Wendy envisioned her delicious seafood dinner going up in a puff of smoke. “Then I better call Caleb and tell him we can’t make—”
“No—you should go, Mom. Caleb will be disappointed if we both bail on him.”
“But you need some dinner and—”
“I’ll fix myself something to eat. And Caleb will understand. I’ll feel guilty if you don’t go because of me.”
“But I don’t—”
“Please, Mom.Just go have some dinner with him. I’ll feel better if you do.”
“Well, I won’t promise anything, but since I don’t have his phone number, I better at least go tell him what’s up.” She opened the front door, reminding Jackson to lock up. As she drove the short distance to Caleb’s house, she was determined to beg out on dinner tonight. But when she found his place, one of the older beach cabins and similar to hers, Caleb opened the door with a wide smile.
“Dinner is almost ready.”
She felt confused. “What do you mean?”
“Chef Caleb at your service.” He led her inside, where the smell of something delicious wafted toward her. “I got lobster, crab, mussels, and shrimp down at the dock this morning. I’m making a big pot of seafood stew.” He peered out the door. “Where’s Jackson?”
She explained about Jackson’s concern for Oliver. “So I was going to ask for a rain check.” She sniffed the air. “But that smells so good ... I don’t know.”
“Jackson can bring Oliver over here.” Caleb waved a hand toward the spacious great room. “This place is dog-friendly. Call him and insist that he come.”
As she retrieved her phone, Wendy surveyed the attractive room. Gleaming wood floors, open-beam ceilings, a big stone fireplace, large leather sectional, and several pieces of handcrafted wood furnishings. “What a gorgeous room.”
“Thank you.”
“Looks like you’ve done some major remodeling.” She pushed speed dial. “From the outside it looks similar to my cottage, but inside ... well, it’s completely different. Really beautiful.”
“Yeah, I took out some walls to open it up.”
Jackson answered and she quickly relayed Caleb’s invitation for Oliver. “I can come get you and—”
“I just made a big turkey sandwich and—”
“But you could save it for—”
“You stay and eat with Caleb, Mom. Oliver and I are fine at home. Besides, I’m kinda tired. I might go to bed early, you know, after I get my room together.”
She persisted a bit more, but knew by his tone that his mind was made up. As she put away her phone, she grew suspicious. Was this simply a ploy? Had Jackson schemed for her to have dinneralonewith Caleb? Since when did he want to go to bed early? She wondered if Caleb was involved.
“Jackson wants to stay home,” she said as she joined Caleb in the kitchen. “And now I’m starting to think that something is fishy.”
Caleb laughed. “You mean besides my stew?”
She studied his expression as she unbuttoned her heavy cardigan. “It feels almost like a setup. Did you have anything to do with it?”
Caleb looked innocently at her. “Moi?”
She frowned, but decided not to obsess as she studied his updated kitchen. Concrete countertops, gorgeous wood cabinets, and appliances that were state-of-the-art. “Are you a serious cook?” she asked.
“Serious?” He shrugged. “I like good food. As a bachelor, I don’t like eating out all the time. So I taught myself to cook.” He pointed to the big pot where all the wonderful smells were coming from. “This is Nana’s seafood stew recipe, been in the family for generations.” He held up a loaf of artisan bread and a bottle of sparkling cider. “You add these ingredients and you have a simple but delicious meal.”
She glanced over to the dining area, relieved to see that three place settings were already on the beautiful live-edge table. “I guess we won’t need this.” She picked up one of the settings, placing it on the counter. “So maybe you and Jackson didn’t scheme after all.” She smiled. “Forgive my suspicions.”
Caleb chuckled as he sliced the bread. “Well, it was a natural assumption. And I’m probably not above a bit of manipulation when it comes to getting a date with you.”
“So thisisa date?”
