Cal looked at her and cocked an eyebrow. “Business?”
“Isn’t that why you’re here? To talk about your loan?”
Instead of answering, he wandered further into the room and studied the shelves of books that covered two of the walls from floor to ceiling. “No wonder you always walked around withyour nose in a book when we were in school. You had plenty to choose from.”
“Actually, I wasn’t reading as much as hiding.”
He glanced at her and his brow creased. “From what?”
“People. I didn’t exactly have the social skills my sister did. I still don’t. It was easier to pretend I was engrossed in a book than try to socialize. Although I do love to read.”
He nodded. “I do too. I just haven’t had much opportunity to dive into a good book in the last few years.” He paused, and his golden gaze took her hostage. “Or do other things I’d like to do.”
She didn’t know why those words made her suddenly feel flushed and overheated. He was probably just talking about other manly hobbies—like fishing, hunting, drinking beer with his friends. He was certainly not talking about what she was thinking about.
She looked away and fidgeted with the pearl necklace her grandmother had given her for her sixteenth birthday. “It must be hard being a single parent and running your own business. The bank takes almost all of my time. I don’t know how you father a teenager too.”
“It’s not easy, but I wouldn’t trade it for world.” There was another long pause before he spoke. “But lately I’ve realized I have some needs that I can’t continue to ignore.”
The loan. He had to be talking about the loan. He obviously needed more money.
“I wish I could help you, Mr. Daily. But I’m afraid I can’t loan you any more money.”
He gazed at her for a long moment before he picked up a strand of lights that spilled out of a box. “So just how do you plan to get these all the way up there?” He looked at the top of the tree.
“With the library ladder.”
His eyes squinted at the tree. “I hate to ruin your plans, but you still won’t be tall enough to reach the top of that tree.” He held up the lights. “Do these work?”
“I assume so.”
He carried the lights to an electrical socket and plugged them in. When the entire strand lit up, he unplugged them and carried them over to the ladder.
She followed him. “You don’t have to help me, Mr. Daily. I do it by myself every year.”
“All the more reason for me to help. No one should have to decorate a Christmas tree all alone. And it’s Cal. Boone is right. We’ve known each other too long to be so formal. And I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I let you fall off a ladder and kill yourself.” Cal slid the ladder over to the tree and climbed it. “Check the rest of those lights and then bring them over. It looks like we’re going to need every single strand.”
It took every strand to cover the massive tree. When they were finished, Cal hung the ornaments on the very top branches while she decorated the lower ones. As they decorated, they talked about everything from people they remembered from school to the most recent town gossip.
“Luanne is convinced Dixie Leigh is going to have twins?” Cal asked as he stretched out to hangan ornament on the tree. “I’m sure Lincoln and Dixie would already know if that were the case.”
“Of course they would. Especially since Dixie has already had numerous ultrasounds and not one of them showed two babies.” Jolene hooked a shiny red ball on a branch. “And yet, Luanne is convinced that there’s a twin hiding in there somewhere.”
Cal laughed. “That’s part of living in a small town. Everyone knows everything. Or thinks they do. That’s one of the reason I don’t date. I don’t like people in my business. Cheyenne’s matchmaking is bad enough. She’s convinced that I need a new wife. I think she’s worried about me being lonely when she leaves for college in a few years.”
“She’s a sweet girl.”
“I know. But I don’t want to get married again. Once was enough for me.”
“I’m sorry your wife hurt you so badly.” Once the words were out, she wanted them back. Everyone in town knew that Cal didn’t like charity or pity. She glanced up to find him holding one of the golden harp ornaments that her mother had gotten on a trip to England and staring at the lights on the tree as if remembering all the hurt. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
He shook his head as if to clear it. “No harm. It’s long over.” He hung the ornament and then moved down the ladder with the empty box. When he reached the floor, he set the box on the stack of other empty boxes on the table beforehe turned to her. “And what about you? Are you over your broken engagement?”
Even though Cal had been living in Abilene at the time, she wasn’t surprised he’d heard about her broken engagement. Small town gossip.
“I was devastated when Kyle broke up with me. But after a few years, I realized that it was more wounded pride than a broken heart. I didn’t pick Kyle. My father did. Kyle was a loan officer at the bank and my father thought he would be the perfect candidate to help me run the bank when Dad retired. Unfortunately, a bank wasn’t enough incentive for being stuck with a boring bookworm for the rest of his life.”
“You’re not boring, Jolene.” It was the first time Cal had said her name since middle school. It fell from his lips like smooth, rich molasses and sent a warm tingle of awareness through her body. She struggled to stay focused on the conversation.
