“Will do,” Caleb said, wishing they weren’t surrounded by so many people. Everyone had their eyes glued to them, going back and forth between them as if they were watching a tennis match. He wanted to shout, “Nothing to see here, people. Nothing to see.” Normally he didn’t mind being the center of attention. Some might even say he craved it, but at this moment he wished that he’d had more one-on-one time with Sophia. With every moment that went by, he’d felt as if he was peeling back her layers. Something about being trapped in the attic had allowed them to open up to each other.
“Let me assist you,” Jacques said, holding out his arm so Sophia could lean on him as she navigated the stairs.
Sophia was still one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen, and they’d bonded a bit in the attic. Once she’d confessed about being claustrophobic, he had glimpsed a softer side of her. Maybe they could meet up for coffee or a night out at Northern Exposure. His soon-to-be sister-in-law had just purchased the establishment from Red, which made True the official owner.
Before he could think of a suave way to ask her to hang out with him, she was walking down the stairs and away from the attic. And he didn’t fail to notice that she looked just as good walking away as she did coming.Have mercy!
“I see you,” Xavier said as soon as Sophia was out of earshot. A smug smile was plastered on his face.
“What are you babbling about?” Caleb asked, annoyed at himself for showing such an obvious interest in Sophia. He should have known that his brothers would be all over it like white on rice. First rule of being a Stone brother: Never show the cards you’re holding.
“We all see you,” Landon said. “You’re practically drooling.”
He gritted his teeth, from both pain and annoyance. “I am not drooling. I might be foaming at the mouth due to these ant bites, but I am not drooling.”
“Could have fooled me,” Xavier said, smirking.
“Enough of this nonsense, all of you. Caleb needs my salve and cold compresses,” Daisy said, sounding annoyed. She made a shooing motion with her hands. “Xavier, go back to the party and True. Landon, come help your brother out. We need to get him to his room.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Landon said, immediately following her instructions and heading over toward Caleb.
Red came up the steps. “Let me help,” he said, darting a glance in Daisy’s direction.
Oh, this should be fun, Caleb thought, with his father tiptoeing around his mother like an awkward teenager. Not that he blamed him. Daisy Stone was a badass who didn’t hold back on telling it like it was. Over the years she had gotten even tougher, most likely due to having to raise three boys on her own. Caleb wished life had been easier for their mother, but things hadn’t worked out that way. She’d carried the weight of the world on her shoulders for so many years. He still hadn’t forgiven his father for dropping the ball so disastrously. So far he’d put on a smile around Red, never letting him see how deeply his absence had affected him. At some point, Caleb knew his feelings would bubble over and explode. All this time his emotions had been simmering, but being in his father’s orbit changed everything.
“Guys, my body is on fire, but my legs are still working. I can walk out of here under my own steam,” Caleb said, shrugging off Landon’s arm.
“Aren’t we testy,” Landon said, rolling his eyes. “You didn’t even thank us for coming to your rescue.”
“You would be annoyed too if you had insect bites in your nether regions,” Caleb muttered. “It’s uncomfortable.”
Xavier and Landon looked at each other and burst into another round of laughter.
Daisy shook her head. “And here I thought that the two of you were slightly mature. I see that you’ve reverted back to your middle school years.” She rolled her eyes.
Caleb let out a snort. “You’re giving them way too much credit. I’d say they were still in elementary school.”
He bent down to pick up his shirt and spotted the Leica camera on the floor next to the crate where Sophia had been sitting. In all the commotion, she had forgotten her precious possession. Caleb reached for it and tucked it under his arm. He planned to hold on to the camera for a little bit.
This way he would have a reason to see Sophia again, if only to reunite her with her vintage camera. They had shared a few bonding moments in the attic that made him want to learn more about Sophia. She intrigued him. And maybe, just maybe, he could convince her that he was way more than the man she’d gotten a glimpse of on reality television.
Sophia nestled into her comfy knitted blanket and burrowed her head under her pillows. Contentment oozed from every pore in her body. Her alarm kept going off, but each and every time she reached for it and set it back on snooze. Sleeping in on the weekend was hard to resist.
“Mama, wake up.” Lily’s voice washed over her like a bucket of cold water. She slowly pulled off her eye mask as streaks of sunlight streamed through her blinds. What time was it? Clearly, judging by Lily’s appearance bedside, she’doverslept. She had been having such a wonderful, relaxing dream, the type you didn’t want to wake up from.
Although the details were a bit hazy, she knew Caleb had featured prominently in her dream. Her cheeks flushed at the realization that she couldn’t even escape him when her mind and body were the most relaxed. There was simply no denying reality. She was wildly attracted to the middle Stone brother. He might be the Love Rat, but he was also the hottest man who had ever stepped foot in Moose Falls. Maybe in all of Alaska if she was being honest.
And maybe, just maybe, there was more to him than the reality show had revealed. Or perhaps she was just fooling herself. In her experience, men who looked like Caleb had massive egos. Or was she simply putting up barriers to protect herself against Caleb’s charms?
“Good morning, sunshine,” she said to her daughter, patting the space next to her so Lily could join her. Without hesitation, Lily jumped up on the bed and snuggled up against her. “I’m sorry that I overslept.”
“It’s okay, Mommy. You were up late last night at the party.” Lily sounded so matter-of-fact and way more mature than her years. Sophia wanted to keep her as little as possible for as long as she could. As it was, she was growing up way too fast.
“What do you want for breakfast? I can whip up some pumpkin pancakes if you want,” Sophia suggested. Those were Lily’s favorite, especially on a lazy Saturday morning.
“Can you make them into Minnie Mouse ears?” Lily asked, crossing her hands in front of her in a prayerful pose. “Pretty please.”
“You got it,” Sophia said, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. “I’m just going to grab my robe and slippers. Okay?”
