Back to the Mementos box, he found a picture of Cassidy and baby Bentley. He carried it over to the bookshelf. That was a nice memory.
Around dinnertime, Mom called to see if they wanted to join them. Caleb declined since they’d eaten at his folks’ five nights out of the last seven. But Bentley wanted to go, dashing out the door and across the yard before Caleb could stop him.
He heated up leftover lasagna, poured a glass of wine, cut off all the lights but the two framing the sofa, and lit a fire. Reaching for the remote, he turned on SportsCenter. But the house was still too quiet...
Which gave him too much head space to think of Emery. Why didn’t he just call her? Ask her to coffee, or lunch, or dinner? Nearly all of their interactions had been random. The awkward yet surprising exchange at Alderman’s Pharmacy. Running into her at the carnival. Then the town council and Main Streetmeetings, which she attended in an official capacity as editor of theGazette.
Dude,just call her.
As he took a fortifying bite of lasagna, his phone rang. He smiled when he saw Emery’s name.
“I was just going to text you,” he said. “What are you doing? Torturing some man by making him ride the Ferris wheel?”
“No, no, I reserve that fun for you.”
“I feel so special.”
“I’m standing on your front porch, freezing.”
When he opened the front door, Emery stood under the amber-colored porch light, wearing an Ohio State hoodie and socks for gloves.
“No one told me Florida winters were so cold.” She held up her hands. “I left my gloves in Cleveland.”
“It’s the wet air. It sinks into your bones. Come on in.”
As she crossed the threshold, Caleb exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding. She felt right in this space. She looked good in this space.
“Caleb, wow, your place is gorgeous.” She pointed to the boxes. “And I love what you’ve done with the corrugated cardboard. Very green-forward. Is that part of your sustainable design plan?”
He laughed. “No, but now that you mention it...” He started for the kitchen. “Have you eaten? How’s leftover lasagna and a glass of wine sound?”
“Like heaven.” She tugged off her sock gloves and tucked them into her hoodie pocket. “Hey, do you have any contacts at the amphitheater? I’ve called and called about press passes to an upcoming Beach Boys concert, but no one will return my call.”
“Really? You’re the editor of theGazette. Don’t they knowabout the power of the press? And no, I don’t have any connections there.” He moved into the kitchen. Emery followed.
“I’d reach out to Mac Diamond or Alfred Gallagher, but I know their kind. Favors always require payback.”
“You’d do better trying to sneak in.”
“Is Bentley here? I’ve not met him.”
“He’s at my folks’.”
“Then another time.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. “So why haven’t you unpacked those boxes?”
“She goes straight to the hard questions, ladies and gentlemen.” Caleb set a square of lasagna on a plate and popped it in the microwave. “I don’t know. Lazy? Or maybe because I’m not sure this is permanent.”
“Why isn’t this place permanent?” She leaned forward to see his face, her eyes bright and sincere.
“For one, business is not good.”
“But you didn’t know that when the boxes arrived.”
“Then I don’t have an answer. Maybe I should just throw all the stuff out. After Grandma died, I helped Grandpa clean out her things. And guess what, Emery? You can’t take it with you. Other people won’t want your stuff unless it’s near priceless or really sentimental.”
“Mom went through her things before she died. She hired someone to come in while Dad and I were at school and work. We didn’t know what she was doing for a couple of weeks. Then I saw some photo albums and her high school yearbooks in a box markedGarbage. I rescued those. After she died, we realized how much she’d given or thrown away, but the house ... the place where she cooked dinners and decorated for holidays and entertained was still there. For me, it felt like she was still with us. Then Dad met Joanna, got married, and we moved. That was hard because it was like a final good-bye to Mom.”
“But you kept the things that really mattered.” The microwaved beeped, and Caleb decided the lasagna needed another minute. “Look in that drawer by the sink for utensils.”
