Caleb placed his hand on the small of my back. “The day’s early; we got plenty of time. Sit,” he directed, pulling over a chair for my dad and holding out his arm.
My dad’s expression lifted, as did his shoulders, and he patted Caleb on the back before sitting beside me. The picture the artist drew was as ridiculous as it was funny, just as it was meant to be, and would no doubt be hung proudly on my dad’s fridge until the end of time.
“How about a snow cone,” my dad more stated then asked, jumping in line and ordering four after Caleb’s offer to pay went unheard (or unacknowledged, at least).
“She’s a beauty, ain’t she?” my dad asked after we’d gotten our snow cones—not about his daughter, but a 1957 Chevy Bel Air prepping for the parade.
We all strolled down to the start of the parade route where everyone was gathered, readying to begin the celebration in the next hour or so.
“You a car or truck fella?”
Caleb apparently had an appreciation for both, which led to a twenty-minute discussion between the two as they analyzed every vehicle there.
“You two look good together,” Felicia said softly while we walked behind the guys, nudging me in the side gently.
I smiled, unsure what to say. “So do you two.”
She looked at me and we both laughed. “Your father is an amazing man—one of my best friends. Told you girls, never gonna be more than that. I do have someone I’ve been talking to.”
“Seriously?” My entire face lit up. Felicia rarely dated. “Who? How? Oh my God, does Cassandra know yet?”
“No, and please don’t say anything. His name is George, and we just started talking. I’m only telling you because I don’t want you and Cassie getting all hopeful again about your dad and me.”
“Okay, but if it gets serious, I want to meet him,” I insisted.
“Fair enough. And if you ever have any questions about that one,” she said slowly, looking over at Caleb, “I might be able to find a few answers for you.”
She stopped, regarding me carefully. All I had to do was say yes—a simple word, one syllable, and she’d do a full background on him.
“Thanks, but I’m gonna let things play out. Want to try this whole trust thing everyone raves about.” I laughed.
“Good for you.” She seemed genuinely delighted for me.
We followed the men a little farther before Felicia stopped us at the sheriff’s department float she’d helped build.
“Ah, here it is! It was good catching up with you kids, but I need to get ready. The parade starts soon and we still have a few finishing touches to make.”
Caleb returned to my side, taking my hand as though it was his right to do so. I didn’t stop him that time.
“Not a problem. We’ll see you around.” He then turned to my father, whose penetrating stare was locked on our joined hands. “Drop into Haven anytime, Hank. You’re always welcome.”
“Thanks. I might just do that.” My dad reached out, shaking Caleb’s free hand. “I’ll give these guys some assistance over here. You two have fun.”
I gave him a quick hug, promising to stop over soon and telling him I loved him, then headed back out to Main Street with Caleb.
“He’s a good guy,” Caleb said, squeezing my hand. “You two are lucky. Nice to see a happy family.”
“Well, like you said, appearances mean everything to some people. We have our issues, but I’d kill to protect him.”
“I know.”
“There they are!” I exclaimed, spotting Cassandra on the massive grassy field holding a giant pink flamingo, with Oliver at her side.
“Told you’d she’d come,” Caleb said smugly, turning us to head their way.
“Hey, I um…I have a question, real quick,” I said, stopping him from leading me any farther.
He looked back, his expression inquisitive. “What’s that?”
“You know the guy at Haven, Kurt?”
“Yeah…”
I smiled softly. “Well, is he a good guy?”
Caleb stepped toward me, our hands still joined. “A good guy?”
“Yeah. You know, not a creeper type.”
His lips tugged up. “And what exactly are we considering a creeper type?”
“Do you think he’s dangerous?” I asked, biting back my giggle.
“I hired him, didn’t I? So what does that tell you?”
“True…” I peeked back up. “You think he and Cassandra would get along?”
The hearty breath he released, followed by a single roar of laughter, had me feeling optimistic. “Is that a yes?”
