Her Unexpected Hero--A Clean Romance Page 18

Caleb fought the urge to slap his hand on the armchair. “Listen, I thought we had a crisis. Somebody start talking. For once, just once in this family, let’s lay all the cards out. What’s going on?”

  “Watch your tone, young man. There’s a...situation,” his mother said sweetly, “but we have a plan in place to handle it.”

  “Either I’ve been working too long and my brain is fried or you’re being deliberately impossible to follow,” Caleb said. “Talk or I’m loading up and heading for Nashville. There I will sleep for a solid week before scrambling to put my own business back together. I put it on hold for this, remember?”

  Would he be able to carry through on the threat now that he was falling for the lodge and Otter Lake more every day?

  If he had to. He’d learned he could do anything if the incentive was strong enough.

  “Fine. Good idea.” Senior leaned forward. “Whit isn’t coming, anyway. He’s on his way to Sweetwater to deal with Winter Kingfisher.”

  Caleb mirrored him, and was half a second from running back to the truck. “Handling” Winter Kingfisher was no job for Whit. One or both of them would get hurt. “What does that mean? Handling? I talked to her before I left town. She swears she’s not the person behind this story.” Did he believe her? Why couldn’t he decide how to answer that question? There’d been no lie in her eyes or her voice, but it made too much sense.

  “She’s not the person behind this story, but I took a page from her book,” his mother said, looking relieved. “Your stepfather does not listen to logic or reason on some things. I am one of those things.” She smiled over at Senior, who had crossed his arms over his chest. “We’ve done things his way for long enough. Now, we’re going to try it my way. No more hiding or pretending. The Callaway family is going to be open and honest, with each other, and with the voters and neighbors of Tennessee. Life is too short for all this strategizing. My way will eliminate all that running in place.”

  Caleb leaned back, speechless. What was there to say? Everything she said was true, but what did “her way” look like?

  “I want Whit to run the campaign he wants, not what he thinks will win. I want to get out of this house. I want to see the lodge you’re building. The Callaway Foundation? I want to investigate the school projects we’re funding. And if I’m going to die, I want to truly appreciate every moment until then.” She gripped Caleb’s hand. “So, when a news reporter called to ask about my absence at the latest Foundation meeting, as if maybe there was some juicy news there, I told the truth. No more hiding. No secret maneuvers, not anymore. Nothing has changed with my diagnosis. The treatments are easy so far and I feel like myself, and while I do, I’m going to live my life. Senior is going to retire and help me do that.” She shook her head. “I wanted you here today because if I let him put this off, he’ll never make good on his promises to me. He loves Callaway Construction and politics and pulling the strings too much.”

  “Not as much as I love you. Everything I do is for you. You know that,” Senior said. His gruff voice had a different tone than normal. And Caleb believed every word he was saying. “She outflanked me, Cal. Your mother zigged while I was watching for a zag, told that reporter everything and basically changed everything.” His disgruntled frown transformed into a goofy grin as his mother waggled her eyebrows.

  “I’ve still got it. You retire. Let me take the lead for a bit.” His mother patted Senior’s hand cheerfully.

  “Retire. So what does that mean?” Why am I here? That was what he wanted to understand.

  “Callaway Construction. I’m stepping down.” Senior met his stare. “All my life, I’ve intended to hand it off to my boys. Now’s the time. Your mother saw to that.”

  Caleb studied the dark red pattern on the rug under his dirty boots. “What does that mean? And where is Whit?” A bolt hit him. “You pulled me out of Sweetwater because Whit’s going to take over the lodge project?” Emotion hit before he could see it coming and he was up and out of the chair. “I’ve put in time. That’s my project!”

  Senior blinked and faced his mom. “You were right.”

  “Of course I was. All he needed was the open door.” She crossed her leg slowly. “If any of you had listened to me six months ago, a year ago, we’d all be much happier at this point.”

  Caleb bit his lip to prevent an angry interruption, but he could feel the tension in his jaw.

