Heart of Clay Read online

  Chapter Eleven

  Callan felt her spirits rising as the calendar rolled closer to spring and the winter snows began to melt. She no longer spent an excessive number of hours at the convention center. Without Arty there causing problems, things ran smoothly and efficiently.

  Her event planning business picked up again and she worked hard to schedule her appointments so she was only gone a few evenings a week. She tried to coordinate her evening meetings on the days Clay taught a night class, so they could spend their free evenings together.

  On a sunny day in late February, Callan felt so restless, she wasn’t sure she could stand it. Leaning back in her office chair, she looked outside at the lawn, now bare of snow, and saw her reflection in the window.

  Dressed in black, with her hair pulled into a twist at the back of her head, she decided it was time for a complete change.

  As an idea took root, she picked up the phone and dialed Laken before she could change her mind.

  “On a Lark, Laken speaking. May I help you?”

  “You bet you can!”

  “Callan, what are you up to?” Laken detected something in Callan’s voice that meant either trouble or fun – or maybe both.

  “I’ve had a most wickedly wonderful idea and I wanted to know if I could count you in?”

  “Yes! Whatever it is, yes!” Laken laughed. This sounded more like the Callan she used to know.

  “I know this is short notice, but can you find someone to cover for you Friday and part of Saturday?”

  “Absolutely. I was planning to take Friday off anyway. I’ll trade shifts with my assistant manager. I’m sure she would be happy to have Saturday afternoon free. Tyler can pick up the kids from the sitter Friday and he’ll be home Saturday, so the timing is perfect. What are you planning?”

  “It’s time for a makeover. I want you and Jenna to help me. Bobbi and Steve gave me that wonderful gift card for Christmas and it is positively burning a hole in my pocket. I thought the three of us could check into one of the new boutique hotels in Portland Friday and shop, enjoy dinner, then head home Saturday. What do you think?”

  Laken squealed. “I think that is the best idea you’ve had in a long time. This will be fantastic!”

  “Great! I’ll pick you up Friday morning. Around ten?”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  Jenna was Callan’s next call. They agreed to meet for lunch Friday then get started on the makeover.

  The timing couldn’t have worked out better. Clay planned to take a vanload of his students to a competition Friday and they wouldn’t return until late afternoon Saturday. Although it was hard to hide her excitement from him, Callan didn’t tell him about the makeover because she wanted it to be a surprise.

  After picking up Laken Friday morning, they drove toward the city, laughing and chatting about the latest styles in clothes and hair.

  They met Jenna for lunch across the street from her office building. Josh drove her to work that morning so she could ride home with them Saturday.

  The first stop was a well-known trendy hair salon where Jenna went to get her hair done. Callan closed her eyes and held onto both of their hands as the stylist chopped her nearly waist-length hair to just below her shoulders then cut it into fun, swingy layers. The natural curl in her hair sprang to life.

  Although the first snip caused a moment of panic in Callan, she tossed her head and felt so much lighter, in both body and spirit, than she maybe ever had.

  Next was a manicure and pedicure for each of them. Laken was the adventurous one emerging with flaming red fingers and toes while Jenna and Callan stuck with paler hues.

  After that, they went to a recently opened boutique hotel and checked into a suite. It had an inviting sitting area and two bedrooms, one with a king bed and the other with two queen beds, perfect for the three of them. Laken and Callan decided to share a room and gave Jenna the king room. Hurriedly refreshing their makeup, they headed out to the mall.

  The three friends tried on clothes, giggled, and joked until they could barely stand up. Anyone watching would have thought they were teens, instead of women in their thirties.

  Although Jenna and Laken did purchase a few things, they were intent on making sure Callan went home properly outfitted. They refused to let her even look at anything black and kept bringing in piece after colorful piece for her to try on.

  The girls chatted about their fun day as they lingered over a leisurely dinner at a popular restaurant. They’d barely stepped outside of the restaurant when a group of men in a passing car whistled loudly at them, making them laugh.

