“No. I’m currently in retail. I’m managing the gift shop by theGeese in Flightsculpture, where the dead man was found earlier this week.”
Emily pressed a hand to her chest. “Heavens! I hadn’t heard aboutthat. I don’t live in Red Grove anymore, and Callum hadn’t mentioned— But enough of that.” She waved a hand, dismissing the topic. “Let’s talk about something more pleasant, eh?”
Cal moseyed up at that moment, and Jules caught her breath. He looked so…delicious, standing there, the breeze lightly ruffling his chestnut hair, and his smile beaming as bright as the July sun. How could she have forgotten in ten minutes how handsome the man was?
“Can I steal Jules for a moment, Mom?” Cal offered his hand to Jules. “We need another volleyball player. You game, Bailey?”
Jules accepted and joined the match in progress. Ted Barrett quickly claimed her for his team, and Cal grunted a protest. “Hey, I recruited her. Why do you get her?”
“I know the winning team when I see it,” she quipped, and high-fived the mayor as she took her place at the net.
For the next hour, she laughed and exerted herself more than she had in years. Beyond team camaraderie, Cal’s siblings and Ted made her feel like she belonged. When Pilot stole the ball, tail wagging and looking as impish as a puppy, she had towipe her eyes from mirth. Matilda draped an arm over Jules’s shoulder at one point, congratulating Jules on her last spike. “Well done. I want you on my team every time.”
Jules started to tell Cal’s youngest sister there wouldn’t be another time, that today was a one-off, but she swallowed the words. Why ruin her compliment? And…why did the idea of not gathering with the Colton family bring a knot to her throat? Sure, she was having fun, felt welcomed and was grateful for the invitation, but as she’d told the family all day, she and Cal were not a couple. They weren’t really even friends…were they? He was just helping her get Hamilton off the street. A strictly professional transaction.
She angled a glance past the net and found Cal staring at her. He smiled his devastating grin and winked. And her pulse tripped.
Darn him! She hated how easily he undermined her control of her composure. This was why he was dangerous for her. She’d already spent her childhood and one disastrous relationship feeling lost and vulnerable. As much for Abby’s sake as her own, she had to be strong, stay focused and hold Callum Colton at arm’s length.
Chapter 16
When the volleyball game ended, with Jules’s team the victors, Callum trotted up beside her and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. “Congrats. You played well. I see you are as competitive as any Colton.”
“Competitive?” She blinked. She never thought of herself in that light. “I don’t know. I just like to give my all to anything I undertake. If I’m competitive, it’s with myself.” She’d had to give her all her whole life to make up for the lackadaisical and half-hearted efforts of her parents. So much of her family’s survival had depended on her.
Cal cast a glance about as he ushered her up to the food table. His mother was taking the lids and covering off the food as hungry volleyball players gathered around. “Where’s Dad?”
His mother shot him a withering look. “Two guesses and the first doesn’t count.”
Cal groaned. “Seriously? He went to the hospital? The whole family is here!” He waved a hand down the line of Coltons serving plates of food.
“You know your father. He said it was an emergency,” Emily said. “Swore he’d be back before the fireworks started.”
Jules put an ear of corn on her plate, sidled closer to Cal and whispered, “If it’s an emergency, shouldn’t we cut him some slack?”
“If it were an emergency, sure.” Cal scooped a huge glob of potato salad onto his plate and jammed the spoon back in the serving bowl with an irritated huff. “But everything is anemergency to my dad. He spends more time at the hospital than he does at home. More than any other doctor or nurse. He’s been known to sleep there. His workaholic habits are the reason my family was split up, but he didn’t learn.”
“Dedication to his profession and patients is admirable,” Jules defended.
“Even a good trait can be taken to extremes and become a vice.” Cal served himself a piece of chicken. “Can we talk about something else?”
She glanced at the faces of the other Coltons, saw frowns and eye rolls, heard grumbles of “hospital” and “again.” Clearly Cal wasn’t the only one frustrated with Jonathon’s work habits.
As she left the food table with a plate full of delicious-looking treats, Ted Barrett called to Jules and patted the arm of a lawn chair. “Saved a seat for the winning team’s MVP.”
She joined Ted, Cal taking the seat on her other side as he balanced a loaded plate.
“Aren’t you awfully young to already be the mayor of Red Grove?” she asked her teammate.
Ted laughed. “If you give the people what they want, in my case the promise of lower crime and a better, more prosperous town, age is just a number.”
“Ted’s always been driven,” Cal added. “And with his charisma, we knew early on he’d either be a politician or an actor.”
“Or a used car salesman,” Wyatt quipped.
Ted arched an eyebrow at Wyatt, then turned to Cal. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” Then, aiming his fork at Wyatt, he added, “And you need to remember who signs your paycheck.”
“The city controller, as I recall,” Wyatt returned, smirking.
