Her Unexpected Hero--A Clean Romance

by Cheryl Harper

  Thanks to an unexpected phone call from Mitch Yarborough, who was ready for a builder’s signature on the dotted line in order to get his Nashville subdivision underway, Caleb was thirty minutes late meeting Janet Abernathy, Sweetwater’s charming kingpin of rental properties. He was also completely unprepared to run into Winter Kingfisher then. As soon as he’d entered the cute, cluttered tourist trap of Sweetwater Souvenir, he could hear the murmur of womens’ voices, but when he’d paused in the open doorway to the other side of the shop, he’d slammed on the brakes.

  Retreat was not a good option, and then her eyes met his. He couldn’t have turned his back to save his life. Why did she seem scared when he was the one having trouble catching his breath?

  “Here’s a Callaway I’m prepared to welcome to town.” The woman marching toward him crackled with energy, even if her voice had pieces of slow Southernness to it. “I’m Janet Abernathy. We’ve spoken on the phone, but I don’t remember meeting in person. You don’t get to town often, as I understand it.” She smiled slowly as she offered him her hand. “I count that a real shame. We’re gonna fix it, though.”

  Charmed and caught off guard at a warm welcome, Caleb relaxed a fraction as he shook her hand. “Right. Sorry I’m late. I had a...thing.” He shrugged. No one cared that he was scrambling to make sure the projects he had in the works stayed on track or that Missy Yarborough had had a restrained yet intense fit when he’d told her he’d be living in Sweetwater until he could get the project up and running.

  In fact, he’d be surprised if anyone in the room actually wanted to greet a Callaway at all that morning.

  Besides that, Callaways didn’t make excuses and avoided apologies when they could.

  Ever since the Kingfishers had routed his brother and father so soundly, he had the feeling Callaways were no longer greeted as wealthy benefactors in Sweetwater. Before his previous quick trip to town, how many years had it been since he’d visited? Five years? Was that how long it had been since he’d fished Otter Lake?

  “Sure. You had a thing. It happens. We busy corporate moguls have to schedule full days.” Janet tapped his arm. “Let’s get you out on the road. This first place I have to show you...” She held up her hands and gestured as if she was pushing open the curtains on a grand vista. “You won’t need to waste a bit of your time with any others.”

  Caleb ran a hand down his nape and wondered if Winter would say something. Anything at all would be good.

  Then he realized how little her opinion should matter. She was a part of his mission here in Sweetwater. As long as she wasn’t organizing press briefings or rallying the town against him or his family, his job was going to be easy.

  “I’m surprised you have it available to rent, then. Because it’s the slow season?” Caleb asked as Janet waved her hands.

  “No, it’s not a renter, it’s a buyer, but for you, I’m going to make an exception.” She nodded around the room as if everyone had asked a question. “Regina and I bought it because we wanted to try our hands at a vacation rental.” She pursed her lips. “Well, that’s not entirely true. I wanted to decorate something other than my own living room, but then we decided to hold it instead of reselling it. We weren’t sure why then, but smart businesspeople follow their hunches.” She clapped. “And it’s all working out.”

  Caleb raised his eyebrows at Winter. She was a hometown girl, had probably known Janet Abernathy her whole life. Surely she could follow the conversation better than he was managing. She shook her head, but her lips curved as if there was a smile waiting.

  Seeing her again like this, looking a lot like her old self with the suit and the heels, but different, too... Softer...

  Then he read the campaign button pinned loud and proud to her nice suit. That, they would have to talk about.

  While he was trying to come up with an answer for her, Janet breezed past him. “Let me get my pocketbook and away we go.”

  The petite blonde who followed him was shaking her head, but she didn’t pause to greet him.

  That didn’t happen often—women passing him by instead of making a point to introduce themselves.

  The fact that he hadn’t noticed her until she passed under his nose might be the reason.

  Winter was in the room. She would draw attention no matter how many women were there.

