  “No.” It was her favorite word since she could speak.

  By the time Mark reached the pair, Justin was crying, and Hadley was using her legs like a ninja.

  “Put the base down!” He jerked it from the kids, and they both burst into tears. Justin took off at a run. Todd, standing on the other side of the fence, grinned at Mark and waved him off as his little boy crashed into his knees.

  Hadley pummeled Mark’s thigh with her fists. “That’s mine!”

  “No, it’s not,” he stated.

  She screamed in frustration, and he picked her up, tossed her over his free shoulder and marched from the field.

  Callie still stood in the same spot, her brows raised.

  “Welcome to my life,” he retorted as he walked past her.

  Hadley screamed again.

  “Be nice, Hadley,” Callie said, walking alongside them. “Daddy’s tired, too.”

  Suddenly, Hadley quieted, and Mark let her slide down to the ground. He kept a firm hold on her hand, though.

  “I’ve had a hard day,” Hadley quipped through her tearstained face.

  Callie knelt down beside her. “I’m sorry, honey. I promise it’ll be better tomorrow if you go home, take a bath and climb into bed with your spoon.” She passed over a wiped-off, cracked plastic spoon that looked like it belonged in the trash.

  Hadley sniffled. “And I have to say my prayers.”

  “Yes, don’t forget to say your prayers and pray tomorrow’s a better day.”

  “And for a mommy.”

  Callie seemed to freeze, her attention focused on the little girl. Before the moment could be made worse, Mark bent down and picked up Hadley with one arm. “She has a long prayer list,” was all he could think to say with an embarrassed chuckle.

  “That’s okay.” Callie rose to her feet and forced a bright smile. “Good night. See you guys later!”

  Mark barely got out, “Bye now,” before she dashed over to Amanda and Todd, who were chatting with another set of parents. Children were everywhere. All of them looked innocent and angelic, Mark decided, except for the one in his arms.

  He was halfway to the car when he saw another parent struggling with her child. Darla Perez had three boys swarming around her minivan, and two of them were throwing punches.

  “I’m going to count to three...” she warned.

  “Hi, Darla,” he said with a tired grin.

  She turned and put her hands on her hips. “Oh, Goldie. I’m about to lose my mind.”

  He motioned toward Hadley, still pouting in his arms. “I totally understand. How’s the salon going?”

  “We’re okay. Expanding is looking good.”

  Mark remembered the empty store space where the dry cleaner had been. Callie had mentioned it, too. “Did you get the space for the spa?”

  She nodded happily, and he tried not to show his disappointment. “Yes, it looks like it’s going to go through. We’re excited.”

  “That’s great, Darla. I’m happy for you all.”

  “Thanks. I’m so relieved the bank was willing
to work with us. Matt McIntyre is a stand-up guy.”

  “Is he?” Mark wouldn’t publicly disagree, but he wasn’t going to sing any praises.

  Darla kept chattering as the kids hopped in and out of the van. Hadley pulled on his hand, eager to join them, and Mark let her down. “He actually lowered the rent on the salon a little bit,” Darla was saying, “so we could afford to pay rent on two places. It’s going to be tight at first, but I think this could really take off.”

  Her news tasted like sour grapes on Mark’s tongue. So the bank would come down a little if someone was willing to set up two businesses? It wasn’t enough to be angry about, but it irritated him all the same. The new spa space had sat empty for a while and was an eyesore on the town square. He wished he’d thought about it for Callie before, but he wasn’t sure about her plans. Did she still want to go back to Nashville? Or stay here in Ragland?

  “That’s good news, Darla,” he repeated.

  “Thank you.” She seemed almost giddy. “We can’t wait to get started, and hey,” she said with a wink, “the type of people looking for a facial are the same people that will spend a little cash on some fancy furniture.”

  He smiled faintly. “An old junk shop isn’t exactly upscale,” he reminded her.

  She swatted at him. “People will come. We’ve put in some cool modern stores around the square. Did you know they were thinking about shutting down the Grub ’n’ Go and opening a sushi place?”

  Mark looked at her in horror. “What? You’re kidding.”

  She burst into laughter. “No, I’m dead serious. Ragland is on the rise, Goldie.”

  He nodded but realized besides the Grub ’n’ Go, he was the only other not-so-new storefront. “Well,” he mumbled, “let’s just hope the rent doesn’t go up.”

  “Think positive,” Darla encouraged. She told him how much the bank was charging for the salon and spa space. It stopped Mark in his tracks. They stood at the edge of the parking lot in the near dark, ignoring the shouts of children, and he stared at her.