and face goop, but for curing you? Not so much. It makes Dahlia happy, so I use it.”
“That’s kind of you.” She felt the same way he did about herbal remedies.
“It’s so good to have you back,” he said, looking her over tenderly. “When you’re here, the place feels right again.”
She stiffened. What an odd thing to say. He never talked like that. Five months after her mother’s death, he’d insisted Callie go to New York University as planned, even when she claimed she wasn’t ready, which was a lie. She’d been worried about him living all alone. Her father would not hear of it. It was her mother’s dream for her daughter, and he would be busy working the ranch. She belonged in college, period. She had her own life, and her independence made him proud.
“Is something wrong, Dad?” she asked gently.
“Not at all. I’m just sentimental these days.” He waved away her concern. “I hate to drag you away from your business, but I really appreciate your taking the place to hand.”
“I’m happy to do it, Dad. My partner can pick up the slack while I’m gone.” Stefan owed her the favor, after all.
For being a cheating rat.
But that was another story.
“I’ll expand my expertise, too, so that’s good for my career. I’m anxious to dig in. I’ve got two contractors giving bids—tomorrow and the day after.”
“Whoa, now. Give yourself some time to relax, huh?”
“I saw the spreadsheets, Dad,” she gently reminded him. “We’re drowning in debt. Valhalla Investments expects quick action, too. We have to watch the timing for travel calendars for our launch. The pieces are like dominoes. Everything has to click into place. No time to lay back or slow down.”
She was armed with research, a plan, funding and a consultant known worldwide for her resort makeovers. She’d declared the ranch makeover “cookbook”—mostly marketing and promotion, which Callie knew cold—and would be a phone call away. What Callie couldn’t learn, she’d hire experts to do.
“We’ll see how it goes, huh?” her father said. “Maybe you’ll stay to run the place.”
She caught her breath. He had to be joking. “Very funny, Dad.” Not in a million years. Her plan was to get in, get out, not get tangled up in memory and emotion. This was like any assignment, just longer range. She’d be here four to six months, but she’d keep her head and be fine.
“I know you have a lot going on in New York.” This new wistfulness tugged at Callie. He always swore he was busy and happy. She tracked him closely, but she had the feeling he sometimes put on a show for her benefit.
“Come on, you two! Tea’s getting cold!” Dahlia sang to them from the base of the stairs.
“Be right down,” her father called, then spoke to Callie. “She’s worried you won’t like her. She’s been reading books about stepkids and losing a parent and what all.”
“She doesn’t need to do that. If you like her, I’ll like her.” She was determined to.
“I’m sure it’s tough to see me with another woman.”
“You’re forgetting I was the one who got you dating.”
“But now it’s real. That’s got to feel strange. You know that no one could replace your mother, right?”
“Of course not.”
“I love her, Callie. I was asleep and Dahlia woke me up. Thank God you both hounded me.”
“She hounded you?”
“After our date, she kept calling until I answered the phone to get it over with. And here I am. I’m so glad she wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Sounds like she stalked you.” She laughed, but the idea gave her a twinge of worry.
“That’s what it took to shake me out of my trance. I had to see that I wouldn’t find another Colleen, but that I didn’t have to be alone, either.” He did look happy, if a little bewildered.
Her father led her down the stairs toward Dahlia, who waited with a huge and nervous smile. “Here they come, father and daughter. Just look at the two of you, together at last.”
The woman was enthusiastic. Callie had to give her that, though Callie felt worn out and they’d barely met.
“You look so much alike,” Dahlia said, looking from one to the other. “You have your father’s eyes, Calissa.”
Calissa. Only her mother called her by her full name. It hit her ear all wrong. “Thank you. And I go by Callie,” she said gently. Besides, everyone said Callie was the spitting image of her mother, not her father.
She did not need to be so effusive. Callie was grateful Dahlia had rescued her father from a loneliness he hadn’t admitted to himself, let alone to Callie. Thanks to Dahlia, once the ranch was back on track, Callie could return to New York without the constant worry that her father was sad and alone.
Dahlia led them to the kitchen where Callie was startled to see Deck rise from the table. What was he doing here? She wasn’t ready for another encounter.
“I wanted to fill you in on Brandy, Cal.”
Her father turned to Callie. “I thought we’d all go for a trail ride before supper. She good for the ride?” he asked Deck.
“Afraid not. Not for a new rider, anyway.”
“That’s a shame.” Her father turned to Dahlia. “I guess you’ll have to ride another horse tonight, darlin’.”
“Why don’t you three go ahead? I don’t have the right clothes here and I have dinner to prepare.”
“Your lentil soup just needs to simmer, doesn’t it?”
“There are side dishes. Lots and lots to do. You three go on and have fun.” She sounded nervous.
“I’ll stay and help you,” her father said. “Guess it’s just you two this time.” He nodded from Deck to Callie.
“You game?” Deck asked her with a smart-ass grin. “Or have you been in the city too long?”
“I can ride a horse, Deck,” she said, rising to his bait. She hadn’t ridden since seventh grade and wasn’t interested in starting up again. Certainly not with Deck, not as sexually jumpy as he made her feel. “I need a tour of the ranch. It might as well be on horseback.”
“Will an hour give you enough time to get grimy and start smelling like manure?”
“What?” Cal asked. Dahlia laughed uneasily.
“A half hour is more than enough, Deck.”
Mischief gleamed in the man’s eyes, as if he’d won a battle she hadn’t known she was in.
“Maybe
