A Love Story Read online

  It felt good to like someone, to feel wanted, even if only for an evening. The way he confided in her about his work, speaking to her as an equal made her feel special—respected instead of invisible. She sighed as she thought of his handsome face and strong arms, wondering what it felt like to be held by him, kissed by him. Callie hoped she might get the chance to find out. Then she closed her eyes, thinking of Mac, as restful sleep came for the first time in months.

  Next Friday, Audrey showed up again with Jason. She dumped him on Callie and walked out, but not before saying, “I hear you’re the babysitter. You take him. Give him to Mac when he gets back. I have things to do today. Tell Mac I’ll pick him up on Sunday night.”

  Thereafter, every Friday afternoon about two pm, Audrey showed up with Jason. Callie took him to Mac’s house, put him down for a nap, studied, played with him, made dinner, bathed him and got him ready for bed.

  And every Friday night, Mac came home to a warm meal and a beautiful woman. In the beginning, there were awkward goodbyes. Soon parting ended with a kiss. What began as a peck on the cheek, ended up barely shy of a passionate embrace after a few weeks.

  Since he paid her to baby-sit, he refrained from making a pass at her. Callie understood his dilemma and appreciated not being put into the role of babysitter doubling as a lover because it was convenient. It was about respect and she loved him for that.

  Callie thawed out at work and became more animated, smiling and chatting with everyone. Jonesy noticed the difference. She saw the pale cheeks flush with color on Friday afternoons when Jason arrived.

  * * * *

  At first Jonesy didn’t know if the excitement was due to Callie’s growing love for the child or Mac. However, knowing Mac as well as she did, she had no doubt Callie’s feelings must include him. She wondered what actually was going on when Mac got home on Friday night, but she forced herself not to pry. She knew Mac to be an honorable man who wouldn’t take advantage of this beautiful, lonely young woman, but speculating about it spiced up her day.

  Behavior in the office between Mac and Callie got friendlier as their mutual attraction and Callie’s growing relationship with Jason created a bond. Callie smiled up into Mac’s eyes. He occasionally rested a hand on her shoulder or took her arm when he wanted her attention. Jonesy watched them closely. Jason was happy to see Callie on Fridays. He toddled over to her, smiling and saying her name.

  One Tuesday after class, Callie got an urgent text message from Jonesy saying she was needed at the office right away. Jonesy waited at the door for her.

  “What is it?” Callie asked.

  “Code red. Emergency. A student, Brianna Shaw, overdosed. Her roommate called the campus police and they sent an ambulance. Eliza went to the hospital and Mac is investigating. We need to find her parents, pronto!” Jonesy said.

  By four-thirty, they located the parents on vacation in Paris. Jonesy patched the call to them through to Mac. Callie made arrangements for them to stay in guest rooms on campus. When everything was done, Jonesy and Callie took a coffee break, the first breather they had had all day.

  “Does this happen often?” Callie asked.

  “Didn’t used to. Last year, last semester, actually, before the summer, we had our first O.D. in years. Nice young man, a member of the track team, too. Seems drugs have returned to campus.”

  “What a waste, taking drugs,” Callie said.

  “Don’t know where they are getting ‘em. This is a small town. You’d think we’d see this stuff going on.”

  “What do the students say?”

  “Not much. The ones not doing drugs either aren’t paying attention or don’t want to get involved. The druggies cover their tracks. But they don’t know what they are doing, so some of ‘em overdose. Pretty dumb,” Jonesy sniffed.

  “They are lucky to be here…having someone paying their way. I don’t understand how they can spoil this experience by taking drugs,” Callie said.

  “Oh there are all kinds of shenanigans going on, like a drunken freshman setting off a fire alarm at three am. We do have mostly serious students, but some, I swear to God, their parents send them here to get them out of their hair.”

  Mac returned and immediately went behind closed doors with John Lawrence, president of the college. Afterward, John called a staff meeting and announced they were putting together a drug task force in cooperation with the police. Mac was chosen to head the task force with Jonesy and Callie to provide support.

