Her Unexpected Hero--A Clean Romance Read online

  Caleb crossed his arms over his chest, the blip of warmth at Senior’s words hitting him hard. He and his stepfather had been at odds, but the way he loved his wife was an inspiration.

  Senior held up a hand to still the flurry of shifting and paper turning as the reporters absorbed his statement.

  “There’s been some speculation about whether Whit would withdraw from the campaign. Dumb idea.” Senior shook his head in disgust.

  Caleb turned to catch Winter’s reaction. Her wrinkled nose suggested she might have gone a different route, but no one directed Senior.

  “Callaways are Tennessee. Have been since my great-great grandfather made it here and staked his claim with a few head of cattle and hard work.” Senior tilted his head up. “We’ve made mistakes, for sure. Top of the list is damaging our alliance with the Kingfishers, the family who loves the Smoky Valley Nature Reserve like home because it is home. We’ll be working to repair that, but first and foremost, I want to tell you about Winter Kingfisher. This lodge right here? It’s better than we ever imagined it could be, thanks to Winter Kingfisher.” He pointed at her and the crowd of news media followed. “She’s taking over as Whit’s campaign manager. And she’ll run it to win it. Richard Duncan ought to be shaking in his loafers right now.”

  Caleb was grinning at Winter’s discomfort at unexpectedly being the focus of the media’s attention, when Senior added, “And all my life, I’ve been building Callaway Construction for my son Caleb. It’s his time to take the company where he wants. You will see big things, new things, beautiful projects like this lodge. Bet on it.”

  Caleb gulped hard and did his best to remain expressionless because now the cameras were on him.

  “That’s it.” Senior clapped his hands. “Total Callaway-Kingfisher domination headed your way straight from east Tennessee, as it should be.” He laughed, pleased with himself and how things were turning out. Somehow, he’d taken the whole mess and pretended it has been his plan all along.

  That was a handy talent to have.

  “Y’all have a nice drive back home and don’t forget the lodge’s grand opening in July.” Senior frowned. “Hey, before y’all go, what about running a contest to come up with a name for the new lodge?”

  Caleb swiveled fast to see Winter’s reaction. She’d frozen in her tracks and was scribbling on her notepad. When she gave him a thumbs-up, Senior laughed like a kid. He was practically gleeful, pulling strings and making trouble.

  Bailey Garcia ignored Winter’s shepherding hand and turned back. “Mr. Callaway, I have one quick question for you if you have the time.” She motioned the cameraman closer. Whatever it was, she expected it to be the best part of the news story. “When I was at the gallery opening last weekend, I noticed a connection between Winter Kingfisher and Caleb. Is there a new romance in the works? And if so, how is that going to rock the new version of the Callaway-Kingfisher alliance?”

  The hush that had fallen over the crowd of reporters and the construction crews gathered to watch would have been funny if it had happened to anyone else but Caleb.

  Since the question was one of those worrying thoughts that had floated through his brain now and then while Senior was drilling him on earnings and upcoming board meetings, Caleb might be the most interested person in the crowd at his answer.

  But he wasn’t going to look at either Whit or Senior. If they lost it at this point, thinking he’d been flirting instead of doing what they’d asked of him to manage her, their fragile agreement could unravel in a mess of knots.

  When the silence was too much, he chanced a look at Senior. His stepfather had rocked back on his heels and was considering the question carefully. His mother stepped in front of Senior. “Never ask this man feeling questions.” She smiled beautifully. “Every mother knows this, but we hope for the best for our sons. We want them to find smart, caring women. Winter Kingfisher is definitely that. We’d be happy to add her to the Callaway Sunday dinners again.”

  “But on Caleb’s arm instead of Whit’s?” Bailey asked, following up. “How does Whit feel about that?”

