His bear lifted its head.She’s up to something.
Oh, definitely,Caleb agreed, suddenly wary.
“They can’t deliver today,” Eleanor continued, glancing pointedly at Hannah and then back at him. “Something about the truck. Would you mind popping over to collect it instead?”
She paused, then added innocently, “And maybe Hannah would like to come along for the ride.”
Hannah straightened as she closed the dishwasher, interest lighting her eyes. “I’d love to,” she said. “As long as I won’t beimposing.”
Caleb smiled before he could stop himself and shook his head. “Never.”
“Well. Perhaps you could take a little picnic lunch,” Eleanor suggested. “Since you’ll be out, anyway.”
Caleb nodded. “I’ll fix something now.”
He moved on autopilot, putting together a simple picnic of leftovers from the lunch menu. A bottle of Thornberg wine and two glasses, because if his mother was going to orchestrate this, he might as well lean into it.
Hannah finished tidying up, and a few minutes later they were ready to leave.
Caleb caught Eleanor watching them with a satisfied little smile as they headed for the door.
Thankfully, Hannah seemed blissfully unaware of his mother’s not-so-discreet matchmaking attempt.
Caleb, on the other hand, was very aware.
And for once, he didn’t mind in the slightest.
Caleb watched Hannah as she walked ahead of him out of the restaurant, the afternoon sunlight catching the copper highlights in her hair as she stepped onto the pavement. He wasstill trying to wrap his head around the simple, unbelievable fact that this was happening.
That they were leaving together. That the afternoon stretched ahead of them, unclaimed, just the two of them.
“Your mom is nice,” Hannah said, glancing back at him with a smile that made his heart ache with longing.
“She likes you,” Caleb replied, unlocking his truck. It was an understatement. His mother had been practically vibrating with excitement throughout the lunch shift, stealing glances at Hannah and giving Caleb meaningful looks whenever their paths crossed in the kitchen.
As they climbed into the truck, Caleb carefully placed the picnic basket behind the seat, making sure the wine bottle was secure before closing the door. The cab felt smaller once Hannah was inside, filled with her presence, her warmth, the faint scent of her perfume that made his mouth water more than the leftover lunch items.
“So, where exactly is this vineyard?” Hannah asked, buckling her seatbelt.
“About twenty minutes up the valley,” Caleb replied, starting the engine. “It’s beautiful this time of year. The vines are just starting to leaf out.”
He pulled onto the main road, hyperaware of Hannah’s proximity. His bear was unusually quiet, content to simply bask in their mate’s presence after the hectic energy of the lunch shift.
“I’ve never been to a vineyard before,” Hannah admitted, gazing out of the window as Bear Creek slowly slipped away behind them. “I’m not much of a wine drinker, to be honest.”
“That’s okay,” Caleb said, easing his grip on the steering wheel. “The view alone is worth the trip.”
The road curved alongside a clear mountain stream, sunlight flickering through the trees and scattering across the water. Caleb found himself stealing glances at Hannah whenever the road allowed, watching the way her expression softened as she took in the landscape, the tension she had carried when he first met her by the side of the road easing little by little.
“It’s so peaceful here,” she murmured, almost as if she hadn’t meant to say it out loud.
“That’s what I love about it,” Caleb replied. “No matter how busy things get at the restaurant, I know this is waiting just a short drive away.”
Hannah turned toward him then, studying his profile with quiet intensity. “You really love it here, don’t you?”
“I do,” he said simply, feeling the truth of it in his bones. “It’s home. It’s always been my home.”
The word lingered between them, weighted with meaning that Caleb didn’t dare put into words. He wanted to tell her that home wasn’t just the mountains or the restaurant or even Bear Creek itself. Home was wherever she was now.
