All Roads Lead to Texas

by Linda Warren

  Noah’s sermon was moving and Callie enjoyed it. There were a lot of people there she recognized. Kristin and Ryan sat two rows ahead with Cody, who turned around to wave at the kids. Delbert and his family were there, along with Walter, Buddy, Ethel Mae, Millie and her husband, Miranda and her mother. The familiar faces made it feel like home.

  Later, outside the church, people offered comforting words. Miranda hugged Callie and said she’d talk to her later. Ethel said she’d see her at the house, as did Walter and Delbert. Kristin and Ryan walked up with Cody.

  “Mom, can I go play with Adam and Brit?” Cody asked.

  “Not today. It’s Sunday and Mrs. Austin is just getting back into town.”

  “’Kay. How’s Fred?” Cody asked Mary Beth

  Mary Beth’s mouth fell open and Callie suppressed a groan.

  “What?” Kristin looked as if Cody’d done something wrong.

  “We forgot Fred at the ranch.” Lately Fred had taken a back seat to all the other animals and, in the rush this morning, they had just forgotten him.

  “Callie!” Mary Beth cried.

  Callie gathered her close and explained to Kristin what had happened.

  “We’ll go back and get him,” Callie told her. “I’m sure Mr. Jock will watch out for him in the meantime.”

  “’Kay.”

  Kristin and Ryan said goodbye and Callie shook hands with a lot of people. Everyone said they were glad she was back and it seemed as if she’d been gone longer than three days.

  Mary Beth darted through the crowd to Buddy. “Where’s Rascal?”

  “At home,” Buddy replied. “I’ll bring him over to play this afternoon. How’s that?”

  Buddy shook Callie’s hand. “Glad you’re back, Callie.”

  “Thank you, Buddy.”

  Noah was busy greeting his congregation and made his way to them. “So you gave the church a try.”

  “I told you I would.”

  “It’s good to have you. Now we have to get the kids enrolled for Sunday school classes.”

  “Fine.”

  “Next Sunday.” Noah moved off to talk to other parishioners. A couple came out of the church with three children. The man was tall and lanky. The woman was also tall with auburn hair. One of the girls had red hair and looked like the woman, so she had to be a daughter.

  Wade spoke to the man and motioned Callie over. “This is Ethan Ritter and his wife, Kayla, and Kayla’s daughter, Megan. And this is Heather and Brad, the new additions to the family.”

  “Nice to meet you.” She shook hands again.

  “We heard what happened at your place,” Kayla said. “I had a similar thing happen to me when I first moved here.”

  “You did?”

  For the next few minutes, they talked about the mischief they’d experienced. The kids sized each other up and soon were chattering away—all about horses.

  “Have you heard from Jud lately?” Wade asked.

  Ethan’s friendly expression hardened. “No, nor am I likely to. My brother’d call you before he’d ever call me.” He turned to his wife. “We better go. Luella probably has lunch ready.”

  “It was so nice to meet you,” Kayla said. “We have to get the kids together for a play day. They seem to be getting along fine.” The kids were talking like they’d known each other forever.

  “Are your kids in Sunday school?” Callie asked.

  “Oh, yes.”

  “I’m planning to enroll mine.”

  “They’ll love it and it will give them a chance to get to know each other better.”

  “Let’s go, Kayla,” Ethan said again.

  “See you later,” Kayla called, linking her arm through her husband’s as they walked off.

  IN THE CAR, CALLIE ASKED, “Does Ethan have a problem with his brother? He seemed to tense up when you asked about him.”

  “Yes. There’s a lot of sadness in the Ritter family. Ethan’s sister died from toxic levels of lead poisoning in her system.”

  “How did she get something like that?”

  “From eating tamarind candy from Mexico. It was contaminated with lead. Ethan got the candy from a kid in school and Angela loved it so he kept giving it to her. Angela kept it hidden in her closet because her parents wouldn’t let her eat that much candy. The housekeeper found it one day and since she’s from Mexico, she knew about the lead contamination. Luella immediately told Zeb and Valerie. They had Angela tested, but the damage to her system was irreversible and they had to watch her slowly die. It tore the family apart, especially Ethan because he was the one who’d given her the candy over a long period of time. Ethan ate the candy, too, but not near as much as Angela. He was given a clean bill of health.”

  “How sad.”

  “Yes. Ethan’s mother died a year later from a broken heart and Zeb committed suicide two years ago. He shot himself and Ethan was the one to find him.”

  “Oh my God! How awful. Now I understand that sadness in his eyes.” Callie’s heart went out to Ethan, who’d endured so much but still managed to survive.

  “Yeah. Ethan found happiness with Kayla and I’m happy for him. The therapeutic riding school I mentioned is for kids with special needs and Ethan and Kayla are very good with them.”

  “It takes special people to do something like that. But when you mentioned his brother, he changed completely.”

  “Yeah. Family issues that they can’t seem to get past. Jud and I grew up friends and we both went into law enforcement. We’ve stayed in touch over the years, but I haven’t heard from him lately. I’m getting a little worried.”

  “Your dad mentioned that you had a friend named Jud and that you both had a way with the ladies.”

  “Pop seems to have told you a lot. Believe me, he exaggerates.”

  The corners of her mouth twitched. “I don’t think so. I believe everything he said about you and your friend, Jud.” She reached across the seat and touched his arm. “Up to a point. Since you were married at seventeen, you couldn’t have done too much chasing.”

  “That’s one thing about small towns, there’s very few secrets. Everyone knows my past.”

  “And they seem to have a connection to each other.”

  “I told you it was close knit.”

  “Yes, and I’m really beginning to feel a part of it.”

  But you’re not staying, a little voice whispered.

  Her eyes caught Wade’s and she saw her thoughts echoed there.

  She looked away, hating what stood between them. It would be there until Nigel was out of the kids’ lives and out of hers. There was a chance that would never happen, if the court ruled against her. The thought of hiding in Homestead forever was beginning to sound good.

  But she couldn’t do that—she had to keep her word to John.

  WHEN WADE TURNED onto Bluebonnet Street and stopped at her house, she could only stare. Slowly, she got out and the kids tumbled out beside her.

  “Our house is blue,” Brit said.

  “Yes. Our house is blue,” Callie echoed. “Why is that, Wade?”

  “I was going to explain,” Wade said in an hesitant tone, “but it slipped my mind. You see, Odell wanted to do the job as fast as possible and this was the only color he could find at the hardware store in a large quantity. It looks a lot better than yesterday.”

  “What did it look like yesterday?”

  “Brighter. Bolder. It’s kind of a soft baby-blue now.”

  “Mmm.” Callie studied the house, trying to make up her mind. She’d planned on white and the blue took some getting used to. Odell’s heart was in the right place and she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

  “I like it,” Adam said

  “Me, too,” Brit added. “But it would have been really cool if it was purple.”

  Callie cringed at the thought. Wade laughed at her expression.

  “Callie.” Mary Beth pulled on her arm. “I gotta go potty.”

  They ran up the walk to the front door and
Callie noticed her white picket fence was in place, the grass mowed and the awful red paint was gone. Her home was back to its former state, except it was now blue.

  Ms. Millie came out of the house with a camera around her neck. Callie didn’t know how she’d gotten here so fast. They’d just seen her at church.

  “Smile everyone.” She snapped their picture and Callie didn’t even think of turning away, and she should have. What if someone saw her photo? This was Homestead and the paper didn’t go far. Or at least she hoped it didn’t.

  “Be in the next edition,” Millie said. “Everyone wants to see that you’re home and safe.” She waved as she strolled down the steps.

  “Bye, Ms. Millie.”

  Callie stopped as she entered the house. Mary Beth sprinted to the bathroom. The house was clean, too, and everything in its place. Odell and Ethel came from the kitchen.

  “About time you got yourself back here,” Ethel said with her wry humor. “Odell’s about to work himself to death.”

  “Thank you, Odell,” Callie said. “You’ve been very busy.”

  “Come look at the kitchen.” She followed him into the kitchen and forgot about the blue exterior. The kitchen was perfect. All the appliances were in and he’d taken out the wall they’d talked about to make the kitchen bigger. Even the utility room and the extra cabinets he’d had to build were finished. She walked around touching things, hardly able to believe her kitchen was finished.

  “How did you do this in such a short amount of time?”

  “He didn’t sleep,” Ethel informed her.

  “What!”

  “Mama!”

  “You didn’t have to do that, Odell,” she said, but she was touched by his loyalty.

  “Well, your furniture and dishes started arriving and I figured it was time to get it done. I hired two extra men to help.”

  “That’s fine.” She’d ordered things from an antique house in Austin to match the decor of the house and had probably paid too much, but the breakfast-room set looked like something that had originally been in the house.

  “Your mattresses and bedding came yesterday and Mama made up the beds.”

  “We have mattresses?” She clapped her hands, staring at the kids, who looked back at her with wide eyes. “Aren’t you excited? Let’s go look.”

  “We moved the beds upstairs like you wanted.”

  “Thank you,” Callie called as they scurried for the stairs.

  “Callie.”

  She turned to Wade.

  “I’m going over to the office to check messages and relieve Virg.”

  “You will come back?”

  “Yeah, later. You okay with the blue?”

  “Of course, it’s hard to be upset with someone who works as hard as Odell.”

  Wade nodded and left.

  Suddenly her excitement was gone. She was becoming too involved with Wade and the people in this town. How was she ever going to leave?

  THE DAY PASSED QUICKLY. Callie put away their clothes and it was nice to have a dresser and an armoire.

  Miranda came by and they chatted for a while. She told her nothing had changed and Callie should continue on with her plans. But Callie hated putting her friend in this awkward position.

  Buddy brought Rascal, and the kids played in the yard with him. Buddy stayed until Wade arrived. He brought Fred home and then had to leave on a call to a nearby town. Two neighbors were fighting over a fence line.

  Callie and the kids went to sleep in their new beds. The girls slept with her, since they only had two beds. She planned to buy another bed as soon as she could afford it. Her finances were dwindling and she had to open the café soon.

  She worried about Adam sleeping alone and went into his room to check on him.

  “Are you okay in here?”

  “Sure.”

  Adam had been subdued since their return from the ranch. He wasn’t a talker like Brit, but he hadn’t said much all evening.

  “It’s okay to say you’re not.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “I’ll leave the door open.”

  “Okay.”

  “If you feel afraid, you can sleep in our room.”

  Callie turned out the light.

  “Callie?”

  “What?”

  “You think Mr. Jock’s okay?”

  So that was it. He was worried about Jock. “Yes. Mr. Jock is tough. He’s a cowboy.”

  “Yeah.” Adam turned onto his side. “Good night.”

  “Night.”

  THE NEXT MORNING as Callie was fixing breakfast for the kids in her new kitchen, she heard a car honking, but she didn’t pay it any attention. Then a loud knock came at the door.

  She set the blueberry muffins on the table and went to answer it. Jock stood there with two buckets, one in each hand, and his cane hooked over one arm.

  “Didn’t you hear me honking, gal?”

  “I didn’t know you were honking at me.”

  “Well, I was. Yo sent these vegetables and I brought a steak and eggs.”

  “Oh.” Callie was speechless.

  “Figured turnaround was fair play.”

  “Yes. Yes. Come in.” Callie tried hard not to smile. He missed them. Or did he miss her cooking? She’d rather believe the former.

  The kids came running. “Mr. Jock. Mr. Jock.”

  “Here, boy. Take these to the kitchen.”

  “Okay.” Adam took one bucket and Callie the other, and they walked into the kitchen. Jock took a seat at the breakfast table and the kids bombarded him with questions.

  “How’s Babe and Sadie?” Brit asked.

  “Turned them out into the pasture this morning.”

  “And you didn’t have to sell her.” Mary Beth bit into a muffin.

  “Nu-uh. What’s that, kid?”

  “It’s a blueberry muffin,” Callie answered. “Would you like one?”

  “Sure. You got my steak going?”

  “Say please.”

  “Please with sugar dripping all over it.”

  The girls giggled and Callie went to prepare his steak and eggs. She could still hear the conversation.

  “How’s Lucky, Mr. Jock?” Adam asked.

  “Walking the fence line. She needs to be ridden so get your boots and we’ll go right after we eat.”

  “Wait a minute.” Callie’s stern voice stopped Adam in his tracks. “That’s a little high-handed, Mr. Jock. I have a lot of work to do today and I can’t leave just yet.”

  “Nobody asked you. The boy can go with me.”

  “Me, too,” Brit and Mary Beth said together.

  “Please, Callie. Please,” Adam begged.

  Callie glared at Jock for putting her in this position, but she knew he was just lonely. Without her, she couldn’t let the girls go and they weren’t going to understand.

  “Okay, Adam, you can go, but girls, you have to stay here with me. Buddy’s bringing Rascal over again, remember?”

  “Ah, Callie. I have to ride Fancy.” Brit slumped in her chair.

  “I’ll take you this afternoon.”

  “Promise.”

  Callie placed a kiss in her palm, then made a fist and held it against her heart. “Promise.”

  “What’s that?” Jock was curious.

  “See.” Brit kissed her palm and held a fist to her heart. “A promise is a message kept in the heart and never forgotten. Right, Callie?”

  “Right.”

  They finished breakfast and Adam hurriedly dressed in his jeans and boots and left with Jock. As they drove away, Callie knew that Adam had formed a special connection to Jock—something they both needed. But it wasn’t easy to let him go. Her protective instincts were strong. There was no safer place than the ranch, though.

  Buddy brought Rascal, then left to open up his gas station. The girls tumbled in the front yard with the dog, giggling.

  Ethel jogged up the walk from her morning run, waving to the girls. When she reached Callie, she asked, �
��What are we doing today?”

  “Washing all the new dishes.”

  Ethel groaned. “Oh, crap. I shouldn’t have gotten out of bed this morning.”

  Callie laughed. “Would you mind watching the girls for a few minutes? I have to run over to the sheriff’s office.”

  Ethel sank into a rocker. “Don’t mind a bit.”

  “I’ll be right back,” she called to the girls, who barely raised their heads in acknowledgment. They weren’t afraid anymore and didn’t care if she was out of their sight. That was very good.

  CALLIE WAS RUNNING LATE. She’d told Wade she’d be in his office to meet with the Harveys at nine and it was past that now. Cooking breakfast for Jock hadn’t been in her plan this morning, but she didn’t mind. She hoped Wade wouldn’t either.

  The courthouse was less than three minutes from her house and the sheriff’s office and jail were around the back. She parked in the designated spot and hurried in. It was late June and the hot sunshine warmed her face and arms. By July the heat would be unbearable.

  Inside, a woman sat at one desk and Virgil sat at another. Everything in the room was very simple and rustic. Wanted posters hung on the wall and the sight gave her a chill. If Wade hadn’t intercepted hers, it would probably be there. Not for the first time, she realized the enormous risk he was taking.

  “Mrs. Austin.” Virgil got to his feet. “Good mornin’.”

  “Morning,” she replied. “And please call me Callie.”

  “This is Barbara Jean, our secretary,” Virgil introduced the woman at the desk. She was somewhere in her late thirties with brown hair and a kind smile.

  “Nice to meet you,” Callie said, shaking her hand.

  “Same here. The sheriff’s waiting for you. Go right in.” She pointed to the left.

  Callie opened the door and stepped in. A man, a woman and two boys sat in front of Wade’s desk. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

  Wade rose. He didn’t have his hat on, and the rugged lines of his face kicked her heartbeat up a notch. The thought of running her fingers through his dark hair crossed her mind.