He didn’t forget Mia. Not even close.
But as they started down the trail, Caleb knew one thing for sure. When he got back, he wasn’t going to keep pretending this was just business. If Mia saw him as only a contractor, at least he’d know. And if she didn’t, well, it was time to stop leaving things unsaid.
For now, he’d let the woods and quiet remind him who he was when everything else fell away.
By the time they reached a large pond lined with cypress knees and still, dark water, the last of the tension had drained from his shoulders.
Packs hit the ground. Tents were unpacked and camp set up. Nate and Liam headed off to gather wood for a fire later.
Caleb eyed the canoes tethered to nearby trees. He hadn’t been in one in a long time, not since he was a kid in Vermont.
Ranger sat beside him, alert, watching the water ripple as a fish broke the surface.
“It’s been a while,” Caleb murmured.
Ranger let out an eager huff and thumped his tail.
Dex and Linc were already casting their lines.
Caleb rested his hand on Ranger’s head and smiled faintly.
This weekend wouldn’t give him answers.
But it was giving him clarity, and that felt like a start.
The fire cracked and popped as the sky faded from purple to black. Fish sizzled over the grate. Someone passed out bottles of beer. Caleb leaned back in his camp chair, letting his body and mind ease into the night.
Ford nodded toward him. “How’s the build coming along?”
“Framed,” Caleb replied. “Moving fast.”
“Good sign,” Nate said.
Caleb huffed softly and took a long swallow of beer. “Depends. Lots of opinions. Makes it complicated.”
Ford poked at the coals. Sparks leapt, then settled. “Hard to build anything when you don’t know where you stand.”
Caleb swallowed hard. “Yeah.”
The fire snapped again, sending embers spiraling. He knew the guys were talking about the barn, but damn if it didn’t fit everything else, too.
Mia stoodin the quiet barn long after Dana left. The place still smelled faintly of cinnamon and maple. Sarah had called to tell her that everything was sold, so she wasn’t coming out. That was a relief. Mia told her to hang on to the receipts.
She looked at the calendar tacked to the wall. A small anniversary dinner. Another engagement party. Then blank space. Just a few scribbles of rumored upcoming events. Mia sighed. She had several potential jobs coming up that would bring in money. If she landed them.
She stood by the counter, phone in hand, staring at Caleb’s name. She’d already called twice. It had gone straight to voicemail.
“Busy,” she whispered, trying to believe it. “You’re just busy.”
But doubt crept in anyway.Avoiding me?God, she hoped not.
She set the phone down and leaned against the counter, staring out at the road. She hadn’t meant to brush him off this morning. The words had come out sharp, all wrong. Between the barn, the coolers, Roy, and everything piling up, she’d snapped without meaning to.
Dismissive. Rude even.
Outside, the tree branches swayed in the wind. The silence pressed in, heavy and relentless.
Mia pictured Caleb the way she always did when she tried not to. Solid. Steady. Patient to a fault. Ranger was probably by his side, tail wagging, happy just to be there. The image tugged at her heartstrings.
