Everyone helped cook, set the table and clean up. Since Mac didn’t have a piano, the students decided to go caroling with Eliza leading the way. The dirty white van was parked across the street, but Callie didn’t notice. By ten o’clock, Callie and Mac were alone so he brought two glasses of wine to the table in front of the fire. Callie changed into her nightgown and robe and curled up on the sofa to watch the flames dance. All the presents were wrapped and the dishes were done. Christmas music played softly.
Mac sat down and put his feet up while Callie snuggled up to him. They cuddled enjoying the music, the fire and the peace. Mac suggested a toast to Callie to celebrate her achievement. Earlier in the day, she logged on to get her grades and received a 3.3 average. Not quite the 3.5 she hoped for, but a great beginning and he was proud of her. Callie was determined to get the 3.5 she coveted next semester.
As the fire heated the room, Callie removed her robe and stretched out with her head on Mac’s chest. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her in her flimsy gown, her body heated him up. He closed all the curtains and then stripped to the waist. Callie ran her hands up then down his chest, finally stopping at his belt. She unbuckled the belt and unzipped his pants. He stepped out of them and stretched out on the sofa.
“Take it all off, sexy,” Callie ordered.
Mac obliged and she removed her nightgown. He made his move, pulling Callie to him and kissing her face, her neck and her breasts, rekindling her fire for him always smoldering deep inside, waiting for the touch of his lips, hands and tongue. He made love to her on the sofa.
During the night, Callie awoke with a bad dream about her parents’ death. Mac pulled her close to him and went back to sleep, but Callie lingered. She looked at Mac and gently touched his bare chest and the shadow of growing beard on his face and thought about how much she loved him. She wished her parents could have met Mac. They would have been happy to know she was so well cared for, so well loved by him. He stirred and threw his arm around her. She felt the warmth of his love surround her, engulfing her in deep contentment and sleep followed.
The next day, Jason arrived and the snowstorm intensified. Mac, Callie and Jason unwrapped presents and played away the afternoon. Callie and Jason bundled up and went out to shovel snow with Mac, but they got into a snowball fight. There was more squealing and laughing than snow shoveling, so Mac sent them back inside to make supper.
These past few months of blooming love with Mac saved Callie. She was opening up and trusting her life might be happy again as she made a cup of hot chocolate for Mac and put a blanket over Jason, who fell asleep on the floor. Dinner was a casserole of leftovers. The cooking casserole smelled delicious as the scent mixed with the sweet smell of the chocolate.
Mac was frozen when he finished shoveling snow. Callie thawed him out with hot chocolate while he piled his cold and wet clothing on the kitchen floor. She rubbed his back and hands to warm him. At her request, he built a fire then parked himself there to warm his feet. Before eight o’clock, Jason was asleep. Mac put “This Guy’s in Love with You” and “Unchained Melody” on the CD player and danced with Callie, holding her close.
Outside, the snow storm raged. High winds whistled around the corners of the house. Powdery snow drifted into soft piles against the living room windows. Inside, Callie and Mac cuddled up and observed the storm from the comfort of the sofa in front of the fire. Feeling warmed by the fire and their love, they watched the freezing storm approach, unafraid anything could drive them apart. But Callie’s happiness didn’t remove one question from clouding her thoughts, could they weather any storm heading their way?
Chapter Fourteen
The train racing to Willow Falls passed frozen fields, snow-covered silos, and farmhouses with smoke coming from their chimneys—all was still except for the rhythm and sway of the cars.
John and Susie Weston were on board, heading to Callie’s wedding. John’s six foot one inch frame folded into the too small seat. His red hair, cut short in the military way, his medals polished he looked handsome in his uniform and overcoat. Susie squeezed into the seat next to John, her dark curly hair framing a pretty face with brown eyes and bright red lips.
When she got the call from Callie asking her to be a bridesmaid and for John to give Callie away, Susie got excited and happy. Now she slept, her head drooping onto John’s shoulder. He looked out the window at the snow-covered terrain passing by and tried to figure out what to do. He didn’t know how he could be happy attending the wedding of his best friend’s girl to another man.
John unzipped his heavy coat and thought about the two weeks he and Kyle were on the same base before they were deployed. They joked about being best man at each other’s weddings, inventing the most obscene speeches and the dirtiest toasts possible. But when it came time for John’s wedding to Susie, Kyle was dead and John couldn’t bring himself to ask anyone else to be his best man, so his dad stepped into the role, but it wasn’t the same.
Now he had to participate in this wedding, watching someone else walk away with Kyle’s beloved, Callie. He and Kyle made a pact, if either one died the other one was to look out for his girl. John fulfilled the promise when he and Susie helped Callie find a job and a place to live. They had her over for holidays and Sunday night dinners. Susie even tried to fix her up with guys from her job, but after one date, Callie didn’t want to see anyone again. It was painful for John to be with Callie because her presence reminded him Kyle was gone.
He searched his heart for a sign of what Kyle wanted him to do, but he came up empty. Susie stirred beside him.
“Susie, what am I supposed to do when we get there?”
