Always Tried and Proven (22 page)

    Callie felt a thrill of joy as well as trepidation run through her, leaving her weak.  “Hi.”  She said tightly.  She hadn’t thought she’d hear from him.

      “Sadie scheduled me out for all of next week.  Is that going to work for you, or should I have her change it?”

     Callie was shocked.  He was really going to come and help her?  “Wow.  Well, I’m planning to start loading up Friday night, and finish moving Saturday.”  She said evenly.

       “So should I come Friday, then?” he asked.

       “Sure.”  She agreed.

     “Callie, you do still want me to come, don’t you?” he asked in a subdued voice.

      “Of course I do.”  She snapped.  She sighed, knowing that she was not being appropriate.

       “Callie, are you still coming back to Vermont?”

       “I was planning on it.  Do you want me to?”

       “Don’t you know that I want you here?  Didn’t I ask you to come?”

       Callie felt tears well up inside her.  She was miserable.  She couldn’t seem to stop them from flowing out, like a river.

       “Callie?  Honey, what have I done?” he asked quietly.

       “Nothing.”  She denied, tears lumping in her throat.

       “When do you want me to be there?”

       “Now would be good.”  She admitted with a sardonic laugh.

      Sam considered what to say, and couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t be wrong.  “Callie, you left without even saying goodbye to me.  I don’t know what to say, or do.  I don’t know what you’re thinking, or feeling.  I’m lost.  Help me understand.”

     Callie didn't want to talk about how she felt.  “Sam,” she objected, “I’ll be all right.  I’m just kind of overwhelmed right now.  Come Friday, anytime is fine.”

     Sam silently considered the information.  “Okay, honey.  You’ve got my cell phone number in case you need to get hold of me before then, right?”

      “Yes.” She agreed.

     “Okay.”  He waited, but she didn’t seem to have anything else to say.  “I’ll see you Friday.”

      “All right.  ‘Bye.”  She said.

     Both of them sat quietly, thinking hard for a time after their conversation.  Sam was worried about Callie; she was going through so much upheaval and uncertainty, and he didn’t seem to be helping her at all.  Yet, he was afraid to be too close so quickly; he didn’t want them to get in over their heads too fast.  He sighed and pondered.  There seemed nothing he could do.  To go down early would provide them with far too much time together, and too little to do.  That worried him greatly.  He would have to use restraint, as it was.  Just remembering what happened when he and Callie were alone, made him shiver, and stirred up the passion in his heart and his body.   Unaccustomed as he was to such feelings, he was easily emotionally overwhelmed.  And, Callie was undeniably, one sexy pistol of a girl.  Just a look from those slanting blue eyes could put him on his knees, now that he'd opened the door to her.

      Callie was afraid of the whole situation.  She had no band, no income, soon no place to live.  She’d been very shaken when she went to see Sam in Vermont.  She’d thought that at least, she’d have Sam.  And now, even that seemed quite unsure, at best.  She couldn’t get over the change in him!  At first, he’d been so sure, so reliable, so insistent.  Now, she couldn’t read him at all.  It frightened her.  Did she really want to put her life in this man’s hands?  What was she doing?  He'd shut her out, nearly completely!

     They both individually came to the decision that all they could do, was take things one step at a time, one day at a time.  They both felt it was worth it to take a risk on the other.  But, the week took a very long time passing, for them both.

     Sam arrived Friday afternoon, and found Callie already busy boxing things up.  She was in shorts and a tee shirt, with her hair in a long braid and tennis shoes on her feet.  When she opened the door and saw him standing there, she didn’t know what to say, or do.  She felt shy and awkward.  She smiled, trying to keep her lips from trembling and tears from spilling.  She’d been on an emotional roller coaster all month.  It was very good to see him.

     “Hey. I hope you didn’t do all the work.”  He said teasingly.  He gave her a sound hug.

     “I’m almost done boxing.”  She answered brightly.  “Just a few more things from the kitchen, and a final decision about the clothes I want to take.”

      Sam grinned.  “There’s the tough decision, eh?  How many trunks
that
could take.”

