Chapter 49
It had been two days. Two days since Cal had made himself a vow.
He was still working on the strategizing part of things.
Children were vulnerable to the decisions of those adults in their lives.
He would never take that responsibility lightly.
It had felt right spending those hours with Auggie and the girls.
He’d felt like he mattered again, like he belonged.
He’d only ever truly felt that way with his family.
They’d been trying to rebuild that connection since what had happened with his father and they were getting there. But…he’d felt whole again.
He’d had two days to think about what that really meant.
But for now, he was doing big brother duty of his own. And…scoping things out. He knew where his woman most likely was right now. Time to go find her. Claudia was helping him do that—she just didn’t know she was yet.
“Thanks for the lift,” Claudia said, eyeing him suspiciously.
She made a good cop—she was always suspicious.
“If you don’t want to go inside, I’m sure I can find a ride later.
Or just stay the night at Sage’s. I have clothes there, already.
I want to spend some time with the girls, make sure they are okay.
Auggie said Jan is having trouble right now.
Auggie wants me to talk to Jan honestly about what we’re doing to find him, that kind of thing. ”
Auggie had told him that when he’d texted her the night before to check on her.
Texting was a part of his strategy. He’d send a message—and it would be up to her when or if she responded.
Or…she’d text him first. She’d done that a few times, too.
With cute pictures of the girls making cookies.
Even the baby had had some sort of egg-free cookie dough in her hands, cramming it into her mouth, in one picture.
“I didn’t realize you were planning for me to stop, drop, and roll with my precious baby sister.
I shall…escort you inside and attend service.
I am a good boy, after all. And need all the help I can get.
” He needed to find his woman, too. No denying that.
He looked at what he had on. He was more than adequately dressed for a Sunday service at a small country church.
“I’ll stay. But I draw the line at Sunday dinner with those nine she-devils.
Em threatened to use me as breeding stock, after all. ”
But…then again…that was exactly his plan. The Sunday dinner, probably at Gil’s, with Auggie and her she-devil sisters—not the breeding stock part of things.
That part was still terrifying when he thought about it.
“Which is utterly hilarious, as Em has often bemoaned being the last living virgin in Masterson County.”
“Not listening! She’s too young to even think about more than just holding hands with a man. She and Clancy both. Hand-holding and supervised by me. Period.”
“She’s almost twenty-two. We’re not kids any longer, Cal. I think we are all finally starting to realize that.” An expression he couldn’t identify went across her beautiful face.
“What is it?” This sister of his kept secrets. He’d yet to get her to cough them up. He worried about her, no denying that.
“Just memories. The nightmares. The scars.” Her own scars were just visible above the neckline of the simple dress his sister wore.
“Hard to forget. To be…hyper vigilant. Bruce is still out there. I thought I saw him yesterday—so I chased him down. It turned out to be his brother Ned, who gave me homemade cookies his wife had packed in his lunchbox because he thought I needed them more than he did. The second time, it was…Derrick Tyler. Derrick was quite happy I chased him down, but now I think we might just be engaged. Or I have a date next weekend with him. I’m not entirely certain.
But…Bruce is still out there, and we all know it. ”
Bruce Tyler’s choices had cost too many people too much.
He followed his sister inside the little church. He’d never been there before.
There were kids everywhere. A lot of them were redheaded. As soon as they walked in, one immediately climbed Claudia, practically like a tree. He recognized that orange curly hair from a mile away.
Tobi just grinned at him. “Hey, Aunt Claud. Guess what?”
“What?”
“Mommy Aug has a date. Again.”
Cal’s attention sharpened, he started looking for his woman. Fast. He couldn’t have someone else scooping her up and away from him.
“Does she?” Claudia asked. “And who with?”
“That man named Jack. I heard him say ‘It’s a date’ then.”
“I see.”
Nope. Not going to happen. Good thing Cal was here—he had his woman to capture again, apparently. There were poachers in a small country church? He never would have guessed it.
Cal looked toward the man in question. Jack Masterson. They’d gone to school together. And now that jerk, once Cal’s good friend, was hovering over Auggie like he had the right. Laughing at the baby in her arms.
He reminded himself he was in church. He wasn’t about to make a scene with one of his close friends. He was better than that. Maybe.
Still, it took every bit of control not to release the growl he wanted to.
“Hi Mither Cow-way…” Tobi looked at him and grinned. She was adorable, no denying that. The hair was Auggie all over again. “Are you being good? Mommy said you really know how to misbehave...Junie says a kiss or two probably made it all better.”
It took a moment, but he deciphered what she meant. “I see. Did she? You look very pretty in that dress.”
“We have Sunday School today.” She lisped even more than usual. He thought one tooth may be loose now. Just in a couple of days. “With our friends and cousins.”
“That sounds like a lot of fun.”
“It is. I am going with Nova and Evie. They are my cousins.” She just kept jabbering at him. Somehow, he ended up carrying her deeper into the church. Then he dutifully put her on her feet and she took off after two other little girls near her age.
The ribs only twinged a tiny bit. He was making progress.
Then Auggie was there, her beautiful baby-sized mini-me drooling down her shoulder. “Hello, Calloway Ellis. Praying for redemption from your sins?”
“Something like that. Being chauffeur, actually. And when I heard you were going to be here…well…where else would I be? Since you are the love of my life and all.”
Why hide his intentions? She’d catch on eventually, Cal was sure. He held out his hands. Maeya came to him, babbling something incomprehensible.
Auggie just watched him intently, a considering look in her eyes. “Claudia has been invited to lunch with us at Gil and Sage’s.”
“I am Claudia’s ride, my love. I was recruited this morning.”
“I know. The invite extends to you, too. If you promise to behave yourself. I take it you can remember how to get there?”
“I think I’ll manage.” He shot her a wicked look. She looked so pretty today. It was that soccer mom look, again. No wonder Jack had been a little drooly. “Heard you have a date with Masterson there. Should I break his head? It seems that boy is poaching.”
“Behave yourself. And it’s not a date—it’s an appointment, with Gil along, you doofus.”
“That’s all that’s keeping me from dumping him in the river.”
“Oh?” Blue eyes were watching him—with challenge. She liked to challenge him. He loved to meet that challenge right back.
“You are mine, woman. Time you accepted that.”
“Feeling…possessive, are we?”
“No, ma’am. I just know what I want from my life now.”
“What is that?”
“Forever. I’ll let you figure out what that means later. For now, we’d better find our seats.” He deliberately shifted her baby to one side—and wrapped his arm around the beautiful woman he wanted, and pulled her closer.
Staking his claim, right there in the middle of the church.
Of course he did it deliberately. He was a man of strategy, after all.