“Do I think they’d get along? Probably. Cassie’s easy enough to like.” He shook his head. “But do I think Logan would be cool with it? No. No, I definitely think that will cause a few issues.”
“Exactly.” My animated mood tugged my hand free, and I waved them both around as I explained. “Look, Logan seems cool and harmless enough, but Cassandra’s too shy to go for it.
“So I was thinking, what if she went on a blind date with Kurt and either A.,” I ticked off on my fingers, “She and Kurt hit it off, or B. Logan gets jealous and finally realizes he needs to make his move? It’s a win-win situation.”
“Well if you got it all figured out, Honey Pie, why are you asking me?”
“Because she won’t listen to just me.” I tucked my hand back into his—the first really daring move I’d made. “But if they have the date at Haven and she knows you’re vouching for the guy…”
His eyes clouded. “Hilary, I did a friend a solid by hiring him, but I can’t vouch for someone I don’t really know. And if he’s taking Cassandra out, then it’s definitely happening at Haven. You do realize that she’s a big girl, and a smart one too? It’s up to her, not us.”
“I know. I just want to give her a little push, that’s all.”
“I get that. You care about her.”
“You care about her too,” I said without even thinking, smiling softly. It was in the way he spoke not only of her but to her. He always looked out for her growing up, and I knew that wouldn’t change now.
“She’s like family. You don’t grow up together and not care about the person. Although I’m sure Luke still has feelings beyond family.”
I snickered. “Yeah, poor guy. We’ve all noticed. She sees him like a brother, though.”
“How about we agree to keep that to ourselves? He’s pissed off enough right now.”
“Fair enough. And I’m not even sure they’ve seen each other in the last year or so. Maybe he’s forgotten all about her.” I smiled to myself.
“Doubtful.”
With our hands tightly joined, we headed toward the field again.
Chapter Fifteen
“Cassandra!” I shouted.
Slowly, she turned our way, a cheerful spark shimmering in her eyes as her attention caught on my hand, which was still comfortably snug in Caleb’s.
She beamed, walking to meet us. “Hey, I was wondering when I’d run into you guys.”
“Caleb’s been dragging me around to every single ride they set up here,” I mock complained.
“You know you loved it,” Caleb said with a snicker, squeezing my hand and brushing a stray strand of hair from my cheek with his free hand.
My cheeks sizzled, grin unrelenting. “I’m glad you decided to come,” I told Cassandra. “I didn’t think you would.”
“Yeah, Oliver convinced me,” she explained, staring down at the cute little four-year-old who was clutching her hand.
“So you’re here with Logan as well?” I asked, raising a brow.
Cassandra rolled her eyes. “I’m here with Oliver, and since Logan is his father, yes, he’s here.”
“Logan’s a good guy,” Caleb interrupted, releasing my hand and snatching Oliver into the air, up on top of his shoulders.
“We’ll be back,” he said over Oliver’s giggling, then shot me a wink.
Cassandra and I laughed as Oliver squealed
madly, bouncing on Caleb’s shoulders as the latter raced across the field.
“I’m glad I ran into you,” I told her. “I have something to tell you, and please don’t be mad.”
Frowning, she turned her attention away from Caleb and his mimicking of gorilla sounds. We both laughed.
“Well, it’s too early for you to be knocked up with Caleb’s lovechild, so what is it?”
“Caleb hired a new guy at the restaurant. He’s really cute and nice, and—” I took a deep breath, bracing myself for a reaction I’d need to fight. Cassandra didn’t live outside her comfort zone, but that’s why she had me: to help with that.
“And?” She squared her shoulders, knowing me too well to not see what was coming.
“He asked about you. I told him you’re single, and…he wants to get together with you next Saturday night.” I rushed my words, hoping she wouldn’t have time to overanalyze them.
“No,” she said, shaking her head.
“Come on! He wants to have dinner at Haven, that’s all.”