     She frowned, and put her hands on her hips.  “Now, you behave yourself!  I have boxed up nearly all of them for storage.  I was going to ask you for a bit of advice, but now you can just forget it.”

     He laughed, and followed her down the hallway.  “Just don’t leave that pretty green sun dress behind.  And bring the white one with the sequins.”  He insisted.

    That did it!  Tears vaulted out of Callie’s eyes.  She turned away, and tried to hide her embarrassment.

    “Hey.”  He soothed.  His hand on her arm caused her agony.  He pulled her around and looked down at her worriedly.  “I’m sorry.”  He said contritely.  “I just have my favorites, Callie.  I was teasing.”

     She shook her head.  “I know. I don’t mean to be so sensitive.  I’m just tired, and this is
very scary
.”

     He hugged her against his chest and rested his chin on her head.  “Callie, you don't need to be afraid.  Honestly.  I’m here now.  Don’t worry about anything, all right?  I’m with you, and I’m staying right here.”

      She looked up at him with wary hope in her eyes.  “Does this mean that you missed me?”

      “
That
is quite an understatement.”  He admitted in a husky voice.

      “Then perhaps, you’ll explain to me why there are no kisses to greet me?”

      His frame immediately stiffened, and his eyes nervously skated away from hers.  “Scared, I guess.” He said shortly.

       “Scared?  Of me?” she protested vehemently.

      “No, not scared of you.  But I’m very scared of going
there
with you.”

     “Ah.” She said sweetly.  “So, you haven’t developed any sudden aversion to me, then?”

      “Hardly.” He agreed dryly.  “I don’t trust myself, Callie.  That’s all.”

     “Sam,” she protested in frustration, “what is it you want from me?  What haven't I done?  What is it you need, what are you looking for?”

     He sighed.  He settled his jaw, and forced himself to look her in the eyes.  “Commitment.  And I know it’s going to take a little time before you really understand what that entails, when it comes to me.  So, that leaves me being real careful, Callie.  When you start giving me sweet sugar, I can’t seem to get enough.” 

     She saw a glimmer of the old, teasing light in his eyes as he gave her a warning look.  “And needing it the way I do, you know, I find myself on the road to trouble without any delay.”

     “Sam.  I thought you didn’t care anymore.  I thought you’d changed your mind.” She explained, tears brimming in her eyes.

      He laughed at that notion.  “No, Callie.  I
care
.  But I have to hold back, until you’re ready to fully commit.”

     “I can do that, Sam.”  She assured him.  “Aren’t I here, packing up to come with you?”

     “Yes.  And I am so thankful.  But I’m concerned about you, Callie.  I’ve turned your whole world upside down, and took the pieces with me before you could put it all back together.  I believe you when you say you love me, and I mean it when I say I love you, too.  But you’ve just begun a whole new life, with Jesus.  Everything is turned upside down for you.  You don't know yet what life with me would really be like.  There are so many ways that we could get ahead of ourselves and make mistakes.  It was unfair of me to even ask you before; you wouldn't even have known what you were saying yes to, if you'd been inclined.”

      He stroked her face, and grinned.  “I mean, I know how you feel about me on one level, but I don’t want you to be disappointed with me after the initial attraction wears off.  And I … Callie, I don’t think I could stand it if we went too deep; and then you realized I wasn’t what you want.  Please, understand, and give me room enough to keep my reins tight until we both feel sure that we’re ready to go forward.”

     “Part of me so desperately wants to just take you, and love you, and say the hell with tomorrow.”  He smiled sadly.  “But I can’t do that.  I live in a fish bowl, and when you get to the tent, so will you.  You’ll begin to understand.”

     She nodded slowly.  “Is it really just that you’re not feeling safe when we’re too close, Sam?  Please, I’ve got to know.”

