“We should eat before it gets cold,” Hannah said, her voice carrying a hint of uncertainty that hadn’t been there before the kiss.
Had he done it again? Had he pushed her away without meaning to?
Then pull her back into your arms,his bear demanded.
But before he could speak or act, Hannah turned away and busied herself with plating the food she’d prepared, her hands trembling a little, and her eyes flickering away every time theirgazes met. Candlelight caught in her hair, turning the strands burnished copper. Caleb found himself mesmerized by the simple domesticity of watching her move through his kitchen as if she belonged there.
Because she does belong here,his bear insisted.With us.
She did, and he was going to prove it to her.
Caleb shut his eyes briefly, trying to pull himself together. The moment he revealed the truth, everything would change. She would either run... or she would choose him. So he had to choose his moment carefully.
Because everything depended on it.
“Sit. Let’s eat,” Hannah said as she sat down at the table. “You must be starving after such a long drive. I can’t thank you enough for going to Riverside and collecting the part.”
“This meal is thanks enough. It looks and smells delicious,” he said, finding his voice at last.
Hannah smiled, though her eyes remained cautious. “It seemed like the least I could do when I called Roy, and he told me you were collecting the part for me.”
“I know how much it means to you,” Caleb replied, meaning it. No distance would have been too great, not for her.
“It does,” she said, and picked up her fork and started to eat.
Caleb did the same. The food was incredible. But not as incredible as the woman sitting across from him.
She was beautiful, not in the fleeting way of magazine covers, but in the enduring way of mountains and rivers that had weathered storms and emerged stronger. Everything about her spoke of resilience—her ability to start over again and again, the courage it must have taken to kiss him, the life she’d built entirely on her own.
Caleb took another bite, chewing mechanically. The flavors barely registered. His thoughts circled relentlessly around tomorrow, when she would hand Roy the part so he could finally fix her car. When she’d be free to go.
When she might leave him forever.
“Did you have any trouble finding it?” she asked, the question jerking him out of his reverie.
“Trouble finding...”
“The part,” she said with a hint of a smile.
“Oh, no. My GPS took me to the door, and the part was there waiting for me.” Caleb took a sip of wine, gathering his courage. “How was your afternoon? After you left the restaurant?”
Hannah’s expression shifted, a flicker of something vulnerable crossing her face before she retreated to safer ground. “Quiet. I picked up groceries, as you can see.” She gestured toward her plate.
“And turned them into something incredible,” Caleb said. “If you ever need a job, we would hire you at the restaurant in a heartbeat.”
“Good to know.” She held his gaze for a moment. “But I have a job. In Slateford. And thanks to you, I won’t be starting late.”
Yeah, thanks to you,his bear grumbled.
It was the right thing to do,Caleb said as he forced himself to eat.
Why couldn’t he find the right words? Every time he opened his mouth to speak, he seemed to dig himself into a deeper hole that was impossible to get out of.
They finished their meal in silence, and Caleb felt the evening slipping away from him. He had to speak, to say something, but he was torn. Torn between asking her to stay and letting her walk away.
He wanted, no, needed this to be her choice.
But was he strong enough to stick to that resolve?
