9781631052323ForeverKindofCowboySullivan by Sandy Sullivan Page A

about to find out what it meant to truly love someone.

 
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
     
    Callie
sighed as she hung up the phone for the third time in less than an hour. Every
guy in Bandera seemed to have her number. She couldn’t even begin to understand
why all of a sudden she’d become one popular lady, but she had. Just to show
Jeremiah she wasn’t going to wait for his ass, she’d taken a couple of dates
over the last several weeks. Unfortunately, they all turned out to be jerks
wanting to get into her pants. I wish I
could remember more about that night at The Dusty Boot. She must have
really been wild. To think Jeremiah took her home so nothing bad would happen
to her. She really needed to thank him for protecting her because if the few
dates she’d had were any indicator, she dodged a bullet that night.
    Her
cell phone jingled and she rolled her eyes, hoping it wasn’t another guy
calling to try get laid.
    “Hello?”
    “Callie?”
    “Jeremiah?”
    “Yeah.”
    “How
are you?”
    “Okay.
I’ve been working a lot at the ranch, but I wanted to see if you were still mad
at me.”
    “Of
course I am, but you’re a guy. I shouldn’t have been surprised by your
actions.”
    “I
really am sorry I didn’t at least call you.”
    “So am
I.”
    The
line echoed from the silence for several uncomfortable moments. The background
noise was hard to distinguish, but it almost sounded like he was at Anne’s
diner. She smiled thinking Anne might have put him up to this phone call.
    “How’ve
you been? I haven’t even seen you at the garage in the last few weeks.”
    “I’ve
been there, but I’ve been really busy. I’ve taken time off.”
    “Busy
how?”
    “My
phone has been ringing nonstop. I’ve been out on a few dates. You know. Nothing special.” She looked down at her nails for a moment. “Except one.” I
am so going to hell for lying.
    “Dates
as in plural?”
    “Yeah. I had a pocket full of phone
numbers the next morning and apparently I gave my number to several guys at the
bar.”
    “I
think you did too, but I made sure none of them took you home. You were pretty
wasted doing tequila shots.”
    “I
know.” She shifted the phone from her left ear to her right. “Um, I should
thank you for the lift, I suppose.”
    “It’s okay.
It wasn’t anything special. I wanted to make sure you made it home okay.”
    “I
appreciate it anyway.”
    “You’re
welcome.”
    Another
long pause in the conversation where she wasn’t sure what else to say followed
until an idea sent off sparks in her brain. “Well, I should go. I have a date
tonight. I need to make myself beautiful.”
    “You
do?”
    “Yeah. This is our third date over the
last couple of weeks.” She shrugged even though he couldn’t see it. “Who knows?
He might get lucky tonight.”
    A strangled
cough echoed through the phone line, making her smile. She was getting to him. Good.
    “Wait,
Callie. You shouldn’t be havin ’ sex with someone you
hardly know. It’s probably not a good idea.”
    “Oh,
you’re one to talk, mister. Besides, who are you to judge?”
    “Well,
I mean, you hardly know the guy, right? Not like us. We’ve known each other for
a long time.”
    “And we
aren’t having sex.”
    “No, we
aren’t, but at least you would have known me longer than three weeks.”
    “It’ll
be fine, Jeremiah. It’s not like I’ll be comparing you two.” She sighed. “I
really should go. He’s going to pick me up in like thirty minutes. I haven’t
even showered yet. I’ll talk to you later. Thank you again for helping me.
You’re a great friend.”
    After
she hung up the phone, she stared at the thing for a minute trying to figure
out what the hell she was going to do now. She didn’t really have a date for
tonight, but now she’d better find one and fast. She looked through the stack
of numbers sitting on her nightstand, picking out a name she knew. Brad
Smithson, football player from high school. He’d do. He was