His Most Suitable Bride (10 page)

“Reese and I are friends, Laney, nothing more.”

“So you already said.” Laney let out a soft chuckle. “And before you reiterate your point yet again, no man looks at a woman he considers a mere friend the way I saw Reese looking at you.”

Callie swallowed, took a hard inhale. There was no excuse for feeling so dangerously moved by this observation. “You are reading far too much into this.”

“Am I?”

“Have you forgotten?” Determined to keep this conversation between the two of them, she spoke the words in a hushed whisper. “He was once engaged to my sister.”

“He’s no longer engaged to Fanny.”

“Not by choice.”

That, Callie realized, was a critical detail she must always remember herself. The broken engagement between Reese and Fanny had not been Reese’s idea. If he’d had his way, he’d be married to Fanny right now.

Depressing thought.

“Callie.” Laney took both her hands. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s so wrong with the possibility of you and Reese becoming more than—”

A spontaneous cheer burst through the opened window.

“Mother,” Laurette called from the sink. “Is it all right if we went outside and watched the game?”

“By all means.” Still holding Callie’s hands, Laney smiled at her daughter. “Miss Callie and I will watch the pies.”

As each girl hurried out the back door, Callie tried to think of a reason to abandon the kitchen, as well. None came to mind. She nearly despaired, but then rescue came in a tentative, barely there tug on her skirt.

“Miss Callie?”

“Yes, Gabriella?”

“I don’t want to go outside.” Big, sorrowful brown eyes met hers. “I want to stay here with you.”

Moved by the request, Callie crouched down to make herself less intimidating. Somewhere between four and five years old, Gabriella Velasquez and her twin brother, Daniel, had only been at Charity House for a few weeks. According to Laney, their mother had recently died of consumption in a Cripple Creek brothel.

Callie smiled down at the sweet, precious child. She tried not to choose favorites. She tried to give of herself equally to all the children. But something about this reserved little girl, and her equally shy brother, had slipped beneath her guard.

Perhaps it was their unusual silence. Or the way they flinched when anyone, even other children, came near them.

“Oh, Gabriella, of course you can stay inside with me.” She picked up the girl and set her on the counter. Callie adored this sweet child with the coal-black hair; sad, dark eyes and overly timid nature. “Want to help me count the pies?”

“I don’t know how to count.”

Callie brushed the child’s hair away from her face, resisting the temptation to press a kiss to her forehead. “No time like the present to learn.”

And so began Gabriella’s first arithmetic lesson.
One plus one equals two. Two plus two equals four.
Basic, simple math equations every child should know. It was a shame Callie and Reese didn’t add up that smoothly.

Chapter Ten

F
rom his position facing home plate, Reese looked up at the darkening sky. Sometime in the past twenty minutes the weather had turned. Black ominous clouds boiled overhead, while a stiff wind carried the earthy scent of approaching rain.

Marc, in his self-appointed role as umpire, trotted out to where Reese stood on the makeshift pitcher’s mound, which was nothing more than an empty flour bag. “What do you think? Should we call it?”

Distant thunder punctuated the question.

Reese looked back up at the sky, the children’s safety foremost in his mind. “No lightning yet, and the first drops of rain haven’t hit. I say we play on a little while longer.”

“Agreed.” Marc hustled back to his spot behind the catcher and made a circling motion with his hand. “Batter up.”

A small, thin boy of about five years old approached the plate with slow, tentative steps. His wide, terrified gaze darted around the backyard, eventually landing on Reese. Taking pity on the apprehensive child, he moved forward several steps closer. Until today, Daniel Velasquez had kept himself separate from the other children, choosing to remain on the sidelines as an isolated spectator.

His willing participation this morning was monumental.

And deeply moving.

And Reese wasn’t the only one who recognized the significance of the moment.

Daniel’s entire team cheered him on, urging him to “swing for the back fence.” Even kids on the opposing team shouted out words of encouragement.

Marc ruffled the boy’s hair. “Remember how to hold the bat?”

Daniel nodded.

“Let’s play ball.” Marc settled in behind the catcher.

Bottom lip caught between his teeth, Daniel slung the wooden bat over his right shoulder then blinked up at Reese with eyes that had grown bigger and rounder.

Such courage in so tiny a package, Reese thought. Determined to honor this momentous occasion, he lobbed a slow, easy pitch over home plate.

Daniel swung with all his might. And missed.

Clearly dejected, his shoulders slumped forward and his eyes filled with tears.

“Ball one!” Marc called, then patted the boy on the back. “Try again, and remember to keep your eye on the ball.”

Daniel’s bottom lip quivered, but he heroically firmed it as he slung the bat over his shoulder a second time.

Reese tossed the next pitch a little lower and a bit slower. Daniel swung again. The very tip of the bat connected with the ball, sending it to a spot near Reese’s feet. Not a magnificent hit, but a solid enough whack to qualify.

Cheers erupted from both teams.

“Head to first base!” Marc nudged the boy in the proper direction.

