“Oh, God.” I wanted to die right then and there, remembering that day, unaware he’d even been home.
After not nearly enough time hating myself, I lifted my head again, gazing down at him. “I just wanted to get to know you.”
“I get that.”
“So then why did you think there was nothing to say to me? I mean, you were cool with everyone, but besides an occasional smile, you didn’t even notice me.”
“Hilary, you were right before. I didn’t know you and I had no intention of really knowing anyone back then—not the way you’d want. Seemed unfair to give you hope, especially when I found out about your mom. You didn’t need to be messed with.”
I held his stare, terrified to break it, unsure what all he knew about her but unable to talk about it. Instead, I shoved it all away, pretending he’d never brought her up and shrugging a shoulder to restrain my emotions.
“What made you think I wanted something serious back then anyway, huh?” I forced a smile, poking his chest at a teasing attempt to change the tone of the conversation. “Maybe I just wanted to see what else you could do with that mouth of yours.”
There was no doubt he saw right through me, but he went with it anyway, his expression darkening as he grabbed both my arms and pulled me up to straddle him.
“I look forward to showing you very soon.” He dragged me down for a short kiss. “But not today. Today, we eat and enjoy the weather before summer ends.”
Suddenly I was in the air then back down on my ass, perched beside him while he pulled out another tray from the tote—this one full of miniature sandwiches.
“Looks delicious,” I said, seizing one with turkey and cheese. “Who’d have thought you were into picnics?”
“Not me,” he said with a laugh.
We watched the marching band followed by a few classic cars, and just as the sheriff’s float passed—with Felicia standing on top and a beaming Oliver to her left, waving at the crowd—I asked, “So, how well do you know Logan?”
“He’s like family.”
“Family, huh?” I crossed my legs, taking a sip of the wine. “You think he’d be good for Cassandra?”
“I think she’d be good for him.” He popped a carrot stick in his mouth.
My face scrunched tightly. “Is there a difference?”
“An extreme one,” he said, looking surprised I’d ask. “Logan is a good guy, hard worker, loyal friend, and amazing father.”
“But…?”
“But when it comes to women, he never gets close.”
That was easy enough to believe, except I saw the way he looked at Cassandra. “He likes her.”
Caleb nodded his head once. “That he does. But he is a man of habit and has firm rules about how he lives his life.”
I didn’t like the sound of that, but if anyone could change a guy, it was Cassandra.
“Well, whatever his deal is with women, I have a rule too.” I looked Caleb dead in the eyes. “If he hurts her, I’ll kick his ass.”
Caleb’s face lit with amusement. “Is that so?”
“Very much so.”
Caleb braced himself with one hand on the ground, using the other to maneuver my face close to his. “Tell you what: If he hurts her, I’ll do it for you.”
And then he kissed me again. It was a sweet, gentle action filled with promise—a silent promise of hope that I was all too eager to accept.
Chapter Sixteen
Caleb dropped me off at my apartment later that afternoon, ever the gentleman, with only a short, tender kiss at the door despite my daring invitation inside. It was an offer I regretted instantly. The last thing I wanted was to rush into whatever was happening between us. I’d waited so long, but I was going to have to learn a little more patience.
I spent the entire night dreaming of him there, rolling around in my blanket with me, touching, kissing, and leaving me pleading for more. But no dream or fantasy would ever compare to having his actual lips caressing mine and his strong, agile hands pulling through my hair, directing my head’s every move.
It was why I woke early to take the coldest shower possible and make a quick smoothie. As a result, I was the first of the faculty to arrive at school.
A student entered the classroom, followed by the rest of my kids. “Hi, Miss Robinson.”
“Good morning,” I greeted them with a shaky breath, standing from my desk, where my mind had been drifting to dangerously inappropriate places. Our morning in class was finally becoming a routine, and something that I looked forward to. It was the only place my mind tucked away any thought of Caleb, and the one place I’d felt confident lately.