  “Whit has his political career. He’ll continue to serve on the boards, but you will run Callaway Construction. It’s all yours. We have contracts in place that will have to be completed, but after that, you determine the direction of the company.” Senior’s lip curled up. “Take your ideas for Summit and make them all bigger because Callaway Construction can handle it. We have crews ready to go.”

  The possibilities that immediately opened in front of him made his knees weak. Caleb collapsed in the armchair again while he considered what that would mean to his life. “From Knoxville? That’s where you want this to stay, right?”

  Senior’s eyes narrowed. “It’s yours, Cal. Knoxville or Nashville.” He shrugged. “You could run it out of Sweetwater if you wanted to. With the right crews in place, you could do that. Callaway has some experienced project managers, but how big or small, whether you oversee every project or only what you want to, that’s all up to you.” Senior wrapped his hand around his wife’s. “There. I managed to say it. You thought I couldn’t.” The way they chuckled together made Caleb feel like an outsider looking in.

  “The only thing I ask,” his mother said softly, “is that you make a place for Whit if he ever wants it. Politics seems like a calling, but even men with missions get tired of the work. He could be an asset to the business, as well.”

  Of course he could. Whit could work a room of wealthy donors like a pro. Drumming up business contracts was only a small step from that.

  “We’re going to announce this and some other changes we want to make at the media day at the lodge. That’s going to be the place where we do our celebrating from now on.” Senior tipped up his chin. “That’s where the Callaway family got its start. This lodge is going to be our future.”

  They were both watching him but he wasn’t sure what to say.

  “You don’t want this, son?” his mother asked quietly.

  Caleb wanted to pace. Sitting still with all the pride, worry and passion tumbling inside him was too hard. Finally, he said, “This is what I’ve wanted all along. I never thought I’d have it. I didn’t measure up. As a Callaway.”

  The glare his mother gave Senior was impressive. The only other person he’d ever seen use her eyes like a weapon in the same way was Winter Kingfisher.

  “It was always my plan. I should have made that clearer.” Senior nodded. “I assumed you’d appreciate it more if you had to fight for it.” He ran a hand over his forehead. “That’s how my father did things. Obviously, we were both fools.” He smiled at his wife’s complacent nod.

  And Caleb had to laugh. The chastised expression on Senior’s face was cute. They were cute together. Seeing them like this, away from the formal dining room, reminded him of the Kingfishers’ exchanged glances at the gallery. Someday, if he was lucky, there would be a woman who could see every one of his flaws, remind him of them with one cut of her eyes and make him better every day.

  Then he realized what a mess he’d left in Sweetwater.

  He should call Whit to warn him about his accusations that morning.

  But every part of him rebelled at the idea of helping his brother win Winter back. She deserved more. They both did.

  “You want to take a look at the projects we’ve got going, the proposals we have lined up?” Senior asked. “Sooner we start, the sooner your mother gets what she wants.”

  Caleb smiled as his mother exhaled loudly. “I have a doctor’s appointment at three. Patrice will go with me.” She held up a hand. “You two ta
lk business, but don’t let him convince you he’s not ready for something new, Caleb. Last night he booked us hotel rooms in New Orleans. Apparently, we’re going to start all this with the vacation he’s been talking about for three years.” His mother pressed kisses to both of their cheeks and left.

  Senior covered his cheek with his hand. “Can’t lie. She’s right. I hope you’ll...allow me to be involved, but this is what I’ve always wanted. Sooner than I expected, but what I wanted. We had to wait for you to be ready.”

  Caleb thought back to how he’d lived his life, dropping in and out of the Callaway unit whenever he pleased because he’d convinced himself no one minded. And they’d been waiting for him to settle.

  “I don’t want to quit the lodge, Senior.” Caleb wasn’t ready to let it go. Not yet. “How can I do what needs to be done from Sweetwater?”

