Callie's Cowboy by Karen Leabo

as a full-fledged employee—editing the daily events calendar. She’d quickly earned a real reporter’s job.
    Tom Winers had just thrown that history down the drain, the jerk. Maybe this would turn into a blessing in disguise for Callie. She’d hinted earlier that it was time for a change. But he couldn’t expect her to focus on anything right now except the loss.
    â€œI’m sorry, Callie. I don’t know what to say, except that you’re fully entitled to be angry and upset, and if you want to cry or hit something or throw things, you can. I won’t tease you.”
    She gave a halfhearted laugh. “Are you kidding? I’ve been doing most of that all afternoon. In fact, I’ve been a real bad sport about this. Tom gave me a week’s notice,but I boxed up my things and was out of there within twenty minutes, leaving him to explain.”
    â€œBravo. Exactly the way it should have been handled.”
    â€œAnd I’ve been moaning and groaning and whining ever since.”
    â€œAnd you forgot I was coming over,” he added. He acted put out, which was only a slight exaggeration. He’d been thinking of nothing else but this evening all day.
    She shook her head vehemently. “I did not. Why do you think I got into the bathtub in the first place? I wanted to calm down before you got here, pretend nothing was wrong, and I thought a nice hot bath would help. Unfortunately it helped too well. I really did fall asleep.
Some
body interrupted my sleep last night.” She softened the gibe with a winsome smile.
    â€œI believe you.”
    â€œI’m sorry I’m in such a state.”
    â€œIt’s okay, Callie. Like I said, you’re entitled.”
    â€œWould you mind if we postponed our talk? I’m not thinking very straight right now, and—”
    â€œYes, fine, we’ll postpone it.” He wasn’t sure why he was behaving so charitably toward her all of a sudden. He supposed it was because she was hurting, and he couldn’t stand to see that, much less add to it.
    â€œI could meet you tomorrow for lunch,” she suggested,
    â€œMmm, might not be able to get a sitter. We’ll see.” He watched her, waiting to see what she would say or do next. She looked so vulnerable with that heated blush on her cheeks, all wrapped up in fuzzy pink terry, thathe felt a tremendous urge to hold her, protect her from the world.
    But he stopped himself in time. He could think of no woman who needed less protecting. Instead of touching her, he placed his hands on the chair arms and leaned forward until he was nose to nose with her. “How about a pizza from Sal’s?”
    He could almost see her mouth water. “Sal’s?”
    â€œAnd when I go to pick it up I’ll stop by the video store and rent some movies.”
    â€œ
Casablanca
?” she suggested hopefully.
    â€œThat tearjerker? No way. You need something to cheer you up, not make you cry.” Besides, he wasn’t sure they were ready to watch a romance, much less a tragic one. “How about some Marx Brothers?”
    She nodded. “Okay. And maybe an action movie?”
    â€œPerfect.”
    â€œThe number for Sal’s is by the phone, along with the emergency numbers for police and fire.”
    â€œOf course. Where else would it be?”
    She smiled again, a little more convincingly this time. “Deep-dish sausage and mushroom, and to hell with fat grams.”
    Funny how the whole tenor of the evening had changed in a few short minutes, Sam mused as he waited for Sal’s to answer the phone. He was sorry Callie had lost her job, but a small part of him was glad because it would give them the chance to talk about anything and everything and nothing important. Maybe they could get through the evening without arguing. As for postponing the explanation he’d demanded from her, he wasn’t sure he really wanted to know her thoughts