At lunchtime, Cassandra strolled into my classroom with her Thermos and lunch tote in hand, plopping herself on one of the reading corner’s beanbags.
“I have the best kids, seriously,” she gushed.
I grabbed my own bag from my desk drawer. “Thought we were meeting in the teachers’ lounge.” I laughed, sliding down onto the beanbag beside her.
“Yeah, I know. But since there’s something coming for you any second, I wanted to be here.”
Just as my face scrunched, there was a knock on my open door and in strolled the school secretary, Peg Wilde.
“Hi, girls. Hilary, this was delivered to the office earlier. Thought I’d bring it by,” she explained, setting a beautiful white orchid in a simple bronze pot on my desk.
“There’s a note,” she pointed out, her eyes gleaming. “I could read it aloud if you’d like.”
Cassandra chuckled under her breath as I fought back a stupid childlike grin. “Thanks, but I got it covered.”
“Very well, then,” Peg said sweetly. She walked to the door, then turned back with a broad smile. “You know, the orchid has a lot of meaning: strength, beauty, but also love. Whoever sent it must really care about you.”
“Really?” Cassandra piped up, smirking. “Did you hear that, Hil love?”
“Yeah, I did.” I kicked her foot as subtly as I could muster. “Thanks again, Peg.”
“No problem, sweetie.”
The moment she exited the room, Cassandra was on her feet with me trailing behind, failing to beat her to the card. She snatched it quickly, eyes dancing with amusement.
“So the carnival went well for you two after all, huh?” she teased.
I crossed my arms. “Caleb ordered flowers for me last week, but they never made it. Obviously this is just him making that right.”
Cassandra sliced a challenging look my way. “Mmm hmm. And you just forgot to mention that your dream guy tried to send you flowers? What else have you not been telling me?”
I bit the inside of my lip, feeling my cheeks go aflame.
Her expression grew animated. “Oh my God, Hilary, spill—now!”
I unlocked my arms, letting them fall hopelessly to my side as I confessed, “We kissed.”
“Finally!” She gave me a giant hug. “And?”
She waited with bated breath. I rolled my eyes at her excitement, despite reeling with it myself. “And it was amazing!”
Cassandra couldn’t have been happier for me, handing the note over for me to open. I read it quickly to myself, then again out loud.
This orchid better suits you: delicate, beautiful, and exotic. Have dinner with me tonight, Haven, 6:30. — Caleb
There was no denying I must’ve looked like a fool, standing there practically drooling.
“Wow,” Cassandra said wistfully. “You really do still feel it.”
“Feel it?” I asked.
She sauntered back to the beanbag and plopped down, opening her lunch bag. “You’ve had that same look on your face about him since he kissed you in the eighth grade, and it’s never wavered.” She popped a grape in her mouth. “I’m kind of jealous.”
I slumped back down beside her. “Then should we talk about the many looks you have around Logan?”
She took an enormous bite of her sandwich and pointed at her full cheeks, mumbling abou
t needing to eat.
I just laughed, too consumed and lost in my own extreme joy to press her on the subject, instead sending a quick text to Caleb.
Me, 11:38 a.m.: Thank you for the flower. It’s stunning. See you tonight.
As we finished our lunches, I checked my phone for the tenth time, needing to silence it and tuck it back in my desk. There was still no reply. I frowned.
“He’s probably in the thick of the lunch rush,” Cassandra assured me.
I simply nodded, placing the phone in my drawer. “I’m sure.”
Together, we headed silently to the playground to collect our students.
“Hey, Caleb Townsend just called you beautiful, invited you to dinner, and sent you a flower. If you don’t celebrate this as a win, I’m gonna smack the crap out of you right now.”
Cassandra was right, yet I couldn’t stop feeling like it was too good to be true. I’d waited years for this and here it was, so why was I stressing now?
I stopped her suddenly, pulling her to the side of the hallway, and whispered, “You made Mark wait forever before sleeping with him. How?”
Her eyes grew wide, mouth slack. “What?”