  Senior tilted his head back. “Grabbed a piece of your heart, has it? There’s something in the air there.” He didn’t ask the question Caleb was most worried about. If Senior wanted to know if there was someone in Sweetwater, what would he say? How would the admission that Winter Kingfisher was the kind of woman he’d go to war over ruffle the new calm waters? And if Whit succeeded in winning her back, would he still pursue his own feelings for her?

  No. Of course not. He’d admired her from afar. He could do that again.

  “Got a list of all the projects and managers working them.” Senior pointed at the computer on his desk. “Do so much remotely that you could be in Timbuktu as long as the internet worked. Sweetwater is easy enough.”

  Relieved at the open door Senior had left him, Caleb stood and moved behind the desk. “Let me see what you’ve got.”

  Working with Senior was easy enough when they were focused on the construction projects Callaway had scattered all over Tennessee. Small builds, like houses, and larger projects, including a school outside Chattanooga—each one of them was interesting. He needed to visit all of them as soon as possible.

  “I’ll be bringing my own crew in, promoting some of them to head up projects.” Caleb waited for his stepfather’s objections, but Senior nodded. “You’ll need at least one more solid project lead to take over the lodge. Hope you’ve got someone in mind.”

  He did. As he paged through the spreadsheets outlining Callaway’s work orders and timeline, the sensation of falling into the spot he’d been meant for was impossible to ignore.

  Only one worry remained: what to do about Winter Kingfisher.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  WINTER SPENT THE first hour after Caleb’s surprise visit searching for news on her phone. Instead of helping Janet and Leanne with cleaning up the gallery or planning their next step, she hunkered down on a stool behind the cash register of Sweetwater Souvenir and hunted for details.

  Every story she read and the single video she found, the one starring Bailey Garcia, of course, mentioned that Marjorie Callaway had sought treatment for a health issue. People were speculating that it was either cancer or dementia. Every source she read was the same until she hit the Sweetwater newspaper’s online list of headlines. One of them was written by Marjorie Callaway herself.

  “Brilliant. So smart.” The bells rang over the door and Winter craned her neck to make sure someone else would help the retired couple who’d come in out of the cool March morning. Janet motioned over her shoulder with her thumb, a direct order for Winter to clear out, so Winter moved back to the gallery’s storage room to read the short, heartfelt announcement that the Callaway family was facing a challenge that so many other Tennessee families were struggling with. There were facts about how Alzheimer’s impacted communities, what treatments were available and what Marjorie was trying, and at the end, a piece of encouragement for anyone struggling with the same situation, those with the diagnosis and the ones who loved them, that they should live every single day.

  “‘Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. We don’t have to hide in the shadows, no matter what the diagnosis is. We have to get busy living. Start your treatment, but don’t wait for a cure to be happy.’” Winter read the first sentence of the last paragraph out loud. “‘Forget chores or obligations or errands. Skip those. Dreams and the things you’ve put off to try when life is easier or better or whatever your reason, do those today.’” She put down her phone and covered her face with both hands. Marjorie was right. And instead of listening to Senior or whoever gave her advice, she’d taken Winter’s words to heart and moved out front.

  It was a brave maneuver. Smart. The Callaways had nothing to fear from their political or business rivals. The truth was out and they were going to go on living.

  “What are you doing back here?” Janet asked. She and Leanne were blocking the doorway, concern wrinkling both of their brows. “This ain’t like you, hon.”

  She was right. It was almost like Caleb had blown the old her into little pieces with his confrontation and then Marjorie had come along and squeezed those pieces to dust.

  “Caleb was here and he was mad. He accused me of being behind this news story about his mother.” She pointed at her phone. “Marjorie Callaway wrote her own story. No one could tell it better. That’s expert-level public relations right there and she just...” Winter snapped her fingers. “I was the strategist running Whit’s campaign and life, even though I had to work my way around Senior, but there was his mother, right there, waiting for a spotlight.” Winter closed her eyes. “I want Caleb back here right now and I want to shove that story in his face and I want to demand an apology, and then I want to wrap my arms around his shoulders and squeeze him until he can’t breathe because he needs someone to do that because his mother is awesome and this news is scary but there’s still so much hope and...” Her shoulders slumped. “And I don’t know what else.”