  “Caleb.” She tangled her fingers together in front of her. “You’re going to be in Sweetwater for a few months.” The way she fidgeted and refused to meet his eyes convinced him she was as pleased with the notion as he was.

  “I won’t be stuck here any longer than necessary, but yeah, until I get the lodge construction up and running, I’ll be in town.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Stuck, huh? Like it’s a punishment.”

  “Isn’t it? My stepfather’s decree—do this and all is forgiven. Given another option, I’d be eating a nice lunch right now. Instead, I’m in Sweetwater.” He pointed at the window. “Home of...a coffee shop.” Irritated all over again but aware he’d made his own decisions, Caleb held up his hands. Why did she give him the kind of jitters he hadn’t experienced since prom night? “Never mind about restaurant recommendations. I can find the only one in town by myself. Let’s talk about how my visit is going to play out. Between us.”

  Her eyes shot up, and this time she met his gaze directly. There was no way to miss the sharp intelligence there. She’d make a much better ally than enemy, something he’d always understood even if the rest of the Callaways had forgotten.

  “What does that mean?” Winter shifted a step closer to him. “As long as you keep your promise not to tell anyone the truth, why would there be anything between us? You’ll do your job, dismiss the people in this town, which seems to have become the Callaway way of life, and hit the road again. Nobody is looking forward to that as much as I am.” The corners of her lips turned up, but not into a genuine smile. “Maybe you’ll even learn to cook while you’re here. Wouldn’t want to take your chances eating anywhere with less than four stars, am I right?”

  The urge to defend himself was strong. Holes-in-the-wall, fine dining and everything in between were his kinds of places. His point had been about limited selection, not that it was beneath him.

  But the hard glint in her eyes convinced him to drop that piece of the argument.

  “I’ve got a short time frame for construction and other work that has to get done. I don’t need a circus going on while this lodge goes up.” Caleb remembered standing across from his stepfather as he’d delivered the news about his mother’s diagnosis. The tension. The fear that neither one of them wanted to acknowledge and his determination to repair the bridges he’d burned. “You’ve spent a lot of time in the center ring, grabbing the front page. Now, you’ll need to...stop. The lodge goes up. Ash has his job. Kingfishers and Callaways go along their separate, sometimes parallel, but never overlapping, paths and we all win. No bad press. This all works out for everyone.” Except for her, if she was still brokenhearted over the engagement ending. Whatever. She’d land on her feet. People as determined as Winter Kingfisher didn’t stay down for long.

  He braced his hands on his hips. This was how he did business. He was up-front. Blunt. She’d appreciate that. “No campaigning for Richard Duncan until the lodge is finished.” There. That was clear.

  Winter blinked slowly, the small frown of concentration suggesting she was evaluating his words carefully. “You’re building the lodge. Not Callaway Construction.” She pursed her lips. “That’s a good optic, plays better for all the papers covering Whit’s political run. Your company has a much better reputation. It’s so small, compared to the far-flung projects Callaway Construction has. Less destruction and legal fines, that sort of thing. The family unity is always nice, even if you have a reputation for being the least Callaway of them all.”

  Watching her pace was almost like tracking a tennis match. Then he rea
lized what she’d said. The least of them all. Even knowing her current opinion of his brother and stepfather, that stung.

  “Caleb, daylight’s wasting. You ready?” Janet stuck her head into the large open space. “Time enough to talk to the pretty women later. Let’s find you an address to call your own.”

  Caleb nodded at Janet but made sure he caught Winter’s stare one more time. She hadn’t agreed to anything. This was the trickiest piece of the puzzle, figuring out Winter’s next step.

  The fact that she robbed him of IQ points simply by standing opposite him increased the degree of difficulty.

  “We have a deal. I might be stuck here, building this lodge I don’t care about in a place I don’t know because of you, but I’ll keep my promise as long as you’ll help kill this story dead,” Caleb said. “The less time that takes, the better chance I’ll remember my promise. No more circus, Winter.”

  The firmness of her jaw suggested she didn’t appreciate his honest terms.

