I turned away from the window to find Caleb looking at me, his lips parted in a wide smile and his friendly blue eyes searching my face.
“Hi.” I offered, wrapping my hands around the coffee mug.
“What’s got my favorite girl looking like someone has taken her slice of sweet cherry pie.” He slipped into the seat across from me, set his baseball cap down on the table and reached for my hands. When he uncurled them from around my mug, he linked his fingers with mine. “You want to talk about it?”
My bottom lip between my teeth, I contemplated whether he was my Godsend outlet I’d just internally ranted about.
“This doesn’t have something to do with the mysterious Shay, does it?” he gently pushed. When I still said nothing, he tried a different tactic. “I was over at the bingo hall last night, helping Rose out with the drinks and all those sex-starved ladies could talk about was how he’s stolen their hearts along with their panties. Made me jealous.” He rolled his eyes on a fake grumble I could pick out a mile away. I smiled and he whooped, “there’s that pretty smile.” Then he sobered. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this dismal.” His tender expression was my undoing. The tears fell before I could stop them. “Christ, Skye.” Quickly he stood and came around to my side, slid into the bench seat and wrapped his arms around me.
I cried into the crook of his neck while mildly aware I’d have to tell him why I couldn’t keep a lid on my emotions right now. That I probably never would unless Shay went back to Rocky Mountain. We sat there until my tears tired into soft hiccups, my face hidden in his chest, his spicy smell of mint and musk filling my senses, his arms a comforting embrace.
When I finally found the strength to lift my head, he placed a napkin in my hand. “Dry those eyes, and drink this.” He handed me the cup of tea, Rose had placed on the table with a wink. After she walked away, he lifted an expectant gaze to my face, silently asking if I wanted to talk.
With a soft sigh, I picked up the cup. The sweet liquid brought a sense of calm to my body after a couple of sips. Holding the cup like a lifeline, my gaze riveted on the dregs at the bottom, I spent the next thirty minutes telling him about my past, from my very first memories with Shay, right up until his reappearance in my life. “You must think I’m sick, right?” I snuck a look at him.
He let out a low whistle, but his expression remained blank, making me freeze up on the inside, not sure I could handle him being disgusted with me. I considered him a good friend and I couldn’t lose him. Not now.
His hand slid over mine lying on the table. “You’re not sick, Skye.”
I lifted my gaze to a face filled with the usual friendly warmth. “Then how do you describe this...” I trailed off, unsure what to call it now that I’d divulged the truth.
“The word you’re looking for is love.” He smiled, squeezing my hand lightly. “While the best cardiologist can diagnose the simplest and worst heart disease, that organ will always remain a mystery when it comes to love. You can’t direct it when to flutter or palpitate on command, only true love can. And that’s the reason you’re not sick. Shay’s been your everything since your first step and developing feelings for him isn’t unheard of, Skye.” He turned fully to face me and cupped my cheeks. “The question you need to ask yourself is to whom do you owe your fidelity? Your heart or the minds of others?”
“Me?” I asked meekly.
His laugh was soft. “You’ll find the right moment to answer that question.” At my raised brow, he added, “when you’re sad, you’re alone in your pain. No one cares unless you ask them to. So, why when you’re happy or in love, should it involve anyone else? Unless you ask them to, right?” Amazing how he made so much sense of something I couldn’t even fathom with a heartbeat.
I moved in my seat, leaned my head against the cushioned backrest and stared up at the spinning ceiling fan, conscious of how well it represented my emotions right now. “If only I’d confronted this head on then.”
“And what would that have achieved apart from a different type of heartache,” he snorted. I tilted my head to look at him through questioning eyes. “No one here knows who Shay is, besides me, that is. Whereas back home, the entire town knew which meant more people to criticize. Because that’s what small town folk are good for. Ideal gossip.” He rolled his eyes, making me laugh. “It’s why I brought my son out here, Skye. Sometimes you just have to get away to be happy and sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and say fuck it” I knew he had secrets, but I’d never pried. If he wanted me to know, he’d tell me in his own time.
“You’re right, Caleb but I still have one dilemma to overcome.”
“Your father?”
I nodded. “He’s the one man I don’t want to hate me or feel disgusted by my choice of love.”
“What makes you think he will?” At my frown, he added, “your father sounds like a decent guy, from what you’ve told me, and he’s gone out of his way to give you a life here. He never questioned who the baby’s father was because he’s waiting for you to tell him in your own time. Give him the benefit of the doubt, Skye, he might surprise you.”
Rolling my neck to ease the tightened tendons, I blew out a raspberry. “How do I tell him?”
“The only way you can. By being honest, he’ll respect you more.” Caleb smiled.
I nodded, then reached for his hand. “I’m sorry for lying to you and the whole fake fiancé thing.”
He kissed my knuckles. “Sometimes, life sneaks up on us and we must do what’s necessary to find happiness.
“I think my happiness is still a long way to fruition.” My laugh was dismal.
“Why is that?” He frowned, sitting back.
“For one, Shay is still married. Two, he has kids and Griffin needs to know who his father is. Three, my father and grandma need to be told the truth. Four, Shay might be angry I kept his son a secret...” I trailed off not wanting to think about it.
“Hey.” He fisted my chin playfully. “You’re overthinking this and you’re worried about the what ifs.”
“Should I worry about the if onlys then?” I retorted, laughing.
Caleb shrugged. “If it works. Do you still want me to pretend we’re a couple?”