  Whit’s charming grin was easy, but Caleb didn’t envy him being put on the spot. “I didn’t expect to have to remind you of this, but the only opinions that matter are Caleb’s and Winter’s.” He wrinkled his nose. “Let’s be honest. In this spot, it’s really Winter’s. Caleb would be lucky to have her and he’s already dug a deep hole. If he can get out of that, I wish them happiness. She’s my best friend. Always will be. He’s my big brother. I admire him. Always have.” Whit shrugged. “We’ll have to see how this goes, but if we can’t all get along, I’m voting to keep Winter this time. The woman is smart, you know?” The arm he wrapped around Caleb’s shoulder had the right mix of teasing and affection. And if Caleb had to guess, the reporters were eating it up.

  Winter’s expression was harder to read. She seemed...irritated. If he had to name it.

  But she slipped on a professional smile. “Thank you all for coming. If you need to get in touch with follow-up questions about the lodge, please contact the ranger station. I’ll be sending out a press release about the contest to name the lodge. The winning suggestion will have a week’s stay at the lodge, a prize that should get people interested.”

  Caleb couldn’t hear the rest of what she said, but it was impossible to take his eyes off her.

  “Be smarter than me. Don’t mess this up.” Whit squeezed his shoulder.

  “That’s it. You really don’t care if we...” Caleb wasn’t sure what to say. Fall in love? He might have already done that.

  Whit was serious. “She deserves the best. I’ve always believed you were the best.” He shrugged. “Not sure where that leaves the rest of us, but we’ll figure it out. If you have the guts to go for it. She’s the one.”

  Caleb chuckled. Winter was fielding questions and jotting notes as she went. None of the Callaways were worried about her control of the situation because she was the best.

  What was he going to do to convince her that his stupid inability to trust her at her word was a momentary lapse?

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “NEVER WOULD HAVE guessed that there was something one of the mighty Kingfishers couldn’t do as natural as breathing, but climbing is not a talent of yours,” Leanne said from her spot next to the ladder. “Get down. Let me give it a shot.”

  Winter stepped down slowly, grateful to take a deep breath as soon as she had both feet planted on the floor. Leanne made a good point. The fact that Winter hadn’t known how much she hated ladders until she started working at Sweetwater Souvenir was something to consider. There had been other frames to hang. Had someone else always done the climbing for her?

  “I don’t do cameras. You’re afraid of heights.” Leanne shrugged as she trotted to stand on the top step, the one that left no gripping room on the side of the ladder. Every muscle in Winter’s body tensed, as if she was prepared to catch Leanne when the ladder tilted. “That imperfection makes me like you more.”

  Winter rolled her eyes. “Everyone I know seems to have a running tab of things I don’t do well. Someone with a shaky opinion of themselves would have a difficult time around this town.” She clutched the sides of the ladder, determined to save Leanne from a fall.

  Although, now that she looked, the ladder’s legs were much more solidly planted than they had been when she’d been frozen in fear.

  Life was that much more solid when she was on firm ground, apparently.

  “I have the reverse problem. Town seems to be shocked I can do anything right.” Leanne paused, then she straightened her shoulders. “But we’re changing that. I’m making a difference in my own life.” She gripped the painting and carefully eased it off the hook. No white knuckles required.

  Winter tried not to take that personally.

  When she caught movement outside on the sidewalk from the corner of her eye,
Winter turned, hoping Caleb Callaway had come to his senses and was ready to grovel. She would hesitate for a split second and then she would kiss him. More than once.

  Missing him for a week had been difficult.

  Seeing him standing up in front of all those reporters, flannel and denim and charming Callaway smile and his stepfather’s affection and his brother’s admiration... Well, they weren’t done. She knew Caleb Callaway all the way down to his soul. Did she know his favorite color? No, but she knew the kind of man he was and she wasn’t done with him yet. He had some making up to do, but she’d show him the way.

  “That’s the fourth or fifth time I’ve caught you studying the street.” Leanne stepped down one rung and leaned back against the ladder, the bunny painting Winter had claimed but forgotten to buy clutched in her hands. Was she comfortable up there? Impossible. “Who are you watching for?” Leanne blinked innocently, as if she was prepared for Winter to lie so that she might pretend she believed her.

  “I’m just curious about the crowd on the street,” Winter grumbled and stepped away from the ladder. The problem with having actual friends instead of acquaintances was that they knew too much.

  And the friends she had couldn’t let a single thing go.

  “Oh, I expected you were hoping to catch sight of Caleb Callaway.” Leanne waggled her eyebrows. “Anything exciting about to happen?”

  “After the way he accused me of leaking a story to hurt his family?” Winter shrugged. “I’d be a fool to give him another chance, wouldn’t I?” She didn’t want to be obvious but she valued Leanne’s opinion.

  “I heard of a man who fell in love with his ex-wife’s best friend, a woman close enough to be called a sister. And since he was one of those paragons of virtue, it was completely out of character, but somehow, the man, his ex and her best friend had formed a family for the two kids they all loved.” Leanne hopped down the steps and leaned the painting against the wall next to the large piece she’d named Disappearing Sweetwater.

  Leanne was always ready to talk about Parker and Riley, her kids, but she didn’t mention Brett and Christina’s relationship often. “Situation like that would be hard to get through, I’d guess.”

  Instead of staring holes in the drywall or watching her hammer trick, Leanne met Winter’s gaze. “It has its moments, I can’t lie about that, especially when I wonder what life might be like if I hadn’t made the choices I did.” Then she smiled. “But those days, thankfully, they fade. Now my time is filled with happy kids and friends and the knowledge that life falls apart sometimes, but it also goes on.” She rested an elbow on the ladder. “If you were to ask any one of those people if a woman could fall for her ex-fiancé’s brother and expect the world to go on spinning, they’d all say yes.”

  Winter took the hammer Leanne offered her, questions tumbling around in her head.

  Leanne moved the ladder. “And that’s all that’s between you, right? History and your broken engagement?”

  Winter wanted to trust Leanne with everything. She wanted advice.

  And she wanted a friend she could tell the not-so-great things she’d done and know that person wouldn’t leave. “I was the one who leaked the report and stopped the lodge. Caleb took the heat to help save Ash’s job.” Winter ran a hand through her hair. “And he kissed me. Twice.” She grimaced. “One and half times.” Technically, she’d kissed him the second time, but he’d responded so well, he deserved part of the credit.

  Leanne frowned as she studied the ladder. “What is a half kiss? Never mind.” She patted Winter’s shoulder. “Explain that at girls’ night out. I’m certain I’m not the only one who needs the answer to that.” Then she held Winter’s hands. “So, what are you doing here? The Winter Kingfisher I knew and sort of resented wouldn’t be waiting on a man to make up his mind. Forget what people will say. What do you want?”

  Easy. She wanted Caleb to come through for them without having to tell him a single thing.

  Was she being silly? What man could read minds?

  “You’ll be okay if I take the rest of the afternoon off?” Winter asked, determined to pretend to be her old self even if she was still wobbly. Wasting time like this made no sense. She and Caleb could be making progress, but not if she waited until he realized the next step. She was the one with the plans. It had always been that way.

  Leanne pointed at the window. “Almost done for the day, anyway.” The sun was setting behind the mountains, so a gray shadow had fallen over the street. “I’m going to make a few phone calls, notify our buyers that next week they can pick up the paintings they purchased. Janet has the new software system installation finished, so all the commissions and...stuff will be easy to track.” She sighed. “It’s hard to believe something I made actually sold.”

  “Almost every piece we put out sold,” Winter said drily. “Pretty soon you’re going to have to get over the ‘unassuming artist’ persona.”

  Leanne frowned. “So now we’re going for plain talk, are we? Playing hardball.” She nodded. “Fine. You have an excellent excuse to find Caleb. He bought those paintings. The one you loved from the beginning and the one you wanted to own. It’s almost like you have the same taste.” She winked. “Or he was buying the things you love because you love them. Maybe you could negotiate some kind of resell on the rabbit painting.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Otherwise, you’ll have to go to his house to visit it whenever you want to see it.” She made a sad face. “The hardship, right?”