  “It must be nice.” Winter walked slowly toward him. “Being able to dismiss the battle to save a place I love as a circus. Your family is about grabbing headlines. Your brother is about publicity at all costs. Your stepfather and brother were happy with my circus when I was setting it up for their benefit.” She sighed. “Having me fade away would be convenient for the Callaway political team. I guess we’ll have to see which ringmaster wins, Caleb.”

  Calmly laying down the gauntlet had been a mistake. Instead of agreeing out of gratefulness or even sympathy, Winter’s stubborn expression indicated the battle was still on.

  And she was more prepared to fight than he was. After wasting precious seconds trying to come up with a better parting line than hers, Caleb turned and followed Janet through the souvenir shop. Regrouping at this point might be weak, but it was the only choice he had.

  “Follow me.” Janet jingled a key ring. “I’m bringing a contract because I know you’re going to love this place.” She turned and pointed at a white SUV. “We’re headed to the base of the reserve—can’t beat the commute out to the old weather station.”

  Caleb slid behind the wheel of his truck and eased out onto the main street behind Janet while he cataloged the changes in Sweetwater. As long as he’d been a Callaway, they’d made infrequent trips to the town and the reserve. Nothing changed quickly here. Businesses came and went but the small town seemed timeless, especially compared to the tourist explosions that had taken place in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

  And as he drove out of town, he wondered how anyone lived there happily. Where were the restaurants? How did they entertain themselves? During the day, Otter Lake could offer fishing and all kinds of water activities. Hikers would enjoy the reserve, but what about everyone else?

  Caleb tried to figure out how he’d fill in that blank. He worked. He went to parties to build relationships and find more work, and ate out and... What else did he do with his time?

  “It’s a good thing you like to work. Getting this lodge built and open is going to be a full-time obsession, no doubt,” Caleb muttered as Janet turned off the two-lane highway in front of him. They’d passed the small apartment complex where some of the reserve’s rangers lived, as well as the road that led up to the campground and ranger station. This was new territory for Caleb.

  The old pines lining the road cast a dark shade even in midmorning and it was the kind of forest that faded into darkness and seemed secretive. In less than twenty minutes, the neat civilization of Sweetwater was gone and it was easy to imagine life before the reserve and development.

  “Virgin Callaway territory. Who knew it still existed in this corner of Tennessee?” Caleb rolled to a stop right behind Janet’s SUV and watched her climb the steps to a large wraparound porch. Native stone and wood made up the facade of the two-story house. It could have been built decades ago. At first glance, the house made him think of pioneers and wagons and hard living. What did that say about the interior and modern conveniences?

  It couldn’t be any more different than his modern Nashville town house, which had a view of the city.

  “Now, don’t go jumping to any conclusions. It’s the view from the back deck you gotta see.” Janet motioned at him to hurry up and moved to unlock the door. While he waited, Caleb surveyed the exterior. Everything was in good shape. Tearing it down to start over would have been a bad idea. He admired the craftsmanship.

  The quiet hush around them would take some getting used to. In Nashville, traffic noise was a constant backdrop, whether he was working or playing or sitting on the balcony at home. He told himself he liked the energy of the city. This place had none of the noise or traffic. Everything was still.

  “Come on in, hon.” Janet’s heels tapped ahead of him on the hardwood floor. The stone and wood carried on inside to a great room that opened wide off a short foyer. “You shoulda seen the furniture we carried out of here. Plaids. All of it covered in some sort of plaid.” Her nose wrinkled. Janet didn’t care for plaid. Judging from the replacements she’d chosen, she preferred light fabrics, furniture built for comfort and a minimal style. He liked it. Shadowy sunlight filtered in through large glass doors filling one wall.

  “Want to explore the kitchen?” Janet pointed at the right side of the open room, where modern appliances gleamed. “All brand-new.”

  He hadn’t expected that or the brief flash of the picture of a family seated around the large island.

  Caleb shook his head. Who was he imagining gathered around for a nice dinner? Not his family. Formal dining at the Callaway home required multiple courses and professional staff.

