“The party is scheduled for the sixteenth,” Tori said, handing out the information sheet along with the menu.
Staff meetings at Kent Construction were his least favorite thing, but business had to be conducted. Discussing the annual holiday party was something he’d rather Tori handle. As the office manager, she dealt with the day-to-day running of the business, as well as all the financials. He’d much rather just get out there and work with his hands.
Unfortunately, when Tori called a meeting, you showed up. She might be only in her twenties, but she was formidable. When she bellowed, you came running or you’d never hear the end of it.
Wyatt took the information sheet and scanned it. “I assume there’ll be meat at this party.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “No. We’re serving celery and carrots. Our clients like rabbit food.”
“Har.”
“We’re having roast beef, chicken and pasta. There’ll be hors d’oeuvres and an open bar, though I twitched at the open bar thing.”
“We can handle it,” Brody said.
“You say that now. Wait until you have to write the check. It’s the holiday season. People like to drink.”
“You like to drink, too, you lush,” Brody teased. “Will I have to throw you over my shoulder and drive you home again this year?”
Tori glared at him. “That was one stinkin’ year. And I had just turned twenty-one. It’s never happened since so I’d appreciate it if you’d never mention it again.”
Wyatt’s lips twitched.
“I saw that, Wyatt,” Tori said, as if she had eyes in the back of her head. “Don’t you dare smile.”
“I don’t smile. You know that. I’m the bad-tempered one.”
Tori swiveled in her chair, narrowed her gaze at him. “You’re almost in a good mood. What the hell is wrong with you?”
Ethan rolled his chair closer to Wyatt, inspecting him like he had ticks or something. “There is something different about you. What’s up?”
“I know what it is.” Brody leaned back and crossed his arms. “He’s getting laid.”
“What?” Tori’s eyes widened. “How come I don’t know about this?”
“You mean I know something you don’t? What the hell, Tor? You having an off week?”
“Shut up, Brody.” Tori narrowed her gaze on Wyatt. “What’s going on?”
Shit. He knew he should have gone straight to the day care center this morning and bugged out of this meeting. “Nothing’s going on, and if it was it would be none of your business.”
“So he is getting laid.” Ethan grinned. “Who is it?”
“Oh. I know who it is,” Tori said. “And why she hasn’t said anything to me is a subject I’ll be taking up with her very soon.”
“Who is it?” Brody asked.
Tori didn’t say anything, just gave Wyatt a knowing smile.
“Oh,” Ethan said. “It’s Calliope Andrews.”
Wyatt winced.
“Wow. Keeping it in the family, aren’t you?” Brody asked.
“Shut up, Brody,” Tori said. “This is none of our business. Let’s move on with the meeting.”
“Hey, you started it. Now we’re going to take the ball and run like hell.” Ethan nudged him with an elbow. “So…is one sister—”
Wyatt shot Ethan a look. “Don’t go there. I mean it, Ethan.”
Ethan kicked his chair back and raised his hands. “Hey, I was joking with you.”
Brody leaned toward Tori. “A little sensitive, isn’t he?”
“I’m not fucking deaf, you idiot.”
“I mean it, Brody,” Tori said. “You need to leave this alone. This is Wyatt and Calliope’s business. Not ours.”
Ethan shrugged. “Who am I going to tell? Besides Riley, of course. And she’s out of town.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
“Do you like her?” Brody asked.
Tori stared at him. He knew Tori and Calliope were friends. He’d have to be careful what he said. “Again, none of your business.”
He knew this was going to be a problem, that once word got out he was seeing his ex-wife’s sister people would start talking. He could trust his brothers and Tori…but other people? He didn’t want to deal with the gossip. The talk after the divorce had been bad. And since he hadn’t bothered to say anything, people had made up their own minds about what had happened between him and Cassandra. None of it had been true.
People could think whatever the hell they wanted to think, but he didn’t want them talking shit about Calliope. It was best they didn’t know about the two of them.
If he was smart he’d put an end to it now before things got out of hand, before people found out.
They finished the meeting and Wyatt grabbed his stuff.
Brody stopped him.
“Hey.”
He turned to his brother. “What?”
“You know we were teasing you in there. If you want to see Calliope, that’s your business.”