      He sighed and hugged her, rocking her gently as was his wont.  “It is.  Callie, what you do to me is almost more than I can bear.  You’re in my blood.  I can’t concentrate on anything else when you’re around.  All you have to do is look at me, and I’m ready to forget everything else and just make love to you.  I want you … very much.”  He said.  “This is new territory for me, Callie.  I'm not used to allowing a woman to drop me to my knees with just a look.  I don't know where my limits are, at all.  That's very dangerous for someone like me.  You're very dangerous … for me.” he explained intensely.

      Callie looked up at him and felt convinced to her toes.  His hands on her back were caressing her.  He kissed her and let his lips explain his need for her, up and down her throat, across her shoulder.  The intensity of his desire began to come out and make itself known.  She shivered and held him tightly.  “Sam,” she gasped.

      “I know.  I know.”  He growled.  He straightened up, and tore his eyes from her.  “Point me toward some work, would you?”  He asked with a sheepish grin.

       Sam was a master at packing boxes into a small area.  Callie was amazed at what he was able to fit into his van.  He also worked fast, and he worked hard, she noticed.   And he kept his eyes on the job before him.

      Peter walked in at four-thirty.  “Callie?” he shouted.  “I got off early.  Where you at?”  He sauntered into the kitchen in search of a cold beer, and dropped his hat on the counter.

     “Hey, Peter, glad you’re here.  We are just about ready for your truck.”  Callie answered from down the hall.  He came out of the kitchen, and just about ran into a big blond guy in the hallway.  He looked up quizzically, raising his eyebrows. 

      “Who are you?” he asked, bluntly.

     “Sam.  You must be Peter.”  Sam said with a grin.  He balanced a heavy box on one arm and offered Peter his hand.  Peter was glad the guy was friendly, when he felt the strength in Sam’s hand and got an eyeful of the bicep holding that box.

     Sam examined Peter’s brown curls, green eyes and cleft chin, and decided he rather liked this Peter.  “Callie’s back there, just about finished packing it all.”  He told him on his way out the door.  “I don’t think I’ll be able to get any more than this one box, in the van.  I’ll move it, so you can back up close.”

      Peter whistled softly and went to find his sister.  “Hey, Cal.  Who’s the hunk?” he teased.

      “Just a good friend.”  Callie assured him with a smile. 

      “Really.  Sure about that?”  Peter cross-examined.

      “Uh, huh.”  She warned him.

      Peter took off his hat and scratched his head as if that didn’t quite compute.  “How come?  Is he married or something?”

      Callie’s face hardened.  “No.  He’s not.”

      “He ain’t married.”  Pete repeated.

      “Nope.”

     “Well, what’s wrong with you then, girl?  He looks like a fine prize to me.  You have to be sick in the head if you’re not interested in a guy like that one.”

     “Peter.  Please, don’t.  I do like him.  A lot.  We’re just not
there,
yet.  It's rather a touchy subject, all right?”

       “Oh, boy.  Okay, I’ll try to behave with him, then.”

       “Thank you!”  Callie said emphatically.

      They all worked steadily until eleven.  Then, Pete threw up his hands and called a halt.  “Enough!”  he growled.  “It’ll be here in the morning.  Let’s get a pizza or something.”

      “Done.” Sam agreed immediately. 

      The two men piled Callie into Pete’s truck, and they were on their way before Callie could catch her next breath.  But when Callie smelled the pizza, she suddenly realized that she was ravenous.

     Callie was relieved to realize that Pete and Sam liked each other.  Sam could talk knowledgeably about all the things Peter liked — antique cars, boats, photography, computers.  She could tell that Pete was quite impressed.  He put some pretty technical information at Sam, but he never stumped him.  Sam knew what he was talking about, and he actually had to explain a few things to Pete about computers.  Callie found that amazing.

      “So, where are you sleeping tonight, Tarzan?”  Pete drawled at Sam.

      Callie was gratified to notice that Sam didn’t flinch, even a mite.  He took it all in stride.

     “Good question.  My van is packed tight.” He shrugged.  His arm around Callie’s shoulders kept drawing Pete’s attention.  So did the way Callie looked up at Sam with adoration.  So did the way Sam’s fingers kept playing with the ends of Callie’s hair, and stroking her shoulder.