She hadn’t expected someone like Caleb to enter her orbit. He was almost like a comet blazing through the sky. If she blinked, he might be gone from Moose Falls in an instant.
Sophia hadn’t imagined he would be here tonight. No, that wasn’t true. She’d known that there was a distinct possibility he might show up. Wasn’t that one of the reasons she’d come tonight? In the hope of seeing him again?
He was walking straight toward her, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
Look away! Look away!she urged herself.DO NOT STARE!Being around Caleb made her feel as if she was being treated to a banquet after not eating for months. She needed to be calm, cool, and collected. Completely unbothered by his presence.
Patience jabbed her subtly in the side. “Look who’s coming over here. And he’s staring straight at you, little sis. I guess being stuck in the attic with you made an impression on him.”
“Shush before he hears you,” Sophia muttered. Thankfully, the chatter in the tavern was noisy enough to prevent Patience’s voice from carrying. Her sister was the type of person who didn’t stop and think before she spoke.
Even from ten feet away Caleb was already showcasing a dazzling smile. And those perfectly shaped lips!Stop looking at his lips. Thoughts of kissing him flitted through her mind.Don’t go there!she told herself. With his track record, he was the last man she should be interested in. After her disastrous relationship with Donny, she had vowed not to ignore red flags. Caleb’s past on the reality show was a glaring crimson warning.
Butterflies were fluttering in her stomach, and her mouth felt as dry as cotton. She wasn’t the type of person to be tongue-tied, but she had no idea what to say to Caleb as he sauntered toward her.
“Hey, Sophia,” he said, disarming her with his dimples. He was dressed in jeans, a flannel shirt, and a pair of Timberland boots. Caleb was giving off a rugged Alaskan vibe, even though he normally radiated pure California sunshine.
“Hey, Hollywood,” she said, trying to sound unbotheredby his presence. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she might be breaking out in a sweat. He looked that good!
If she could just make it through this evening without making an utter fool of herself over the hottest man who had ever landed in Moose Falls, Sophia would consider that a huge success.
CHAPTER FIVE
As soon as he spotted Sophia at the bar, Caleb made a beeline in her direction. In the process he left his mother and Hattie with his brothers, Red, and Jacques. He felt a tad guilty, but he knew they were in good hands. Hattie was like royalty in Moose Falls, and she could work a room better than anyone he’d ever known, including Hollywood movers and shakers.
Sophia, dressed in casual clothes, looked just as amazing as she had the other night decked out in formal wear. She was the type of woman who would look good no matter what she was wearing. And she wasn’t wearing much makeup other than a little shine on her lips.
Oh, those lips. What he wouldn’t give to taste those plump, sensual lips.
He wasn’t sure if Sophia even liked him, so the likelihood of locking lips with her seemed negligible. A guy could still dream, though, right? And he could put his best foot forward and try to flirt his way into her good graces. It was worth a shot. Maybe he could get her out on the dance floor.
Sophia was with another woman, and they were sipping drinks, nibbling on appetizers, and looking as if they were having a grand time.
“Hey, Sophia. Nice to see you again,” he drawled, trying his best to sound smooth, even though he was slightly rattled by the sight of her.
“I’m Patience,” the woman standing next to Sophia said, grinning wildly at Caleb.
“I’m Caleb Stone. Sisters, right?” he asked, looking back and forth between the two women. The resemblance was striking. He was shocked that he could focus on anything other than Sophia. She had occupied a great deal of his time lately, with thoughts of her running rampant in his head.
“We sure are,” Patience said, leaning in to put her head on Sophia’s shoulder.
“My better half,” Sophia said, patting her sister on the head.
“Lies,” Patience said, swatting Sophia. “No one’s better than you.”
“Aww,” Sophia gushed. “Right back atcha.”
Their banter reminded him of him and his brothers, although they didn’t gush over one another. They tended to use humor to downplay the way they felt about one another while still always having each other’s backs and staying close. The truth was, they were one another’s best friends. Nothing and no one could ever get in the way of their bond.
“I want to go say hi to Peggy,” Patience said. “Nice meeting you, Caleb.” She let out a loud squeal as she headed in the direction of a tall blond woman.
“Are you both dancing tonight? Or just watching?” Caleb asked. He looked around the place. It was pretty jam-packed. He spotted a few of his co-workers from Yukon Cider and waved in their direction. With each and every day he wasbecoming more enmeshed with in the fabric of Moose Falls. Establishing those relationships made being in Alaska more palatable. As someone who’d always enjoyed a strong social network, he savored the camaraderie.
“Absolutely,” Sophia said. “I’m wearing my dancing shoes.” She pointed toward her cowgirl boots. “And Patience loves to dance.”
He let out a low whistle. “Those are nice. I’m fully expecting you to tear up the dance floor and show off your moves.” He could imagine her strutting her stuff on the makeshift dance floor, drawing all eyes in the room in her direction.
Sophia made a face. “Don’t get too excited. I’m more of a low-key dancer. I’m not MJ.”