“You’re supposed to walk her down the aisle,” she said.
“I know, but I don’t have to give my approval or anything, do I?”
“I don’t think so. This one is already in the bag. Try to have a good time,” Susie said.
“Then this is it, the last time I have to stand in for Kyle and take care of Callie?”
“Soon she will be this guy, Mac’s, responsibility,” she said.
“I want to live up to my promise to Kyle.”
“You have, you are.”
“Does this mean we won’t see her any more?”
“Seeing her is going to be different.”
“Yeah. Kyle won’t be in the picture or even in the background. He’ll be totally gone, forgotten, replaced” John said, choking up.
“Not forgotten, John, not by us, we will never forget or replace him,” she said, tucking her arm into John’s arm and snuggling up to him.
“But Callie will forget him. She’s replacing him.”
“Do this for Kyle. Talk to Callie tonight.”
“She should move on. She can’t wait around for a dead man,” he said.
“If Callie was good at forgetting, she wouldn’t have mourned him for two years. Give her a chance. Talk to her.”
The train pulled into the station late in the afternoon. Callie got out of the car and paced on the platform, eager to see John and Susie again.
The train stopped and Susie came down the steps first with John following, carrying their suitcases. Callie could see right away her thin friend’s bright blue coat bulged a little in the middle, Susie was pregnant. She ran up to Susie and they hugged, Callie started to cry and Susie did, too, happy tears. When John joined them, Callie flew into his arms. He was happy to see her, too. As she stepped back, John and Susie noticed their friend was radiant, happy, smiling and beautiful again, gone was the sad little puppy dog with her tail between her legs. Callie bundled them into the car and took them to a guest house around the corner from Mac’s house. She gave them an hour to relax before dinner.
Susie rested, lying down on the bed at the guest house while John walked the small floor.
“Don’t remember when I last saw Callie look so good. I think she has found the right guy,” Susie said.
“She looks happy and all – different from the last time we saw her.
She’s moved on,” he said with a heavy heart.
“Don’t get upset. This doesn’t mean she’s forgotten Kyle.”
“Doesn’t it?”
“Don’t get all riled up or jump to conclusions, let this play out,” she soothed.
Forty-five minutes later, Susie changed into comfortable black pants and a bright red maternity top. John liked to watch her change clothes, so he could observe the bulge in her middle with pride and watch their baby grow. He walked over and put his hand on her bare belly; she turned and smiled at him. He kissed her, took her in his arms and kissed her again with more passion. He was lucky to have Susie who was beautiful, smart and now pregnant. He was going to have a son, and he was alive.
* * * *
Callie bounced into the house joyously happy, bubbling over with energy, talking about how great they looked, how pregnant Susie was and John seemed taller than she remembered. Before Mac could respond, she became busy in the kitchen, cooking dinner and making plans, talking non-stop to Mac who barely focused on her words.
Mac paced. The last person he wanted to meet was Kyle’s best friend. He didn’t know how he’d measure up in John’s eyes. Though not insecure about himself generally, this situation made him wonder if John thought him good enough for Callie, brave enough, even though he wasn’t in the military, and smart enough. He hoped John would accept him marrying Kyle’s girl, stealing her from his memory. Mac didn’t like being examined, put under a microscope, being looked over and compared. He kept telling himself he wasn’t a replacement, a stand-in, they were in love and belonged together. Even Callie couldn’t hold a torch for a dead guy forever.
About half an hour before John and Susie were due to arrive, Mac cornered Callie.
“Sit down. Stop running around. I need to talk to you.”
“What is it?” Callie asked, sitting on the edge of the sofa.
“What do you want me to do with these people? This guy was Kyle’s best friend. Is he going to hate me because I’m marrying his best friend’s girl?”
“Is that why you’ve been so tense? John is not a hating type of guy.”
“But he is going to compare me to his friend?”
“Probably, a little. But he would never say anything.”
“Great.”
“I’m sorry. It’s not a contest, Mac. You have nothing to feel insecure about. You’re terrific and you love me, what more could anyone want?” she said squeezing his hand.
“I’m not convinced.”
“But you’re my choice, Mac. John respects me, respects my decisions. He loves me…like a sister and he will honor the choice I made.”
“Callie, I think you are being naïve,” Mac said.
The doorbell rang, Callie ran to the door in a split second. Everything was ready - dinner was warming, the table was set, drinks were poured, wine was breathing and Mac couldn’t keep his hands or feet still, he moved about the room, putting his hands in his pockets, then taking them out again.
Callie made the introductions. John and Mac were a little stiff, but Mac put his hand out right away, breaking the ice between them a little. The girls disappeared into the kitchen buzzing like bees about dresses and pregnancy. Mac and John left holding beers searched for conversation.
“So you’re expecting?” Mac asked.
“The baby is due in May. It’s a boy,” John revealed.
“Congratulations. Where will you be when the baby comes?”
“Hopefully right there. Now I’m on leave, but I’ll be deployed in three weeks. From there I can’t say where I’m going, it’s classified,” John said.
“Will you be in danger?”
“Hope not,” John said, without much conviction.