With a frustrated sigh, she pulled her hair off the back of her neck, clearly thinking it over. “Hilary…”
“You have to admit it could do you some good,” I pleaded. “Maybe give you a carefree night to release some of that pent-up frustration?” I raised my brows. “It could possibly help put an end to your indecent dreams about Logan.
“Unless you’d rather…” I leaned in, smirking, “go to him for help with that. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”
“You’re terrible, you know that?” she snapped, but the amusement in her eyes was too clear to hide.
“So is that a yes?” I scrunched my nose, holding my breath. When she didn’t answer, I pushed a smidge harder. “He’s really cute. I swear you won’t regret it.”
“Hope you like corn dogs,” Logan said from behind us. We both turned to find him walking over with Caleb and Oliver.
The playful amusement on Caleb’s face as he swung Oliver into his arms warmed my heart. There were so many sides to this man—and, I’m sure, more pieces I could only hope to have a chance to discover.
“Fine, I’ll go,” she whispered.
I never looked away from Caleb as he gave Oliver a high five, then mouthed to me, “You ready?” while nudging his head toward the street.
“Great. We’ll see you guys later,” I told her, offering a broad smile to Oliver and then to Logan, who gave a simple nod.
Caleb took my hand as I reminded Cassandra to find her mom, then we said our goodbyes. He led me back toward the main drag of the carnival, away from the field where I’d thought we’d hang out and watch the parade.
“You didn’t want to sit with them? We can see the parade well enough from there.”
“I know a better place.” He squeezed my hand, regarding me intently. “Trust me?”
I didn’t know the right answer but I knew what I felt, so I let my emotions respond for me. “Yeah. Tonight, at least.”
That must’ve been enough for him because he picked up the pace, leading me back around the carnival rides, through the trailers and tents of workers, to the bottom of a hill with weeds up to my knees.
“Um, I’m not a fan of snakes,” I admitted, nervous to walk where I wouldn’t be able to see my feet.
“Good. Neither am I.”
He wasn’t getting me. “I mean, there have to be at least a few in all this…right?”
Caleb peered my way, wearing an amused smirk, and pointed. A few feet away was a dirt trail. I blew out a deep breath.
“Thought you were gonna trust me.”
We began walking again, the trail growing steeper with every step. “Hey, I’m trying, but the farther from town we get, the more I’m regretting it.” I sucked in a ragged breath, my legs stinging. “If you brought me up here to kill me, you could’ve done it down there and hid my body in one of those trailers. Saved us both a lot of walking.”
He finally stopped, to my legs’ relief. He watched me as I released my hair, running my fingers through the long, sweat-dampened strands and pulling it back up into a high messy bun.
“Look,” he said, gazing out in front of us.
“Oh my…God,” I said, staring down at the entire carnival, with the parade route in the center. I could see almost half the town, including Haven. “How did you find this place?”
He kicked a few rocks and twigs out of the way, then motioned for me to come over to a specific patch of the blue-green grass scattered with daffodils and wildflowers. “Spent a lot of time in these woods growing up. Watched the parade every year from this very spot.”
“Really?” That honestly surprised me, but not as much as seeing him walk just inside the dense forest that started at our back and return carrying a large black insulated bag and a rolled-up blanket.
My heart began to race faster, and I gnawed on my bottom lip in a failing attempt to keep my feelings from spreading out into the dumbest grin he’d ever see.
He laid out the large, thick blanket, and I grabbed a side to help smooth it over the grass.
“Sit,” he instructed, pulling a bottle of wine and corkscrew from the bag. “And in case you’re wondering, I have no intention of wasting a bottle of the finest wine on someone I plan on killing after.”
“Good to know.” I giggled softly as he poured a glass and handed it to me. Once he had his own, he sat beside me, spreading his long legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankles. “So no murder weapons in there?”