  After the meeting, Jonesy put together a folder of candidates for student representative to the task force. The office was so busy, Callie and Mac had no time for each other.

  * * * *

  Across town, there was another conversation going on.

  “Mars, you fuckin’ idiot!”

  “Shut up, Jupiter!”

  “What the hell are you doing? You’re killin’ our customers! If any more get sick or die, we will be in deep shit.”

  “Go to Hell, Jupiter!” Mars said and hung up the phone.

  A few minutes later, he got another call.

  “Mars, what did you do?”

  “Did Jupiter call you?”

  “He’s worried and so am I. Your stupidity is going to get us arrested. You’ve blown our cover. No one knew we were selling except our customers. Now we’re page one news, you moron! You’re an idiot. A dangerous idiot.”

  “I’m sorry, Venus. I don’t know what happened.”

  “I know what happened. You weren’t paying attention and mixed up the wrong stuff. If you want to continue with us, stop fucking up!”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah? Well sorry doesn’t cut it. Sorry gets you six feet under, asshole,” Venus said and hung up the phone.

  Chapter Four

  October first was Kyle’s birthday. He would have been thirty today. In a small rose-colored chest, Callie had every card, letter and small gift she received from Kyle. After he died, she pulled out the chest occasionally and sorted through the mementos. This morning she sat with a cup of coffee, remembering their sweet days together and brought out the small chest. Right on top were the six Valentine’s cards from Kyle, in order from the first to the last. The first card was funny to cheer her up after her parents died. The second card came right after they declared their love, she was only seventeen. The next card spoke about undying love, Kyle was crazy in love with her and Callie was equally obsessed with him.

  The fourth card, the sweetest of all, came with an engagement ring. Only twenty years old, Callie said “yes” to Kyle. Engaged on Valentine’s Day, a dream come true. The fifth card found Callie graduated from college, back in New York working with Kyle off to war, the “good-bye for now” card causing Callie to cry for days.

  The sixth card, most heart-breaking, arrived long delayed from Iraq, four months after Kyle died. When she read about his love and anticipation of their wedding to take place on his next leave, she cried so much she threw up. She couldn’t bear to part with this card though it still made her feel his loss again so keenly, making her cry even two years later. Kyle seemed so far away, yet she still felt his love deep inside.

  Unable to make a good living as a young mechanic, Kyle still worked hard to support his younger brother, Danny. Though there was always food on the table, they were barely getting by, with little money for extras. When Danny graduated high school, he got a full scholarship to college, making Kyle proud of him.

  Then Kyle did what he wanted to do all along, he joined the Army. Kyle loved the heroic books he’d read and movies he’d seen, he was patriotic and proud. He wanted to be a hero—a hero to himself, his brother, his girl and his country.

  She picked up the trinkets he gave her through the years. Kyle didn’t have money for fancy presents. Together they shopped for jewelry at the pawnshop. Although Callie wondered if buying things there was like buying other people’s lost dreams, Kyle saw it as a way to give a token another chance to be admired.

  Although they planned
to wait until Callie was eighteen to make love, they couldn’t. One warm night in May, they got carried away, passion took over. Kyle, almost as inexperienced as Callie, succumbed to the heat of the moment- their mutual trust carried them through. Afterward, he presented her with a charm bracelet he saved for the occasion. It had only one charm then, a golden heart.

  From then on, every birthday, Christmas and Valentine’s Day, Kyle gave her another charm from the pawnshop. Some were cute, like the little Scottie dog, but others were meaningful, like a heart for every Valentine’s Day, a tiny house to represent the house they would live in as husband and wife and a tiny baby, the child they planned to have someday.

  When she told the pawnshop owner about Kyle’s death, he gave her one last charm, as a present. It was a tiny medal to remind Callie, Kyle was a hero, and he earned a purple heart. But to her it didn’t mean a thing, because all the medals in the world wouldn’t bring him back.

