Carrillo's Cowboy by Tee Smith (classic novels to read .txt) 📗

to his question. “You won’t find any food in there, though, and the store will be closed. You’re welcome to come up to the house for a meal. It won’t be much; it’s just the kids and me.”

His stomach groaned its gratitude before he even had a chance to open his mouth. Callie’s gaze fell to the offender, then back up to him, and they both laughed.

“Thank you. I would appreciate that. It’s been a long day.”

“You might want to put some clothes on first,” she waved a slender finger in the air, and smirked, before adding, “or not.”

She was flirting with him. Perhaps he had misread her professional façade from earlier. He liked it.

Pulling on a shirt and plucking a cleanish pair of jeans from his knapsack, he made his way up to the homestead. “It won’t be much,” Callie had said, but the smell oozing from the old stone building smelled like everything. Then again, after weeks of travelling around and eating out of roadhouses, anything other than a meat pie or a bacon and egg sandwich would be heaven.

Raising a fist to bang on the door, he was surprised when it opened before his knuckles hit the old glass panelling.

“Mum, it’s Cody,” Grace called before even acknowledging him.

“Hi Grace,” he smiled down at the lanky pre-teen. She had her mother’s dark hair and pretty blue eyes, but her face seemed rounder. He imagined she would take after her father. Although Grace had mentioned her parents were divorced, so he may never find out.

“Oh, hey, Cody,” Austin drawled, propping his hip against the doorframe.

Cody nodded and responded in kind. He guessed if there were no men around, that task would fall on Austin’s young shoulders. The boy carried it well.

“Come and wash your hands, you kids,” Callie called from the kitchen before appearing.

Her hair now free from its bun; it cascaded in long lengths around her shoulders. Her professional attire from earlier replaced with more casual jeans and a t-shirt, much like his own. Her feet were bare, showing off red painted toenails.

“Oh, hey, you came,” she smiled. “Dinner is served.”

He held up his hands and wiggled his fingers. “Better wash my hands, huh?”

Her smiled extended across her pretty face. “You better.”

Austin led the way to the bathroom before showing him back to the kitchen. The house was spacious and modern in contrast to the workers’ quarters. Whilst the home was old, it had been tastefully remodelled with modern fixtures.

“It’s a beautiful home you have here,” he said as he took his seat at the massive dining table built for a much larger family. “Have you lived here long?”

“Much of my life,” Callie answered with a wistful tone in her voice.

“Mum grew up here,” Grace added. “She left here when she married my dad, but came back when Granddad got sick.”

Cody’s eyes shot between Grace and her mother as this child told the story. He loved how kids were willing and eager to fill in the blanks where an adult was hesitant.

“We’re going to move back in with Dad soon,” Austin piped up.

“No, we’re not, Grand Pooba,” Grace chuckled. “He’s got a new family now.”

“That’s enough,” Callie admonished. “We have a guest, and you know better. Mr. Tanner doesn’t want to hear all this.”

Both children’s eyes turned to him, pleading with him as if he was their only hope of avoiding their mother’s wrath.

“It’s okay,” he managed out. Not sure what else to say.

“It’s not okay. I’m sorry.” Callie’s voice changed from authoritative to sympathetic. “I invited you in for dinner, not to listen to these two fighting. If they don’t cut it out, they will be going to bed hungry.”

“Sorry,” Austin said first, followed closely by Grace.

“Can I offer you a glass of wine?” Callie asked, reaching across the table and pouring him a glass before he had a chance to decline.

He wasn’t much of a wine drinker. Give him a beer any day, but here he was, at the table of his new boss, a woman who had very graciously taken him in, given him a bed to sleep in, and then invited him in for dinner. Who was he to refuse a glass of wine?

“I don’t normally invite the workers in,” Callie explained over the slow-cooked lamb. If this was not much, he couldn’t help but wonder what the family ate when she made an effort. “As I kind of explained earlier, we have workers here for about four to six weeks at a time. They come for the rodeo. Carrillo Estate has hosted it every year for the last thirty years. That’s why I’m so busy. My dad used to run it, but since he’s passed on, it falls on me now. Preparations are underway, but we’ll be inundated in a few weeks when the contractors arrive and begin to set up.”

Cody listened as she explained the ins and outs of managing the yearly event. He had attended many rodeos in his time, and if he were honest, he had never given a great deal of thought into how much work went into them.

When their meal was over, the kids made their way to the bathroom for their showers. Callie poured them each another glass of wine, and he helped with clearing the table, although she insisted he didn’t need to help with the dishes. Conversation flowed smoothly, and before he realised the evening had spilled into the night.

“I’m going to have to head to bed,” Callie announced, turning her wrist to check the time. “I have a busy day tomorrow. It’s been nice having some adult company for a change. Thanks for coming over.”

“Thank you for inviting me.” He smiled, climbing to his feet and stretching out his legs. “I would have gone hungry otherwise. I’ll pop into town tomorrow and get some supplies.”

“Let me know when you’re going, would you?” Callie asked. “I’ll call Jim and give him my order. You’ll just need to pick it up.”

Callie walked with him to