normal for the first time in a week.
As much as she wanted to stay like that, they had to go before her family realized she wasn’t in the church.
Cal set her down. Keeping her hand clasped in his, he towed her around the front of the truck and hoisted her into the driver’s side.
She slid across the bench seat to her side.
He got in and popped the truck into gear. “You really want me to take you straight to the bus station? You have got a few hours until the next bus leaves, right?” He eyed her black dress and heels. “Do you really wanna sit in the dirty terminal in them pretty clothes?”
“Where else would I go?”
“Come to my place. I won’t pester you to talk. You can sit out in the swing. I’ll even feed you.”
“The next bus leaves at eight tonight.”
“I’ll have you there in time.”
It would be nice to just relax. “Okay.”
Cal smiled. He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles.
The day was oppressively hot. She rolled down the window and let the air eddy around her, her mind blessedly blank. For once she didn’t mind the repetitive scenery.
“You really just plan on leavin’ without a word?”
“I wrote Aunt Hulda a letter and taped it on the steering wheel of her car. She had more warning that I planned to leave because I’d given notice two weeks before Mom died that I’d be hopping a Greyhound at the end of the month. Carson has the letter I wrote to Carolyn.” She’d kept both letters short.
“That’s something, anyway.”
Cal didn’t speak again until they’d parked in front of his house. “You got anything in them suitcases that could melt? Gonna get hotter than sin out here.”
“Makeup.”
“It’d be best if I set your suitcases inside the house.”
As soon as Kimi’s feet hit the dirt, she heard yapping. She looked at Cal. “You have a dog?”
“Yeah. It gets lonelier livin’ on your own than I imagined.” A sheepish look crossed his face and she wanted to hug him. “She’s good company. But watch out ’cause she’s still a puppy.”
“What kind of dog?”
“Australian shepherd-blue heeler mix.” Cal lifted the luggage as if it weighed nothing. “She’s in the backyard. You’d better change so she doesn’t tear your stockings and dress to shreds.”
Kimi snagged the small case and once they were inside, headed for the bathroom. She stopped in the living room. “You have furniture.”
“Well, darlin’, it has been over a year since you’ve been here. So why are you surprised?”
“I figured you’d be the type to leave it empty until you got married and let your wife decorate it.”
“Nope. I can’t go that long without a TV. And I have an aversion to a couch covered in flowers that I can’t sit on.”
In the bathroom she changed into a pair of floral pedal pushers and a sleeveless blouse, not bothering to put on shoes. Wandering through the house, she paused by the screen door to watch Cal playing with his dog. He’d ditched the western shirt in favor of his undershirt. Lord. The man looked even more muscled than the last time she’d seen him.
Then her attention was completely commandeered by a black and white and gray puppy bounding all over the place. The little dog would run toward Cal, stop, jump back, jump sideways. The puppy tore circles around him, yipping and barking until Cal was laughing so hard he had to rest on his knees. The puppy plopped right beside him, panting like crazy.
A warm, sweet feeling flowed through her at seeing such an unguarded moment. The instant she opened the screen door, the puppy’s ears perked up. Then she emitted the cutest, most ferocious sounding barks as she raced forward to assess the threat to her master.
“Gigi!” Cal shouted. “Sit.”
Gigi ignored him and jumped up on Kimi, her paws leaving muddy prints on Kimi’s pants, her tail wagging crazily. “Hey, sweet girl.” Kimi felt Cal’s eyes on her. “You’re a pretty little thing. Even your dog has those gorgeous
As much as she wanted to stay like that, they had to go before her family realized she wasn’t in the church.
Cal set her down. Keeping her hand clasped in his, he towed her around the front of the truck and hoisted her into the driver’s side.
She slid across the bench seat to her side.
He got in and popped the truck into gear. “You really want me to take you straight to the bus station? You have got a few hours until the next bus leaves, right?” He eyed her black dress and heels. “Do you really wanna sit in the dirty terminal in them pretty clothes?”
“Where else would I go?”
“Come to my place. I won’t pester you to talk. You can sit out in the swing. I’ll even feed you.”
“The next bus leaves at eight tonight.”
“I’ll have you there in time.”
It would be nice to just relax. “Okay.”
Cal smiled. He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles.
The day was oppressively hot. She rolled down the window and let the air eddy around her, her mind blessedly blank. For once she didn’t mind the repetitive scenery.
“You really just plan on leavin’ without a word?”
“I wrote Aunt Hulda a letter and taped it on the steering wheel of her car. She had more warning that I planned to leave because I’d given notice two weeks before Mom died that I’d be hopping a Greyhound at the end of the month. Carson has the letter I wrote to Carolyn.” She’d kept both letters short.
“That’s something, anyway.”
Cal didn’t speak again until they’d parked in front of his house. “You got anything in them suitcases that could melt? Gonna get hotter than sin out here.”
“Makeup.”
“It’d be best if I set your suitcases inside the house.”
As soon as Kimi’s feet hit the dirt, she heard yapping. She looked at Cal. “You have a dog?”
“Yeah. It gets lonelier livin’ on your own than I imagined.” A sheepish look crossed his face and she wanted to hug him. “She’s good company. But watch out ’cause she’s still a puppy.”
“What kind of dog?”
“Australian shepherd-blue heeler mix.” Cal lifted the luggage as if it weighed nothing. “She’s in the backyard. You’d better change so she doesn’t tear your stockings and dress to shreds.”
Kimi snagged the small case and once they were inside, headed for the bathroom. She stopped in the living room. “You have furniture.”
“Well, darlin’, it has been over a year since you’ve been here. So why are you surprised?”
“I figured you’d be the type to leave it empty until you got married and let your wife decorate it.”
“Nope. I can’t go that long without a TV. And I have an aversion to a couch covered in flowers that I can’t sit on.”
In the bathroom she changed into a pair of floral pedal pushers and a sleeveless blouse, not bothering to put on shoes. Wandering through the house, she paused by the screen door to watch Cal playing with his dog. He’d ditched the western shirt in favor of his undershirt. Lord. The man looked even more muscled than the last time she’d seen him.
Then her attention was completely commandeered by a black and white and gray puppy bounding all over the place. The little dog would run toward Cal, stop, jump back, jump sideways. The puppy tore circles around him, yipping and barking until Cal was laughing so hard he had to rest on his knees. The puppy plopped right beside him, panting like crazy.
A warm, sweet feeling flowed through her at seeing such an unguarded moment. The instant she opened the screen door, the puppy’s ears perked up. Then she emitted the cutest, most ferocious sounding barks as she raced forward to assess the threat to her master.
“Gigi!” Cal shouted. “Sit.”
Gigi ignored him and jumped up on Kimi, her paws leaving muddy prints on Kimi’s pants, her tail wagging crazily. “Hey, sweet girl.” Kimi felt Cal’s eyes on her. “You’re a pretty little thing. Even your dog has those gorgeous
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