  * * * *

  Founder’s Day in Willow Falls was a big holiday, sometimes called Pierre Saucier Day because Pierre, a cousin of Champlain, established Willow Falls three hundred years ago. All the stores closed, so did the schools and most businesses. There was a parade down Washington Street and a carnival in Founder’s Square. The night before the holiday on October 2, Callie found herself caught up on schoolwork and at loose ends.

  She wandered around the town in the late afternoon, window shopping and learning her way around, until she came to a bar called The Jukebox, where a big, red sign in the window advertised “Dance Contest Tonite, 8PM”. Callie studied dance as a child and as a teenager, she danced with Kyle’s brother, Danny. Together they won three dance contests in Mount Vernon. I haven’t entered a dance contest since Danny left for college. I guess I can try it without him.

  After a light dinner, she dug out her old dancing outfit, a scoop neck white cotton blouse with pink embroidery around the edges and a pink full skirt with its own pink and white petticoat underneath. She picked out high heels and took a shower. At seven-thirty she headed for The Jukebox.

  Callie walked into the bar and froze. It was almost empty though the dancing was set to begin soon. She felt a wave of shyness, but then she straightened up, tossed her hair from side to side and forced herself to walk to the bar. She eased onto a stool and ordered a glass of wine. Shortly after the wine came, the music started.

  In the next fifteen minutes, twenty more people piled in. Some started dancing. Callie ordered another glass of wine, which she sipped as she evaluated the men from the bar. None of these guys look as good as Mac Caldwell. But she noticed one or two of the men weren’t bad looking and they were looking for dance partners.

  Bob Stanton, a small man with short hair came up to her and took her hand. She joined him on the dance floor for a lindy. Next she danced with Duke Ellsworth, a bearish man with a beard who surprised her by being graceful and quick.

  “Okay, okay, everybody. Pay attention. Now is the free dance time. Dance with everyone, and then pick partners for the competition. Brady at the bar and Sandy will pick couples to leave the floor when the contest starts, in half an hour,” said Neil, the owner and Sandy’s husband.

  Callie danced next with Fred Horn, then with Abbott Wills. But she kept looking over at Harry Caden. A lean man, short with dark blond hair and a craggy face, she guessed he must be about forty-five years old and clearly the best dancer among the men, in her opinion. She made eye contact. Harry watched her too. He smiled at her and gave a slight nod.

  * * * *

  Mac Caldwell stabbed the last piece of Mary’s homemade meatloaf on his plate with his fork. He looked up at Eliza, his dinner partner at Doc’s Diner when she asked him a question.

  “What do you think of the new girl, Callie?” Eliza asked.

  “She’s okay,” Mac replied, pushing his plate away.

  “Only okay? I think she’s one of the best workers we’ve had in a long time, don’t you?”

  “Sure, sure. She’s reliable, too,” he said, fidgeting with his napkin.

  “And pretty, don’t you think?”

  “She is,” he agreed.

  “Very pretty—no? You might actually say beautiful and not be wrong?”

  “I suppose,” he said, slouching down, narrowing his eyes.

  “Come on, Mac. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed her.”

  “Maybe I have.”

  “What are you going to do about it?”

  “What do you mean?” Mac asked, finally looking up.

  “Mac Caldwell, don’t play games with me. You know exactly what I mean. Aren’t you going to ask her out or have you already?” Eliza asked, her voice heavy with impatience.

  “I haven’t actually asked her out, but I thought about it.”

  “What are you waiting for? Someone else will snatch her up and you’ll be sorry,” she warned.

  “Why do you say that? Do you know something? Is Callie going out with someone?” he asked, sitting up straight in his chair.

  “You’d better get going. She’s perfect for you, Mac. Don’t be an idiot, make your move.”

  Eliza smiled as she stood up.

  “Leaving?” he asked.