  When she managed to open her eyes again, both Leanne and Janet had moved closer, almost as if they wanted to hug her or comfort her but they weren’t sure how.

  “Since when does Caleb Callaway’s opinion matter so much?” Leanne asked softly. The former baddest girl in town had taken a turn for the quiet and insightful and Winter wasn’t sure how much she liked it. Her face must have been twisted into a disgruntled expression. “Sorry. My therapist is rubbing off on me. In a good way.”

  Janet chuckled at that and some of the overwhelming tension in the room evaporated.

  “Caleb Callaway started to matter...” Winter replayed so many different times when she’d been impressed with Caleb. Out at Buckeye Cove, when he’d shared with her and made her smile even after she’d tried to leave him in the dust on the hike down. Over dinner with his crazy enjoyment of her mother’s home cooking. The way he’d known she needed his help at the gallery opening. The kiss.

  “He mattered from the first time I barged into his office and demanded he care about Otter Lake.” Winter shoved a hank of hair behind her ear and realized how true it was. “If he’d hesitated, I wouldn’t have been surprised. If he’d said no, it would have confirmed my suspicions. Instead, he said yes and he told me to reach for more. Ash’s job was one thing. The whole adding him to the board of directors? That was all Caleb. If he hadn’t taken credit for slipping the report to Richard Duncan, how much harder would this life be right now. His opinion started to matter right then and there. He did something good for me and never once expected to profit from it. Instead, he’s had to put his own plans on hold.” And she still felt the guilt over that.

  Her shoulders slumped. She hadn’t done what he accused her of, but she was still plenty at fault. Then she realized what she’d admitted to Janet and Leanne.

  “So he didn’t leak the report and save The Aerie?” Janet pursed his lips. “All along I’ve been giving that boy the benefit of the doubt because he’d done a good deed, and he didn’t even do it?”

  Winter began pacing. “He did more. I did that, released the report to protect The Aerie, but he protected
me. And Ash. And made it possible for Ash to correct the problem, strengthen the reserve. Caleb did that. I didn’t ask for that. He did that on his own.”

  “He’s kind of annoying, the way he always manages to do the right thing when you least expect it.” All of them turned to see Whit Callaway standing in the doorway.

  They must have shared an angry, surprised expression because he held up both hands. “Sorry. I used the door. There were bells. No one heard them.”

  Janet covered her heart with both hands. “My superpower is on the fritz! I didn’t even know there was a rich person in the vicinity, much less about to walk into the store.”

  Leanne laughed and shook her head. “You’re tired. You need to rest. Come have a seat.”

  “No way. Not with this Callaway. He broke our girl’s heart.” Janet crossed her arms over her chest and moved to stand next to Winter. “He won’t get another chance.”

  Winter appreciated the effort, but all of her confusion and just...lostness had come down to this point. She needed to talk with Whit. “Janet, it’s okay. My heart is safe enough.”

  Janet narrowed her eyes. “Well, you be careful, young man. Her heart might not be in any danger, but your neck is. Do you hear me?”

  Whit nodded solemnly and moved aside as Leanne led Janet out of the storage room. Whit leaned a shoulder against the open doorway. “Can we talk here?”

  Her first instinct was to demand to know what he wanted to talk about.

  If this was another confrontation about his mother’s story, Winter would not be caught off guard this time. Whit would be sorry. Someone would be forced to call the cops for his protection.

  All of that must have crossed her face. Whit held up his hands. “All of that? That’s not what I want to talk about. I have two things to say, then I’ll leave.”

  Winter marched over to the stepstool she’d been using as a chair and sat. “How did you find me?” He’d be twice as shocked as Caleb had been when he saw what she was driving, so he hadn’t spotted her car and dropped in.