again, this time to full daylight pouring into the room. She got up and searched around the floor for her purse, finding it where she had haphazardly tossed it the night before. She grabbed her phone to see if there was a message from Scott. There was none.
She texted him, “Thanks for dinner. I had a great time.” That was safe enough. No overt admissions of romance or anything like that. Although she was pretty certain she had come a little ways down that road already, she wasn’t quite ready to share it with him.
She grabbed her clothes from where she had put them on a chair and hung them up. Donning her Levi’s and Coach work boots, she went out to the barn to feed and milk the goats and look at the list of morning tasks her mother posted on the board. Callie was conscious of the fact she was getting free rent as well as taking up the space where her mother would have let the hired help live.
Thankfully, the list of tasks was short. Callie sighed to herself. No use putting it off any longer. She would have to go in and face her mom and grandma sometime.
Grandma Minnie didn’t say anything as Callie walked into the kitchen although Callie was sure there was a smirk on her face. “Good morning, Grandma,” she said as she put the goat’s milk in the refrigerator.
Grandma Minnie spoke up. “And where were you at last night young lady? Coming in at all hours…”
Callie shook her head. Why try to hide it? She smiled broadly, “I had a date.”
“Is this someone we know? Will he be a repeat offender?” asked Grandma Minnie.
“Yes, as if you couldn’t guess, Scott McMillan. And yes, I’m thinking you might see him around.”
Grandma Minnie shook her head. “Dating Scooter McMillan, who’d have thought it? I always imagined you didn’t like him.”
“I don’t think I knew him as well as I thought I did when we were in high school. Besides, people change.”
After breakfast, Callie returned to the cottage to shower and dress. Fall in Skinner required layering as it could be rainy one moment and sunny the next. She pulled on her Ralph Lauren jeans. A white pullover sweater with a multicolored infinity scarf and brown leather half boots completed the look. She checked her phone again, but there was no reply to her earlier message to Scott. The phone rang in her hand and she answered it eagerly. “Hello?”
A woman’s voice answered, “Callie? This is Janna Cates from Rivers Real Estate.”
Masking her disappointment, Callie said, “Janna, it’s good to hear from you. Have you got some places for me to look at?”
“There’s a condo in a great location that hasn’t even come on the market yet and it seems the sort of place you’d like. Very loft-y and New York-ish.”
Callie wasn’t sure if she wanted to be reminded of her old life while making a new one there, but in Skinner, New York-style meant something very different than what it meant in New York. In fact, Janna Cates, with her thick black rimmed cat’s eye glasses and asymmetrical short hair, seemed to think she was displaying an East Coast sensitivity for style. Callie gave her points for trying.
“Sounds great. When is it available to see?”
“It will be open all morning if you’re free.”
“Would it be an imposition if you could come by and get me? Afterwards, you can just drop me off downtown at Caffe Misto.” Callie said. “Then I can ride with you to look at these places.” Callie also thought she could then partake of coffee and cinnamon rolls.
“Sure. See you in a few,” said Janna.
Janna arrived, wearing knee-high black boots, black tights and a well-fitting black sweater. The only color in her ensemble came from a Black Watch tartan skirt with its distinctive dark blue and green checks.
The condominium complex, located on the north side of Skinner, was in a renovated elementary school. They were buzzed in tall
She texted him, “Thanks for dinner. I had a great time.” That was safe enough. No overt admissions of romance or anything like that. Although she was pretty certain she had come a little ways down that road already, she wasn’t quite ready to share it with him.
She grabbed her clothes from where she had put them on a chair and hung them up. Donning her Levi’s and Coach work boots, she went out to the barn to feed and milk the goats and look at the list of morning tasks her mother posted on the board. Callie was conscious of the fact she was getting free rent as well as taking up the space where her mother would have let the hired help live.
Thankfully, the list of tasks was short. Callie sighed to herself. No use putting it off any longer. She would have to go in and face her mom and grandma sometime.
Grandma Minnie didn’t say anything as Callie walked into the kitchen although Callie was sure there was a smirk on her face. “Good morning, Grandma,” she said as she put the goat’s milk in the refrigerator.
Grandma Minnie spoke up. “And where were you at last night young lady? Coming in at all hours…”
Callie shook her head. Why try to hide it? She smiled broadly, “I had a date.”
“Is this someone we know? Will he be a repeat offender?” asked Grandma Minnie.
“Yes, as if you couldn’t guess, Scott McMillan. And yes, I’m thinking you might see him around.”
Grandma Minnie shook her head. “Dating Scooter McMillan, who’d have thought it? I always imagined you didn’t like him.”
“I don’t think I knew him as well as I thought I did when we were in high school. Besides, people change.”
After breakfast, Callie returned to the cottage to shower and dress. Fall in Skinner required layering as it could be rainy one moment and sunny the next. She pulled on her Ralph Lauren jeans. A white pullover sweater with a multicolored infinity scarf and brown leather half boots completed the look. She checked her phone again, but there was no reply to her earlier message to Scott. The phone rang in her hand and she answered it eagerly. “Hello?”
A woman’s voice answered, “Callie? This is Janna Cates from Rivers Real Estate.”
Masking her disappointment, Callie said, “Janna, it’s good to hear from you. Have you got some places for me to look at?”
“There’s a condo in a great location that hasn’t even come on the market yet and it seems the sort of place you’d like. Very loft-y and New York-ish.”
Callie wasn’t sure if she wanted to be reminded of her old life while making a new one there, but in Skinner, New York-style meant something very different than what it meant in New York. In fact, Janna Cates, with her thick black rimmed cat’s eye glasses and asymmetrical short hair, seemed to think she was displaying an East Coast sensitivity for style. Callie gave her points for trying.
“Sounds great. When is it available to see?”
“It will be open all morning if you’re free.”
“Would it be an imposition if you could come by and get me? Afterwards, you can just drop me off downtown at Caffe Misto.” Callie said. “Then I can ride with you to look at these places.” Callie also thought she could then partake of coffee and cinnamon rolls.
“Sure. See you in a few,” said Janna.
Janna arrived, wearing knee-high black boots, black tights and a well-fitting black sweater. The only color in her ensemble came from a Black Watch tartan skirt with its distinctive dark blue and green checks.
The condominium complex, located on the north side of Skinner, was in a renovated elementary school. They were buzzed in tall
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