My Dearest Cal by Sherryl Woods Page B

coming back, she thought as she walked back toward the house. But when the car rounded the final curve in the driveway, she saw that it was an unfamiliar Lincoln, long and black and impressive despite its layer of fresh dust.
    The man who stepped out was equally impressivewith his broad shoulders, impeccable navy-blue suit, Italian loafers and a face that had been lovingly chiseled into angles similar to Cal’s. The perfection might have been too much were it not for the slight bend in his nose, indicating that at one time at least this man had played hard and gotten his nose bloodied in the process. Right now there was curiosity written all over that handsome face, so much so that it had Marilou blushing as she went to greet him. Even before he introduced himself, she guessed that this was Priscilla’s hunk, Joshua Ames. Cal could not possibly know two men of calendar caliber.
    “You must be Marilou Stockton,” he said, holding out his hand.
    “How did you know?”
    “Cal mentioned you were here. I must say I was impressed with your resourcefulness in tracking him down.”
    “Were you?” she said doubtfully. “He probably gave you hell for it.”
    “Actually, he did, but I swore I didn’t give anything away.”
    She grinned. “Oh, but you did. Not much, mind you, but enough for me to figure out the rest.”
    “But all I said was…” His voice trailed off in genuine bewilderment. “I didn’t say anything. I know I didn’t.”
    “You admitted he was still in Florida.”
    He blinked and rubbed a hand across his eyes. “I must be spending too much time at my computer.How did you get from that piece of information to a farm in Ocala?”
    “That’s my secret, Mr. Ames.”
    “Call me Joshua. All my friends do.”
    “And are we going to be friends?” she inquired bluntly.
    His blue eyes searched her face for several impossibly long minutes before he nodded. “Yes, I think we are. Where’s Cal?”
    “On his way to Kentucky.”
    His face registered astonishment, which rapidly gave way to amusement. “Well, well, the coward ran after all.”
    Something about his comment told Marilou that Joshua had a pretty good idea of what had gone on between the two of them. “I’m surprised you didn’t know about the trip,” she said with feigned innocence. “When did you speak to him last?”
    “About one o’clock this morning,” he said, confirming her suspicions.
    “Well, well,” she said, mimicking him.
    He caught the amusement in her eyes, and suddenly the two of them were laughing. “I’m sorry you wasted a trip,” she said finally.
    “Believe me, I don’t consider it a waste, though why anyone would want to live out here is beyond me, especially a man like Cal.”
    “Meaning?”
    “He’s a city boy with an incredible head for business. He belongs in boardrooms, not out here mowing grass.”
    “I don’t think he mows much grass, actually. He spends most of his time with the horses or studying up on breeding. Believe me, he takes this seriously as a business. Come with me, I’ll show you around. There are some gorgeous horses in his stables already.”
    Joshua actually shuddered. “No, thank you. If you have a glass of iced tea, I’d be grateful for it. Then I’ll be on my way back into town. I think I’ve seen enough.”
    “Meaning me,” she said, amusement in her voice. “Did I live up to your expectations?”
    “I had no expectations,” he contradicted. It was a halfhearted denial. He didn’t seem to feel especially guilty about being so obvious. When Marilou regarded him skeptically, he admitted, “Okay, I was a little worried you might be some sort of gold digger. It wouldn’t be the first time some woman has gone after Cal for his money.”
    “I don’t want his money, Joshua. I don’t even want him. I just want to see him reunited with his family.”
    Shock registered on Joshua’s face. “Good Lord! Does he know that?”
    “Oh, he knows it.” Her gaze narrowed. “Have