Tuesday Tales: From the Word CARELESS

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. Our word prompt this week is CARELESS and I pick up where I left off last week in Forever in my Heart.

“Tilda Knowles recognized Callie the minute she saw her and contacted Cassie. The reunion was an emotional affair, and while the girls kept in touch and visited fairly often, neither of them lived here. Luke was away in Europe then, getting that bachelor’s degree in international hospitality management.”

“Yeah. Since he’d decided to turn the ranch into a resort, he wanted to do it the right way.”

And he had. The Timberton Resort had been thriving—until COVID 19 made its appearance. Since part of the land had remained a working cattle ranch, they’d managed to keep their heads above water. Now that some of the tourists were returning, it was slowly getting back on its feet.

The lawyer nodded and shifted in his chair.

“Just before he got back to Timberton, Callie gave up her job in Vancouver and came back to look after her grandmother. Tilda wasn’t sick, but she was getting up there and needed help. That was when Callie and Luke hooked up—literally. He rear-ended her car and got his grill stuck on her bumper hitch. Everyone thought they made the perfect couple. Six months later, he proposed. Tilda was thrilled, knowing that Callie would stay here and be closer to Cassie. They made plans for a Christmas wedding at the Banff Springs Hotel. Cassie came home to visit … when she and Luke met … Tilda saw it, saw the sparks. Sadly, she was careless and tripped going out to feed the birds. She broke a few ribs, her pelvis, and her arm. She tried to talk to the girl. Cassie did her best to fight her feelings as did Luke, but it was like a runaway train. Within a matter of days, Tilda developed pneumonia, and it was all over. Callie walked in on Luke consoling Cassie after the funeral. That was a month before the wedding. The poor girl was crushed—said some cruel things and then packed up and left that very night. Not that anyone blamed her.”

“I remember Luke talking about the girl he was going to marry—about how lively and vivacious she was. He always just referred to her as C. He asked me to be his Best Man. I thought he’d mentioned a Christmas wedding, but then it didn’t take place until September. I assumed they’d put it off because of all the excitement around the opening of the resort.”

That’s it. Stay safe and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales