A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust

"If it weren't for our Callie, there's no way we'd have sorted things out with Ivory Town so quickly!"

"And Callie, don't think I haven't heard. Our little town's tourism project has a lot to do with you, right?"

Calliope just smiled, not giving anything away.

"I knew it! You little rascal! You're our good luck charm, always have been!"

"Thank you, Callie. Even though you haven't been around much lately, you've never stopped thinking about us. This town will always be your home, you know that? Promise you'll come back and visit, whenever you can?"

"You know, I didn't tell the other ladies you were leaving this time. If I had, they'd be bawling and trying to keep you here again!"

"When you get back, you take care of yourself, alright? And if you ever need anything, you know you can always come home. We all miss you, you know that? We really hate to see you go."

"Even though your grandpa's old farmhouse is coming down, I promise I'll figure out a way to build you a new place someday, okay?"

Neil said all this with that earnest, fatherly look he always gave Calliope.

"Oh, Neil, you really don't have to! If I come back, I'll just stay at the inn, it's no trouble. Isn't the new bed-and-breakfast going up right on Main Street? When I come back, I'll stay there!"

"That's not the same as having your own place!" Neil insisted, stubborn as ever.

Calliope laughed, shaking her head. "The inn will be just fine, I promise! As long as the town is thriving, that's all I care about."

"Well... alright then," Neil relented, though he still looked a bit sad as he helped her with her bags.

"Neil, really, you should get home now. We're heading out!" Calliope called as she climbed into the car.

"You take care of yourself too, okay?"

"Take care!"

"Safe travels!"

Then Neil turned a stern look on Silas. "And Silas, you take care of our Callie, you hear me? Don't you dare let her down! We're all her family here. If you ever hurt her, you'll have the whole town to answer to!"

Silas grinned sheepishly and nodded. "Don't worry, sir. I promise I'll look after her.

If I ever mess up, you can come after me yourself."

"Good man. You look like a good kid. Callie's in your hands now."

After a few more words, the car rolled out of the driveway.

Neil stood there waving for a long time, watching them go.

Calliope kept glancing back in the rearview mirror, her heart a little heavier than she wanted to admit. This was the place she'd grown up, and even though she knew she wouldn't be back much, she still hated saying goodbye.

On the way out of town, Calliope pulled out her phone and dialed her brother, Quentin Sutton.

Quentin was overseas on

assignment-some governmentnoveldrama

thing, always in a different country.

Even so, when he saw Calliope's

name pop up, he answered right away.

"Hey, Callie. Everything okay?" Quentin's voice was tense, a little worried.

Calliope knew he was always busy with top-secret stuff, so she hardly ever called unless it was important.

"Hey, Quentin, are you busy right now? It's not urgent. If you're in the middle of something, I can call back later."

"No, I'm good. Really. Just tell me what's up."

"Well, I was back at Grandpa's old place, sorting through some of our things, and I found a box Grandpa left for me."