by Linda Warren
“Or whatever.” She stood on tiptoes to kiss him. He tasted her lips for a moment and he had to force himself to leave.
But he had to do something he’d been putting off. That meant divulging Callie’s secret about her real identity. Was that safe?
It wasn’t much of a decision. Callie had to know.
CALLIE PUT AWAY THE LAST of the dishes in the kitchen then went upstairs to bathe and get ready for bed. In her pajama bottoms and T-shirt, she went to check on the kids. Adam was sound asleep and she could almost see a smile on his face.
The girls were all over the bed, also asleep, and Callie was trying to figure out a way to get in without disturbing them. She had to buy another bed. They couldn’t continue to sleep like this. The girls needed their own room. And she definitely needed some privacy.
As she was climbing between the sheets, she heard a knock downstairs. It was late. Who could it be? Wade. That’s the only person it could be. She flew down the stairs, her feet barely touching the floor, and swung the door open.
“Buddy,” she said in disappointment.
“I know it’s late, but could I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure.” She stepped aside. “Come into the kitchen and I’ll fix us something to drink.”
“Thanks. But I don’t need a thing.”
Rascal wasn’t with him, so that meant something must have happened to him. “Did something happen to Rascal?” she had to ask.
“No. He’s at home.”
Callie couldn’t imagine what Buddy wanted to talk about. They took seats at the breakfast table and Callie thought she should go put on a robe, but she didn’t feel uncomfortable and the clothes covered her. And she didn’t think Buddy noticed what she had on.
“The house is looking real nice.” He glanced around.
“Odell did a good job.”
“A lot of people helped, including you.”
“It was fun. Gave me something to do after work.” He removed his baseball cap and set it on the table. His hair was a deep blond with streaks of gray. His hand shook.
“Buddy, are you okay?”
He took a deep breath. “I…ah…just had a long talk with Wade.”
“You did?”
He looked at her, and for the first time, she noticed his eyes were hazel-green.
“You don’t know a lot about me.”
She smiled. “I know you’re a good person.”
His eyes clouded over. “My real name is Dale Collins.”
What! The smile vanished and Callie gaped at him, not quite able to take in what he was saying. Dale Collins? That was her father’s name. Could…?
“What did you say?” Her words came out low and hoarse.
“My name is Dale Collins.”
“Ethel said you were dead.”
“That’s my father. I’m a junior and no one has ever called me Dale, but Glynis.”
Glynis. Oh God!
“But I asked you…and you said…”
“I know. I couldn’t tell you the truth, so I lied.”
She swallowed hard. “You’re my father.”
“Yes. I married Glynis Dryden in high school because I had to. She was pregnant. I resented her and I resented the baby. I was young and I didn’t want to be tied down. I wanted to have fun.”
Callie had trouble breathing.
“But when you were born, my attitude changed. I couldn’t take my eyes off your beautiful face. You had blond hair with curls and the most gorgeous blue eyes. Mary Beth looks a lot like you.” He ran a nervous hand through his hair. “I wanted to be a father. I tried, but nothin’ I ever did was good enough for Glynis. We lived with her mother because we couldn’t afford anything else and I worked as a mechanic. Didn’t make a lot of money and Glynis complained all the time. The more she complained, the more I drank. It wasn’t all Glynis’s fault, don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t mature enough to be a father or a husband.”
Gentle, kind Buddy was her father. That thought was quickly followed by another that surprised her—Buddy was uncaring, irresponsible, a deadbeat dad who hadn’t wanted her, who’d given her up.
“You gave up all rights to me. How could you do that?”
He closed his eyes briefly as he seemed to struggle for control. “That didn’t mean I didn’t love you. There wasn’t much love in my family and I didn’t know how to love anyone. That doesn’t excuse what happened though.” He fidgeted uncomfortably. “Glynis and I had a big fight because I’d lost my job. I was too drunk to go to work most days. She packed her things and left, saying she was going to find someone to take care of her and you. I never saw her after that. About three months later I got divorce papers and Glynis asked for full custody of you. I was so drunk and angry that I just signed the papers. Then I headed out to West Texas to work in the oil fields. Made good money, but spent it all on liquor and a good time.”
Callie didn’t know what to say, so she just listened.
“Fell off the top of one of those oil rigs and didn’t break a bone ’cause I was stone drunk. My boss got me into rehab and I was sober for the first time in years. After that I had one thing on my mind, so I hired an attorney. I wanted to see my kid. The lawyer said my rights to you had been terminated with the divorce. Guess I didn’t read those divorce papers close enough. Probably would’ve gone on a drinking binge, but I got a call my mom was real sick and I came home to take care of her. Been here ever since.”
“You hired an attorney to see me?”
“Yeah. My lawyer said I had a snowball’s chance in hell of doing that.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. Flipping it open, he removed a small picture and laid it on the table.
Callie stared at herself when she was about four and her throat closed up. The photo was worn and tattered, as if someone had handled it a lot. He did care about her.
“When you were that age, I’d take you down to the drugstore to get an ice-cream cone. Then we’d sit on the bench at the courthouse and you’d ask all kinds of questions about the clock in the tower. You had a fascination with it.”
Through the fuzziness of her mind, she could almost hear that little girl’s voice. “Daddy, how did the clock get up there?…Daddy, what time is it now?” That’s why the clock tower had jogged her memory when she’d first come to town. She’d remembered it from the times she’d watched it with her father.
Buddy. Dale Collins.
“I knew who you were the first moment I saw you. You favor Glynis. She was very beautiful.”
“You knew who I was?” She gulped.
“Yep. Been waitin’ a lot of years to see that face, but I was a coward. I couldn’t tell you who I was. Didn’t think you really wanted to know, but I kept coming here just to get a glimpse of you.”
Her hand trembled against her mouth, tears stung the back of her eyes. “You’re the reason I came here with the kids. Glynis said you were probably dead, but I had to know.”
Silence filled the room. So many emotions swirled between them, but neither knew exactly how to handle them.
“How’s Glynis?” Buddy finally asked.
Callie stared at him. “Wade didn’t tell you?”
He shook his head. “He said you had a lot to tell me and that I was to keep everything quiet.”
Obviously Wade wanted her to be the one to tell him the truth about herself. He was leaving it up to her and she knew why. Telling another person could jeopardize their safety. Callie looked into Buddy’s eyes. She could trust him, of that she was certain. He was her father. So she told him their story.
His face changed to dismay then horror. “So they’re not your youngins?”
“No.”
“They’re Glynis’s?”
She nodded.”
“Damn. Never would have guessed that.” His face suddenly hardened. “How could Glynis marry a bastard like Nigel Tremont?”
“I’ve asked myself that so many times in the past few months and I just don’t have an answer
.”
“But you had a good life up until then?” The question seemed important to him.
“Yes. Things were rough at first, but after Mom met John our lives got better. He adopted me and took good care of me.”
“Always thought you were too young to have three youngins and I knew your age.”
“Wish you’d said something earlier.”
Silence dragged again, then Buddy cleared his throat.
“Didn’t figure I had that right.”
“When I needed a hiding place, I thought of the land giveaway deal in Homestead, mainly, I see now, because I needed to come back. I had to find out if you were still alive, and you were the first person I met when I drove into Homestead. Fate works in funny ways sometimes.”
“Yep.” He picked up the photo and put it back in his wallet. “I made some real bad decisions and choices, but what I’ll always regret the most is not being a part of your life.”
“Me, too,” she admitted. “I couldn’t understand why you’d give up all rights to me. It made me feel unwanted.”
He moved with slow, tired motions. “It’s hard to explain the actions of a drunk and that’s what I was. Every day’s a struggle, but I haven’t touched a drop in twelve years. In all those years, even when I was drunk, a day didn’t go by that I didn’t think of you and wonder where you were. If you were happy, if…” He stopped. “The photo kept me sane in rehab. I kept telling myself that once I was sober for good that I could see my kid, my baby girl.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “But I’m not a kid anymore.”
He raised his head. “No. You’ve turned into a beautiful young woman and I’ll do anything to help you, to keep those youngins safe.”
She knew that he would. It was clear in his voice and in his eyes.
“I hope in time you’ll be able to forgive me.”
Suddenly, all the years she’d hated this man who hadn’t wanted her seemed nonexistent. He cared, kept her photo and hadn’t forgotten about her. That’s all she really needed to know—for now.
Her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t need time. I just need to know my father.”
His eyes also rimmed with tears. “Oh, Callie, that’s more than I deserve.” He blinked away a tear. “Do you know your grandmother, Hettie Dryden, used to work for the Hellmuths as a maid? Glynis had a job at the Dairy Queen and sometimes Hettie would bring you to work with her. You were a quiet little thing and no trouble at all.”
Her eyes grew wide. “My grandmother worked here?”
“Yep.”
“The rockers and the house seemed so familiar and I couldn’t figure out why.”
“You loved those rockers. You’d sit out there and rock away.”
“Oh, my.” Now she knew why she loved the house just by looking at the photo. It was her past—a tiny, unforgettable part of her past.
Buddy’s hand reached across the table and she placed hers in it. He squeezed tightly, and in that instant Callie knew she’d made the right decision in coming to Homestead.
She’d found her father.
And so much more.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
WADE KEPT GLANCING at the clock, wondering if Buddy had told her yet. How was she taking it? He thrust his hands through his hair. Buddy was Callie’s father. That was still a little hard to digest. But if anyone deserved some happiness, it was Buddy. He didn’t want Callie hurt, though. She was dealing with enough.
His cell buzzed and he clicked it on, to get the latest from Simon. This investigation was taking longer than he’d expected. Nigel Tremont was good at covering his tracks.
The bell on the front door jingled and he went to see who was having a problem tonight. Callie stood there, her eyes bright and she was smiling. He let out a long breath. Evidently things had gone well.
He grinned. “What are you doing here this late? Where are the kids?”
