“Whoa.” He spread his hands to halt her.
In the past, she’d avoided confrontations from fear of alienating him. Well, she was finished letting fear run her life, and she didn’t intend to stop talking until she was good and ready.
“California is your turf, not mine,” Jody said. “You have your work and your friends. What about me? In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not the type to hang on some guy’s coattails. I don’t want to be part of your entourage, Callum.”
“What entourage?”
“All those women who think you’re wonderful and those celebrities who invite you to their parties.” She barely caught her breath before raging on: “You’re going to be an even bigger deal once you’re on television. Maybe when they drop by your house, your pals will mistake me for the housekeeper. Won’t that be fun?”
He looked so bewildered she almost felt sorry for him. “Is this because I haven’t asked you to marry me?”
“You’re really slow on the uptake,” Jody said.
“But in L.A., people don’t worry about things like that,” he said.
“About things like what? A wedding ring?”
He nodded.
“I’m not from L.A. I’m from Texas.” As an afterthought, Jody threw in, “And so are you.”
“Good point,” said Callum. “Wait here.”
Without another word, he walked past the screened porch and disappeared around the chicken coop. Jody was so furious she wanted to scream, except that she didn’t see what good that would do. She was debating whether to turn the Rototiller back on and take out her frustrations on the hard ground when the boys dashed toward her.
“We can’t find Gladys,” Ben said, plowing right through the dirt.
“Where’s Daddy?” Jeremy trailed in his wake.
“I don’t know,” Jody said. “He’s kind of a funny guy sometimes.” An outrageous guy, she wanted to add, one who never made her forget she was alive.
If he were here right now, she’d slap him and then she’d hug him. Or maybe the other way around. Of course, once she hugged him, she might not feel like slapping him anymore.
“I see Daddy!” Jerry crowed. “I see him first!”
“I see him second!” cried Ben.
Callum swung through the afternoon carrying a big bunch of wildflowers. He raised them above his head, clasped both hands and gave a victory salute.
Okay, so I love him, Jody thought, her heart swelling. I must be the most foolish woman who ever lived.
He marched right through the freshly turned soil. In front of Jody, he dropped to his knees, extending the flowers. She took them as gently as if they were made of glass.
“Daddy, your pants will get dirty!” Ben said.
“Too late.” Callum chuckled. “Well, now that I’m here, everybody gather around.” They drew closer. Jody could hardly breathe. “First of all, I love you, Ben. I love you, Jerry. And I love you most of all, Jody.”
If a tornado had struck at that moment, she wouldn’t have stirred.
“If you would do me the honor of becoming my wife, I’d be the happiest man in the world,” he said. “I’ll sue anybody who claims he’s happier than me.”
“I was wrong,” she said. “You’re not a Texan anymore. Definitely from California.”
The interruption didn’t faze him. “I’ve given it a lot of consideration while I was picking these flowers and I’m willing to move the magazine to Dallas,” Callum said. “That’s as close as I can get and still have access to a major airport and the kinds of facilities we need. Maybe we can buy a ranch within commuting distance. What do you say, Jody? Will you meet me halfway?”
“You’d give up the West Coast for me?” she asked.
“I used to be afraid of getting trapped,” he said earnestly. “But I’ve changed. Setting the world on fire doesn’t mean much if there’s no hearth fire waiting for me at home. Not that I expect you to become my hausfrau when you look so cute behind a plow.”
“I look like an idiot,” Jody said. “I’m just stubborn, that’s all. I was never cut out to be a rancher. I’ve already decided that as soon as we can arrange it, I’m going to sell the ranch to Gladys. And since I’m going back to teaching, I might as well do it in Los Angeles.”
“Really?” Hope lit Callum’s face. “Does that mean you’ll marry me?”
“I will!” Jerry said.
“Me, too!” said his brother.
“That makes three of us,” Jody said.
“You mean it?”
“I love you,” she said. “I’ll sue anybody who says I don’t.”
Callum’s shout of happiness wiped away the memory of all those lonely years without him. As he drew Jody and the boys close, she could see that it had been her own anxieties that had held her back. She could have left with him after college or five years ago, but each time she’d feared that she would lose him once they reached the big city. Well, she’d nearly lost him anyway. It was long past time to take a chance.
When he released them, he was covered with dirt and utterly unconcerned. Jody brushed him off and then noticed the hopeless condition of her own shirt. “I’m going to change into clean clothes and then we’ll celebrate.”
“What about the garden?” Callum asked.
“I’ll deal with it later,” Jody said. “I was mostly doing it as a favor to Gladys, anyway.”
He handed her his jacket. “Take that inside for me, will you? I’ll finish for you.”
“But…”
“Never say I refused to do a favor for your forewoman,” he told her. “Besides, I like playing with noisy machinery.”
The motor roared to life and clods of dirt filled the air. Jody beat a hasty retreat while the boys stayed to cheer for their father.
Gladys was going to be delighted at the results of the trick she’d played on Callum. As for herself, Jody knew that, as the wife-to-be of the publisher, she would have to withdraw from the Mother of the Year contest. Under the circumstances, she didn’t mind one bit.
It seemed to be a good day for making dreams come true, all the way around. As carefree as if she were still a girl in high school, Jody went into the house.
LOVE IS IN THE AIR by Jill Shalvis
PROLOGUE
There is nothing more special than a mother/child relationship, which basically makes being a mother the best job in the world. I don’t need an award for that, but I’m applying for the Mother Of The Year award anyway. It’s not because I’m the greatest mother on the planet-although I do think I’ve done a great job-but simply because my daughter is the best daughter out there. I figure that means I’ve done something right. Let me tell you about her.
Kylie Birmingham is kind and giving. She takes care of everyone around her without complaint, including me, her grandmother, and an entire airport, and trust me on this, that’s not an easy job. She’s hardworking, dedicated and yes, okay, she’s also stubborn as all get-out, but that’s because she cares so much.
So please consider me for Mother Of The Year. If I win, I plan to use the trip to take Kylie on vacation, which she desperately needs. In Paris I can spoil her for once. I can ply her with wine and food and culture. I can make sure she laughs and smiles. She really needs that. And a nice French man as a bonus…for me.
You’re probably wondering why Kylie works so hard. She’s running her deceased daddy’s airport, which she loves more than anything, but as with just about everything Kylie is passionate about, she’s developed tunnel vision to the point of ignoring all else, such as life.
So in conclusion-an essay has to have a conclusion, right?-please award me Mother Of The Year so I can take my wonderful, deserving, overworked and endearingly curmudgeonly daughter to Paris, and give her a life. Thank you!
CHAPTER ONE