  “I’m expecting a call from the twins in a little bit,” she said, looking at her watch.

  Mac bid her farewell and stayed to linger over coffee.

  “What’s that racket, Doc?” he asked, when music came blasting from across the street.

  “They’re having a dance contest over at The Jukebox again. Seems like every Tuesday night they do something noisy as hell over there,” he said.

  Mac paid up, walked outside and wandered over to look in the window at The Jukebox. A dance contest was the last thing to interest him. He could waltz well enough and slow dancing was fine, sort of like having sex on the dance floor, but the fast stuff with intricate steps seemed beyond him. He looked in the window and couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw shy Callie Richards being twirled on the dance floor. He went in quietly and found the only unoccupied inconspicuous table in the shadows in the corner of the bar. He ordered a beer and sat back, enjoying watching Callie without being seen.

  “Okay, okay, it’s time to find a partner. Now Sandy is going to go over to each couple and wait for your applause. If you applaud for a klutz up here because he is your cousin, Sandy will decide who is best on her own. Otherwise, you all get to choose the winners,” Neil told the crowd.

  Bob came over to Callie right away. He reached out for her hand, but she shrank back. Behind her, Harry Caden moved closer quietly, placing his hand on her waist and gently pulled her toward him. She looked at him and smiled, paying no attention to Bob who said a few unpleasant words to Harry, who ignored him. Callie and Harry went up onto the dance floor while Mac sat in the back, watching, his eyes glued to her.

  The music started. The first dance was a lindy hop to “Rock Around the Clock”. Everyone started off well, but Callie and Harry were smoother than the other eight couples on the floor. Harry spun Callie out, her full skirt swirling up around her thighs and pulled her back with hands of steel.

  Sandy went over to Callie and Harry who received thunderous applause. Two couples were eliminated. Then the music changed to a swing number. Harry and Callie fell in together like they danced together for years.

  Callie held Mac’s attention with her graceful and quick moves, the muscles in her beautiful thighs and calves strong. Harry was sweating, but never missed a step. When the music was over, everyone took a water break.

  Next was a Cha Cha Cha. Callie moved her hips perfectly to the music with Harry matching her every move. He put his hand low on her waist as a guide for his hips. Mac sat up keeping a hawk’s eye on Harry’s hands, watching intently, color beginning to rise in his neck as he saw them Cha Cha, moving so effortlessly together. He couldn’t take his eyes off Callie’s hips.

  Two more couples were eliminated. The next number was a waltz. Harry drew Callie closer and slid his leg between hers. Mac raised an
eyebrow, his gaze following Harry’s leg as it moved between Callie’s. They twirled around the dance floor fluidly, holding their arms rigid and bending and dipping with the music, an enchanting pair. Two more couples were eliminated, leaving only three left on the dance floor.

  Now it was time for the last dance, a tango. Obviously Callie’s favorite as she jumped up and down when it was announced. Harry gave a broad grin indicating this was a favorite of his too before they put their heads together, whispering and nodding.

  Then the music came on. Harry assumed a dominant position over Callie. She pulled back and let him take command. He pulled himself up to his full height and maintained a serious countenance and rigid, masterful posture. Callie matched his every move, focusing totally on his body. Their movements were crisp and beautifully synchronized. Impressed with their fluidity and physical communication, Mac’s brow furrowed at the notion Callie already knew Harry, perhaps dated him, and slept with him.

  At the end of the dance, Sandy went for the applause. The other two couples got polite applause, but Harry and Callie brought the house down. They won the little trophies and got a drink on the house. Mac wanted to approach Callie, but she was surrounded by male admirers. He heard Eliza’s warning in his head, “Someone else will snatch her up and you’ll be sorry.”

  “Thank you, Miss Callie, for dancing with me,” Harry said bowing and kissing her hand.

  “You’re wonderful,” Callie said, grabbing him by the lapels and giving him a big kiss on the mouth. The men cheered while Harry blushed and returned to his table.