Reese made a grand show of fumbling the ball into his glove. He waited until Daniel had a solid head start before tossing the ball high over the head of the first baseman, who was too busy cheering on the little boy to notice.

Daniel’s foot hit the pad and he headed for second base.

Wanting to give the boy a fighting chance, Reese hustled over and picked up the rolling ball before anyone else thought to do so.

With shouts of encouragement from the other children urging him on, Daniel flew over second base and continued on to third.

This time, Reese threw the ball short.

The little boy rounded for home, his mouth set in a determined line, his little legs pumping hard. His foot touched home plate seconds before Reese half-heartedly winged the ball into the catcher’s glove.

Marc made a wide sweep of his arms. “Safe.”

“You hit a home run.” Caught up in the moment, Reese ran over, swooped Daniel into his arms and spun him around and around in the air.

The boy giggled and kicked his legs wildly. “I did it. I did it. I did it.”

“Yeah, you did. It was a great hit, too.” Heart overflowing with something akin to parental pride, Reese set the boy back on the ground and ruffled his hair.

His teammates immediately surrounded him.

Daniel soaked up the attention with a big happy smile.

Allowing his own smile free rein, Reese watched the celebration from a few feet away. He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and swiveled his head toward the back porch. Callie stood behind the railing, watching Daniel with her heart in her eyes.

Ridiculously pleased that she understood the magnitude of Daniel’s moment of triumph, Reese set out in her direction. Only as he drew close did he notice the little girl peering out from behind Callie’s skirt. Reese recognized the child as Daniel’s twin sister, Gabriella.

For reasons he couldn’t understand, his heart lurched at the sight woman and child made, the very image of mother and daughter. His footsteps faltered. Where had that thought come from?

His pulse quickened, beating harder, faster than before, rushing thick and uneven through his veins.

Now that Callie no longer wore an apron covered in flour and pie dough, he was able to catalog her clothing in detail. Her dress was a drab, dull green, the color not particularly flattering. And yet, she radiated.

He couldn’t seem to catch a decent breath.

Gabriella tugged on her skirt and whispered something Callie had to bend down to hear. She nodded and then scooted the little girl in the direction of the porch steps.

Hesitant at first, Gabriella descended at a snail’s pace. Callie’s face was calm as she watched the child’s progress, but she clutched at the porch rail with a tight grip. The flicker of worry in her eyes told its own tale, as did the tightening of her lips, and the sigh that leaked out of her. A protective mother-hen leery over letting her chick branch out on its own.

“Gabriella.” Bouncing from one foot to the other, Daniel called out to his sister. “Gabriella. Did you see me? Did you see me hit the ball?”

The little girl jumped off the last step, a smile splitting across her face. “You did really good, Daniel.”

He beamed. “You have to try it next time.”

“Okay.” She paused. “Maybe.” Another pause, then she sped over to her brother and joined in the merriment. One of the older girls tugged her close.

Charmed by the scene, and not wanting to miss a second of the festivities, Reese conquered the porch steps two at a time then took Gabriella’s place beside Callie. He did a double take. Something had happened to her eyes, they’d turned greener, larger. Prettier. He could lose himself in their depths if he didn’t take care.

“Hi,” he said, pleased his voice sounded relatively normal.

“Oh, Reese.” Callie reached up and brushed at his shoulder as if removing a speck of dust. The gesture was casually intimate and felt exactly right for the moment. “That was very kind of you, what you did for Daniel, ensuring he made it around all the bases.”

Her words of praise made him feel strong, courageous, keen on conquering the world and slaying dragons with his bare hands.

Shrugging away the fanciful thought, he rolled back on his heels, came back down again. “It’s what any man would have done in my position.”

“No, Reese.” She brushed at his other shoulder. “Not every man has it in him to be kind to children.”

She sounded certain, and a little sad, as if she’d come across her share of bad characters.

Had someone hurt her?

A protective instinct shuddered through him and one thought rose above the others.
I want to fight this woman’s battles.

“You are a good man, Reese Bennett Junior.”

Instant pleasure surged at the words that seemed to flow so easily off her lips. “Thank you, Callie.”

Her eyes went soft with emotion. “You’re welcome.”

An odd sensation filled his chest, part confusion, part longing. He moved closer, a mere inch, no more.

The wind kicked up. The world paused, and then...

The swollen rain clouds unleashed their watery assault.

Chaos exploded in the backyard. Squeals and shrieks and giggles filled the air. Running feet. More laughter.

“Everybody inside,” Marc shouted over the commotion.

One by one the children scrambled onto the porch. They crowded around Reese and Callie, laughing and tossing water in every direction. At the bottom of the steps, Marc hoisted Gabriella into his arms and set her down near Callie.

When Daniel stood in the rain, blinking up after his sister, looking forlorn and forgotten, Reese retrieved the boy in the same way Marc had rescued his sister.

Back on the porch, he had to shuffle his way through a maze of flaying arms and kicking legs to find a clear spot to set the boy down safely.

