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The ranch was the pride of little Beaumont. As a tourist attraction, it brought much-needed dollars to various shops, restaurants and cafés in the area.
The Beaumonts needed her and she needed them. When word got around town that she’d been hired at the ranch, Callie’s Personable Assistance would skyrocket. Maybe she’d even have to hire some help.
She pointed to the crutches he was leaning on. “Bull-riding accident, Reed?” she asked to fill the silence.
“Yeah. But how about elaborating on my question—what are you doing here?”
“I’m a personal assistant. I was hired to get everything organized,” she said. “And to digitize the ranch’s records.”
When Luke had shown her what he’d wanted her to do, Callie had noticed that the Beaumonts’ record keeping was an outright train wreck. All income and expenditures needed to be organized and entered on a spreadsheet.
She was good at that.
Callie gestured to the pile of mail sliding from the desk to the floor like an avalanche. There were opened and unopened sympathy cards and mass cards in memory of Valerie Lynn Beaumont, Big Dan’s wife. Valerie Lynn had died over three years ago.
“I’ll send thank-you cards to what needs to be answered,” she told Luke. “Like the mass cards or monetary gifts.”
There was more mail in the three feed sacks leaning on the right wall. Luke had pulled them out of his pickup, hoisted all three on his shoulder and deposited them, explaining that it was fan mail from the Professional Bull Riders’ office for Reed, Jesse and himself.
Callie remembered telling Luke, “I’ll answer all the fan mail with an autographed picture of whomever the mail is addressed to. And then there’s email that comes via your outdated websites. I’ll answer that, too, and get your them into this century.”
Reed cleared his throat. “Who hired you?”
“Your brother Luke.”
“But Luke’s on his honeymoon,” he said coolly.
“I know. He hired me before he left for Hawaii with Amber. I think that it was Amber—or should I call her Sheriff Beaumont?—who suggested me.” She stood and rubbed her forehead. “What’s the problem, Reed? Do you think I broke into this office because I was just dying to answer fan mail for you and your brothers?”
“Guess not.” Reed aimed his crutches in the direction of a brown leather wingback chair and flopped down with a grunt. He stretched out his right leg.
“So, Callie. Tell me. What have you been doing these past ten years?”
* * *
CALLIE LOOKED AS beautiful as always, Reed thought. His fingers itched to bury his fingers in her mass of blond curls like he’d done before. Her eyes had always reminded him of the spring-green grass along the Beaumont River on the eastern side of the ranch.
Today, Callie had on a pair of jeans that she’d been born to wear, jeans that enhanced her curves. He liked her long-sleeved shirt; the pink-and-blue plaid looked soft enough to touch. And she wore cowboy boots. Callie always wore boots. She said that it made her look taller than her five-foot-five-inch frame.
“I’ve been living my life, Reed. Going to school and working.”
“You look great.” And she did. But even more than looks, Callie was a good person inside and out. He’d developed a deep respect for her back when they were in grammar school together, and finally found the nerve to ask her out on a “real” date in senior year. What had followed was three months of romance and a summer full of heat that they generated themselves.
Callie had been his first, and he was hers.
He’d liked the fact that she always volunteered to help someone in need, but she would never ask for anything for herself. He’d missed her, missed their long walks and longer talks. He should have called her, but he couldn’t, not after the way they’d parted.
“Thanks. You look great, too.” She glanced at his injured leg. “Well, except for the obvious.” She sighed. “I always tune into the PBR, but I must have missed the news about your leg.”
“It’s my knee. Torn meniscus. I might not need surgery if I take it easy on the leg and keep it up.”
“Let me get you another chair so you can stretch out.”
Before he could tell her not to bother, she pulled over the other seat.
With a groan, he put his leg up and tried to get comfortable. “Thanks, but you never answered my question. How’ve you been?”
“I’ve been...fine. But I really should get back to work. And to clarify things, Luke hired me to clean up all the papers in here and get them all organized.”
Callie didn’t say much, but he knew she had a habit of changing the subject when she didn’t want to answer a question. Like now.
“Good. This place needs organizing. There are still...things...from my mother’s...um, death, like cards and all. We just couldn’t bring ourselves to go through everything, least of all my father. After Hurricane Daphne hit, we just dried out whatever papers looked important and tossed the rest.”
Silence.
Callie cleared her throat. “Big Dan is still in rehab, isn’t he?”
She asked that question probably to break the silence this time. She had that habit, too. She knew the answer already. Beaumont was a small town. But Callie cared about people, so her question was genuine. All his feelings for her came rushing back like a tidal wave. Was she dating someone? Was she glad to see him? “Yeah. Alcohol rehab. My father’s been there for seven months, but it seems like he’s been fighting his demons forever.” Truthfully, he was worried about his dad. He’d had several setbacks, but they’d be worth it if he learned something from them. Reed wasn’t sure that his dad realized that he could actually get a sentence of incarceration if he was found guilty of violating his probation.
“I understand about Big Dan. And you know, Reed, I can’t believe I’m here, either. I came to the ranch on the usual visits we had every two years in school during history class. Your beautiful mother gave us the tour. I’ve always loved the ranch.”
A pang of sorrow hit his heart, as it always did whenever he thought of his mother, and he took a deep breath. “Mom loved to share the Beaumont history. And remember how I had to take the tour, too? Sometimes I gave it!”
She laughed.
“Callie, I’m sorry I reacted so weirdly. I just didn’t expect to see you, but I’m glad I did. So you’ve been okay?”
“I’ve been fine.” She nodded.
“According to the town grapevine, I know you’ve never gotten married, but are you dating anyone these days? Weren’t you engaged once?”