“I sure as hell hope not.” He dug through the bag and pulled out a covered platter filled with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
“I’m impressed,” I said, grabbing a strawberry. “What if I hadn’t trusted you to bring me up here?” I took a bite, chewing slowly as I waited for his reply.
Once I swallowed, he leaned closer, caressing my cheek with the back of his hand. “I always have a plan B, Hilary. But I had a feeling you’d want to try this again, after all these years, as badly as I did.”
And just like that, Caleb Townsend pressed his lips against mine, his hands cradling my face as our mouths collided. I lost myself there, wanting and needing nothing else, the entire world falling away. But unlike all those years ago, this time was different—sensual and deeper, as his tongue skimmed my lips. My lips parted and our tongues connected, dancing together.
His hands moved roughly back to my hair tie and he gave it a tug, freeing my long unruly waves as he lowered me down to the ground, his body covering mine. With no intention of rushing, I allowed my hands to travel leisurely down from his neck to his strong back, dipping my hands under his black tee when they reached the hem and back up over his tight, warm muscles.
The shirt lifted from my brazen move and so did he, sitting up and breaking our kiss to remove it fully. I was treated only to a glimpse of his taut abs and toned chest, but I didn’t care. Reaching out, I pulled him back down over me. He didn’t hesitate, indulging my desires as his mouth left mine to skim across my cheek and down my neck, where he suckled and nipped.
My legs wound around his waist and he reached back with one hand, pulling them higher, forcing my center to align with his firm cock. I’d never experienced such a heady need—pure greed and lust. My panties were soaked and my body bucked up, legs locked around him.
He pulled back just the slightest, staring down at me with a soft expression. “Even softer than I remembered.”
I extended my neck up and pressed a long, adoring kiss to his damp chest before lying back blissfully. “You remember.”
He stroked my neck, gazing down at me with amusement playing in eyes. “You think I’d forget that?”
“It was a long time ago. You didn’t even know me.”
Caleb rolled onto his back, pulling me over with him so that I was resting on his chest. I propped my head up on my hand, gazing at all his gorgeous features as he moved one arm behind his head while the other stroked my arm.
“You were too young for me then,” he said with a
tiny smile. “Cute and shy with big, beautiful brown eyes. That I do remember. But I’m not sure why I kissed you that day.”
We sat there silently, enjoying the warmth of the fading sun and the music from the parade starting down below.
“I think it was the way you looked up at me,” he finally said, pensively. “You were sitting crisscross like a child.”
“I was fourteen!” I exclaimed, as if that was grown.
A rumble in his chest vibrated through mine. “There was something so incredibly alluring in the way you looked at me. At first it just made you cuter, but then I saw something familiar—the loneliness you kept hidden. The burden of a life you yearned to escape from.”
When I didn’t respond, my mouth slipping open, he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, forcing me to rest my head against his chest. I stared out at the carnival below—at the crowds of people who were more than content to spend the rest of their lives right there, never feeling caged or alone. Jealousy crept through my emotions.
“I wanted to show you there was so much more,” he whispered. “That no boy sitting around playing spin the bottle was going to be able to give you what you needed. And then you kissed me back, and I knew I fucked up.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I saw the hope in your eyes. Was I wrong?”
“No,” I murmured. “Is that why you never spoke to me, or even acknowledged me?”
“There was nothing to say. And then Cassandra all but said you had a crush on me, so I was even more compelled to keep my distance.”
My head shot up. “Cassandra told you!? When!?” How did I not know this? Why the hell would she tell him?
“She didn’t actually come out and say the words, but she’d ask little things about the girls I was seeing, trying to get information, which wasn’t like her.”
Mortified, I dropped my head against his chest.
“I figured it had to be for you because I overheard you two arguing one day in her front yard. You were a freshman then. Still a scrawny little thing, though.”
I swatted his chest, and he just continued. “You were yelling about her spending all her time with that shithead boyfriend Mark and not helping you anymore. She yelled back, pointing at my house, telling you to grow some balls and try talking to me yourself.”