He stepped into the office and took off his cowboy hat. His brown hair was endearingly mussed and she had to fight down the urge to reach out and smooth it.
“Did I get the loan fair and square, Jolene?” he asked. “Or did you give it to me out of charity? Because you felt sorry for poor Cal Daily?”
She wanted to lie. But she figured it was too late for that. She closed the door and took a deep breath before she turned to him. “I approved your loan. But it wasn’t out of charity. I’ve known you since we were in grade school. I know you are the kind of man I can trust to pay back every penny.”
“It’s too bad you aren’t the kind of woman I can trust.”
His words stung, but she knew where they came from. He’d talked enough about Clarissafor Jolene to know how much her betrayal had wounded him. And how much trust meant to him.
“Would you have taken the loan if you’d known you didn’t qualify for it?” she asked.
“Hell no, I wouldn’t have,” he snapped. “I don’t need your charity, Jolene Applegate. I don’t need anyone’s charity. I’ll get you your money back. Even if I have to sell the garage.”
The comment made anger boil up inside her. She was sick and tired of dealing with stubborn, prideful men. “Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t sell a business you’ve worked so hard to make a success. This isn’t just about your pride, Cal. You have a daughter to think about. If accepting help from an old friend can make her life better, than you’d be a fool not to take it.”
His eyes widened. “So now I’m not just a charity case, I’m a fool.”
She crossed her arms. “If you’re thinking about selling the garage, yes.”
“Well, it’s not any of your damn business what I do with my garage.” He leaned closer. “Or my daughter. But for some reason, you keep butting your nose in where it doesn’t belong. I know she was with you last night. I know that’s why you canceled our meeting. You were hiding her from me.”
The comment was so absurd that Jolene laughed. “Hiding her from you? I wasn’t hiding her. She was upset and I was consoling her.”
“Well, it’s not your job to console her.” He thumped his chest like a male gorilla showing offhis prowess. Jolene wasn’t impressed. “It’s my job.”
“And if you had found out, you’re telling me you would’ve consoled her?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer. “Of course not. You would’ve been angry that she broke your ridiculous rules.”
His eyes darkened. “Ridiculous rules? Keeping her away from Joey Mac is not ridiculous. That boy is a heartache waiting to happen.”
“You’re right. Joey broke Cheyenne’s heart, which is exactly why I was consoling her.”
“See! That wouldn’t have happened if she’d followed the rules and stayed away from him.”
“So you’re planning to keep her from every boy?” She snorted. “That is ridiculous. You can’t stop Cheyenne from growing up, Cal. You can’t stop her from falling in love and getting hurt. That’s all part of life. Just because you got hurt and don’t want to give love another chance doesn’t mean you should force your silly rules of no strings, no attachment, and no expectations on your daughter.”
He stared at her. “Silly? You didn’t think they were so silly when you agreed to them. And those rules weren’t for me. They were for you.”
She felt like the breath had been knocked out of her. It took a moment to speak. “Ahh. Of course they were. Cal Daily would never fall for the town’s old maid.”
He released his breath and slapped his hat against his leg. “Damn it! That’s not what I meant.”
“That’s exactly what you meant. You came up with those rules because you didn’t want to feel guilty about hurting pathetic Jolene Applegatewhen you grew tired of her. Well, you don’t have to worry.” She straightened her spine and glared at him. “I’m tougher than I look. Our affair is over, Mr. Daily. You can leave now with no strings or attachments to hold you.”
She waited for him to say something. Something that would heal the deep hole that had opened up in her chest. But he didn’t say anything. He just stood there for a moment before he pulled on his hat and walked out the door.
After he was gone, Jolene wilted against her desk. Her sister’s voice startled her.
“I’m sorry, Jojo. I’m so sorry.”
Jolene was sorry too. Sorry she’d ever thought a secret affair had been a good idea.
Chapter Fourteen
It had beena while since Cal had stepped inside a church. The last time had been for his mama’s funeral. He expected to feel the sharp pain of loss. But his sadness over his mother’s passing was dulled beneath another loss.
His affair with Jolene was over.
She had kicked him out of her office without even a flicker of regret. He couldn’t blame her. He knew he had hurt her with his words. But she had hurt him too. She’d lied to him. Not only about Cheyenne, but also about the loan. The last person he wanted to see him as a charity case was Jolene.