When the women returned, John took Callie by the arm and pulled her aside.
“Callie, can I speak to you in private?”
“Let’s go in here,” she said, leading him into the bedroom and leaving Susie and Mac in the living room.
“Callie, I’m happy for you but I need to know if this means you’ve forgotten Kyle.”
“I could never forget Kyle. He did so much for me. Let me show you,” she said pulling the little chest out of the closet.
She opened the chest and pulled out the letters, cards and trinkets for him to see. He touched the letters gently, remembering when Kyle wandered away from the war to write them or read her replies. He fingered the charm bracelet and recalled several trips he made with Kyle to the pawn shop to buy charms for Callie. And here she had them all, every single one and the Valentine’s cards and pressed flowers, all that was remaining to define the love Kyle had for Callie lived in this small box. John was overcome and try as he might to control himself, he broke down.
“I’ll always have these things, John, as I’ll always have Kyle in my heart,” she said, putting a tissue in his hand. John pulled himself together.
“I promise I will never forget him.”
* * * *
In the living room, Mac and Susie were getting to know each other.
“John may not be around when you have your baby?”
“Don’t say that!” Susie said, bursting into tears.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Mac said, handing her his handkerchief. “I thought military wives took that stuff in stride.”
“It isn’t true. We want what every wife wants, a husband at home, safe and sound,” she said, drying her eyes.
“Of course. Of course. You’ve spent a lot of time looking after Callie over the past three years, haven’t you?” he said, changing the subject, his sharp eyes evaluating Susie.
“John promised Kyle he would. They made a pact. Each would take care of the girlfriend of the other one if one of them didn’t come back. John kept his end of the bargain,” Susie said.
“What about you? You were part of the promise, too, even though you didn’t ask to be,” Mac said, picking up on her unsaid words.
“Sometimes it hasn’t been easy. John is never home for long…it’s hard to share any of our time together. But I know Callie would have done the same for me if things were reversed. I remind myself, from time to time, I’m the lucky one, John is alive.”
“The pact will be over when Callie and I get married,” Mac said.
“We still want to keep in touch, but John won’t be responsible anymore,’ she said.
When Callie and John returned from the bedroom, they sat down to dinner.
“John and I have to ask you something,” Susie said, taking a bite of the roast.
“Susie, maybe this isn’t the time or place,” John said.
“I know Callie will be okay with this,” she persisted.
“What?”
“Our baby is a boy, we already know,” Susie went on, “We want to name the baby Kyle. What do you think?”
Callie stopped eating, put down her fork and looked straight at Susie and smiled.
“It’s a great tribute to him.”
“We didn’t want to take…anything…away from you,” she stuttered.
“Don’t worry. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to name a baby Kyle. Please use the name.”
Callie looked at Mac, who took her hand and squeezed it, but said nothing.
“Mac, what do you do here in Willow Falls,” John asked, breaking the tension.
“I’m a dean at Kensington State University. Before we go further, perhaps we should discuss the 800-pound gorilla in the room,” he said.
“What do you mean?” John asked.
“I mean the subject no one wants to mention. How I stack up against Kyle as a husband for Callie,” he said.
Everyone at the table continued eating, no one broke the silence. Callie looked at Mac.
“It’s natural you and Susie are curious about me, how I feel about Callie and how she feels about me, since you two have watched over her.”
John nodded.
“First let me say, I don’t know much about Callie and Kyle since she is pretty quiet on the subject, p
erhaps not wishing to hurt my feelings. I don’t like to get mushy, so I’ll keep it simple. Callie and I met here on campus. We’ve been working together every day since September and Callie was my son’s babysitter almost every Friday afternoon since then.”
“Callie and I got to know each other pretty well over the last three or four months because we’ve spent a lot of time together. But I will admit to you and only to you…I fell in love with Callie almost from the beginning,” Mac said, blushing, his gaze paused on his plate before looking up.
“She’s an amazing woman and I will do everything in my power to make her happy, protect her and try not to control her…although she is not easy to control,” he continued, smiling. “I’m completely committed to her. You can hand her over to me without concern about her welfare, John,” Mac concluded.
“Thanks, Mac. Callie?” John asked, turning toward her, his eyebrows raised.
“I admit to falling in love with Mac in the beginning, too. It’s time for me to start over and Mac is the right man for me now. I love him completely,” Callie said.
John raised his glass,
“Then I propose a toast. To Callie and Mac, may they be healthy and happy together forever,” John said.
Chapter Fifteen
The wedding day arrived. The storm passed and the sun shone brightly. Callie stayed at Eliza’s house, Mac dusted off his tuxedo, and people started cooking. A wedding amid a white world of snow was in the making.
Callie awoke early. She was jittery, not over the preparations as much as the idea she was actually getting married. First she worried it wouldn’t happen—Mac would die like Kyle did. Then she worried it would be the biggest mistake of her life. When she got cold feet, she pictured her life with him—Jason and Mac, playing in the snow, giving her wet hugs, eating together as a family…Mac making love to her, holding her, walking down a dark lane in autumn, hand-in-hand, laughing together.
A Love Story Page 11