Wyatt nodded.
“If anyone’s entitled to a life and some fun, Wyatt, it’s you. And if that’s with Calliope, then go for it.”
“It’s not that simple. She’s Cassandra’s sister.”
“So? If she’s the one you want…”
“Again, not that simple.”
“Why? You worried about what people will think, what they’ll say?”
He didn’t say anything.
Brody frowned. “Screw that. We’re behind you. Family sticks together and we’ll kick anyone’s ass who has something to say about it. Calliope’s cool. And damn, man, you’re the most relaxed I’ve seen you in years. It’s about time you went out and had some fun. If she’s the reason behind it, then don’t let anyone stop you.”
He nodded. “I’ll think about it. Thanks.”
He headed out the door and climbed in his truck, tossed his gear to the passenger seat.
Maybe Brody was right. Maybe he was worried too much.
Then again, he knew what small-town gossip was like. He knew his family would rally around him. It wasn’t himself he was worried about. Anything people had to say, any whispers and innuendos were water off a duck’s back to him. He’d heard it all after his divorce.
But Calliope was building a business. She dealt with families with small children. Rumors and gossip could hurt her and her business.
And that he wouldn’t tolerate.
Calliope stood and laid her hands at the small of her back, stretching out her tight muscles.
What an interminably long day. She was glad it was Friday and the week was over. All she wanted was a hot bath, a good meal and her man. And a massage by said man. She wondered if she could convince Wyatt to give her a back rub. Maybe she could use her feminine wiles to wrangle a back rub out of him.
Or, she could just get naked. That should convince him.
Then again, they hadn’t made official plans for tonight, or for the weekend. She’d assumed they’d see each other. He’d come over to her place or she’d gone to his after work almost every night for the past two weeks.
He and the other guys had left the addition about an hour ago, so she assumed she’d find him in the trailer doing some paperwork. She locked up the center and headed that way, frowning when she saw all the lights out in the trailer. She pulled on the door. It was locked.
Huh. She walked around to the front of the trailer and didn’t see his truck.
He’d left. Without saying anything to her.
Okay, so maybe he’d had an emergency and didn’t have time to tell her about it. She hoped everything was okay.
She drove home, tossed her coat and purse on the sofa and grabbed her phone, dialing his number as she kicked her shoes off.
He answered on the third ring.
“Hi,” he said.
“Is everything all right?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“I looked for you after I closed for the day. I thought you might be in the trailer but you had already left.”
“Yeah. Cut out on time for a change. Had to head back to the office.”
“Oh, okay.” She took a seat at the kitchen table. “So what are your plans for tonight?”
“I thought I’d work on the car.”
“Oh.” She heard the definite brush-off signals in his tone of voice. “What about tomorrow? There’s a new movie out I’m dying to see.”
“I don’t think so. I have a few things I need to catch up on.”
Pain and irritation swirled around in her empty stomach, making her nauseous.
“Sure. I understand. I’ll see you on Monday, then.”
“Okay. See you.”
She clicked off the phone and slid it across the table, angry with Wyatt, and with herself.
No. Not with herself. Definitely with him. They had a relationship. They’d been together every day for three weeks. That allowed her to make assumptions. He’d been happy, dammit. He couldn’t just make an about turn and suddenly blow her off without an explanation.
An explanation she deserved.
She went into the bathroom and took a shower, washing off the day and some of her annoyance with it. By the time she’d dried her hair, she had the phone to her ear and Tori on the line.
“Are you busy tonight?” she asked.
“I was going to do a home pedicure. It doesn’t get more exciting than that.”
Calliope laughed, which was exactly what she needed. “How about a girl’s night out?”
“Sounds fabulous,” Tori said. “What do you have in mind?”
“Food and lots of margaritas.”
“Bingo. I’m so game for that.”
They made plans to meet at one of their favorite Mexican restaurants in town. She put on makeup, dressed in a pair of her tightest jeans, put on high-heeled boots, then slid into a sexy silk top instead of her day care center sweatshirts.
Tonight, she intended to party.
El Partido was a popular restaurant, especially on the weekends. In a small town, entertainment was limited. You went out to eat, you hit a bar, or you went to the movies. Though there was also bowling and ice-skating if you were in the mood for those activities.