  Not wanting the evening to end too soon, they returned to their suite and enjoyed sappy movies their husbands refused to watch with them. Callan decided they needed some refreshments and ordered three pieces of chocolate cake from room service.

  As they sat enjoying their treat, Laken asked the question that she and Jenna had both been thinking. “What brought all this about?” She waved her fork around the suite for emphasis.

  Callan hadn’t shared the story of her miscarriage with her two very dear friends and decided it was only fair to let them know what had really been going on in her life. They had both stuck with her through it all and she was grateful for their unquestioning support and love.

  “I was sitting in my office looking outside the other day and noticed my reflection in the window. I didn’t like what I saw. It reminded me too much of where I’ve been the last few years and I don’t want to go back there, ever. So it’s time for some major changes in my life.”

  “I know you’ve been so busy, Callan, and had a lot of challenges at work, but is there something else?” Laken set down her cake and placed a hand on Callan’s.

  “Yes. I should have shared this with you both a long time ago. Goodness only knows you two would have probably saved me from myself.” Callan took a deep breath and smiled at them. “Do you remember when mother died and we had to put the dog down? There was something else. Something no one except Aunt Julie knew. I was pregnant. Clay was out of town for a great training opportunity. The day he left, I knew something was wrong, but I encouraged him to go anyway. He called Aunt Julie and asked her to check on me. By the time she got to my house, I was already losing the baby. I miscarried and ended up having a hysterectomy. I let the grief and the anger and the bitterness eat away at me. I kept it a secret from Clay because I was afraid he would leave me.”

  Callan held up her hand as Jenna started to say something.

  “I know it was crazy and wrong and it hurt us both very deeply, but we’re working on getting past it all. Aunt Julie helped me understand the things my mother led me to believe are completely untrue. I’m working very hard on changing everything: my thoughts, my actions, my words, and my appearance. Everything. Except, of course, my wonderful friends and fabulous husband.”

  By this time, all three girls were crying. “Callan, I can’t believe you never told us. We would have helped you through it,” Laken said, giving her a loving hug.

  “You’ve got to promise that you won’t shut people out like that again. We love you and we want to help you with your struggles as well as celebrate your achievements.” Jenna wiped at her own tears. “You know, your brother also has some issues stemming from things your mother said and did, but we’re learning to get through them.”

  “I know. That’s what this weekend is all about. If I make this change, it will be a very constant reminder that I’m now a different, much improved person.”

  Jenna smiled and lifted up a glass. “I propose a toast. To a future of happiness, love, friendship, and blessings.”

  The next morning, they made one more pass through the mall to pick up a few more things before venturing home. A stop at a make-up counter resulted in Callan leaving the store looking like a model ready for the runway.

  After dropping off Laken at her store in Tenacity, Callan drove Jenna home.

  “You’ve got to come inside and show Josh
,” Jenna urged when they pulled up in front of her house.

  “I don’t know.” Callan experienced a sudden uncertainty about her spontaneous makeover.

  Encouragingly, Jenna tugged on Callan’s hand. “Come on. Josh is going to be surprised.”

  Reluctantly, Callan got out of the car and walked to the door, helping carry Jenna’s things.

  Inside, Jenna set her purchases on a bench by the door. “Josh, are you home? I’ve got someone I’d like you to meet.”

  “Hey, Babe,” Josh answered, sauntering out of the kitchen and down the hall. He gave Jenna a peck on the cheek and then stuck his hand out toward Callan. “Hi, I’m Josh.”

  Callan glared at her brother.

  Josh cast an innocent look at his wife and shrugged his shoulders.

  “Don’t pretend you can’t recognize your own sister.” Jenna shook her head at him.

  Josh grinned, giving her a teasing wink before studying his sister. “Callan? Is that really you? You look so…. so….”

  “Different? Weird? Scary?”

  “No.” Josh shook his head, still grinning. “I was going to say beautiful. Modern. Chic.”