“I need to take this slowly but I want him, bad. So what do I do?”
“When you say he, I hope you mean Caleb and not Mark, right?” Her expression lifted with amusement.
I closed my eyes and let out a small laugh. “Definitely.”
“Well, first of all, I was young and still a…” She leaned in and whispered even lower, “virgin, so totally different circumstances.”
“True.” I looked off down the empty hall, then swung my head back her way. “But how have you not jumped Logan’s bones yet?”
“Hilary!” she yelped, swatting at me. “Quiet!”
I only giggled harder. “Seriously, what’s your secret? I need at least a week, possibly two, of holding out.”
“And why, exactly?” she asked, appearing completely serious. “If you’re both feeling it, then what’s the problem? I have a million and one reasons why going there with Logan would be a disaster, but you’ve wanted this for so long.”
I lowered my head. “Yeah, and I’m not ready to lose it,” I said honestly.
“Hil…” Cassandra reached out for my arm but I stepped back, clearing the somberness from my mood and offering her a complacent smile.
“I want to believe he’s different or that with me, he could be, but I know he’s fooled around with a few girls since he’s been back and blowing them off and I don’t want to end up like one of them.” I looked her straight in the eye. “I can’t be. It would gut me. I need to get him to open up a little and let him know I want to build something.”
Cassandra was smiling from ear to ear. “Then get to know him, and if he’s as smart as I give him credit for, he’ll realize you’re worth keeping.”
She linked her arm through mine, leading me farther down the hall just as a few other teachers began passing. “Handheld showerhead with high pressure,” Cassandra said quietly, laughing the moment we stepped onto the playground. “That’s the trick.”
I couldn’t control my laughter, watching her prance away. And here I thought she spent too much time in the shower to cool off. Whatever it would take, I’d make it work. My legs were officially closed to Caleb for at least a week. If only I believed I could.
After dropping by my apartment to change and clean up, I made it to Haven shortly before six-thirty wearing a simple blue-and-white floral dress. It would be September soon, which meant my chance to wear anything short and frilly was about to come to an abrupt end. Harmony was known for some of the worst winters, with snow coming as early as November most years.
Kurt greeted me the moment I stepped through Haven’s door. “Hey, Hilary, how’ve you been?”
“Good,” I said, glancing around at the tables. There wasn’t an empty one in sight. “You?”
“Doing okay.” He led me to the bar.
“The place is packed,” I noted.
“Same as every night.”
I smiled to myself. “That’s fantastic.”
“Yeah, for Caleb I guess, but not so much for us.” He stepped around the bar, filling glasses with soda. I peered around, searching for any sight of Caleb. “Hey, by chance, did you talk to your friend?”
I returned my attention to Kurt, caught off guard by the eagerness in his tight expression. “I did, and she happily agreed. This Saturday night at eight. You’re still free, I take it?”
“Very much so. And thank you!” He set the glasses on a tray and positioned it at the end of the bar. A passing waiter snatched it up quickly.
“You want to eat here or wait for a table?” Kurt asked me.
“She’ll be with me tonight,” Caleb said, appearing at my side. His arm wound around my waist, maneuvering me to face him.
“Glad you made it.” He pulled me in and pressed a hot kiss to my cheek, his mouth then skimming its way to my ear, where he whispered, “You look gorgeous.”
“Thanks,” I replied, my heart pitter-pattering as he released his hold. I motioned my head toward the happy crowd enjoying dinner. “I’m impressed. Everyone seems to love this place.”
He took my hand, weaving his fingers in mine. “I brought in an amazing chef. It’s the key to success, I’ve been told.” He glanced at Kurt. “Let me know when table twelve clears.”
Kurt nodded. “You got it, but uh…we have an issue out back. Was just about to go find you. Sorry boss.”
Caleb led me into the kitchen, explaining he was having a special meal prepared just for us. “I need to go deal with this, but our table should be open any minute,” he explained. “Mind waiting in my office for me?”
