Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
“Good afternoon, ladies.” Cal tipped his hat at Luanne and Raynelle as he stepped inside the To the Moon Bookstore. “Y’all are lookin’ mighty Christmassy today.”
Luanne and Raynelle stared at Cal as if he had horns growing out of his head, and he wondered if he’d said something wrong.
Maybe women didn’t like to look Christmassy.
But there was no other way to describe the matching red sweaters the ladies wore with the sequined reindeers on the front.
Or their bright, glittery ball earrings.
When they still just stood there staring, he tugged his hat low. “Happy holidays.” It was only after he walked away that he heard them speak.
“What in the world has gotten into Cal Daily?” Luanne said. “He usually just nods when he sees people and walks right past.”
“And did you see that smile?” Raynelle said. “It about took my breath away. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen the man smile. He’s acting like Scrooge after those three ghosts came a callin’.”
Cal grinned. It wasn’t a visit from three ghosts that made him so happy. It was one redheaded vixen named Jolene.
Just the thought of her made him feel like a kid who didn’t have a care in the world.
It had been a long time since he’d felt that way.
Maybe he never had. He’d always felt responsible for other people’s happiness.
His mother’s. Clarissa’s. Cheyenne’s. He’d never thought just about his own.
The last few weeks, that was all he’d thought about.
His secret affair made him happy. Jolene made him happy.
He couldn’t wait to get over to the pink house and pull her into his arms. When he wasn’t with her, he was thinking about her.
Their conversations. Their lovemaking. Their quiet times when they just watched the fire and held each other close.
His preoccupation with Jolene was exactly why he was in a crowded bookstore three days before Christmas.
He had been so wrapped up in his secret affair that he had completely forgotten to get gifts for Cheyenne.
Which made him feel guilty as hell. Just not guilty enough to cancel his plans with Jolene tonight and head to Abilene to do some shopping.
Jolene had canceled the night before and he couldn’t go two nights without seeing her.
He had thought a few weeks with Jolene would be enough.
It wasn’t even close. And why couldn’t they continue seeing each other after Christmas?
Why was it only a holiday affair? They were both single adults.
They weren’t hurting anyone. In fact, the town didn’t even know what was going on right under their noses.
They could probably have sex in Simple Park and no one would pay attention.
The thought of having sex with Jolene beneath the statue of Thomas Dixon made Cal laugh. He glanced over to see Luanne and Raynelle still watching him. He waved before he started browsing the shelves.
Books probably weren’t the best gift for his daughter.
Cheyenne wasn’t much of a reader. He had to take some responsibility for that.
He hadn’t read all that much to Cheyenne when she was little.
Instead, he’d taught her how to work on cars and fix a drippy faucet.
Jolene’s love of books reminded him how much he used to love to read.
He’d decided he needed to buy more books for his daughter—and for himself.
But picking out books for a teenager wasn’t easy.
The back cover of every book he pulled out seemed much too adult.
They had sex in teenage books? What kind of craziness was that?
He put back the book he was looking at and moved to another section.
He finally settled on a DIY book on home repair and a book on how to apply to college.
Satisfied with his choices, he headed to the register.
On the way, he passed through the kid’s section.
A title jumped out at him. He pulled the book off the shelf and smiled before adding it to his stack.
At the register, Emma chatted with him as she rang up his books.
“I’m telling you, Cal. Boone has gone completely daft over the baby.
” Boone and Emma had announced their baby news to the entire town.
Which might help explain why no one was paying attention to Cal and Jolene.
“Every day, he brings something else home,” Emma continued.
“A kid’s baseball glove, a Tonka truck, a little toolbox, a bicycle.
” She shook her head and smiled. “A two-wheel bicycle? How crazy is that?”
Cal laughed. “He’s just excited is all. I remember being that way when Clarissa told me she was pregnant.” It was the first time he’d been able to talk about Clarissa without feeling pain. It felt good. Damn good. “Dads just want their kids to have everything.”
“I guess so. But could he wait until the baby is born?” Emma lifted the book he’d chosen from the children’s section.
“Is this for Cheyenne? If it is, you might want to rethink it. She already feels like you treat her like a kid, Cal. Giving her a children’s book for Christmas will only confirm her beliefs. ”
“It’s not for Cheyenne. It’s for a . . . friend.”
Emma laughed. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory certainly seems to be a popular Christmas gift for friends this year.”
Once he was done at the bookstore, he headed next door to the hardware store to see if Boone had any good gift ideas for Cheyenne. He thought he’d have to be sneaky about it because Cheyenne was working at the store during the holiday break. But it turned out Cheyenne had left early.
“She said she didn’t feel well,” Boone said as he rang up some Christmas lights for Sawyer and Maisy Dawson.
Cal grew instantly concerned. “She doesn’t feel well? She seemed fine this morning.” At least, he thought she’d seemed fine. He turned to Maisy. “Was she okay last night at rehearsal?”
“She wasn’t at rehearsal last night,” Maisy said. “She called and said she was sick and would be staying home.”
Cheyenne hadn’t stayed home. Cal had watched her and Nathan drive away in Nathan’s truck on their way to rehearsal. Obviously, that wasn’t where they’d gone.
His face must’ve shown his anger because Boone quickly figured out what was going on. “Now, Cal, don’t be getting mad. Teenagers tell little fibs all the time. She probably went to Joey Mac’s Christmas party. I heard most of the high school was there.”
Maisy jumped in to defend Cheyenne. “And it’s not a big deal that she missed one rehearsal.
She knows all her lines and has been such a big help with the younger kids when she’s there.
She probably just needed a night off. Believe me, I could use one.