  Learning to cook for himself had never been a priority, either. Those appliances should still be good as new when he moved out.

  Janet pointed up the stairs. “Five bedrooms. Hardwoods. The Heathcotes lived here before selling. Had four kids, but they all moved away. Not enough work here to keep them. When her husband died, Mary sold this place and moved down to an assisted-living facility in Knoxville. Hated to see them go, but you understand if you think about it hard. Still, when you go, I’m going to hunt up the right couple or family for this place. You can tell the Heathcotes loved it while they were here.” She brushed her shoulders. “Prettiest bathroom I’ve built yet, if I do say so myself. Got one of them rain showerheads. Separate bathtub with jets.” She motioned over her shoulder that he should follow her, so Caleb obediently trailed Janet through three bathrooms and five bedrooms. This house was nothing like what he’d describe as his perfect home, but when he stepped into the master bedroom, a space all done in smooth lines and calm colors, he could appreciate how Janet had taken the house’s history and turned it into a modern, comfortable space.

  “I’ll take it.” Caleb held his hand out to take the small stack of paper Janet immediately shoved in his direction. It was more house than he’d need, especially since they’d be running extra crews to get the lodge built quickly. He’d never be home.

  But when he was home, this was where he’d want to spend his time.

  “I was saving the best for last,” Janet said over the hands she’d clasped together under her chin. “In case I needed to justify the price tag, but...”

  Caleb studied the agreement he’d scrawled his name on in an uncustomary rookie mistake. He should have negotiated. “Rent’s higher than I expected.” But the place was worth it, so he offered her the signed contract back.

  Janet smiled broadly. “Sure, but you didn’t expect this, either.” She moved over to the French doors along the side of the bedroom.

  Caleb expected a small balcony, something too small for practical use. That was his experience in the Nashville rental market.

  Instead, he followed her out to a wide space that ran across the full length of the back of the house.

  “Two stories. Bottom level is a kind of wraparound porch,” Janet said. “And for good reason. Soak in this view.”

/>   Caleb eased into one of the chairs Janet had picked out and contemplated the deep, dark forest standing guard around the small clearing. Through a small break in the trees, he could see water. “Is that Otter Lake?”

  Janet nodded. “In summer, when the trees fill in with leaves, that’ll disappear. Whoever buys this house could do a little more clearing, with permission of the head ranger at the reserve, of course, and open that up.” She sighed. “Gonna make a fortune when I sell this.” Then she turned to look at him over her shoulder. “Of course, my buyer better get on well with Ash Kingfisher. This isn’t technically a piece of reserve land, but it’s surrounded on all sides.” She smiled slowly.

  “Well, I wouldn’t say I’m on the best terms with any of the Kingfishers, but Ash does owe me his job and this lodge.” Caleb stood slowly. There was also the fact that Callaways actually owned all the reserve lands. He should be able to do anything he wanted here. “We might be able to negotiate something.”

  “If you were buying the place.” Janet smiled sweetly. “Not renting it.” Then she tilted her head to the side.

  Almost as if she was waiting for him to make an offer. He hadn’t expected much in the way of business savvy from Janet Abernathy.

  He’d been misguided, obviously.

  “Good point. Renter here.” Caleb inhaled slowly. It was all in his imagination, of course, but the quiet stillness here made him want to slow down, take it all in.

  “I like to point out all the possibilities in every business relationship, Caleb.” Janet braced her hands on the balcony railing. “Life changes quickly, even here on the edge of nowhere. Never know when the lightning bolt hits and a renter changes his mind, finds a place to put down roots.”

  He couldn’t see her face. Was she referring to him? Roots here. Caleb shook his head but bit back the snort that was his first response.

  “Sunrise will be a true blessing, Caleb. You wait and see. Hard not to greet the day with enthusiasm when you can watch the sun break on Otter Lake.” Janet patted his arm. “It’ll cure whatever ails you, I guarantee.”