“Sure,” I said, staring hopelessly up into his gorgeous face.
His body was suddenly pressed against mine, backing me up against the freezer door where he captured my lips with his. I was as zealous as he was, a small whimper pouring out when his hands found their way into my hair, digging into my scalp.
He rested his forehead against mine after breaking the kiss. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you all day.”
“Me too,” I said through strangled breaths.
After one more lasting kiss, his tongue stroking mine, he shoved off the metal, bolting away and departing out the back door to leave me there breathless. After a few seconds to compose myself, I easily found my way into his office, sliding down into his chair and pressing my fingers to my swollen lips.
“Perfect,” I said to myself, blissfully happy.
“She’s going crazy!” a woman shrieked from the hall, startling me.
“It’s his own damn fault,” someone else added. “He wants to fuck around, then he has to deal with it.”
“I heard she’s been stalking him!” the first girl spat.
My curiosity was piqued, so I spun the chair around just enough to peer out and see Jill alongside another waitress. They were both peeking out the back door Caleb had exited through.
“I heard he had a threesome with her roommate and she walked in on it!” the girl beside Jill stated and I froze, my pulse running rampant. Were they talking about Caleb? They had to be.
“Yeah, but he wasn’t dating her. It was a one-night stand, from what I heard. He didn’t owe her anything, and he still doesn’t. She needs to leave him alone already.”
The girl turned to Jill. “Damn, someone has a thing for the boss man.”
My stomach lurched.
Jill shook her head. “Who doesn’t? He’s hot, cool, and rich. But he said he doesn’t date employees and I need my job, so until I can find other work, he’s all business.”
“I didn’t realize we were talking about dating.” The girl laughed. “I’d give him a threesome if he—”
Kurt appeared from around the corner, looking pissed. “Hey, we done with the gossip? Your tables are waiting for their food,” he told them.
And off they went, scurrying back out front, with Kurt on their
tails.
The longer I sat there, the higher my anxiety climbed. Luke had made it clear that Caleb wasn’t the boyfriend type, but hearing it from others was a different story.
I wanted so badly to use all my strength to stay right there in his big, comfy chair, but nosiness got the better of me. My feet set my body in motion, leading me to the back door.
With just my head peeking out, I saw Caleb standing in front of Marcie, one of my classmates growing up. Caleb’s back was to me, so all I saw was her tearful face. He was holding her hand, talking too softly for me to hear. And there beside her was Luke, staring right at me.
Chapter Seventeen
I reared back, hiding behind the doorframe, embarrassed to be caught yet unable to stop myself from stealing another peek.
Caleb leaned in and hugged Marcie, even stroked her short black hair—and then just as I thought she would be leaving, he kissed her cheek. It was innocent enough, but my gut still coiled tightly with jealousy. I had it bad for him, and it scared the shit out of me.
A moment later, Marcie stepped out of his embrace and gave Luke a quick hug before walking away.
Both guys waited there silently until she turned the corner around the building. Then, as if detonated, Caleb exploded.
“What the hell were you thinking bringing her down here like this with no warning!? You hate me that fucking much now!?”
Luke puffed out a dark chuckle. “You worried what Hilary might think?” he responded, knowing full well I was within earshot.
“God damn it, Luke, what do you want from me, huh?” Caleb threw his hands in the air. “I’m trying my damnedest to make things right, and you keep fighting me at every goddamned turn. I’m. Not. Your. Enemy.”
“You’re not my friend, either! Or my brother. Not anymore.”
Caleb threw his head back, roaring his frustration up into the sky.
“You know what, Luke? Let’s get this over with right fucking now,” Caleb relented, stomping toward him. “I stayed with Dad so you could live with Mom. I dealt with all his control-freak bullshit, wanting to protect you from it. I kicked any and everyone’s ass who even attempted to crack a joke at your expense growing up. And when you thought rollerblading was cool and rode your ass up and down Main Street with those hideous purple ones and bike shorts, that shit wasn’t easy!”