Diana Anderson - Entering Southern Country 01 - Famous in a Small Town by Diana Anderson Page A
Authors: Diana Anderson
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foyer.
“Cal?” Callie called out.
He turned.
Her mother rushed across the room to the foyer and took Cal’s right arm.
“Please stay for coffee and dessert. I haven’t seen you in ages, and we’ve got so much to catch up on.”
He eased his arm from her grip and glanced at Raven. Her eyes were on them. “No, thank you, Mrs. Wallace. I’ve still got some work to do.”
“Mrs. Wallace?” Callie said. “Since when do you call me Mrs. Wallace? When you and Agnes were in high school you always called me Callie.”
He glanced at Raven once more and said, “I’m not in high school anymore, Mrs. Wallace. Y’all have a pleasant evening.” He put his hat on, turned, opened the front door, and left.
“Ugh! That’s ridiculous!” Callie said and then turned toward Raven. “Did you say something to him to cause him to behave that way toward me?”
Raven rolled her eyes as she closed them.
“Ah, I get it,” Callie continued. “You’re still upset with him over the affair.”
Raven opened her eyes. “I couldn’t care less about your affairs, then and now, although I’m sure you haven’t changed even with your new husband.”
Callie squinted at her as she crossed the distance between her and Raven. She stood in front of her and said through clenched teeth, “Keep your voice down. Ted doesn’t need to know how I was back then, and it’s no wonder that I was seeing other men behind Virgil’s back. You know full well he was cruel and without affection.”
“I honestly doubt that you’ve changed, Mother.”
“Is something wrong?” Ted asked as he walked into the den.
Callie replaced her scowl with a well perfected smile. “No, dear, we were just chatting about old times.” She looked at Raven, her eyes dared her to contradict her. “Weren’t we, Agnes ?”
Raven wanted to burn her birth certificate. Callie continued to stare her down until Raven broke it. She turned toward Ted and asked, “Would it be all right if I kept Virgil’s dog here until I found a suitable home for him?”
“A dog!” Callie said with disgust.
Ted glanced at Callie and then looked back at Raven and smiled. “That will be fine.”
16
High school? I was in college. Raven was in high school.
Cal slid into the driver’s seat of his squad car. He started the engine, drove down the driveway, and headed on down the road. He tried to get his mind off of Agnes and back on the Neals’ case where it should be. Seeing her again was a shot in the heart but obvious to him that she didn’t feel the same way. He’d read contempt in her face and disgust in her voice. He’d hoped she hadn’t read him, because when he saw her again, those old feelings he’d had for her rushed back just like the first time he’d kissed her.
She’d seemed angry. She had stood in the Wallaces’ den with her hands at her sides clenched into fists. Her blue eyes had darkened and her jaw muscles worked. He’d never seen her angry before, but he’d seen her hurt, and it had been a pain that he couldn’t take away. When she’d left town, nobody knew where she’d gone. Her mother had said she’d left with some guy she’d met at the diner. Cal never believed it though. That was the summer after she’d graduated high school. A few months later, rumor had it that she lived in Oxford and went to college there.
When he saw her at the Wallaces’, he noticed that she wasn’t the young teenage girl who he’d fallen in love with years ago. Of course, he knew that she wouldn’t be, but he’d been surprised to see the changes that had occurred over time. She was no longer thin, but had matured in all the right places. Her bright blue eyes were no longer hidden behind a pair of cheap glasses. He had been taken aback by her long hair. She had always worn it cropped short back then. But the most important thing that he had noticed—she didn’t have a ring on her left hand.
A smile crossed his face as he remembered the first
“Cal?” Callie called out.
He turned.
Her mother rushed across the room to the foyer and took Cal’s right arm.
“Please stay for coffee and dessert. I haven’t seen you in ages, and we’ve got so much to catch up on.”
He eased his arm from her grip and glanced at Raven. Her eyes were on them. “No, thank you, Mrs. Wallace. I’ve still got some work to do.”
“Mrs. Wallace?” Callie said. “Since when do you call me Mrs. Wallace? When you and Agnes were in high school you always called me Callie.”
He glanced at Raven once more and said, “I’m not in high school anymore, Mrs. Wallace. Y’all have a pleasant evening.” He put his hat on, turned, opened the front door, and left.
“Ugh! That’s ridiculous!” Callie said and then turned toward Raven. “Did you say something to him to cause him to behave that way toward me?”
Raven rolled her eyes as she closed them.
“Ah, I get it,” Callie continued. “You’re still upset with him over the affair.”
Raven opened her eyes. “I couldn’t care less about your affairs, then and now, although I’m sure you haven’t changed even with your new husband.”
Callie squinted at her as she crossed the distance between her and Raven. She stood in front of her and said through clenched teeth, “Keep your voice down. Ted doesn’t need to know how I was back then, and it’s no wonder that I was seeing other men behind Virgil’s back. You know full well he was cruel and without affection.”
“I honestly doubt that you’ve changed, Mother.”
“Is something wrong?” Ted asked as he walked into the den.
Callie replaced her scowl with a well perfected smile. “No, dear, we were just chatting about old times.” She looked at Raven, her eyes dared her to contradict her. “Weren’t we, Agnes ?”
Raven wanted to burn her birth certificate. Callie continued to stare her down until Raven broke it. She turned toward Ted and asked, “Would it be all right if I kept Virgil’s dog here until I found a suitable home for him?”
“A dog!” Callie said with disgust.
Ted glanced at Callie and then looked back at Raven and smiled. “That will be fine.”
16
High school? I was in college. Raven was in high school.
Cal slid into the driver’s seat of his squad car. He started the engine, drove down the driveway, and headed on down the road. He tried to get his mind off of Agnes and back on the Neals’ case where it should be. Seeing her again was a shot in the heart but obvious to him that she didn’t feel the same way. He’d read contempt in her face and disgust in her voice. He’d hoped she hadn’t read him, because when he saw her again, those old feelings he’d had for her rushed back just like the first time he’d kissed her.
She’d seemed angry. She had stood in the Wallaces’ den with her hands at her sides clenched into fists. Her blue eyes had darkened and her jaw muscles worked. He’d never seen her angry before, but he’d seen her hurt, and it had been a pain that he couldn’t take away. When she’d left town, nobody knew where she’d gone. Her mother had said she’d left with some guy she’d met at the diner. Cal never believed it though. That was the summer after she’d graduated high school. A few months later, rumor had it that she lived in Oxford and went to college there.
When he saw her at the Wallaces’, he noticed that she wasn’t the young teenage girl who he’d fallen in love with years ago. Of course, he knew that she wouldn’t be, but he’d been surprised to see the changes that had occurred over time. She was no longer thin, but had matured in all the right places. Her bright blue eyes were no longer hidden behind a pair of cheap glasses. He had been taken aback by her long hair. She had always worn it cropped short back then. But the most important thing that he had noticed—she didn’t have a ring on her left hand.
A smile crossed his face as he remembered the first
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