She was absolutely a coward. At least when it came to Xander Costas.
Her bridesmaid dress hung on the door to her closet, a constant, visible reminder of how much she’d loved being in his arms; how utterly and completely at peace she felt despite the tornado spinning inside of her whenever she looked at him.
Even the phone call from Hildy had been a distraction, albeit not a welcome one. She’d had to accept it was time to begin making preparations for alternative care. The unpredictability and erratic behavior had increased.
“It’s time,” Hildy told her. “It’s not that I don’t want to help, Calliope, I do. But she’s gone beyond anything I can do for her.”
“I understand,” Calliope had told her. “I’ll work things out with Mama’s doctor and we’ll get this resolved as quickly as we can.”
Quickly meant finding a place in a facility that could take her in on short notice. Calliope’s good luck seemed to have kept pace with her hopes for once. The Stanhope Clinic was even farther away than Hildy’s home, a three-hour drive, but the facility specialized in psychological disorders. It would cost more—significantly more—but if what Emmaline’s doctor said was true, sadly, it might not be for long.
Which was why Calliope found it so difficult to sign the admission papers that had been emailed to her. Once she did, it was as if she’d finally given up. But if she didn’t...there simply wasn’t an alternative. Not if Calliope was going to give Stella the life she deserved.
“Hello?”
The familiar female voice brought a smile of relief to Calliope’s soul and she clicked off the computer monitor and set aside the papers. “Alethea.” She stood up from her desk and walked to the open door. “Hello. Welcome. Please, come in.” She ushered her inside and automatically turned on the stove for the teapot. “What brings you by?”
“Well, my brother was raving about this place. And you, of course.” Alethea turned in a slow circle, her wide blue eyes filled with wonder. “Every time I walk down a new street in this town I find something even more amazing,” Alethea sighed. “I feel like I’m in Ireland or something.”
The cloud of despair had dissipated around the young woman. Her face was bright and shining, her eyes bereft of the shadows that had echoed so much heartache. “That is the highest compliment I could receive, thank you. Please. Sit down. Have you had lunch? I baked some bread this morning.”
“Oh, I’m good, thanks. I’ve been making a pig of myself over at Jason’s restaurant. Xander asked him to give me cooking lessons. Did you know that?”
“I did not. But they seem to agree with you.” When the kettle whistled, she pulled it off the stove and poured water into the pot with the cinnamon-apple tea she’d been drinking for the holidays. “How is your brother?”
“Acting stranger than usual,” Alethea mumbled. “Sorry, that’s partly why I’m here. He’s locked himself in the cottage. Apparently the other night at poker he got inspired about the sanctuary. He’s been sitting at that table ever since. All I hear from him are grunts and mutterings.” Calliope pressed her lips together to stop from laughing. Why did it not surprise her that Xander was the kind of man who would get completely obsessed with a project? “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“I’m not so sure. I’ve never seen him like this. He literally cannot stop working. And it’s weird. I mean, yeah, he stops to eat, because I make him, and I think he’s sleeping. But I was wondering if maybe you could talk to him? Get him to take a break long enough for his brain to settle? There’s the bonfire tonight? Maybe he’d go with you?”
Calliope shook her head. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Alethea.”
“I’m not playing matchmaker, I swear.” That Alethea would have even thought such a thing told Calliope she was right to say no. “He’s just not listening to me. He’s ignoring calls from Antony and my mom. He’s making me talk to them and all they keep telling me is how they can’t wait for me to come home. I need him to surface long enough for him to get them off my back.”