  “Chic, indeed. Where did you learn that word, Josh Carver?” Callan couldn’t hide her pleasure or her smile at his compliment. “Do you really think so?”

  “Absolutely!” Josh hugged her then stepped back, laughing as something struck him as funny. “Has Clay seen you yet? What does he think?”

  “Actually, I wanted to surprise him.”

  “Oh, boy! Wait until Clay gets a load of this. Is he home?” Josh asked. When he began rubbing his hands together, Callan knew trouble was brewing.

  “No. He took the kids to a competition yesterday and they won’t be back until late this afternoon,” Callan explained, not at all pleased by the mischievous grin on her brother’s face.

  “Can we come over for dinner?” Josh pleaded, looking very much like a little boy begging for a cookie. “I want a front row seat to see his reaction.”

  “Josh Carver!” Jenna smacked his arm, glaring at her husband. “What has gotten into you?”

  Blatantly ignoring Jenna, Josh grabbed Callan’s hand, his gray eyes twinkling with humor. “Come on, Cal, you’ve got to let us come over. Please? You know Clay is always getting the best of me, and this time I’ve got the upper hand.”

  “Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to have some company in case he really hates it.” The more Josh carried on, the more skeptical she became about her husband’s reaction to her new look.

  “Great! What time is he supposed to be back?” Josh continued to rub his hands together in anticipation.

  “The kids are supposed to be back at five-thirty. It always takes a while to get everything unloaded and put away. He probably won’t be home until six-thirty or so.”

  “We’ll be there by six, won’t we Jenna?” Josh looked at his wife and gave her a nudge.

  “Since you don’t seem to be taking no for an answer, we’ll be there.” Jenna turned to Callan. “What can we bring?”

  “I’ve got plenty of groceries at home to whip together dinner. Why don’t we make it a real dinner party? I’ll invite Steve and Bobbi, too.” Callan decided the more people at the house to deflect Clay’s possible displeasure, the better. “Let’s dress up. I’m dying to wear something new!”

  Jenna grabbed Callan’s hand and smiled. “Pink, Callan. Wear something pink.”

  Callan laughed as she pulled open the door. “See you both at six.”

  On her way home, she called Bobbi and invited them for dinner, and asked them to dress up. “Just for fun. Jenna and Josh are coming and we thought it would be nice to do something a little different,” Callan explained.

  “It sounds like a great evening, sweetie,” Bobbi said. “We’ll be there at six and I’ll bring dessert.”

  “Perfect, I’ve got something I’m excited to show you when you get here,” Callan said, then hung up.

  Her last call was to Clay.

  “Hi, handsome,” she said when he answered the phone.

  “Hi, yourself, beautiful.” Clay turned his back to the students giving him funny looks as they boarded the van. “Are you having a good day?”

  “The best.” Callan was excited about her new look and yet extremely nervous for Clay to see it. “I thought it would be nice to have a little company for dinner tonight. Your folks and Josh and Jenna are coming over.”

  “It sounds like fun.”

  Callan heard Clay tell someone to leave him alone, and assumed it was Jake. “Tell Jake I said hello.”

  “I will. That boy is nothing but trouble, I tell you.”

  Callan laughed, imagining Jake trying to pry the phone away from Clay. “I better run. What time will you be home?”

  “We’re just getting ready to leave, so I should be home a little after six.” Clay gave Jake a shove along with a warning glance when he kept asking to talk to Callan. “I’m already looking forward to dinner, Laney. Love you.”

  “Love you, too, Brick. Bye.”

  Clay smiled as he disconnected the call with his wife. She sounded extremely happy and excited. He hoped part of it was because she missed him and was glad he would be home on time.

  He hummed to himself, looking quite smug as the last student boarded the van. Callan called him Brick. That was always a good sign in his favor.

  He couldn’t wait to get home and see her. As soon as the company cleared out after dinner, he planned to spend the remainder of the evening running his hands through Callan’s long hair and enjoying a little time alone.