I didn’t realize how hard it is to direct a Christmas pageant.
It’s like trying to corral a bunch of greased pigs.
You get one quieted down and where they need to be and another one starts squealing and racing around. ”
Sawyer brushed a kiss over her lips. “You’re doing great, honey. And just think, when we have some little piglets of our own, you’ll be all prepared.”
“Nothing prepares you for dealing with teenagers,” Cal said dryly. “I’ll see y’all later. I need to go find my fibbing daughter.”
“Don’t be too hard on her,” Boone called as Cal walked out the door. “She’s a good kid.”
Cal knew she was a good kid. And if she’d stayed home and played hooky, it would be one thing.
But she’d gone to a party he’d told her not to go to.
He remembered what high school parties were like.
Cheyenne was too na?ve to handle drunk, horny high school boys.
If Joey Mac had forced her into something she wasn’t ready for, Cal would beat the kid’s ass.
Not that Cheyenne would ever tell him. She obviously had taken to keeping secrets.
He didn’t have much room to talk. He’d been keeping his own secret. Maybe his secret affair was the problem. He’d been so wrapped up in finding time to be with Jolene that he hadn’t found a lot of time to be with his daughter.
Guilt took away some of his anger. But it came right back when he got to their apartment and Cheyenne wasn’t there.
Since Nathan seemed to be in cahoots with her, Cal drove to the garage to see if he knew where she might be.
If she was with Joey Mac, she would be on restriction until the cows came home.
She wasn’t with Joey Mac. She was at the garage. She was sitting on the worktable where she always sat, looking like she’d lost her best friend. Nathan sat on a caster stool, watching her with adoring puppy dog eyes. Neither one of them seemed to notice when Cal stepped through the open bay door.
“Hey, you two.”
Both of them startled, but only Nathan jumped up and answered. “Hey, sir. I was just taking a little break. I’m almost done with rotating the tires on the Jeep Wrangler.”
Cal nodded. “How was rehearsal last night?”
Nathan dropped the lug nut drill he’d just picked up and it clattered onto the cement floor. He quickly picked it back up. “R-R-Rehearsal was good, sir.”
“And you got Cheyenne to the church on time?”
Nathan’s flushed face said it all. The young man swallowed hard and was about to speak when Cheyenne cut him off.
“He didn’t take me to rehearsal, Daddy. He took me to a party at Joey Mac’s house.”
Cal only spared his daughter one glance before his gaze returned to Nathan. “You’re fired.”
Cheyenne jumped up from the table. “Daddy, no! It wasn’t his fault. It was mine. I made him take me. Nathan tried to talk me out of it. He didn’t even stay. He went to rehearsal.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Nathan said softly. “Your father trusted me to get you to the church and back home. I let him down. And I let myself down. I know better.” He turned to Cal. “I’m sorry, sir. You don’t have to pay me for this week. I don’t deserve it. I’ll leave my key on the desk.”
“Nate!” Cheyenne said, but Nathan ignored her and walked into the office.
Once the door slammed behind him, Cheyenne looked at Cal with tears in her eyes.
He’d always been a sucker for his daughter’s tears.
It was hard to keep a stern face and not pull her into his arms. Of course, her angry words made it easier.
“How could you?” she snapped.
“I won’t have an employee I can’t trust. It’s bad enough that I can’t trust my own daughter.”
Cheyenne swiped at the tear rolling down her cheek.
“Okay. So I lied. But you just don’t get it, Daddy.
You don’t understand what it’s like to be a teenager.
You don’t remember anything about being young.
You’re like this crotchety old man who doesn’t remember what it’s like to fall in love for the first time.
Even Jolene remembers what it’s like to be in love.
” Cal blinked. When had Cheyenne talked to Jolene about love?
He didn’t have long to ponder the question before Cheyenne continued her rant.
“And I get it. Mama broke your heart and made you afraid of falling in love again. But I’m not afraid of love. ”
“You’re not ready for love, Cheyenne.”
“That’s not up to you, Daddy. That’s up to me.
You can’t control emotions. They just happen.
And maybe I made a fool of myself with Joey Mac.
” More tears rolled down her cheeks. “Maybe I feel hurt and embarrassed and like a complete fool. But I’d rather be a fool who tries for love than an unhappy, lonely person like you who refuses to love again.
” With a sob, she ran out the open bay door.
Cal tried to go after her, but his daughter was one fleet-footed teenager. By the time he got outside, she was already halfway down Main Street.
“She didn’t stay long at the party, sir.”
Cal turned to see Nathan standing by his truck. “How do you know that if you were at rehearsal?”
“Because I didn’t pick her up at the party. I picked her up at Miss Applegate’s.”
“Jolene’s?”
Nathan nodded.
Cheyenne had been with Jolene last night?
Jolene hadn’t said a word about it when she called.
She’d said she was tired and going to bed early.
A lot of emotions hit Cal all at once—hurt being the main one.
Cal had come to trust Jolene. He’d felt like she was the one woman he could completely count on to be honest with him.
But she’d out-and-out lied to him. And it hurt almost as much as when Clarissa had left him.
He knew it was foolish to compare Jolene to Clarissa.
Their betrayals were on two completely different levels.
Clarissa had lied about loving him. Jolene had just lied about his daughter being with her.
But if she could lie about that so easily, she could lie about other things.
Like feelings and emotions. And Cal couldn’t survive falling in love with a woman he couldn’t trust.
Falling in love?
The thought totally blindsided him. He wasn’t in love with Jolene Applegate. They had a no strings, no attachments relationship. He’d made that perfectly clear.
But if the hurt he felt was any indication, his heart had completely ignored him.