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Samantha frowned nervously. “Oh…but, she did catch on, right?”
I smiled at the worry etched on her features. “Oh of course. She was just young. I think you will take right to it Sammy. Besides you’ll have mom, Elaine, and I to help you now.”
Samantha sighed. “Thank God for that.”
A truck rumbled down the long gravel drive, and I shielded my eyes with my gloved hand. The big shiny black truck was one I knew, and despite an effort not to react, I felt my face flushing and my insides churning nervously.
Samantha let out a low chuckle. “Oh boy, I know what that blush means. Its Mathis, isn’t it?”
I nodded. “I don’t know what he’s doing here though, I spoke to him the other day, and he never said anything about stopping by.”
Samantha was grinning wickedly. “The boy just couldn’t stay away. Don’t blame him, look at the way he’s got you blushing Calamity!”
I glared at my obnoxious friend as I watched Mathis’ silhouette from atop the hill. It wasn’t long before he and my dad began the slow climb to where we were. Once they’d made it, I felt even more foolish for my raging hormones that came to life at just the sight of him.
Mathis nodded politely to Sam, then turned a grinning face toward me. “Calamity, how’s it going up here?”
Turning slightly, I studied the three boys knocking over dirt mounds, and the two little girls braiding each other’s hair on the settee, and I smiled. “Oh, slow, but it’s going. What’re you doing here, Mathis?” I’d turned back toward him, and the spark in his eye made my knees wobble.
“Well, your dad told me what you were trying to do, so I decided I would come and help. Then, I’m taking you to dinner.”
My heart beat accelerated. “Oh, geez, uh, that’s really nice of you, but I have to get this done, and I don’t want to leave Samantha alone with all the munchkins.”
My dad chuckled. “Told you she’d be stubborn about it.” Glancing at me, he continued, “Sammy and I can handle the little pack of monsters, besides, Cody and Margery will be back within the hour.”
So it was, I found myself working alongside Mathis, digging and carefully placing rose bushes in the pattern I had lain out. He was distracting as hell, his shirt pulling tight across his shoulders and back, revealing the flexing muscles there. I literally drooled just watching him. He caught me too, a few times.
“Mathis, you really didn’t have to come help me. Really. I already kept you away for weeks.”
Mathis stopped digging, turning to grin at me. “And those were the best few weeks of my life, Callie. I had to come. It’s been over a week since I’ve laid eyes on you, and I started worrying you might’ve hightailed it back to NYC by now.”
I frowned. “You think I’m still going back now, after everything that’s happened?” I guess I was a little hurt that he had such little faith in me.
Mathis put his shovel down, closed the space between us, and yanked me up against him. He didn’t kiss me as I had expected, but instead, he gazed down into my eyes for a long heartbeat. “No, but I worried you might come up with excuses to avoid me now that you’re not at my side. It doesn’t matter though. If you run, Callie, I will come after you. I plan to marry you, I hope you realize that.”
My heart thumped loudly in my chest cavity, and my breathing was shallow. I tried to swallow but I suddenly found my mouth had gone dry, so all I could do was nod. Mathis chuckled at me, and then, he did kiss me. Long and deep, needy but gentle.
With the help of one alluring cowboy, we managed to finish the entire garden before dusk began to darken the sky’s overhead, and I will admit I was grateful for the help. Now, I didn’t have to stress that the surprise wouldn’t be done before my mom came home. I’d been ordered to go clean up, and so it was, I found myself standing nervously in front of the floor length mirror in Samantha’s room with her fawning over me like the fairy godmother from Cinderella.
“Samantha, seriously, come on…this dress doesn’t look the same on me as it does on you, besides, why do I got to get all dressed up? I’ve already slept with him.”
Samantha let out a loud shout of laughter. “Geez Callie, talk about being blunt.” She paused to look over my hair, curling gently about my shoulders.
“I like what this new product does to your hair. You look stunning in that dress. Those curves of yours fill it out better than my beanpole figure ever did. It doesn’t matter that you’ve already got him, Callie, I wanted to doll you up because I thought it might be good to help you…you know, de-stress, forget for a moment about all the drama, and just be happy.”
I smiled, but it wobbled. “Thanks Sammy. You really are the best. You’re the one who deserves a guy like Mathis, not cooky old Calamity.”
Samantha laughed as she shook her head in disagreement. “Nah, you deserve him baby. And you’re not old, nor are you cooky. Now go have some fun with that juicy cowboy.”
27
For whatever reason, I was a nervous reck as Mathis and I were seated at the somewhat upscale steak house in town. I fumbled with my napkin, nearly spilled my glass of white wine, and I did everything in my power to avoid eye contact with him. I think I was absolutely terrified that he was going to pop the question, and although I wanted to say yes, and I was in love with him, I wasn’t certain in was ready for that next step just yet.
Mathis took my hand, and I finally looked at him. He smiled patiently, if not with some amusement.
“Callie, are you alright? You seem a little nervous tonight.”
I laughed shakily. “Oh, I’m good, Mathis. I guess it’s just been a while since I’ve gone out, most of our “dates” have been out on horseback.”