She walked closer. “I had to come and thank you, so Buddy is staying at my house in case the kids wake up.”
“From the look on your face, I’d say you and Buddy had a good talk.”
“The best.”
“I’m glad. When you said Dale Collins was your father, I couldn’t believe you didn’t know that was Buddy.”
“Mmm.” She moved closer and ran her hands up his chest to his neck. “I decided I couldn’t wait to see you.”
“Callie,” he groaned as she pressed her body closer.
“I’m on duty.”
“Does a lot happen at night?” She kissed his neck.
“No, but I have to be ready if it does.”
“How ready?” She wrapped her arms around his neck, gazing at him with love in her eyes—a look he couldn’t resist.
He took her lips with a fierce need and the kiss went on until they were both breathless with wanting. Her skin smelled of lavender and she tasted of sugar—the sweetest sugar he’d ever had.
Sliding his hands beneath her T-shirt, he cupped her breasts. Tiny moans left her throat and he knew they were getting close to the point of no return. He didn’t have to think about it. He knew loving Callie was better than never loving her.
He broke the kiss and moved toward the front door, locking it. A smile split her face and she threw herself back into his arms.
Kissing the warm hollow of her neck, her cheek, her nose, he whispered, “Ever make love in a jail cell?”
She shook her head and released a bubble of laughter. Swinging her up in his arms, he carried her down a small hallway and kicked open the door to the cell with his foot. The door clanged against the bars as they sank onto the cot and they dissolved into laughter like two teenagers.
Wade hadn’t felt this great in years and for tonight, for this time out of time with Callie, he wasn’t the sheriff. He was a man.
Their hands eagerly found each other, and he pulled the T-shirt over her head then tasted every inch of her smooth, soft skin, lingering over her sensitive nipples. She moaned and he captured her mouth in a heated kiss.
Her fingers undid the buttons on his shirt and trailed across his chest and shoulders with tantalizing strokes. Emotion, strong and sure, swept through him and he yanked off his gun, then his boots in a split second. Their clothes followed and soon they were skin on skin, hearts beating wildly as they lay on the cot entwined.
They didn’t speak—they didn’t need to. They both knew what they wanted.
All their problems faded away with each kiss, each caress, and there was just the two of them finding comfort in an age-old way—with each other.
When Callie knew she couldn’t take any more, she shifted onto her back and spread her legs, accepting Wade with a white-hot urgency that both shocked and excited her. She held him tight as each movement, each thrust bound them tighter and closer until spasms of pleasure welded them together forever. She loved him. But the words never left her throat and she felt deprived of the greatest gift of all—knowing her love was returned. She couldn’t be that selfish though. She’d already taken what she needed and they understood that. They were adults.
Wade pulled her to his side, breathing in her scent for a moment longer. Sex in his teens had been awesome, but making love with Callie was unlike anything he’d ever experienced and he suddenly knew that nothing would match this moment. He’d made a decision to love her and he wouldn’t regret it. Not for a second. He wouldn’t let himself think about the day she’d walk away from him to her other life in New York.
For now, she was his.
They sat up, leaning against the wall, just holding on to each other. “Are you going to tell the kids about Buddy?”
“No, not yet. Too many secrets for them to handle. I’ll tell them later.”
“That’s probably best.” He caressed her arm. “You okay?”
“Mmm. I just want to go to sleep in your arms.”
“Me, too.” He kissed the top of her head. “But can you imagine the headline in the Homestead Herald if we were discovered like this?”
WADE STOOD AT THE DOOR, fully dressed, with his arms around Callie as she lingered over goodbye.
“I heard from Simon earlier,” he said, kissing her forehead. “He’s gone to Philadelphia to see if he can speak with the woman in the health-care facility who was married to Nigel and try to get more details. Her daughter won’t talk to him over the phone.”
“This is taking so long.”
“I know, but we should have something soon to help your case.”
“Then I can take the kids back to New York to face a judge.”
“Yes.”
She held him tight, wondering if she was going to be able to do that now. After a long leisurely kiss, she darted out the door to her car hoping Millie wasn’t lurking outside with her camera. But Millie had gone to bed a long time ago. Everyone in Homestead had.
On the way to her house, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. Too much had happened. Too many wonderful things that would forever bind her to this small town.
FRIDAY WAS TO BE THE GRAND opening of the café and Callie was in a tizzy getting everything ready. Wanda was truly a find and Callie didn’t know what she’d have done without her. She’d hired a waitress, Janet, and Ethel’s daughter Essie to seat people and to work the cash register.
Essie had returned to Homestead after separating from her husband and Ethel had figured she needed something to do. As Ethel had put it, Essie couldn’t sit in her house watching soap operas all day.
Odell was putting the finishing touches on the heating and air-conditioning system. It was July and the rooms had to be cool for people to eat in comfort.
The rest of the dishes she’d ordered had arrived, and she and Wanda were busy washing and stacking them on open shelves Odell had built for that purpose.
When Odell went outside to his truck to get something, Callie noticed Wanda watching him.