Marc took charge, Reese and Callie helping wherever they could. The three of them made quick work of gathering equipment in one pile, wet, muddy shoes in another, before herding the motley group of laughing, soaking wet children inside the house.

Retreating to her timid ways, Gabriella clung to Daniel, huddling close to him, her eyes wide and full of fear.

Callie approached the twins, crouched down to eye level. She spoke in a gentle voice, so soft Reese couldn’t make out her words. Daniel nodded enthusiastically, pulling on his sister’s arm. A blink of the eye later, the boy had his sister following behind the other children. The little girl didn’t look especially overjoyed, and kept glancing back over her shoulder at Callie. But with her brother’s encouragement, she obeyed.

Progress.

When the back door banged shut behind the twins, Reese realized he and Callie were alone on the porch. Just the two of them.

Fat raindrops pelted the ground. Thick clouds covered the sky. The muted gray light did nothing to conceal Callie’s beauty, or hide the shades of caramel, gold and deep yellow in her hair.

And her eyes, those amazing, grass-green eyes, they stole his breath.
She
stole his breath.

Callie Mitchell was a beautiful woman. Reese realized with a sudden jolt that her appeal had nothing to do with her clothing, or how she chose to wear her hair, and everything to do with the woman herself. She was kind to frightened children, and he couldn’t stop staring at her.

Nor could he deny the truth any longer. He was attracted to Callie Mitchell, captivated by a woman most considered unremarkable. Fools, all of them.

Reese knew he should feel awkward in her company, certainly alarmed at the direction of his thoughts. Instead, the sensation moving through him soothed his spirit. Calmed his soul. Urged him to let down his guard and relax, as if he’d finally come home after a long, endless journey.

Now,
he was uncomfortable.

He took several steps back, away from Callie, and searched his mind for something innocuous to say. “Finished making pies?”

“Oh, yes.” The smile she gave him sent his mind reeling. “All ten of them.”

“Ten?”

“Apple pie is a favorite among the children.”

He felt his smile return. “Kids with exceptional taste, I knew I liked them for a reason.”

She laughed. “Apparently, the joy of apple pie knows no bounds.”

“Or age limit,” he said, laughing with her. He noticed a smudge on her cheek. Compelled, he reached up and brushed his fingertips across the spot.

Her eyes narrowed.

“Flour,” he said, showing her the pads of his fingers.

“Oh.” She let out a sweet, nervous laugh. “My secret is revealed. I’m a messy cook.”

Affection enveloped him. Why had he never noticed just how striking and dramatic her features were? How had he missed the almond shape of her eyes, or how vivid and intense they were beneath finely arched brows?

Something deep and life-altering was gathering inside his heart. Reese wanted to pull Callie into his arms and kiss her.

He clasped his hands behind his back and cleared his throat. “Are you heading to Mrs. Singletary’s anytime soon?”

“I am, once I say goodbye to the children.”

“May I escort you home?”

“Yes, I...” A thousand questions leaped into her eyes. She voiced none of them. “Thank you, Reese, I would like that very much.”

* * *

Thoughts scrambled around one another in Callie’s mind, circling each another like a hawk swooping in for prey. She longed for so much, unable to define exactly what she wanted, yet knowing the man strolling beside her was at the heart of the sensation.

Despite her misgivings over the wisdom of allowing Reese to walk her home, her agreement had made perfect sense at the time. He lived in the same neighborhood as Mrs. Singletary, and would only have to alter his own route home by a mere block.

Callie lifted her gaze to the sky.

The rain had let up, but the air was still damp, the wind still raw. Much like her nerves.

The grind of wagon wheels sounded in the distance, along with the boom of a motor carriage firing into life. A baby wailed. A dog barked. “Do you hear that?”

Reese cut a glance in her direction. “Hear what?”

“The sounds of the neighborhood alive with activity.” She swept her hand in a wide arc. “Listen.”

He slowed his pace and did what she suggested. He listened.

“It’s soothing, isn’t it?” She smiled up at him. “Knowing the world moves on around us no matter what’s happening in our own lives?”

He stopped walking and turned to face her. “Callie Mitchell, you have the heart of a poet.”

“Oh, I...” She thought of her love of the Psalms, especially the ones penned by King David. She enjoyed Shakespeare’s sonnets, too, some of Byron’s work, as well as Emily Dickenson’s. “I suppose I do.”

“You continually surprise me.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Exceptionally good.” His eyes filled with quiet affection as he reached out and brought her hand to his lips.

The gesture was so unexpected, so sweet and gentle, her stomach dipped. She sighed, wanting this afternoon with Reese to last forever. Lovely conversation, lovely company, she couldn’t ask for more.
Wouldn’t
ask for more than this one perfect moment with a man she admired above all others.

Complicated emotions blazed to the surface. Forgotten hopes and dreams beckoned, and Callie forgot to wear her hard-earned, outward control.

Something had to be terribly wrong, because she and Reese were easy with one another. Comfortable.