  Winter laughed. She recalled Caleb standing in the middle of the room, staring as if lost at all the artwork.

  Until she’d mentioned how much she loved the two paintings that he then quickly bought. What did that mean?

  “I don’t know where he lives.” She sniffed. How hard would it be to find out?

  “I heard an interesting tidbit about Caleb Callaway the other day while Janet was talking to Regina on the phone.” Leanne pursed her lips and shoved a shoulder under the ladder to move it away from the wall.

  Her curiosity was impossible to tamp down. The jingling bells next door put the conversation on hold. “Be right back,” Leanne said.

  “Mrs. Kingfisher, what brings you in today?” Leanne said loudly enough to carry into the gallery.

  And possibly out on the sidewalk. Did she mean it as a warning?

  Curious, Winter walked over to investigate.

  “Janet and I have a business meeting—” her mother pulled up the voluminous knit thing she always wore as a winter coat and looked at her watch “—in ten minutes. I’m early.” Her happy shimmy sent fringe dancing.

  “You didn’t tell me you were doing business, Mom.” Winter stepped closer to study the large cardboard box her mother had placed on the cluttered counter. “What’s inside?” She tried to lift one of the flaps but her mother smacked her hand.

  “Kingfisher Apothecary. That’s what’s inside. And we aren’t doing business yet, but we will.” Her mother smoothed wisps of curls that had escaped her blond topknot. Seeing her mom that way, with the tamed hair and the flashing watch that she’d actually checked, reminded Winter of kissing her mother’s cheek before she marched out the door to go to work. “Some people prefer all-natural products, shampoos and lotions that don’t destroy the environment.” She smiled benignly at Winter. “I’ve included my new shampoo, the one I made for you. Even you can’t argue with the results. I’m going to call you my spokesmodel.”

  Her mother was right. Once she’d started tinkering with her formula, the gray goop had worked better and smelled nicer, and fighting over shampoo had become a thing of the past. Being the spokesmodel for Kingfisher Apothecary would be easy enough.

  The bottle she pulled out was beautiful. There was no other way to describe it. Amber glass with a silver cap and a large tag tied around the neck with twine. Winter studied the logo on the tag, a finely drawn bird with hand lettering. The ba
ck listed ingredients.

  “Glass bottles seemed my best bet, but I’ve concentrated the formula so a drop is all you need and this bottle could last months. I got the labels printed at the old-time print shop in Pigeon Forge. They use plant dies and recycled materials. This is something I’m proud to put the Kingfisher name on.”

  Her mother straightened her shoulders and faced off against Winter as if she was prepared for Winter to do her worst.

  “I wasn’t listening,” Winter said slowly. “I’m sorry. I thought this was a hobby, like Dad’s baskets—not a...passion or a calling.” She blinked slowly. “Why wasn’t I paying attention?”

  Her mother shrugged a shoulder as if it wasn’t important. “I don’t give up easily.”

  She didn’t. She never had.

  “Based on the spokesmodel,” Janet said as she entered, “I bet we can work a deal. I do love meetings that start on time, and the results are impossible to argue with.” She checked the tag and saw the price. “Whoa.”

  “It’s that good.” Her mother’s shrewd stare transitioned into a smile. “First bottle is free, then we discuss the pricing. How does that work?” She waited for Janet to dig through the box and sniff some lotion.

  When Janet nodded and offered her hand for a shake, static popped between them.

  “I have something that can help with that.” Donna Kingfisher reached into her box of apothecary items, snagged a bottle and waved it like a television spokesperson. “Antistatic spray. Works for your clothes and hair, and it will leave you smelling like sunshine.”

  She squirted her own clothes to demonstrate, spreading spring sweetness through the shop. Janet inhaled deeply. “Got any potpourri like that? That could do a big business...” Winter’s mother reached into her box again and pulled out several jars. “Ladies, we’re busy. We’ve got some negotiating to do.”