Calliope was in the mood to drink, and she knew Tori was always game for a fun night on the town. They started out with a top-shelf margarita, settled in at the bar and waited for their name to be called for their table. Judging by the long line out front, it could be a while.
“I haven’t seen you in like…forever,” Tori said, her long earrings grazing her neck as she twisted her barstool around while juggling the oversized drink. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too. I’m sorry we haven’t gotten together. I’ve been busy.”
Tori lifted her brows. “Yeah? Busy doing what? Or should I ask…whom?”
“What do you know, or what do you think you know?”
Tori gave an innocent bat of her lashes. “I just know Wyatt has been a lot less grumpy lately. He even smiled. He might have cracked a joke. We thought the world was ending.”
Calliope’s lips curved. “Well, good for him.”
“And you’re saying his good mood over the past few weeks has nothing to do with you.”
Calliope shrugged. “I’m not responsible for his moods.”
“Uh oh. He’s pissed you off. What did he do?”
“Nothing. He’s not responsible for my mood, either.”
“What a crock. Tell me everything.”
She did, starting with the first night and every night since.
Tori leaned an arm against the bar and sipped her margarita, her expression changing as the story went on. By the time Calliope finished, Tori was frowning.
“What an ass.”
“He has a right to his space.”
“Bullshit. He sees you every night, and then suddenly blows you off with no explanation other than working on his car and some vague ‘other stuff to do’? No. There’s something else going on.”
“He’s not seeing anyone else. It practically took an act of Congress for him to have sex with me.”
Tori snorted and signaled for a refill on their drinks. “Isn’t that the truth? That man had a serious dry spell going. Hence his three-year bad mood. Thank God you came along and ended that.”
“Yeah.”
“So how’s the sex?”
“Tori!”
Tori straightened in her seat. “What? I want to know how the sex is. Wyatt’s gorgeous. Virile. Studly.”
Calliope took the fresh margarita from the bartender and licked a spot of salt from the rim. “Yum.”
“The drink or the man?”
She smiled. “Both.”
“So he’s good, right?”
“I wouldn’t be sitting here pissed off at him if he wasn’t.”
“That’s what I figured. I always knew he had some deep, smoldering sexuality simmering under the surface of that testy exterior.”
“I’m surprised you even notice given the hots you have for Brody.”
“I do not have the hots for Brody. At. All.”
“You. Lie.”
“First, I work for him. Second, I’ve known him since I was like…sixteen. Third…”
Calliope waited while Tori tried to come up with another objection.
Instead, Tori took a drink and Calliope laughed at her.
“What?”
“Why haven’t you ever done anything about it?”
“About what?”
“Brody.”
Tori rolled her eyes, then set her drink down and fiddled with the bracelets on her arm. “I am never doing Brody. We are not meant to be. The man gets on my last nerve. He’s egotistical, loud, annoying, teases me too much and already has way too many women in this town who think the sun rises and sets on his perfect abs and great ass.”
“And you’re not one of them.”
“Hell, no. I am not a member of the Brody Kent fan club. Besides, we’re not here to talk about me. Nice try in deflecting, though. What are you going to do about Wyatt?”
“Nothing. I can’t make him want to be with me.”
“No, you can’t. But why the sudden brakes on your relationship?”
“Maybe it’s run its course.”
“After a few weeks?” Tori shook her head. “I don’t think so. There’s something else, and you need to talk to him to figure out what it is.”
“I don’t want to talk to him. I want to drink my margarita, hang out with you, then have a giant enchilada.”
“I think you’d rather have Wyatt’s giant enchilada.”
Calliope nearly choked on her drink. “Oh, my God, Tori. Don’t do that to me when I’m drinking.”
Tori grinned. “Just here to state the facts, my friend.”
Calliope thought about what Tori had said all through drinks and dinner.
She wasn’t a quitter, wasn’t one to sit back and let things happen. Maybe all this togetherness had been too much too fast for Wyatt, but if so, she needed to hear that from him, not some flimsy excuse about stuff and cars. She’d told him from the very beginning the only thing she wanted from him in this relationship was honesty.