His mom had seen Callie’s engagement announcement in the Beaumont Bulletin, and Mom had called him—a couple of times—to tell him. Immediately, he fell into a riding slump, drank way too much beer and had to climb out of his funk with the help of his riding pals and his brothers.
“I’m between serious relationships.” She laughed, but her eyes suddenly misted. “It’s a long, boring story.”
“I have the time.”
She shook her head. “I don’t. I have work to do.”
It was like pulling teeth with a bull rope, trying to get her to expand on her replies, but he’d find out sooner or later. On occasion, Reed had seen Callie in town. They would wave to each other, but they’d never stopped to talk. She’d always seemed like she was in a hurry to get away from him.
There wasn’t anything more to say to each other after their disastrous split. He’d been hurt to his very soul when she’d stayed in Beaumont. Or maybe he’d been just too damn young and idealistic to think that she’d travel with him, that’d he’d win a lot of money and they’d start a family.
He’d achieved two out of those three.
“Callie, did you ever go to college for advertising and marketing, like you wanted?”
“No. I didn’t. I went to Beaumont Community College and took some business classes.”
“Why not advertising and marketing?”
She shrugged and looked away, not meeting his eyes. “Things happened,” she said quietly. “And BCC didn’t offer advertising and marketing.”
“But you dreamed of working at an ad agency on Madison Avenue someday.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” she said softly. “I have my own business now.”
“Good for you. Callie. You always managed to land on your feet.”
“Most of the time.”
Reed could see how uncomfortable he’d made her, so it was his turn to change the subject. “So whose personal assistant are you exactly?”
“Luke’s. He was the one who hired me, although I seem to be doing things for your family.” She pointed to the three overstuffed feed bags. “Those are full of fan mail. The Beaumont Big Guns are quite the hit.”
“That’s all...ours?”
“Yes. And it’s loaded with SASEs for autographed pictures and your reply.”
“Huh?”
“Self-addressed stamped envelopes.”
“Oh.”
“I understand there’s even more mail at the PBR office. They’re shipping it here.”
“Wow! I am totally shocked.”
“You shouldn’t be. It seems like the whole country is cheering for you three.”
“Tell me, what else does a personal assistant do?” Reed asked with a wink and a grin.
“Not that!” He liked getting a rise out of her. He wasn’t disappointed. Callie’s cell phone rang. “Excuse me.
“Hello? Yes. Hi, Luke...He’s here right now...Yes...He’s supposed to keep his leg up?...Oh?...I’ll tell him...Luke, should he do that considering his injury?...Okay, yeah, I’ll get him there...But I wasn’t hired to be Reed’s...nanny.” She clicked off her phone and turned to Reed.
“Do you have your cell phone on?”
“I can’t find it.”
“Apparently your agent, Rick...um...”
“Kessler.”
She nodded. “Mr. Kessler has been trying to call you. He phoned Luke in the hope that Luke could get hold of you. Mr. Kessler wanted to remind you that today you’re supposed to go to the local public TV station and be interviewed.”
“Dammit! I forgot about that!”
She checked her watch. “You have to be there in an hour. You might want to—”
“Shower and shave?” he asked.
“Might be a good idea since you are going to be on television.”
“I remember now.” He adjusted his crutches to get up from the chair. “They are doing a segment on bull riding.”
“Here’s some more news, Reed. I am now your personal assistant, too. In addition to my other duties here in your father’s office, I am supposed to ‘facilitate your recovery,’ according to your agent and Luke.” There was an incredulous tone to her voice, like she couldn’t believe she had to add Reed’s circumstances to her original duties. “Also, Mr. Kessler is worried that you keep missing your appointments and public appearances. And you are supposed to keep your leg elevated. I also have to make sure you make the appearances that your agent arranged. Sounds like a contradiction. And I’ll be getting paid extra.”
“Then I’ll make it worth your while!”
“Don’t even think about it,” she said. “But tell me about your knee.”
“The medical staff think that my meniscus might heal on its own. I’ll need surgery if it doesn’t.”
“Then you’ll have to keep it up whenever possible. Now, go and take a shower, and make it quick. And if it sounds like I’m nagging you, it’s because I am!”
Reed saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.”
He hated being laid up, but he was getting a kick out of the fact that she agreed to look out for him. “I’m getting back to the PBR as soon as I can. The Beaumont brothers have the first three slots tied up. I can’t stay on the injured list for any length of time or some young rider will take my place.”
“I hear you, but first things first. I’ll get you to the TV station, since you can’t drive with a torn meniscus.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He tweaked his hat with his thumb and forefinger, and crutched to his room, where he’d tossed his duffel bag.
After pulling out clean clothes, he went to the bathroom off the bedroom he would forever think of as his. He shucked off his clothes and adjusted the shower water until it was just lukewarm.
No matter how far away he was, he always wanted a home to come back to, and the Beaumont Ranch was the place. For some reason, it felt even more like home with Callie here.
And if it wasn’t for Amber, they would have lost the ranch completely in a tax auction. Thankfully, Amber had made it a point to go to a PBR event and told Luke that he’d better get back and rescue the ranch, not only from the auction block but from the damage that Hurricane Daphne had done eighteen months prior.
Luke had contacted Jesse and Reed, and the “Three Musketeers” sprang into action and sank every penny they received from their bull-riding winnings into fixing up the ranch.
Reed took the fastest shower of his life. He got dressed, grabbed his crutches and went back to Big Dan’s study, where he found Callie hard at work.
* * *
CALLIE’S HEART DID a little leap in her chest when she looked up and saw Reed in the study.
His hair was sticking up in places and it was still wet. He looked...gorgeous.
He wore a long-sleeved baby blue shirt that stretched across his muscled chest.
“So, you’re my new personal assistant?” He grinned, then winked.
“Don’t go all juvenile on me.”
“But we’ll have fun,” Reed said.
