Like a slave programmed to answer to their master, I robotically turn around to hear the man out. He tends to have that effect on me whenever he calls my name.
Nostalgia washes over me the same way it did during the fire. He keeps inconveniencing me, and I hate that my body’s responding positively to him when I need to take my leave.
“There’s no cause for alarm—I didn’t tell my boss about us.”
“There is nous, Caleb.”
“Good,” he says curtly. “Then there should be no problem with you and your son living with me for a while. Just until you find your feet. I can give you a hand with the insurance stuff. I’m pretty clued in about all of that from work.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I say. “I can deal with the insurance.”
“And the moving in with me part?”
I turn around for a second to grit my teeth. Ouch. Refusing him makes it so damn obvious that feelings are there, which—for the record, they are not. The only feeling stirring inside of me is rage. He shouldn’t be back here.
And the fact that he wants to do well by his boss is concerning.
It means he’s planning on sticking around for a while…
At least for another six months.
I glimpse my skeleton house from afar and realistically weigh up my options. Motel rooms are expensive to book even upfront. It’s gonna cost at least a couple hundred bucks for Sonny and me to stay tonight.
The money could be a drop in the ocean two days from now when the insurance comes through. But the money is no guarantee. It’s sensible for me to take up Caleb’s offer, just for one night. In the morning, with a clear head, I’ll ring up the stove company, give them my lie in full and hope for compensation. And then I also have home insurance.
But until I see the money in my bank, I shouldn’t make any rash decisions.
“Fine,” I say, turning back to Caleb to get his reaction.
He doesn’t give one.
I add, “On one condition—we stop by the toy store first. I promised Sonny a new Boeing plane.”
Caleb raises his dark eyebrows. “A Boeing, ey? You promise big, Hart.”
I’m not the only one who promises big…
But at least I follow through with mine.
With Sonny occupied in the back seat with Boeing number two, I try to relax and mentally prepare for the rest of the afternoon.
Although it’s hard to relax when you have God’s literal favorite sitting next to you in the driver’s seat smelling of pheromones and nostalgia.
He still smells the same all these years later.
Caleb somehow convinced me to leave my car behind and let him drive us to his place. Sitting this close to him in his truck, all I wanna do is sink into his touch and surrender for a while. I’m willing to cross moral boundaries to lie in bed with him for an hour and make up for lost time. But it’s a bad idea. I was young and naive before, and thought happy ever afters were guaranteed when in love.
Nineteen-year-old Piper was very fucking mistaken.
“Here we are,” announces Caleb, backing into the drive with ease.
A reverse park like that would take me at least a few tries.
I undo my seat belt and hobble out to help Sonny out of the back seat. He clutches the plane and looks up at Caleb’s house with astonishment.
Same.
They really must pay firefighters well out here.
