But she experienced none of those feelings. Only a deep-rooted appreciation.
And an overwhelming longing to see him again and tell him so.
Callie headed into Bellandale the following morning. She found the address for Preston Marine via the business card Noah had given her and parked outside the large building situated in the center of the town’s newest industrial estate. She got out of her truck and ran her hands down her jeans.
She was impressed the moment she walked into the showroom. A long and luxurious-looking cruiser was to her left and three smaller boats, including a catamaran with full sails, sat to her right. Printed designs on easels flanked each of the boats and more designs were framed on the walls. A circular reception area greeted her as she stepped onto the tiled floor and a fifty-something man came toward her. He wore pressed trousers and a shirt with Preston Marine logo sewn onto the breast pocket.
“How can I help you?” he asked politely.
Callie hung on to her nerve. “I’d like to see Noah Preston. Is he here?”
The man, whose name badge read Len, nodded. “He’s out back in the workshop.”
“Oh,” she shrugged. “If he’s busy I can—”
“You can wait in his office,” Len suggested and walked ahead, motioning her through a door on the left. “I’ll call him.”
Callie followed with unusual obedience, passing a small, efficient-looking woman who sat behind the reception desk, tapping on computer keys and wearing the same style shirt as Len. When she entered the office Len quickly excused himself, and Callie sat on a long black leather lounge. As far as offices went, this appeared better than most. And it was as neat as a pin.
She didn’t have to wait long.
“Callie?”
Noah stood in the doorway, dressed in chinos and the same corporate shirt as his staff. He stared at her with such raw intensity she was relieved she’d been sitting. Her knees would surely have given way if she’d been standing. “Hi.”
“Is everything all right?” he asked as he closed the door.
“Oh, yes. I just wanted to speak with you.” Callie felt absurdly self-conscious beneath his penetrating stare. “This is a nice office,” she said, desperate to fill the silence rapidly smothering the space between them.
“Do you think?” One hand moved in an arc, motioning to the chrome and glass furnishings. “I’m not sure. I’ve only had this place for about six months. Grace did the decorating. It’s a bit too modern for me”
And just who was that? “Grace?” she asked as she stood.
“My other sister,” he explained.
Stupidly relieved, Callie scanned the room again. “It is modern but appropriate, I think.” She relaxed a bit. “You said you’d just moved here?”
He nodded. “I’ve kept the original workshop down by the Port, but the business needed larger premises.”
“And a showroom?”
“Buyers are keen to see the finished product,” he replied. “Would you like a tour?”
“Maybe after we’ve talked.”
He closed the door and walked farther into the room. “Okay, let’s talk.”
Callie clutched her hands together. “I just wanted to … to thank you.”
Noah tilted his head. “For what?”
“For Maddy Spears, and Jacinta and Skye Burrows and Chrissie Drew,” she said. “And as of this morning I have another two students starting next month.”
He shrugged. “It was only a couple of phone calls.”
Callie knew it was way more than that. “It means so much to me,” she admitted. “My business …” She paused, and then shook her head. “My horses …”
“They’re important to you?”
“They’re everything,” she breathed.
Noah saw the emotion in her eyes and his chest tightened. “Because they don’t let you down?”
She took a shaky breath. “I … I …”
“Someone did,” he said and figured there was no point in holding back. “Husband? Boyfriend? Lover?”
“Fiancé,” she confessed on a sigh.
“What did he do?” Noah asked, preparing himself for the worst.
She hesitated for a moment. “He lied to me.”
Lies and deception went hand in hand—Noah knew that from experience. The fallout from his ex-wife’s infidelity had broken his world apart. “Then he wasn’t worthy of you.”
The emotion in her eyes shined brighter and Noah fought the impulse to reach for her. Everything about Callie affected him on some primal level. He wanted to hold her, soothe her and protect her. He’d never felt such a blinding need before.
She nodded and the gesture spoke volumes. “The horses … they make it simple, you know—uncomplicated.” Her hands came together. “Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for helping me. I guess I’ll see you Sunday.”
“How about Friday?”
“What?”
“Friday,” he said again. “Tomorrow night. Dinner and a movie?”
Callie stilled. “I don’t really think a date is—”
He smiled. “Oh, believe me, this wouldn’t be a date. Just you, me, a DVD and the kids squabbling over a bowl of spaghetti.”
“Noah, I can’t.”
“Sure you can,” he said easily. “You wanted to thank me—so, thank me.” His voice faded for a moment, and then he spoke again. “Dinner, movie, simple.”
Silence stretched between them. He expected another refusal and waited for it.
Instead, she nodded and said softly. “Dinner. Yes, okay.”
Noah picked the kids up from Evie’s that afternoon. He found his sister and three youngest children in her pottery/art studio, all four of them cutting up cardboard and crepe paper. Pots of glue and an assortment of other hobby equipment lay on the big table in the middle of the room.
They all cheered a round of hellos when he walked into the room and perched on a stool near the kitchenette to the right of the door. Evie left the
